H.P.

LOVECRAFTS COMPLETE WORKS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Alchemist.........................................................................................................................1 Azathoth.................................................................................................................................7 The Battle That Ended the Century........................................................................................8 The Beast in the Cave...........................................................................................................11 Beyond the Wall of Sleep.....................................................................................................1 The Boo!.............................................................................................................................."" The Call of Cthulhu.............................................................................................................."# The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward........................................................................................#& Cats And $o's....................................................................................................................1"# The Cats of (lthar..............................................................................................................1&& Celephais............................................................................................................................1& The Challen'e from Beyond..............................................................................................1&) Collapsin' Cosmoses.........................................................................................................1 * The Colour +ut of Space....................................................................................................1 " Cool Air..............................................................................................................................17* The Cra,lin' Chaos...........................................................................................................17The Curse of .i'................................................................................................................181 $a'on.................................................................................................................................1)& The $escendant..................................................................................................................1)7 The $iary of Alonzo Typer................................................................................................."** The $isinterment................................................................................................................"1# The $oom That Came to Sarnath.......................................................................................""" The $ream /uest of (n!no,n 0adath..............................................................................""$reams in the Witch12ouse..............................................................................................."8) The $un,ich 2orror..........................................................................................................&1" The Electric E%ecutioner....................................................................................................&#1 The Evil Cler'yman...........................................................................................................& # E% +3livione......................................................................................................................& 7 4acts Concernin' the 5ate Arthur 6ermyn and 2is 4amily................................................& ) The 4estival........................................................................................................................&4rom Beyond......................................................................................................................&71 The 7reen 8eado,............................................................................................................&7The 2aunter +f The $ar!..................................................................................................&8* 2e.......................................................................................................................................&)-

ii 2er3ert West9 :eanimator..................................................................................................#*& 2istory of the ;ecronomicon.............................................................................................#"" The 2orror at 8artin<s Beach.............................................................................................#"# The 2orror at :ed 2oo!.....................................................................................................#") The 2orror in the Buryin'17round....................................................................................##& The 2orror in the 8useum.................................................................................................# " The 2ound..........................................................................................................................#71 2ypnos...............................................................................................................................#7=3id.....................................................................................................................................#81 =mprisoned With the >haraos.............................................................................................#8# =n The ?ault........................................................................................................................ *" The 5ast Test...................................................................................................................... *7 The 5ur!in' 4ear................................................................................................................ #* The 8an of Stone............................................................................................................... " 8edusa<s Coil..................................................................................................................... -" 8emory.............................................................................................................................. 8) The 8oon1Bo'................................................................................................................... )* The 8ound......................................................................................................................... ) At the 8ountains of 8adness............................................................................................-#1 The 8usic +4 Erich @ann..................................................................................................7*The ;ameless City.............................................................................................................71" The ;i'ht +cean................................................................................................................7"* ;yarlathotep.......................................................................................................................7&# +ld Bu's.............................................................................................................................7&The +ther 7ods..................................................................................................................7#1 +ut of the Aeons.................................................................................................................7## The +utsider.......................................................................................................................7-1 >ic!man<s 8odel................................................................................................................7The >icture in the 2ouse....................................................................................................77# >oetry and the 7ods...........................................................................................................77) >olaris.................................................................................................................................78# The /uest of =ranon............................................................................................................787 The :ats in the Walls..........................................................................................................7)1 A :eminiscence +f $r. Samuel 6ohnson............................................................................8*# At the :oot.........................................................................................................................8*8 The Shado, +ut of Time...................................................................................................81* The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth.............................................................................................8 8 The Shunned 2ouse............................................................................................................)*1 The Silver 0ey....................................................................................................................)18 The Statement of :andolph Carter.....................................................................................)"The Stran'e 2i'h 2ouse in the 8ist..................................................................................)&* The Street...........................................................................................................................)&S,eet Ermen'arde .............................................................................................................)#* The Temple.........................................................................................................................)#The Terri3le +ld 8an.........................................................................................................) The Thin' in the 8oonli'ht...............................................................................................) 7 The Thin' on the $oorstep.................................................................................................) ) Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey..................................................................................)77 Till A< the Seas..................................................................................................................1**"

iii The Tom3..........................................................................................................................1**8 The Transition of 6uan :omero........................................................................................1*1 The Trap...........................................................................................................................1*"* The Tree............................................................................................................................1*& The Tree +n The 2ill.......................................................................................................1*&8 T,o Blac! Bottles............................................................................................................1*#The (nnama3le................................................................................................................1* # The ?ery +ld 4ol!............................................................................................................1* ) What the 8oon Brin's.....................................................................................................1*-& The Whisperer in $ar!ness..............................................................................................1*The White Ship.................................................................................................................11*8 Win'ed $eath...................................................................................................................111" Within the Walls of Ery%..................................................................................................11"8

The Alchemist
2i'h upA cro,nin' the 'rassy summit of a s,ellin' mount ,hose sides are ,ooded near the 3ase ,ith the 'narled trees of the primeval forest stands the old chateau of my ancestors. 4or centuries its lofty 3attlements have fro,ned do,n upon the ,ild and ru''ed countryside a3outA servin' as a home and stron'hold for the proud house ,hose honored line is older even than the moss1'ro,n castle ,alls. These ancient turretsA stained 3y the storms of 'enerations and crum3lin' under the slo, yet mi'hty pressure of timeA formed in the a'es of feudalism one of the most dreaded and formida3le fortresses in all 4rance. 4rom its machicolated parapets and mounted 3attlements BaronsA CountsA and even 0in's had 3een defiedA yet never had its spacious halls resounded to the footsteps of the invader. But since those 'lorious yearsA all is chan'ed. A poverty 3ut little a3ove the level of dire ,antA to'ether ,ith a pride of name that for3ids its alleviation 3y the pursuits of commercial lifeA have prevented the scions of our line from maintainin' their estates in pristine splendourB and the fallin' stones of the ,allsA the over'ro,n ve'etation in the par!sA the dry and dusty moatA the ill1paved courtyardsA and topplin' to,ers ,ithoutA as ,ell as the sa''in' floorsA the ,orm1eaten ,ainscotsA and the faded tapestries ,ithinA all tell a 'loomy tale of fallen 'randeur. As the a'es passedA first oneA then another of the four 'reat turrets ,ere left to ruinA until at last 3ut a sin'le to,er housed the sadly reduced descendants of the once mi'hty lords of the estate. =t ,as in one of the vast and 'loomy cham3ers of this remainin' to,er that =A AntoineA last of the unhappy and accursed Counts de C1A first sa, the li'ht of dayA ninety lon' years a'o. Within these ,alls and amon'st the dar! and shado,y forestsA the ,ild ravines and 'rottos of the hillside 3elo,A ,ere spent the first years of my trou3led life. 8y parents = never !ne,. 8y father had 3een !illed at the a'e of thirty1t,oA a month 3efore = ,as 3ornA 3y the fall of a stone someho, dislod'ed from one of the deserted parapets of the castle. And my mother havin' died at my 3irthA my care and education devolved solely upon one remainin' servitorA an old and trusted man of considera3le intelli'enceA ,hose name = remem3er as >ierre. = ,as an only child and the lac! of companionship ,hich this fact entailed upon me ,as au'mented 3y the stran'e care e%ercised 3y my a'ed 'uardianA in e%cludin' me from the society of the peasant children ,hose a3odes ,ere scattered here and there upon the plains that surround the 3ase of the hill. At that timeA >ierre said that this restriction ,as imposed upon me 3ecause my no3le 3irth placed me a3ove association ,ith such ple3eian company. ;o, = !no, tht its real o3Cect ,as to !eep from my ears the idle tales of the dread curse upon our line that ,ere ni'htly told and ma'nified 3y the simple tenantry as they conversed in hushed accents in the 'lo, of their cotta'e hearths. Thus isolatedA and thro,n upon my o,n resourcesA = spent the hours of my childhood in porin' over the ancient tomes that filled the shado,1haunted li3rary of the chateauA and in roamin' ,ithout aim or purpose throu'h the perpetual dust of the spectral ,ood that clothes the side of the hill near its foot. =t ,as perhaps an effect of such surroundin's that my mind early acDuired a shade of melancholy. Those studies and pursuits ,hich parta!e of the dar! and occult in nature most stron'ly claimed my attention. +f my o,n race = ,as permitted to learn sin'ularly littleA yet ,hat small !no,led'e of it = ,as a3le to 'ain seemed to depress me much. >erhaps it ,as at first only the manifest

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"

reluctance of my old preceptor to discuss ,ith me my paternal ancestry that 'ave rise to the terror ,hich = ever felt at the mention of my 'reat houseA yet as = 're, out of childhoodA = ,as a3le. to piece to'ether disconnected fra'ments of discourseA let slip from the un,illin' ton'ue ,hich had 3e'un to falter in approachin' senilityA that had a sort of relation to a certain circumstance ,hich = had al,ays deemed stran'eA 3ut ,hich no, 3ecame dimly terri3le. The circumstance to ,hich = allude is the early a'e at ,hich all the Counts of my line had met their end. Whilst = had hitherto considered this 3ut a natural attri3ute of a family of short1lived menA = after,ard pondered lon' upon these premature deathsA and 3e'an to connect them ,ith the ,anderin's of the old manA ,ho often spo!e of a curse ,hich for centuries had prevented the lives of the holders of my title from much e%ceedin' the span of thirty1t,o years. (pon my t,enty1first 3irthdayA the a'ed >ierre 'ave to me a family document ,hich he said had for many 'enerations 3een handed do,n from father to sonA and continued 3y each possessor. =ts contents ,ere of the most startlin' natureA and its perusal confirmed the 'ravest of my apprehensions. At this timeA my 3elief in the supernatural ,as firm and deep1seatedA else = should have dismissed ,ith scorn the incredi3le narrative unfolded 3efore my eyes. The paper carried me 3ac! to the days of the thirteenth centuryA ,hen the old castle in ,hich = sat had 3een a feared and impre'na3le fortress. =t told of a certain ancient man ,ho had once d,elled on our estatesA a person of no small accomplishmentsA thou'h little a3ove the ran! of peasantA 3y nameA 8ichelA usually desi'nated 3y the surname of 8auvaisA the EvilA on account of his sinister reputation. 2e had studied 3eyond the custom of his !indA see!in' such thin's as the >hilosopher<s Stone or the Eli%ir of Eternal 5ifeA and ,as reputed ,ise in the terri3le secrets of Blac! 8a'ic and Alchemy. 8ichel 8auvais had one sonA named CharlesA a youth as proficient as himself in the hidden artsA ,ho had therefore 3een called 5e SorcierA or the Wizard. This pairA shunned 3y all honest fol!A ,ere suspected of the most hideous practices. +ld 8ichel ,as said to have 3urnt his ,ife alive as a sacrifice to the $evilA and the unaccounta3le disappearance of many small peasant children ,as laid at the dreaded door of these t,o. .et throu'h the dar! natures of the father and son ran one redeemin' ray of humanityB the evil old man loved his offsprin' ,ith fierce intensityA ,hilst the youth had for his parent a more than filial affection. +ne ni'ht the castle on the hill ,as thro,n into the ,ildest confusion 3y the vanishment of youn' 7odfreyA son to 2enriA the Count. A searchin' partyA headed 3y the frantic fatherA invaded the cotta'e of the sorcerers and there came upon old 8ichel 8auvaisA 3usy over a hu'e and violently 3oilin' cauldron. Without certain causeA in the un'overned madness of fury and despairA the Count laid hands on the a'ed ,izardA and ere he released his murderous holdA his victim ,as no more. 8ean,hileA Coyful servants ,ere proclaimin' the findin' of youn' 7odfrey in a distant and unused cham3er of the 'reat edificeA tellin' too late that poor 8ichel had 3een !illed in vain. As the Count and his associates turned a,ay from the lo,ly a3ode of the alchemistA the form of Charles 5e Sorcier appeared throu'h the trees. The e%cited chatter of the menials standin' a3out told him ,hat had occurredA yet he seemed at first unmoved at his father<s fate. ThenA slo,ly advancin' to meet the CountA he pronounced in dull yet terri3le accents the curse that ever after,ard haunted the house of C1. E8ay ne<er a no3le of they murd<rous line Survive to reach a 'reater a'e than thineF<

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&

spa!e heA ,henA suddenly leapin' 3ac!,ards into the 3lac! ,oodsA he dre, from his tunic a phial of colourless liDuid ,hich he thre, into the face of his father<s slayer as he disappeared 3ehind the in!y curtain of the ni'ht. The Count died ,ithout utteranceA and ,as 3uried the ne%t dayA 3ut little more than t,o and thirty years from the hour of his 3irth. ;o trace of the assassin could 3e foundA thou'h relentless 3ands of peasants scoured the nei'h3orin' ,oods and the meado,land around the hill. Thus time and the ,ant of a reminder dulled the memory of the curse in the minds of the late Count<s familyA so that ,hen 7odfreyA innocent cause of the ,hole tra'edy and no, 3earin' the titleA ,as !illed 3y an arro, ,hilst huntin' at the a'e of thirty1t,oA there ,ere no thou'hts save those of 'rief at his demise. But ,henA years after,ardA the ne%t youn' CountA :o3ert 3y nameA ,as found dead in a near3y field of no apparent causeA the peasants told in ,hispers that their sei'neur had 3ut lately passed his thirty1second 3irthday ,hen surprised 3y early death. 5ouisA son to :o3ertA ,as found dro,ned in the moat at the same fateful a'eA and thus do,n throu'h the centuries ran the ominous chronicle9 2enrisA :o3ertsA AntoinesA and Armands snatched from happy and virtuous lives ,hen little 3elo, the a'e of their unfortunate ancestor at his murder. That = had left at most 3ut eleven years of further e%istence ,as made certain to me 3y the ,ords ,hich = had read. 8y lifeA previously held at small valueA no, 3ecame dearer to me each dayA as = delved deeper and deeper into the mysteries of the hidden ,orld of 3lac! ma'ic. =solated as = ,asA modern science had produced no impression upon meA and = la3oured as in the 8iddle A'esA as ,rapt as had 3een old 8ichel and youn' Charles themselves in the acDuisition of demonolo'ical and alchemical learnin'. .et read as = mi'htA in no manner could = account for the stran'e curse upon my line. =n unusually rational moments = ,ould even 'o so far as to see! a natural e%planationA attri3utin' the early deaths of my ancestors to the sinister Charles 5e Sorcier and his heirsB yetA havin' found upon careful inDuiry that there ,ere no !no,n descendants of the alchemistA = ,ould fall 3ac! to occult studiesA and once more endeavor to find a spellA that ,ould release my house from its terri3le 3urden. (pon one thin' = ,as a3solutely resolved. = should never ,edA forA since no other 3ranch of my family ,as in e%istenceA = mi'ht thus end the curse ,ith myself. As = dre, near the a'e of thirtyA old >ierre ,as called to the land 3eyond. Alone = 3uried him 3eneath the stones of the courtyard a3out ,hich he had loved to ,ander in life. Thus ,as = left to ponder on myself as the only human creature ,ithin the 'reat fortressA and in my utter solitude my mind 3e'an to cease its vain protest a'ainst the impendin' doomA to 3ecome almost reconciled to the fate ,hich so many of my ancestors had met. 8uch of my time ,as no, occupied in the e%ploration of the ruined and a3andoned halls and to,ers of the old chateauA ,hich in youth fear had caused me to shunA and some of ,hich old >ierre had once told me had not 3een trodden 3y human foot for over four centuries. Stran'e and a,esome ,ere many of the o3Cects = encountered. 4urnitureA covered 3y the dust of a'es and crum3lin' ,ith the rot of lon' dampnessA met my eyes. Co3,e3s in a profusion never 3efore seen 3y me ,ere spun every,hereA and hu'e 3ats flapped their 3ony and uncanny ,in's on all sides of the other,ise untenanted 'loom. +f my e%act a'eA even do,n to days and hoursA = !ept a most careful recordA for each movement of the pendulum of the massive cloc! in the li3rary told off so much of my doomed e%istence. At len'th = approached that time ,hich = had so lon' vie,ed ,ith apprehension. Since most of my ancestors had 3een seized some little ,hile 3efore they

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reached the e%act a'e of Count 2enri at his endA = ,as every moment on the ,atch for the comin' of the un!no,n death. =n ,hat stran'e form the curse should overta!e meA = !ne, notB 3ut = ,as resolved at least that it should not find me a co,ardly or a passive victim. With ne, vi'our = applied myself to my e%amination of the old chateau and its contents. =t ,as upon one of the lon'est of all my e%cursions of discovery in the deserted portion of the castleA less than a ,ee! 3efore that fatal hour ,hich = felt must mar! the utmost limit of my stay on earthA 3eyond ,hich = could have not even the sli'htest hope of continuin' to dra, 3reath. that = came upon the culminatin' event of my ,hole life. = had spent the 3etter part of the mornin' in clim3in' up and do,n half ruined staircases in one of the most dilapidated of the ancient turrets. As the afternoon pro'ressedA = sou'ht the lo,er levelsA descendin' into ,hat appeared to 3e either a mediaeval place of confinementA or a more recently e%cavated storehouse for 'unpo,der. As = slo,ly traversed the nitre1 encrusted passa'e,ay at the foot of the last staircaseA the pavin' 3ecame very dampA and soon = sa, 3y the li'ht of my flic!erin' torch that a 3lan!A ,ater1stained ,all impeded my Courney. Turnin' to retrace my stepsA my eye fell upon a small trapdoor ,ith a rin'A ,hich lay directly 3eneath my foot. >ausin'A = succeeded ,ith difficulty in raisin' itA ,hereupon there ,as revealed a 3lac! apertureA e%halin' no%ious fumes ,hich caused my torch to sputterA and disclosin' in the unsteady 'lare the top of a fli'ht of stone steps. As soon as the torch ,hich = lo,ered into the repellent depths 3urned freely and steadilyA = commenced my descent. The steps ,ere manyA and led to a narro, stone1fla''ed passa'e ,hich = !ne, must 3e far under'round. This passa'e proved of 'reat len'thA and terminated in a massive oa!en doorA drippin' ,ith the moisture of the placeA and stoutly resistin' all my attempts to open it. Ceasin' after a time my efforts in this directionA = had proceeded 3ac! some distance to,ard the steps ,hen there suddenly fell to my e%perience one of the most profound and maddenin' shoc!s capa3le of reception 3y the human mind. Without ,arnin'A = heard the heavy door 3ehind me crea! slo,ly open upon its rusted hin'es. 8y immediate sensations ,ere incapa3le of analysis. To 3e confronted in a place as thorou'hly deserted as = had deemed the old castle ,ith evidence of the presence of man or spirit produced in my 3rain a horror of the most acute description. When at last = turned and faced the seat of the soundA my eyes must have started from their or3its at the si'ht that they 3eheld. There in the ancient 7othic door,ay stood a human fi'ure. =t ,as that of a man clad in a s!ull1cap and lon' mediaeval tunic of dar! colour. 2is lon' hair and flo,in' 3eard ,ere of a terri3le and intense 3lac! hueA and of incredi3le profusion. 2is foreheadA hi'h 3eyond the usual dimensionsB his chee!sA deep1sun!en and heavily lined ,ith ,rin!lesB and his handsA lon'A cla,1li!eA and 'narledA ,ere of such a deadly mar3le1li!e ,hiteness as = have never else,here seen in man. 2is fi'ureA lean to the proportions of a s!eletonA ,as stran'ely 3ent and almost lost ,ithin the voluminous folds of his peculiar 'arment. But stran'est of all ,ere his eyesA t,in caves of a3ysmal 3lac!nessA profound in e%pression of understandin'A yet inhuman in de'ree of ,ic!edness. These ,ere no, fi%ed upon meA piercin' my soul ,ith their hatredA and rootin' me to the spot ,hereon = stood. At last the fi'ure spo!e in a rum3lin' voice that chilled me throu'h ,ith its dull hollo,ness and latent malevolence. The lan'ua'e in ,hich the discourse ,as clothed ,as that de3ased form of 5atin in use amon'st the more learned men of the 8iddle A'esA and made familiar to me 3y my prolon'ed researches into the ,or!s of the old alchemists and demonolo'ists. The apparition spo!e of the curse ,hich had hovered over my houseA told

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me of my comin' endA d,elt on the ,ron' perpetrated 3y my ancestor a'ainst old 8ichel 8auvaisA and 'loated over the reven'e of Charles 5e Sorcier. 2e told ho, youn' Charles has escaped into the ni'htA returnin' in after years to !ill 7odfrey the heir ,ith an arro, Cust as he approached the a'e ,hich had 3een his father<s at his assassinationB ho, he had secretly returned to the estate and esta3lished himselfA un!no,nA in the even then deserted su3terranean cham3er ,hose door,ay no, framed the hideous narratorA ho, he had seized :o3ertA son of 7odfreyA in a fieldA forced poison do,n his throatA and left him to die at the a'e of thirty1t,oA thus maintain' the foul provisions of his ven'eful curse. At this point = ,as left to ima'ine the solution of the 'reatest mystery of allA ho, the curse had 3een fulfilled since that time ,hen Charles 5e Sorcier must in the course of nature have diedA for the man di'ressed into an account of the deep alchemical studies of the t,o ,izardsA father and sonA spea!in' most particularly of the researches of Charles 5e Sorcier concernin' the eli%ir ,hich should 'rant to him ,ho partoo! of it eternal life and youth. 2is enthusiasm had seemed for the moment to remove from his terri3le eyes the 3lac! malevolence that had first so haunted meA 3ut suddenly the fiendish 'lare returned andA ,ith a shoc!in' sound li!e the hissin' of a serpentA the stran'er raised a 'lass phial ,ith the evident intent of endin' my life as had Charles 5e SorcierA si% hundred years 3eforeA ended that of my ancestor. >rompted 3y some preservin' instinct of self1defenseA = 3ro!e throu'h the spell that had hitherto held me immova3leA and flun' my no, dyin' torch at the creature ,ho menaced my e%istence. = heard the phial 3rea! harmlessly a'ainst the stones of the passa'e as the tunic of the stran'e man cau'ht fire and lit the horrid scene ,ith a 'hastly radiance. The shrie! of fri'ht and impotent malice emitted 3y the ,ould13e assassin proved too much for my already sha!en nervesA and = fell prone upon the slimy floor in a total faint. When at last my senses returnedA all ,as fri'htfully dar!A and my mindA remem3erin' ,hat had occurredA shran! from the idea of 3eholdin' any moreB yet curiosity over1 mastered all. WhoA = as!ed myselfA ,as this man of evilA and ho, came he ,ithin the castle ,allsG Why should he see! to aven'e the death of 8ichel 8auvaisA and ho, 3ad the curse 3een carried on throu'h all the lon' centuries since the time of Charles 5e SorcierG The dread of years ,as lifted from my shoulderA for = !ne, that he ,hom = had felled ,as the source of all my dan'er from the curseB and no, that = ,as freeA = 3urned ,ith the desire to learn more of the sinister thin' ,hich had haunted my line for centuriesA and made of my o,n youth one lon'1continued ni'htmare. $etermined upon further e%plorationA = felt in my poc!ets for flint and steelA and lit the unused torch ,hich = had ,ith me. 4irst of allA ne, li'ht revealed the distorted and 3lac!ened form of the mysterious stran'er. The hideous eyes ,ere no, closed. $isli!in' the si'htA = turned a,ay and entered the cham3er 3eyond the 7othic door. 2ere = found ,hat seemed much li!e an alchemist<s la3oratory. =n one corner ,as an immense pile of shinin' yello, metal that spar!led 'or'eously in the li'ht of the torch. =t may have 3een 'oldA 3ut = did not pause to e%amine itA for = ,as stran'ely affected 3y that ,hich = had under'one. At the farther end of the apartment ,as an openin' leadin' out into one of the many ,ild ravines of the dar! hillside forest. 4illed ,ith ,onderA yet no, realizin' ho, the man had o3tained access to the chauteauA = proceeded to return. = had intended to pass 3y the remains of the stran'er ,ith averted face 3utA as = approached the 3odyA = seemed to hear emanatin' from it a faint soundA. as thou'h life ,ere not yet ,holly e%tinct. A'hastA = turned to e%amine the charred and shrivelled fi'ure on the floor.

H.P.Lovecr !t

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Then all at once the horri3le eyesA 3lac!er even than the seared face in ,hich they ,ere setA opened ,ide ,ith an e%pression ,hich = ,as una3le to interpret. The crac!ed lips tried to frame ,ords ,hich = could not ,ell understand. +nce = cau'ht the name of Charles 5e SorcierA and a'ain = fancied that the ,ords Eyears< and Ecurse< issued from the t,isted mouth. Still = ,as at a loss to 'ather the purport of his disconnnected speech. At my evident i'norance of his meanin'A the pitchy eyes once more flashed malevolently at meA untilA helpless as = sa, my opponent to 3eA = trem3led as = ,atched him. Suddenly the ,retchA animated ,ith his last 3urst of stren'thA raised his piteous head from the damp and sun!en pavement. ThenA as = remainedA paralyzed ,ith fearA he found his voice and in his dyin' 3reath screamed forth those ,ords ,hich have ever after,ard haunted my days and ni'hts. E4oolF< he shrie!edA ECan you not 'uess my secretG 2ave you no 3rain ,here3y you may reco'nize the ,ill ,hich has throu'h si% lon' centuries fulfilled the dreadful curse upon the houseG 2ave = not told you of the 'reat eli%ir of eternal lifeG 0no, you not ho, the secret of Alchemy ,as solvedG = tell youA it is =F =F =F that have lived for si% hundred years to maintain my reven'eA for = am Charles 5e SorcierF<

A" thoth
When a'e fell upon the ,orldA and ,onder ,ent out of the minds of menB ,hen 'rey cities reared to smo!y s!ies tall to,ers 'rim and u'lyA in ,hose shado, none mi'ht dream of the sun or of Sprin'<s flo,erin' meadsB ,hen learnin' stripped the Earth of her mantle of 3eauty and poets asan' no more of t,isted phantoms seen ,ith 3leared and in,ard loo!in' eyesB ,hen these thin's had come to passA and childish hopes had 'one foreverA there ,as a man ,ho traveled out of life on a Duest into spaces ,hither the ,orlds dreams had fled. +f the name and a3ode of this man little is ,rittenA for they ,ere of the ,a!in' ,orld onlyB yet it is said that 3oth ,ere o3scure. =t is enou'h to say that he d,elt in a city of hi'h ,alls ,here sterile t,ili'ht rei'nedA that he toiled all day amon' shado, and turmoilA comin' home at evenin' to a room ,hose one ,indo, opened not to open fields and 'roves 3ut on to a dim court ,here other ,indo,s stared in dull dispair. 4rom that casement one mi'ht see only ,alls and ,indo,sA e%cept sometimes ,hen one leaned so far out and peered at the small stars that passed. And 3ecause mere ,alls and ,indo,s must soon drive a man to madness ,ho dreams and reads muchA the d,eller in that rom used ni'ht after ni'ht to lean out and peer aloft to 'limpse some fra'ment of thin's 3eyond the ,a!in' ,orld and the tall cities. After years he 3e'an to call the slo, sailin' stars 3y nameA and to follo, them in fancy ,hen they 'lided re'retfully out of si'htB till at len'th his vision opened to many secret vistas ,hose e%istance no common eye suspected. And one ni'ht a mi'hty 'ulf ,as 3rid'edA and the dream haunted s!ies s,elled do,n to the lonely ,atcher<s ,indo, to mer'e ,ith the close air of his room and to ma!e him a part of their fa3ulous ,onder. There came to that room ,ild streams of violet midni'ht 'litterin' ,ith dust of 'oldA vortices of dust and fireA s,irlin' out of the ultimate spaces and heavy perfumes from 3eyond the ,orlds. +piate oceans poured thereA litten 3y suns that the eye may never 3ehold and havin' in their ,hirlpools stran'e dolphins and sea1nymphs of unremem3era3le depths. ;oiseless infinity eddied aroud the dreamer and ,afted him a,ay ,ithout touchin' the 3ody that leaned stiffly from the lonely ,indo,B and for days not counted in men<s calanders the tides of far spheres that 3ore him 'ently to Coin the course of other cycles that tenderly left him sleepin' on a 'reen sunrise shoreA a 'reen shore fra'rant ,ith lotus 3lossums and starred 3y red camalates...

The B ttle Th t E#$e$ the Ce#t%r&

'MS. Fo%#$ i# Time M chi#e(
+n the eve of the year "**1 a vast cro,d of interested spectators ,ere present amidst the romantic ruins of Cohen<s 7ara'eA on the former site of ;e, .or!A to ,itness a fistic encounter 3et,een t,o reno,ned champions of the stran'e1story firmament 11 T,o17un Bo3A the Terror of the >lainsA and 0noc!out BernieA the Wild Wolf of West Sho!an. HThe Wolf ,as fresh from his correspondence course in physical trainin'A sold to him 3y 8r. Arthur 5eeds.I Before the 3attle the au'uries ,ere determined 3y the venerated Thi3etan 5ama Bill 5um 5iA ,ho evo!ed the primal serpent1'od of ?alusia and found unmista!a3le si'ns of victory for 3oth sides. Cream1puffs ,ere inattentively vended 3y Wladisla, Brenry! 11 the parta!ers 3ein' treated 3y the official sur'eonsA $rs. $. 2. 0iller and 8. 7in Bre,ery. The 'on' ,as sounded at &) o<cloc!A after ,hich the air 're, red ,ith the 'ore of 3attleA lavishly flun' a3out 3y the mi'hty Te%as slau'hterer. ?ery shortly the first actual dama'e occurred 11 the loosenin' of several teeth in 3oth participants. +neA 3ouncin' out from the Wolf<s mouth after a casual tap from T,o17unA descri3ed a para3ola to,ard .ucatanB 3ein' retrieved in a hasty e%pedition 3y 8essrs. A. 2iCac!ed Barrell and 7. A. Scotland. This incident ,as used 3y the eminent sociolo'ist and e%1poet 4ran! Chimesleep ShortA 6r.A as the 3asis of a 3allad of proletarian propa'anda ,ith three intentionally defective lines. 8ean,hile a potentate from a nei'h3ourin' !in'domA the EffCay of A!!amin Jalso !no,n to himself as an amateur criticKA e%pressed his frenzied dis'ust at the techniDue of the com3atantsA at the same time peddlin' photo'raphs of the fi'hters J,ith himself in the fore'roundK at five cents each. =n round t,o the Sho!an Soa!er<s sturdy ri'ht crashed throu'h the Te%an<s ri3s and 3ecame entan'led in sundry visceraB there3y ena3lin' T,o 7un to 'et in several tellin' 3lo,s on his opponent<s unprotected chin. Bo3 ,as 'reatly annoyed 3y the effeminate sDueamishness she,n 3y several onloo!ers as musclesA 'landsA 'oreA and 3its of flesh ,ere spattered over the rin'side. $urin' this round the eminent ma'azine1cover anatomist 8rs. 8. Blundera'e portrayed the 3attlers as a pair of spirited nudes 3ehind a thin veil of conveniently curlin' to3acco1smo!eA ,hile the late 8r. C. 2alfCent provided a s!etch of three Chinamen clad in sil! hats and 'aloshes 11 this 3ein' his o,n ori'inal conception of the affray. Amon' the amateur s!etches made ,as one 3y 8r. 7oofy 2ooeyA ,hich later 'ained fame in the annual Cu3ist e%hi3it as LA3straction of an Eradicated >uddin'L. =n the third round the fi'ht 're, really rou'hB several ears and other appurtenances 3ein' ,holly or partially detached from the frontier 3attler 3y the Sho!an Shoc!er. Some,hat irritatedA T,o17un countered ,ith some e%ceptionally sharp 3lo,sB severin' many fra'ments from his a''ressorA ,ho continued to fi'ht ,ith all his remainin' mem3ers. HAt this sta'e the audience 'ave si'ns of much nervous e%citement 11 instances of tramplin' and 'orin' 3ein' freDuent. The more enthusiastic mem3ers ,ere placed in the custody of 8r. 2arry Bro3st of the Butler 2ospital for 8ental $iseases.I

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Battle That Ended the Century

The entire affair ,as reported 3y 8r. W. 5a3lache TalcumA his copy 3ein' revised 3y 2orse >o,er 2ateart. Throu'hout the event notes ,ere ta!en 3y 8. le Comte d<Erlette for a "**1volume novel1cycle in the >roustian mannerA to 3e entitled Morning in SeptemberA ,ith illustrations 3y 8rs. Blundera'e. 8r. 6. Caesar Warts freDuently intervie,ed 3oth 3attlers and all the more important spectatorsB o3tainin' as souvenirs Jafter a spirited stru''le ,ith the EffCayK an auto'raphed Duarter1ri3 of T,o17un<sA in an e%cellent state of preservationA and three fin'er1nails from the Wild Wolf. 5i'htin' effects ,ere supplied 3y the Electrical Testin' 5a3oratories under the supervision of 2. 0ane3ra!e. The fourth round ,as prolon'ed ei'ht hours at the reDuest of the official artistA 8r. 2. WandererA ,ho ,ished to put certain shadin's of fantasy into his representation of the Wolf<s depleted physio'nomyA ,hich included several supernumerary details supplied 3y the ima'ination. The clima% came in round fiveA ,hen the Te%as Tearer<s left passed entirely throu'h Battlin' Bernie<s face and 3rou'ht 3oth slu''ers to the mat. This ,as adCud'ed a finish 3y the referee 11 :o3ertieff Essovitch 0arovs!yA the 8uscovite Am3assador 11 ,hoA in vie, of the Sho!an Shoc!er<s 'ory stateA declared the latter to 3e essentially liDuidated accordin' to the 8ar%ian ideolo'y. The Wild Wolf entered an official protestA ,hich ,as promptly overruled on the 'round that all the points necessary to technical death ,ere theoretically present. The 'onfalons sounded a fanfare of triumph for the victorA ,hile the technically vanDuished ,as committed to the care of the official morticianA 8r. Tea3erry /uince. $urin' the ceremonies the theoretical corpse strolled a,ay for a 3ite of 3olo'naA 3ut a tasteful cenotaph ,as supplied to furnish a focus for the rites. The funeral procession ,as headed 3y a 'aily 3edec!ed hearse driven 3y 8ali! TausA the >eacoc! SultanA ,ho sat on the 3o% in West >oint uniform and tur3anA and steered an e%pert course over several formida3le hed'es and stone ,alls. A3out half ,ay to the cemetery the cortM'e ,as reCoined 3y the corpseA ,ho sat 3eside Sultan 8ali! on the 3o% and finished his 3olo'na sand,ich 11 his ample 'irth havin' made it impossi3le to enter the hastily selected cenotaph. An appropriate dir'e ,as rendered 3y 8aestro Sin' 5ee Ba,ledout on the piccoloB 8essrs. $e SilvaA Bro,nA and 2enderson<s cele3rated ariaA L;ever S,at a 4lyLA from the old cantata Just ImagineA 3ein' chosen for the occasion. The only detail omitted from the funeral ,as the intermentA ,hich ,as interrupted 3y the disconcertin' ne,s that the official 'ate1ta!er 11 the cele3rated financier and pu3lisher =var 0. :odentA EsD. 11 had a3sconded ,ith the entire proceeds. HThis omission ,as re'retted chiefly 3y the :ev. $. ?est WindA ,ho ,as there3y forced to leave unspo!en a lon' and movin' sermon revised e%pressly for the cele3ration from a former discourse delivered at the 3urial of a favourite horse.I 8r. Talcum<s report of the eventA illustrated 3y the ,ell1!no,n artist 0lar!ash1Ton J,ho esoterically depicted the fi'hters as 3oneless fun'iKA ,as printed after repeated reCections 3y the discriminatin' editor of the Windy City Grab-Bag 11 as a 3roadside 3y W. >eter ChefHA ,ith typo'raphical supervision 3y ?rest +rton.I. ThisA throu'h the efforts of +tis Adel3ert 0lineA ,as finally placed on sale in the 3oo!shop of Smearum N WeepA three and a half copies finally 3ein' disposed of throu'h the allurin' catalo'ue description supplied 3y Samuelus >hilanthropusA EsD. =n response to this ,ide demandA the te%t ,as finally reprinted 3y 8r. $e 8erit in the polychromatic pa'es of Wurst<s Weakly Americana under the title L2as Science Been +utmodedG orA The 8illers in the 7ara'eL. ;o copiesA ho,everA remain in circulationB

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Battle That Ended the Century

1*

since all ,hich ,ere not snapped up 3y fanatical 3i3liophiles ,ere seized 3y the police in conne%ion ,ith the li3el suit of the Wild WolfA ,ho ,asA after several appeals endin' ,ith the World CourtA adCud'ed not only officially alive 3ut the clear ,inner of the com3at. )loss r& o! N mes T,o17un Bo3 11 :o3ert E. 2o,ard 0noc!out BernieA the Wild Wolf of West Sho!an 11 Bernard Austin $,yerA of West Sho!anA ;... Bill 5um 5i 11 William 5umley Wladisla, Brenry! 11 2. Warner 8unn $. 2. 0iller 11 $avid 2. 0eller 8. 7in Bre,ery 11 8iles 7. Breuer A. 2iCac!ed Barrell 11 A. 2yatt ?errill 7. A. Scotland 11 7eor'e Allan En'land 4ran! Chimesleep ShortA 6r 11 4ran! Bel!nap 5on'A 6r. The EffCoy of A!!omin 11 4orrest 6. Ac!erman 8rs. 8. Blundera'e 11 8ar'aret Brunda'e Jartist for Weird TalesK 8r. C. 2alf1Cent 11 C. C. Senf Jartist for Weird TalesK 8r. 7oofy 2ooey 11 2u'h :an!in Jartist for Weird TalesK W. 5a3lache Talcum 11 Wilfred Blanch Talman 2orse >o,er 2ateart 11 2o,ard >hillips 5ovecraft 8. le Comte d<Erlette 11 Au'ust $erleth Jauthor of !ening in SpringK 6. Caesar Warts 11 6ulius Sch,artz 2. 0one3ra!e 11 2. C. 0oeni' Jemployed 3y the Electrical Testin' 5a3oratoriesK 2. Wanderer 11 2o,ard Wandrei :o3ertieff Essovitch 0arovs!y 11 :o3ert S. Carr Tea3erry /uince 11 Sea3ury /uinn 8ali! TausA the >eacoc! Sultan 11 E. 2offmann >rice Sin' 5ee Ba,ledout 11 4. 5ee Bald,in =vor 0. :odent 11 2u'o 7erns3ac! :ev. $. ?est Wind 11 (n!no,n 0lar!ash1Ton 11 Clar! Ashton Smith Windy City Grab-Bag 11 Weird Tales W. >eter Chef 11 W. >aul Coo! Smearum N Weep 11 $au3er N >ine Samuelus >hilanthropus 11 Samuel 5oveman 8r. $e 8erit 11 A. 8erritt Jauthor of T"e #$ellers in t"e MirageK Wurst<s Weekly Americana 11 2earst<s American Weekly

The Be st i# the C ve
The horri3le conclusion ,hich had 3een 'radually o3trudin' itself upon my confused and reluctant mind ,as no, an a,ful certainty. = ,as lostA completelyA hopelessly lost in the vast and la3yrinthine recess of the 8ammoth Cave. Turn as = mi'htA =n no direction could my strainin' vision seize on any o3Cect capa3le of servin' as a 'uidepost to set me on the out,ard path. That nevermore should = 3ehold the 3lessed li'ht of dayA or scan the pleasant 3ills and dales of the 3eautiful ,orld outsideA my reason could no lon'er entertain the sli'htest un3elief. 2ope had departed. .etA indoctrinated as = ,as 3y a life of philosophical studyA = derived no small measure of satisfaction from my unimpassioned demeanourB for althou'h = had freDuently read of the ,ild frenzies into ,hich ,ere thro,n the victims of similar situationA = e%perienced none of theseA 3ut stood Duiet as soon as = clearly realised the loss of my 3earin's. ;or did the thou'ht that = had pro3a3ly ,andered 3eyond the utmost limits of an ordinary search cause me to a3andon my composure even for a moment. =f = must dieA = reflectedA then ,as this terri3le yet maCestic cavern as ,elcome a sepulchre as that ,hich any churchyard mi'ht affordA a conception ,hich carried ,ith it more of tranDuillity than of despair. Starvin' ,ould prove my ultimate fateB of this = ,as certain. SomeA = !ne,A had 'one mad under circumstances such as theseA 3ut = felt that this end ,ould not 3e mine. 8y disaster ,as the result of no fault save my o,nA since un!no,n to the 'uide = had separated myself from the re'ular party of si'htseersB andA ,anderin' for over an hour in for3idden avenues of the caveA had found myself una3le to retrace the devious ,indin's ,hich = had pursued since forsa!in' my companions. Already my torch had 3e'un to e%pireB soon = ,ould 3e enveloped 3y the total and almost palpa3le 3lac!ness of the 3o,els of the earth. As = stood in the ,anin'A unsteady li'htA = idly ,ondered over the e%act circumstances of my comin' end. = remem3ered the accounts ,hich = had heard of the colony of consumptivesA ,hoA ta!in' their residence in this 'i'antic 'rotto to find health from the apparently salu3rious air of the under'round ,orldA ,ith its steadyA uniform temperatureA pure airA and peaceful DuietA had foundA insteadA death in stran'e and 'hastly form. = had seen the sad remains of their ill1made cotta'es as = passed them 3y ,ith the partyA and had ,ondered ,hat unnatural influence a lon' soCourn in this immense and silent cavern ,ould e%ert upon one as healthy and vi'orous as =. ;o,A = 'rimly told myselfA my opportunity for settlin' this point had arrivedA provided that ,ant of food should not 3rin' me too speedy a departure from this life. As the last fitful rays of my torch faded into o3scurityA = resolved to leave no stone unturnedA no possi3le means of escape ne'lectedB soA summonin' all the po,ers possessed 3y my lun'sA = set up a series of loud shoutin'sA in the vain hope of attractin' the attention of the 'uide 3y my clamour. .etA as = calledA = 3elieved in my heart that my cries ,ere to no purposeA and that my voiceA ma'nified and reflected 3y the num3erless ramparts of the 3lac! maze a3out meA fell upon no ears save my o,n. All at onceA ho,everA my attention ,as fi%ed ,ith a start as = fancied that = heard the sound of soft approachin' steps on the roc!y floor of the cavern.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Beast in the Cave

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Was my deliverance a3out to 3e accomplished so soonG 2adA thenA all my horri3le apprehensions 3een for nau'htA and ,as the 'uideA havin' mar!ed my un,arranted a3sence from the partyA follo,in' my course and see!in' me out in this limestone la3yrinthG Whilst these Coyful Dueries arose in my 3rainA = ,as on the point of rene,in' my criesA in order that my discovery mi'ht come the soonerA ,hen in an instant my deli'ht ,as turned to horror as = listenedB for my ever acute earA no, sharpened in even 'reater de'ree 3y the complete silence of the caveA 3ore to my 3enum3ed understandin' the une%pected and dreadful !no,led'e that these footfalls ,ere not like t"ose of any mortal man% =n the unearthly stillness of this su3terranean re'ionA the tread of the 3ooted 'uide ,ould have sounded li!e a series of sharp and incisive 3lo,s. These impacts ,ere softA and stealthyA as of the pa,s of some feline. BesidesA ,hen = listened carefullyA = seemed to trace the falls of four instead of t$o feet. = ,as no, convinced that = had 3y my o,n cries aroused and attracted some ,ild 3eastA perhaps a mountain lion ,hich had accidentally strayed ,ithin the cave. >erhapsA = consideredA the Almi'hty had chosen for me a s,ifter and more merciful death than that of hun'erB yet the instinct of self1preservationA never ,holly dormantA ,as stirred in my 3reastA and thou'h escape from the on1comin' peril mi'ht 3ut spare me for a sterner and more lin'erin' endA = determined nevertheless to part ,ith my life at as hi'h a price as = could command. Stran'e as it may seemA my mind conceived of no intent on the part of the visitor save that of hostility. Accordin'lyA = 3ecame very DuietA =n the hope that the un!no,n 3east ,ouldA =n the a3sence of a 'uidin' soundA lose its direction as had =A and thus pass me 3y. But this hope ,as not destined for realisationA for the stran'e footfalls steadily advancedA the animal evidently havin' o3tained my scentA ,hich in an atmosphere so a3solutely free from all distractin' influences as is that of the caveA could dou3tless 3e follo,ed at 'reat distance. Seein' therefore that = must 3e armed for defense a'ainst an uncanny and unseen attac! in the dar!A = 'roped a3out me the lar'est of the fra'ments of roc! ,hich ,ere stre,n upon all parts of the floor of the cavern =n the vicinityA and 'raspin' one in each hand for immediate useA a,aited ,ith resi'nation the inevita3le result. 8ean,hile the hideous patterin' of the pa,s dre, near. CertainlyA the conduct of the creature ,as e%ceedin'ly stran'e. 8ost of the timeA the tread seemed to 3e that of a DuadrupedA ,al!in' ,ith a sin'ular lack of unison 3et,i%t hind and fore feetA yet at 3rief and infreDuent intervals = fancied that 3ut t,o feet ,ere en'a'ed in the process of locomotion. = ,ondered ,hat species of animal ,as to confront meB it mustA = thou'htA 3e some unfortunate 3east ,ho had paid for its curiosity to investi'ate one of the entrances of the fearful 'rotto ,ith a life1 lon' confinement in its intermina3le recesses. =t dou3tless o3tained as food the eyeless fishA 3ats and rats of the caveA as ,ell as some of the ordinary fish that are ,afted in at every freshet of 7reen :iverA ,hich communicates in some occult manner ,ith the ,aters of the cave. = occupied my terri3le vi'il ,ith 'rotesDue conCectures of ,hat alteration cave life mi'ht have ,rou'ht =n the physical structure of the 3eastA remem3erin' the a,ful appearances ascri3ed 3y local tradition to the consumptives ,ho had died after lon' residence in the cave. Then = remem3ered ,ith a start thatA even should = succeed in fellin' my anta'onistA = should ne!er be"old its formA as my torch had lon' since 3een e%tinctA and = ,as entirely unprovided ,ith matches. The tension on my 3rain no, 3ecame fri'htful. 8y disordered fancy conCured up hideous and fearsome shapes from the sinister dar!ness that surrounded meA and that actually seemed to press upon my 3ody. ;earerA nearerA the dreadful footfalls approached. =t seemed that = must 'ive vent to a piercin' screamA yet had

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Beast in the Cave

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= 3een sufficiently irresolute to attempt such a thin'A my voice could scarce have responded. = ,as petrifiedA rooted to the spot. = dou3ted if my ri'ht arm ,ould allo, me to hurl its missile at the oncomin' thin' ,hen the crucial moment should arrive. ;o, the steady pat& pat& of the steps ,as close at handB no, !ery close. = could hear the la3oured 3reathin' of the animalA and terror1struc! as = ,asA = realised that it must have come from a considera3le distanceA and ,as correspondin'ly fati'ued. Suddenly the spell 3ro!e. 8y ri'ht handA 'uided 3y my ever trust,orthy sense of hearin'A thre, ,ith full force the sharp1an'led 3it of limestone ,hich it containedA to,ard that point in the dar!ness from ,hich emanated the 3reathin' and patterin'A andA ,onderful to relateA it nearly reached its 'oalA for = heard the thin' Cump landin' at a distance a,ayA ,here it seemed to pause. 2avin' readCusted my aimA = dischar'ed my second missileA this time moat effectivelyA for ,ith a flood of Coy = listened as the creature fell in ,hat sounded li!e a complete collapse and evidently remained prone and unmovin'. Almost overpo,ered 3y the 'reat relief ,hich rushed over meA = reeled 3ac! a'ainst the ,all. The 3reathin' continuedA in heavyA 'aspin' inhalation. and e%pirationsA ,hence = realised that = had no more than ,ounded the creature. And no, all desire to e%amine the t"ing ceased. At last somethin' allied to 'roundlessA superstitious fear had entered my 3rainA and = did not approach the 3odyA nor did = continue to cast stones at it in order to complete the e%tinction of its life. =nsteadA = ran at full speed in ,hat ,asA as nearly as = could estimate in my frenzied conditionA the direction from ,hich = had come. Suddenly = heard a sound or ratherA a re'ular succession of sounds. =n another =nstant they had resolved themselves into a series of sharpA metallic clic!s. This time there ,as no dou3t. It $as t"e guide% And then = shoutedA yelledA screamedA even shrie!ed ,ith Coy as = 3eheld in the vaulted arches a3ove the faint and 'limmerin' efful'ence ,hich = !ne, to 3e the reflected li'ht of an approachin' torch. = ran to meet the flareA and 3efore = could completely understand ,hat had occurredA ,as lyin' upon the 'round at the feet of the 'uideA em3racin' his 3oots and 'i33erin'. despite my 3oasted reserveA in a most meanin'less and idiotic mannerA pourin' out my terri3le storyA and at the same time over,helmin' my auditor ,ith protestations of 'ratitude. At len'thA = a,o!e to somethin' li!e my normal consciousness. The 'uide had noted my a3sence upon the arrival of the party at the entrance of the caveA and hadA from his o,n intuitive sense of directionA proceeded to ma!e a thorou'h canvass of 3y1passa'es Cust ahead of ,here he had last spo!en to meA locatin' my ,herea3outs after a Duest of a3out four hours. By the time he had related this to meA =A em3oldened 3y his torch and his companyA 3e'an to reflect upon the stran'e 3east ,hich = had ,ounded 3ut a short distance 3ac! in the dar!nessA and su''ested that ,e ascertainA 3y the flashli'ht<s aidA ,hat manner of creature ,as my victim. Accordin'ly = retraced my stepsA this time ,ith a coura'e 3orn of companionshipA to the scene of my terri3le e%perience. Soon ,e descried a ,hite o3Cect upon the floorA an o3Cect ,hiter even than the 'leamin' limestone itself. Cautiously advancin'A ,e 'ave vent to a simultaneous eCaculation of ,ondermentA for of all the unnatural monsters either of us had in our lifetimes 3eheldA this ,as in surpassin' de'ree the stran'est. =t appeared to 3e an anthropoid ape of lar'e proportionsA escapedA perhapsA from some itinerant mena'erie. =ts hair ,as sno,1,hiteA a thin' due no dou3t to the 3leachin' action of a lon' e%istence ,ithin the in!y confines of the caveA 3ut it ,as also surprisin'ly thinA 3ein' indeed lar'ely a3sent save on the headA ,here it ,as of such len'th and a3undance that it fell over the shoulders in considera3le profusion. The face ,as turned a,ay from usA as the creature lay almost directly upon it. The inclination of the

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Beast in the Cave

1#

lim3s ,as very sin'ularA e%plainin'A ho,everA the alternation in their use ,hich = 3ad 3efore notedA ,here3y the 3east used sometimes all fourA and on other occasions 3ut t,o for its pro'ress. 4rom the tips of the fin'ers or toesA lon' rat1li!e cla,s e%tended. The hands or feet ,ere not prehensileA a fact that = ascri3ed to that lon' residence in the cave ,hichA as = 3efore mentionedA seemed evident from the all1pervadin' and almost unearthly ,hiteness so characteristic of the ,hole anatomy. ;o tail seemed to 3e present. The respiration had no, 'ro,n very fee3leA and the 'uide had dra,n his pistol ,ith the evident intent of despatchin' the creatureA ,hen a sudden sound emitted 3y the latter caused the ,eapon to fall unused. The sound ,as of a nature difficult to descri3e. =t ,as not li!e the normal note of any !no,n species of simianA and = ,onder if this unnatural Duality ,ere not the result of a lon' continued and complete silenceA 3ro!en 3y the sensations produced 3y the advent of the li'htA a thin' ,hich the 3east could not have seen since its first entrance into the cave. The soundA ,hich = mi'ht fee3ly attempt to classify as a !ind of deep1tone chatterin'A ,as faintly continued. All at once a fleetin' spasm of ener'y seemed to pass throu'h the frame of the 3east. The pa,s ,ent throu'h a convulsive motionA and the lim3s contracted. With a Cer!A the ,hite 3ody rolled over so that its face ,as turned in our direction. 4or a moment = ,as so struc! ,ith horror at the eyes thus revealed that = noted nothin' else. They ,ere 3lac!A those eyesA deep Cetty 3lac!A in hideous contrast to the sno,1,hite hair and flesh. 5i!e those of other cave denizensA they ,ere deeply sun!en in their or3itsA and ,ere entirely destitute of iris. As = loo!ed more closelyA = sa, that they ,ere set in a face less pro'nathous than that of the avera'e apeA and infinitely less hairy. The nose ,as Duite distinct. As ,e 'azed upon the uncanny si'ht presented to our visionA the thic! lips openedA and several sounds issued from themA after ,hich the t"ing rela%ed in death. The 'uide clutched my coatsleeve and trem3led so violently that the li'ht shoo! fitfullyA castin' ,eird movin' shado,s on the ,alls. = made no motionA 3ut stood ri'idly stillA my horrified eyes fi%ed upon the floor ahead. The fear leftA and ,onderA a,eA compassionA and reverence succeeded in its placeA for the sounds uttered 3y the stric!en fi'ure that lay stretched out on the limestone had told us the a,esome truth. The creature = had !illedA the stran'e 3east of the unfathomed caveA ,asA or had at one time 3een a 8A;FFF

Be&o#$ the W ll o! Slee*

= have often ,ondered if the maCority of man!ind ever pause to reflect upon the occasionally titanic si'nificance of dreamsA and of the o3scure ,orld to ,hich they 3elon'. Whilst the 'reater num3er of our nocturnal visions are perhaps no more than faint and fantastic reflections of our ,a!in' e%periences 1 4reud to the contrary ,ith his puerile sym3olism 1 there are still a certain remainder ,hose immundane and ethereal character permit of no ordinary interpretationA and ,hose va'uely e%citin' and disDuietin' effect su''ests possi3le minute 'limpses into a sphere of mental e%istence no less important than physical lifeA yet separated from that life 3y an all 3ut impassa3le 3arrier. 4rom my e%perience = cannot dou3t 3ut that manA ,hen lost to terrestrial consciousnessA is indeed soCournin' in another and uncorporeal life of far different nature from the life ,e !no,A and of ,hich only the sli'htest and most indistinct memories lin'er after ,a!in'. 4rom those 3lurred and fra'mentary memories ,e may infer muchA yet prove little. We may 'uess that in dreams lifeA matterA and vitalityA as the earth !no,s such thin'sA are not necessarily constantB and that time and space do not e%ist as our ,a!in' selves comprehend them. Sometimes = 3elieve that this less material life is our truer lifeA and that our vain presence on the terraDueous 'lo3e is itself the secondary or merely virtual phenomenon. =t ,as from a youthful revery filled ,ith speculations of this sort that = arose one afternoon in the ,inter of 1)**1*1A ,hen to the state psychopathic institution in ,hich = served as an intern ,as 3rou'ht the man ,hose case has ever since haunted me so unceasin'ly. 2is nameA as 'iven on the recordsA ,as 6oe SlaterA or SlaaderA and his appearance ,as that of the typical denizen of the Cats!ill 8ountain re'ionB one of those stran'eA repellent scions of a primitive Colonial peasant stoc! ,hose isolation for nearly three centuries in the hilly fastnesses of a little1traveled countryside has caused them to sin! to a !ind of 3ar3aric de'eneracyA rather than advance ,ith their more fortunately placed 3rethren of the thic!ly settled districts. Amon' these odd fol!A ,ho correspond e%actly to the decadent element of L,hite trashL in the SouthA la, and morals are non1 e%istentB and their 'eneral mental status is pro3a3ly 3elo, that of any other section of native American people. 6oe SlaterA ,ho came to the institution in the vi'ilant custody of four state policemenA and ,ho ,as descri3ed as a hi'hly dan'erous characterA certainly presented no evidence of his perilous disposition ,hen = first 3eheld him. Thou'h ,ell a3ove the middle statureA and of some,hat 3ra,ny frameA he ,as 'iven an a3surd appearance of harmless stupidity 3y the paleA sleepy 3lueness of his small ,atery eyesA the scantiness of his ne'lected and never1shaven 'ro,th of yello, 3eardA and the listless droopin' of his heavy nether lip. 2is a'e ,as un!no,nA since amon' his !ind neither family records nor permanent family ties e%istB 3ut from the 3aldness of his head in frontA and from the decayed condition of his teethA the head sur'eon ,rote him do,n as a man of a3out forty. 4rom the medical and court documents ,e learned all that could 3e 'athered of his case9 this manA a va'a3ondA hunter and trapperA had al,ays 3een stran'e in the eyes of his primitive associates. 2e had ha3itually slept at ni'ht 3eyond the ordinary timeA and upon ,a!in' ,ould often tal! of un!no,n thin's in a manner so 3izarre as to inspire fear even in the hearts of an unima'inative populace. ;ot that his form of lan'ua'e ,as at all

H.P.Lovecr !t

Beyond the Wall of Sleep

1-

unusualA for he never spo!e save in the de3ased patois of his environmentB 3ut the tone and tenor of his utterances ,ere of such mysterious ,ildnessA that none mi'ht listen ,ithout apprehension. 2e himself ,as 'enerally as terrified and 3affled as his auditorsA and ,ithin an hour after a,a!enin' ,ould for'et all that he had saidA or at least all that had caused him to say ,hat he didB relapsin' into a 3ovineA hall1amia3le normality li!e that of the other hilld,ellers. As Slater 're, olderA it appearedA his matutinal a3errations had 'radually increased in freDuency and violenceB till a3out a month 3efore his arrival at the institution had occurred the shoc!in' tra'edy ,hich caused his arrest 3y the authorities. +ne day near noonA after a profound sleep 3e'un in a ,his!ey de3auch at a3out five of the previous afternoonA the man had roused himself most suddenlyA ,ith ululations so horri3le and unearthly that they 3rou'ht several nei'h3ors to his ca3in 1 a filthy sty ,here he d,elt ,ith a family as indescri3a3le as himself. :ushin' out into the sno,A he had flun' his arms aloft and commenced a series of leaps directly up,ard in the airB the ,hile shoutin' his determination to reach some L3i'A 3i' ca3in ,ith 3ri'htness in the roof and ,alls and floor and the loud Dueer music far a,ay.L As t,o men of moderate size sou'ht to restrain himA he had stru''led ,ith maniacal force and furyA screamin' of his desire and need to find and !ill a certain Lthin' that shines and sha!es and lau'hs.L At len'thA after temporarily fellin' one of his detainers ,ith a sudden 3lo,A he had flun' himself upon the other in a demoniac ecstasy of 3lood1thirstinessA shrie!in' fiendishly that he ,ould LCump hi'h in the air and 3urn his ,ay throu'h anythin' that stopped him.L 4amily and nei'h3ors had no, fled in a panicA and ,hen the more coura'eous of them returnedA Slater ,as 'oneA leavin' 3ehind an unreco'niza3le pulp1li!e thin' that had 3een a livin' man 3ut an hour 3efore. ;one of the mountaineers had dared to pursue himA and it is li!ely that they ,ould have ,elcomed his death from the coldB 3ut ,hen several mornin's later they heard his screams from a distant ravine they realized that he had someho, mana'ed to surviveA and that his removal in one ,ay or another ,ould 3e necessary. Then had follo,ed an armed searchin'1partyA ,hose purpose J,hatever it may have 3een ori'inallyK 3ecame that of a sheriff<s posse after one of the seldom popular state troopers had 3y accident o3servedA then DuestionedA and finally Coined the see!ers. +n the third day Slater ,as found unconscious in the hollo, of a treeA and ta!en to the nearest CailA ,here alienists from Al3any e%amined him as soon as his senses returned. To them he told a simple story. 2e hadA he saidA 'one to sleep one afternoon a3out sundo,n after drin!in' much liDuor. 2e had a,a!ened to find himself standin' 3loody1handed in the sno, 3efore his ca3inA the man'led corpse of his nei'h3or >eter Slader at his feet. 2orrifiedA he had ta!en to the ,oods in a va'ue effort to escape from the scene of ,hat must have 3een his crime. Beyond these thin's he seemed to !no, nothin'A nor could the e%pert Duestionin' of his interro'ators 3rin' out a sin'le additional fact. That ni'ht Slater slept DuietlyA and the ne%t mornin' he a,a!ened ,ith no sin'ular feature save a certain alteration of e%pression. $octor BarnardA ,ho had 3een ,atchin' the patientA thou'ht he noticed in the pale 3lue eyes a certain 'leam of peculiar DualityA and in the flaccid lips an all 3ut impercepti3le ti'htenin'A as if of intelli'ent determination. But ,hen DuestionedA Slater relapsed into the ha3itual vacancy of the mountaineerA and only reiterated ,hat he had said on the precedin' day.

H.P.Lovecr !t

Beyond the Wall of Sleep

17

+n the third mornin' occurred the first of the man<s mental attac!s. After some sho, of uneasiness in sleepA he 3urst forth into a frenzy so po,erful that the com3ined efforts of four men ,ere needed to 3ind him in a strai'htCac!et. The alienists listened ,ith !een attention to his ,ordsA since their curiosity had 3een aroused to a hi'h pitch 3y the su''estive yet mostly conflictin' and incoherent stories of his family and nei'h3ors. Slater raved for up,ard of fifteen minutesA 3a33lin' in his 3ac!,oods dialect of 'reen edifices of li'htA oceans of spaceA stran'e musicA and shado,y mountains and valleys. But most of all did he d,ell upon some mysterious 3lazin' entity that shoo! and lau'hed and moc!ed at him. This vastA va'ue personality seemed to have done him a terri3le ,ron'A and to !ill it in triumphant reven'e ,as his paramount desire. =n order to reach itA he saidA he ,ould soar throu'h a3ysses of emptinessA 3urnin' every o3stacle that stood in his ,ay. Thus ran his discourseA until ,ith the 'reatest suddenness he ceased. The fire of madness died from his eyesA and in dull ,onder he loo!ed at his Duestioners and as!ed ,hy he ,as 3ound. $r. Barnard un3uc!led the leather harness and did not restore it till ni'htA ,hen he succeeded in persuadin' Slater to don it of his o,n volitionA for his o,n 'ood. The man had no, admitted that he sometimes tal!ed DueerlyA thou'h he !ne, not ,hy. Within a ,ee! t,o more attac!s appearedA 3ut from them the doctors learned little. +n the source of Slater<s visions they speculated at len'thA for since he could neither read nor ,riteA and had apparently never heard a le'end or fairy1taleA his 'or'eous ima'ery ,as Duite ine%plica3le. That it could not come from any !no,n myth or romance ,as made especially clear 3y the fact that the unfortunate lunatic e%pressed himself only in his o,n simple manner. 2e raved of thin's he did not understand and could not interpretB thin's ,hich he claimed to have e%periencedA 3ut ,hich he could not have learned throu'h any normal or connected narration. The alienists soon a'reed that a3normal dreams ,ere the foundation of the trou3leB dreams ,hose vividness could for a time completely dominate the ,a!in' mind of this 3asically inferior man. With due formality Slater ,as tried for murderA acDuitted on the 'round of insanityA and committed to the institution ,herein = held so hum3le a post. = have said that = am a constant speculator concernin' dream1lifeA and from this you may Cud'e of the ea'erness ,ith ,hich = applied myself to the study of the ne, patient as soon as = had fully ascertained the facts of his case. 2e seemed to sense a certain friendliness in meA 3orn no dou3t of the interest = could not concealA and the 'entle manner in ,hich = Duestioned him. ;ot that he ever reco'nized me durin' his attac!sA ,hen = hun' 3reathlessly upon his chaotic 3ut cosmic ,ord1picturesB 3ut he !ne, me in his Duiet hoursA ,hen he ,ould sit 3y his 3arred ,indo, ,eavin' 3as!ets of stra, and ,illo,A and perhaps pinin' for the mountain freedom he could never a'ain enCoy. 2is family never called to see himB pro3a3ly it had found another temporary headA after the manner of decadent mountain fol!. By de'rees = commenced to feel an over,helmin' ,onder at the mad and fantastic conceptions of 6oe Slater. The man himself ,as pitia3ly inferior in mentality and lan'ua'e ali!eB 3ut his 'lo,in'A titanic visionsA thou'h descri3ed in a 3ar3arous disCointed Car'onA ,ere assuredly thin's ,hich only a superior or even e%ceptional 3rain could conceive 2o,A = often as!ed myselfA could the stolid ima'ination of a Cats!ill de'enerate conCure up si'hts ,hose very possession ar'ued a lur!in' spar! of 'eniusG 2o, could any 3ac!,oods dullard have 'ained so much as an idea of those 'litterin' realms of supernal radiance and space a3out ,hich Slater ranted in his furious deliriumG 8ore and more = inclined to the 3elief that in the pitiful personality ,ho crin'ed 3efore me lay the disordered nucleus of

H.P.Lovecr !t

Beyond the Wall of Sleep

18

somethin' 3eyond my comprehensionB somethin' infinitely 3eyond the comprehension of my more e%perienced 3ut less ima'inative medical and scientific collea'ues. And yet = could e%tract nothin' definite from the man. The sum of all my investi'ation ,asA that in a !ind of semi1corporeal dream1life Slater ,andered or floated throu'h resplendent and prodi'ious valleysA meado,sA 'ardensA citiesA and palaces of li'htA in a re'ion un3ounded and un!no,n to manB that there he ,as no peasant or de'enerateA 3ut a creature of importance and vivid lifeA movin' proudly and dominantlyA and chec!ed only 3y a certain deadly enemyA ,ho seemed to 3e a 3ein' of visi3le yet ethereal structureA and ,ho did not appear to 3e of human shapeA since Slater never referred to it as a manA or as au'ht save a thin'. This thin' had done Slater some hideous 3ut unnamed ,ron'A ,hich the maniac Jif maniac he ,ereK yearned to aven'e. 4rom the manner in ,hich Slater alluded to their dealin'sA = Cud'ed that he and the luminous thin' had met on eDual termsB that in his dream e%istence the man ,as himself a luminous thin' of the same race as his enemy. This impression ,as sustained 3y his freDuent references to flyin' throu'h space and 3urnin' all that impeded his pro'ress. .et these conceptions ,ere formulated in rustic ,ords ,holly inadeDuate to convey themA a circumstance ,hich drove me to the conclusion that if a dream ,orld indeed e%istedA oral lan'ua'e ,as not its medium for the transmission of thou'ht. Could it 3e that the dream soul inha3itin' this inferior 3ody ,as desperately stru''lin' to spea! thin's ,hich the simple and haltin' ton'ue of dullness could not utterG Could it 3e that = ,as face to face ,ith intellectual emanations ,hich ,ould e%plain the mystery if = could 3ut learn to discover and read themG = did not tell the older physicians of these thin'sA for middle a'e is s!epticalA cynicalA and disinclined to accept ne, ideas. BesidesA the head of the institution had 3ut lately ,arned me in his paternal ,ay that = ,as over,or!in'B that my mind needed a rest. =t had lon' 3een my 3elief that human thou'ht consists 3asically of atomic or molecular motionA converti3le into ether ,aves or radi ant ener'y li!e heatA li'ht and electricity. This 3elief had early led me to contemplate the possi3ility of telepathy or mental communication 3y means of suita3le apparatusA and = had in my colle'e days prepared a set of transmittin' and receivin' instruments some,hat similar to the cum3rous devices employed in ,ireless tele'raphy at that crudeA pre1radio period. These = had tested ,ith a fello,1studentA 3ut achievin' no resultA had soon pac!ed them a,ay ,ith other scientific odds and ends for possi3le future use. ;o,A in my intense desire to pro3e into the dream1life of 6oe SlaterA = sou'ht these instruments a'ainA and spent several days in repairin' them for action. When they ,ere complete once more = missed no opportunity for their trial. At each out3urst of Slater<s violenceA = ,ould fit the transmitter to his forehead and the receiver to my o,nA constantly ma!in' delicate adCustments for various hypothetical ,ave1len'ths of intellectual ener'y. = had 3ut little notion of ho, the thou'ht1impressions ,ouldA if successfully conveyedA arouse an intelli'ent response in my 3rainA 3ut = felt certain that = could detect and interpret them. Accordin'ly = continued my e%perimentsA thou'h informin' no one of their nature. =t ,as on the t,enty1first of 4e3ruaryA 1)*1A that the thin' occurred. As = loo! 3ac! across the years = realize ho, unreal it seemsA and sometimes ,onder if old $octor 4enton ,as not ri'ht ,hen he char'ed it all to my e%cited ima'ination. = recall that he listened

H.P.Lovecr !t

Beyond the Wall of Sleep

1)

,ith 'reat !indness and patience ,hen = told himA 3ut after,ard 'ave me a nerve1po,der and arran'ed for the half1year<s vacation on ,hich = departed the ne%t ,ee!. That fateful ni'ht = ,as ,ildly a'itated and pertur3edA for despite the e%cellent care he had receivedA 6oe Slater ,as unmista!a3ly dyin'. >erhaps it ,as his mountain freedom that he missedA or perhaps the turmoil in his 3rain had 'ro,n too acute for his rather slu''ish physiDueB 3ut at all events the flame of vitality flic!ered lo, in the decadent 3ody. 2e ,as dro,sy near the endA and as dar!ness fell he dropped off into a trou3led sleep. = did not strap on the strai'htCac!et as ,as customary ,hen he sleptA since = sa, that he ,as too fee3le to 3e dan'erousA even if he ,o!e in mental disorder once more 3efore passin' a,ay. But = did place upon his head and mine the t,o ends of my cosmic LradioAL hopin' a'ainst hope for a first and last messa'e from the dream ,orld in the 3rief time remainin'. =n the cell ,ith us ,as one nurseA a mediocre fello, ,ho did not understand the purpose of the apparatusA or thin! to inDuire into my course. As the hours ,ore on = sa, his head droop a,!,ardly in sleepA 3ut = did not distur3 him. = myselfA lulled 3y the rhythmical 3reathin' of the healthy and the dyin' manA must have nodded a little later. The sound of ,eird lyric melody ,as ,hat aroused me. ChordsA vi3rationsA and harmonic ecstasies echoed passionately on every handA ,hile on my ravished si'ht 3urst the stupendous spectacle ultimate 3eauty. WallsA columnsA and architraves of livin' fire 3lazed efful'ently around the spot ,here = seemed to float in airA e%tendin' up,ard to an infinitely hi'h vaulted dome of indescri3a3le splendor. Blendin' ,ith this display of palatial ma'nificenceA or ratherA supplantin' it at times in !aleidoscopic rotationA ,ere 'limpses of ,ide plains and 'raceful valleysA hi'h mountains and invitin' 'rottoesA covered ,ith every lovely attri3ute of scenery ,hich my deli'hted eyes could conceive ofA yet formed ,holly of some 'lo,in'A ethereal plastic entityA ,hich in consistency partoo! as much of spirit as of matter. As = 'azedA = perceived that my o,n 3rain held the !ey to these enchantin' metamorphosesB for each vista ,hich appeared to me ,as the one my chan'in' mind most ,ished to 3ehold. Amidst this elysian realm = d,elt not as a stran'erA for each si'ht and sound ,as familiar to meB Cust as it had 3een for uncounted eons of eternity 3eforeA and ,ould 3e for li!e eternities to come. Then the resplendent aura of my 3rother of li'ht dre, near and held colloDuy ,ith meA soul to soulA ,ith silent and perfect interchan'e of thou'ht. The hour ,as one of approachin' triumphA for ,as not my fello,13ein' escapin' at last from a de'radin' periodic 3onda'eB escapin' foreverA and preparin' to follo, the accursed oppressor even unto the uttermost fields of etherA that upon it mi'ht 3e ,rou'ht a flamin' cosmic ven'eance ,hich ,ould sha!e the spheresG We floated thus for a little timeA ,hen = perceived a sli'ht 3lurrin' and fadin' of the o3Cects around usA as thou'h some force ,ere recallin' me to earth 1 ,here = least ,ished to 'o. The form near me seemed to feel a chan'e alsoA for it 'radually 3rou'ht its discourse to,ard a conclusionA and itself prepared to Duit the sceneA fadin' from my si'ht at a rate some,hat less rapid than that of the other o3Cects. A fe, more thou'hts ,ere e%chan'edA and = !ne, that the luminous one and = ,ere 3ein' recalled to 3onda'eA thou'h for my 3rother of li'ht it ,ould 3e the last time. The sorry planet shell 3ein' ,ell1ni'h spentA in less than an hour my fello, ,ould 3e free to pursue the oppressor alon' the 8il!y Way and past the hither stars to the very confines of infinity.

H.P.Lovecr !t

Beyond the Wall of Sleep

"*

A ,ell1defined shoc! separates my final impression of the fadin' scene of li'ht from my sudden and some,hat shamefaced a,a!enin' and strai'htenin' up in my chair as = sa, the dyin' fi'ure on the couch move hesitantly. 6oe Slater ,as indeed a,a!in'A thou'h pro3a3ly for the last time. As = loo!ed more closelyA = sa, that in the sallo, chee!s shone spots of color ,hich had never 3efore 3een present. The lipsA tooA seemed unusualA 3ein' ti'htly compressedA as if 3y the force of a stron'er character than had 3een Slater<s. The ,hole face finally 3e'an to 'ro, tenseA and the head turned restlessly ,ith closed eyes. = did not rouse the sleepin' nurseA 3ut readCusted the sli'htly disarran'ed head3and of my telepathic LradioAL intent to catch any partin' messa'e the dreamer mi'ht have to deliver. All at once the head turned sharply in my direction and the eyes fell openA causin' me to stare in 3lan! amazement at ,hat = 3eheld. The man ,ho had 3een 6oe SlaterA the Cats!ill decadentA ,as 'azin' at me ,ith a pair of luminousA e%pandin' eyes ,hose 3lue seemed su3tly to have deepened. ;either mania nor de'eneracy ,as Evisi3le in that 'azeA and = felt 3eyond a dou3t that = ,as vie,in' a face 3ehind ,hich lay an active mind of hi'h order. At this Cuncture my 3rain 3ecame a,are of a steady e%ternal influence operatin' upon it. = closed my eyes to concentrate my thou'hts more profoundly and ,as re,arded 3y the positive !no,led'e that my lon'1sou'ht mental messa'e had come at last. Each transmitted idea formed rapidly in my mindA and thou'h no actual lan'ua'e ,as employedA my ha3itual association of conception and e%pression ,as so 'reat that = seemed to 3e receivin' the messa'e in ordinary En'lish. L6oe Slater is deadAL came the soul1petrifyin' voice of an a'ency from 3eyond the ,all of sleep. 8y opened eyes sou'ht the couch of pain in curious horrorA 3ut the 3lue eyes ,ere still calmly 'azin'A and the countenance ,as still intelli'ently animated. L2e is 3etter deadA for he ,as unfit to 3ear the active intellect of cosmic entity. 2is 'ross 3ody could not under'o the needed adCustments 3et,een ethereal life and planet life. 2e ,as too much an animalA too little a manB yet it is throu'h his deficiency that you have come to discover meA for the cosmic and planet souls ri'htly should never meet. 2e has 3een in my torment and diurnal prison for forty1t,o of your terrestrial years. L= am an entity li!e that ,hich you yourself 3ecome in the freedom of dreamless sleep. = am your 3rother of li'htA and have floated ,ith you in the efful'ent valleys. =t is not permitted me to tell your ,a!in' earth1self of your real selfA 3ut ,e are all roamers of vast spaces and travelers in many a'es. ;e%t year = may 3e d,ellin' in the E'ypt ,hich you call ancientA or in the cruel empire of Tsan Chan ,hich is to come three thousand years hence. .ou and = have drifted to the ,orlds that reel a3out the red ArcturusA and d,elt in the 3odies of the insect1philosophers that cra,l proudly over the fourth moon of 6upiter. 2o, little does the earth self !no, life and its e%tentF 2o, littleA indeedA ou'ht it to !no, for its o,n tranDuilityF L+f the oppressor = cannot spea!. .ou on earth have un,ittin'ly felt its distant presence 1 you ,ho ,ithout !no,in' idly 'ave the 3lin!in' 3eacon the name of Al'olA the $emon1 Star =t is to meet and conDuer the oppressor that = have vainly striven for eonsA held 3ac! 3y 3odily encum3rances. Toni'ht = 'o as a ;emesis 3earin' Cust and 3lazin'ly cataclysmic ven'eance. Watch me in the s!y close 3y the $emon1Star.

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Beyond the Wall of Sleep

"1

L= cannot spea! lon'erA for the 3ody of 6oe Slater 'ro,s cold and ri'idA and the coarse 3rains are ceasin' to vi3rate as = ,ish. .ou have 3een my only friend on this planet 1 the only soul to sense and see! for me ,ithin the repellent form ,hich lies on this couch. We shall meet a'ain 1 perhaps in the shinin' mists of +rion<s S,ordA perhaps on a 3lea! plateau in prehistoric AsiaA perhaps in unremem3ered dreams toni'htA perhaps in some other form an eon henceA ,hen the solar system shall have 3een s,ept a,ay.L At this point the thou'ht1,aves a3ruptly ceasedA the pale eyes of the dreamer 1 or can = say dead manG 1 commenced to 'laze fishily. =n a half1stupor = crossed over to the couch and felt of his ,ristA 3ut found it coldA stiffA and pulseless. The sallo, chee!s paled a'ainA and the thic! lips fell openA disclosin' the repulsively rotten fan's of the de'enerate 6oe Slater. = shiveredA pulled a 3lan!et over the hideous faceA and a,a!ened the nurse. Then = left the cell and ,ent silently to my room. = had an instant and unaccounta3le cravin' for a sleep ,hose dreams = should not remem3er. The clima%G What plain tale of science can 3oast of such a rhetorical effectG = have merely set do,n certain thin's appealin' to me as factsA allo,in' you to construe them as you ,ill. As = have already admittedA my superiorA old $octor 4entonA denies the reality of everythin' = have related. 2e vo,s that = ,as 3ro!en do,n ,ith nervous strainA and 3adly in need of a lon' vacation on full pay ,hich he so 'enerously 'ave me. 2e assures me on his professional honor that 6oe Slater ,as 3ut a lo,1'rade paranoiacA ,hose fantastic notions must have come from the crude hereditary fol!1tales ,hich circulated in even the most decadent of communities. All this he tells me 1 yet = cannot for'et ,hat = sa, in the s!y on the ni'ht after Slater died. 5est you thin! me a 3iased ,itnessA another pen must add this final testimonyA ,hich may perhaps supply the clima% you e%pect. = ,ill Duote the follo,in' account of the star ;ova >ersei ver3atim from the pa'es of that eminent astronomical authorityA >rofessor 7arrett >. Serviss9 L+n 4e3ruary ""A 1)*1A a marvelous ne, star ,as discovered 3y $octor Anderson of Edin3ur'hA not very far from Al'ol. ;o star had 3een visi3le at that point 3efore. Within t,enty1four hours the stran'er had 3ecome so 3ri'ht that it outshone Capella. =n a ,ee! or t,o it had visi3ly fadedA and in the course of a fe, months it ,as hardly discerni3le ,ith the na!ed eye.L

The Boo+
8y memories are very confused. There is even much dou3t as to ,here they 3e'inB for at times = feel appallin' vistas of years stretchin' 3ehind meA ,hile at other times it seems as if the present moment ,ere an isolated point in a 'reyA formless infinity. = am not even certain ho, = am communicatin' this messa'e. While = !no, = am spea!in'A = have a va'ue impression that some stran'e and perhaps terri3le mediation ,ill 3e needed to 3ear ,hat = say to the points ,here = ,ish to 3e heard. 8y identityA tooA is 3e,ilderin'ly cloudy. = seem to have suffered a 'reat shoc! 1 perhaps from some utterly monstrous out'ro,th of my cycles of uniDueA incredi3le e%perience. These cycles of e%perienceA of courseA all stem from that ,orm1riddled 3oo!. = remem3er ,hen = found it 1 in a dimly li'hted place near the 3lac!A oily river ,here the mists al,ays s,irl. That place ,as very oldA and the ceilin'1hi'h shelves full of rottin' volumes reached 3ac! endlessly throu'h ,indo,less inner rooms and alcoves. There ,ereA 3esidesA 'reat formless heaps of 3oo!s on the floor and in crude 3insB and it ,as in one of these heaps that = found the thin'. = never learned its titleA for the early pa'es ,ere missin'B 3ut it fell open to,ard the end and 'ave me a 'limpse of somethin' ,hich sent my senses reelin'. There ,as a formula 1 a sort of list of thin's to say and do 1 ,hich = reco'nized as somethin' 3lac! and for3iddenB somethin' ,hich = had read of 3efore in furtive para'raphs of mi%ed a3horrence and fascination penned 3y those stran'e ancient delvers into the universe<s 'uarded secrets ,hose decayin' te%ts = loved to a3sor3. =t ,as a !ey 1 a 'uide 1 to certain 'ate,ays and transitions of ,hich mystics have dreamed and ,hispered since the race ,as youn'A and ,hich lead to freedoms and discoveries 3eyond the three dimensions and realms of life and matter that ,e !no,. ;ot for centuries had any man recalled its vital su3stance or !no,n ,here to find itA 3ut this 3oo! ,as very old indeed. ;o printin'1pressA 3ut the hand of some half1crazed mon!A had traced these ominous 5atin phrases in uncials of a,esome antiDuity. = remem3er ho, the old man leered and titteredA and made a curious si'n ,ith his hand ,hen = 3ore it a,ay. 2e had refused to ta!e pay for itA and only lon' after,ards did = 'uess ,hy. As = hurried home throu'h those narro,A ,indin'A mist1cloa!ed ,aterfront streets = had a fri'htful impression of 3ein' stealthily follo,ed 3y softly paddin' feet. The centuriedA. totterin' houses on 3oth sides seemed alive ,ith a fresh and mor3id mali'nity 1 as if some hitherto closed channel of evil understandin' had a3ruptly 3een opened. = felt that those ,alls and over1han'in' 'a3les of milde,ed 3ric! and fun'oid plaster and tim3er 1 ,ith eyeli!eA diamond1paned ,indo,s that leered 1 could hardly desist from advancin' and crushin' me . . . yet = had read only the least fra'ment of that 3lasphemous rune 3efore closin' the 3oo! and 3rin'in' it a,ay. = remem3er ho, = read the 3oo! at last 1 ,hite1facedA and loc!ed in the attic room that = had lon' devoted to stran'e searchin's. The 'reat house ,as very stillA for = had not 'one up till after midni'ht. = thin! = had a family then 1 thou'h the details are very uncertain 1 and = !no, there ,ere many servants. 6ust ,hat the year ,as = cannot sayB for since then = have !no,n many a'es and dimensionsA and have had all my notions of time dissolved and refashioned. =t ,as 3y the li'ht of candles that = read 1 = recall the relentless drippin' of the

H.P.Lovecr !t

"&

,a% 1 and there ,ere chimes that came every no, and then from distant 3elfries. = seemed to !eep trac! of those chimes ,ith a peculiar intentnessA as if = feared to hear some very remoteA intrudin' note amon' them. Then came the first scratchin' and fum3lin' at the dormer ,indo, that loo!ed out hi'h a3ove the other roofs of the city. =t came as = droned aloud the ninth verse of that primal layA and = !ne, amidst my shudders ,hat it meant. 4or he ,ho passes the 'ate,ays al,ays ,ins a shado,A and never a'ain can he 3e alone. = had evo!ed 1 and the 3oo! ,as indeed all = had suspected. That ni'ht = passed the 'ate,ay to a vorte% of t,isted time and visionA and ,hen mornin' found me in the attic room = sa, in the ,alls and shelves and fittin's that ,hich = had never seen 3efore. ;or could = ever after see the ,orld as = had !no,n it. 8i%ed ,ith the present scene ,as al,ays a little of the past and a little of the futureA and every once1familiar o3Cect loomed alien in the ne, perspective 3rou'ht 3y my ,idened si'ht. 4rom then on = ,al!ed in a fantastic dream of un!no,n and half1!no,n shapesB and ,ith each ne, 'ate,ay crossedA the less plainly could = reco'nise the thin's of the narro, sphere to ,hich = had so lon' 3een 3ound. What = sa, a3out meA none else sa,B and = 're, dou3ly silent and aloof lest = 3e thou'ht mad. $o's had a fear of meA for they felt the outside shado, ,hich never left my side. But still = read more 1 in hiddenA for'otten 3oo!s and scrolls to ,hich my ne, vision led me 1 and pushed throu'h fresh 'ate,ays of space and 3ein' and life1patterns to,ard the core of the un!no,n cosmos. = remem3er the ni'ht = made the five concentric circles of fire on the floorA and stood in the innermost one chantin' that monstrous litany the messen'er from Tartary had 3rou'ht. The ,alls melted a,ayA and = ,as s,ept 3y a 3lac! ,ind throu'h 'ulfs of fathomless 'rey ,ith the needle1li!e pinnacles of un!no,n mountains miles 3elo, me. After a ,hile there ,as utter 3lac!nessA and then the li'ht of myriad stars formin' stran'eA alien constellations. 4inally = sa, a 'reen1litten plain far 3elo, meA and discerned on it the t,isted to,ers of a city 3uilt in no fashion = had ever !no,n or read or dreamed of. As = floated closer to that city = sa, a 'reat sDuare 3uildin' of stone in an open spaceA and felt a hideous fear clutchin' at me. = screamed and stru''ledA and after a 3lan!ness ,as a'ain in my attic room spra,led flat over the five phosphorescent circles on the floor. =n that ni'ht<s ,anderin' there ,as no more of stran'eness than in many a former ni'ht<s ,anderin'B 3ut there ,as more of terror 3ecause = !ne, = ,as closer to those outside 'ulfs and ,orlds than = had ever 3een 3efore. Thereafter = ,as more cautious ,ith my incantationsA for = had no ,ish to 3e cut off from my 3ody and from the earth in un!no,n a3ysses ,hence = could never return...

The C ll o! Cth%lh%
'f suc" great po$ers or beings t"ere may be concei!ably a sur!i!al%%% a sur!i!al of a "ugely remote period $"en%%% consciousness $as manifested& per"aps& in s"apes and forms long since $it"dra$n before t"e tide of ad!ancing "umanity%%% forms of $"ic" poetry and legend alone "a!e caug"t a flying memory and called t"em gods& monsters& myt"ical beings of all sorts and kinds%%% 1 Al'ernon Blac!,ood

,. The Horror ,# Cl &

The most merciful thin' in the ,orldA = thin!A is the ina3ility of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a placid island of i'norance in the midst of 3lac! seas of infinityA and it ,as not meant that ,e should voya'e far. The sciencesA each strainin' in its o,n directionA have hitherto harmed us littleB 3ut some day the piecin' to'ether of dissociated !no,led'e ,ill open up such terrifyin' vistas of realityA and of our fri'htful position thereinA that ,e shall either 'o mad from the revelation or flee from the li'ht into the peace and safety of a ne, dar! a'e. Theosophists have 'uessed at the a,esome 'randeur of the cosmic cycle ,herein our ,orld and human race form transient incidents. They have hinted at stran'e survivals in terms ,hich ,ould freeze the 3lood if not mas!ed 3y a 3land optimism. But it is not from them that there came the sin'le 'limpse of for3idden eons ,hich chills me ,hen = thin! of it and maddens me ,hen = dream of it. That 'limpseA li!e all dread 'limpses of truthA flashed out from an accidental piecin' to'ether of separated thin's 1 in this case an old ne,spaper item and the notes of a dead professor. = hope that no one else ,ill accomplish this piecin' outB certainlyA if = liveA = shall never !no,in'ly supply a lin! in so hideous a chain. = thin! that the professorA too intented to !eep silent re'ardin' the part he !ne,A and that he ,ould have destroyed his notes had not sudden death seized him. 8y !no,led'e of the thin' 3e'an in the ,inter of 1)"-1"7 ,ith the death of my 'reat1 uncleA 7eor'e 7ammell An'ellA >rofessor Emeritus of Semitic 5an'ua'es in Bro,n (niversityA >rovidenceA :hode =sland. >rofessor An'ell ,as ,idely !no,n as an authority on ancient inscriptionsA and had freDuently 3een resorted to 3y the heads of prominent museumsB so that his passin' at the a'e of ninety1t,o may 3e recalled 3y many. 5ocallyA interest ,as intensified 3y the o3scurity of the cause of death. The professor had 3een stric!en ,hilst returnin' from the ;e,port 3oatB fallin' suddenlyB as ,itnesses saidA after havin' 3een Costled 3y a nautical1loo!in' ne'ro ,ho had come from one of the Dueer dar! courts on the precipitous hillside ,hich formed a short cut from the ,aterfront to the deceased<s home in Williams Street. >hysicians ,ere una3le to find any visi3le disorderA 3ut concluded after perple%ed de3ate that some o3scure lesion of the heartA induced 3y the 3ris! ascent of so steep a hill 3y so elderly a manA ,as responsi3le for the end. At the time = sa, no reason to dissent from this dictumA 3ut latterly = am inclined to ,onder 1 and more than ,onder.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Call of Cthulhu

"

As my 'reat1uncle<s heir and e%ecutorA for he died a childless ,ido,erA = ,as e%pected to 'o over his papers ,ith some thorou'hnessB and for that purpose moved his entire set of files and 3o%es to my Duarters in Boston. 8uch of the material ,hich = correlated ,ill 3e later pu3lished 3y the American Archaeolo'ical SocietyA 3ut there ,as one 3o% ,hich = found e%ceedin'ly puzzlin'A and ,hich = felt much averse from sho,in' to other eyes. =t had 3een loc!ed and = did not find the !ey till it occurred to me to e%amine the personal rin' ,hich the professor carried in his poc!et. ThenA indeedA = succeeded in openin' itA 3ut ,hen = did so seemed only to 3e confronted 3y a 'reater and more closely loc!ed 3arrier. 4or ,hat could 3e the meanin' of the Dueer clay 3as1relief and the disCointed Cottin'sA ram3lin'sA and cuttin's ,hich = foundG 2ad my uncleA in his latter years 3ecome credulous of the most superficial imposturesG = resolved to search out the eccentric sculptor responsi3le for this apparent distur3ance of an old man<s peace of mind. The 3as1relief ,as a rou'h rectan'le less than an inch thic! and a3out five 3y si% inches in areaB o3viously of modern ori'in. =ts desi'nsA ho,everA ,ere far from modern in atmosphere and su''estionB forA althou'h the va'aries of cu3ism and futurism are many and ,ildA they do not often reproduce that cryptic re'ularity ,hich lur!s in prehistoric ,ritin'. And ,ritin' of some !ind the 3ul! of these desi'ns seemed certainly to 3eB thou'h my memoryA despite much the papers and collections of my uncleA failed in any ,ay to identify this particular speciesA or even hint at its remotest affiliations. A3ove these apparent hiero'lyphics ,as a fi'ure of evident pictorial intentA thou'h its impressionistic e%ecution for3ade a very clear idea of its nature. =t seemed to 3e a sort of monsterA or sym3ol representin' a monsterA of a form ,hich only a diseased fancy could conceive. =f = say that my some,hat e%trava'ant ima'ination yielded simultaneous pictures of an octopusA a dra'onA and a human caricatureA = shall not 3e unfaithful to the spirit of the thin'. A pulpyA tentacled head surmounted a 'rotesDue and scaly 3ody ,ith rudimentary ,in'sB 3ut it ,as the general outline of the ,hole ,hich made it most shoc!in'ly fri'htful. Behind the fi'ure ,as a va'ue su''estions of a Cyclopean architectural 3ac!'round. The ,ritin' accompanyin' this oddity ,asA aside from a stac! of press cuttin'sA in >rofessor An'ell<s most recent handB and made no pretense to literary style. What seemed to 3e the main document ,as headed LCT2(52( C(5TL in characters painsta!in'ly printed to avoid the erroneous readin' of a ,ord so unheard1of. This manuscript ,as divided into t,o sectionsA the first of ,hich ,as headed L1)" 1 $ream and $ream Wor! of 2.A. Wilco%A 7 Thomas St.A >rovidenceA :. =.LA and the secondA L;arrative of =nspector 6ohn :. 5e'rasseA 1"1 Bienville St.A ;e, +rleansA 5a.A at 1)*8 A. A. S. 8t'. 1 ;otes on SameA N >rof. We33<s Acct.L The other manuscript papers ,ere 3rief notesA some of them accounts of the Dueer dreams of different personsA some of them citations from theosophical 3oo!s and ma'azines Jnota3ly W. Scott1Elliot<s Atlantis and t"e (ost (emuriaKA and the rest comments on lon'1survivin' secret societies and hidden cultsA ,ith references to passa'es in such mytholo'ical and anthropolo'ical source13oo!s as 4razer<s Golden Boug" and 8iss 8urray<s Witc"-Cult in Western urope. The cuttin's lar'ely alluded to outrO mental illness and out3rea!s of 'roup folly or mania in the sprin' of 1)" . The first half of the principal manuscript told a very particular tale. =t appears that on 8arch 1stA 1)" A a thinA dar! youn' man of neurotic and e%cited aspect had called upon >rofessor An'ell 3earin' the sin'ular clay 3as1reliefA ,hich ,as then e%ceedin'ly damp and fresh. 2is card 3ore the name of 2enry Anthony Wilco%A and my uncle had reco'nized him as the youn'est son of an e%cellent family sli'htly !no,n to himA ,ho had latterly

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Call of Cthulhu

"-

3een studyin' sculpture at the :hode =sland School of $esi'n and livin' alone at the 4leur1 de15ys Buildin' near that institution. Wilco% ,as a precocious youth of !no,n 'enius 3ut 'reat eccentricityA and had from chidhood e%cited attention throu'h the stran'e stories and odd dreams he ,as in the ha3it of relatin'. 2e called himself Lpsychically hypersensitiveLA 3ut the staid fol! of the ancient commercial city dismissed him as merely LDueer.L ;ever min'lin' much ,ith his !indA he had dropped 'radually from social visi3ilityA and ,as no, !no,n only to a small 'roup of esthetes from other to,ns. Even the >rovidence Art Clu3A an%ious to preserve its conservatismA had found him Duite hopeless. +n the ocassion of the visitA ran the professor<s manuscriptA the sculptor a3ruptly as!ed for the 3enefit of his host<s archeolo'ical !no,led'e in identifyin' the hiero'lyphics of the 3as1relief. 2e spo!e in a dreamyA stilted manner ,hich su''ested pose and alienated sympathyB and my uncle sho,ed some sharpness in replyin'A for the conspicuous freshness of the ta3let implied !inship ,ith anythin' 3ut archeolo'y. .oun' Wilco%<s reCoinderA ,hich impressed my uncle enou'h to ma!e him recall and record it ver3atimA ,as of a fantastically poetic cast ,hich must have typified his ,hole conversationA and ,hich = have since found hi'hly characteristic of him. 2e saidA L=t is ne,A indeedA for = made it last ni'ht in a dream of stran'e citiesB and dreams are older than 3roodin' TyreA or the contemplative Sphin%A or 'arden1'irdled Ba3ylon.L =t ,as then that he 3e'an that ram3lin' tale ,hich suddenly played upon a sleepin' memory and ,on the fevered interest of my uncle. There had 3een a sli'ht earthDua!e tremor the ni'ht 3eforeA the most considera3le felt in ;e, En'land for some yearsB and Wilco%<s ima'ination had 3een !eenly affected. (pon retirin'A he had had an unprecedented dream of 'reat Cyclopean cities of Titan 3loc!s and s!y1flun' monolithsA all drippin' ,ith 'reen ooze and sinister ,ith latent horror. 2iero'lyphics had covered the ,alls and pillarsA and from some undetermined point 3elo, had come a voice that ,as not a voiceB a chaotic sensation ,hich only fancy could transmute into soundA 3ut ,hich he attempted to render 3y the almost unpronouncea3le Cum3le of letters9 )Ct"ul"u f"tagn%) This ver3al Cum3le ,as the !ey to the recollection ,hich e%cited and distur3ed >rofessor An'ell. 2e Duestioned the sculptor ,ith scientific minutenessB and studied ,ith frantic intensity the 3as1relief on ,hich the youth had found himself ,or!in'A chilled and clad only in his ni'ht clothesA ,hen ,a!in' had stolen 3e,ilderin'ly over him. 8y uncle 3lamed his old a'eA Wilco% after,ards saidA for his slo,ness in reco'nizin' 3oth hiero'lyphics and pictorial desi'n. 8any of his Duestions seemed hi'hly out of place to his visitorA especially those ,hich tried to connect the latter ,ith stran'e cults or societiesB and Wilco% could not understand the repeated promises of silence ,hich he ,as offered in e%chan'e for an admission of mem3ership in some ,idespread mystical or pa'anly reli'ious 3ody. When >rofessor An'ell 3ecame convinced that the sculptor ,as indeed i'norant of any cult or system of cryptic loreA he 3esie'ed his visitor ,ith demands for future reports of dreams. This 3ore re'ular fruitA for after the first intervie, the manuscript records daily calls of the youn' manA durin' ,hich he related startlin' fra'ments of nocturnal ima'inery ,hose 3urden ,as al,ays some terri3le Cyclopean vista of dar! and drippin' stoneA ,ith a su3terrene voice or intelli'ence shoutin' monotonously in eni'matical sense1impacts uninscri3a3le save as 'i33erish. The t,o sounds freDuently repeated are those rendered 3y the letters )Ct"ul"u) and )*+lye"%) +n 8arch "&A the manuscript continuedA Wilco% failed to appearB and inDuiries at his Duarters revealed that he had 3een stric!en ,ith an o3scure sort of fever and ta!en to the

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Call of Cthulhu

"7

home of his family in Waterman Street. 2e had cried out in the ni'htA arousin' several other artists in the 3uildin'A and had manifested since then only alternations of unconsciousness and delirium. 8y uncle at once telephoned the familyA and from that time for,ard !ept close ,atch of the caseB callin' often at the Thayer Street office of $r. To3eyA ,hom he learned to 3e in char'e. The youth<s fe3rile mindA apparentlyA ,as d,ellin' on stran'e thin'sB and the doctor shuddered no, and then as he spo!e of them. They included not only a repetition of ,hat he had formerly dreamedA 3ut touched ,ildly on a 'i'antic thin' Lmiles hi'hL ,hich ,al!ed or lum3ered a3out. 2e at no time fully descri3ed this o3Cect 3ut occasional frantic ,ordsA as repeated 3y $r. To3eyA convinced the professor that it must 3e identical ,ith the nameless monstrosity he had sou'ht to depict in his dream1sculpture. :eference to this o3CectA the doctor addedA ,as invaria3ly a prelude to the youn' man<s su3sidence into lethar'y. 2is temperatureA oddly enou'hA ,as not 'reatly a3ove normalB 3ut the ,hole condition ,as other,ise such as to su''est true fever rather than mental disorder. +n April " at a3out & >.8. every trace of Wilco%<s malady suddenly ceased. 2e sat upri'ht in 3edA astonished to find himself at home and completely i'norant of ,hat had happened in dream or reality since the ni'ht of 8arch "". >ronounced ,ell 3y his physicianA he returned to his Duarters in three daysB 3ut to >rofessor An'ell he ,as of no further assistance. All traces of stran'e dreamin' had vanished ,ith his recoveryA and my uncle !ept no record of his ni'ht1thou'hts after a ,ee! of pointless and irrelevant accounts of thorou'hly usual visions. 2ere the first part of the manuscript endedA 3ut references to certain of the scattered notes 'ave me much material for thou'ht 1 so muchA in factA that only the in'rained s!epticism then formin' my philosophy can account for my continued distrust of the artist. The notes in Duestion ,ere those descriptive of the dreams of various persons coverin' the same period as that in ,hich youn' Wilco% had had his stran'e visitations. 8y uncleA it seemsA had Duic!ly instituted a prodi'iously far1flun' 3ody of inDuires amon'st nearly all the friends ,hom he could Duestion ,ithout impertinenceA as!in' for ni'htly reports of their dreamsA and the dates of any nota3le visions for some time past. The reception of his reDuest seems to have variedB 3ut he mustA at the very leastA have received more responses than any ordinary man could have handled ,ithout a secretary. This ori'inal correspondence ,as not preservedA 3ut his notes formed a thorou'h and really si'nificant di'est. Avera'e people in society and 3usiness 1 ;e, En'land<s traditional Lsalt of the earthL 1 'ave an almost completely ne'ative resultA thou'h scattered cases of uneasy 3ut formless nocturnal impressions appear here and thereA al,ays 3et,een 8arch "& and and April " 1 the period of youn' Wilco%<s delirium. Scientific men ,ere little more affectedA thou'h four cases of va'ue description su''est fu'itive 'limpses of stran'e landscapesA and in one case there is mentioned a dread of somethin' a3normal. =t ,as from the artists and poets that the pertinent ans,ers cameA and = !no, that panic ,ould have 3ro!en loose had they 3een a3le to compare notes. As it ,asA lac!in' their ori'inal lettersA = half suspected the compiler of havin' as!ed leadin' DuestionsA or of havin' edited the correspondence in corro3oration of ,hat he had latently resolved to see. That is ,hy = continued to feel that Wilco%A someho, co'nizant of the old data ,hich my uncle had possessedA had 3een imposin' on the veteran scientist. These responses from esthetes told distur3in' tale. 4rom 4e3ruary "8 to April " a lar'e proportion of them had dreamed very 3izarre thin'sA the intensity of the dreams 3ein' immeasura3ly the stron'er

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Call of Cthulhu

"8

durin' the period of the sculptor<s delirium. +ver a fourth of those ,ho reported anythin'A reported scenes and half1sounds not unli!e those ,hich Wilco% had descri3edB and some of the dreamers confessed acute fear of the 'i'antic nameless thin' visi3le to,ard the last. +ne caseA ,hich the note descri3es ,ith emphasisA ,as very sad. The su3CectA a ,idely !no,n architect ,ith leanin's to,ard theosophy and occultismA ,ent violently insane on the date of youn' Wilco%<s seizureA and e%pired several months later after incessant screamin's to 3e saved from some escaped denizen of hell. 2ad my uncle referred to these cases 3y name instead of merely 3y num3erA = should have attempted some corro3oration and personal investi'ationB 3ut as it ,asA = succeeded in tracin' do,n only a fe,. All of theseA ho,everA 3ore out the notes in full. = have often ,ondered if all the the o3Cects of the professor<s Duestionin' felt as puzzled as did this fraction. =t is ,ell that no e%planation shall ever reach them. The press cuttin'sA as = have intimatedA touched on cases of panicA maniaA and eccentricity durin' the 'iven period. >rofessor An'ell must have employed a cuttin' 3ureauA for the num3er of e%tracts ,as tremendousA and the sources scattered throu'hout the 'lo3e. 2ere ,as a nocturnal suicide in 5ondonA ,here a lone sleeper had leaped from a ,indo, after a shoc!in' cry. 2ere li!e,ise a ram3lin' letter to the editor of a paper in South AmericaA ,here a fanatic deduces a dire future from visions he has seen. A dispatch from California descri3es a theosophist colony as donnin' ,hite ro3es en masse for some L'lorious fulfimentL ,hich never arrivesA ,hilst items from =ndia spea! 'uardedly of serious native unrest to,ard the end of 8arch ""1"&. The ,est of =relandA tooA is full of ,ild rumour and le'endryA and a fantastic painter named Ardois1Bonnot han's a 3lasphemous #ream (andscape in the >aris sprin' salon of 1)"-. And so numerous are the recorded trou3les in insane asylums that only a miracle can have stopped the medical fraternity from notin' stran'e parallelisms and dra,in' mystified conclusions. A ,eird 3unch of cuttin'sA all toldB and = can at this date scarcely envisa'e the callous rationalism ,ith ,hich = set them aside. But = ,as then convinced that youn' Wilco% had !no,n of the older matters mentioned 3y the professor.

,,. The T le o! ,#s*ector Le-r sse.

The older matters ,hich had made the sculptor<s dream and 3as1relief so si'nificant to my uncle formed the su3Cect of the second half of his lon' manuscript. +nce 3eforeA it appearsA >rofessor An'ell had seen the hellish outlines of the nameless monstrosityA puzzled over the un!no,n hiero'lyphicsA and heard the ominous sylla3les ,hich can 3e rendered only as )Ct"ul"u)B and all this in so stirrin' and horri3le a conne%ion that it is small ,onder he pursued youn' Wilco% ,ith Dueries and demands for data. This earlier e%perience had come in 1)*8A seventeen years 3eforeA ,hen the American Archaeolo'ical Society held its annual meetin' in St. 5ouis. >rofessor An'ellA as 3efitted one of his authority and attainmentsA had had a prominent part in all the deli3erationsB and ,as one of the first to 3e approached 3y the several outsiders ,ho too! advanta'e of the convocation to offer Duestions for correct ans,erin' and pro3lems for e%pert solution. The chief of these outsidersA and in a short time the focus of interest for the entire meetin'A ,as a commonplace1loo!in' middle1a'ed man ,ho had travelled all the ,ay

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from ;e, +rleans for certain special information uno3taina3le from any local source. 2is name ,as 6ohn :aymond 5e'rasseA and he ,as 3y profession an =nspector of >olice. With him he 3ore the su3Cect of his visitA a 'rotesDueA repulsiveA and apparently very ancient stone statuette ,hose ori'in he ,as at a loss to determine. =t must not 3e fancied that =nspector 5e'rasse had the least interest in archaeolo'y. +n the contraryA his ,ish for enli'htenment ,as prompted 3y purely professional considerations. The statuetteA idolA fetishA or ,hatever it ,asA had 3een captured some months 3efore in the ,ooded s,amps south of ;e, +rleans durin' a raid on a supposed voodoo meetin'B and so sin'ular and hideous ,ere the rites connected ,ith itA that the police could not 3ut realise that they had stum3led on a dar! cult totally un!no,n to themA and infinitely more dia3olic than even the 3lac!est of the African voodoo circles. +f its ori'inA apart from the erratic and un3elieva3le tales e%torted from the captured mem3ersA a3solutely nothin' ,as to 3e discoveredB hence the an%iety of the police for any antiDuarian lore ,hich mi'ht help them to place the fri'htful sym3olA and throu'h it trac! do,n the cult to its fountain1head. =nspector 5e'rasse ,as scarcely prepared for the sensation ,hich his offerin' created. +ne si'ht of the thin' had 3een enou'h to thro, the assem3led men of science into a state of tense e%citementA and they lost no time in cro,din' around him to 'aze at the diminutive fi'ure ,hose utter stran'eness and air of 'enuinely a3ysmal antiDuity hinted so potently at unopened and archaic vistas. ;o reco'nised school of sculpture had animated this terri3le o3CectA yet centuries and even thousands of years seemed recorded in its dim and 'reenish surface of unplacea3le stone. The fi'ureA ,hich ,as finally passed slo,ly from man to man for close and careful studyA ,as 3et,een seven and ei'ht inches in hei'htA and of e%Duisitely artistic ,or!manship. =t represented a monster of va'uely anthropoid outlineA 3ut ,ith an octopus1 li!e head ,hose face ,as a mass of feelersA a scalyA ru33ery1loo!in' 3odyA prodi'ious cla,s on hind and fore feetA and lon'A narro, ,in's 3ehind. This thin'A ,hich seemed instinct ,ith a fearsome and unnatural mali'nancyA ,as of a some,hat 3loated corpulenceA and sDuatted evilly on a rectan'ular 3loc! or pedestal covered ,ith undeciphera3le characters. The tips of the ,in's touched the 3ac! ed'e of the 3loc!A the seat occupied the centreA ,hilst the lon'A curved cla,s of the dou3led1upA crouchin' hind le's 'ripped the front ed'e and e%tended a Duarter of the ,ay clo,n to,ard the 3ottom of the pedestal. The cephalopod head ,as 3ent for,ardA so that the ends of the facial feelers 3rushed the 3ac!s of hu'e fore pa,s ,hich clasped the croucher<s elevated !nees. The aspect of the ,hole ,as a3normally life1li!eA and the more su3tly fearful 3ecause its source ,as so totally un!no,n. =ts vastA a,esomeA and incalcula3le a'e ,as unmista!a3leB yet not one lin! did it she, ,ith any !no,n type of art 3elon'in' to civilisation<s youth 1 or indeed to any other time. Totally separate and apartA its very material ,as a mysteryB for the soapyA 'reenish1 3lac! stone ,ith its 'olden or iridescent flec!s and striations resem3led nothin' familiar to 'eolo'y or mineralo'y. The characters alon' the 3ase ,ere eDually 3afflin'B and no mem3er presentA despite a representation of half the ,orld<s e%pert learnin' in this fieldA could form the least notion of even their remotest lin'uistic !inship. TheyA li!e the su3Cect and materialA 3elon'ed to somethin' horri3ly remote and distinct from man!ind as ,e !no, it. somethin' fri'htfully su''estive of old and unhallo,ed cycles of life in ,hich our ,orld and our conceptions have no part. And yetA as the mem3ers severally shoo! their heads and confessed defeat at the =nspector<s pro3lemA there ,as one man in that 'atherin' ,ho suspected a touch of 3izarre familiarity in the monstrous shape and ,ritin'A and ,ho presently told ,ith some

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diffidence of the odd trifle he !ne,. This person ,as the late William Channin' We33A >rofessor of Anthropolo'y in >rinceton (niversityA and an e%plorer of no sli'ht note. >rofessor We33 had 3een en'a'edA forty1ei'ht years 3eforeA in a tour of 7reenland and =celand in search of some :unic inscriptions ,hich he failed to unearthB and ,hilst hi'h up on the West 7reenland coast had encountered a sin'ular tri3e or cult of de'enerate EsDuimau% ,hose reli'ionA a curious form of devil1,orshipA chilled him ,ith its deli3erate 3loodthirstiness and repulsiveness. =t ,as a faith of ,hich other EsDuimau% !ne, littleA and ,hich they mentioned only ,ith shuddersA sayin' that it had come do,n from horri3ly ancient aeons 3efore ever the ,orld ,as made. Besides nameless rites and human sacrifices there ,ere certain Dueer hereditary rituals addressed to a supreme elder devil or tornasukB and of this >rofessor We33 had ta!en a careful phonetic copy from an a'ed angekok or ,izard1priestA e%pressin' the sounds in :oman letters as 3est he !ne, ho,. But Cust no, of prime si'nificance ,as the fetish ,hich this cult had cherishedA and around ,hich they danced ,hen the aurora leaped hi'h over the ice cliffs. =t ,asA the professor statedA a very crude 3as1relief of stoneA comprisin' a hideous picture and some cryptic ,ritin'. And so far as he could tellA it ,as a rou'h parallel in all essential features of the 3estial thin' no, lyin' 3efore the meetin'. This dataA received ,ith suspense and astonishment 3y the assem3led mem3ersA proved dou3ly e%citin' to =nspector 5e'rasseB and he 3e'an at once to ply his informant ,ith Duestions. 2avin' noted and copied an oral ritual amon' the s,amp cult1,orshippers his men had arrestedA he 3esou'ht the professor to remem3er as 3est he mi'ht the sylla3les ta!en do,n amon'st the dia3olist EsDuimau%. There then follo,ed an e%haustive comparison of detailsA and a moment of really a,ed silence ,hen 3oth detective and scientist a'reed on the virtual identity of the phrase common to t,o hellish rituals so many ,orlds of distance apart. WhatA in su3stanceA 3oth the EsDuimau% ,izards and the 5ouisiana s,amp1priests had chanted to their !indred idols ,as somethin' very li!e this9 the ,ord1divisions 3ein' 'uessed at from traditional 3rea!s in the phrase as chanted aloud9 ),"+nglui mgl$+naf" Ct"ul"u *+lye" $ga"+nagl f"tagn%) 5e'rasse had one point in advance of >rofessor We33A for several amon' his mon'rel prisoners had repeated to him ,hat older cele3rants had told them the ,ords meant. This te%tA as 'ivenA ran somethin' li!e this9 L=n his house at :<lyeh dead Cthulhu ,aits dreamin'.L And no,A in response to a 'eneral and ur'ent demandA =nspector 5e'rasse related as fully as possi3le his e%perience ,ith the s,amp ,orshippersB tellin' a story to ,hich = could see my uncle attached profound si'nificance. =t savoured of the ,ildest dreams of myth1ma!er and theosophistA and disclosed an astonishin' de'ree of cosmic ima'ination amon' such half1castes and pariahs as mi'ht 3e least e%pected to possess it. +n ;ovem3er 1stA 1)*7A there had come to the ;e, +rleans police a frantic summons from the s,amp and la'oon country to the south. The sDuatters thereA mostly primitive 3ut 'ood1natured descendants of 5afitte<s menA ,ere in the 'rip of star! terror from an un!no,n thin' ,hich had stolen upon them in the ni'ht. =t ,as voodooA apparentlyA 3ut voodoo of a more terri3le sort than they had ever !no,nB and some of their ,omen and children had disappeared since the malevolent tom1tom had 3e'un its incessant 3eatin' far ,ithin the 3lac! haunted ,oods ,here no d,eller ventured. There ,ere insane shouts and

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harro,in' screamsA soul1chillin' chants and dancin' devil1flamesB andA the fri'htened messen'er addedA the people could stand it no more. So a 3ody of t,enty policeA fillin' t,o carria'es and an automo3ileA had set out in the late afternoon ,ith the shiverin' sDuatter as a 'uide. At the end of the passa3le road they ali'htedA and for miles splashed on in silence throu'h the terri3le cypress ,oods ,here day never came. ('ly roots and mali'nant han'in' nooses of Spanish moss 3eset themA and no, and then a pile of dan! stones or fra'ment of a rottin' ,all intensified 3y its hint of mor3id ha3itation a depression ,hich every malformed tree and every fun'ous islet com3ined to create. At len'th the sDuatter settlementA a misera3le huddle of hutsA hove in si'htB and hysterical d,ellers ran out to cluster around the 'roup of 3o33in' lanterns. The muffled 3eat of tom1toms ,as no, faintly audi3le farA far aheadB and a curdlin' shrie! came at infreDuent intervals ,hen the ,ind shifted. A reddish 'lareA tooA seemed to filter throu'h pale under'ro,th 3eyond the endless avenues of forest ni'ht. :eluctant even to 3e left alone a'ainA each one of the co,ed sDuatters refused point13lan! to advance another inch to,ard the scene of unholy ,orshipA so =nspector 5e'rasse and his nineteen collea'ues plun'ed on un'uided into 3lac! arcades of horror that none of them had ever trod 3efore. The re'ion no, entered 3y the police ,as one of traditionally evil reputeA su3stantially un!no,n and untraversed 3y ,hite men. There ,ere le'ends of a hidden la!e un'limpsed 3y mortal si'htA in ,hich d,elt a hu'eA formless ,hite polypous thin' ,ith luminous eyesB and sDuatters ,hispered that 3at1,in'ed devils fle, up out of caverns in inner earth to ,orship it at midni'ht. They said it had 3een there 3efore d<=3ervilleA 3efore 5a SalleA 3efore the =ndiansA and 3efore even the ,holesome 3easts and 3irds of the ,oods. =t ,as ni'htmare itselfA and to see it ,as to die. But it made men dreamA and so they !ne, enou'h to !eep a,ay. The present voodoo or'y ,asA indeedA on the merest frin'e of this a3horred areaA 3ut that location ,as 3ad enou'hB hence perhaps the very place of the ,orship had terrified the sDuatters more than the shoc!in' sounds and incidents. +nly poetry or madness could do Custice to the noises heard 3y 5e'rasse<s men as they plou'hed on throu'h the 3lac! morass to,ard the red 'lare and muffled tom1toms. There are vocal Dualities peculiar to menA and vocal Dualities peculiar to 3eastsB and it is terri3le to hear the one ,hen the source should yield the other. Animal fury and or'iastic license here ,hipped themselves to daemoniac hei'hts 3y ho,ls and sDua,!in' ecstacies that tore and rever3erated throu'h those ni'hted ,oods li!e pestilential tempests from the 'ulfs of hell. ;o, and then the less or'anized ululation ,ould ceaseA and from ,hat seemed a ,ell1 drilled chorus of hoarse voices ,ould rise in sin'1son' chant that hideous phrase or ritual9 ),"+nglui mgl$+naf" Ct"ul"u *+lye" $ga"+nagl f"tagn%) Then the menA havin' reached a spot ,here the trees ,ere thinnerA came suddenly in si'ht of the spectacle itself. 4our of them reeledA one faintedA and t,o ,ere sha!en into a frantic cry ,hich the mad cacophony of the or'y fortunately deadened. 5e'rasse dashed s,amp ,ater on the face of the faintin' manA and all stood trem3lin' and nearly hypnotised ,ith horror. =n a natural 'lade of the s,amp stood a 'rassy island of perhaps an acre<s e%tentA clear of trees and tolera3ly dry. +n this no, leaped and t,isted a more indescri3a3le horde of human a3normality than any 3ut a Sime or an An'arola could paint. ?oid of clothin'A this

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hy3rid spa,n ,ere 3rayin'A 3ello,in'A and ,rithin' a3out a monstrous rin'1shaped 3onfireB in the centre of ,hichA revealed 3y occasional rifts in the curtain of flameA stood a 'reat 'ranite monolith some ei'ht feet in hei'htB on top of ,hichA incon'ruous in its diminutivenessA rested the no%ious carven statuette. 4rom a ,ide circle of ten scaffolds set up at re'ular intervals ,ith the flame1'irt monolith as a centre hun'A head do,n,ardA the oddly marred 3odies of the helpless sDuatters ,ho had disappeared. =t ,as inside this circle that the rin' of ,orshippers Cumped and roaredA the 'eneral direction of the mass motion 3ein' from left to ri'ht in endless Bacchanal 3et,een the rin' of 3odies and the rin' of fire. =t may have 3een only ima'ination and it may have 3een only echoes ,hich induced one of the menA an e%cita3le SpaniardA to fancy he heard antiphonal responses to the ritual from some far and unillumined spot deeper ,ithin the ,ood of ancient le'endry and horror. This manA 6oseph $. 7alvezA = later met and DuestionedB and he proved distractin'ly ima'inative. 2e indeed ,ent so far as to hint of the faint 3eatin' of 'reat ,in'sA and of a 'limpse of shinin' eyes and a mountainous ,hite 3ul! 3eyond the remotest trees 3ut = suppose he had 3een hearin' too much native superstition. ActuallyA the horrified pause of the men ,as of comparatively 3rief duration. $uty came firstB and althou'h there must have 3een nearly a hundred mon'rel cele3rants in the thron'A the police relied on their firearms and plun'ed determinedly into the nauseous rout. 4or five minutes the resultant din and chaos ,ere 3eyond description. Wild 3lo,s ,ere struc!A shots ,ere firedA and escapes ,ere madeB 3ut in the end 5e'rasse ,as a3le to count some forty1seven sullen prisonersA ,hom he forced to dress in haste and fall into line 3et,een t,o ro,s of policemen. 4ive of the ,orshippers lay deadA and t,o severely ,ounded ones ,ere carried a,ay on improvised stretchers 3y their fello,1prisoners. The ima'e on the monolithA of courseA ,as carefully removed and carried 3ac! 3y 5e'rasse. E%amined at headDuarters after a trip of intense strain and ,earinessA the prisoners all proved to 3e men of a very lo,A mi%ed13loodedA and mentally a3errant type. 8ost ,ere seamenA and a sprin!lin' of ;e'roes and mulattoesA lar'ely West =ndians or Brava >ortu'uese from the Cape ?erde =slandsA 'ave a colourin' of voodooism to the hetero'eneous cult. But 3efore many Duestions ,ere as!edA it 3ecame manifest that somethin' far deeper and older than ;e'ro fetishism ,as involved. $e'raded and i'norant as they ,ereA the creatures held ,ith surprisin' consistency to the central idea of their loathsome faith. They ,orshippedA so they saidA the 7reat +ld +nes ,ho lived a'es 3efore there ,ere any menA and ,ho came to the youn' ,orld out of the s!y. Those +ld +nes ,ere 'one no,A inside the earth and under the seaB 3ut their dead 3odies had told their secrets in dreams to the first menA ,ho formed a cult ,hich had never died. This ,as that cultA and the prisoners said it had al,ays e%isted and al,ays ,ould e%istA hidden in distant ,astes and dar! places all over the ,orld until the time ,hen the 'reat priest CthulhuA from his dar! house in the mi'hty city of :<lyeh under the ,atersA should rise and 3rin' the earth a'ain 3eneath his s,ay. Some day he ,ould callA ,hen the stars ,ere readyA and the secret cult ,ould al,ays 3e ,aitin' to li3erate him. 8ean,hile no more must 3e told. There ,as a secret ,hich even torture could not e%tract. 8an!ind ,as not a3solutely alone amon' the conscious thin's of earthA for shapes came out of the dar! to visit the faithful fe,. But these ,ere not the 7reat +ld +nes. ;o

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man had ever seen the +ld +nes. The carven idol ,as 'reat CthulhuA 3ut none mi'ht say ,hether or not the others ,ere precisely li!e him. ;o one could read the old ,ritin' no,A 3ut thin's ,ere told 3y ,ord of mouth. The chanted ritual ,as not the secret 1 that ,as never spo!en aloudA only ,hispered. The chant meant only this9 L=n his house at :<lyeh dead Cthulhu ,aits dreamin'.L +nly t,o of the prisoners ,ere found sane enou'h to 3e han'edA and the rest ,ere committed to various institutions. All denied a part in the ritual murdersA and averred that the !illin' had 3een done 3y Blac! Win'ed +nes ,hich had come to them from their immemorial meetin'1place in the haunted ,ood. But of those mysterious allies no coherent account could ever 3e 'ained. What the police did e%tractA came mainly from the immensely a'ed mestizo named CastroA ,ho claimed to have sailed to stran'e ports and tal!ed ,ith undyin' leaders of the cult in the mountains of China. +ld Castro remem3ered 3its of hideous le'end that paled the speculations of theosophists and made man and the ,orld seem recent and transient indeed. There had 3een aeons ,hen other Thin's ruled on the earthA and They had had 'reat cities. :emains of ThemA he said the deathless Chinamen had told himA ,ere still 3e found as Cyclopean stones on islands in the >acific. They all died vast epochs of time 3efore men cameA 3ut there ,ere arts ,hich could revive Them ,hen the stars had come round a'ain to the ri'ht positions in the cycle of eternity. They hadA indeedA come themselves from the starsA and 3rou'ht Their ima'es ,ith Them. These 7reat +ld +nesA Castro continuedA ,ere not composed alto'ether of flesh and 3lood. They had shape 1 for did not this star1fashioned ima'e prove itG 1 3ut that shape ,as not made of matter. When the stars ,ere ri'htA They could plun'e from ,orld to ,orld throu'h the s!yB 3ut ,hen the stars ,ere ,ron'A They could not live. But althou'h They no lon'er livedA They ,ould never really die. They all lay in stone houses in Their 'reat city of :<lyehA preserved 3y the spells of mi'hty Cthulhu for a 'lorious surrection ,hen the stars and the earth mi'ht once more 3e ready for Them. But at that time some force from outside must serve to li3erate Their 3odies. The spells that preserved them intact li!e,ise prevented Them from ma!in' an initial moveA and They could only lie a,a!e in the dar! and thin! ,hilst uncounted millions of years rolled 3y. They !ne, all that ,as occurrin' in the universeA for Their mode of speech ,as transmitted thou'ht. Even no, They tal!ed in Their tom3s. WhenA after infinities of chaosA the first men cameA the 7reat +ld +nes spo!e to the sensitive amon' them 3y mouldin' their dreamsB for only thus could Their lan'ua'e reach the fleshly minds of mammals. ThenA ,hispered CastroA those first men formed the cult around tall idols ,hich the 7reat +nes she,ed themB idols 3rou'ht in dim eras from dar! stars. That cult ,ould never die till the stars came ri'ht a'ainA and the secret priests ,ould ta!e 'reat Cthulhu from 2is tom3 to revive 2is su3Cects and resume 2is rule of earth. The time ,ould 3e easy to !no,A for then man!ind ,ould have 3ecome as the 7reat +ld +nesB free and ,ild and 3eyond 'ood and evilA ,ith la,s and morals thro,n aside and all men shoutin' and !illin' and revellin' in Coy. Then the li3erated +ld +nes ,ould teach them ne, ,ays to shout and !ill and revel and enCoy themselvesA and all the earth ,ould flame ,ith a holocaust of ecstasy and freedom. 8ean,hile the cultA 3y appropriate ritesA must !eep alive the memory of those ancient ,ays and shado, forth the prophecy of their return.

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=n the elder time chosen men had tal!ed ,ith the entom3ed +ld +nes in dreamsA 3ut then somethin' happened. The 'reat stone city :<lyehA ,ith its monoliths and sepulchresA had sun! 3eneath the ,avesB and the deep ,atersA full of the one primal mystery throu'h ,hich not even thou'ht can passA had cut off the spectral intercourse. But memory never diedA and the hi'h1priests said that the city ,ould rise a'ain ,hen the stars ,ere ri'ht. Then came out of the earth the 3lac! spirits of earthA mouldy and shado,yA and full of dim rumours pic!ed up in caverns 3eneath for'otten sea13ottoms. But of them old Castro dared not spea! much. 2e cut himself off hurriedlyA and no amount of persuasion or su3tlety could elicit more in this direction. The size of the +ld +nesA tooA he curiously declined to mention. +f the cultA he said that he thou'ht the centre lay amid the pathless desert of Ara3iaA ,here =remA the City of >illarsA dreams hidden and untouched. =t ,as not allied to the European ,itch1cultA and ,as virtually un!no,n 3eyond its mem3ers. ;o 3oo! had ever really hinted of itA thou'h the deathless Chinamen said that there ,ere dou3le meanin's in the -ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul Alhazred ,hich the initiated mi'ht read as they choseA especially the much1discussed couplet9 T"at is not dead $"ic" can eternal lie& And $it" strange aeons e!en deat" may die% 5e'rasseA deeply impressed and not a little 3e,ilderedA had inDuired in vain concernin' the historic affiliations of the cult. CastroA apparentlyA had told the truth ,hen he said that it ,as ,holly secret. The authorities at Tulane (niversity could shed no li'ht upon either cult or ima'eA and no, the detective had come to the hi'hest authorities in the country and met ,ith no more than the 7reenland tale of >rofessor We33. The feverish interest aroused at the meetin' 3y 5e'rasse<s taleA corro3orated as it ,as 3y the statuetteA is echoed in the su3seDuent correspondence of those ,ho attendedB althou'h scant mention occurs in the formal pu3lications of the society. Caution is the first care of those accustomed to face occasional charlatanry and imposture. 5e'rasse for some time lent the ima'e to >rofessor We33A 3ut at the latter<s death it ,as returned to him and remains in his possessionA ,here = vie,ed it not lon' a'o. =t is truly a terri3le thin'A and unmista!a3ly a!in to the dream1sculpture of youn' Wilco%. That my uncle ,as e%cited 3y the tale of the sculptor = did not ,onderA for ,hat thou'hts must arise upon hearin'A after a !no,led'e of ,hat 5e'rasse had learned of the cultA of a sensitive youn' man ,ho had dreamed not only the fi'ure and e%act hiero'lyphics of the s,amp1found ima'e and the 7reenland devil ta3letA 3ut had come in "is dreams upon at least three of the precise ,ords of the formula uttered ali!e 3y EsDuimau% dia3olists and mon'rel 5ouisianansG. >rofessor An'ell<s instant start on an investi'ation of the utmost thorou'hness ,as eminently naturalB thou'h privately = suspected youn' Wilco% of havin' heard of the cult in some indirect ,ayA and of havin' invented a series of dreams to hei'hten and continue the mystery at my uncle<s e%pense. The dream1narratives and cuttin's collected 3y the professor ,ereA of courseA stron' corro3orationB 3ut the rationalism of my mind and the e%trava'ance of the ,hole su3Cect led me to adopt ,hat = thou'ht the most sensi3le conclusions. SoA after thorou'hly studyin' the manuscript a'ain and correlatin' the theosophical and anthropolo'ical notes ,ith the cult narrative of 5e'rasseA = made a trip to >rovidence to see the sculptor and 'ive him the re3u!e = thou'ht proper for so 3oldly imposin' upon a learned and a'ed man.

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Wilco% still lived alone in the 4leur1de15ys Buildin' in Thomas StreetA a hideous ?ictorian imitation of seventeenth century Breton Architecture ,hich flaunts its stuccoed front amidst the lovely olonial houses on the ancient hillA and under the very shado, of the finest 7eor'ian steeple in AmericaA = found him at ,or! in his roomsA and at once conceded from the specimens scattered a3out that his 'enius is indeed profound and authentic. 2e ,illA = 3elieveA some time 3e heard from as one of the 'reat decadentsB for he has crystallised in clay and ,ill one day mirror in mar3le those ni'htmares and phantasies ,hich Arthur 8achen evo!es in proseA and Clar! Ashton Smith ma!es visi3le in verse and in paintin'. $ar!A frailA and some,hat un!empt in aspectA he turned lan'uidly at my !noc! and as!ed me my 3usiness ,ithout risin'. Then = told him ,ho = ,asA he displayed some interestB for my uncle had e%cited his curiosity in pro3in' his stran'e dreamsA yet had never e%plained the reason for the study. = did not enlar'e his !no,led'e in this re'ardA 3ut sou'ht ,ith some su3tlety to dra, him out. =n a short time = 3ecame convinced ofhis a3solute sincerityA for he spo!e of the dreams in a manner none could mista!e. They and their su3conscious residuum had influenced his art profoundlyA and he she,ed me a mor3id statue ,hose contours almost made me sha!e ,ith the potency of its 3lac! su''estion. 2e could not recall havin' seen the ori'inal of this thin' e%cept in his o,n dream 3as1reliefA 3ut the outlines had formed themselves insensi3ly under his hands. =t ,asA no dou3tA the 'iant shape he had raved of in delirium. That he really !ne, nothin' of the hidden cultA save from ,hat my uncle<s relentless catechism had let fallA he soon made clearB and a'ain = strove to thin! of some ,ay in ,hich he could possi3ly have received the ,eird impressions. 2e tal!ed of his dreams in a stran'ely poetic fashionB ma!in' me see ,ith terri3le vividness the damp Cyclopean city of slimy 'reen stone 1 ,hose geometryA he oddly saidA ,as all $rong 1 and hear ,ith fri'htened e%pectancy the ceaselessA half1mental callin' from under'round9 )Ct"ul"u f"tagn)& )Ct"ul"u f"tagn%) These ,ords had formed part of that dread ritual ,hich told of dead Cthulhu<s dream1 vi'il in his stone vault at :<lyehA and = felt deeply moved despite my rational 3eliefs. Wilco%A = ,as sureA had heard of the cult in some casual ,ayA and had soon for'otten it amidst the mass of his eDually ,eird readin' and ima'inin'. 5aterA 3y virtue of its sheer impressivenessA it had found su3conscious e%pression in dreamsA in the 3as1reliefA and in the terri3le statue = no, 3eheldB so that his imposture upon my uncle had 3een a very innocent one. The youth ,as of a typeA at once sli'htly affected and sli'htly ill1manneredA ,hich = could never li!eA 3ut = ,as ,illin' enou'h no, to admit 3oth his 'enius and his honesty. = too! leave of him amica3lyA and ,ish him all the success his talent promises. The matter of the cult still remained to fascinate meA and at times = had visions of personal fame from researches into its ori'in and conne%ions. = visited ;e, +rleansA tal!ed ,ith 5e'rasse and others of that old1time raidin'1partyA sa, the fri'htful ima'eA and even Duestioned such of the mon'rel prisoners as still survived. +ld CastroA unfortunatelyA had 3een dead for some years. What = no, heard so 'raphically at first1handA thou'h it ,as really no more than a detailed confirmation of ,hat my uncle had ,rittenA e%cited me afreshB for = felt sure that = ,as on the trac! of a very realA very secretA and very ancient reli'ion ,hose discovery ,ould ma!e me an anthropolo'ist of note. 8y attitude ,as still one of a3solute materialismA as l ,ish it still ,ereA and = discounted ,ith almost

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ine%plica3le perversity the coincidence of the dream notes and odd cuttin's collected 3y >rofessor An'ell. +ne thin' = 3e'an to suspectA and ,hich = no, fear = !no,A is that my uncle<s death ,as far from natural. 2e fell on a narro, hill street leadin' up from an ancient ,aterfront s,armin' ,ith forei'n mon'relsA after a careless push from a ;e'ro sailor. = did not for'et the mi%ed 3lood and marine pursuits of the cult1mem3ers in 5ouisianaA and ,ould not 3e surprised to learn of secret methods and rites and 3eliefs. 5e'rasse and his menA it is trueA have 3een let aloneB 3ut in ;or,ay a certain seaman ,ho sa, thin's is dead. 8i'ht not the deeper inDuiries of my uncle after encounterin' the sculptor<s data have come to sinister earsG. = thin! >rofessor An'ell died 3ecause he !ne, too muchA or 3ecause he ,as li!ely to learn too much. Whether = shall 'o as he did remains to 3e seenA for = have learned much no,.

,,,. The M $#ess !rom the Se

=f heaven ever ,ishes to 'rant me a 3oonA it ,ill 3e a total effacin' of the results of a mere chance ,hich fi%ed my eye on a certain stray piece of shelf1paper. =t ,as nothin' on ,hich = ,ould naturally have stum3led in the course of my daily roundA for it ,as an old num3er of an Australian CournalA the Sydney Bulletin for April 18A 1)" . =t had escaped even the cuttin' 3ureau ,hich had at the time of its issuance 3een avidly collectin' material for my uncle<s research. = had lar'ely 'iven over my inDuiries into ,hat >rofessor An'ell called the LCthulhu CultLA and ,as visitin' a learned friend in >atersonA ;e, 6erseyB the curator of a local museum and a mineralo'ist of note. E%aminin' one day the reserve specimens rou'hly set on the stora'e shelves in a rear room of the museumA my eye ,as cau'ht 3y an odd picture in one of the old papers spread 3eneath the stones. =t ,as the Sydney Bulletin = have mentionedA for my friend had ,ide affiliations in all conceiva3le forei'n partsB and the picture ,as a half1tone cut of a hideous stone ima'e almost identical ,ith that ,hich 5e'rasse had found in the s,amp. Ea'erly clearin' the sheet of its precious contentsA = scanned the item in detailB and ,as disappointed to find it of only moderate len'th. What it su''estedA ho,everA ,as of portentous si'nificance to my fla''in' DuestB and = carefully tore it out for immediate action. =t read as follo,s9 M.STER. /EREL,CT FO0N/ AT SEA .igilant Arrives With 2elpless Armed ;e, @ealand .acht in To,. +ne Survivor and $ead 8an 4ound A3oard. Tale of $esperate Battle and $eaths at Sea. :escued Seaman :efuses >articulars of Stran'e E%perience. +dd =dol 4ound in 2is >ossession. =nDuiry to 4ollo,. The 8orrison Co.<s frei'hter .igilantA 3ound from ?alparaisoA arrived this mornin' at its ,harf in $arlin' 2ar3ourA havin' in to, the 3attled and disa3led 3ut heavily armed steam yacht Alert of $unedinA ;.@.A ,hich ,as si'hted April 1"th in S. 5atitude &#P"1<A W. 5on'itude 1 "P17<A ,ith one livin' and one dead man a3oard.

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The ?i'ilant left ?alparaiso 8arch " thA and on April "nd ,as driven considera3ly south of her course 3y e%ceptionally heavy storms and monster ,aves. +n April 1"th the derelict ,as si'htedB and thou'h apparently desertedA ,as found upon 3oardin' to contain one survivor in a half1delirious condition and one man ,ho had evidently 3een dead for more than a ,ee!. The livin' man ,as clutchin' a horri3le stone idol of un!no,n ori'inA a3out foot in hei'htA re'ardin' ,hose nature authorities at Sydney (niversityA the :oyal SocietyA and the 8useum in Colle'e Street all profess complete 3afflementA and ,hich the survivor says he found in the ca3in of the yachtA in a small carved shrine of common pattern. This manA after recoverin' his sensesA told an e%ceedin'ly stran'e story of piracy and slau'hter. 2e is 7ustaf 6ohansenA a ;or,e'ian of some intelli'enceA and had 3een second mate of the t,o1masted schooner mma of Auc!landA ,hich sailed for Callao 4e3ruary "*th ,ith a complement of eleven men. The EmmaA he saysA ,as delayed and thro,n ,idely south of her course 3y the 'reat storm of 8arch 1stA and on 8arch ""ndA in S. 5atitude #)P 1< W. 5on'itude 1"8P&#<A encountered the AlertA manned 3y a Dueer and evil1loo!in' cre, of 0ana!as and half1castes. Bein' ordered peremptorily to turn 3ac!A Capt. Collins refusedB ,hereupon the stran'e cre, 3e'an to fire sava'ely and ,ithout ,arnin' upon the schooner ,ith a peculiarly heavy 3attery of 3rass cannon formin' part of the yacht<s eDuipment. The mma<s men she,ed fi'htA says the survivorA and thou'h the schooner 3e'an to sin! from shots 3eneath the ,ater1line they mana'ed to heave alon'side their enemy and 3oard herA 'rapplin' ,ith the sava'e cre, on the yacht<s dec!A and 3ein' forced to !ill them allA the num3er 3ein' sli'htly superiorA 3ecause of their particularly a3horrent and desperate thou'h rather clumsy mode of fi'htin'. Three of the mma<s menA includin' Capt. Collins and 4irst 8ate 7reenA ,ere !illedB and the remainin' ei'ht under Second 8ate 6ohansen proceeded to navi'ate the captured yachtA 'oin' ahead in their ori'inal direction to see if any reason for their orderin' 3ac! had e%isted. The ne%t dayA it appearsA they raised and landed on a small islandA althou'h none is !no,n to e%ist in that part of the oceanB and si% of the men someho, died ashoreA thou'h 6ohansen is Dueerly reticent a3out this part of his storyA and spea!s only of their fallin' into a roc! chasm. 5aterA it seemsA he and one companion 3oarded the yacht and tried to mana'e herA 3ut ,ere 3eaten a3out 3y the storm of April "ndA 4rom that time till his rescue on the 1"th the man remem3ers littleA and he does not even recall ,hen William BridenA his companionA died. Briden<s death reveals no apparent causeA and ,as pro3a3ly due to e%citement or e%posure. Ca3le advices from $unedin report that the Alert ,as ,ell !no,n there as an island traderA and 3ore an evil reputation alon' the ,aterfrontA =t ,as o,ned 3y a curious 'roup of half1castes ,hose freDuent meetin's and ni'ht trips to the ,oods attracted no little curiosityB and it had set sail in 'reat haste Cust after the storm and earth tremors of 8arch 1st. +ur Auc!land correspondent 'ives the mma and her cre, an e%cellent reputationA and 6ohansen is descri3ed as a so3er and ,orthy man. The admiralty ,ill institute an inDuiry on the ,hole matter 3e'innin' tomorro,A at ,hich every effort ,ill 3e made to induce 6ohansen to spea! more freely than he has done hitherto. This ,as allA to'ether ,ith the picture of the hellish ima'eB 3ut ,hat a train of ideas it started in my mindF 2ere ,ere ne, treasuries of data on the Cthulhu CultA and evidence that it had stran'e interests at sea as ,ell as on land. What motive prompted the hy3rid

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cre, to order 3ac! the mma as they sailed a3out ,ith their hideous idolG What ,as the un!no,n island on ,hich si% of the mma<s cre, had diedA and a3out ,hich the mate 6ohansen ,as so secretiveG What had the vice1admiralty<s investi'ation 3rou'ht outA and ,hat ,as !no,n of the no%ious cult in $unedinG And most marvellous of allA ,hat deep and more than natural lin!a'e of dates ,as this ,hich 'ave a mali'n and no, undenia3le si'nificance to the various turns of events so carefully noted 3y my uncleG 8arch 1st 1 or 4e3ruary "8th accordin' to the =nternational $ate 5ine 1 the earthDua!e and storm had come. 4rom $unedin the Alert and her noisome cre, had darted ea'erly forth as if imperiously summonedA and on the other side of the earth poets and artists had 3e'un to dream of a stran'eA dan! Cyclopean city ,hilst a youn' sculptor had moulded in his sleep the form of the dreaded Cthulhu. 8arch "&rd the cre, of the Emma landed on an un!no,n island and left si% men deadB and on that date the dreams of sensitive men assumed a hei'htened vividness and dar!ened ,ith dread of a 'iant monster<s mali'n pursuitA ,hilst an architect had 'one mad and a sculptor had lapsed suddenly into deliriumF And ,hat of this storm of April "nd 1 the date on ,hich all dreams of the dan! city ceasedA and Wilco% emer'ed unharmed from the 3onda'e of stran'e feverG What of all this 1 and of those hints of old Castro a3out the sun!enA star13orn +ld +nes and their comin' rei'nB their faithful cult and t"eir mastery of dreams/ Was = totterin' on the 3rin! of cosmic horrors 3eyond man<s po,er to 3earG =f soA they must 3e horrors of the mind aloneA for in some ,ay the second of April had put a stop to ,hatever monstrous menace had 3e'un its sie'e of man!ind<s soul. That evenin'A after a day of hurried ca3lin' and arran'in'A = 3ade my host adieu and too! a train for San 4rancisco. =n less than a month = ,as in $unedinB ,hereA ho,everA = found that little ,as !no,n of the stran'e cult1mem3ers ,ho had lin'ered in the old sea1 taverns. Waterfront scum ,as far too common for special mentnonB thou'h there ,as va'ue tal! a3out one inland trip these mon'rels had madeA durin' ,hich faint drummin' and red flame ,ere noted on the distant hills. =n Auc!land = learned that 6ohansen had returned $it" yello$ "air turned $"ite after a perfunctory and inconclusive Duestionin' at SydneyA and had thereafter sold his cotta'e in West Street and sailed ,ith his ,ife to his old home in +slo. +f his stirrin' e%perience he ,ould tell his friends no more than he had told the admiralty officialsA and all they could do ,as to 'ive me his +slo address. After that = ,ent to Sydney and tal!ed profitlessly ,ith seamen and mem3ers of the vice1admiralty court. = sa, the AlertA no, sold and in commercial useA at Circular /uay in Sydney CoveA 3ut 'ained nothin' from its non1committal 3ul!. The crouchin' ima'e ,ith its cuttlefish headA dra'on 3odyA scaly ,in'sA and hiero'lyphed pedestalA ,as preserved in the 8useum at 2yde >ar!B and = studied it lon' and ,ellA findin' it a thin' of 3alefully e%Duisite ,or!manshipA and ,ith the same utter mysteryA terri3le antiDuityA and unearthly stran'eness of material ,hich = had noted in 5e'rasse<s smaller specimen. 7eolo'istsA the curator told meA had found it a monstrous puzzleB for they vo,ed that the ,orld held no roc! li!e it. Then = thou'ht ,ith a shudder of ,hat +ld Castro had told 5e'rasse a3out the +ld +nesB LThey had come from the starsA and had 3rou'ht Their ima'es ,ith Them.L Sha!en ,ith such a mental revolution as = had never 3efore !no,nA = no, resolved to visit 8ate 6ohansen in +slo. Sailin' for 5ondonA = reem3ar!ed at once for the ;or,e'ian capitalB and one autumn day landed at the trim ,harves in the shado, of the E'e3er'. 6ohansen<s addressA = discoveredA lay in the +ld To,n of 0in' 2arold 2aardradaA ,hich !ept alive the name of +slo durin' all the centuries that the 'reater city masDueraded as

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LChristiana.L = made the 3rief trip 3y ta%ica3A and !noc!ed ,ith palpitant heart at the door of a neat and ancient 3uildin' ,ith plastered front. A sad1faced ,oman in 3lac! ans,ered my summonsA and = ,as stun' th disappointment ,hen she told me in haltin' En'lish that 7ustaf 6ohansen ,as no more. 2e had not lon' survived his returnA said his ,ifeA for the doin's sea in 1)" had 3ro!en him. 2e had told her no more than he told the pu3licA 3ut had left a lon' manuscript 1 of Ltechnical mattersL as he said 1 ,ritten in En'lishA evidently in order to 'uard her from the peril of casual perusal. $urin' a ,al! rou'h a narro, lane near the 7othen3ur' doc!A a 3undle of papers fallin' from an attic ,indo, had !noc!ed him do,n. T,o 5ascar sailors at once helped him to his feetA 3ut 3efore the am3ulance could reach him he ,as dead. >hysicians found no adeDuate cause the endA and laid it to heart trou3le and a ,ea!ened constitution. = no, felt 'na,in' at my vitals that dar! terror ,hich ,ill never leave me till =A tooA am at restB LaccidentallyL or other,ise. >ersuad1' the ,ido, that my conne%ion ,ith her hus3and<s Ltechnical mattersL ,as sufficient to entitle me to his manuscriptA = 3ore the document a,ay and 3e'an to read it on the 5ondon 3oat. =t ,as a simpleA ram3lin' thin' 1 a naive sailor<s effort at a post1facto diary 1 and strove to recall day 3y day that last a,ful voya'e. = cannot attempt to transcri3e it ver3atim in all its cloudiness and redundanceA 3ut = ,ill tell its 'ist enou'h to she, ,hy the sound the ,ater a'ainst the vessel<s sides 3ecame so unendura3le to me that = stopped my ears ,ith cotton. 6ohansenA than! 7odA did not !no, Duite allA even thou'h he sa, the city and the Thin'A 3ut = shall never sleep calmly a'ain ,hen = thin! of the horrors that lur! ceaselessly 3ehind life in time and in spaceA and of those unhallo,ed 3lasphemies from elder stars ,hich dream 3eneath the seaA !no,n and favoured 3y a ni'htmare cult ready and ea'er to loose them upon the ,orld ,henever another earthDua!e shall heave their monstrous stone city a'ain to the sun and air. 6ohansen<s voya'e had 3e'un Cust as he told it to the vice1admiralty. The mmaA in 3allastA had cleared Auc!land on 4e3ruary "*thA and had felt the full force of that earthDua!e13orn tempest ,hich must have heaved up from the sea13ottom the horrors that filled men<s dreams. +nce more under controlA the ship ,as ma!in' 'ood pro'ress ,hen held up 3y the Alert on 8arch ""ndA and = could feel the mate<s re'ret as he ,rote of her 3om3ardment and sin!in'. +f the s,arthy cult1fiends on the Alert he spea!s ,ith si'nificant horror. There ,as some peculiarly a3omina3le Duality a3out them ,hich made their destruction seem almost a dutyA and 6ohansen she,s in'enuous ,onder at the char'e of ruthlessness 3rou'ht a'ainst his party durin' the proceedin's of the court of inDuiry. ThenA driven ahead 3y curiosity in their captured yacht under 6ohansen<s commandA the men si'ht a 'reat stone pillar stic!in' out of the seaA and in S. 5atitude #7P)<A W. 5on'itude l"&P#&<A come upon a coastline of min'led mudA oozeA and ,eedy Cyclopean masonry ,hich can 3e nothin' less than the tan'i3le su3stance of earth<s supreme terror 1 the ni'htmare corpse1city of :<lyehA that ,as 3uilt in measureless aeons 3ehind history 3y the vastA loathsome shapes that seeped do,n from the dar! stars. There lay 'reat Cthulhu and his hordesA hidden in 'reen slimy vaults and sendin' out at lastA after cycles incalcula3leA the thou'hts that spread fear to the dreams of the sensitive and called imperiously to the faithfull to come on a pil'rima'e of li3eration and restoration. All this 6ohansen did not suspectA 3ut 7od !no,s he soon sa, enou'hF

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= suppose that only a sin'le mountain1topA the hideous monolith1cro,ned citadel ,hereon 'reat Cthulhu ,as 3uriedA actually emer'ed from the ,aters. When = thin! of the e%tent of all that may 3e 3roodin' do,n there = almost ,ish to !ill myself forth,ith. 6ohansen and his men ,ere a,ed 3y the cosmic maCesty of this drippin' Ba3ylon of elder daemonsA and must have 'uessed ,ithout 'uidance that it ,as nothin' of this or of any sane planet. A,e at the un3elieva3le size of the 'reenish stone 3loc!sA at the dizzyin' hei'ht of the 'reat carven monolithA and at the stupefyin' identity of the colossal statues and 3as1reliefs ,ith the Dueer ima'e found in the shrine on the AlertA is poi'nantly visi3le in every line of the mates fri'htened description. Without !no,in' ,hat futurism is li!eA 6ohansen achieved somethin' very close to it ,hen he spo!e of the cityB for instead of descri3in' any definite structure or 3uildin'A he d,ells only on 3road impressions of vast an'les and stone surfaces 1 surfaces too 'reat to 3elon' to anythin' ri'ht or proper for this earthA and impious ,ith horri3le ima'es and hiero'lyphs. = mention his tal! a3out an'les 3ecause it su''ests somethin' Wilco% had told me of his a,ful dreams. 2e said that the 'eometry of the dream1place he sa, ,as a3normalA non1EuclideanA and loathsomely redolent of spheres and dimensions apart from ours. ;o, an unlettered seaman felt the same thin' ,hilst 'azin' at the terri3le reality. 6ohansen and his men landed at a slopin' mud13an! on this monstrous AcropolisA and clam3ered slipperily up over titan oozy 3loc!s ,hich could have 3een no mortal staircase. The very sun of heaven seemed distorted ,hen vie,ed throu'h the polarisin' miasma ,ellin' out from this sea1soa!ed perversionA and t,isted menace and suspense lur!ed leerin'ly in those crazily elusive an'les of carven roc! ,here a second 'lance she,ed concavity after the first she,ed conve%ity. Somethin' very li!e fri'ht had come over all the e%plorers 3efore anythin' more definite than roc! and ooze and ,eed ,as seen. Each ,ould have fled had he not feared the scorn of the othersA and it ,as only half1heartedly that they searched 1 vainlyA as it proved 1 for some porta3le souvenir to 3ear a,ay. =t ,as :odri'uez the >ortu'uese ,ho clim3ed up the foot of the monolith and shouted of ,hat he had found. The rest follo,ed himA and loo!ed curiously at the immense carved door ,ith the no, familiar sDuid1dra'on 3as1relief. =t ,asA 6ohansen saidA li!e a 'reat 3arn1 doorB and they all felt that it ,as a door 3ecause of the ornate lintelA thresholdA and Cam3s around itA thou'h they could not decide ,hether it lay flat li!e a trap1door or slant,ise li!e an outside cellar1door. As Wilco% ,ould have saidA the 'eometry of the place ,as all ,ron'. +ne could not 3e sure that the sea and the 'round ,ere horizontalA hence the relative position of everythin' else seemed phantasmally varia3le. Briden pushed at the stone in several places ,ithout result. Then $onovan felt over it delicately around the ed'eA pressin' each point separately as he ,ent. 2e clim3ed intermina3ly alon' the 'rotesDue stone mouldin' 1 that isA one ,ould call it clim3in' if the thin' ,as not after all horizontal 1 and the men ,ondered ho, any door in the universe could 3e so vast. ThenA very softly and slo,lyA the acre1'reat lintel 3e'an to 'ive in,ard at the topB and they sa, that it ,as 3alauced $onovan slid or someho, propelled himself do,n or alon' the Cam3 and reCoined his fello,sA and everyone ,atched the Dueer recession of the monstrously carven portal. =n this

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phantasy of prismatic distortion it moved anomalously in a dia'onal ,ayA so that all the rules of matter and perspective seemed upset. The aperture ,as 3lac! ,ith a dar!ness almost material. That tene3rousness ,as indeed a positi!e 0ualityB for it o3scured such parts of the inner ,alls as ou'ht to have 3een revealedA and actually 3urst forth li!e smo!e from its aeon1lon' imprisonmentA visi3ly dar!enin' the sun as it slun! a,ay into the shrun!en and 'i33ous s!y on flappin' mem3raneous ,in's. The odour risin' from the ne,ly opened depths ,as intolera3leA and at len'th the Duic!1eared 2a,!ins thou'ht he heard a nastyA sloppin' sound do,n there. Everyone listenedA and everyone ,as listenin' still ,hen =t lum3ered slo33erin'ly into si'ht and 'ropin'ly sDueezed =ts 'elatinous 'reen immensity throu'h the 3lac! door,ay into the tainted outside air of that poison city of madness. >oor 6ohansen<s hand,ritin' almost 'ave out ,hen he ,rote of this. +f the si% men ,ho never reached the shipA he thin!s t,o perished of pure fri'ht in that accursed instant. The Thin' cannot 3e descri3ed 1 there is no lan'ua'e for such a3ysms of shrie!in' and immemorial lunacyA such eldritch contradictions of all matterA forceA and cosmic order. A mountain ,al!ed or stum3led. 7odF What ,onder that across the earth a 'reat architect ,ent madA and poor Wilco% raved ,ith fever in that telepathic instantG The Thin' of the idolsA the 'reenA stic!y spa,n of the starsA had a,a!ed to claim his o,n. The stars ,ere ri'ht a'ainA and ,hat an a'e1old cult had failed to do 3y desi'nA a 3and of innocent sailors had done 3y accident. After vi'intillions of years 'reat Cthulhu ,as loose a'ainA and ravenin' for deli'ht. Three men ,ere s,ept up 3y the fla33y cla,s 3efore any3ody turned. 7od rest themA if there 3e any rest in the universe. They ,ere $onovanA 7uerreraA and An'strom. >ar!er slipped as the other three ,ere plun'in' frenziedly over endless vistas of 'reen1crusted roc! to the 3oatA and 6ohansen s,ears he ,as s,allo,ed up 3y an an'le of masonry ,hich shouldn<t have 3een thereB an an'le ,hich ,as acuteA 3ut 3ehaved as if it ,ere o3tuse. So only Briden and 6ohansen reached the 3oatA and pulled desperately for the Alert as the mountainous monstrosity flopped do,n the slimy stones and hesitatedA flounderin' at the ed'e of the ,ater. Steam had not 3een suffered to 'o do,n entirelyA despite the departure of all hands for the shoreB and it ,as the ,or! of only a fe, moments of feverish rushin' up and do,n 3et,een ,heel and en'ines to 'et the Alert under ,ay. Slo,lyA amidst the distorted horrors of that indescri3a3le sceneA she 3e'an to churn the lethal ,atersB ,hilst on the masonry of that charnel shore that ,as not of earth the titan Thin' from the stars slavered and 'i33ered li!e >olypheme cursin' the fleein' ship of +dysseus. ThenA 3older than the storied CyclopsA 'reat Cthulhu slid 'reasily into the ,ater and 3e'an to pursue ,ith vast ,ave1 raisin' stro!es of cosmic potency. Briden loo!ed 3ac! and ,ent madA lau'hin' shrilly as he !ept on lau'hin' at intervals till death found him one ni'ht in the ca3in ,hilst 6ohansen ,as ,anderin' deliriously. But 6ohansen had not 'iven out yet. 0no,in' that the Thin' could surely overta!e the Alert until steam ,as fully upA he resolved on a desperate chanceB andA settin' the en'ine for full speedA ran li'htnin'1li!e on dec! and reversed the ,heel. There ,as a mi'hty eddyin' and foamin' in the noisome 3rineA and as the steam mounted hi'her and hi'her the 3rave ;or,e'ian drove his vessel head on a'ainst the pursuin' Celly ,hich rose a3ove the unclean froth li!e the stern of a daemon 'alleon. The a,ful sDuid1head ,ith ,rithin'

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The Call of Cthulhu

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feelers came nearly up to the 3o,sprit of the sturdy yachtA 3ut Cohansen drove on relentlessly. There ,as a 3urstin' as of an e%plodin' 3ladderA a slushy nastiness as of a cloven sunfishA a stench as of a thousand opened 'ravesA and a sound that the chronicler could not put on paper. 4or an instant the ship ,as 3efouled 3y an acrid and 3lindin' 'reen cloudA and then there ,as only a venomous seethin' asternB ,here 1 7od in heavenF 1 the scattered plasticity of that nameless s!y1spa,n ,as ne3ulously recombining in its hateful ori'inal formA ,hilst its distance ,idened every second as the Alert 'ained impetus from its mountin' steam. That ,as all. After that 6ohansen only 3rooded over the idol in the ca3in and attended to a fe, matters of food for himself and the lau'hin' maniac 3y his side. 2e did not try to navi'ate after the first 3old fli'htA for the reaction had ta!en somethin' out of his soul. Then came the storm of April "ndA and a 'atherin' of the clouds a3out his consciousness. There is a sense of spectral ,hirlin' throu'h liDuid 'ulfs of infinityA of dizzyin' rides throu'h reelin' universes on a comets tailA and of hysterical plun'es from the pit to the moon and from the moon 3ac! a'ain to the pitA all livened 3y a cachinnatin' chorus of the distortedA hilarious elder 'ods and the 'reenA 3at1,in'ed moc!in' imps of Tartarus. +ut of that dream came rescue1the .igilantA the vice1admiralty courtA the streets of $unedinA and the lon' voya'e 3ac! home to the old house 3y the E'e3er'. 2e could not tell 1 they ,ould thin! him mad. 2e ,ould ,rite of ,hat he !ne, 3efore death cameA 3ut his ,ife must not 'uess. $eath ,ould 3e a 3oon if only it could 3lot out the memories. That ,as the document = readA and no, = have placed it in the tin 3o% 3eside the 3as1 relief and the papers of >rofessor An'ell. With it shall 'o this record of mine 1 this test of my o,n sanityA ,herein is pieced to'ether that ,hich = hope may never 3e pieced to'ether a'ain. = have loo!ed upon all that the universe has to hold of horrorA and even the s!ies of sprin' and the flo,ers of summer must ever after,ard 3e poison to me. But = do not thin! my life ,ill 3e lon'. As my uncle ,entA as poor 6ohansen ,entA so = shall 'o. = !no, too muchA and the cult still lives. Cthulhu still livesA tooA = supposeA a'ain in that chasm of stone ,hich has shielded him since the sun ,as youn'. 2is accursed city is sun!en once moreA for the ?i'ilant sailed over the spot after the April stormB 3ut his ministers on earth still 3ello, and prance and slay around idol1capped monoliths in lonely places. 2e must have 3een trapped 3y the sin!in' ,hilst ,ithin his 3lac! a3yssA or else the ,orld ,ould 3y no, 3e screamin' ,ith fri'ht and frenzy. Who !no,s the endG What has risen may sin!A and ,hat has sun! may rise. 5oathsomeness ,aits and dreams in the deepA and decay spreads over the totterin' cities of men. A time ,ill come 1 3ut = must not and cannot thin!F 5et me pray thatA if = do not survive this manuscriptA my e%ecutors may put caution 3efore audacity and see that it meets no other eye.

The C se o! Ch rles /e1ter W r$

+T"e essential Saltes of Animals may be so prepared and preser!ed& t"at an ingenious Man may "a!e t"e $"ole Ark of -oa" in "is o$n Studie& and raise t"e fine S"ape of an Animal out of its As"es at "is ,leasure1 and by t"e lyke Met"od from t"e essential Saltes of "umane #ust& a ,"ilosop"er may& $it"out any criminal -ecromancy& call up t"e S"ape of any dead Ancestour from t"e #ust $"ereinto "is Bodie "as been incinerated%+ - Borellus

,. A Res%lt #$
1

Prolo-e

4rom a private hospital for the insane near >rovidenceA :hode =slandA there recently disappeared an e%ceedin'ly sin'ular person. 2e 3ore the name of Charles $e%ter WardA and ,as placed under restraint most reluctantly 3y the 'rievin' father ,ho had ,atched his a3erration 'ro, from a mere eccentricity to a dar! mania involvin' 3oth a possi3ility of murderous tendencies and a profound and peculiar chan'e in the apparent contents of his mind. $octors confess themselves Duite 3affled 3y his caseA since it presented oddities of a 'eneral physiolo'ical as ,ell as psycholo'ical character. =n the first placeA the patient seemed oddly older than his t,enty1si% years ,ould ,arrant. 8ental distur3anceA it is trueA ,ill a'e one rapidlyB 3ut the face of this youn' man had ta!en on a su3tle cast ,hich only the very a'ed normally acDuire. =n the second placeA his or'anic processes she,ed a certain Dueerness of proportion ,hich nothin' in medical e%perience can parallel. :espiration and heart action had a 3afflin' lac! of symmetryB the voice ,as lostA so that no sounds a3ove a ,hisper ,ere possi3leB di'estion ,as incredi3ly prolon'ed and minimisedA and neural reactions to standard stimuli 3ore no relation at all to anythin' heretofore recordedA either normal or patholo'ical. The s!in had a mor3id chill and drynessA and the cellular structure of the tissue seemed e%a''eratedly coarse and loosely !nit. Even a lar'e olive 3irthmar! on the ri'ht hip had disappearedA ,hilst there had formed on the chest a very peculiar mole or 3lac!ish spot of ,hich no trace e%isted 3efore. =n 'eneralA all physicians a'ree that in Ward the processes of meta3olism had 3ecome retarded to a de'ree 3eyond precedent. >sycholo'icallyA tooA Charles Ward ,as uniDue. 2is madness held no affinity to any sort recorded in even the latest and most e%haustive of treatisesA and ,as conCoined to a mental force ,hich ,ould have made him a 'enius or a leader had it not 3een t,isted into stran'e and 'rotesDue forms. $r. WillettA ,ho ,as Ward<s family physicianA affirms that the patient<s 'ross mental capacityA as 'au'ed 3y his response to matters outside the sphere of his insanityA had actually increased since the seizure. WardA it is trueA ,as al,ays a scholar and an antiDuarianB 3ut even his most 3rilliant early ,or! did not she, the prodi'ious 'rasp and insi'ht displayed durin' his last e%aminations 3y the alienists. =t ,asA indeedA a difficult matter to o3tain a le'al commitment to the hospitalA so po,erful and lucid did the

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youth<s mind seemB and only on the evidence of othersA and on the stren'th of many a3normal 'aps in his stoc! of information as distin'uished from his intelli'enceA ,as he finally placed in confinement. To the very moment of his vanishment he ,as an omnivorous reader and as 'reat a conversationalist as his poor voice permittedB and shre,d o3serversA failin' to foresee his escapeA freely predicted that he ,ould not 3e lon' in 'ainin' his dischar'e from custody. +nly $r. WillettA ,ho 3rou'ht Charles Ward into the ,orld and had ,atched his 'ro,th of 3ody and mind ever sinceA seemed fri'htened at the thou'ht of his future freedom. 2e had had a terri3le e%perience and had made a terri3le discovery ,hich he dared not reveal to his sceptical collea'ues. WillettA indeedA presents a minor mystery all his o,n in his conne%ion ,ith the case. 2e ,as the last to see the patient 3efore his fli'htA and emer'ed from that final conversation in a state of mi%ed horror and relief ,hich several recalled ,hen Ward<s escape 3ecame !no,n three hours later. That escape itself is one of the unsolved ,onders of $r. Waite<s hospital. A ,indo, open a3ove a sheer drop of si%ty feet could hardly e%plain itA yet after that tal! ,ith Willett the youth ,as undenia3ly 'one. Willett himself has no pu3lic e%planations to offerA thou'h he seems stran'ely easier in mind than 3efore the escape. 8anyA indeedA feel that he ,ould li!e to say more if he thou'ht any considera3le num3er ,ould 3elieve him. 2e had found Ward in his roomA 3ut shortly after his departure the attendants !noc!ed in vain. When they opened the door the patient ,as not thereA and all they found ,as the open ,indo, ,ith a chill April 3reeze 3lo,in' in a cloud of fine 3luish1'rey dust that almost cho!ed them. TrueA the do's ho,led some time 3eforeB 3ut that ,as ,hile Willett ,as still presentA and they had cau'ht nothin' and she,n no distur3ance later on. Ward<s father ,as told at once over the telephoneA 3ut he seemed more saddened than surprised. By the time $r. Waite called in personA $r. Willett had 3een tal!in' ,ith himA and 3oth disavo,ed any !no,led'e or complicity in the escape. +nly from certain closely confidential friends of Willett and the senior Ward have any clues 3een 'ainedA and even these are too ,ildly fantastic for 'eneral credence. The one fact ,hich remains is that up to the present time no trace of the missin' madman has 3een unearthed. Charles Ward ,as an antiDuarian from infancyA no dou3t 'ainin' his taste from the venera3le to,n around himA and from the relics of the past ,hich filled every corner of his parents< old mansion in >rospect Street on the crest of the hill. With the years his devotion to ancient thin's increasedB so that historyA 'enealo'yA and the study of colonial architectureA furnitureA and craftsmanship at len'th cro,ded everythin' else from his sphere of interests. These tastes are important to remem3er in considerin' his madnessB for althou'h they do not form its a3solute nucleusA they play a prominent part in its superficial form. The 'aps of information ,hich the alienists noticed ,ere all related to modern mattersA and ,ere invaria3ly offset 3y a correspondin'ly e%cessive thou'h out,ardly concealed !no,led'e of 3y'one matters as 3rou'ht out 3y adroit Duestionin'B so that one ,ould have fancied the patient literally transferred to a former a'e throu'h some o3scure sort of auto1hypnosis. The odd thin' ,as that Ward seemed no lon'er interested in the antiDuities he !ne, so ,ell. 2e hadA it appearsA lost his re'ard for them throu'h sheer familiarityB and all his final efforts ,ere o3viously 3ent to,ard masterin' those common facts of the modern ,orld ,hich had 3een so totally and unmista!a3ly e%pun'ed from his 3rain. That this ,holesale deletion had occurredA he did his 3est to hideB 3ut it ,as clear to all ,ho ,atched him that his ,hole pro'ramme of readin' and conversation ,as determined 3y a frantic ,ish to im3i3e such !no,led'e of his o,n life and of the ordinary

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

practical and cultural 3ac!'round of the t,entieth century as ou'ht to have 3een his 3y virtue of his 3irth in 1)*" and his education in the schools of our o,n time. Alienists are no, ,onderin' ho,A in vie, of his vitally impaired ran'e of dataA the escaped patient mana'es to cope ,ith the complicated ,orld of todayB the dominant opinion 3ein' that he is Llyin' lo,L in some hum3le and une%actin' position till his stoc! of modern information can 3e 3rou'ht up to the normal. The 3e'innin' of Ward<s madness is a matter of dispute amon' alienists. $r. 5ymanA the eminent Boston authorityA places it in 1)1) or 1)"*A durin' the 3oy<s last year at the 8oses Bro,n SchoolA ,hen he suddenly turned from the study of the past to the study of the occultA and refused to Dualify for colle'e on the 'round that he had individual researches of much 'reater importance to ma!e. This is certainly 3orne out 3y Ward<s altered ha3its at the timeA especially 3y his continual search throu'h to,n records and amon' old 3uryin'1 'rounds for a certain 'rave du' in 1771B the 'rave of an ancestor named 6oseph Cur,enA some of ,hose papers he professed to have found 3ehind the panellin' of a very old house in +lney CourtA on Stampers< 2illA ,hich Cur,en ,as !no,n to have 3uilt and occupied. =t isA 3roadly spea!in'A undenia3le that the ,inter of 1)1)1"* sa, a 'reat chan'e in WardB ,here3y he a3ruptly stopped his 'eneral antiDuarian pursuits and em3ar!ed on a desperate delvin' into occult su3Cects 3oth at home and a3roadA varied only 3y this stran'ely persistent search for his forefather<s 'rave. 4rom this opinionA ho,everA $r. Willett su3stantially dissentsB 3asin' his verdict on his close and continuous !no,led'e of the patientA and on certain fri'htful investi'ations and discoveries ,hich he made to,ard the last. Those investi'ations and discoveries have left their mar! upon himB so that his voice trem3les ,hen he tells themA and his hand trem3les ,hen he tries to ,rite of them. Willett admits that the chan'e of 1)1)1"* ,ould ordinarily appear to mar! the 3e'innin' of a pro'ressive decadence ,hich culminated in the horri3le and uncanny alienation of 1)"8B 3ut 3elieves from personal o3servation that a finer distinction must 3e made. 7rantin' freely that the 3oy ,as al,ays ill13alanced temperamentallyA and prone to 3e unduly suscepti3le and enthusiastic in his responses to phenomena around himA he refuses to concede that the early alteration mar!ed the actual passa'e from sanity to madnessB creditin' instead Ward<s o,n statement that he had discovered or rediscovered somethin' ,hose effect on human thou'h ,as li!ely to 3e marvellous and profound. The true madnessA he is certainA came ,ith a later chan'eB after the Cur,en portrait and the ancient papers had 3een unearthedB after a trip to stran'e forei'n places had 3een madeA and some terri3le invocations chanted under stran'e and secret circumstancesB after certain ans$ers to these invocations had 3een plainly indicatedA and a frantic letter penned under a'onisin' and ine%plica3le conditionsB after the ,ave of vampirism and the ominous >a,tu%et 'ossipB and after the patient<s memory commenced to e%clude contemporary ima'es ,hilst his physical aspect under,ent the su3tle modification so many su3seDuently noticed. =t ,as only a3out this timeA Willett points out ,ith much acutenessA that the ni'htmare Dualities 3ecame indu3ita3ly lin!ed ,ith WardB and the doctor feels shudderin'ly sure that enou'h solid evidence e%ists to sustain the youth<s claim re'ardin' his crucial discovery. =n the first placeA t,o ,or!men of hi'h intelli'ence sa, 6oseph Cur,en<s ancient papers found. SecondlyA the 3oy once she,ed $r. Willett those papers and a pa'e of the Cur,en diaryA and each of the documents had every appearance of 'enuineness. The hole ,here Ward claimed to have found them ,as lon' a visi3le realityA and Willett had a very convincin' final 'limpse of them in surroundin's ,hich can scarcely 3e 3elieved and can

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never perhaps 3e proved. Then there ,ere the mysteries and coincidences of the +rne and 2utchinson lettersA and the pro3lem of the Cur,en penmanship and of ,hat the detectives 3rou'ht to li'ht a3out $r. AllenB these thin'sA and the terri3le messa'e in mediaeval minuscules found in Willett<s poc!et ,hen he 'ained consciousness after his shoc!in' e%perience. And most conclusive of allA there are the t,o hideous results ,hich the doctor o3tained from a certain pair of formulae durin' his final investi'ationsB results ,hich virtually proved the authenticity of the papers and of their monstrous implications at the same time that those papers ,ere 3orne forever from human !no,led'e. " +ne must loo! 3ac! at Charles Ward<s earlier life as at somethin' 3elon'in' as much to the past as the antiDuities he loved so !eenly. =n the autumn of 1)18A and ,ith a considera3le sho, of zest in the military trainin' of the periodA he had 3e'un his Cunior year at the 8oses Bro,n SchoolA ,hich lies very near his home. The old main 3uildin'A erected in 181)A had al,ays charmed his youthful antiDuarian senseB and the spacious par! in ,hich the academy is set appealed to his sharp eye for landscape. 2is social activities ,ere fe,B and his hours ,ere spent mainly at homeA in ram3lin' ,al!sA in his classes and drillsA and in pursuit of antiDuarian and 'enealo'ical data at the City 2allA the State 2ouseA the >u3lic 5i3raryA the AthenaeumA the 2istorical SocietyA the 6ohn Carter Bro,n and 6ohn 2ay 5i3raries of Bro,n (niversityA and the ne,ly opened Shepley 5i3rary in Benefit Street. +ne may picture him yet as he ,as in those daysB tallA slimA and 3londA ,ith studious eyes and a sli'ht droopA dressed some,hat carelesslyA and 'ivin' a dominant impression of harmless a,!,ardness rather than attractiveness. 2is ,al!s ,ere al,ays adventures in antiDuityA durin' ,hich he mana'ed to recapture from the myriad relics of a 'lamorous old city a vivid and connected picture of the centuries 3efore. 2is home ,as a 'reat 7eor'ian mansion atop the ,ell1ni'h precipitous hill that rises Cust east of the riverB and from the rear ,indo,s of its ram3lin' ,in's he could loo! dizzily out over all the clustered spiresA domesA roofsA and s!yscraper summits of the lo,er to,n to the purple hills of the countryside 3eyond. 2ere he ,as 3ornA and from the lovely classic porch of the dou3le13ayed 3ric! facade his nurse had first ,heeled him in his carria'eB past the little ,hite farmhouse of t,o hundred years 3efore that the to,n had lon' a'o overta!enA and on to,ard the stately colle'es alon' the shadyA sumptuous streetA ,hose old sDuare 3ric! mansions and smaller ,ooden houses ,ith narro,A heavy1columned $oric porches dreamed solid and e%clusive amidst their 'enerous yards and 'ardens. 2e had 3een ,heeledA tooA alon' sleepy Con'don StreetA one tier lo,er do,n on the steep hillA and ,ith all its eastern homes on hi'h terraces. The small ,ooden houses avera'ed a 'reater a'e hereA for it ,as up this hill that the 'ro,in' to,n had clim3edB and in these rides he had im3i3ed somethin' of the colour of a Duaint colonial villa'e. The nurse used to stop and sit on the 3enches of >rospect Terrace to chat ,ith policemenB and one of the child<s first memories ,as of the 'reat ,est,ard sea of hazy roofs and domes and steeples and far hills ,hich he sa, one ,inter afternoon from that 'reat railed em3an!mentA and violet and mystic a'ainst a feveredA apocalyptic sunset of reds and 'olds and purples and curious 'reens. The vast mar3le dome of the State 2ouse stood out in

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massive silhouetteA its cro,nin' statue haloed fantastically 3y a 3rea! in one of the tinted stratus clouds that 3arred the flamin' s!y. When he ,as lar'er his famous ,al!s 3e'anB first ,ith his impatiently dra''ed nurseA and then alone in dreamy meditation. 4arther and farther do,n that almost perpendicular hill he ,ould ventureA each time reachin' older and Duainter levels of the ancient city. 2e ,ould hesitate 'in'erly do,n vertical 6enc!es Street ,ith its 3an! ,alls and colonial 'a3les to the shady Benefit Street cornerA ,here 3efore him ,as a ,ooden antiDue ,ith an =onic1pilastered pair of door,aysA and 3eside him a prehistoric 'am3rel1roofer ,ith a 3it of primal farmyard remainin'A and the 'reat 6ud'e $urfee house ,ith its fallen vesti'es of 7eor'ian 'randeur. =t ,as 'ettin' to 3e a slum hereB 3ut the titan elms cast a restorin' shado, over the placeA and the 3oy used to stroll south past the lon' lines of the pre1 :evolutionary homes ,ith their 'reat central chimneys and classic portals. +n the eastern side they ,ere set hi'h over 3asements ,ith railed dou3le fli'hts of stone stepsA and the youn' Charles could picture them as they ,ere ,hen the street ,as ne,A and red heels and peri,i's set off the painted pediments ,hose si'ns of ,ear ,ere no, 3ecomin' so visi3le. West,ard the hill dropped almost as steeply as a3oveA do,n to the old LTo,n StreetL that the founders had laid out at the river<s ed'e in 1-&-. 2ere ran innumera3le little lanes ,ith leanin'A huddled houses of immense antiDuityB and fascinated thou'h he ,asA it ,as lon' 3efore he dared to thread their archaic verticality for fear they ,ould turn out a dream or a 'ate,ay to un!no,n terrors. 2e found it much less formida3le to continue alon' Benefit Street past the iron fence of St. 6ohn<s hidden churchyard and the rear of the 17-1 Colony 2ouse and the moulderin' 3ul! of the 7olden Ball =nn ,here Washin'ton stopped. At 8eetin' Street 1 the successive 7aol 5ane and 0in' Street of other periods 1 he ,ould loo! up,ard to the east and see the arched fli'ht of steps to ,hich the hi'h,ay had to resort in clim3in' the slopeA and do,n,ard to the ,estA 'limpsin' the old 3ric! colonial schoolhouse that smiles across the road at the ancient Si'n of Sha!espeare<s 2ead ,here the ,ro!idence Ga2ette and Country-Journal ,as printed 3efore the :evolution. Then came the e%Duisite 4irst Baptist Church of 177 A lu%urious ,ith its matchless 7i33s steepleA and the 7eor'ian roofs and cupolas hoverin' 3y. 2ere and to the south,ard the nei'h3ourhood 3ecame 3etterA flo,erin' at last into a marvellous 'roup of early mansionsB 3ut still the little ancient lanes led off do,n the precipice to the ,estA spectral in their many1'a3led archaism and dippin' to a riot of iridescent decay ,here the ,ic!ed old ,ater1front recalls its proud East =ndia days amidst poly'lot vice and sDualorA rottin' ,harvesA and 3lear1eyed ship1chandleriesA ,ith such survivin' alley names as >ac!etA BullionA 7oldA SilverA CoinA $ou3loonA Soverei'nA 7uilderA $ollarA $imeA and Cent. SometimesA as he 're, taller and more adventurousA youn' Ward ,ould venture do,n into this maelstrom of totterin' housesA 3ro!en transomsA tum3lin' stepsA t,isted 3alustradesA s,arthy facesA and nameless odoursB ,indin' from South 8ain to South WaterA searchin' out the doc!s ,here the 3ay and sound steamers still touchedA and returnin' north,ard at this lo,er level past the steep1roofed 181- ,arehouses and the 3road sDuare at the 7reat Brid'eA ,here the 177& 8ar!et 2ouse still stands firm on its ancient arches. =n that sDuare he ,ould pause to drin! in the 3e,ilderin' 3eauty of the old to,n as it rises on its east,ard 3luffA dec!ed ,ith its t,o 7eor'ian spires and cro,ned 3y the vast ne, Christian Science dome as 5ondon is cro,ned 3y St. >aul<s. 2e li!e mostly to reach this point in the late afternoonA ,hen the slantin' sunli'ht touches the 8ar!et 2ouse and the ancient hill roofs and 3elfries ,ith 'oldA and thro,s ma'ic around the dreamin' ,harves ,here >rovidence =ndiamen used to ride at anchor. After a lon' loo! he ,ould

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

#8

'ro, almost dizzy ,ith a poet<s love for the si'htA and then he ,ould scale the slope home,ard in the dus! past the old ,hite church and up the narro, precipitous ,ays ,here yello, 'leams ,ould 3e'in to peep out in small1paned ,indo,s and throu'h fanli'hts set hi'h over dou3le fli'hts of steps ,ith curious ,rou'ht1iron railin's. At other timesA and in later yearsA he ,ould see! for vivid contrastsB spendin' half a ,al! in the crum3lin' colonial re'ions north,est of his homeA ,here the hill drops to the lo,er eminence of Stampers< 2ill ,ith its 'hetto and ne'ro Duarter clusterin' round the place ,here the Boston sta'e coach used to start 3efore the :evolutionA and the other half in the 'racious southerly realm a3out 7eor'eA BenevolentA >o,erA and Williams StreetsA ,here the old slope holds unchan'ed the fine estates and 3its of ,alled 'arden and steep 'reen lane in ,hich so many fra'rant memories lin'er. These ram3lesA to'ether ,ith the dili'ent studies ,hich accompanied themA certainly account for a lar'e amount of the antiDuarian lore ,hich at last cro,ded the modern ,orld from Charles Ward<s mindB and illustrate the mental soil upon ,hich fellA in that fateful ,inter of 1)1)1"*A the seeds that came to such stran'e and terri3le fruition. $r. Willett is certain thatA up to this ill1omened ,inter of first chan'eA Charles Ward<s antiDuarianism ,as free from every trace of the mor3id. 7raveyards held for him no particular attraction 3eyond their Duaintness and historic valueA and of anythin' li!e violence or sava'e instinct he ,as utterly devoid. ThenA 3y insidious de'reesA there appeared to develop a curious seDuel to one of his 'enealo'ical triumphs of the year 3eforeB ,hen he had discovered amon' his maternal ancestors a certain very lon'1lived man named 6oseph Cur,enA ,ho had come from Salem in 8arch of 1-)"A and a3out ,hom a ,hispered series of hi'hly peculiar and disDuietin' stories clustered. Ward<s 'reat1'reat1'randfather Welcome >otter had in 178 married a certain <Ann Tillin'hastA dau'hter of 8rs. ElizaA dau'hter to Capt. 6ames Tillin'hastA< of ,hose paternity the family had preserved no trace. 5ate in 1)18A ,hilst e%aminin' a volume of ori'inal to,n records in manuscriptA the youn' 'enealo'ist encountered an entry descri3in' a le'al chan'e of nameA 3y ,hich in 177" a 8rs. Eliza Cur,enA ,ido, of 6oseph Cur,enA resumedA alon' ,ith her seven1year1old dau'hter AnnA her maiden name of Tillin'hastB on the 'round <that her 2us3and<s name ,as 3ecome a pu3lic :eproach 3y :eason of ,hat ,as !no,ne after his $eceaseB the ,hich confirmin' an antient common :umourA tho< not to 3e credited 3y a loyall Wife till so proven as to 3e ,holely past $ou3tin'.< This entry came to li'ht upon the accidental separation of t,o leaves ,hich had 3een carefully pasted to'ether and treated as one 3y a la3oured revision of the pa'e num3ers. =t ,as at once clear to Charles Ward that he had indeed discovered a hitherto un!no,n 'reat1'reat1'reat1'randfather. The discovery dou3ly e%cited him 3ecause he had already heard va'ue reports and seen scattered allusions relatin' to this personB a3out ,hom there remained so fe, pu3licly availa3le recordsA aside from those 3ecomin' pu3lic only in modern timesA that it almost seemed as if a conspiracy had e%isted to 3lot him from memory. What did appearA moreoverA ,as of such a sin'ular and provocative nature that one could not fail to ima'ine curiously ,hat it ,as that the colonial recorders ,ere so an%ious to conceal and for'etB or to suspect that the deletion had reasons all too valid. Before thisA Ward had 3een content to let his romancin' a3out old 6oseph Cur,en remain in the idle sta'eB 3ut havin' discovered his o,n relationship to this apparently

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

#)

Lhushed1upL characterA he proceeded to hunt out as systematically as possi3le ,hatever he mi'ht find concernin' him. =n this e%cited Duest he eventually succeeded 3eyond his hi'hest e%pectationsB for old lettersA diariesA and sheaves of unpu3lished memoirs in co3,e33ed >rovidence 'arrets and else,here yielded many illuminatin' passa'es ,hich their ,riters had not thou'ht it ,orth their ,hile to destroy. +ne important sideli'ht came from a point as remote as ;e, .or!A ,here some :hode =sland colonial correspondence ,as stored in the 8useum at 4raunces< Tavern. The really crucial thin'A thou'hA and ,hat in $rA Willett<s opinion formed the definite source of Ward<s undoin'A ,as the matter found in Au'ust 1)1) 3ehind the panellin' of the crum3lin' house in +lney Court. =t ,as thatA 3eyond a dou3tA ,hich opened up those 3lac! vistas ,hose end ,as deeper than the pit.

,,. A# A#tece$e#t #$
1

Horror

6oseph Cur,enA as revealed 3y the ram3lin' le'ends em3odied in ,hat Ward heard and unearthedA ,as a very astonishin'A eni'maticA and o3scurely horri3le individual. 2e had fled from Salem to >rovidence 1 that universal haven of the oddA the freeA and the dissentin' 1 at the 3e'innin' of the 'reat ,itchcraft panicB 3ein' in fear of accusation 3ecause of his solitary ,ays and Dueer chemical or alchemical e%periments. 2e ,as a colourless1loo!in' man of a3out thirtyA and ,as soon found Dualified to 3ecome a freeman of >rovidenceB thereafter 3uyin' a home lot Cust north of 7re'ory $e%ter<s at a3out the foot of +lney Street. 2is house ,as 3uilt on Stampers< 2ill ,est of the To,n StreetA in ,hat later 3ecame +lney CourtB and in 17-1 he replaced this ,ith a lar'er oneA on the same siteA ,hich is still standin'. ;o, the first odd thin' a3out 6oseph Cur,en ,as that he did not seem to 'ro, much older than he had 3een on his arrival. 2e en'a'ed in shippin' enterprisesA purchased ,harfa'e near 8ile1End CoveA helped re3uild the 7reat Brid'e in 171&A and in 17"& ,as one of the founders of the Con're'ational Church on the hillB 3ut al,ays did he retain his nondescript aspect of a man not 'reatly over thirty or thirty1five. As decades mounted upA this sin'ular Duality 3e'an to e%cite ,ide noticeB 3ut Cur,en al,ays e%plained it 3y sayin' that he came of hardy forefathersA and practised a simplicity of livin' ,hich did not ,ear him our. 2o, such simplicity could 3e reconciled ,ith the ine%plica3le comin's and 'oin's of the secretive merchantA and ,ith the Dueer 'leamin' of his ,indo,s at all hours of ni'htA ,as not very clear to the to,nsfol!B and they ,ere prone to assi'n other reasons for his continued youth and lon'evity. =t ,as heldA for the most partA that Cur,en<s incessant mi%in's and 3oilin's of chemicals had much to do ,ith his condition. 7ossip spo!e of the stran'e su3stances he 3rou'ht from 5ondon and the =ndies on his ships or purchased in ;e,portA BostonA and ;e, .or!B and ,hen old $r. 6a3ez Bo,en came from :eho3oth and opened his apothecary shop across the 7reat Brid'e at the Si'n of the (nicorn and 8ortarA there ,as ceaseless tal! of the dru'sA acidsA and metals that the taciturn recluse incessantly 3ou'ht or ordered from him. Actin' on the assumption that Cur,en possessed a ,ondrous and secret medical s!illA many sufferers of various sorts applied to him for aidB 3ut thou'h he appeared to encoura'e their 3elief in a non1committal ,ayA and al,ays 'ave them odd1coloured potions in response to their reDuestsA it ,as o3served that his ministrations to others seldom proved of 3enefit. At len'thA ,hen over fifty years had passed since the stran'er<s adventA and ,ithout producin' more than five

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

years< apparent chan'e in his face and physiDueA the people 3e'an to ,hisper more dar!lyB and to meet more than half ,ay that desire for isolation ,hich he had al,ays she,n. >rivate letters and diaries of the period revealA tooA a multitude of other reasons ,hy 6oseph Cur,en ,as marvelled atA fearedA and finally shunned li!e a pla'ue. 2is passion for 'raveyardsA in ,hich he ,as 'limpsed at all hoursA and under all conditionsA ,as notoriousB thou'h no one had ,itnessed any deed on his part ,hich could actually 3e termed 'houlish. +n the >a,tu%et :oad he had a farmA at ,hich he 'enerally lived durin' the summerA and to ,hich he ,ould freDuently 3e seen ridin' at various odd times of the day or ni'ht. 2ere his only visi3le servantsA farmersA and careta!ers ,ere a sullen pair of a'ed ;arra'ansett =ndiansB the hus3and dum3 and curiously scarredA and the ,ife of a very repulsive cast of countenanceA pro3a3ly due to a mi%ture of ne'ro 3lood. =n the lead1to of this house ,as the la3oratory ,here most of the chemical e%periments ,ere conducted. Curious porters and teamers ,ho delivered 3ottlesA 3a'sA or 3o%es at the small read door ,ould e%chan'e accounts of the fantastic flas!sA cruci3lesA alem3icsA and furnaces they sa, in the lo, shelved roomB and prophesied in ,hispers that the close1mouthed LchymistL 1 3y ,hich they meant alc"emist 1 ,ould not 3e lon' in findin' the >hilosopher<s Stone. The nearest nei'h3ours to this farm 1 the 4ennersA a Duarter of a mile a,ay 1 had still Dueerer thin's to tell of certain sounds ,hich they insisted came from the Cur,en place in the ni'ht. There ,ere criesA they saidA and sustained ho,lin'sB and they did not li!e the lar'e num3ers of livestoc! ,hich thron'ed the pasturesA for no such amount ,as needed to !eep a lone old man and a very fe, servants in meatA mil!A and ,ool. The identity of the stoc! seemed to chan'e from ,ee! to ,ee! as ne, droves ,ere purchased from the 0in'sto,n farmers. ThenA tooA there ,as somethin' very o3no%ious a3out a certain 'reat stone out3uildin' ,ith only hi'h narro, slits for ,indo,s. 7reat Brid'e idlers li!e,ise had much to say of Cur,en<s to,n house in +lney CourtB not so much the fine ne, one 3uilt in 17-1A ,hen the man must have 3een nearly a century oldA 3ut the first lo, 'am3rel1roofed one ,ith the ,indo,less attic and shin'led sidesA ,hose tim3ers he too! the peculiar precaution of 3urnin' after its demolition. 2ere there ,as less mysteryA it is trueB 3ut the hours at ,hich li'hts ,ere seenA the secretiveness of the t,o s,arthy forei'ners ,ho comprised the only menservantsA the hideous indistinct mum3lin' of the incredi3ly a'ed 4rench house!eeperA the lar'e amounts of food seen to enter a door ,ithin ,hich only four persons livedA and the 0uality of certain voices often heard in muffled conversation at hi'hly unseasona3le timesA all com3ined ,ith ,hat ,as !no,n of the >a,tu%et farm to 'ive the place a 3ad name. =n choicer circlesA tooA the Cur,en home ,as 3y no means undiscussedB for as the ne,comer had 'radually ,or!ed into the church and tradin' life of the to,nA he had naturally made acDuaintances of the 3etter sortA ,hose company and conversation he ,as ,ell fitted 3y education to enCoy. 2is 3irth ,as !no,n to 3e 'oodA since the Cur,ens or Cor,ins of Salem needed no introduction in ;e, En'land. =t developed that 6oseph Cur,en had travelled much in very early lifeA livin' for a time in En'land and ma!in' at least t,o voya'es to the +rientB and his speechA ,hen he dei'ned to use itA ,as that of a learned and cultivated En'lishman. But for some reason or other Cur,en did not care for society. Whilst never actually re3uffin' a visitorA he al,ays reared such a ,all of reserve that fe, could thin! of anythin' to say to him ,hich ,ould not sound inane. There seemed to lur! in his 3earin' some crypticA sardonic arro'anceA as if he had come to find all human 3ein's dull thou'h havin' moved amon' stran'er and more potent

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

entities. When $r. Chec!ley the famous ,it came from Boston in 17&8 to 3e rector of 0in'<s ChurchA he did not ne'lect callin' on one of ,hom he soon heard so muchB 3ut left in a very short ,hile 3ecause of some sinister undercurrent he detected in his host<s discourse. Charles Ward told his fatherA ,hen they discussed Cur,en one ,inter evenin'A that he ,ould 'ive much to learn ,hat the mysterious old man had said to the spri'htly clericA 3ut that all diarists a'ree concernin' $r. Chec!ley<s reluctance to repeat anythin' he had heard. The 'ood man had 3een hideously shoc!edA and could never recall 6oseph Cur,en ,ithout a visi3le loss of the 'ay ur3anity for ,hich he ,as famed. 8ore definiteA ho,everA ,as the reason ,hy another man of taste and 3reedin' avoided the hau'hty hermit. =n 17#- 8r. 6ohn 8errittA an elderly En'lish 'entleman of literary and scientific leanin'sA came from ;e,port to the to,n ,hich ,as so rapidly overta!in' it in standin'A and 3uilt a fine country seat on the ;ec! in ,hat is no, the heart of the 3est residence section. 2e lived in considera3le style and comfortA !eepin' the first coach and liveried servants in to,nA and ta!in' 'reat pride in his telescopeA his microscopeA and his ,ell1chosen li3rary of En'lish and 5atin 3oo!s. 2earin' of Cur,en as the o,ner of the 3est li3rary in >rovidenceA 8r. 8erritt early paid him a callA and ,as more cordially received than most other callers at the house had 3een. 2is admiration for his host<s ample shelvesA ,hich 3esides the 7ree!A 5atinA and En'lish classics ,ere eDuipped ,ith a remar!a3le 3attery of philosophicalA mathematicalA and scientific ,or!s includin' >aracelsusA A'ricolaA ?an 2elmontA SylviusA 7lau3erA BoyleA BoerhaaveA BecherA and StahlA led Cur,en to su''est a visit to the farmhouse and la3oratory ,hither he had never invited anyone 3eforeB and the t,o drove out at once in 8r. 8erritt<s coach. 8r. 8erritt al,ays confessed to seein' nothin' really horri3le at the farmhouseA 3ut maintained that the titles of the 3oo!s in the special li3rary of thaumatur'icalA alchemicalA and theolo'ical su3Cects ,hich Cur,en !ept in a front room ,ere alone sufficient to inspire him ,ith a lastin' loathin'. >erhapsA ho,everA the facial e%pression of the o,ner in e%hi3itin' them contri3uted much of the preCudice. This 3izarre collectionA 3esides a host of standard ,or!s ,hich 8r. 8erritt ,as not too alarmed to envyA em3raced nearly all the ca33alistsA daemonolo'istsA and ma'icians !no,n to manB and ,as a treasure1house of lore in the dou3tful realms of alchemy and astrolo'y. 2ermes Trisme'istus in 8esnard<s editionA the Turba ,"ilosop"orumA 7e3er<s (iber In!estigationisA and Artephius<s 3ey of Wisdom all ,ere thereB ,ith the ca33alistic 4o"arA >eter 6ammy<s set of Al3ertus 8a'nusA :aymond 5ully<s Ars Magna et 5ltima in @etsner<s editionA :o'er Bacon<s T"esaurus C"emicusA 4ludd<s Cla!is Alc"imiaeA and Trithemius<s #e (apide ,"ilosop"ico cro,din' them close. 8ediaeval 6e,s and Ara3s ,ere represented in profusionA and 8r. 8erritt turned pale ,henA upon ta!in' do,n a fine volume conspicuously la3elled as the 6anoone-IslamA he found it ,as in truth the for3idden -ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul AlhazredA of ,hich he had heard such monstrous thin's ,hispered some years previously after the e%posure of nameless rites at the stran'e little fishin' villa'e of 0in'sportA in the province of the 8assachussetts1Bay. But oddly enou'hA the ,orthy 'entleman o,ned himself most impalpa3ly disDuieted 3y a mere minor detail. +n the hu'e maho'any ta3le there lay face do,n,ards a 3adly ,orn copy of BorellusA 3earin' many cryptical mar'inalia and interlineations in Cur,en<s hand. The 3oo! ,as open at a3out its middleA and one para'raph displayed such thic! and tremulous pen1stro!es 3eneath the lines of mystic 3lac!1letter that the visitor could not resist scannin' it throu'h. Whether it ,as the nature of the passa'e underscoredA or the feverish heaviness of the stro!es ,hich formed the underscorin'A he could not tellB 3ut

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

"

somethin' in that com3ination affected him very 3adly and very peculiarly. 2e recalled it to the end of his daysA ,ritin' it do,n from memory in his diary and once tryin' to recite it to his close friend $r. Chec!ley till he sa, ho, 'reatly it distur3ed the ur3ane rector. =t read9 +T"e essential Saltes of Animals may be so prepared and preser!ed& t"at an ingenious Man may "a!e t"e $"ole Ark of -oa" in "is o$n Studie& and raise t"e fine S"ape of an Animal out of its As"es at "is ,leasure1 and by t"e lyke Met"od from t"e essential Saltes of "umane #ust& a ,"ilosop"er may& $it"out any criminal -ecromancy& call up t"e S"ape of any dead Ancestour from t"e #ust $"ereinto "is Bodie "as been incinerated%+ =t ,as near the doc!s alon' the southerly part of the To,n StreetA ho,everA that the ,orst thin's ,ere muttered a3out 6oseph Cur,en. Sailors are superstitious fol!B and the seasoned salts ,ho manned the infinite rumA slaveA and molasses sloopsA the ra!ish privateersA and the 'reat 3ri's of the Bro,nsA Cra,fordsA and Tillin'hastsA all made stran'e furtive si'ns of protection ,hen they sa, the slimA deceptively youn'1loo!in' fi'ure ,ith its yello, hair and sli'ht stoop enterin' the Cur,en ,arehouse in $ou3loon Street or tal!in' ,ith captains and supercar'oes on the lon' Duay ,here the Cur,en ships rode restlessly. Cur,en<s o,n cler!s and captains hated and feared himA and all his sailors ,ere mon'rel riff1raff from 8artiniDueA St. EustatiusA 2avanaA or >ort :oyal. =t ,asA in a ,ayA the freDuency ,ith ,hich these sailors ,ere replaced ,hich inspired the acutest and most tan'i3le part of the fear in ,hich the old man ,as held. A cre, ,ould 3e turned loose in the to,n on shore leaveA some of its mem3ers perhaps char'ed ,ith this errand or thatB and ,hen reassem3led it ,ould 3e almost sure to lac! one or more men. That many of the errands had concerned the farm of >a,tu%et :oadA and that fe, of the sailors had ever 3een seen to return from that placeA ,as not for'ottenB so that in time it 3ecame e%ceedin'ly difficult for Cur,en to !eep his oddly assorted hands. Almost invaria3ly several ,ould desert soon after hearin' the 'ossip of the >rovidence ,harvesA and their replacement in the West =ndies 3ecame an increasin'ly 'reat pro3lem to the merchant. By 17-* 6oseph Cur,en ,as virtually an outcastA suspected of va'ue horrors and daemoniac alliances ,hich seemed all the more menacin' 3ecause they could not 3e namedA understoodA or even proved to e%ist. The last stra, may have come from the affair of the missin' soldiers in 17 8A for in 8arch and April of that year t,o :oyal re'iments on their ,ay to ;e, 4rance ,ere Duartered in >rovidenceA and depleted 3y an ine%plica3le process far 3eyond the avera'e rate of desertion. :umour d,elt on the freDuency ,ith ,hich Cur,en ,as ,ont to 3e seen tal!in' ,ith the red1coated stran'ersB and as several of them 3e'an to 3e missedA people thou'ht of the odd conditions amon' his o,n seamen. What ,ould have happened if the re'iments had not 3een ordered onA no one can tell. 8ean,hile the merchant<s ,orldly affairs ,ere prosperin'. 2e had a virtual monopoly of the to,n<s trade in saltpetreA 3lac! pepperA and cinnamonA and easily led any other one shippin' esta3lishment save the Bro,ns in his importation of 3rass,areA indi'oA cottonA ,oollensA saltA ri''in'A ironA paperA and En'lish 'oods of every !ind. Such shop!eepers as 6ames 7reenA at the Si'n of the Elephant in CheapsideA the :ussellsA at the Si'n of the 7olden Ea'le across the Brid'eA or Clar! and ;i'htin'ale at the 4ryin'1>an and 4ish near ;e, Coffee12ouseA depended almost ,holly upon him for their stoc!B and his arran'ements ,ith the local distillersA the ;arra'ansett dairymen and horse13reedersA and the ;e,port candle1ma!ersA made him one of the prime e%porters of the Colony.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

&

+stracised thou'h he ,asA he did not lac! for civic spirit of a sort. When the Colony 2ouse 3urned do,nA he su3scri3ed handsomely to the lotteries 3y ,hich the ne, 3ric! one 1 still standin' at the head of its parade in the old main street 1 ,as 3uilt in 17-1. =n that same yearA tooA he helped re3uild the 7reat Brid'e after the +cto3er 'ale. 2e replaced many of the 3oo!s of the pu3lic li3rary consumed in the Colony 2ouse fireA and 3ou'ht heavily in the lottery that 'ave the muddy 8ar!et >arade and deep1rutted To,n Street their pavement of 'reat round stones ,ith a 3ric! foot,al! or LcauseyL in the middle. A3out this timeA alsoA he 3uilt the plain 3ut e%cellent ne, house ,hose door,ay is still such a triumph of carvin'. When the Whitefield adherents 3ro!e off from $r. Cotton<s hill church in 17#& and founded $eacon Sno,<s church across the Brid'eA Cur,en had 'one ,ith themB thou'h his zeal and attendance soon a3ated. ;o,A ho,everA he cultivated piety once moreB as if to dispel the shado, ,hich had thro,n him into isolation and ,ould soon 3e'in to ,rec! his 3usiness fortunes if not sharply chec!ed. " The si'ht of this stran'eA pallid manA hardly middle1a'ed in aspect yet certainly not less than a full century oldA see!in' at last to emer'e from a cloud of fri'ht and detestation too va'ue to pin do,n or analyseA ,as at once a patheticA a dramaticA and a contempti3le thin'. Such is the po,er of ,ealth and of surface 'esturesA ho,everA that there came indeed a sli'ht a3atement in the visi3le aversion displayed to,ard himB especially after the rapid disappearances of his sailors a3ruptly ceased. 2e must li!e,ise have 3e'un to practice an e%treme care and secrecy in his 'raveyard e%peditionsA for he ,as never a'ain cau'ht at such ,anderin'sB ,hilst the rumours of uncanny sounds and manoeuvres at his >a,tu%et farm diminished in proportion. 2is rate of food consumption and cattle replacement remained a3normally hi'hB 3ut not until modern timesA ,hen Charles Ward e%amined a set of his accounts and invoices in the Shepley 5i3raryA did it occur to any person 1 save one em3ittered youthA perhaps 1 to ma!e dar! comparisons 3et,een the lar'e num3er of 7uinea 3lac!s he imported until 17--A and the distur3in'ly small num3er for ,hom he could produce 3ona fide 3ills of sale either to slave1dealers at the 7reat Brid'e or to the planters of the ;arra'ansett Country. CertainlyA the cunnin' and in'enuity of this a3horred character ,ere uncannily profoundA once the necessity for their e%ercise had 3ecome impressed upon him. But of course the effect of all this 3elated mendin' ,as necessarily sli'ht. Cur,en continued to 3e avoided and distrustedA as indeed the one fact of his continued air of youth at a 'reat a'e ,ould have 3een enou'h to ,arrantB and he could see that in the end his fortunes ,ould 3e li!ely to suffer. 2is ela3orate studies and e%perimentsA ,hatever they may have 3eenA apparently reDuired a heavy income for their maintenanceB and since a chan'e of environment ,ould deprive him of the tradin' advanta'es he had 'ainedA it ,ould not have profited him to 3e'in ane, in a different re'ion Cust then. 6ud'ement demanded that he patch up his relations ,ith the to,nsfol! of >rovidenceA so that his presence mi'ht no lon'er 3e a si'nal for hushed conversationA transparent e%cuses or errands else,hereA and a 'eneral atmosphere of constraint and uneasiness. 2is cler!sA 3ein' no, reduced to the shiftless and impecunious residue ,hom no one else ,ould employA ,ere 'ivin' him much ,orryB and he held to his sea1captains and mates only 3y shre,dness in 'ainin' some !ind of ascendancy over them 1 a mort'a'eA a promissory noteA or a 3it of information very pertinent to their ,elfare. =n many casesA diarists have recorded ,ith some a,eA Cur,en she,ed almost the po,er of a ,izard in unearthin'

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

family secrets for Duestiona3le use. $urin' the final five years of his life it seemed as thou'h only direct tal!s ,ith the lon'1dead could possi3ly have furnished some of the data ,hich he had so 'li3ly at his ton'ue<s end. A3out this time the crafty scholar hit upon a last desperate e%pedient to re'ain his footin' in the community. 2itherto a complete hermitA he no, determined to contract an advanta'eous marria'eB securin' as a 3ride some lady ,hose unDuestioned position ,ould ma!e all ostracism of his home impossi3le. =t may 3e that he also had deeper reasons for ,ishin' an allianceB reasons so far outside the !no,n cosmic sphere that only papers found a century and a half after his death caused anyone to suspect themB 3ut of this nothin' certain can ever 3e learned. ;aturally he ,as a,are of the horror and indi'nation ,ith ,hich any ordinary courtship of his ,ould 3e receivedA hence he loo!ed a3out for some li!ely candidate upon ,hose parents he mi'ht e%ert a suita3le pressure. Such candidatesA he foundA ,ere not at all easy to discoverB since he had very particular reDuirements in the ,ay of 3eautyA accomplishmentsA and social security. At len'th his survey narro,ed do,n to the household of one of his 3est and oldest ship1captainsA a ,ido,er of hi'h 3irth and un3lemished standin' named $utee Tillin'hastA ,hose only dau'hter Eliza seemed do,ered ,ith every conceiva3le advanta'e save prospects as an heiress. Capt. Tillin'hast ,as completely under the domination of Cur,enB and consentedA after a terri3le intervie, in his cupolaed house on >o,er<s 5ane hillA to sanction the 3lasphemous alliance. Eliza Tillin'hast ,as at that time ei'hteen years of a'eA and had 3een reared as 'ently as the reduced circumstances of her father permitted. She had attended Stephen 6ac!son<s school opposite the Court12ouse >aradeB and had 3een dili'ently instructed 3y her motherA 3efore the latter<s death of smallpo% in 17 7A in all the arts and refinements of domestic life. A sampler of hersA ,or!ed in 17 & at the a'e of nineA may still 3e found in the rooms of the :hode =sland 2istorical Society. After her mother<s death she had !ept the houseA aided only 3y one old 3lac! ,oman. 2er ar'uments ,ith her father concernin' the proposed Cur,en marria'e must have 3een painful indeedB 3ut of these ,e have no record. Certain it is that her en'a'ement to youn' Ezra WeedenA second mate of the Cra,ford pac!et nterpriseA ,as dutifully 3ro!en offA and that her union ,ith 6oseph Cur,en too! place on the seventh of 8archA 17-&A in the Baptist churchA in the presence of the most distin'uished assem3la'es ,hich the to,n could 3oastB the ceremony 3ein' performed 3y the youn'er Samuel Winsor. The Ga2ette mentioned the event very 3riefly. and in most survivin' copies the item in Duestion seems to 3e cut or torn out. Ward found a sin'le intact copy after much search in the archives of a private collector of noteA o3servin' ,ith amusement the meanin'less ur3anity of the lan'ua'e9 <8onday evenin' lastA 8r. 6oseph Cur,enA of this To,nA 8erchantA ,as married to 8iss Eliza Tillin'hastA $au'hter of Capt. $utee Tillin'hastA a youn' 5ady ,ho has real 8eritA added to a 3eautiful >ersonA to 'race the connu3ial State and perpetuate its 4elicity.< The collection of $urfee1Arnold lettersA discovered 3y Charles Ward shortly 3efore his first reputed madness in the private collection of 8elville 4. >etersA EsD.A of 7eor'e St.A and coverin' this and a some,hat antecedent periodA thro,s vivid li'ht on the outra'e done to pu3lic sentiment 3y this ill1assorted match. The social influence of the Tillin'hastsA ho,everA ,as not to 3e deniedB and once more 6oseph Cur,en found his house freDuented 3y persons ,hom he could never other,ise have induced to cross his threshold. 2is acceptance ,as 3y no means completeA and his 3ride ,as socially the sufferer throu'h her

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

forced ventureB 3ut at all events the ,all of utter ostracism ,as some,hat torn do,n. =n his treatment of his ,ife the stran'e 3ride'room astonished 3oth her and the community 3y displayin' an e%treme 'raciousness and consideration. The ne, house in +lney Court ,as no, ,holly free from distur3in' manifestationsA and althou'h Cur,en ,as much a3sent at the >a,tu%et farm ,hich his ,ife never visitedA he seemed more li!e a normal citizen than at any other time in his lon' years of residence. +nly one person remained in open enmity ,ith himA this 3ein' the youthful ship<s officer ,hose en'a'ement to Eliza Tillin'hast had 3een so a3ruptly 3ro!en. Ezra Weeden had fran!ly vo,ed ven'eanceB and thou'h of a Duiet and ordinarily mild dispositionA ,as no, 'ainin' a hate13redA do''ed purpose ,hich 3oded no 'ood to the usurpin' hus3and. +n the seventh of 8ayA 17- A Cur,en<s only child Ann ,as 3ornB and ,as christened 3y the :ev. 6ohn 7raves of 0in'<s ChurchA of ,hich 3oth hus3and and ,ife had 3ecome communicants shortly after their marria'eA in order to compromise 3et,een their respective Con're'ational and Baptist affiliations. The record of this 3irthA as ,ell as that of the marria'e t,o years 3eforeA ,as stric!en from most copies of the church and to,n annals ,here it ou'ht to appearB and Charles Ward located 3oth ,ith the 'reatest difficulty after his discover of the ,ido,<s chan'e of name had apprised him of his o,n relationshipA and en'endered the feverish interest ,hich culminated in his madness. The 3irth entryA indeedA ,as found very curiously throu'h correspondence ,ith the heirs of the loyalist $r. 7ravesA ,ho had ta!en ,ith him a duplicate set of records ,hen he left his pastorate at the out3rea! of the :evolution. Ward had tried this source 3ecause he !ne, that his 'reat1 'reat1'randmother Ann Tillin'hast >otter had 3een an Episcopalian. Shortly after the 3irth of his dau'hterA an event he seemed to ,elcome ,ith a fervour 'reatly out of !eepin' ,ith his usual coldnessA Cur,en resolved to sit for a portrait. This he had painted 3y a very 'ifted Scotsman named Cosmo Ale%anderA then a resident of ;e,portA and since famous as the early teacher of 7il3ert Stuart. The li!eness ,as said to have 3een e%ecuted on a ,all1panel of the li3rary of the house in +lney CourtA 3ut neither of the t,o old diaries mentionin' it 'ave any hint of its ultimate disposition. At this period the erratic scholar she,ed si'ns of unusual a3stractionA and spent as much time as he possi3ly could at his farm on the >a,tu%et :oad. 2e seemedA as ,as statedA in a condition of suppressed e%citement or suspenseB as if e%pectin' some phenomenal thin' or on the 3rin! of some stran'e discovery. Chemistry or alchemy ,ould appear to have played a 'reat partA for he too! from his house to the farm the 'reater num3er of his volumes on that su3Cect. 2is affectation of civic interest did not diminishA and he lost no opportunities for helpin' such leaders as Stephen 2op!insA 6oseph Bro,nA and BenCamin West in their efforts to raise the cultural tone of the to,nA ,hich ,as then much 3elo, the level of ;e,port in its patrona'e of the li3eral arts. 2e had helped $aniel 6enc!es found his 3oo!shop in 17-&A and ,as thereafter his 3est customerB e%tendin' aid li!e,ise to the stru''lin' Ga2ette that appeared each Wednesday at the Si'n of Sha!espeare<s 2ead. =n politics he ardently supported 7overnor 2op!ins a'ainst the Ward party ,hose prime stren'th ,as in ;e,portA and his really eloDuent speech at 2acher<s 2all in 17- a'ainst the settin' off of ;orth >rovidence as a separate to,n ,ith a pro1Ward vote in the 7eneral Assem3ly did more than any other thin' to ,ear do,n the preCudice a'ainst him. But Ezra WeedenA ,ho ,atched him closelyA sneered cynically at all this out,ard activityB and freely s,ore it ,as no more than a mas! for some nameless traffic! ,ith the 3lac!est 'ulfs of Tartarus. The reven'eful youth 3e'an a systematic study of the man and his doin's

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

,henever he ,as in portB spendin' hours at ni'ht 3y the ,harves ,ith a dory in readiness ,hen he sa, li'hts in the Cur,en ,arehousesA and follo,in' the small 3oat ,hich ,ould sometimes steal Duietly off and do,n the 3ay. 2e also !ept as close a ,atch as possi3le on the >a,tu%et farmA and ,as once severely 3itten 3y the do's the old =ndian couple loosed upon him. & =n 17-- came the final chan'e in 6oseph Cur,en. =t ,as very suddenA and 'ained ,ide notice amon'st the curious to,nsfol!B for the air of suspense and e%pectancy dropped li!e an old cloa!A 'ivin' instant place to an ill1concealed e%altation of perfect triumph. Cur,en seemed to have difficulty in restrainin' himself from pu3lic haran'ues on ,hat he had found or learned or madeB 3ut apparently the need of secrecy ,as 'reater than the lon'in' to share his reCoicin'A for no e%planation ,as ever offered 3y him. =t ,as after this transitionA ,hich appears to have come early in 6ulyA that the sinister scholar 3e'an to astonish people 3y his possession of information ,hich only their lon'1dead ancestors ,ould seem to 3e a3le to impart. But Cur,en<s feverish secret activities 3y no means ceased ,ith this chan'e. +n the contraryA they tended rather to increaseB so that more and more of his shippin' 3usiness ,as handled 3y the captains ,hom he no, 3ound to him 3y ties of fear as potent as those of 3an!ruptcy had 3een. 2e alto'ether a3andoned the slave tradeA alle'in' that its profits ,ere constantly decreasin'. Every possi3le moment ,as spent at the >a,tu%et farmB althou'h there ,ere rumours no, and then of his presence in places ,hichA thou'h not actually near 'raveyardsA ,ere yet so situated in relation to 'raveyards that thou'htful people ,ondered Cust ho, thorou'h the old merchant<s chan'e of ha3its really ,as. Ezra WeedenA thou'h his periods of espiona'e ,ere necessarily 3rief and intermittent on account of his sea voya'in'A had a vindictive persistence ,hich the 3ul! of the practical to,nsfol! and farmers lac!edB and su3Cected Cur,en<s affairs to a scrutiny such as they had never had 3efore. 8any of the odd manoeuvres of the stran'e merchant<s vessels had 3een ta!en for 'ranted on account of the unrest of the timesA ,hen every colonist seemed determined to resist the provisions of the Su'ar Act ,hich hampered a prominent traffic!. Smu''lin' and evasion ,ere the rule in ;arra'ansett BayA and nocturnal landin's of illicit car'oes ,ere continuous commonplaces. But WeedenA ni'ht after ni'ht follo,in' the li'hters or small sloops ,hich he sa, steal off from the Cur,en ,arehouses at the To,n Street doc!sA soon felt assured that it ,as not merely 2is 8aCesty<s armed ships ,hich the sinister s!ul!er ,as an%ious to avoid. >rior to the chan'e in 17-- these 3oats had for the most part contained chained ne'roesA ,ho ,ere carried do,n and across the 3ay and landed at an o3scure point on the shore Cust north of >a,tu%etB 3ein' after,ard driven up the 3luff and across country to the Cur,en farmA ,here they ,ere loc!ed in that enormous stone out3uildin' ,hich had only five hi'h narro, slits for ,indo,s. After that chan'eA ho,everA the ,hole pro'ramme ,as altered. =mportation of slaves ceased at onceA and for a time Cur,en a3andoned his midni'ht sailin's. ThenA a3out the sprin' of 17-7A a ne, policy appeared. +nce more the li'hters 're, ,ont to put out from the 3lac!A silent doc!sA and this time they ,ould 'o do,n the 3ay some distanceA perhaps as far as ;amDuit >ointA ,here they ,ould meet and receive car'o from stran'e ships of considera3le size and ,idely varied appearance. Cur,en<s sailors ,ould then deposit this car'o at the usual point on the shoreA and transport

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

it overland to the farmB loc!in' it in the same cryptical stone 3uildin' ,hich had formerly received the ne'roes. The car'o consisted almost ,holly of 3o%es and casesA of ,hich a lar'e proportion ,ere o3lon' and heavy and distur3in'ly su''estive of coffins. Weeden al,ays ,atched the farm ,ith unremittin' assiduityB visitin' it each ni'ht for lon' periodsA and seldom lettin' a ,ee! 'o 3y ,ithout a si'ht e%cept ,hen the 'round 3ore a footprint1revealin' sno,. Even then he ,ould often ,al! as close as possi3le in the travelled road or on the ice of the nei'h3ourin' river to see ,hat trac!s others mi'ht have left. 4indin' his o,n vi'ils interrupted 3y nautical dutiesA he hired a tavern companion named Eleazar Smith to continue the survey durin' his a3senceB and 3et,een them the t,o could have set in motion some e%traordinary rumours. That they did not do so ,as only 3ecause they !ne, the effect of pu3licity ,ould 3e to ,arn their Duarry and ma!e further pro'ress impossi3le. =nsteadA they ,ished to learn somethin' definite 3efore ta!in' any action. What they did learn must have 3een startlin' indeedA and Charles Ward spo!e many times to his parents of his re'ret at Weeden<s later 3urnin' of his note3oo!s. All that can 3e told of their discoveries is ,hat Eleazar Smith Cotted do,n in a non too coherent diaryA and ,hat other diarists and letter1,riters have timidly repeated from the statements ,hich they finally made 1 and accordin' to ,hich the farm ,as only the outer shell of some vast and revoltin' menaceA of a scope and depth too profound and intan'i3le for more than shado,y comprehension. =t is 'athered that Weeden and Smith 3ecame early convinced that a 'reat series of tunnels and catacom3sA inha3ited 3y a very sizea3le staff of persons 3esides the old =ndian and his ,ifeA underlay the farm. The house ,as an old pea!ed relic of the middle seventeenth century ,ith enormous stac! chimney and diamond1paned lattice ,indo,sA the la3oratory 3ein' in a lean1to to,ard the northA ,here the roof came nearly to the 'round. This 3uildin' stood clear of any otherB yet Cud'in' 3y the different voices heard at odd times ,ithinA it must have 3een accessi3le throu'h secret passa'es 3eneath. These voicesA 3efore 17--A ,ere mere mum3lin's and ne'ro ,hisperin's and frenzied screamsA coupled ,ith curious chants or invocations. After that dateA ho,everA they assumed a very sin'ular and terri3le cast as they ran the 'amut 3et,i%t dronin's of dull acDuiescence and e%plosions of frantic pain or furyA rum3lin's of conversations and ,hines of entreatyA pantin's of ea'erness and shouts of protest. They appeared to 3e in different lan'ua'esA all !no,n to Cur,enA ,hose raspin' accents ,ere freDuently distin'uisha3le in replyA reproofA or threatenin'. Sometimes it seemed that several persons must 3e in the houseB Cur,enA certain captivesA and the 'uards of those captives. There ,ere voices of a sort that neither Weeden nor Smith had ever heard 3efore despite their ,ide !no,led'e of forei'n partsA and many that they did seem to place as 3elon'in' to this or that nationality. The nature of the conversations seemed al,ays a !ind of catechismA as if Cur,en ,ere e%tortin' some sort of information from terrified or re3ellious prisoners. Weeden had many ver3atim reports of overheard scraps in his note3oo!A for En'lishA 4renchA and SpanishA ,hich he !ne,A ,ere freDuently usedB 3ut of these nothin' has survived. 2e didA ho,everA say that 3esides a fe, 'houlish dialo'ues in ,hich the past affairs of >rovidence families ,ere concernedA most of the Duestions and ans,ers he could understand ,ere historical or scientificB occasionally pertainin' to very remote places and a'es. +nceA for e%ampleA an alternately ra'in' and sullen fi'ure ,as Duestioned in 4rench a3out the Blac! >rince<s massacre at 5imo'es in 1&7*A as if there ,ere some hidden reason ,hich he ou'ht to !no,. Cur,en as!ed the prisoner 1 if prisoner he ,ere 1 ,hether the order to slay ,as 'iven 3ecause of the Si'n of the 7oat found on the altar in the ancient

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

:oman crypt 3eneath the CathedralA or ,hether the $ar! 8an of the 2aute ?ienne had spo!en the Three Words. 4ailin' to o3tain repliesA the inDuisitor had seemin'ly resorted to e%treme meansB for there ,as a terrific shrie! follo,ed 3y silence and mutterin' and a 3umpin' sound. ;one of these colloDuies ,as ever ocularly ,itnessedA since the ,indo,s ,ere al,ays heavily draped. +nceA thou'hA durin' a discourse in an un!no,n ton'ueA a shado, ,as seen on the curtain ,hich startled Weeden e%ceedin'lyB remindin' him of one of the puppets in a sho, he had seen in the autumn of 17-# in 2acher<s 2allA ,hen a man from 7ermanto,nA >ennsylvaniaA had 'iven a clever mechanical spectacle advertised as <A ?ie, of the 4amous City of 6erusalemA in ,hich are represented 6erusalemA the Temple of SolomonA his :oyal ThroneA the noted To,ersA and 2illsA li!e,ise the Sufferin' of +ur Saviour from the 7arden of 7ethsemane to the Cross on the 2ill of 7ol'othaB an artful piece of StatuaryA Worthy to 3e seen 3y the Curious.< =t ,as on this occasion that the listenerA ,ho had crept close to the ,indo, of the front room ,hence the spea!in' proceededA 'ave a start ,hich roused the old =ndian pair and caused them to loose the do's on him. After that no more conversations ,ere ever heard in the houseA and Weeden and Smith concluded that Cur,en had transferred his field of action to re'ions 3elo,. That such re'ions in truth e%istedA seemed amply clear from many thin's. 4aint cries and 'roans unmista!a3ly came up no, and then from ,hat appeared to 3e the solid earth in places far from any structureB ,hilst hidden in the 3ushes alon' the river13an! in the rearA ,here the hi'h 'round sloped steeply do,n to the valley of the >a,tu%etA there ,as found an arched oa!en door in a frame of heavy masonryA ,hich ,as o3viously an entrance to caverns ,ithin the hill. When or ho, these catacom3s could have 3een constructedA Weeden ,as una3le to sayB 3ut he freDuently pointed out ho, easily the place mi'ht have 3een reached 3y 3ands of unseen ,or!men from the river. 6oseph Cur,en put his mon'rel seamen to diverse uses indeedF $urin' the heavy sprin' rains of 17-) the t,o ,atchers !ept a sharp eye on the steep river13an! to see if any su3terrene secrets mi'ht 3e ,ashed to li'htA and ,ere re,arded 3y the si'ht of a profusion of 3oth human and animal 3ones in places ,here deep 'ullies had 3een ,orn in the 3an!s. ;aturally there mi'ht 3e many e%planations of such thin's in the rear of a stoc! farmA and a locality ,here old =ndian 3ury1'rounds ,ere commonA 3ut Weeden and Smith dre, their o,n inferences. =t ,as in 6anuary 177*A ,hilst Weeden and Smith ,ere still de3atin' vainly on ,hatA if anythin'A to thin! or do a3out the ,hole 3e,ilderin' 3usinessA that the incident of the 7ortale2a occurred. E%asperated 3y the 3urnin' of the revenue sloop (iberty at ;e,port durin' the previous summerA the customs fleet under Admiral Wallace had adopted an increased vi'ilance concernin' stran'e vesselsB and on this occasion 2is 8aCesty<s armed schooner CygnetA under Capt. Charles 5eslieA captured after a short pursuit one early mornin' the sco, 7ortale2a of BarcelonaA SpainA under Capt. 8anuel ArrudaA 3ound accordin' to its lo' from 7rand CairoA E'yptA to >rovidence. When searched for contra3and materialA this ship revealed the astonishin' fact that its car'o consisted e%clusively of E'yptian mummiesA consi'ned to LSailor A. B. C.LA ,ho ,ould come to remove his 'oods in a li'hter Cust off ;amDuit >oint and ,hose identity Capt. Arruda felt himself in honour 3ound not to reveal. The ?ice1Admiralty at ;e,portA at a loss ,hat to do in vie, of the non1contra3and nature of the car'o on the one hand and of the unla,ful

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

secrecy of the entry on the other handA compromised on Collector :o3inson<s recommendation 3y freein' the ship 3ut for3iddin' it a port in :hode =sland ,aters. There ,ere later rumours of its havin' 3een seen in Boston 2ar3ourA thou'h it never openly entered the >ort of Boston. This e%traordinary incident did not fail of ,ide remar! in >rovidenceA and there ,ere not many ,ho dou3ted the e%istence of some conne%ion 3et,een the car'o of mummies and the sinister 6oseph Cur,en. 2is e%otic studies and his curious chemical importations 3ein' common !no,led'eA and his fondness for 'raveyards 3ein' common suspicionB it did not ta!e much ima'ination to lin! him ,ith a frea!ish importation ,hich could not conceiva3ly have 3een destined for anyone else in the to,n. As if conscious of this natural 3eliefA Cur,en too! care to spea! casually on several occasions of the chemical value of the 3alsams found in mummiesB thin!in' perhaps that he mi'ht ma!e the affair seem less unnaturalA yet stoppin' Cust short of admittin' his participation. Weeden and SmithA of courseA felt no dou3t ,hatsoever of the si'nificance of the thin'B and indul'ed in the ,ildest theories concernin' Cur,en and his monstrous la3ours. The follo,in' sprin'A li!e that of the year 3eforeA had heavy rainsB and the ,atchers !ept careful trac! of the river13an! 3ehind the Cur,en farm. 5ar'e sections ,ere ,ashed a,ayA and a certain num3er of 3ones discoveredB 3ut no 'limpse ,as afforded of any actual su3terranean cham3ers or 3urro,s. Somethin' ,as rumouredA ho,everA at the villa'e of >a,tu%et a3out a mile 3elo,A ,here the river flo,s in falls over a roc!y terrace to Coin the placed landloc!ed cove. ThereA ,here Duaint old cotta'es clim3ed the hill from the rustic 3rid'eA and fishin'1smac!s lay anchored at their sleepy doc!sA a va'ue report ,ent round of thin's that ,ere floatin' do,n the river and flashin' into si'ht for a minute as they ,ent over the falls. +f course the >a,tu%et in a lon' river ,hich ,inds throu'h many settled re'ions a3oundin' in 'raveyardsA and of course the sprin' rains had 3een very heavyB 3ut the fisherfol! a3out the 3rid'e did not li!e the ,ild ,ay that one of the thin's stared as it shot do,n to the still ,aters 3elo,A or the ,ay that another half cried out althou'h its condition had 'reatly departed from that of o3Cects ,hich normally cried out. That rumour sent Smith 1 for Weeden ,as Cust then at sea 1 in haste to the river13an! 3ehind the farmB ,here surely enou'h there remained the evidence of an e%tensive cave1in. There ,asA ho,everA no trace of a passa'e into the steep 3an!B for the miniature avalanche had left 3ehind a solid ,all of mi%ed earth and shru33ery from aloft. Smith ,ent to the e%tent of some e%perimental di''in'A 3ut ,as deterred 3y lac! of success 1 or perhaps 3y fear of possi3le success. =t is interestin' to speculate on ,hat the persistent and reven'eful Weeden ,ould have done had he 3een ashore at the time. # By the autumn of 177* Weeden decided that the time ,as ripe to tell others of his discoveriesB for he had a lar'e num3er of facts to lin! to'etherA and a second eye1,itness to refute the possi3le char'e that Cealousy and vindictiveness had spurred his fancy. As his first confidant he selected Capt. 6ames 8athe,son of the nterpriseA ,ho on the one hand !ne, him ,ell enou'h not to dou3t his veracityA and on the other hand ,as sufficiently influential in the to,n to 3e heard in turn ,ith respect. The colloDuy too! place in an upper room of Sa3in<s Tavern near the doc!sA ,ith Smith present to corro3orate virtually every statementB and it could 3e seen that Capt. 8athe,son ,as tremendously impressed. 5i!e nearly everyone else in the to,nA he had had 3lac! suspicions of his o,n anent 6oseph

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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Cur,enB hence it needed only this confirmation and enlar'ement of data to convince him a3solutely. At the end of the conference he ,as very 'raveA and enCoined strict silence upon the t,o youn'er men. 2e ,ouldA he saidA transmit the information separately to some ten or so of the most learned and prominent citizens of >rovidenceB ascertainin' their vie,s and follo,in' ,hatever advice they mi'ht have to offer. Secrecy ,ould pro3a3ly 3e essential in any caseA for this ,as no matter that the to,n consta3les or militia could cope ,ithB and a3ove all else the e%cita3le cro,d must 3e !ept in i'noranceA lest there 3e enacted in these already trou3lous times a repetition of that fri'htful Salem panic of less than a century 3efore ,hich had first 3rou'ht Cur,en hither. The ri'ht persons to tellA he 3elievedA ,ould 3e $r. BenCamin WestA ,hose pamphlet on the late transit of ?enus proved him a scholar and !een thin!erB :ev. 6ames 8annin'A >resident of the Colle'e ,hich had Cust moved up from Warren and ,as temporarily housed in the ne, 0in' Street schoolhouse a,aitin' the completion of its 3uildin' on the hill a3ove >res3yterian15aneB e%17overnor Stephen 2op!insA ,ho had 3een a mem3er of the >hilosophical Society at ;e,portA and ,as a man of very 3road perceptionsB 6ohn CarterA pu3lisher of the Ga2etteB all four of the Bro,n 3rothersA 6ohnA 6osephA ;icholasA and 8osesA ,ho formed the reco'nised local ma'natesA and of ,hom 6oseph ,as an amateur scientist of partsB old $r. 6a3ez Bo,enA ,hose erudition ,as considera3leA and ,ho had much first1hand !no,led'e of Cur,en<s odd purchasesB and Capt. A3raham WhippleA a privateersman of phenomenal 3oldness and ener'y ,ho could 3e counted on to lead in any active measures needed. These menA if favoura3leA mi'ht eventually 3e 3rou'ht to'ether for collective deli3erationB and ,ith them ,ould rest the responsi3ility of decidin' ,hether or not to inform the 7overnor of the ColonyA 6oseph Wanton of ;e,portA 3efore ta!in' action. The mission of Capt. 8athe,son prospered 3eyond his hi'hest e%pectationsB for ,hilst he found one or t,o of the chosen confidants some,hat sceptical of the possi3le 'hastly side of Weeden<s taleA there ,as not one ,ho did not thin! it necessary to ta!e some sort of secret and coQrdinated action. Cur,enA it ,as clearA formed a va'ue potential menace to the ,elfare of the to,n and ColonyB and must 3e eliminated at any cost. 5ate in $ecem3er 177* a 'roup of eminent to,nsmen met at the home of Stephen 2op!ins and de3ated tentative measures. Weeden<s notesA ,hich he had 'iven to Capt. 8athe,sonA ,ere carefully readB and he and Smith ,ere summoned to 'ive testimony anent details. Somethin' very li!e fear seized the ,hole assem3la'e 3efore the meetin' ,as overA thou'h there ran throu'h that fear a 'rim determination ,hich Capt. Whipple<s 3luff and resonant profanity 3est e%pressed. They ,ould not notify the 7overnorA 3ecause a more than le'al course seemed necessary. With hidden po,ers of uncertain e%tent apparently at his disposalA Cur,en ,as not a man ,ho could safely 3e ,arned to leave to,n. ;ameless reprisals mi'ht ensueA and even if the sinister creature compliedA the removal ,ould 3e no more than the shiftin' of an unclean 3urden to another place. The times ,ere la,lessA and men ,ho had flouted the 0in'<s revenue forces for years ,ere not the ones to 3al! at sterner thin's ,hen duty impelled. Cur,en must 3e surprised at his >a,tu%et farm 3y a lar'e raidin'1party of seasoned privateersmen and 'iven one decisive chance to e%plain himself. =f he proved a madmanA amusin' himself ,ith shrie!s and ima'inary conversations in different voicesA he ,ould 3e properly confined. =f somethin' 'raver appearedA and if the under'round horrors indeed turned out to 3e realA he and all ,ith him must die. =t could 3e done DuietlyA and even the ,ido, and her father need not 3e told ho, it came a3out.

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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While these serious steps ,ere under discussion there occurred in the to,n an incident so terri3le and ine%plica3le that for a time little else ,as mentioned for miles around. =n the middle of a moon1li'ht 6anuary ni'ht ,ith heavy sno, underfoot there resounded over the river and up the hill a shoc!in' series of cries ,hich 3rou'ht sleepy heads to every ,indo,B and people around Wey3osset >oint sa, a 'reat ,hite thin' plun'in' frantically alon' the 3adly cleared space in front of the Tur!<s 2ead. There ,as a 3ayin' of do's in the distanceA 3ut this su3sided as soon as the clamour of the a,a!ened to,n 3ecame audi3le. >arties of men ,ith lanterns and mus!ets hurried out to see ,hat ,as happenin'A 3ut nothin' re,arded their search. The ne%t mornin'A ho,everA a 'iantA muscular 3odyA star! na!edA ,as found on the Cams of ice around the southern piers of the 7reat Brid'eA ,here the 5on' $oc! stretched out 3eside A33ott<s distil1houseA and the identity of this o3Cect 3ecame a theme for endless speculation and ,hisperin'. =t ,as not so much the youn'er as the older fol! ,ho ,hisperedA for only in the patriarchs did that ri'id face ,ith horror13ul'in' eyes stri!e any chord of memory. TheyA sha!in' as they did soA e%chan'ed furtive murmurs of ,onder and fearB for in those stiffA hideous features lay a resem3lance so marvellous as to 3e almost an identity 1 and that identity ,as ,ith a man ,ho had died full fifty years 3efore. Ezra Weeden ,as present at the findin'B and remem3erin' the 3ayin' of the ni'ht 3eforeA set out alon' Wey3osset Street and across 8uddy $oc! Brid'e ,hence the sound had come. 2e had a curious e%pectancyA and ,as not surprised ,henA reachin' the ed'e of the settled district ,here the street mer'ed into the >a,tu%et :oadA he came upon some very curious trac!s in the sno,. The na!ed 'iant had 3een pursued 3y do's and many 3ooted menA and the returnin' trac!s of the hounds and their masters could 3e easily traced. They had 'iven up the chase upon comin' too near the to,n. Weeden smiled 'rimlyA and as a perfunctory detail traced the footprints 3ac! to their source. =t ,as the >a,tu%et farm of 6oseph Cur,enA as he ,ell !ne, it ,ould 3eB and he ,ould have 'iven much had the yard 3een less confusin'ly trampled. As it ,asA he dared not seem too interested in full dayli'ht. $r. Bo,enA to ,hom Weeden ,ent at once ,ith his reportA performed an autopsy on the stran'e corpseA and discovered peculiarities ,hich 3affled him utterly. The di'estive tracts of the hu'e man seemed never to have 3een in useA ,hilst the ,hole s!in had a coarseA loosely !nit te%ture impossi3le to account for. =mpressed 3y ,hat the old men ,hispered of this 3ody<s li!eness to the lon'1dead 3lac!smith $aniel 7reenA ,hose 'reat1'randson Aaron 2oppin ,as a supercar'o in Cur,en<s employA Weeden as!ed casual Duestions till he found ,here 7reen ,as 3uried. That ni'ht a party of ten visited the old ;orth Buryin' 7round opposite 2errenden<s 5ane and opened a 'rave. They found it vacantA precisely as they had e%pected. 8ean,hile arran'ements had 3een made ,ith the post riders to intercept 6oseph Cur,en<s mailA and shortly 3efore the incident of the na!ed 3ody there ,as found a letter from one 6edediah +rne of Salem ,hich made the coQperatin' citizens thin! deeply. >arts of itA copied and preserved in the private archives of the Smith family ,here Charles Ward found itA ran as follo,s. = deli'ht that you continue in ye 7ett<' at +lde 8atters in your WayA and doe not thin! 3etter ,as done at 8r. 2utchinson<s in Salem1?illa'e. CertainelyA there ,as ;oth<' 3ut ye liveliest A,fulness in that ,hich 2. rais<d upp from What he cou<d 'ather onlie a part of. What you senteA did not Wor!eA ,hether 3ecause of Any Thin' miss<'A or 3ecause ye Wordes ,ere not :i'hte from my Spea!<' or yr Copy<'. = alone am at a 5oss. = have not ye Chymicall art to follo,e BorellusA and o,ne my

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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Self confounded 3y ye ?==. Boo!e of ye ;ecronomicon that you recommende. But = ,ou<d have you +3serve ,hat ,as told to us a3oute ta!<' Care ,hom to calle uppA for you are Sensi3le ,hat 8r. 8ather ,rit in ye 8a'nalia of 111111A and can Cud'e ho, truely that 2orrendous thin' is reported. = say to you a'aineA doe not call up Any that you can not put do,neB 3y the Which = meaneA Any that can in Turne call up Some,hat a'ainst youA ,here3y your >o,erfullest $evices may not 3e of use. As! of the 5esserA lest the 7reater shal not ,ish to Ans,erA and shal commande more than you. = ,as fri'hted ,hen = read of your !no,<' ,hat Ben @ariatnatmi! hadde in his e3ony Bo%eA for = ,as conscious ,ho must have tolde you. And a'aine = as! that you shalle ,rite me as 6edediah and not Simon. =n this Community a 8an may not live too lon'A and you !no,e my >lan 3y ,hich = came 3ac! as my Son. = am desirous you ,ill AcDuaint me ,ith ,hat ye Blac! 8an learnt from Sylvanus Cocidius in ye ?aultA under ye :oman WallA and ,ill 3e o3li'<d for ye lend<' of ye 8S. you spea! of. Another and unsi'ned letter from >hiladelphia provo!ed eDual thou'htA especially for the follo,in' passa'e9 = ,ill o3serve ,hat you say respectin' the sendin' of Accounts only 3y yr ?esselsA 3ut can not al,ays 3e certain ,hen to e%pect them. =n the 8atter spo!e ofA = reDuire onlie one more thin'B 3ut ,ish to 3e sure = apprehend you e%actly. .ou inform meA that no >art must 3e missin' if the finest Effects are to 3e hadA 3ut you can not 3ut !no, ho, hard it is to 3e sure. =t seems a 'reat 2azard and Burthen to ta!e a,ay the ,hole Bo%A and in To,n Ji.e. St. >eter<sA St. >aul<sA St. 8ary<s or Christ ChurchK it can scarce 3e done at all. But = !no, ,hat =mperfections ,ere in the one = rais<d up +cto3er lastA and ho, many live Specimens you ,ere forc<d to imploy 3efore you hit upon the ri'ht 8ode in the year 17--B so ,ill 3e 'uided 3y you in all 8atters. = am impatient for yr Bri'A and inDuire daily at 8r. Biddle<s Wharf. A third suspicious letter ,as in an un!no,n ton'ue and even an un!no,n alpha3et. =n the Smith diary found 3y Charles Ward a sin'le oft1repeated com3ination of characters is clumsily copiedB and authorities at Bro,n (niversity have pronounced the alpha3et Amharic or A3yssinianA althou'h they do not reco'nise the ,ord. ;one of these epistles ,as ever delivered to Cur,enA thou'h the disappearance of 6edediah +rne from Salem as recorded shortly after,ard she,ed that the >rovidence men too! certain Duiet steps. The >ennsylvania 2istorical Society also has some curious letters received 3y $r. Shippen re'ardin' the presence of an un,holesome character in >hiladelphia. But more decisive steps ,ere in the airA and it is in the secret assem3la'es of s,orn and tested sailors and faithful old privateersmen in the Bro,n ,arehouses 3y ni'ht that ,e must loo! for the main fruits of Weeden<s disclosures. Slo,ly and surely a plan of campai'n ,as under development ,hich ,ould leave no trace of 6oseph Cur,en<s no%ious mysteries. Cur,enA despite all precautionsA apparently felt that somethin' ,as in the ,indB for he ,as no, remar!ed to ,ear an unusually ,orried loo!. 2is coach ,as seen at all hours in the to,n and on the >a,tu%et :oadA and he dropped little 3y little the air of forced 'eniality ,ith ,hich he had latterly sou'ht to com3at the to,n<s preCudice. The nearest nei'h3ours to his farmA the 4ennersA one ni'ht remar!ed a 'reat shaft of li'ht shootin' into the s!y from some aperture in the roof of that cryptical stone 3uildin' ,ith the hi'hA e%cessively narro, ,indo,sB an event ,hich they Duic!ly communicated to 6ohn Bro,n in >rovidence. 8r. Bro,n had 3ecome the e%ecutive leader of the select 'roup 3ent on

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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Cur,en<s e%tirpationA and had informed the 4enners that some action ,as a3out to 3e ta!en. This he deemed needful 3ecause of the impossi3ility of their not ,itnessin' the final raidB and he e%plained his course 3y sayin' that Cur,en ,as !no,n to 3e a spy of the customs officers at ;e,portA a'ainst ,hom the hand of every >rovidence s!ipperA merchantA and farmer ,as openly or clandestinely raised. Whether the ruse ,as ,holly 3elieved 3y nei'h3ours ,ho had seen so many Dueer thin's is not certainB 3ut at any rate the 4enners ,ere ,illin' to connect any evil ,ith a man of such Dueer ,ays. To them 8r. Bro,n had entrusted the duty of ,atchin' the Cur,en farmhouseA and of re'ularly reportin' every incident ,hich too! place there.

The pro3a3ility that Cur,en ,as on 'uard and attemptin' unusual thin'sA as su''ested 3y the odd shaft of li'htA precipitated at last the action so carefully devised 3y the 3and of serious citizens. Accordin' to the Smith diary a company of a3out 1** men met at 1* p.m. on 4ridayA April 1"thA 1771A in the 'reat room of Thurston<s Tavern at the Si'n of the 7olden 5ion on Wey3osset >oint across the Brid'e. +f the 'uidin' 'roup of prominent men in addition to the leader 6ohn Bro,n there ,ere present $r. Bo,enA ,ith his case of sur'ical instrumentsA >resident 8annin' ,ithout the 'reat peri,i' Jthe lar'est in the ColoniesK for ,hich he ,as notedA 7overnor 2op!insA ,rapped in his dar! cloa! and accompanied 3y his seafarin' 3rother Ese!A ,hom he had initiated at the last moment ,ith the permission of the restA 6ohn CarterA Capt. 8athe,sonA and Capt. WhippleA ,ho ,as to lead the actual raidin' party. These chiefs conferred apart in a rear cham3erA after ,hich Capt. Whipple emer'ed to the 'reat room and 'ave the 'athered seamen their last oaths and instructions. Eleazar Smith ,as ,ith the leaders as they sat in the rear apartment a,aitin' the arrival of Ezra WeedenA ,hose duty ,as to !eep trac! of Cur,en and report the departure of his coach for the farm. A3out 1*9&* a heavy rum3le ,as heard on the 7reat Brid'eA follo,ed 3y the sound of a coach in the street outsideB and at that hour there ,as no need of ,aitin' for Weeden in order to !no, that the doomed man had set out for his last ni'ht of unhallo,ed ,izardry. A moment laterA as the recedin' coach clattered faintly over the 8uddy $oc! Brid'eA Weeden appearedB and the raiders fell silently into military order in the streetA shoulderin' the fireloc!sA fo,lin'1piecesA or ,halin' harpoons ,hich they had ,ith them. Weeden and Smith ,ere ,ith the partyA and of the deli3eratin' citizens there ,ere present for active service Capt. WhippleA the leaderA Capt. Ese! 2op!insA 6ohn CarterA >resident 8annin'A Capt. 8athe,sonA and $r. Bo,enB to'ether ,ith 8oses Bro,nA ,ho had come up at the eleventh hour thou'h a3sent from the preliminary session in the tavern. All these freemen and their hundred sailors 3e'an the lon' march ,ithout delayA 'rim and a trifle apprehensive as they left the 8uddy $oc! 3ehind and mounted the 'entle rise of Broad Street to,ard the >a,tu%et :oad. 6ust 3eyond Elder Sno,<s church some of the men turned 3ac! to ta!e a partin' loo! at >rovidence lyin' outspread under the early sprin' stars. Steeples and 'a3les rose dar! and shapelyA and salt 3reezes s,ept up 'ently from the cove north of the Brid'e. ?e'a ,as clim3in' a3ove the 'reat hill across the ,aterA ,hose crest of trees ,as 3ro!en 3y the roof1line of the unfinished Colle'e edifice. At the foot of that hillA and alon' the narro, mountin' lanes of its sideA the old to,n dreamedB +ld >rovidenceA for ,hose safety and sanity so monstrous and colossal a 3lasphemy ,as a3out to 3e ,iped out.

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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An hour and a Duarter later the raiders arrivedA as previously a'reedA at the 4enner farmhouseB ,here they heard a final report on their intended victim. 2e had reached his farm over half an hour 3eforeA and the stran'e li'ht had soon after,ard shot once more into the s!yA 3ut there ,ere no li'hts in any visi3le ,indo,s. This ,as al,ays the case of late. Even as this ne,s ,as 'iven another 'reat 'lare arose to,ard the southA and the party realised that they had indeed come close to the scene of a,esome and unnatural ,onders. Capt. Whipple no, ordered his force to separate into three divisionsB one of t,enty men under Eleazar Smith to stri!e across to the shore and 'uard the landin'1place a'ainst possi3le reinforcements for Cur,en until summoned 3y a messen'er for desperate serviceA a second of t,enty men under Capt. Ese! 2op!ins to steal do,n into the river valley 3ehind the Cur,en farm and demolish ,ith a%es or 'unpo,der the oa!en door in the hi'hA steep 3an!A and the third to close in on the house and adCacent 3uildin's themselves. +f this division one third ,as to 3e led 3y Capt. 8athe,son to the cryptical stone edifice ,ith hi'h narro, ,indo,sA another third to follo, Capt. Whipple himself to the main farmhouseA and the remainin' third to preserve a circle around the ,hole 'roup of 3uildin's until summoned 3y a final emer'ency si'nal. The river party ,ould 3rea! do,n the hillside door at the sound of a sin'le ,histle1 3lastA then ,ait and capture anythin' ,hich mi'ht issue from the re'ions ,ithin. At the sound of t,o ,histle13lasts it ,ould advance throu'h the aperture to oppose the enemy or Coin the rest of the raidin' contin'ent. The party at the stone 3uildin' ,ould accept these respective si'nals in an analo'ous mannerB forcin' an entrance at the firstA and at the second descendin' ,hatever passa'e into the 'round mi'ht 3e discoveredA and Coinin' the 'eneral or focal ,arfare e%pected to ta!e place ,ithin the caverns. A third or emer'ency si'nal of three 3lasts ,ould summon the immediate reserve from its 'eneral 'uard dutyB its t,enty men dividin' eDually and enterin' the un!no,n depths throu'h 3oth farmhouse and stone 3uildin'. Capt. Whipple<s 3elief in the e%istence of catacom3s ,as a3soluteA and he too! no alternative into consideration ,hen ma!in' his plans. 2e had ,ith him a ,histle of 'reat po,er and shrillnessA and did not fear any upsettin' or misunderstandin' of si'nals. The final reserve at the landin'A of courseA ,as nearly out of the ,histle<s ran'eB hence ,ould reDuire a special messen'er if needed for help. 8oses Bro,n and 6ohn Carter ,ent ,ith Capt. 2op!ins to the river13an!A ,hile >resident 8annin' ,as detailed ,ith Capt. 8athe,son to the stone 3uildin'. $r. Bo,enA ,ith Ezra WeedenA remained in Capt. Whipple<s party ,hich ,as to storm the farmhouse itself. The attac! ,as to 3e'in as soon as a messen'er from Capt. 2op!ins had Coined Capt. Whipple to notify him of the river party<s readiness. The leader ,ould then deliver the loud sin'le 3lastA and the various advance parties ,ould commence their simultaneous attac! on three points. Shortly 3efore 1 a.m. the three divisions left the 4enner farmhouseB one to 'uard the landin'A another to see! the river valley and the hillside doorA and the third to su3divide and attend to teh actual 3uildin's of the Cur,en farm. Eleazar SmithA ,ho accompanied the shore1'uardin' partyA records in his diary an uneventful march and a lon' ,ait on the 3luff 3y the 3ayB 3ro!en once 3y ,hat seemed to 3e the distant sound of the si'nal ,histle and a'ain 3y a peculiar muffled 3lend of roarin' and cryin' and a po,der 3last ,hich seemed to come from the same direction. 5ater on one man thou'ht he cau'ht some distant 'unshotsA and still later Smith himself felt the thro3 of titanic and thunderous ,ords resoundin' in upper air. =t ,as Cust 3efore da,n that a sin'le ha''ard messen'er ,ith ,ild eyes and a hideous un!no,n odour a3out his clothin' appeared and told the detachment to disperse Duietly to their homes and never

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

a'ain thin! or spea! of the ni'ht<s doin's or of him ,ho had 3een 6oseph Cur,en. Somethin' a3out the 3earin' of the messen'er carried a conviction ,hich his mere ,ords could never have conveyedB for thou'h he ,as a seaman ,ell !no,n to many of themA there ,as somethin' o3scurely lost or 'ained in his soul ,hich set him for evermore apart. =t ,as the same later on ,hen they met other old companions ,ho had 'one into that zone of horror. 8ost of them had lost or 'ained somethin' impondera3le and indescri3a3le. They had seen or heard or felt somethin' ,hich ,as not for human creaturesA and could not for'et it. 4rom them there ,as never any 'ossipA for to even the commonest of mortal instincts there are terri3le 3oundaries. And from that sin'le messen'er the party at the shore cau'ht a nameless a,e ,hich almost sealed their o,n lips. ?ery fe, are the rumours ,hich ever came from any of themA and Eleazar Smith<s diary is the only ,ritten record ,hich has survived from that ,hole e%pedition ,hich set forth from the Si'n of the 7olden 5ion under the stars. Charles WardA ho,everA discovered another va'ue sideli'ht in some 4enner correspondence ,hich he found in ;e, 5ondonA ,here he !ne, another 3ranch of the family had lived. =t seems that the 4ennersA from ,hose house the doomed farm ,as distantly visi3leA had ,atched the departin' columns of raidersB and had heard very clearly the an'ry 3ar!in' of the Cur,en do'sA follo,ed 3y the first shrill 3last ,hich precipitated the attac!. This 3last had 3een follo,ed 3y a repetition of the 'reat shaft of li'ht from the stone 3uildin'A and in another momentA after a Duic! soundin' of the second si'nal orderin' a 'eneral invasionA there had come a su3dued prattle of mus!etry follo,ed 3y a horri3le roarin' cry ,hich the correspondent 5u!e 4enner had represented in his epistle 3y the characters +Waaaa"rrrrr-*+$aaa"rrr%< This cryA ho,everA had possessed a Duality ,hich no mere ,ritin' could conveyA and the correspondent mentions that his mother fainted completely at the sound. =t ,as later repeated less loudlyA and further 3ut more muffled evidences of 'unfire ensuedB to'ether ,ith a loud e%plosion of po,der from the direction of the river. A3out an hour after,ard all the do's 3e'an to 3ar! fri'htfullyA and there ,ere va'ue 'round rum3lin's so mar!ed that the candlestic!s tottered on the mantelpiece. A stron' smell of sulphur ,as notedB and 5u!e 4enner<s father declared that he heard the third or emer'ency ,histle si'nalA thou'h the others failed to detect it. 8uffled mus!etry sounded a'ainA follo,ed 3y a deep scream less piercin' 3ut even more horri3le than the those ,hich had preceded itB a !ind of throatyA nastily plastic cou'h or 'ur'le ,hose Duality as a scream must have come more from its continuity and psycholo'ical import than from its actual acoustic value. Then the flamin' thin' 3urst into si'ht at a point ,here the Cur,en farm ou'ht to lieA and the human cries of desperate and fri'htened men ,ere heard. 8us!ets flashed and crac!edA and the flamin' thin' fell to the 'round. A second flamin' thin' appearedA and a shrie! of human ori'in ,as plainly distin'uished. 4enner ,rote that he could even 'ather a fe, ,ords 3elched in frenzy9 Almi'htyA protect thy lam3F Then there ,ere more shotsA and the second flamin' thin' fell. After that came silence for a3out three1Duarters of an hourB at the end of ,hich time little Arthur 4ennerA 5u!e<s 3rotherA e%claimed that he sa, La red fo'L 'oin' up to the stars from the accursed farm in the distance. ;o one 3ut the child can testify to thisA 3ut 5u!e admits the si'nificant coincidence implied 3y the panic of almost convulsive fri'ht ,hich at the same moment arched the 3ac!s and stiffened the fur of the three cats then ,ithin the room.

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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4ive minutes later a chill ,ind 3le, upA and the air 3ecame suffused ,ith an intolera3le stench that only the stron' freshness of the sea could have prevented its 3ein' notice 3y the shore party or 3y any ,a!eful souls in the >a,tu%et villa'e. This stench ,as nothin' ,hich any of the 4enners had ever encountered 3eforeA and produced a !ind of clutchin'A amorphous fear 3eyond that of the tom3 or the charnel1house. Close upon it came the a,ful voice ,hich no hapless hearer ,ill ever 3e a3le to for'et. =t thundered out of the s!y li!e a doomA and ,indo,s rattled as its echoes died a,ay. =t ,as deep and musicalB po,erful as a 3ass or'anA 3ut evil as the for3idden 3oo!s of the Ara3s. What it said no man can tellA for it spo!e in an un!no,n ton'ueA 3ut this is the ,ritin' 5u!e 4enner set do,n to portray the daemoniac intonations9 <$EES8EES 6ES2ET B+;E $+SE4E $(?E8A E;=TE8+SS.< ;ot till the year 1)1) did any soul lin! this crude transcript ,ith anythin' else in mortal !no,led'eA 3ut Charles Ward paled as he reco'nised ,hat 8irandola had denounced in shudders as the ultimate horror amon' 3lac! ma'ic<s incantations. An unmista!a3le human shout or deep chorused scream seemed to ans,er this mali'n ,onder from the Cur,en farmA after ,hich the un!no,n stench 're, comple% ,ith an added odour eDually intolera3le. A ,ailin' distinctly different from the scream no, 3urst outA and ,as protracted ululantly in risin' and fallin' paro%ysms. At times it 3ecame almost articulateA thou'h no auditor could trace any definite ,ordsB and at one point it seemed to ver'e to,ard the confines of dia3olic and hysterical lau'hter. Then a yell of utterA ultimate fri'ht and star! madness ,renched from scores of human throats 1 a yell ,hich came stron' and clear despite the depth from ,hich it must have 3urstB after ,hich dar!ness and silence ruled all thin's. Spirals of acrid smo!e ascended to 3lot out the starsA thou'h no flames appeared and no 3uildin's ,ere o3served to 3e 'one or inCured on the follo,in' day. To,ard da,n t,o fri'htened messen'ers ,ith monstrous and unplacea3le odours saturatin' their clothin' !noc!ed at the 4enner door and reDuested a !e' of rumA for ,hich they paid very ,ell indeed. +ne of them told the family that the affair of 6oseph Cur,en ,as overA and that the events of the ni'ht ,ere not to 3e mentioned a'ain. Arro'ant as the order seemedA the aspect of him ,ho 'ave it too! a,ay all resentment and lent it a fearsome authorityB so that only these furtive letters of 5u!e 4ennerA ,hich he ur'ed his Connecticut relative to destroyA remain to tell ,hat ,as seen and heard. The non1 compliance of that relativeA ,here3y the letters ,ere saved after allA has alone !ept the matter from a merciful o3livion. Charles Ward had one detail to add as a result of a lon' canvass of >a,tu%et residents for ancestral traditions. +ld Charles Slocum of that villa'e said that there ,as !no,n to his 'randfather a Dueer rumour concernin' a charredA distorted 3ody found in the fields a ,ee! after the death of 6oseph Cur,en ,as announced. What !ept the tal! alive ,as the notion that this 3odyA so far as could 3e seen in its 3urnt and t,isted conditionA ,as neither thorou'hly human nor ,holly allied to any animal ,hich >a,tu%et fol! had ever seen or read a3out. ;ot one man ,ho participated in that terri3le raid could ever 3e induced to say a ,ord concernin' itA and every fra'ment of the va'ue data ,hich survives comes from those outside the final fi'htin' party. There is somethin' fri'htful in the care ,ith ,hich these actual raiders destroyed each scrap ,hich 3ore the least allusion to the matter. Ei'ht sailors had 3een !illedA 3ut althou'h their 3odies ,ere not produced their families ,ere satisfied

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

-7

,ith the statement that a clash ,ith customs officers had occurred. The same statement also covered the numerous cases of ,oundsA all of ,hich ,ere e%tensively 3anda'ed and treated only 3y $r. 6a3ez Bo,enA ,ho had accompanied the party. 2ardest to e%plain ,as the nameless odour clin'in' to all the raidersA a thin' ,hich ,as discussed for ,ee!s. +f the citizen leadersA Capt. Whipple and 8oses Bro,n ,ere most severely hurtA and letters of their ,ives testify the 3e,ilderment ,hich their reticence and close 'uardin' of their 3anda'es produced. >sycholo'ically every participant ,as a'edA so3eredA and sha!en. =t is fortunate that they ,ere all stron' men of action and simpleA orthodo% reli'ionistsA for ,ith more su3tle introspectiveness and mental comple%ity they ,ould have fared ill indeed. >resident 8annin' ,as the most distur3edB 3ut even he out're, the dar!est shado,A and smothered memories in prayers. Every man of those leaders had a stirrin' part to play in later yearsA and it is perhaps fortunate that this is so. 5ittle more than a t,elvemonth after,ard Capt. Whipple led the mo3 ,ho 3urnt the revenue ship GaspeeA and in this 3old act ,e may trace one step in the 3lottin' out of un,holesome ima'es. There ,as delivered to the ,ido, of 6oseph Cur,en a sealed leaden coffin of curious desi'nA o3viously found ready on the spot ,hen neededA in ,hich she ,as told her hus3and<s 3ody lay. 2e hadA it ,as e%plainedA 3een !illed in a customs 3attle a3out ,hich it ,as not politic to 'ive details. 8ore than this no ton'ue ever uttered of 6oseph Cur,en<s endA and Charles Ward had only a sin'le hint ,here,ith to construct a theory. This hint ,as the merest thread 1 a sha!y underscorin' of a passa'e in 6edediah +rne<s confiscated letter to Cur,enA as partly copied in Ezra Weeden<s hand,ritin'. The copy ,as found in the possession of Smith<s descendantsB and ,e are left to decide ,hether Weeden 'ave it to his companion after the endA as a mute clue to the a3normality ,hich had occurredA or ,hetherA as is more pro3a3leA Smith had it 3eforeA and added the underscorin' himself from ,hat he had mana'ed to e%tract from his friend 3y shre,d 'uessin' and adroit cross1 Duestionin'. The underlined passa'e is merely this9 = say to you a'aineA doe not call up Any that you can not put do,neB 3y the Which = meaneA Any that can in Turne call up Some,hat a'ainst youA ,here3y your >o,erfullest $evices may not 3e of use. As! of the 5esserA lest the 7reater shal not ,ish to Ans,erA and shal commande more than you. =n the li'ht of this passa'eA and reflectin' on ,hat last unmentiona3le allies a 3eaten man mi'ht try to summon in his direst e%tremityA Charles Ward may ,ell have ,ondered ,hether any citizen of >rovidence !illed 6oseph Cur,en. The deli3erate effacement of every memory of the dead man from >rovidence life and annals ,as vastly aided 3y the influence of the raidin' leaders. They had not at first meant to 3e so thorou'hA and had allo,ed the ,ido, and her father and child to remain in i'norance of the true conditionsB 3ut Capt. Tillin'hast ,as an astute manA and soon uncovered enou'h rumours to ,het his horror and cause him to demand that the dau'hter and 'randdau'hter chan'e their nameA 3urn the li3rary and all remainin' papersA and chisel the inscription from the slate sla3 a3ove 6oseph Cur,en<s 'rave. 2e !ne, Capt. Whipple ,ellA and pro3a3ly e%tracted more hints from that 3luff mariner and anyone else ever 'ained repectin' the end of the accursed sorcerer. 4rom that time on the o3literation of Cur,en<s memory 3ecame increasin'ly ri'idA e%tendin' at last 3y common consent even to the to,n records and files of the Ga2ette. =t can 3e compared in spirit only to the hush that lay on +scar Wilde<s name for a decade

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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after his dis'raceA and in e%tent only to the fate of that sinful 0in' of :unazar in 5ord $unsany<s taleA ,hom the 7ods decided must not only cease to 3eA 3ut must cease ever to have 3een. 8rs. Tillin'hastA as the ,ido, 3ecame !no,n after 177"A sold the house in +lney Court and resided ,ith her father in >o,er<s 5ane till her death in 1817. The farm at >a,tu%etA shunned 3y every livin' soulA remained to moulder throu'h the yearsB and seemed to decay ,ith unaccounta3le rapidity. By 178* only the stone and 3ric!,or! ,ere standin'A and 3y 18** even these had fallen to shapeless heaps. ;one ventured to pierce the tan'led shru33ery on the river13an! 3ehind ,hich the hillside door may have lainA nor did any try to frame a definite ima'e of the scenes amidst ,hich 6oseph Cur,en departed from the horrors he had ,rou'ht. +nly ro3ust old Capt. Whipple ,as heard 3y alert listeners to mutter once in a ,hile to himselfA L>o% on that 111111A 3ut he had no 3usiness to lau'h ,hile he screamed. <T,as as thou'h the damn<d 111111 had some<at up his sleeve. 4or half a cro,n =<d 3urn his 111111 home.<

,,,. A Se rch #$ # Evoc tio#

1 Charles WardA as ,e have seenA first learned in 1)18 of his descent from 6oseph Cur,en. That he at once too! an intense interest in everythin' pertainin' to the 3y'one mystery is not to 3e ,ondered atB for every va'ue rumour that he had heard of Cur,en no, 3ecame somethin' vital to himselfA in ,hom flo,ed Cur,en<s 3lood. ;o spirited and ima'inative 'enealo'ist could have done other,ise than 3e'in forth,ith an avid and systematic collection of Cur,en data. =n his first delvin's there ,as not the sli'htest attempt at secrecyB so that even $r. 5yman hesitates to date the youth<s madness from any period 3efore the close of 1)1). 2e tal!ed freely ,ith his family 1 thou'h his mother ,as not particularly pleased to o,n an ancestor li!e Cur,en 1 and ,ith the officials of the various museums and li3raries he visited. =n applyin' to private families for records thou'ht to 3e in their possession he made no concealment of his o3CectA and shared the some,hat amused scepticism ,ith ,hich the accounts of the old diarists and letter1,riters ,ere re'arded. 2e often e%pressed a !een ,onder as to ,hat really had ta!en place a century and a half 3efore at the >a,tu%et farmhouse ,hose site he vainly tried to findA and ,hat 6oseph Cur,en really had 3een. When he came across the Smith diary and archives and encountered the letter from 6edediah +rne he decided to visit Salem and loo! up Cur,en<s early activities and conne%ions thereA ,hich he did durin' the Easter vacation of 1)1). At the Esse% =nstituteA ,hich ,as ,ell !no,n to him from former soCourns in the 'lamorous old to,n of crum3lin' >uritan 'a3les and clustered 'am3rel roofsA he ,as very !indly receivedA and unearthed there a considera3le amount of Cur,en data. 2e found that his ancestor ,as 3orn in Salem1?illa'eA no, $anversA seven miles from to,nA on the ei'hteenth of 4e3ruary J+.S.K 1--"1&B and that he had run a,ay to sea at the a'e of fifteenA not appearin' a'ain for nine yearsA ,hen he returned ,ith the speechA dressA and manners of a native En'lishman

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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and settled in Salem proper. At that time he had little to do ,ith his familyA 3ut spent most of his hours ,ith the curious 3oo!s he had 3rou'ht from EuropeA and the stran'e chemicals ,hich came for him on ships from En'landA 4ranceA and 2olland. Certain trips of his into the country ,ere the o3Cects of much local inDuisitivenessA and ,ere ,hisperin'ly associated ,ith va'ue rumours of fires on the hills at ni'ht. Cur,en<s only close friends had 3een one Ed,ard 2utchinson of Salem1?illa'e and one Simon +rne of Salem. With these men he ,as often seen in conference a3out the CommonA and visits amon' them ,ere 3y no means infreDuent. 2utchinson had a house ,ell out to,ard the ,oodsA and it ,as not alto'ether li!ed 3y sensitive people 3ecause of the sounds heard there at ni'ht. 2e ,as said to entertain stran'e visitorsA and the li'hts seen from his ,indo,s ,ere not al,ays of the same colour. The !no,led'e he displayed concernin' lon'1dead persons and lon'1for'otten events ,as considered distinctly un,holesomeA and he disappeared a3out the time the ,itchcraft panic 3e'anA never to 3e heard from a'ain. At that time 6oseph Cur,en also departedA 3ut his settlement in >rovidence ,as soon learned of. Simon +rne lived in Salem until 17"*A ,hen his failure to 'ro, visi3ly old 3e'an to e%cite attention. 2e thereafter disappearedA thou'h thirty years later his precise counterpart and self1styled son turned up to claim his property. The claim ,as allo,ed on the stren'th of documents in Simon +rne<s !no,n handA and 6edediah +rne continued to d,ell in Salem till 1771A ,hen certain letters from >rovidence citizens to the :ev. Thomas Barnard and others 3rou'ht a3out his Duiet removal to parts un!no,n. Certain documents 3y and a3out all of the stran'e characters ,ere availa3le at teh Esse% =nstituteA the Court 2ouseA and the :e'istry of $eedsA and included 3oth harmless commonplaces such as land titles and 3ills of saleA and furtive fra'ments of a more provocative nature. There ,ere four or five unmista!a3le allusions to them on the ,itchcraft trial recordsB as ,hen one 2epzi3ah 5a,son s,ore on 6uly 1*A 1-)"A at the Court of +yer and Terminer under 6ud'e 2athorneA that9 <fortie Witches and the Blac!e 8an ,ere ,ont to meete in the Woodes 3ehind 8r. 2utchinson<s house<A and one Amity 2o, declared at a session of Au'ust 8th 3efore 6ud'e 7edney that9<8r. 7. B. J:ev. 7eor'e Burrou'hsK on that ;i'hte putt ye $ivell his 8ar!e upon Brid'et S.A 6onathan A.A Simon '%& $eliverance W.A Josep" C%A Susan >.A 8ehita3le C.A and $e3orah B.< Then there ,as a catalo'ue of 2utchinson<s uncanny li3rary as found after his disappearanceA and an unfinished manuscript in his hand,ritin'A couched in a cipher none could read. Ward had a photostatic copy of this manuscript madeA and 3e'an to ,or! casually on the cipher as soon as it ,as delivered to him. After the follo,in' Au'ust his la3ours on the cipher 3ecame intense and feverishA and there is reason to 3elieve from his speech and conduct that he hit upon the !ey 3efore +cto3er or ;ovem3er. 2e never statedA thou'hA ,hether or not he had succeeded. But of 'reatest immediate interest ,as the +rne material. =t too! Ward only a short time to prove from identity of penmanship a thin' he had already considered esta3lished from the te%t of the letter to Cur,enB namelyA that Simon +rne and his supposed son ,ere one and the same person. As +rne had said to his correspondentA it ,as hardly safe to live too lon' in SalemA hence he resorted to a thirty1year soCourn a3roadA and did not return to claim his lands e%cept as a representative of a ne, 'eneration. +rne had apparently 3een careful to destroy most of his correspondenceA 3ut the citizens ,ho too! action in 1771 found and preserved a fe, letters and papers ,hich e%cited their ,onder. There ,ere cryptic formulae and dia'rams in his and other hands ,hich Ward no, either copied ,ith care or had

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

7*

photo'raphedA and one e%tremely mysterious letter in a chiro'raphy that the searcher reco'nised from items in the :e'istry of $eeds as positively 6oseph Cur,en<s. This Cur,en letterA thou'h undated as to the yearA ,as evidently not the one in ans,er to ,hich +rne had ,ritten the confiscated missiveB and from internal evidence Ward placed it not much later than 17 *. =t may not 3e amiss to 'ive the te%t in fullA as a sample of the style of one ,hose history ,as so dar! and terri3le. The recipient is addressed as LSimonLA 3ut a line J,hether dra,n 3y Cur,en or +rne Ward could not tellK is run throu'h the ,ord.

>rovidenceA 1. 8ay Brother91 8y honour<d Antient 4riendeA due :espects and earnest Wishes to 2im ,hom ,e serue for yr eternall >o,er. = am Cust come upon That ,hich you ou'ht to !no,eA concern<' the 8atter of the 5aste E%tremitie and ,hat to doe re'ard<' yt. = am not dispos<d to follo,e you in 'o<' A,ay on acct. of my .earesA for >rouidence hath not ye Sharpeness of ye Bay in hunt<' oute uncommon Thin's and 3rin'in'e to Tryall. = am ty<d up in Shippes and 7oodesA and cou<d not doe as you didA 3esides the Whiche my 4arme at >atu%et hath under it What you 0no,eA and ,ou<d not ,aite for my com<' Bac!e as an +ther. But = am unreadie for harde 4ortunesA as = haue tolde youA and haue lon'e ,or!<d upon ye Way of 'et<' Bac!e after ye 5aste. = laste ;i'ht struc!e on ye Wordes that 3rin'e up .+77E1S+T2+T2EA and sa,e for ye first Time that 4ace spo!e of 3y =3n Schaca3ao in ye 111111. And =T saidA that ye === >salme in ye 5i3er1$amnatus holdes ye Clauicle. With Sunne in ? 2ouseA Saturne in TrineA dra,e ye >enta'ram of 4ireA and saye ye ninth (erse thrice. This (erse repeate eache :oodemas and 2allo,<s EueB and ye Thin' ,ill 3reede in ye +utside Spheres. And of ye Seede of 'lde s"al 'ne be borne $"o s"al looke Backe& t"o+ kno$+g not $"at "e seekes% .ett ,ill this auaile ;othin' if there 3e no 2eirA and if the SaltesA or the Way to ma!e the SaltesA 3ee not :eadie for his 2andeB and here = ,ill o,neA = haue not ta!en needed Stepps nor founde 8uch. .e >rocess is pla'uy harde to come neareB and it used up such a Store of SpecimensA = am harde putte to it to 'et Enou'hA not,ithstand<' the Sailors = haue from ye =ndies. .e >eople a3oute are 3ecome curiousA 3ut = can stande them off. .e 7entry are ,orse that the >opulaceA 3e<' more Circumstantiall in their Accts. and more 3elieu<d in ,hat they tell. That >arson and 8r. 8erritt haue tal!<d SomeA = am fearfullA 3ut no Thin' soe far is $an'erous. .e Chymical Su3stances are easie of 'et<'A there 3e<' ==. 'oode Chymists in To,neA $rA Bo,en and Sam9 Care,. = am foll<' oute ,hat Borellus saithA and haue 2elpe in A3dool Al12azred his ?==. Boo!e. Whateuer = 'etteA you shal haue. And in ye meane ,hileA do not ne'lect to ma!e use of ye Wordes = haue here 'iuen. = haue them :i'hteA 3ut if you $esire to see 2=8A imploy the Writin's on ye >iece of 111111 that = am putt<' in this >ac!et. Saye ye (erses euery :oodmas and 2allo,<s EueB and if ye 5ine runn out notA one s"al bee in yeares to come t"at

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

71

s"al looke backe and use $"at Saltes or Stuff for Saltes you s"al leaue "im% 6o3 R=?. R=?. = reCoice you are a'ain at SalemA and hope = may see you not lon'e hence. = haue a 'oode StallionA and am thin!<' of 'et<' a CoachA there 3e<' one J8r. 8erritt<sK in >rouidence alreadyA tho< ye :oades are 3ad. =f you are dispos<d to TrauelA doe not pass me 3ye. 4rom Boston ta!e ye >ost :d. thro< $edhamA WrenthamA and Attle3orou'hA 'oode Tauerns 3e<' at all these To,nes. Stop at 8r. Balcom<s in WrenthamA ,here ye Beddes are finer than 8r. 2atch<sA 3ut eate at ye other 2ouse for their Coo!e is 3etter. Turne into >rou. 3y >atuc!et 4allsA and ye :d. past 8r. Sayles<s Tauern. 8y 2ouse opp. 8r. Epenetus +lney<s Tauern off ye To,ne StreetA =st on ye ;. side of +lney<s Court. $istance from Boston Stone a3t. R5=? 8iles. SirA = am ye olde and true 4riend and Serut. in Almonsin18etraton. 6osephus C. To 8r. Simon +rneA William<s15aneA in Salem. This letterA oddly enou'hA ,as ,hat first 'ave Ward the e%act location of Cur,en<s >rovidence homeB for none of the records encountered up to that time had 3een at all specific. The discovery ,as dou3ly stri!in' 3ecause it indicated as the ne,er Cur,en houseA 3uilt in 17-1 on the site of the oldA a dilapidated 3uildin' still standin' in +lney Court and ,ell !no,n to Ward in his antiDuarian ram3les over Stampers< 2ill. The place ,as indeed only a fe, sDuares from his o,n home on the 'reat hill<s hi'her 'roundA and ,as no, the a3ode of a ne'ro family much esteemed for occasional ,ashin'A housecleanin'A and furnace1tendin' services. To findA in distant SalemA such sudden proof of the si'nificance of this familiar roo!ery in his o,n family historyA ,as a hi'hly impressive thin' to WardB and he resolved to e%plore the place immediately upon his return. The more mystical phases of the letterA ,hich he too! to 3e some e%trava'ant !ind of sym3olismA fran!ly 3affled himB thou'h he noted ,ith a thrill of curiousity that the Bi3lical passa'e referred to 1 6o3 1#A1# 1 ,as the familiar verseA <=f a man dieA shall he live a'ainG All the days of my appointed time ,ill = ,aitA until my chan'e come.< " .oun' Ward came home in a state of pleasant e%citementA and spent the follo,in' Saturday in a lon' and e%haustive study of the house in +lney Court. The placeA no, crum3lin' ,ith a'eA had never 3een a mansionB 3ut ,as a modest t,o1and1a1half story ,ooden to,n house of the familiar >rovidence colonial typeA ,ith plain pea!ed roofA lar'e central chimneyA and artistically carved door,ay ,ith rayed fanli'htA trian'ular pedimentA and trim $oric pilasters. =t had suffered 3ut little alteration e%ternallyA and Ward felt he ,as 'azin' on somethin' very close to the sinister matters of his Duest. The present ne'ro inha3itants ,ere !no,n to himA and he ,as very courteously she,n a3out the interior 3y old Asa and his stout ,ife 2annah. 2ere there ,as more chan'e than the outside indicatedA and Ward sa, ,ith re'ret that fully half of the fine scroll1and1urn overmantels and shell1carved cup3oard linin's ,ere 'oneA ,hilst most of the fine ,ainscottin' and 3olection mouldin' ,as mar!edA hac!edA and 'ou'edA or covered up

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

7"

alto'ether ,ith cheap ,all1paper. =n 'eneralA the survey did not yield as much as Ward had someho, e%pectedB 3ut it ,as at least e%citin' to stand ,ithin the ancestral ,alls ,hich had housed such a man of horror as 6oseph Cur,en. 2e sa, ,ith a thrill that a mono'ram had 3een very carefully effaced from the ancient 3rass !noc!er. 4rom then until after the close of school Ward spent his time on the photostatic copy of the 2utchinson cipher and the accumulation of local Cur,en data. The former still proved unyieldin'B 3ut of the latter he o3tained so muchA and so many clues to similar data else,hereA that he ,as ready 3y 6uly to ma!e a trip to ;e, 5ondon and ;e, .or! to consult old letters ,hose presence in those places ,as indicated. This trip ,as very fruitfulA for it 3rou'ht him the 4enner letters ,ith their terri3le description of the >a,tu%et farmhouse raidA and the ;i'htin'ale1Tal3ot letters in ,hich he learned of the portrait painted on a panel of the Cur,en li3rary. This matter of the portrait interested him particularlyA since he ,ould have 'iven much to !no, Cust ,hat 6oseph Cur,en loo!ed li!eB and he decided to ma!e a second search of the house in +lney Court to see if there mi'ht not 3e some trace of the ancient features 3eneath peelin' coats of later paint or layers of mouldy ,all1paper. Early in Au'ust that search too! placeA and Ward ,ent carefully over the ,alls of every room sizea3le enou'h to have 3een 3y any possi3ility the li3rary of the evil 3uilder. 2e paid especial attention to the lar'e panels of such overmantels as still remainedB and ,as !eenly e%cited after a3out an hourA ,hen on a 3road area a3ove the fireplace in a spacious 'round1floor room he 3ecame certain that the surface 3rou'ht out 3y the peelin' of several coats of paint ,as sensi3ly dar!er than any ordinary interior paint or the ,ood 3eneath it ,as li!ely to have 3een. A fe, more careful tests ,ith a thin !nifeA and he !ne, that he had come upon an oil portrait of 'reat e%tent. With truly scholarly restraint the youth did not ris! the dama'e ,hich an immediate attempt to uncover the hidden picture ,ith the !nife mi'ht have 3eenA 3ut Cust retired from the scene of his discovery to enlist e%pert help. =n three days he returned ,ith an artist of lon' e%perienceA 8r. Walter C. $,i'htA ,hose studio is near the foot of Colle'e 2illB and that accomplished restorer of paintin's set to ,or! at once ,ith proper methods and chemical su3stances. +ld Asa and his ,ife ,ere duly e%cited over their stran'e visitorsA and ,ere properly reim3ursed for this invasion of their domestic hearth. As day 3y the day the ,or! of restoration pro'ressedA Charles Ward loo!ed on ,ith 'ro,in' interest at the lines and shades 'radually unveiled after their lon' o3livion. $,i'ht had 3e'un at the 3ottomB hence since the picture ,as a three1Duarter1len'th oneA the face did not come out for some time. =t ,as mean,hile seen that the su3Cect ,as a spareA ,ell1shaped man ,ith dar!13lue coatA em3roidered ,aistcoatA 3lac! satin small1 clothesA and ,hite sil! stoc!in'sA seated in a carved chair a'ainst the 3ac!'round of a ,indo, ,ith ,harves and ships 3eyond. When the head came out it ,as o3served to 3ear a neat Al3emarle ,i'A and to possess a thinA calmA undistin'uished face ,hich seemed someho, familiar to 3oth Ward and the artist. +nly at the very lastA thou'hA did the restorer and his client 3e'in to 'rasp ,ith astonishment at the details of that leanA pallid visa'eA and to reco'nise ,ith a touch of a,e the dramatic tric! ,hich heredity had played. 4or it too! the final 3ath of oil and the final stro!e of the delicate scraper to 3rin' out fully the e%pression ,hich centuries had hiddenB and to confront the 3e,ildered Charles $e%ter WardA d,eller in the pastA ,ith his o,n livin' features in the countenance of his horri3le 'reat1'reat1'reat1'randfather.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

7&

Ward 3rou'ht his parents to see the marvel he had uncoveredA and his father at once determined to purchase the picture despite its e%ecution on stationary panellin'. The resem3lance to the 3oyA despite an appearance of rather 'reat a'eA ,as marvellousB and it could 3e seen that throu'h some tric! of atavism the physical contours of 6oseph Cur,en had found precise duplication after a century and a half. 8rs. Ward<s resem3lance to her ancestor ,as not at all mar!edA thou'h she could recall relatives ,ho had some of the facial characteristics shared 3y her son and 3y the 3y'one Cur,en. She did not relish the discoveryA and told her hus3and that he had 3etter 3urn the picture instead of 3rin'in' it home. There ,asA she averredA somethin' un,holesome a3out itB not only intrinsicallyA 3ut in its very resem3lance to Charles. 8r. WardA ho,everA ,as a practical man of po,er and affairs 1 a cotton manufacturer ,ith e%tensive mills at :iverpoint in the >a,tu%et ?alley 1 and not one to listen to feminine scruples. The picture impressed him mi'htily ,ith its li!eness to his sonA and he 3elieved the 3oy deserved it as a present. =n this opinionA it is needless to sayA Charles most heartily concurredB and a fe, days later 8r. Ward located the o,ner of the house 1 a small rodent1featured person ,ith a 'uttural accent 1 and o3tained the ,hole mantel and overmantel 3earin' the picture at a curtly fi%ed price ,hich cut short the impendin' torrent of unctuous ha''lin'. =t no, remained to ta!e off the panellin' and remove it to the Ward homeA ,here provisions ,ere made for its thorou'h restoration and installation ,ith an electric moc!1 fireplace in Charles<s third1floor study or li3rary. To Charles ,as left the tas! of superintendin' this removalA and on the t,enty1ei'hth of Au'ust he accompanied t,o e%pert ,or!men from the Croo!er decoratin' firm to the house in +lney CourtA ,here the mantel and portrait13earin' overmantel ,ere detached ,ith 'reat care and precision for transportation in the company<s motor truc!. There ,as left a space of e%posed 3ric!,or! mar!in' the chimney<s courseA and in this youn' Ward o3served a cu3ical recess a3out a foot sDuareA ,hich must have lain directly 3ehind the head of the portrait. Curious as to ,hat such a space mi'ht mean or containA the youth approached and loo!ed ,ithinB findin' 3eneath the deep coatin's of dust and soot some loose yello,ed papersA a crudeA thic! copy3oo!A and a fe, moulderin' te%tile shreds ,hich may have formed the ri33on 3indin' the rest to'ether. Blo,in' a,ay the 3ul! of the dirt and cindersA he too! up the 3oo! and loo!ed at the 3old inscription on its cover. =t ,as in a hand ,hich he had learned to reco'nise at the Esse% =nstituteA and proclaimed the volume as the +Journall and -otes of Jos8 Cur$en& Gent% of ,rouidence-,lantations& (ate of Salem%+ E%cited 3eyond measure 3y his discoveryA Ward she,ed the 3oo! to the t,o curious ,or!men 3eside him. Their testimony is a3solute as to the nature and 'enuineness of the findin'A and $r. Willett relies on them to help esta3lish his theory that the youth ,as not mad ,hen he 3e'an his maCor eccentricities. All the other papers ,ere li!e,ise in Cur,en<s hand,ritin'A and one of them seemed especially portentous 3ecause of its inscription9 +To 9im W"o S"al Come After& : 9o$ 9e May Gett Beyonde Time : ;e Sp"eres%+ Another ,as in a cipherB the sameA Ward hopedA as the 2utchinson cipher ,hich had hitherto 3affled him. A thirdA and here the searcher reCoicedA seemed to 3e a !ey to the cipherB ,hilst the fourth and fifth ,ere addressed respectively to9<Ed,9 2utchinsonA Armi'er< and 6edediah +rneA esD.<A <or Their 2eir or 2eirsA or Those :epresent<' Them.< The si%th and last ,as inscri3ed9 +Josep" Cur$en "is (ife and Tra!ells Bet+n ye yeares <=>? and <=?>8 'f W"it"er 9e .oyag+d& W"ere 9e Stay+d& W"om 9e Sa$e& and W"at 9e (earnt%+

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward &

7#

We have no, reached the point from ,hich the more academic school of alienists date Charles Ward<s madness. (pon his discovery the youth had loo!ed immediately at a fe, of the inner pa'es of the 3oo! and manuscriptsA and had evidently seen somethin' ,hich impressed him tremendously. =ndeedA in she,in' the titles to the ,or!menA he appeared to 'uard the te%t itself ,ith peculiar careA and to la3our under a pertur3ation for ,hich even the antiDuarian and 'enealo'ical si'nificance of the find could hardly account. (pon returnin' home he 3ro!e the ne,s ,ith an almost em3arrassed airA as if he ,ished to convey an idea of its supreme importance ,ithout havin' to e%hi3it the evidence itself. 2e did not even she, the titles to his parentsA 3ut simply told them that he had found some documents in 6oseph Cur,en<s hand,ritin'A <mostly in cipher<A ,hich ,ould have to 3e studied very carefully 3efore yieldin' up their true meanin'. =t is unli!ely that he ,ould have she,n ,hat he did to the ,or!menA had it not 3een for their unconcealed curiousity. As it ,as he dou3tless ,ished to avoid any display of peculiar reticence ,hich ,ould increase their discussion of the matter. That ni'ht Charles Ward sat up in his room readin' the ne,1found 3oo! and papersA and ,hen day came he did not desist. 2is mealsA on his ur'ent reDuest ,hen his mother called to see ,hat ,as amissA ,ere sent up to himB and in the afternoon he appeared only 3riefly ,hen the men came to install the Cur,en picture and mantelpiece in his study. The ne%t ni'ht he slept in snatches in his clothesA mean,hile ,restlin' feverishly ,ith the unravellin' of the cipher manuscript. =n the mornin' his mother sa, that he ,as at ,or! on the photostatic copy of the 2utchinson cipherA ,hich he had freDuently she,n her 3eforeB 3ut in response to her Duery he said that the Cur,en !ey could not 3e applied to it. That afternoon he a3andoned his ,or! and ,atched the men fascinatedly as they finished their installation of the picture ,ith its ,ood,or! a3ove a cleverly realistic electric lo'A settin' the moc!1fireplace and overmantel a little out from the north ,all as if a chimney e%istedA and 3o%in' in the sides ,ith panellin' to match the room<s. The front panel holdin' the picture ,as sa,n and hin'ed to allo, cup3oard space 3ehind it. After the ,or!men ,ent he moved his ,or! into the study and sat do,n 3efore it ,ith his eyes half on the cipher and half on the portrait ,hich stared 3ac! at him li!e a year1addin' and century1recallin' mirror. 2is parentsA su3seDuently recallin' his conduct at this periodA 'ive interestin' details anent the policy of concealment ,hich he practised. Before servants he seldom hid any paper ,hich he mi'ht 3y studyin'A since he ri'htly assumed that Cur,en<s intricate and archaic chiro'raphy ,ould 3e too much for them. With his parentsA ho,everA he ,as more circumspectB and unless the manuscript in Duestion ,ere a cipherA or a mere mass of cryptic sym3ols and un!no,n ideo'raphs Jas that entitled +To 9im W"o S"al Come After& etc%+ seemed to 3eKA he ,ould cover it ,ith some convenient paper until his caller had departed. At ni'ht he !ept the papers under loc! and !ey in an antiDue ca3inet of hisA ,here he also placed them ,henever he left the room. 2e soon resumed fairly re'ular hours and ha3itsA e%cept that his lon' ,al!s and other outside interests seemed to cease. The openin' of schoolA ,here he no, 3e'an his senior yearA seemed a 'reat 3ore to himB and he freDuently asserted his determination never to 3other ,ith colle'e. 2e hadA he saidA important special investi'ations to ma!eA ,hich ,ould provide him ,ith more avenues to,ard !no,led'e and the humanities than any university ,hich the ,orld could 3oast.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

;aturallyA only one ,ho had al,ays 3een more or less studiousA eccentricA and solitary could have pursued this course for many days ,ithout attractin' notice. WardA ho,everA ,as constitutionally a scholar and a hermitB hence his parents ,ere less surprised than re'retful at the close confinement and secrecy he adopted. At the same timeA 3oth his father and mother thou'ht it odd that he ,ould she, them no scrap of his treasure1troveA nor 'ive any connected account of such data as he had deciphered. This reticence he e%plained a,ay as due to a ,ish to ,ait until he mi'ht announce some connected revelationA 3ut as the ,ee!s passed ,ithout further disclosures there 3e'an to 'ro, up 3et,een the youth and his family a !ind of constraintB intensified in his mother<s case 3y her manifest disapproval of all Cur,en delvin's. $urin' +cto3er Ward 3e'an visitin' the li3raries a'ainA 3ut no lon'er for the antiDuarian matter of his former days. Witchcraft and ma'icA occultism and daemonolo'yA ,ere ,hat he sou'ht no,B and ,hen >rovidence sources proved unfruitful he ,ould ta!e the train for Boston and tap the ,ealth of the 'reat li3rary in Copley SDuareA the Widener 5i3rary at 2arvardA or the @ion :esearch 5i3rary in Broo!lineA ,here certain rare ,or!s on Bi3lical su3Cects are availa3le. 2e 3ou'ht e%tensivelyA and fitted up a ,hole additional set of shelves in his study for ne,ly acDuired ,or!s on uncanny su3CectsB ,hile durin' the Christmas holidays he made a round of out1of1to,n trips includin' one to Salem to consult certain records at the Esse% =nstitute. A3out the middle of 6anuaryA 1)"*A there entered Ward<s 3earin' an element of triumph ,hich he did not e%plainA and he ,as no more found at ,or! upon the 2utchinson cipher. =nsteadA he inau'urated a dual policy of chemical research and record1scannin'B fittin' up for the one a la3oratory in the unused attic of the houseA and for the latter hauntin' all the sources of vital statistics in >rovidence. 5ocal dealers in dru's and scientific suppliesA later DuestionedA 'ave astonishin'ly Dueer and meanin'less catalo'ues of the su3stances and instruments he purchasedB 3ut cler!s at the State 2ouseA the City 2allA and the various li3raries a'ree as to the definite o3Cect of his second interest. 2e ,as searchin' intensely and feverishly for the 'rave of 6oseph Cur,enA from ,hose slate sla3 an older 'eneration had so ,isely 3lotted the name. 5ittle 3y little there 're, upon the Ward family the conviction that somethin' ,as ,ron'. Charles had had frea!s and chan'es of minor interests 3eforeA 3ut this 'ro,in' secrecy and a3sorption in stran'e pursuits ,as unli!e even him. 2is school ,or! ,as the merest pretenceB and althou'h he failed in no testA it could 3e seen that the older application had all vanished. 2e had other concernments no,B and ,hen not in his ne, la3oratory ,ith a score of o3solete alchemical 3oo!sA could 3e found either porin' over old 3urial records do,n to,n or 'lued to his volumes of occult lore in his studyA ,here the startlin'ly 1 one almost fancied increasin'ly 1 similar features of 6oseph Cur,en stared 3landly at him from the 'reat overmantel on the ;orth ,all. 5ate in 8arch Ward added to his archive1searchin' a 'houlish series of ram3les a3out the various ancient cemeteries of the city. The cause appeared laterA ,hen it ,as learned from City 2all cler!s that he had pro3a3ly found an important clue. 2is Duest had suddenly shifted from the 'rave of 6oseph Cur,en to that of one ;aphthali 4ieldB and this shift ,as e%plained ,henA upon 'oin' over the files that he had 3een overA the investi'ators actually found a fra'mentary record of Cur,en<s 3urial ,hich had escaped the 'eneral o3literationA and ,hich stated that the curious leaden coffin had 3een interred <1* ft. S. and ft. W. of ;aphthali 4ield<s 'rave in y1.< The lac! of a specified 3uryin'1'round in the survivin' entry

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

7-

'reatly complicated the searchA and ;aphthali 4ield<s 'rave seemed as elusive as that of Cur,enB 3ut here no systematic effacement had e%istedA and one mi'ht reasona3ly 3e e%pected to stum3le on the stone itself even if its record had perished. 2ence the ram3les 1 from ,hich St. 6ohn<s Jthe former 0in'<sK Churchyard and the ancient Con're'ational 3uryin'1'round in the midst of S,an >oint Cemetery ,ere e%cludedA since other statistics had she,n that the only ;aphthali 4ield Jo3iit 17")K ,hose 'rave could have 3een meant had 3een a Baptist. # =t ,as to,ard 8ay ,hen $r. WillettA at the reDuest of the senior WardA and fortified ,ith all the Cur,en data ,hich the family had 'leaned from Charles in his non1secretive daysA tal!ed ,ith the youn' man. The intervie, ,as of little value or conclusivenessA for Willett felt at every moment that Charles ,as thorou'h master of himself and in touch ,ith matters of real importanceB 3ut it at least force the secretive youth to offer some rational e%planation of his recent demeanour. +f a pallidA impassive type not easily she,in' em3arrassmentA Ward seemed Duite ready to discuss his pursuitsA thou'h not to reveal their o3Cect. 2e stated that the papers of his ancestor had contained some remar!a3le secrets of early scientific !no,led'eA for the most part in cipherA of an apparent scope compara3le only to the discoveries of 4riar Bacon and perhaps surpassin' even those. They ,ereA ho,everA meanin'less e%cept ,hen correlated ,ith a 3ody of learnin' no, ,holly o3soleteB so that their immediate presentation to a ,orld eDuipped only ,ith modern science ,ould ro3 them of all impressiveness and dramatic si'nificance. To ta!e their vivid place in the history of human thou'ht they must first 3e correlated 3y one familiar ,ith the 3ac!'round out of ,hich they evolvedA and to this tas! of correlation Ward ,as no, devotin' himself. 2e ,as see!in' to acDuire as fast as possi3le those ne'lected arts of old ,hich a true interpreter of the Cur,en data must possessA and hoped in time to made a full announcement and presentation of the utmost interest to man!ind and to the ,orld of thou'ht. ;ot even EinsteinA he declaredA could more profoundly revolutionise the current conception of thin's. As to his 'raveyard searchA ,hose o3Cect he freely admittedA 3ut the details of ,hose pro'ress he did not relateA he said he had reason to thin! that 6oseph Cur,en<s mutilated headstone 3ore certain mystic sym3ols 1 carved from directions in his ,ill and i'norantly spared 3y those ,ho had effaced the name 1 ,hich ,ere a3solutely essential to the final solution of his cryptic system. Cur,enA he 3elievedA had ,ish to 'uard his secret ,ith careB and had conseDuently distri3uted the data in an e%ceedin'ly curious fashion. When $r. Willett as!ed to see the mystic documentsA Ward displayed much reluctance and tried to put him off ,ith such thin's as photostatic copies of the 2utchinson cipher and +rne formulae and dia'ramsB 3ut finally she,ed him the e%teriors of some of the real Cur,en finds 1 the +Journall and -otes<A the cipher Jtitle in cipher alsoKA and the formula1filled messa'e +To 9im W"o S"al Come After+ 1 and let him 'lance inside such as ,ere in o3scure characters. 2e also opened the diary at a pa'e carefully selected for its innocuousness and 'ave Willett a 'limpse of Cur,en<s connected hand,ritin' in En'lish. The doctor noted very closely the cra33ed and complicated lettersA and the 'eneral aura of the seventeenth century ,hich clun' round 3oth penmanship and style despite the ,riter<s survival into the

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

77

ei'hteenth centuryA and 3ecame Duic!ly certain that the document ,as 'enuine. The te%t itself ,as relatively trivialA and Willett recalled only a fra'ment9 <Wedn. 1- +ctr. 17 #. 8y Sloope the Wa!eful this $ay putt in from 5ondon ,ith RR ne,e 8en pic!<d up in ye =ndiesA Spaniards from 8artineco and " $utch 8en from Surinam. .e $utch 8en are li!e to $esert from have<' hearde Some,hat ill of these ?enturesA 3ut = ,ill see to ye =nducin' of them to Staye. 4or 8r. 0ni'ht $e%ter of ye Bay and Boo! 1"* >ieces Cam3letsA 1** >ieces Assrtd. Cam3leteensA "* >ieces 3lue $ufflesA 1** >ieces ShalloonsA * >ieces CalamancoesA &** >ieces eachA Shendsoy and 2umhums. 4or 8r. 7reen at ye Elephant * 7allon CyttlesA "* Warm<' >annesA 1 Ba!e CyttlesA 1* pr. Smo!e<' Ton'es. 4or 8r. >erri'o 1 Sett of A,les. 4or 8r. ;i'htin'ale * :eames prime 4oolscap. Say<d ye SABA+T2 thrice last ;i'hte 3ut ;one appear<d. = must heare more from 8r. 2. in TransylvaniaA tho< it is 2arde reach<' him and e%ceedin' stran'e he can not 'ive me the (se of What he hath so ,ell us<d these hundred .eares. Simon hath not ,rit these ?. Wee!esA 3ut = e%pecte soon hear<' from 2im.< When upon reachin' this point $r. Willett turned the leaf he ,as Duic!ly chec!ed 3y WardA ,ho almost snatched the 3oo! from his 'rasp. All that the doctor had a chance to see on the ne,ly opened pa'e ,as a 3rief pair of sentencesB 3ut theseA stran'ely enou'hA lin'ered tenacious in his memory. They ran9 <.e ?erse from 5i3er1$amnatus 3e<' spo!e ? :oodmasses and =? 2allo,s1EvesA = am 2opeful ye Thin' is 3reed<' +utside ye Spheres. =t ,ill dra,e +ne ,ho is to ComeA if = can ma!e sure he shal BeeA and he shal thin! on >ast Thin'es and loo! 3ac! thro< all ye .earesA a'ainst ye Which = must have ready ye Saltes or That to ma!e <em ,ith.< Willett sa, no moreA 3ut someho, this small 'limpse 'ave a ne, and va'ue terror to the painted features of 6oseph Cur,en ,hich stared 3landly do,n from the overmantel. Even after that he entertained the odd fancy 1 ,hich his medical s!ill of course assured him ,as only a fancy 1 that the eyes of the portrait had a sort of ,ishA if not an actual tendencyA to follo, youn' Charles Ward as he move a3out the room. 2e stopped 3efore leavin' to study the picture closelyA marvellin' at its resem3lance to Charles and memorisin' every minute detail of the crypticalA colourless faceA even do,n to a sli'ht scar or pit in the smooth 3ro, a3ove the ri'ht eye. Cosmo Ale%anderA he decidedA ,as a painter ,orthy of the Scotland that produced :ae3urnA and a teacher ,orthy of his illustrious pupil 7il3ert Stuart. Assured 3y the doctor that Charles<s mental health ,as in no dan'erA 3ut that on the other hand he ,as en'a'ed in researches ,hich mi'ht prove of real importanceA the Wards ,ere more lenient than they mi'ht other,ise have 3een ,hen durin' the follo,in' 6une the youth made positive his refusal to attend colle'e. 2e hadA he declaredA studies of much more vital importance to pursueB and intimated a ,ish to 'o a3road the follo,in' year in order to avail himself of certain sources of data not e%istin' in America. The senior WardA ,hile denyin' this latter ,ish as a3surd for a 3oy of only ei'hteenA acDuiesced re'ardin' the universityB so that after a none too 3rilliant 'raduation from the 8oses Bro,n School there ensued for Charles a three1year period of intensive occult study and 'raveyard searchin'. 2e 3ecame reco'nised as an eccentricA and dropped even more completely from the si'ht of his family<s friends than he had 3een 3eforeB !eepin' close to his ,or! and only occasionally ma!in' trips to other cities to consult o3scure records. +nce he ,ent south to tal! to a stran'e mulatto ,ho d,elt in a s,amp and a3out ,hom a ne,spaper

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

78

hand printed a curious article. A'ain he sou'ht a small villa'e in the Adirondac!s ,hence reports of certain odd ceremonial practices had come. But still his parents for3ade him the trip to the +ld World ,hich he desired. Comin' of a'e in AprilA 1)"&A and havin' previously inherited a small competence from his maternal 'randfatherA Ward determined at last to ta!e the European trip hitherto denied him. +f his proposed itinerary he ,ould say nothin' save that the needs of his studies ,ould carry him to many placesA 3ut he promised to ,rite his parents fully and faithfully. When they sa, he could not 3e dissuadedA they ceased all opposition and helped as 3est they couldB so that in 6une the youn' man sailed for 5iverpool ,ith the fare,ell 3lessin's of his father and motherA ,ho accompanied him to Boston and ,aved him out of si'ht from the White Star pier in Charlesto,n. 5etters soon told of his safe arrivalA and of his securin' 'ood Duarters in 7reat :ussell StreetA 5ondonB ,here he proposed to stayA shunnin' all family friendsA till he had e%hausted the resources of the British 8useum in a certain direction. +f his daily life he ,rote 3y littleA for there ,as little to ,rite. Study and e%periment consumed all his timeA and he mentioned a la3oratory ,hich he had esta3lished in one of his rooms. That he said nothin' of antiDuarian ram3les in the 'lamorous old city ,ith its lurin' s!yline of ancient domes and steeples and its tan'les of roads and alleys ,hose mystic convolutions and sudden vistas alternately 3ec!on and surpriseA ,as ta!en 3y his parents as a 'ood inde% of the de'ree to ,hich his ne, interests had en'rossed his mind. =n 6uneA 1)"#A a 3rief note told of his departure for >arisA to ,hich he had 3efore made one or t,o flyin' trips for material in the Bi3liothMDue ;ationale. 4or three months thereafter he sent only postal cardsA 'ivin' an address in the :ue St. 6acDues and referrin' to a special search amon' rare manuscripts in the li3rary of an unnamed private collector. 2e avoided acDuaintancesA and no tourists 3rou'ht 3ac! reports of havin' seen him. Then came a silenceA and in +cto3er the Wards received a picture card from >ra'ueA Czecho1 Slova!iaA statin' that Charles ,as in that ancient to,n for the purpose of conferrin' ,ith a certain very a'ed man supposed to 3e the last livin' possessor of some very curious mediaeval information. 2e 'ave an address in the ;eustadtA and announced no move till the follo,in' 6anuaryB ,hen he dropped several cards from ?ienna tellin' of his passa'e throu'h that city on the ,ay to,ard a more easterly re'ion ,hither one of his correspondents and fello,1delvers into the occult had invited him. The ne%t card ,as from 0lausen3ur' in TransylvaniaA and told of Ward<s pro'ress to,ard his destination. 2e ,as 'oin' to visit a Baron 4erenczyA ,hose estate lay in the mountains east of :a!usB and ,as to 3e addressed at :a!us in the care of that no3leman. Another card from :a!us a ,ee! laterA sayin' that his host<s carria'e had met him and that he ,as leavin' the villa'e for the mountainsA ,as his last messa'e for a considera3le timeB indeedA he did reply to his parents< freDuent letters until 8ayA ,hen he ,rote to discoura'e the plan of his mother for a meetin' in 5ondonA >arisA or :ome durin' the summerA ,hen the elder Wards ,ere plannin' to travel to Europe. 2is researchesA he saidA ,ere such that he could not leave his present DuartersB ,hile the situation of Baron 4erenczy<s castle did not favour visits. =t ,as on a cra' in the dar! ,ooded mountainsA and the re'ion ,as so shunned 3y the country fol! that normal people could not help feelin' ill at ease. 8oreoverA the Baron ,as not a person li!ely to appeal to correct and conservative ;e, En'land 'entlefol!. 2is aspect and manners had idiosyncrasiesA and his a'e ,as so 'reat as to 3e disDuietin'. =t ,ould 3e 3etterA Charles saidA if his parents ,ould ,ait for his return to >rovidenceB ,hich could scarcely 3e far distant.

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

7)

That return did notA ho,everA ta!e place until 8ay 1)"-A ,hen after a fe, heraldin' cards the youn' ,anderer Duietly slipped into ;e, .or! on the 9omeric and traversed the lon' miles to >rovidence 3y motor1coachA ea'erly drin!in' in the 'reen rollin' hillsA and fra'rantA 3lossomin' orchardsA and the ,hite steepled to,ns of vernal ConnecticutB his first taste of ancient ;e, En'land in nearly four years. When the coach crossed the >a,catuc! and entered :hode =sland amidst the faery 'oldenness of a late sprin' afternoon his heart 3eat ,ith Duic!ened forceA and the entry to >rovidence alon' :eservoir and Elm,ood Avenues ,as a 3reathless and ,onderful thin' despite the depths of for3idden lore to ,hich he had delved. At the hi'h sDuare ,here BroadA Wey3ossetA and Empire Streets CoinA he sa, 3efore and 3elo, him in the fire of sunset the pleasantA remem3ered houses and domes and steeples of the old to,nB and his head s,am curiously as the vehicle rolled do,n to the terminal 3ehind the BiltmoreA 3rin'in' into vie, the 'reat dome and softA roof1 pierced 'reenery of the ancient hill across the riverA and the tall colonial spire of the 4irst Baptist Church limned pin! in the ma'ic evenin' a'ainst the fresh sprin'time verdure of its precipitous 3ac!'round. +ld >rovidenceF =t ,as this place and the mysterious forces of its lon'A continuous history ,hich had 3rou'ht him into 3ein'A and ,hich had dra,n him 3ac! to,ard marvels and secrets ,hose 3oundaries no prophet mi'ht fi%. 2ere lay the arcanaA ,ondrous or dreadful as the case may 3eA for ,hich all his years of travel and application had 3een preparin' him. A ta%ica3 ,hirled him throu'h >ost +ffice SDuare ,ith its 'limpse of the riverA the old 8ar!et 2ouseA and the head of the 3ayA and up the steep curved slope of Waterman Street to >rospectA ,here the vast 'leamin' dome and sunset1flushed =onic columns of the Christian Science Church 3ec!oned north,ard. Then ei'ht sDuares past the fine old estates his childish eyes had !no,nA and the Duaint 3ric! side,al!s so often trodden 3y his youthful feet. And at last the little ,hite overta!en farmhouse on the ri'htA on the left the classic Adam porch and stately facade of the 'reat 3ric! house ,here he ,as 3orn. =t ,as t,ili'htA and Charles $e%ter Ward had come home.

A school of alienists sli'htly less academic than $r. 5yman<s assi'n to Ward<s European trip the 3e'innin' of his true madness. Admittin' that he ,as sane ,hen he startedA they 3elieve that his conduct upon returnin' implies a disastrous chan'e. But even to this claim $r. Willett refuses to concede. There ,asA he insistsA somethin' laterB and the Dueerness of the youth at this sta'e he attri3utes to the practice of rituals learned a3road 1 odd enou'h thin'sA to 3e sureA 3ut 3y no means implyin' mental a3erration on the part of their cele3rant. Ward himselfA thou'h visi3ly a'ed and hardenedA ,as still normal in his 'eneral reactionsB and in several tal!s ,ith $r. Willett displayed a 3alance ,hich no madman 1 even an incipient one 1 could fei'n continuously for lon'. What elicited the notion of insanity at this period ,ere the sounds heard at all hours from Ward<s attic la3oratoryA in ,hich he !ept himself most of the time. There ,ere chantin's and repetitionsA and thunderous declamations in uncanny rhythmsB and althou'h these sounds ,ere al,ays in Ward<s o,n voiceA there ,as somethin' in the Duality of that voiceA and in the accents of the formulae it pronouncedA ,hich could not 3y chill the 3lood of every hearer. =t ,as noticed that ;i'A the venera3le and 3eloved 3lac! cat of the householdA 3ristled and arched his 3ac! percepti3ly ,hen certain of the tones ,ere heard.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

8*

The odours occasionally ,afted from the la3oratory ,ere li!e,ise e%ceedin'ly stran'e. Sometimes they ,ere very no%iousA 3ut more often they ,ere aromaticA ,ith a hauntin'A elusive Duality ,hich seemed to have the po,er of inducin' fantastic ima'es. >eople ,ho smelled them had a tendency to 'limpse momentary mira'es of enormous vistasA ,ith stran'e hills or endless avenues of sphin%es and hippo'riffs stretchin' off into infinite distance. Ward did not resume his old1time ram3lesA 3ut applied himself dili'ently to the stran'e 3oo!s he had 3rou'ht homeA and to eDually stran'e delvin's ,ithin his DuartersB e%plainin' that European sources had 'reatly enlar'ed the possi3ilities of his ,or!A and promisin' 'reat revelations in the years to come. 2is older aspect increased to a startlin' de'ree his resem3lance to the Cur,en portrait in his li3raryB and $r. Willett ,ould often pause 3y the latter after a callA marvellin' at the virtual identityA and reflectin' that only the small pit a3ove the picture<s ri'ht eye no, remained to differentiate the lon'1dead ,izard from the livin' youth. These calls of Willett<sA underta!en at the reDuest of teh senior WardsA ,ere curious affairs. Ward at no time repulsed the doctorA 3ut the latter sa, that he could never reach the youn' man<s inner psycholo'y. 4reDuently he noted peculiar thin's a3outB little ,a% ima'es of 'rotesDue desi'n on the shelves or ta3lesA and the half1erased remnants of circlesA trian'lesA and penta'rams in chal! or charcoal on the cleared central space of the lar'e room. And al,ays in the ni'ht those rhythms and incantations thunderedA till it 3ecame very difficult to !eep servants or suppress furtive tal! of Charles<s madness. =n 6anuaryA 1)"7A a peculiar incident occurred. +ne ni'ht a3out midni'htA as Charles ,as chantin' a ritual ,hose ,eird cadence echoed unpleasantly throu'h the house 3elo,A there came a sudden 'ust of chill ,ind from the 3ayA and a faintA o3scure trem3lin' of the earth ,hich everyone in the nei'h3ourhood noted. At the same time the cat e%hi3ited phenomenal traces of fri'htA ,hile do's 3ayed for as much as a mile around. This ,as the prelude to a sharp thunderstormA anomalous for the seasonA ,hich 3rou'ht ,ith it such a crash that 8r. and 8rs. Ward 3elieved the house had 3een struc!. They rushed upstairs to see ,hat dama'e had 3een doneA 3ut Charles met them at the door to the atticB paleA resoluteA and portentousA ,ith an almost fearsome com3ination of triumph and seriousness on his face. 2e assured them that the house had not really 3een struc!A and that the storm ,ould soon 3e over. They pausedA and loo!in' throu'h a ,indo, sa, that he ,as indeed ri'htB for the li'htnin' flashed farther and farther offA ,hilst the trees ceased to 3end in the stran'e fri'id 'ust from the ,ater. The thunder san! to a sort of dull mum3lin' chuc!le and finally died a,ay. Stars came outA and the stamp of triumph on Charles Ward<s face crystallised into a very sin'ular e%pression. 4or t,o months or more after this incident Ward ,as less confined than usual to his la3oratory. 2e e%hi3ited a curious interest in the ,eatherA and made odd inDuires a3out the date of the sprin' tha,in' of the 'round. +ne ni'ht late in 8arch he left the house after midni'htA and did not return till almost mornin'B ,hen his motherA 3ein' ,a!efulA heard a rum3lin' motor dra, up to the carria'e entrance. 8uffled oaths could 3e distin'uishedA and 8rs. WardA risin' and 'oin' to the ,indo,A sa, four dar! fi'ures removin' a lon'A heavy 3o% from a truc! at Charles<s direction and carryin' it ,ithin 3y the side door. She heard la3oured 3reathin' and ponderous footfalls on the stairsA and finally a dull thumpin' in the atticB after ,hich the footfalls descended a'ainA and the four reappeared outside and drove off in their truc!. The ne%t day Charles resumed his strict attic seclusionA dra,in' do,n the dar! shades of his la3oratory ,indo,s and appearin' to 3e ,or!in' on some metal su3stance. 2e ,ould open the door to no oneA and steadfastly refused all proffered food. A3out noon a

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

81

,renchin' sound follo,ed 3y a terri3le cry and a fall ,ere heardA 3ut ,hen 8rs. Ward rapped at the door her son at len'th ans,ered faintlyA and told her that nothin' had 'one amiss. The hideous and indescri3a3le stench no, ,ellin' out ,as a3solutely harmless and unfortunately necessary. Solitude ,as the one prime essentialA and he ,ould appear later for dinner. That afternoonA after the conclusion of some odd hissin' sounds ,hich came from 3ehind the loc!ed portalA he did finally appearB ,earin' an e%tremely ha''ard aspect and for3iddin' anyone to enter the la3oratory upon any prete%t. ThisA indeedA proved the 3e'innin' of a ne, policy of secrecyB for never after,ard ,as any other person permitted to visit either the mysterious 'arret ,or!room or the adCacent storeroom ,hich he cleaned outA furnished rou'hlyA and added to his inviola3le private domain as a sleepin' apartment. 2ere he livedA ,ith 3oo!s 3rou'ht up from his li3rary 3eneathA till the time he purchased the >a,tu%et 3un'alo, and moved to it all his scientific effects. =n the evenin' Charles secured the paper 3efore the rest of the family and dama'ed part of it throu'h an apparent accident. 5ater on $r. WillettA havin' fi%ed the date from statements 3y various mem3ers of the householdA loo!ed up an intact copy at the Journal office and found that in the destroyed section the follo,in' small item had occurred9 ;octurnal $i''ers Surprised in ;orth Burial 7round :o3ert 2artA ni'ht ,atchman at the ;orth Burial 7roundA this mornin' discovered a party of several men ,ith a motor truc! in the oldest part of the cemeteryA 3ut apparently fri'htened them off 3efore they had accomplished ,hatever their o3Cect may have 3een. The discovery too! place at a3out four o<cloc!A ,hen 2art<s attention ,as attracted 3y the sound of a motor outside his shelter. =nvesti'atin'A he sa, a lar'e truc! on the main drive several rods a,ayB 3ut could not reach it 3efore the noise of his feet on the 'ravel had revealed his approach. The men hastily placed a lar'e 3o% in the truc! and drove a,ay to,ard the street 3efore they could 3e overta!enB and since no !no,n 'rave ,as distur3edA 2art 3elieves that this 3o% ,as an o3Cect ,hich they ,ished to 3ury. The di''ers must have 3een at ,or! for a lon' ,hile 3efore detectionA for 2art found an enormous hold du' at a considera3le distance 3ac! from the road,ay in the lot of Amasa 4ieldA ,here most of the old stones have lon' a'o disappeared. The holeA a place as lar'e and deep as a 'raveA ,as emptyB and did not coincide ,ith any interment mentioned in the cemetery records. Ser't. :iley of the Second Station vie,ed the spot and 'ave the opinion that the hole ,as du' 3y 3ootle''ers rather 'ruesomely and in'eniously see!in' a safe cache for liDuor in a place not li!ely to 3e distur3ed. =n reply to Duestions 2art said he thou'h the escapin' truc! had headed up :ocham3eau AvenueA thou'h he could not 3e sure. $urin' the ne%t fe, days Charles Ward ,as seldom seen 3y his family. 2avin' added sleepin' Duarters to his attic realmA he !ept closely to himself thereA orderin' food 3rou'ht to the door and not ta!in' it in until after the servant had 'one a,ay. The dronin' of monotonous formulae and the chantin' of 3izarre rhythms recurred at intervalsA ,hile at other times occasional listeners could detect the sound of tin!lin' 'lassA hissin' chemicalsA

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

8"

runnin' ,aterA or roarin' 'as flames. +dours of the most unplacea3le DualityA ,holly unli!e any 3efore notedA hun' at times around the doorB and the air of tension o3serva3le in the youn' recluse ,henever he did venture 3riefly forth ,as such as to e%cite the !eenest speculation. +nce he made a hasty trip to the Athenaeum for a 3oo! he reDuiredA and a'ain he hired a messen'er to fetch him a hi'hly o3scure volume from Boston. Suspense ,as ,ritten portentously over the ,hole situationA and 3oth the family and $r. Willett confessed themselves ,holly at a loss ,hat to do or thin! a3out it. Then on the fifteenth of April a stran'e development occurred. While nothin' appeared to 'ro, different in !indA there ,as certainly a very terri3le difference in de'reeB and $r. Willett someho, attaches 'reat si'nificance to the chan'e. The day ,as 7ood 4ridayA a circumstance of ,hich the servants made muchA 3ut ,hich others Duite naturally dismiss as an irrelevant coincidence. 5ate in the afternoon youn' Ward 3e'an repeatin' a certain formula in a sin'ularly loud voiceA at the same time 3urnin' some su3stance so pun'ent that its fumes escaped over the entire house. The formula ,as so plainly audi3le in the hall outside the loc!ed door that 8rs. Ward could not help memorisin' it as she ,aited and listened an%iouslyA and later on she ,as a3le to ,rite it do,n at $r. Willett<s reDuest. =t ran as follo,sA and e%perts have told $r. Willett that its very close analo'ue can 3e found in the mystic ,ritin's of LEliphas 5eviLA that cryptic soul ,ho crept throu'h a crac! in the for3idden door and 'limpsed the fri'htful vistas of the void 3eyond9 <>er Adonai EloimA Adonai 6ehovaA Adonai Sa3aothA 8etraton +n A'la 8athonA ver3um pythonicumA mysterium salamandraeA conventus sylvorumA antra 'nomorumA daemonia Coeli 7odA AlmonsinA 7i3orA 6ehosuaA EvamA @ariatnatmi!A veniA veniA veni.< This had 3een 'oin' on for t,o hours ,ithout chan'e or intermission ,hen over all the nei'h3ourhood a pandaemoniac ho,lin' of do's set in. The e%tent of this ho,lin' can 3e Cud'ed from the space it received in the papers the ne%t dayA 3ut to those in the Ward household it ,as overshado,ed 3y the odour ,hich instantly follo,ed itB a hideousA all1 pervasive odour ,hich non of them had ever smelt 3efore or have ever smelt since. =n the midst of this mephitic flood there came a very percepti3le flash li!e that of li'htnin'A ,hich ,ould have 3een 3lindin' and impressive 3ut for the dayli'ht aroundB and then ,as heard t"e !oice that no listener can ever for'et 3ecause of its thunderous remotenessA its incredi3le depthA and its eldritch dissimilarity to Charles Ward<s voice. =t shoo! the houseA and ,as clearly heard 3y at least t,o nei'h3ours a3ove the ho,lin' of the do's. 8rs. WardA ,ho had 3een listenin' in despair outside her son<s loc!ed la3oratoryA shivered as she reco'nised its hellish importsB for Charles had told of its evil fame in dar! 3oo!sA and of the manner in ,hich it had thunderedA accordin' to the 4enner letterA a3ove the doomed >a,tu%et farmhouse on the ni'ht of 6oseph Cur,en<s annihilation. There ,as no mista!in' that ni'htmare phraseA for Charles had descri3ed it too vividly in the old days ,hen he had tal!ed fran!ly of his Cur,en investi'ations. And yet it ,as only this fra'ment of an archaic and for'otten lan'ua'e9 <$=ES 8=ES 6ESC2ET B+E;E $+ESE4 $+(?E8A E;=TE8A(S.<

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

8&

Close upon this thunderin' there came a momentary dar!enin' of the dayli'htA thou'h sunset ,as still an hour distantA and then a puff of added odour different from the first 3ut eDually un!no,n and intolera3le. Charles ,as chantin' a'ain no, and his mother could hear sylla3les that sounded li!e <.i nash .o' Sothoth he l'e3 throda'< 1 endin' in a <.ahF< ,hose maniacal force mounted in an ear1splittin' crescendo. A second later all previous memories ,ere effaced 3y the ,ailin' scream ,hich 3urst out ,ith frantic e%plosiveness and 'radually chan'ed form to a paro%ysm of dia3olic and hysterical lau'hter. 8rs. WardA ,ith the min'led fear and 3lind coura'e of maternityA advanced and !noc!ed affri'htedly at the concealin' panelsA 3ut o3tained no si'n of reco'nition. She !noc!ed a'ainA 3ut paused nervelessly as a second shrie! aroseA this one unmista!a3ly in the familiar voice of her sonA and sounding concurrently $it" t"e still bursting cac"innations of t"at ot"er !oice% >resently she faintedA althou'h she is still una3le to recall the precise and immediate cause. 8emory sometimes ma!es merciful deletions. 8r. Ward returned from the 3usiness section at a3out Duarter past si%B and not findin' his ,ife do,nstairsA ,as told 3y the fri'htened servants that she ,as pro3a3ly ,atchin' at Charles<s doorA from ,hich the sounds had 3een far stran'er than ever 3efore. 8ountin' the stairs at onceA he sa, 8rs. Ward stretched out at full len'th on the floor of the corridor outside the la3oratoryB and realisin' that she had faintedA hastened to fetch a 'lass of ,ater from a set 3o,l in a nei'h3ourin' alcove. $ashin' the cold fluid in her faceA he ,as heartened to o3serve an immediate response on her partA and ,as ,atchin' the 3e,ildered openin' of her eyes ,hen a chill shot throu'h him and threatened to reduce him to the very state from ,hich she ,as emer'in'. 4or the seemin'ly silent la3oratory ,as not as silent as it had appeared to 3eA 3ut held the murmurs of a tenseA muffled conversation in tones too lo, for comprehensionA yet of a Duality profoundly distur3in' to the soul. =t ,as notA of courseA ne, for Charles to mutter formulaeB 3ut this mutterin' ,as definitely different. =t ,as so palpa3ly a dialo'ueA or imitation of a dialo'ueA ,ith the re'ular alteration of inflections su''estin' Duestion and ans,erA statement and response. +ne voice ,as undis'uisedly that of CharlesA 3ut the other had a depth and hollo,ness ,hich the youth<s 3est po,ers of ceremonial mimicry had scarcely approached 3efore. There ,as somethin' hideousA 3lasphemousA and a3normal a3out itA and 3ut for a cry from his recoverin' ,ife ,hich cleared his mind 3y arousin' his protective instincts it is not li!ely that Theodore 2o,land Ward could have maintained for nearly a year more his old 3oast that he had never fainted. As it ,asA he seized his ,ife in his arms and 3ore her Duic!ly do,nstairs 3efore she could notice the voices ,hich had so horri3ly distur3ed him. Even soA ho,everA he ,as not Duic! enou'h to escape catchin' somethin' himself ,hich caused him to sta''er dan'erously ,ith his 3urden. 4or 8rs. Ward<s cry had evidently 3een heard 3y others than heA and there had come in response to it from 3ehind the loc!ed door the first distin'uisha3le ,ords ,hich that mas!ed and terri3le colloDuy had yielded. They ,ere merely an e%cited caution in Charles<s o,n voiceA 3ut someho, their implications held a nameless fri'ht for the father ,ho overheard them. The phrase ,as Cust this9 <SshhF1 ,riteF< 8r. and 8rs. Ward conferred at some len'th after dinnerA and the former resolved to have a firm and serious tal! ,ith Charles that very ni'ht. ;o matter ho, important the o3CectA such conduct could no lon'er 3e permittedB for these latest developments transcended every limit of sanity and formed a menace to the order and nervous ,ell13ein' of the entire household. The youth must indeed have ta!en complete leave of his sensesA since only do,nri'ht madness could have prompted the ,ild screams and ima'inary

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

8#

conversations in assumed voices ,hich the present day had 3rou'ht forth. All this must 3e stoppedA or 8rs. Ward ,ould 3e made ill and the !eepin' of servants 3ecome an impossi3ility. 8r. Ward rose at the close of the meal and started upstairs for Charles<s la3oratory. +n the third floorA ho,everA he paused at the sounds ,hich he heard proceedin' from the no, disused li3rary of his son. Boo!s ,ere apparently 3ein' flun' a3out and papers ,ildly rustledA and upon steppin' to the door 8r. Ward 3eheld the youth ,ithinA e%citedly assem3lin' a vast armful of literary matter of every size and shape. Charles<s aspect ,as very dra,n and ha''ardA and he dropped his entire load ,ith a start at the sound of his father<s voice. At the elder man<s command he sat do,nA and for some time listened to the admonitions he had so lon' deserved. There ,as no scene. At the end of the lecture he a'reed that his father ,as ri'htA and that his noisesA mutterin'sA incantationsA and chemical odours ,ere indeed ine%cusa3le nuisances. 2e a'reed to a policy of 'reat DuietA thou'h insistin' on a prolon'ation of his e%treme privacy. 8uch of his future ,or!A he saidA ,as in any case purely 3oo! researchB and he could o3tain Duarters else,here for any such vocal rituals as mi'ht 3e necessary at a later sta'e. 4or the fri'ht and faintin' of his mother he e%pressed the !eenest contritionA and e%plained that the conversation later heard ,as part of an ela3orate sym3olism desi'ned to create a certain mental atmosphere. 2is use of a3struse technical terms some,hat 3e,ildered 8r. WardA 3ut the partin' impression ,as one of undenia3le sanity and poise despite a mysterious tension of the utmost 'ravity. The intervie, ,as really Duite inconclusiveA and as Charles pic!ed up his armful and left the room 8r. Ward hardly !ne, ,hat to ma!e of the entire 3usiness. =t ,as as mysterious as the death of poor old ;i'A ,hose stiffenin' form had 3een found an hour 3efore in the 3asementA ,ith starin' eyes and fear1distorted mouth. $riven 3y some va'ue detective instinctA the 3e,ildered parent no, 'lanced curiously at the vacant shelves to see ,hat his son had ta!en up to the attic. The youth<s li3rary ,as plainly and ri'idly classifiedA so that one mi'ht tell at a 'lance the 3oo!s or at least the !ind of 3oo!s ,hich had 3een ,ithdra,n. +n this occasion 8r. Ward ,as astonished to find that nothin' of the occult or the antiDuarianA 3eyond ,hat had 3een previously removedA ,as missin'. These ne, ,ithdra,als ,ere all modern itemsB historiesA scientific treatisesA 'eo'raphiesA manuals of literatureA philosophic ,or!sA and certain contemporary ne,spapers and ma'azines. =t ,as a very curious shift from Charles Ward<s recent run of readin'A and the father paused in a 'ro,in' vorte% of perple%ity and an en'ulfin' sense of stran'eness. The stran'eness ,as a very poi'nant sensationA and almost cla,ed at his chest as he strove to see Cust ,hat ,as ,ron' around him. Somethin' ,as indeed ,ron'A and tan'i3ly as ,ell as spiritually so. Ever since he had 3een in this room he had !no,n that somethin' ,as amissA and at last it da,ned upon him ,hat it ,as. +n the north ,all rose still the ancient carved overmantel from the house in +lney CourtA 3ut to the crac!ed and precariously restored oils of the lar'e Cur,en portrait disaster had come. Time and uneDual heatin' had done their ,or! at lastA and at some time since the room<s last cleanin' the ,orst had happened. >eelin' clear of the ,oodA curlin' ti'hter and ti'hterA and finally crum3lin' into small 3its ,ith ,hat must have 3een mali'nly silent suddennessA the portrait of 6oseph Cur,en had resi'ned forever its starin' surveillance of the youth it so stran'ely resem3ledA and no, lay scattered on the floor as a thin coatin' of fine 3lue1'rey dust.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

,V. A M%t tio# #$

1

M $#ess

=n the ,ee! follo,in' that memora3le 7ood 4riday Charles Ward ,as seen more often than usualA and ,as continually carryin' 3oo!s 3et,een his li3rary and the attic la3oratory. 2is actions ,ere Duiet and rationalA 3ut he had a furtiveA hunted loo! ,hich his mother did not li!eA and developed an incredi3ly ravenous appetite as 'au'ed 3y his demands upon the coo!. $r. Willett had 3een told of those 4riday noises and happenin'sA and on the follo,in' Tuesday had a lon' conversation ,ith the youth in the li3rary ,here the picture stared no more. The intervie, ,asA as al,aysA inconclusiveB 3ut Willett is still ready to s,ear that the youth ,as sane and himself at the time. 2e held out promises of an early revelationA and spo!e of the need of securin' a la3oratory else,here. At the loss of the portrait he 'rieved sin'ularly little considerin' his first enthusiasm over itA 3ut seemed to find somethin' of positive humour in its sudden crum3lin'. A3out the second ,ee! Charles 3e'an to 3e a3sent from the house for lon' periodsA and one day ,hen 'ood old 3lac! 2annah came to help ,ith the sprin' cleanin' she mentioned his freDuent visits to the old house in +lney CourtA ,here he ,ould come ,ith a lar'e valise and perform curious delvin's in the cellar. 2e ,as al,ays very li3eral to her and to old AsaA 3ut seemed more ,orried than he used to 3eB ,hich 'rieved her very muchA since she had ,atched him 'ro, up from 3irth. Another report of his doin's came from >a,tu%etA ,here some friends of the family sa, him at a distance a surprisin' num3er of times. 2e seemed to haunt the resort and canoe1house of :hodes1on1the1>a,tu%etA and su3seDuent inDuiries 3y $r. Willett at that place 3rou'ht out the fact that his purpose ,as al,ays to secure access to the rather hed'ed1in river13an!A alon' ,hich he ,ould ,al! to,ard the northA usually not reappearin' for a very lon' ,hile. 5ate in 8ay came a momentary revival of ritualistic sounds in the attic la3oratory ,hich 3rou'ht a stern reproof from 8r. Ward and a some,hat distracted promise of amendment from Charles. =t occurred one mornin'A and seemed to form a resumption of the ima'inary conversation noted on that tur3ulent 7ood 4riday. The youth ,as ar'uin' or remonstratin' hotly ,ith himselfA for there suddenly 3urst forth a perfectly distin'uisha3le series of clashin' shouts in differentiated tones li!e alternate demands and denials ,hich caused 8rs. Ward to run upstairs and listen at the door. She could hear no more than a fra'ment ,hose only plain ,ords ,ere <must have it red for three months<A and upon her !noc!in' all sounds ceased at once. When Charles ,as later Duestioned 3y his father he said that there ,ere certain conflicts of spheres of consciousness ,hich only 'reat s!ill could avoidA 3ut ,hich he ,ould try to transfer to other realms. A3out the middle of 6une a Dueer nocturnal incident occurred. =n the early evenin' there had 3een some noise and thumpin' in the la3oratory upstairsA and 8r. Ward ,as on the point of investi'atin' ,hen it suddenly Duieted do,n. That midni'htA after the family had retiredA the 3utler ,as ni'htloc!in' the front door ,hen accordin' to his statement Charles appeared some,hat 3lunderin'ly and uncertainly at the foot of the stairs ,ith a lar'e suitcase and made si'ns that he ,ished e'ress. The youth spo!e no ,ordA 3ut the ,orthy .or!shireman cau'ht one si'ht of his fevered eyes and trem3led causelessly. 2e opened the door and youn' Ward ,ent outA 3ut in the mornin' he presented his resi'nation to 8rs.

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

8-

Ward. There ,asA he saidA somethin' unholy in the 'lance Charles had fi%ed on him. =t ,as no ,ay for a youn' 'entleman to loo! at an honest personA and he could not possi3ly stay another ni'ht. 8rs. Ward allo,ed the man to departA 3ut she did not value his statement hi'hly. To fancy Charles in a sava'e state that ni'ht ,as Duite ridiculousA for as lon' as she had remained a,a!e she had heard faint sounds from the la3oratory a3oveB sounds as if of so33in' and pacin'A and of a si'hin' ,hich told only of despair<s profoundest depths. 8rs. Ward had 'ro,n used to listenin' for sounds in the ni'htA for the mystery of her son ,as fast drivin' all else from her mind. The ne%t evenin'A much as on another evenin' nearly three months 3eforeA Charles Ward seized the ne,spaper very early and accidentally lost the main section. This matter ,as not recalled till laterA ,hen $r. Willett 3e'an chec!in' up loose ends and searchin' out missin' lin!s here and there. =n the Journal office he found the section ,hich Charles had lostA and mar!ed t,o items as of possi3le si'nificance. They ,ere as follo,s9 8ore Cemetery $elvin' =t ,as this mornin' discovered 3y :o3ert 2artA ni'ht ,atchman at the ;orth Burial 7roundA that 'houls ,ere a'ain at ,or! in the ancient portion of the cemetery. The 'rave of Ezra WeedenA ,ho ,as 3orn in 17#* and died in 18"# accordin' to his uprooted and sava'ely splintered slate headstoneA ,as found e%cavated and rifledA the ,or! 3ein' evidently done ,ith a spade stolen from an adCacent tool1shed. Whatever the contents may have 3een after more than a century of 3urialA all ,as 'one e%cept a fe, slivers of decayed ,ood. There ,ere no ,heel trac!sA 3ut the police have measured a sin'le set of footprints ,hich they found in the vicinityA and ,hich indicate the 3oots of a man of refinement. 2art is inclined to lin! this incident ,ith the di''in' discovered last 8archA ,hen a party in a motor truc! ,ere fri'htened a,ay after ma!in' a deep e%cavationB 3ut Ser't. :iley of the Second Station discounts this theory and points to vital differences in the t,o cases. =n 8arch the di''in' had 3een in a spot ,here no 'rave ,as !no,nB 3ut this time a ,ell1mar!ed and cared1for 'rave had 3een rifled ,ith every evidence of deli3erate purposeA and ,ith a conscious mali'nity e%pressed in the splinterin' of the sla3 ,hich had 3een intact up to the day 3efore. 8em3ers of the Weeden familyA notified of the happenin'A e%pressed their astonishment and re'retB and ,ere ,holly una3le to thin! of any enemy ,ho ,ould care to violate the 'rave of their ancestor. 2azard Weeden of )8 An'ell Street recalls a family le'end accordin' to ,hich Ezra Weeden ,as involved in some very peculiar circumstancesA not dishonoura3le to himselfA shortly 3efore the :evolutionB 3ut of any modern feud or mystery he is fran!ly i'norant. =nspector Cunnin'ham has 3een assi'ned to the caseA and hopes to uncover some valua3le clues in the near future.

H.P.Lovecr !t $o's ;oisy in >a,tu%et

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

87

:esidents of >a,tu%et ,ere aroused a3out & a.m. today 3y a phenomenal 3ayin' of do's ,hich seemed to centre near the river Cust north of :hodes1on1the1 >a,tu%et. The volume and Duality of the ho,lin' ,ere unusually oddA accordin' to most ,ho heart itB and 4red 5emdinA ni'ht ,atchman at :hodesA declares it ,as mi%ed ,ith somethin' very li!e the shrie!s of a man in mortal terror and a'ony. A sharp and very 3rief thunderstormA ,hich seemed to stri!e some,here near the 3an! of the riverA put an end to the distur3ance. Stran'e and unpleasant odoursA pro3a3ly from the oil tan!s alon' the 3ayA are popularly lin!ed ,ith this incidentB and may have had their share in e%citin' the do's. The aspect of Charles no, 3ecame very ha''ard and huntedA and all a'reed in retrospect that he may have ,ished at this period to ma!e some statement or confession from ,hich sheer terror ,ithheld him. The mor3id listenin' of his mother in the ni'ht 3rou'ht out the fact that he made freDuent sallies a3road under cover of dar!nessA and most of the more academic alienists unite at present in char'in' him ,ith the revoltin' cases of vampirism ,hich the press so sensationally reported a3out this timeA 3ut ,hich have not yet 3een definitely traced to any !no,n perpetrator. These casesA too recent and cele3rated to need detailed mentionA involved victims of every a'e and type and seemed to cluster around t,o distinct localitiesB the residential hill and the ;orth EndA near the Ward homeA and the su3ur3an districts across the Cranston line near >a,tu%et. Both late ,ayfarers and sleepers ,ith open ,indo,s ,ere attac!edA and those ,ho lived to tell the tale spo!e unanimously of a leanA litheA leapin' monster ,ith 3urnin' eyes ,hich fastened its teeth in the throat or upper arm and feasted ravenously. $r. WillettA ,ho refuses to date the madness of Charles Ward as far 3ac! as even thisA is cautious in attemptin' to e%plain these horrors. 2e hasA he declaresA certain theories of his o,nB and limits his positive statements to a peculiar !ind of ne'ation9 <= ,ill notA< he saysA <state ,ho or ,hat = 3elieve perpetrated these attac!s and murdersA 3ut = ,ill declare that Charles Ward ,as innocent of them. = have reason to 3e sure he ,as i'norant of the taste of 3loodA as indeed his continued anaemic decline and increasin' pallor prove 3etter than any ver3al ar'ument. Ward meddled ,ith terri3le thin'sA 3ut he has paid for itA and he ,as never a monster or a villain. As for no, 1 = don<t li!e to thin!. A chan'e cameA and =<m content to 3elieve that the old Charles Ward died ,ith it. 2is soul didA anyho,A for that mad flesh that vanished from Waite<s hospital had another.< Willett spea!s ,ith authorityA for he ,as often at the Ward home attendin' 8rs. WardA ,hose nerves had 3e'un to snap under the strain. 2er nocturnal listenin' had 3red some mor3id hallucinations ,hich she confided to the doctor ,ith hesitancyA and ,hich he ridiculed in tal!in' to herA althou'h they made him ponder deeply ,hen alone. These delusions al,ays concernin' the faint sounds ,hich she fancied she heard in the attic la3oratory and 3edroomA and emphasised the occurrence of muffled si'hs and so33in's at the most impossi3le times. Early in 6uly Willett ordered 8rs. Ward to Atlantic City for an indefinite recuperative soCournA and cautioned 3oth 8r. Ward and the ha''ard and elusive Charles to ,rite her only cheerin' letters. =t is pro3a3ly to this enforced and reluctant escape that she o,es her life and continued sanity.

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward "

88

;ot lon' after his mother<s departureA Charles Ward 3e'an ne'otiatin' for the >a,tu%et 3un'alo,. =t ,as a sDualid little ,ooden edifice ,ith a concrete 'ara'eA perched hi'h on the sparsely settled 3an! of the river sli'htly a3ove :hodesA 3ut for some odd reason the youth ,ould have nothin' else. 2e 'ave the real1estate a'encies no peace till one of them secured it for him at an e%or3itant price from a some,hat reluctant o,nerA and as soon as it ,as vacant he too! possession under cover of dar!nessA transportin' in a 'reat closed van the entire contents of his attic la3oratoryA includin' the 3oo!s 3oth ,eird and modern ,hich he had 3orro,ed from his study. 2e had this van loaded in the 3lac! small hoursA and his father recalls only a dro,sy realisation of stifled oaths and stampin' feet on the ni'ht the 'oods ,ere ta!en a,ay. After that Charles moved 3ac! to his o,n old Duarters on the third floorA and never haunted the attic a'ain. To the >a,tu%et 3un'alo, Charles transferred all the secrecy ,ith ,hich he had surrounded his attic realmA save that he no, appeared to have t,o sharers of his mysteriesB a villainous1loo!in' >ortu'uese half1caste from the South 8ain St. ,aterfront ,ho acted as a servantA and a thinA scholarly stran'er ,ith dar! 'lasses and a stu33ly full 3eard of dyed aspect ,hose status ,as evidently that of a collea'ue. ;ei'h3ours vainly tried to en'a'e these odd persons in conversation. The mulatto 7omes spo!e very little En'lishA and the 3earded manA ,ho 'ave his name as $r. AllenA voluntarily follo,ed his e%ample. Ward himself tried to 3e more affa3leA 3ut succeeded only in provo!in' curiousity ,ith his ram3lin' accounts of chemical research. Before lon' Dueer tales 3e'an to circulate re'ardin' the all1ni'ht 3urnin' of li'htsB and some,hat laterA after this 3urnin' had suddenly ceasedA there rose still Dueerer tales of disproportionate orders of meat from the 3utcher<s and of the muffled shoutin'A declamationA rhythmic chantin'A and screamin' supposed to come from some very cellar 3elo, the place. 8ost distinctly the ne, and stran'e household ,as 3itterly disli!ed 3y the honest 3our'eoisie of the vicinityA and it is not remar!a3le that dar! hints ,ere advanced connectin' the hated esta3lishment ,ith the current epidemic of vampiristic attac!s and murdersB especially since the radius of that pla'ue seemed no, confined ,holly to >a,tu%et and the adCacent streets of Ed'e,ood. Ward spent most of his time at the 3un'alo,A 3ut slept occasionally at home and ,as still rec!oned a d,eller 3eneath his father<s roof. T,ice he ,as a3sent from the city on ,ee!1lon' tripsA ,hose destinations have not yet 3een discovered. 2e 're, steadily paler and more emaciated even than 3eforeA and lac!ed some of his former assurance ,hen repeatin' to $r. Willett his oldA old story of vital research and future revelations. Willett often ,aylaid him at his father<s houseA for the elder Ward ,as deeply ,orried and perple%edA and ,ished his son to 'et as much sound oversi'ht as could 3e mana'ed in the case of so secretive and independent an adult. The doctor still insists that the youth ,as sane even as late as thisA and adduces many a conversation to prove his point. A3out Septem3er the vampirism declinedA 3ut in the follo,in' 6anuary almost 3ecame involved in serious trou3le. 4or some time the nocturnal arrival and departure of motor truc!s at the >a,tu%et 3un'alo, had 3een commented uponA and at this Cuncture an unforeseen hitch e%posed the nature of at least one item of their contents. =n a lonely spot near 2ope ?alley had occurred one of the freDuent sordid ,aylayin' of truc!s 3y Lhi1 Cac!ersL in Duest of liDuor shipmentsA 3ut this time the ro33ers had 3een destined to receive the 'reater shoc!. 4or the lon' cases they seized proved upon openin' to contain some

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

8)

e%ceedin'ly 'ruesome thin'sB so 'ruesomeA in factA that the matter could not 3e !ept Duiet amon'st the denizens of the under,orld. The thieves had hastily 3uried ,hat they discoveredA 3ut ,hen the State >olice 'ot ,ind of the matter a careful search ,as made. A recently arrived va'rantA under promise of immunity from prosecution on any additional char'eA at last consented to 'uide a party of troopers to the spotB and there ,as found in that hasty cache a very hideous and shameful thin'. =t ,ould not 3e ,ell for the national 1 or even the international 1 sense of decorum if the pu3lic ,ere ever to !no, ,hat ,as uncovered 3y that a,estruc! party. There ,as no mista!in' itA even 3y those far from studious officersB and tele'rams to Washin'ton ensued ,ith feverish rapidity. The cases ,ere addressed to Charles Ward at his >a,tu%et 3un'alo,A and State and 4ederal officials at once paid him a very forceful and serious call. They found him pallid and ,orried ,ith his t,o odd companionsA and received from him ,hat seemed to 3e a valid e%planation and evidence of innocence. 2e had needed certain anatomical specimens as part of a pro'ramme of research ,hose depth and 'enuineness anyone ,ho had !no,n him in the last decade could proveA and had ordered the reDuired !ind and num3er from a'encies ,hich he had thou'ht as reasona3ly le'itimate as such thin's can 3e. +f the identity of the specimens he had !no,n a3solutely nothin'A and ,as properly shoc!ed ,hen the inspectors hinted at the monstrous effect on pu3lic sentiment and national di'nity ,hich a !no,led'e of the matter ,ould produce. =n this statement he ,as firmly sustained 3y his 3earded collea'ue $r. AllenA ,hose oddly hollo, voice carried even more conviction than his o,n nervous tonesB so that in the end the officials too! no actionA 3ut carefully set do,n the ;e, .or! name and address ,hich Ward 'ave them a 3asis for a search ,hich came to nothin'. =t is only fair to add that the specimens ,ere Duic!ly and Duietly restored to their proper placesA and that the 'eneral pu3lic ,ill never !no, of their 3lasphemous distur3ance. +n 4e3ruary )A 1)"8A $r. Willett received a letter from Charles Ward ,hich he considers of e%traordinary importanceA and a3out ,hich he has freDuently Duarrelled ,ith $r. 5yman. 5yman 3elieves that this note contains positive proof of a ,ell1developed case of dementia praeco@A 3ut Willett on the other hand re'ards it as the last perfectly sane utterance of the hapless youth. 2e calls especial attention to the normal character of the penmanshipB ,hich thou'h she,in' traces of shattered nervesA is nevertheless distinctly Ward<s o,n. The te%t in full is as follo,s9 1** >rospect St. >rovidenceA :.=.A 4e3ruary 8A 1)"8. $ear $r. Willett91 = feel that at last the time has come for me to ma!e the disclosures ,hich = have so lon' promised youA and for ,hich you have pressed me so often. The patience you have she,n in ,aitin'A and the confidence you have she,n in my mind and inte'rityA are thin's = shall never cease to appreciate. And no, that = am ready to spea!A = must o,n ,ith humiliation that no triumph such as = dreamed of can ever 3y mine. =nstead of triumph = have found terrorA and my tal! ,ith you ,ill not 3e a 3oast of victory 3ut a plea for help and advice in savin' 3oth myself and the ,orld from a horror 3eyond all human conception or

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

)*

calculation. .ou recall ,hat those 4enner letters said of the old raidin' party at >a,tu%et. That must all 3e done a'ainA and Duic!ly. (pon us depends more than can 3e put into ,ords 1 all civilisationA all natural la,A perhaps even the fate of the solar system and the universe. = have 3rou'ht to li'ht a monstrous a3normalityA 3ut = did it for the sa!e of !no,led'e. ;o, for the sa!e of all life and ;ature you must help me thrust it 3ac! into the dar! a'ain. = have left that >a,tu%et place foreverA and ,e must e%tirpate everythin' e%istin' thereA alive or dead. = shall not 'o there a'ainA and you must not 3elieve it if you ever hear that = am there. = ,ill tell you ,hy = say this ,hen = see you. = have come home for 'oodA and ,ish you ,ould call on me at the very first moment that you can spare five or si% hours continuously to hear ,hat = have to say. =t ,ill ta!e that lon' 1 and 3elieve me ,hen = tell you that you never had a more 'enuine professional duty than this. 8y life and reason are the very least thin's ,hich han' in the 3alance. = dare not tell my fatherA for he could not 'rasp the ,hole thin'. But = have told him of my dan'erA and he has four men from a detective a'ency ,atchin' the house. = don<t !no, ho, much 'ood they can doA for they have a'ainst them forces ,hich even you could scarcely envisa'e or ac!no,led'e. So come Duic!ly if you ,ish to see me alive and hear ho, you may help to save the cosmos from star! hell. Any time ,ill do 1 = shall not 3e out of the house. $on<t telephone aheadA for there is no tellin' ,ho or ,hat may try to intercept you. And let us pray to ,hatever 'ods there 3e that nothin' may prevent this meetin'. =n utmost 'ravity and desperationA Charles $e%ter Ward. >.S. Shoot $r. Allen on si'ht and dissol!e "is body in acid% #on+t burn it% $r. Willett received this note a3out 1*9&* a.m.A and immediately arran'ed to spare the ,hole late afternoon and evenin' for the momentous tal!A lettin' it e%tend on into the ni'ht as lon' as mi'ht 3e necessary. 2e planned to arrive a3out four o<cloc!A and throu'h all the intervenin' hours ,as so en'ulfed in every sort of ,ild speculation that most of his tas!s ,ere very mechanically performed. 8aniacal as the letter ,ould have sounded to a stran'erA Willett had seen too much of Charles Ward<s oddities to dismiss it as sheer ravin'. That somethin' very su3tleA ancientA and horri3le ,as hoverin' a3out he felt Duite sureA and the reference to $r. Allen could almost 3e comprehended in vie, of ,hat >a,tu%et 'ossip said of Ward<s eni'matical collea'ue. Willett had never seen the manA 3ut had heard much of his aspect and 3earin'A and could not 3ut ,onder ,hat sort of eyes those much1 discussed dar! 'lasses mi'ht conceal. >romptly at four $r. Willett presented himself at the Ward residenceA 3ut found to his annoyance that Charles had not adhered to his determination to remain indoors. The 'uards ,ere thereA 3ut said that the youn' man seemed to have lost part of his timidity. 2e had that mornin' done much apparently fri'htened ar'uin' and protestin' over the telephoneA one of the detectives saidA replyin' to some un!no,n voice ,ith phrases such as <= am very tired and must rest a ,hile<A <= can<t receive anyone for some time<A <you<ll have to e%cuse

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

)1

me<A <>lease postpone decisive action till ,e can arran'e some sort of compromise<A or <= am very sorryA 3ut = must ta!e a complete vacation from everythin'B =<ll tal! ,ith you later.< ThenA apparently 'ainin' 3oldness throu'h meditationA he had slipped out so Duietly that no one had seen him depart or !ne, that he had 'one until he returned a3out one o<cloc! and entered the house ,ithout a ,ord. 2e had 'one upstairsA ,here a 3it of his fear must have sur'ed 3ac!B for he ,as heard to cry out in a hi'hly terrified fashion upon enterin' his li3raryA after,ard trailin' off into a !ind of cho!in' 'asp. WhenA ho,everA the 3utler had 'one to inDuire ,hat the trou3le ,asA he had appeared at the door ,ith a 'reat sho, of 3oldnessA and had silently 'estured the man a,ay in a manner that terrified him unaccounta3ly. Then he had evidently done some rearran'in' of his shelvesA for a 'reat clatterin' and thumpin' and crea!in' ensuedB after ,hich he had reappeared and left at once. Willett inDuired ,hether or not any messa'e had 3een leftA 3ut ,as told that there ,as no none. The 3utler seemed Dueerly distur3ed a3out somethin' in Charles<s appearance and mannerA and as!ed solicitously if there ,as much hope for a cure of his disordered nerves. 4or almost t,o hours $r. Willett ,aited vainly in Charles Ward<s li3raryA ,atchin' the dusty shelves ,ith their ,ide 'aps ,here 3oo!s had 3een removedA and smilin' 'rimly at the panelled overmantel on the north ,allA ,hence a year 3efore the suave features of old 6oseph Cur,en had loo!ed mildly do,n. After a time the shado,s 3e'an to 'atherA and the sunset cheer 'ave place to a va'ue 'ro,in' terror ,hich fle, shado,1li!e 3efore the ni'ht. 8r. Ward finally arrivedA and she,ed much surprise and an'er at his son<s a3sence after all the pains ,hich had 3een ta!en to 'uard him. 2e had not !no,n of Charles<s appointmentA and promised to notify Willett ,hen the youth returned. =n 3iddin' the doctor 'oodni'ht he e%pressed his utter perple%ity at his son<s conditionA and ur'ed his caller to do all he could to restore the 3oy to normal poise. Willett ,as 'lad to escape from that li3raryA for somethin' fri'htful and unholy seemed to haunt itB as if the vanished picture had left 3ehind a le'acy of evil. 2e had never li!ed that pictureB and even no,A stron'1nerved thou'h he ,asA there lur!ed a Duality in its vacant panel ,hich made him feel an ur'ent need to 'et out into the pure air as soon as possi3le. & The ne%t mornin' Willett received a messa'e from the senior WardA sayin' that Charles ,as still a3sent. 8r. Ward mentioned that $r. Allen had telephoned him to say that Charles ,ould remain at >a,tu%et for some timeA and that he must not 3e distur3ed. This ,as necessary 3ecause Allen himself ,as suddenly called a,ay for an indefinite periodA leavin' the researches in need of Charles<s constant oversi'ht. Charles sent his 3est ,ishesA and re'retted any 3other his a3rupt chan'e of plans mi'ht have caused. =t listenin' to this messa'e 8r. Ward heard $r. Allen<s voice for the first timeA and it seemed to e%cite some va'ue and elusive memory ,hich could not 3e actually placedA 3ut ,hich ,as distur3in' to the point of fearfulness. 4aced 3y these 3afflin' and contradictory reportsA $r. Willett ,as fran!ly at a loss ,hat to do. The frantic earnestness of Charles<s note ,as not to 3e deniedA yet ,hat could one thin! of its ,riter<s immediate violation of his o,n e%pressed policyG .oun' Ward had ,ritten that his delvin's had 3ecome 3lasphemous and menacin'A that they and his 3earded collea'ue must 3e e%tirpated at any costA and that he himself ,ould never return to their final sceneB yet accordin' to latest advices he had for'otten all this and ,as 3ac! in the

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

)"

thic! of the mystery. Common sense 3ade one leave the youth alone ,ith his frea!ishnessA yet some deeper instinct ,ould not permit the impression of that frenzied letter to su3side. Willett read it over a'ainA and could not ma!e its essence sound as empty and insane as 3oth its 3om3astic ver3ia'e and its lac! of fulfilment ,ould seem to imply. =ts terror ,as too profound and realA and in conCunction ,ith ,hat the doctor already !ne, evo!ed too vivid hints of monstrosities from 3eyond time and space to permit of any cynical e%planation. There ,ere nameless horrors a3roadB and no matter ho, little one mi'ht 3e a3le to 'et at themA one ou'ht to stand prepared for any sort of action at any time. 4or over a ,ee! $r. Willett pondered on the dilemma ,hich seemed thrust upon himA and 3ecame more and more inclined to pay Charles a call at the >a,tu%et 3un'alo,. ;o friend of the youth had ever ventured to storm this for3idden retreatA and even his father !ne, of its interior only from such descriptions as he chose to 'iveB 3ut Willett felt that some direct conversation ,ith his patient ,as necessary. 8r. Ward had 3een receivin' 3rief and non1committal typed notes from his sonA and said that 8rs. Ward in her Atlantic City retirement had had no 3etter ,ord. So at len'th the doctor resolved to actB and despite a curious sensation inspired 3y old le'ends of 6oseph Cur,enA and 3y more recent revelations and ,arnin's from Charles WardA set 3oldly out for the 3un'alo, on the 3luff a3ove the river. Willett had visited the spot 3efore throu'h sheer curiousityA thou'h of course never enterin' the house or proclaimin' his presenceB hence !ne, e%actly the route to ta!e. $rivin' out Broad Street one early afternoon to,ard the end of 4e3ruary in his small motorA he thou'ht oddly of the 'rim party ,hich had ta!en that selfsame road a hundred and fifty1seven years 3efore on a terri3le errand ,hich none mi'ht ever comprehend. The ride throu'h the city<s decayin' frin'e ,as shortA and trim Ed'e,ood and sleepy >a,tu%et presently spread out ahead. Willett turned to the ri'ht do,n 5oc!,ood Street and drove his car as far alon' that rural road as he couldA then ali'hted and ,al!ed north to ,here the 3luff to,ered a3ove the lovely 3ends of the river and the s,eep of misty do,nlands 3eyond. 2ouses ,ere still fe, hereA and there ,as no mista!in' the isolated 3un'alo, ,ith its concrete 'ara'e on a hi'h point of land at his left. Steppin' 3ris!ly up the ne'lected 'ravel ,al! he rapped at the door ,ith a firm handA and spo!e ,ithout a tremor to the evil >ortu'uese mulatto ,ho opened it to the ,idth of a crac!. 2e mustA he saidA see Charles Ward at once on vitally important 3usiness. ;o e%cuse ,ould 3e acceptedA and a repulse ,ould mean only a full report of the matter to the elder Ward. The mulatto still hesitatedA and pushed a'ainst the door ,hen Willett attempted to open itB 3ut the doctor merely raised his voice and rene,ed his demands. Then there came from the dar! interior a hus!y ,hisper ,hich someho, chilled the hearer throu'h and throu'h thou'h he did not !no, ,hy he feared it. <5et him inA TonyA< it saidA <,e may as ,ell tal! no, as ever.< But distur3in' as ,as the ,hisperA the 'reater fear ,as that ,hich immediately follo,ed. The floor crea!ed and the spea!er hove in si'ht 1 and the o,ner of those stran'e and resonant tones ,as seen to 3e no other than Charles $e%ter Ward. The minuteness ,ith ,hich $r. Willett recalled and recorded his conversation of that afternoon is due to the importance he assi'ns to this particular period. 4or at last he concedes a vital chan'e in Charles $e%ter Ward<s mentalityA and 3elieves that the youth no, spo!e from a 3rain hopelessly alien to the 3rain ,hose 'ro,th he had ,atched for si% and t,enty years. Controversy ,ith $r. 5yman has compelled him to 3e very specificA and

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

)&

he definitely dates the madness of Charles Ward from the time the type,ritten notes 3e'an to reach his parents. Those notes are not in Ward<s normal styleB not even in the style of that last frantic letter to Willett. =nsteadA they are stran'e and archaicA as if the snappin' of the ,riter<s mind had released a flood of tendencies and impressions pic!ed up unconsciously throu'h 3oyhood antiDuarianism. There is an o3vious effort to 3e modernA 3ut the spirit and occasionally the lan'ua'e are those of the past. The pastA tooA ,as evident in Ward<s every tone and 'esture as he received the doctor in that shado,y 3un'alo,. 2e 3o,edA motioned Willett to a seatA and 3e'an to spea! a3ruptly in that stran'e ,hisper ,hich he sou'ht to e%plain at the very outset. <= am 'ro,n phthisicalA< he 3e'anA <from this cursed river air. .ou must e%cuse my speech. = suppose you are come from my father to see ,hat ails meA and = hope you ,ill say nothin' to alarm him.< Willett ,as studyin' these scrapin' tones ,ith e%treme careA 3ut studyin' even more closely the face of the spea!er. Somethin'A he feltA ,as ,ron'B and he thou'ht of ,hat the family had told him a3out the fri'ht of that .or!shire 3utler one ni'ht. 2e ,ished it ,ere not so dar!A 3ut did not reDuest that the 3lind 3e opened. =nsteadA he merely as!ed Ward ,hy he had so 3elied the frantic note of little more than a ,ee! 3efore. <= ,as comin' to thatA< the host replied. <.ou must !no,A = am in a very 3ad state of nervesA and do and say Dueer thin's = cannot account for. As = have told you oftenA = am on the ed'e of 'reat mattersB and the 3i'ness of them has a ,ay of ma!in' me li'ht1headed. Any man mi'ht ,ell 3e fri'hted of ,hat = have foundA 3ut = am not to 3e put off for lon'. = ,as a dunce to have that 'uard and stic! at homeB for havin' 'one this farA my place is here. = am not ,ell spo!e of my pryin' nei'h3oursA and perhaps = ,as led 3y ,ea!ness to 3elieve myself ,hat they say of me. There is no evil to any in ,hat = doA so lon' as = do it ri'htly. 2ave the 'oodness to ,ait si% monthsA and =<ll she, you ,hat ,ill pay your patience ,ell.< <.ou may as ,ell !no, = have a ,ay of learnin' old matters from thin's surer than 3oo!sA and =<ll leave you to Cud'e the importance of ,hat = can 'ive to historyA philosophyA and the arts 3y reason of the doors = have access to. 8y ancestor had all this ,hen those ,itless peepin' Toms came and murdered him. = no, have it a'ainA or am comin' very imperfectly to have a part of it. This time nothin' must happenA and least of all thou'h any idiot fears of my o,n. >ray for'et all = ,rit youA SirA and have no fear of this place or any in it. $r. Allen is a man of fine partsA and = o,n him an apolo'y for anythin' ill = have said of him. = ,ish = had no need to spare himA 3ut there ,ere thin's he had to do else,here. 2is zeal is eDual to mine in all those mattersA and = suppose that ,hen = feared the ,or! = feared him too as my 'reatest helper in it.< Ward pausedA and the doctor hardly !ne, ,hat to say or thin!. 2e felt almost foolish in the face of this calm repudiation of the letterB and yet there clun' to him the fact that ,hile the present discourse ,as stran'e and alien and indu3ita3ly madA the note itself had 3een tra'ic in its naturalness and li!eness to the Charles Ward he !ne,. Willett no, tried to turn the tal! on early mattersA and recall to the youth some past events ,hich ,ould restore a familiar moodB 3ut in this process he o3tained only the most 'rotesDue results. =t ,as the same ,ith all the alienists later on. =mportant sections of Charles Ward<s store of mental ima'esA mainly those touchin' modern times and his o,n personal lifeA had 3een

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

)#

unaccounta3ly e%pun'edB ,hilst all the massed antiDuarianism of his youth had ,elled up from some profound su3consciousness to en'ulf the contemporary and the individual. The youth<s intimate !no,led'e of elder thin's ,as a3normal and unholyA and he tried his 3est to hide it. When Willett ,ould mention some favourite o3Cect of his 3oyhood archaistic studies he often shed 3y pure accident such a li'ht as no normal mortal could conceiva3ly 3e e%pected to possessA and the doctor shuddered as the 'li3 allusion 'lided 3y. =t ,as not ,holesome to !no, so much a3out the ,ay the fat sheriff<s ,i' fell off as he leaned over at the play in 8r. $ou'lass<s 2istrionic! Academy in 0in' Street on the eleventh of 4e3ruaryA 17-"A ,hich fell on a ThursdayB or a3out ho, the actors cut the te%t of Steele<s Conscious (o!er so 3adly that one ,as almost 'lad the Baptist1ridden le'islature closed the theatre a fortni'ht later. That Thomas Sa3in<s Boston coach ,as Ldamn<d uncomforta3leL old letters may ,ell have toldB 3ut ,hat healthy antiDuarian could recall ho, the crea!in' of Epenetus +lney<s ne, si'n3oard Jthe 'audy cro,n he set up after he too! to callin' his tavern the Cro,n Coffee 2ouseK ,as e%actly li!e the first fe, notes of the ne, Cazz piece all the radios in >a,tu%et ,ere playin'G WardA ho,everA ,ould not 3e Duizzed lon' in this vein. 8odern and personal topics he ,aved aside Duite summarilyA ,hilst re'ardin' antiDue affairs he soon she,ed the plainest 3oredom. What he ,ished clearly enou'h ,as only to satisfy his visitor enou'h to ma!e him depart ,ithout the intention of returnin'. To this end he offered to she, Willett the entire houseA and at once proceeded to lead the doctor throu'h every room from cellar to attic. Willett loo!ed sharplyA 3ut noted that the visi3le 3oo!s ,ere far too fe, and trivial to have ever filled the ,ide 'aps on Ward<s shelves at homeA and that the mea're so1called Lla3oratoryL ,as the flimsiest sort of a 3lind. ClearlyA there ,ere a li3rary and a la3oratory else,hereB 3ut Cust ,hereA it ,as impossi3le to say. Essentially defeated in his Duest for somethin' he could not nameA Willett returned to to,n 3efore evenin' and told the senior Ward everythin' ,hich had occurred. They a'reed that the youth must 3e definitely out of his mindA 3ut decided that nothin' drastic need 3e done Cust then. A3ove allA 8rs. Ward must 3e !ept in as complete an i'norance as her son<s o,n stran'e typed notes ,ould permit. 8r. Ward no, determined to call in person upon his sonA ma!in' it ,holly a surprise visit. $r. Willett too! him in his car one evenin'A 'uidin' him to ,ithin si'ht of the 3un'alo, and ,aitin' patiently for his return. The session ,as a lon' oneA and the father emer'ed in a very saddened and perple%ed state. 2is reception had developed much li!e Willett<sA save that Charles had 3een an e%cessively lon' time in appearin' after the visitor had forced his ,ay into the hall and sent the >ortu'uese a,ay ,ith an imperative demandB and in the 3earin' of the altered son there ,as no trace of filial affection. The li'hts had 3een dimA yet even so the youth had complained that they dazzled him outra'eously. 2e had not spo!en out loud at allA averrin' that his throat ,as in very poor conditionB 3ut in his hoarse ,hisper there ,as a Duality so va'uely distur3in' that 8r. Ward could not 3anish it from his mind. ;o, definitely lea'ued to'ether to do all they could to,ard the youth<s mental salvationA 8r. Ward and $r. Willett set a3out collectin' every scrap of data ,hich the case mi'ht afford. >a,tu%et 'ossip ,as the first item they studiedA and this ,as relatively easy to 'lean since 3oth had friends in that re'ion. $r. Willett o3tained the most rumours 3ecause people tal!ed more fran!ly to him than to a parent of the central fi'ureA and from all he heard he could tell that youn' Ward<s life had 3ecome indeed a stran'e one. Common

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

ton'ues ,ould not dissociate his household from the vampirism of the previous summerA ,hile the nocturnal comin's and 'oin's of the motor truc!s provided their share of dar! speculations. 5ocal tradesmen spo!e of the Dueerness of the orders 3rou'ht them 3y the evil1loo!in' mulattoA and in particular of the inordinate amounts of mean and fresh 3lood secured from the t,o 3utcher shops in the immediate nei'h3ourhood. 4or a household of only threeA these Duantities ,ere Duite a3surd. Then there ,as the matter of the sounds 3eneath the earth. :eports of these thin's ,ere harder to point do,nA 3ut all the va'ue hints tallied in certain 3asic essentials. ;oises of a ritual nature positively e%istedA and at times ,hen the 3un'alo, ,as dar!. They mi'htA of courseA have come from the !no,n cellarB 3ut rumour insisted that there ,ere deeper and more spreadin' crypts. :ecallin' the ancient tales of 6oseph Cur,en<s catacom3sA and assumin' for 'ranted that the present 3un'alo, had 3een selected 3ecause of its situation on the old Cur,en site as revealed in one of another of the documents found 3ehind the pictureA Willett and 8r. Ward 'ave this phase of the 'ossip much attentionB and searched many times ,ithout success for the door in the river13an! ,hich old manuscripts mentioned. As to popular opinions of the 3un'alo,<s various inha3itantsA it ,as soon plain that the Brava >ortu'uese ,as loathedA the 3earded and spectacled $r. Allen fearedA and the pallid youn' scholar disli!ed to a profound de'ree. $urin' the last ,ee! or t,o Ward had o3viously chan'ed muchA a3andonin' his attempts at affa3ility and spea!in' only in hoarse 3ut oddly repellent ,hispers on the fe, occasions that he ventured forth. Such ,ere the shreds and fra'ments 'athered here and thereB and over these 8r. Ward and $r. Willett held many lon' and serious conferences. They strove to e%ercise deductionA inductionA and constructive ima'ination to their utmost e%tentB and to correlate every !no,n fact of Charles<s later lifeA includin' the frantic letter ,hich the doctor no, she,ed the fatherA ,ith the mea're documentary evidence availa3le concernin' old 6oseph Cur,en. They ,ould have 'iven much for a 'limpse of the papers Charles had foundA for very clearly the !ey to the youth<s madness lay in ,hat he had learned of the ancient ,izard and his doin's. # And yetA after allA it ,as from no step of 8r. Ward<s or $r. Willett<s that the ne%t move in this sin'ular case proceeded. The father and the physicianA re3uffed and confused 3y a shado, too shapeless and intan'i3le to com3atA had rested uneasily on their oars ,hile the typed notes of youn' Ward to his parents 're, fe,er and fe,er. Then came the first of the month ,ith its customary financial adCustmentsA and the cler!s at certain 3an!s 3e'an a peculiar sha!in' of heads and telephonin' from one to the other. +fficials ,ho !ne, Charles Ward 3y si'ht ,ent do,n to the 3un'alo, to as! ,hy every cheDue of his appearin' at this Cuncture ,as a clumsy for'eryA and ,ere reassured less than they ou'ht to have 3een ,hen the youth hoarsely e%plained that he hand had lately 3een so much affected 3y a nervous shoc! as to ma!e normal ,ritin' impossi3le. 2e couldA he saidA from no ,ritten characters at all e%cept ,ith 'reat difficultyB and could prove it 3y the fact that he had 3een forced to type all his recent lettersA even those to his father and motherA ,ho ,ould 3ear out the assertion. What made the investi'ators pause in confusion ,as not this circumstance aloneA for that ,as nothin' unprecedented or fundamentally suspiciousA nor even the >a,tu%et

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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'ossipA of ,hich one or t,o of them had cau'ht echoes. =t ,as the muddled discourse of the youn' man ,hich nonplussed themA implyin' as it did a virtually total loss of memory concernin' important monetary matters ,hich he had had at his fin'ertips only a month or t,o 3efore. Somethin' ,as ,ron'B for despite the apparent coherence and rationality of his speechA there could 3e no normal reason for this ill1concealed 3lan!ness on vital points. 8oreoverA althou'h none of these men !ne, Ward ,ellA they could not help o3servin' the chan'e in his lan'ua'e and manner. They had heard he ,as an antiDuarianA 3ut even the most hopeless antiDuarians do not ma!e daily use of o3solete phraseolo'y and 'estures. Alto'etherA this com3ination of hoarsenessA palsied handsA 3ad memoryA and altered speech and 3earin' must represent some distur3ance or malady of 'enuine 'ravityA ,hich no dou3t formed the 3asis of the prevailin' odd rumoursB and after their departure the party of officials decided that a tal! ,ith the senior Ward ,as imperative. So on the si%th of 8archA 1)"8A there ,as a lon' and serious conference in 8r. Ward<s officeA after ,hich the utterly 3e,ildered father summoned $r. Willett in a !ind of helpless resi'nation. Willett loo!ed over the strained and a,!,ard si'natures of the cheDueA and compared them in his mind ,ith the penmanship of that last frantic note. CertainlyA the chan'e ,as radical and profoundA and yet there ,as somethin' damna3ly familiar a3out the ne, ,ritin'. =t had cra33ed and archaic tendencies of a very curious sortA and seemed to result from a type of stro!e utterly different from that ,hich the youth had al,ays used. =t ,as stran'e 1 3ut ,here had he seen it 3eforeG +n the ,holeA it ,as o3vious that Charles ,as insane. +f that there could 3e no dou3t. And since it appeared unli!ely that he could handle his property or continue to deal ,ith the outside ,orld much lon'erA somethin' must Duic!ly 3e done to,ard his oversi'ht and possi3le cure. =t ,as then that the alienists ,ere called inA $rs. >ec! and Waite of >rovidence and $r. 5yman of BostonA to ,hom 8r. Ward and $r. Willett 'ave the most e%haustive possi3le history of the caseA and ,ho conferred at len'th in the no, unused li3rary of their youn' patientA e%aminin' ,hat 3oo!s and papers of his ,ere left in order to 'ain some further notion of his ha3itual mental cast. After scannin' this material and e%aminin' the ominous note to Willett they all a'reed that Charles Ward<s studies had 3een enou'h to unseat or at least to ,arp any ordinary intellectA and ,ished most heartily that they could see his more intimate volumes and documentsB 3ut this latter they !ne, they could doA if at allA only after a scene at the 3un'alo, itself. Willett no, revie,ed the ,hole case ,ith fe3rile ener'yB it 3ein' at this time that he o3tained the statements of the ,or!men ,ho had seen Charles find the Cur,en documentsA and that he collated the incidents of the destroyed ne,spaper itemsA loo!in' up the latter at the Journal office. +n ThursdayA the ei'hth of 8archA $rs. WillettA >ec!A 5ymanA and WaiteA accompanied 3y 8r. WardA paid the youth their momentous callB ma!in' no concealment of their o3Cect and Duestionin' the no, ac!no,led'ed patient ,ith e%treme minuteness. CharlesA althou'h he ,as inordinately lon' in ans,erin' the summons and ,as still redolent of stran'e and no%ious la3oratory odours ,hen he did finally ma!e his a'itated appearanceA proved a far from recalcitrant su3CectB and admitted freely that his memory and 3alance had suffered some,hat from close application to a3struse studies. 2e offered no resistance ,hen his removal to other Duarters ,as insisted uponB and seemedA indeedA to display a hi'h de'ree of intelli'ence as apart from mere memory. 2is conduct ,ould have sent his intervie,ers a,ay in 3afflement had not the persistently archaic trend of his speech and unmista!a3le replacement of modern 3y ancient ideas in his consciousness mar!ed him out as one definitely removed from the normal. +f his ,or! he ,ould say no more to the 'roup of

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

)7

doctors than he had formerly said to his family and to $r. WillettA and his frantic note of the previous month he dismissed as mere nerves and hysteria. 2e insisted that this shado,y 3un'alo, possessed no li3rary or la3oratory 3eyond the visi3le onesA and ,a%ed a3struse in e%plainin' the a3sence from the house of such odours as no, saturated all his clothin'. ;ei'h3ourhood 'ossip he attri3uted to nothin' more than the cheap inventiveness of 3affled curiousity. +f the ,herea3outs of $r. Allen he said he did not feel at li3erty to spea! definitelyA 3ut assured his inDuisitors that the 3earded and spectacled man ,ould return ,hen needed. =n payin' off the stolid Brava ,ho resisted all Duestionin' 3y the visitorsA and in closin' the 3un'alo, ,hich still seemed to hold such ni'hted secretsA Ward she,ed no si'ns of nervousness save a 3arely noticed tendency to pause as thou'h listenin' for somethin' very faint. 2e ,as apparently animated 3y a calmly philosophic resi'nationA as if he removal ,ere the merest transient incident ,hich ,ould cause the least trou3le if facilitated and disposed of once and for all. =t ,as clear that he trusted to his o3viously unimpaired !eenness of a3solute mentality to overcome all the em3arrassments into ,hich his t,isted memoryA his lost voice and hand,ritin'A and his secretive and eccentric 3ehaviour had led him. 2is motherA it ,as a'reedA ,as not to 3e told of the chan'eB his father supplyin' typed notes in his name. Ward ,as ta!en to the restfully and picturesDuely situated private hospital maintained 3y $r. Waite on Conanicut =sland in the 3ayA and su3Cected to the closest scrutiny and Duestionin' 3y all the physicians connected ,ith the case. =t ,as then that the physical oddities ,ere noticedB the slac!ened meta3olismA the altered s!inA and the disproportionate neural reactions. $r. Willett ,as the most pertur3ed of the various e%aminersA for he had attended Ward all his life and could appreciate ,ith terri3le !eenness the e%tent of his physical disor'anisation. Even the familiar olive mar! on his hip ,as 'oneA ,hile on his chest ,as a 'reat 3lac! mole or cicatrice ,hich had never 3een there 3eforeA and ,hich made Willett ,onder ,hether the youth had ever su3mitted to any of the $itc" markings reputed to 3e inflicted at certain un,holesome nocturnal meetin's in ,ild and lonely places. The doctor could not !eep his mind off a certain transcri3ed ,itch1trial record from Salem ,hich Charles had she,n him in the old non1secretive daysA and ,hich read9 <8r. 7. B. on that ;i'hte putt ye $ivell his 8ar!e upon Brid'et S.A 6onathan A.A Simon +.A $eliverance W.A 6oseph C.A Susan >.A 8ehita3le C.A and $e3orah B.< Ward<s faceA tooA trou3led him horri3lyA till at len'th he suddenly discovered ,hy he ,as horrified. 4or a3ove the youn' man<s ri'ht eye ,as somethin' ,hich he had never previously noticed 1 a small scar or pit precisely li!e that in the crum3led paintin' of old 6oseph Cur,enA and perhaps attestin' some hideous ritualistic inoculation to ,hich 3oth had su3mitted at a certain sta'e of their occult careers. While Ward himself ,as puzzlin' all the doctors at the hospital a very strict ,atch ,as !ept on all mail addressed either to him or to $r. AllenA ,hich 8r. Ward had ordered delivered at the family home. Willett had predicted that very little ,ould 3e foundA since any communications of a vital nature ,ould pro3a3ly have 3een e%chan'ed 3y messen'erB 3ut in the latter part of 8arch there did come a letter from >ra'ue for $r. Allen ,hich 'ave 3oth the doctor and the father deep thou'ht. =t ,as in a very cra33ed and archaic handB and thou'h clearly not the effort of a forei'nerA she,ed almost as sin'ular a departure from modern En'lish as the speech of youn' Ward himself. =t read9 0leinstrasse 11A AltstadtA >ra'ueA 11th 4e3y. 1)"8. Brother in Almonsin18etraton91

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

)8

= this day receiv<d yr mention of ,hat came up from the Saltes = sent you. =t ,as ,ron'A and meanes clearly that ye 2eadstones had 3een chan'<d ,hen Barna3as 'ott me the Specimen. =t is often soA as you must 3e sensi3le of from the Thin' you 'ott from ye 0in's Chapell 'round in 17-) and ,hat 2. 'ott from +lde Bury<' >oint in 1-)*A that ,as li!e to ende him. = 'ott such a Thin' in Ae'ypt 7 yeares 'oneA from the ,hich came that Scar ye Boy sa, on me here in 1)"#. As = told you lon'e a'oA do not calle up That ,hich you can not put do,neB either from dead Saltes or out of ye Spheres 3eyond. 2ave ye Wordes for layin' at all times readieA and stopp not to 3e sure ,hen there is any $ou3te of Whom you have. Stones are all chan'<d no, in ;ine 'roundes out of 1*. .ou are never sure till you Duestion. = this day heard from 2.A ,ho has had Trou3le ,ith the Soldiers. 2e is li!e to 3e sorry Transylvania is pass<t from 2un'ary to :oumaniaA and ,ou<d chan'e his Seat if the Castel ,eren<t so fulle of What ,e 0no,e. But of this he hath dou3tless ,rit you. =n my ne%t Send<' there ,ill 3e Some,hat from a 2ill tom3 from ye East that ,ill deli'ht you 'reatly. 8ean,hile for'et not = am desirous of B. 4. if you can possi3ly 'et him for me. .ou !no, 7. in >hilada. 3etter than =. 2ave him upp firste if you ,illA 3ut doe not use him soe hard he ,ill 3e $ifficultA for = must spea!e to him in ye End. .o''1Sothoth ;e3lod @in Simon +. To 8r. 6. C. in >rovidence. 8r. Ward and $r. Willett paused in utter chaos 3efore this apparent 3it of unrelieved insanity. +nly 3y de'rees did they a3sor3 ,hat it seemed to imply. So the a3sent $r. AllenA and not Charles WardA had come to 3e the leadin' spirit at >a,tu%etG That must e%plain the ,ild reference and denunciation in the youth<s last frantic letter. And ,hat of this addressin' of the 3earded and spectacled stran'er as L8r. 6. C.LG There ,as no escapin' the inferenceA 3ut there are limits to possi3le monstrosity. Who ,as LSimon +.LB the old man Ward had visited in >ra'ue four years previouslyG >erhapsA 3ut in the centuries 3ehind there had 3een another Simon +. 1 Simon +rneA alias 6edediahA of SalemA ,ho vanished in 1771A and $"ose peculiar "and$riting #r% Willett no$ unmistakably recognised from t"e p"otostatic copies of t"e 'rne formulae $"ic" C"arles "ad once s"o$n "im% What horrors and mysteriesA ,hat contradictions and contraventions of ;atureA had come 3ac! after a century and a half to harass +ld >rovidence ,ith her clustered spires and domesG The father and the old physicianA virtually at a loss ,hat to do or thin!A ,ent to see Charles at the hospital and Duestioned him as delicately as they could a3out $r. AllenA a3out the >ra'ue visitA and a3out ,hat he had learned of Simon or 6edediah +rne of Salem. To all these enDuiries the youth ,as politely non1committalA merely 3ar!in' in his hoarse ,hisper that he had found $r. Allen to have a remar!a3le spiritual rapport ,ith certain souls from the pastA and that any correspondent the 3earded man mi'ht have in >ra'ue ,ould pro3a3ly 3e similarly 'ifted. When they leftA 8r. Ward and $r. Willett realised to their cha'rin that they had really 3een the ones under catechismB and that ,ithout impartin' anythin' vital himselfA the confined youth had adroitly pumped them of everythin' the >ra'ue letter had contained.

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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$rs. >ec!A WaiteA and 5yman ,ere not inclined to attach much importance to the stran'e correspondence of youn' Ward<s companionB for they !ne, the tendency of !indred eccentrics and monomaniacs to 3and to'etherA and 3elieved that Charles or Allen had merely unearthed an e%patriated counterpart 1 perhaps one ,ho had seen +rne<s hand,ritin' and copied it in an attempt to pose as the 3y'one character<s reincarnation. Allen himself ,as perhaps a similar caseA and may have persuaded the youth into acceptin' him as an avatar of the lon'1dead Cur,en. Such thin's had 3een !no,n 3eforeA and on the same 3asis the hard1headed doctors disposed of Willett<s 'ro,in' disDuiet a3out Charles Ward<s present hand,ritin'A as studied from unpremeditated specimens o3tained 3y various ruses. Willett thou'ht he had placed its odd familiarity at lastA and that ,hat it va'uely resem3led ,as the 3y'one penmanship of old 6oseph Cur,en himselfB 3ut this the other physicians re'arded as a phase of imitativeness only to 3e e%pected in a mania of this sortA and refused to 'rant it any importance either favoura3le or unfavoura3le. :eco'nisin' this prosaic attitude in his collea'uesA Willett advised 8r. Ward to !eep to himself the letter ,hich arrived for $r. Allen on the second of April from :a!usA TransylvaniaA in a hand,ritin' so intensely and fundamentally li!e that of the 2utchinson cipher that 3oth father and physician paused in a,e 3efore 3rea!in' the seal. This read as follo,s9 Castle 4erenczy 7 8arch 1)"8. $ear C.91 2add a SDuad of "* 8ilitia up to tal! a3out ,hat the Country 4ol! say. 8ust di'' deeper and have less 2earde. These :oumanians pla'ue me damna3lyA 3ein' officious and particular ,here you cou<d 3uy a 8a'yar off ,ith a $rin!e and 4ood. 5ast monthe 8. 'ot me ye Sarcopha'us of ye 4ive Sphin%es from ye Acropolis ,here 2e ,home = call<d up say<d it ,ou<d 3eA and = have hadde & Tal!es ,ith What ,as therein inhum<d. =t ,ill 'o to S. +. in >ra'ue directlyA and thence to you. =t is stu33orn 3ut you !no, ye Way ,ith Such. .ou she, Wisdom in havin' lesse a3out than BeforeB for there ,as no ;eede to !eep the 7uards in Shape and eat<' off their 2eadsA and it made 8uch to 3e founde in Case of Trou3leA as you too ,elle !no,e. .ou can no, move and ,or!e else,here ,ith no 0ill<' Trou3le if needfulA tho< = hope no Thin' ,ill soon force you to so Bothersome a Course. = reCoice that you traffic! not so much ,ith Those +utsideB for there ,as ever a 8ortall >eril in itA and you are sensi3le ,hat it did ,hen you as!<d >rotection of +ne not dispos<d to 'ive it. .ou e%cel me in 'ett<' ye 4ormulae so another may saye them ,ith SuccessA 3ut Borellus fancy<d it ,ou<d 3e so if Cust ye ri'ht Wordes ,ere hadd. $oes ye Boy use <em oftenG = re'ret that he 'ro,es sDueamishA as = fear<d he ,ou<d ,hen = hadde him here ni'h 1 8onthesA 3ut am sensi3le you !no,e ho, to deal ,ith him. .ou can<t saye him do,n ,ith ye 4ormulaA for that ,ill Wor!e only upon such as ye other 4ormula hath call<d up from SaltesB 3ut you still have stron' 2andes and 0nife and >istolA and 7raves are not harde to di''A nor Acids loth to 3urne.

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1**

+. sayes you have promis<d him B. 4. = must have him after. B. 'oes to you sooneA and may he 'ive you ,hat you ,ishe of that $ar!e Thin' 3elo,e 8emphis. =mploy care in ,hat you calle upA and 3e,are of ye Boy. =t ,ill 3e ripe in a yeare<s time to have up ye 5e'ions from (nderneathA and then there are no Boundes to ,hat shal 3e oures. 2ave Confidence in ,hat = sayeA for you !no,e +. and = have hadd these 1 * yeares more than you to consulte these 8atters in. ;ephreu 1 0a nai 2adoth Ed,. 2. 4or 6 Cur,enA EsD. >rovidence. But if Willett and 8r. Ward refrained from she,in' this letter to the alienistsA they did not refrain from actin' upon it themselves. ;o amount of learned sophistry could controvert the fact that the stran'ely 3earded and spectacled $r. AllenA of ,hom Charles<s frantic letter had spo!en as such a monstrous menaceA ,as in close and sinister correspondence ,ith t,o ine%plica3le creatures ,hom Ward had visited in his travels and ,ho plainly claimed to 3e survivals or avatars of Cur,en<s old Salem collea'uesB that he ,as re'ardin' himself as the reincarnation of 6oseph Cur,enA and that he entertained 1 or ,as at least advised to entertain 1 murderous desi'ns a'ainst a L3oyL ,ho could scarcely 3e other than Charles Ward. There ,as or'anised horror afootB and no matter ,ho had started itA the missin' Allen ,as 3y this time at the 3ottom of it. ThereforeA than!in' heaven that Charles ,as no, safe in the hospitalA 8r. Ward lost no time in en'a'in' detectives to learn all they could of the crypticA 3earded doctorB findin' ,hence he had come and ,hat >a,tu%et !ne, of himA and if possi3le discoverin' his present ,herea3outs. Supplyin' the men ,ith one of the 3un'alo, !eys ,hich Charles yielded upA he ur'ed them to e%plore Allen<s vacant room ,hich had 3een identified ,hen the patient<s 3elon'in's had 3een pac!edB o3tainin' ,hat clues they could from any effects he mi'ht have left a3out. 8r. Ward tal!ed ,ith the detectives in his son<s old li3raryA and they felt a mar!ed relief ,hen they left it at lastB for there seemed to hover a3out the place a va'ue aura of evil. >erhaps it ,as ,hat they had heard of the infamous old ,izard ,hose picture had once stared from the panelled overmantelA and perhaps it ,as somethin' different and irrelevantB 3ut in any case they all half sensed an intan'i3le miasma ,hich centred in that carven vesti'e of an older d,ellin' and ,hich at times almost rose to the intensity of a material emanation.

V. A Ni-htm re #$
1

C t cl&sm

And no, s,iftly follo,ed that hideous e%perience ,hich has left its indeli3le mar! of fear on the soul of 8arinus Bic!nell WillettA and has added a decade to the visi3le a'e of one ,hose youth ,as even then far 3ehind. $r. Willett had conferred at len'th ,ith 8r. WardA and had come to an a'reement ,ith him on several points ,hich 3oth felt the alienists ,ould ridicule. There ,asA they concededA a terri3le movement alive in the ,orldA ,hose direct conne%ion ,ith a necromancy even older than the Salem ,itchcraft could not

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1*1

3e dou3ted. That at least t,o livin' men 1 and one other of ,hom they dared not thin! 1 ,ere in a3solute possession of minds or personalities ,hich had functioned as early as 1-)* or 3efore ,as li!e,ise almost unassaila3ly proved even in the face of all !no,n natural la,s. What these horri3le creatures 1 and Charles Ward as ,ell 1 ,ere doin' or tryin' to do seemed fairly clear from their letters and from every 3it of li'ht 3oth old and ne, ,hich had filtered in upon the case. They ,ere ro33in' the tom3s of all the a'esA includin' those of the ,orld<s ,isest and 'reatest menA in the hope of recoverin' from the 3y'one ashes some vesti'e of the consciousness and lore ,hich had once animated and informed them. A hideous traffic ,as 'oin' on amon' these ni'htmare 'houlsA ,here3y illustrious 3ones ,ere 3artered ,ith the calm calculativeness of school3oys s,appin' 3oo!sB and from ,hat ,as e%torted from this centuried dust there ,as anticipated a po,er and a ,isdom 3eyond anythin' ,hich the cosmos had ever seen concentred in one man or 'roup. They had found unholy ,ays to !eep their 3rains aliveA either in the same 3ody or different 3odiesB and had evidently achieved a ,ay of tappin' the consciousness of the dead ,hom they 'athered to'ether. There hadA it seemsA 3een some truth in chimerical old Borellus ,hen he ,rote of preparin' from even the most antiDue remains certain LEssential SaltesL from ,hich the shade of a lon'1dead livin' thin' mi'ht 3e raised up. There ,as a formula for evo!in' such a shadeA and another for puttin' it do,nB and it had no, 3een so perfected that it could 3e tau'ht successfully. +ne must 3e careful a3out evocationsA for the mar!ers of old 'raves are not al,ays accurate. Willett and 8r. Ward shivered as they passed from conclusion to conclusion. Thin's 1 presences or voices of some sort 1 could 3e dra,n do,n from un!no,n places as ,ell as from the 'raveA and in this process also one must 3e careful. 6oseph Cur,en had indu3ita3ly evo!ed many for3idden thin'sA and as for Charles 1 ,hat mi'ht one thin! of himG What forces Loutside the spheresL had reached him from 6oseph Cur,en<s day and turned his mind on for'otten thin'sG 2e had 3een led to find certain directionsA and he had used them. 2e had tal!ed ,ith the man of horror in >ra'ue and stayed lon' ,ith the creature in the mountains of Transylvania. And he must have found the 'rave of 6oseph Cur,en at last. That ne,spaper item and ,hat his mother had heard in the ni'ht ,ere too si'nificant to overloo!. Then he had summoned somethin'A and it must have come. That mi'hty voice aloft on 7ood 4ridayA and those different tones in the loc!ed attic la3oratory. What ,ere they li!eA ,ith their depth and hollo,nessG Was there not here some a,ful foreshado,in' of the dreaded stran'er $r. Allen ,ith his spectral 3assG .esA t"at ,as ,hat 8r. Ward had felt ,ith va'ue horror in his sin'le tal! ,ith the man 1 if man it ,ere 1 over the telephoneF What hellish consciousness or voiceA ,hat mor3id shade or presenceA had come to ans,er Charles Ward<s secret rites 3ehind that loc!ed doorG Those voices heard in ar'ument 1 Lmust have it red for three monthsL 1 7ood 7odF Was not that Cust 3efore the vampirism 3ro!e outG The riflin' of Ezra Weeden<s ancient 'raveA and the cries later at >a,tu%et 1 ,hose mind had planned the ven'eance and rediscovered the shunned seat of elder 3lasphemiesG And then the 3un'alo, and the 3earded stran'erA and the 'ossipA and the fear. The final madness of Charles neither father nor doctor could attempt to e%plainA 3ut they did feel sure that the mind of 6oseph Cur,en had come to earth a'ain and ,as follo,in' its ancient mor3idities. Was daemoniac possession in truth a possi3ilityG Allen had somethin' to do ,ith itA and the detectives must find out more a3out one ,hose e%istence menaced the youn' man<s life. =n the meantimeA since the e%istence of some vast

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1*"

crypt 3eneath the 3un'alo, seemed virtually 3eyond disputeA some effort must 3e made to find it. Willett and 8r. WardA conscious of the sceptical attitude of the alienistsA resolved durin' their final conference to underta!e a Coint secret e%ploration of unparalleled thorou'hnessB and a'reed to meet at the 3un'alo, on the follo,in' mornin' ,ith valises and ,ith certain tools and accessories suited to architectural search and under'round e%ploration. The mornin' of April -th da,ned clearA and 3oth e%plorers ,ere at the 3un'alo, 3y ten o<cloc!. 8r. Ward had the !eyA and an entry and cursory survey ,ere made. 4rom the disordered condition of $r. Allen<s room it ,as o3vious that the detectives had 3een there 3eforeA and the later searchers hoped that they had found some clue ,hich mi'ht prove of value. +f course the main 3usiness lay in the cellarB so thither they descended ,ithout much delayA a'ain ma!in' the circuit ,hich each had vainly made 3efore in the presence of the mad youn' o,ner. 4or a time everythin' seemed 3afflin'A each inch of the earthen floor and stone ,alls havin' so solid and innocuous an aspect that the thou'ht of a yearnin' aperture ,as scarcely to 3e entertained. Willett reflected that since the ori'inal cellar ,as du' ,ithout !no,led'e of any catacom3s 3eneathA the 3e'innin' of the passa'e ,ould represent the strictly modern delvin' of youn' Ward and his associatesA ,here they had pro3ed for the ancient vaults ,hose rumour could have reached them 3y no ,holesome means. The doctor tried to put himself in Charles<s place to see ho, a delver ,ould 3e li!ely to startA 3ut could not 'ain much inspiration from this method. Then he decided on elimination as a policyA and ,ent carefully over the ,hole su3terranean surface 3oth vertical and horizontalA tryin' to account for every inch separately. 2e ,as soon su3stantially narro,ed do,nA and at last had nothin' left 3ut the small platform 3efore the ,ashtu3sA ,hich he tried once 3efore in vain. ;o, e%perimentin' in every possi3le ,ayA and e%ertin' a dou3le stren'thA he finally found that the top did indeed turn and slide horizontally on a corner pivot. Beneath it lay a trim concrete surface ,ith an iron manholeA to ,hich 8r. Ward at once rushed ,ith e%cited zeal. The cover ,as not hard to liftA and the father had Duite removed it ,hen Willett noticed the Dueerness of his aspect. 2e ,as s,ayin' and noddin' dizzilyA and in the 'ust of no%ious air ,hich s,ept up from the 3lac! pit 3eneath the doctor soon reco'nised ample cause. =n a moment $r. Willett had his faintin' companion on the floor a3ove and ,as revivin' him ,ith cold ,ater. 8r. Ward responded fee3lyA 3ut it could 3e seen that the mephitic 3last from the crypt had in some ,ay 'ravely sic!ened him. Wishin' to ta!e no chancesA Willett hastened out to Broad Street for a ta%ica3 and had soon dispatched the sufferer home despite his ,ea!1voiced protestsB after ,hich he produced an electric torchA covered his nostrils ,ith a 3and of sterile 'auzeA and descended once more to peer into the ne,1 found depths. The foul air had no, sli'htly a3atedA and Willett ,as a3le to send a 3eam of li'ht do,n the Sty'ian hold. 4or a3out ten feetA he sa,A it ,as a sheer cylindrical drop ,ith concrete ,alls and an iron ladderB after ,hich the hole appeared to stri!e a fli'ht of old stone steps ,hich must ori'inally have emer'ed to earth some,hat south,est of the present 3uildin'.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward "

1*&

Willett freely admits that for a moment the memory of the old Cur,en le'ends !ept him from clim3in' do,n alone into that malodorous 'ulf. 2e could not help thin!in' of ,hat 5i!e 4enner had reported on that last monstrous ni'ht. Then duty asserted itself and he made the plun'eA carryin' a 'reat valise for the removal of ,hatever papers mi'ht prove of supreme importance. Slo,lyA as 3efitted one of his yearsA he descended the ladder and reached the slimy steps 3elo,. This ,as ancient masonryA his torch told himB and upon the drippin' ,alls he sa, the un,holesome moss of centuries. $o,nA do,nA ran the stepsB not spirallyA 3ut in three a3rupt turnsB and ,ith such narro,ness that t,o men could have passed only ,ith difficulty. 2e had counted a3out thirty ,hen a sound reached him very faintlyB and after that he did not feel disposed to count any more. =t ,as a 'odless soundB one of those lo,1!eyedA insidious outra'es of ;ature ,hich are not meant to 3e. To call it a dull ,ailA a doom1dra''ed ,hineA or a hopeless ho,l of chorused an'uish and stric!en flesh ,ithout mind ,ould 3e to miss its Duintessential loathsomeness and soul1sic!enin' overtones. Was it for this that Ward had seemed to listen on that day he ,as removedG =t ,as the most shoc!in' thin' that Willett had ever heardA and it continued from no determinate point as the doctor reached the 3ottom of the steps and cast his torchli'ht around on lofty corridor ,alls surmounted 3y Cyclopean vaultin' and pierced 3y num3erless 3lac! arch,ays. The hall in ,hich he stood ,as perhaps fourteen feet hi'h in the middle of the vaultin' and ten or t,elve feet 3road. =ts pavement ,as of lar'e chipped fla'stoneA and its ,alls and roof ,ere of dressed masonry. =ts len'th he could not ima'ineA for it stretched ahead indefinitely into the 3lac!ness. +f the arch,aysA some had doors of the old si%1panelled colonial typeA ,hilst others had none. +vercomin' the dread induced 3y the smell and the ho,lin'A Willett 3e'an to e%plore these arch,ays one 3y oneB findin' 3eyond them rooms ,ith 'roined stone ceilin'sA each of medium size and apparently of 3izarre used. 8ost of them had fireplacesA the upper courses of ,hose chimneys ,ould have formed an interestin' study in en'ineerin'. ;ever 3efore or since had he seen such instruments or su''estions of instruments as here loomed up on every hand throu'h the 3uryin' dust and co3,e3s of a century and a halfA in many cases evidently shattered as if 3y the ancient raiders. 4or many of the cham3ers seemed ,holly untrodden 3y modern feetA and must have represented the earliest and most o3solete phases of 6oseph Cur,en<s e%perimentation. 4inally there came a room of o3vious modernityA or at least of recent occupancy. There ,ere oil heatersA 3oo!shelves and ta3lesA chairs and ca3inetsA and a des! piled hi'h ,ith papers of varyin' antiDuity and contemporaneousness. Candlestic!s and oil lamps stood a3out in several placesB and findin' a match1safe handyA Willett li'hted such as ,ere ready for use. =n the fuller 'leam it appeared that this apartment ,as nothin' less than the latest study or li3rary of Charles Ward. +f the 3oo!s the doctor had seen many 3eforeA and a 'ood part of the furniture had plainly come from the >rospect Street mansion. 2ere and there ,as a piece ,ell !no,n to WillettA and the sense of familiarity 3ecame so 'reat that he half for'ot the noisomness and the ,ailin'A 3oth of ,hich ,ere plainer here than they had 3een at the foot of the steps. 2is first dutyA as planned lon' aheadA ,as to find and seize any papers ,hich mi'ht seem of vital importanceB especially those portentous documents found 3y Charles so lon' a'o 3ehind the picture in +lney Court. As he search he perceived ho, stupendous a tas! the final unravellin' ,ould 3eB for file on file ,as stuffed ,ith papers in

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1*#

curious hands and 3earin' curious desi'nsA so that months or even years mi'ht 3e needed for a thorou'h decipherin' and editin'. +nce he found three lar'e pac!ets of letters ,ith >ra'ue and :a!us postmar!sA and in ,ritin' clearly reco'nisa3le as +rne<s and 2utchinson<sB all of ,hich he too! ,ith him as part of the 3undle to 3e removed in his valise. At lastA in a loc!ed maho'any ca3inet once 'racin' the Ward homeA Willett found the 3atch of old Cur,en papersB reco'nisin' them from the reluctant 'limpse Charles had 'ranted him so many years a'o. The youth had evidently !ept them to'ether very much as they had 3een ,hen first he found themA since all the titles recalled 3y the ,or!men ,ere present e%cept the papers addressed to +rne and 2utchinsonA and the cipher ,ith its !ey. Willett placed the entire lot in his valise and continued his e%amination of the files. Since youn' Ward<s immediate condition ,as the 'reatest matter at sta!eA the closest searchin' ,as done amon' the most o3viously recent matterB and in this a3undance of contemporary manuscript one very 3afflin' oddity ,as noted. The oddity ,as the sli'ht amount in Charles<s normal ,ritin'A ,hich indeed included nothin' more recent than t,o months 3efore. +n the other handA there ,ere literally reams of sym3ols and formulaeA historical notes and philosophical commentA in a cra33ed penmanship a3solutely identical ,ith the ancient script of 6oseph Cur,enA thou'h of undenia3ly modern datin'. >lainlyA a part of the latter1day pro'ramme had 3een a sedulous imitation of the old ,izard<s ,ritin'A ,hich Charles seemed to have carried to a marvellous state of perfection. +f any third hand ,hich mi'ht have 3een Allen<s there ,as not a trace. =f he had indeed come to 3e the leaderA he must have forced youn' Ward to act as his amanuensis. =n this ne, material one mystic formulaA or rather pair of formulaeA recurred so often that Willett had it 3y heart 3efore he had half finished his Duest. =t consisted of t,o parallel columnsA the left1hand one surmounted 3y the archaic sym3ol called L$ra'on<s 2eadL and used in almanacs to indicate the ascendin' nodeA and the ri'ht1hand one headed 3y a correspondin' si'n of L$ra'on<s TailL or descendin' node. The appearance of the ,hole ,as somethin' li!e thisA and almost unconsciously the doctor realised that the second half ,as no more than the first ,ritten sylla3ically 3ac!,ard ,ith the e%ception of the final monosylla3les and of the odd name ;og-Sot"ot"A ,hich he had come to reco'nise under various spellin's from other thin's he had seen in conne%ion ,ith this horri3le matter. The formulae ,ere as follo,s 1 e@actly soA as Willett is a3undantly a3le to testify 1 and the first one struc! an odd note of uncomforta3le latent memory in his 3rainA ,hich he reco'nised later ,hen revie,in' the events of that horri3le 7ood 4riday of the previous year. .<A= <;7<;7A2A ;'G-S'T9'T9 2<EE15<7EB 4<A= T2:+$+7 5AAA9 +7T2:+$ A=<4 7EB<51EE<2 ;'G-S'T9'T9 <;7A2<;7 A=<. 49*'

So hauntin' ,ere these formulaeA and so freDuently did he come upon themA that 3efore the doctor !ne, it he ,as repeatin' them under his 3reath. EventuallyA ho,everA he felt he had secured all the papers he could di'est to advanta'e for the presentB hence resolved to e%amine no more till he could 3rin' the sceptical alienists en masse for an ampler and more systematic raid. 2e had still to find the hidden la3oratoryA so leavin' his valise in the li'hted room he emer'ed a'ain into the 3lac! noisome corridor ,hose vaultin' echoed ceaseless ,ith that dull and hideous ,hine.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1*

The ne%t fe, rooms he tried ,ere all a3andonedA or filled only ,ith crum3lin' 3o%es and ominous1loo!in' leaden coffinsB 3ut impressed him deeply ,ith the ma'nitude of 6oseph Cur,en<s ori'inal operations. 2e thou'ht of the slaves and seamen ,ho had disappearedA of the 'raves ,hich had 3een violated in every part of the ,orldA and of ,hat that final raidin' party must have seenB and then he decided it ,as 3etter not to thin! any more. +nce a 'reat stone staircase mounted at his ri'htA and he deduced that this must have reached to one of the Cur,en out3uildin's 1 perhaps the famous stone edifice ,ith the hi'h slit1li!e ,indo,s 1 provided the steps he had descended had led from the steep1roofed farmhouse. Suddenly the ,alls seemed to fall a,ay aheadA and the stench and the ,ailin' 're, stron'er. Willett sa, that he had come upon a vast open spaceA so 'reat that his torchli'ht ,ould not carry across itB and as he advanced he encountered occasional stout pillars supportin' the arches of the roof. After a time he reached a circle of pillars 'rouped li!e the monoliths of Stonehen'eA ,ith a lar'e carved altar on a 3ase of three steps in the centreB and so curious ,ere the carvin's on that altar that he approached to study them ,ith his electric li'ht. But ,hen he sa, ,hat they ,ere he shran! a,ay shudderin'A and did not stop to investi'ate the dar! stains ,hich discoloured the upper surface and had spread do,n the sides in occasional thin lines. =nsteadA he found the distant ,all and traced it as it s,ept round in a 'i'antic circle perforated 3y occasional 3lac! door,ays and indented 3y a myriad of shallo, cells ,ith iron 'ratin's and ,rist and an!le 3onds on chains fastened to the stone of the concave rear masonry. These cells ,ere emptyA 3ut still the horri3le odour and the dismal moanin' continuedA more insistent no, than everA and seemin'ly varied at time 3y a sort of slippery thumpin'. & 4rom that fri'htful smell and that uncanny noise Willett<s attention could no lon'er 3e diverted. Both ,ere plainer and more hideous in the 'reat pillared hall than any,here elseA and carried a va'ue impression of 3ein' far 3elo,A even in this dar! nether ,orld of su3terrene mystery. Before tryin' any of the 3lac! arch,ays for steps leadin' further do,nA the doctor cast his 3eam of li'ht a3out the stone1fla''ed floor. =t ,as very loosely pavedA and at irre'ular intervals there ,ould occur a sla3 curiously pierced 3y small holes in no definite arran'ementA ,hile at one point there lay a very lon' ladder carelessly flun' do,n. To this ladderA sin'ularly enou'hA appeared to clin' a particularly lar'e amount of the fri'htful odour ,hich encompassed everythin'. As he ,al!ed slo,ly a3out it suddenly occurred to Willett that 3oth the noise and the odour seemed stron'est a3ove the oddly pierced sla3sA as if they mi'ht 3e crude trap1doors leadin' do,n to some still deeper re'ion of horror. 0neelin' 3y oneA he ,or!ed at it ,ith his handsA and found that ,ith e%treme difficulty he could 3ud'e it. At his touch the moanin' 3eneath ascended to a louder !eyA and only ,ith vast trepidation did he persevere in the liftin' of the heavy stone. A stench unnamea3le no, rose up from 3elo,A and the doctor<s head reeled dizzily as he laid 3ac! the sla3 and turned his torch upon the e%posed sDuare yard of 'apin' 3lac!ness. =f he had e%pected a fli'ht of steps to some ,ide 'ulf of ultimate a3ominationA Willett ,as destined to 3e disappointedB for amidst that foetor and crac!ed ,hinin' he discerned only the 3ric!1faced top of a cylindrical ,ell perhaps a yard and a half in diameter and devoid of any ladder or other means of descent. As the li'ht shone do,nA the ,ailin' chan'ed suddenly to a series of horri3le yelpsB in conCunction ,ith ,hich there came a'ain

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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that sound of 3lindA futile scram3lin' and slippery thumpin'. The e%plorer trem3ledA un,illin' even to ima'ine ,hat no%ious thin' mi'ht 3e lur!in' in that a3yssA 3ut in a moment mustered up the coura'e to peer over the rou'h1he,n 3rin!B lyin' at full len'th and holdin' the torch do,n,ard at arm<s len'th to see ,hat mi'ht lie 3elo,. 4or a second he could distin'uish nothin' 3ut the slimyA moss1'ro,n 3ric! ,alls sin!in' illimita3ly into that half1tan'i3le miasma of mur! and foulness and an'uished frenzyB and then he sa, that somethin' dar! ,as leapin' clumsily and frantically up and do,n at the 3ottom of the narro, shaftA ,hich must have 3een from t,enty to t,enty1five feet 3elo, the stone floor ,here he lay. The torch shoo! in his handA 3ut he loo!ed a'ain to see ,hat manner of livin' creature mi'ht 3e immured there in the dar!ness of that unnatural ,ellB left starvin' 3y youn' Ward throu'h all the lon' month since the doctors had ta!en him a,ayA and clearly only one of a vast num3er prisoned in the !indred ,ells ,hose pierced stone covers so thic!ly studded the floor of the 'reat vaulted cavern. Whatever the thin's ,ereA they could not lie do,n in their cramped spacesB 3ut must have crouched and ,hined and ,aited and fee3ly leaped all those hideous ,ee!s since their master had a3andoned them unheeded. But 8arinus Bic!nell Willett ,as sorry that he loo!ed a'ainB for sur'eon and veteran of the dissectin'1room thou'h he ,asA he has not 3een the same since. =t is hard to e%plain Cust ho, a sin'le si'ht of a tan'i3le o3Cect ,ith measura3le dimensions could so sha!e and chan'e a manB and ,e may only say that there is a3out certain outlines and entities a po,er of sym3olism and su''estion ,hich acts fri'htfully on a sensitive thin!er<s perspective and ,hispers terri3le hints of o3scure cosmic relationships and unnamea3le realities 3ehind the protective illusions of common vision. =n that second loo! Willett sa, such an outline or entityA for durin' the ne%t fe, instants he ,as undou3tedly as star! ravin' mad as any inmate of $r. Waite<s private hospital. 2e dropped the electric torch from a hand drained of muscular po,er or nervous coQrdinationA nor heeded the sound of crunchin' teeth ,hich told of its fate at the 3ottom of the pit. 2e screamed and screamed and screamed in a voice ,hose falsetto panic no acDuaintance of his ,ould ever have reco'nisedB and thou'h he could not rise to his feet he cra,led and rolled desperately a,ay from the damp pavement ,here dozens of Tartarean ,ells poured forth their e%hausted ,hinin' and yelpin' to ans,er his o,n insane cries. 2e tore his hands on the rou'hA loose stonesA and many times 3ruised his head a'ainst the freDuent pillarsA 3ut still he !ept on. Then at last he slo,ly came to himself in the utter 3lac!ness and stenchA and stopped his ears a'ainst the dronin' ,ail into ,hich the 3urst of yelpin' had su3sided. 2e ,as drenched ,ith perspiration and ,ithout means of producin' a li'htB stric!en and unnerved in the a3ysmal 3lac!ness and horrorA and crushed ,ith a memory he never could efface. Beneath him dozens of those thin's still livedA and from one of those shafts the cover ,as removed. 2e !ne, that ,hat he had seen could never clim3 up the slippery ,allsA yet shuddered at the thou'ht that some o3scure foot1hold mi'ht e%ist. What the thin' ,asA he ,ould never tell. =t ,as li!e some of the carvin's on the hellish altarA 3ut it ,as alive. ;ature had never made it in this formA for it ,as too palpa3ly unfinis"ed. The deficiencies ,ere of the most surprisin' sortA and the a3normalities of proportion could not 3e descri3ed. Willett consents only to say that this type of thin' must have represented entities ,hich Ward called up from imperfect saltsA and ,hich he !ept for servile or ritualistic purposes. =f it had not had a certain si'nificanceA its ima'e ,ould not have 3een carved on that damna3le stone. =t ,as not the ,orst thin' depicted on that stone 1 3ut Willett never opened the other pits. At the timeA the first connected idea in his mind

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1*7

,as an idle para'raph from some of the old Cur,en data he had di'ested lon' 3eforeB a phrase used 3y Simon or 6edediah +rne in that portentous confiscated letter to the 3y'one sorcerer9 <CertainlyA there ,as ;oth<' 3ut ye liveliest A,fulness in that ,hich 2. rais<d upp from What he cou<d 'ather onlie a part of.< ThenA horri3ly supplementin' rather than displacin' this ima'eA there came a recollection of those ancient lin'erin' rumours anent the 3urnedA t,isted thin' found in the fields a ,ee! after the Cur,en raid. Charles Ward had once told the doctor ,hat old Slocum said of that o3CectB that it ,as neither thorou'hly humanA nor ,holly allied to any animal ,hich >a,tu%et fol! had ever seen or read a3out. These ,ords hummed in the doctor<s mind as he roc!ed to and froA sDuattin' on the nitrous stone floor. 2e tried to drive them outA and repeated the 5ord<s >rayer to himselfB eventually trailin' off into a mnemonic hod'e1pod'e li!e the modernistic Waste (and of 8r. T. S. EliotA and finally revertin' to the oft1repeated dual formula he had lately found in Ward<s under'round li3rary9 +;+ai +ng+nga"& ;og-Sot"ot"+ and so on till the final underlined 4"ro% =t seemed to soothe himA and he sta''ered to his feet after a timeB lamentin' 3itterly his fri'ht1lost torch and loo!in' ,ildly a3out for any 'leam of li'ht in the clutchin' in!iness of the chilly air. Thin! he ,ould notB 3ut he strained his eyes in every direction for some faint 'lint or reflection of the 3ri'ht illumination he had left in the li3rary. After a ,hile he thou'ht he detected a suspicion of a 'lo, infinitely far a,ayA and to,ard this he cra,led in a'onised caution on hands and !nees amidst the stench and ho,lin'A al,ays feelin' ahead lest he collide ,ith the numerous 'reat pillars or stum3le into the a3omina3le pit he had uncovered. +nce his sha!in' fin'ers touched somethin' ,hich he !ne, must 3e the steps leadin' to the hellish altarA and from this spot he recoiled in loathin'. At another time he encountered the pierced sla3 he had removedA and here his caution 3ecame almost pitiful. But he did not come upon the dread aperture after allA nor did anythin' issue from that aperture to detain him. What had 3een do,n there made no sound nor stir. Evidently its crunchin' of the fallen electric torch had not 3een 'ood for it. Each time Willett<s fin'ers felt a perforated sla3 he trem3led. 2is passa'e over it ,ould sometimes increase the 'roanin' 3elo,A 3ut 'enerally it ,ould produce no effect at allA since he moved very noiselessly. Several times durin' his pro'ress the 'lo, ahead diminished percepti3lyA and he realised that the various candles and lamps he had left must 3e e%pirin' one 3y one. The thou'ht of 3ein' lost in utter dar!ness ,ithout matches amidst this under'round ,orld of ni'htmare la3yrinths impelled him to rise to his feet and runA ,hich he could safely do no, that he had passed the open pitB for he !ne, that once the li'ht failedA his only hope of rescue and survival ,ould lie in ,hatever relief party 8r. Ward mi'ht send after missin' him for a sufficient period. >resentlyA ho,everA he emer'ed from the open space into the narro,er corridor and definitely located the 'lo, as comin' from a door on his ri'ht. =n a moment he had reached it and ,as standin' once more in youn' Ward<s secret li3raryA trem3lin' ,ith reliefA and ,atchin' the sputterin's of that last lamp ,hich had 3rou'ht him to safety.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward #

1*8

=n another moment he ,as hastily fillin' the 3urned1out lamps from an oil supply he had previously noticedA and ,hen the room ,as 3ri'ht a'ain he loo!ed a3out to see if he mi'ht find a lantern for further e%ploration. 4or rac!ed thou'h he ,as ,ith horrorA his sense of 'rim purpose ,as still uppermostB and he ,as firmly determined to leave no stone unturned in his search for the hideous facts 3ehind Charles Ward<s 3izarre madness. 4ailin' to find a lanternA he chose the smallest of the lamps to carryB also fillin' his poc!ets ,ith candles and matchesA and ta!in' ,ith him a 'allon can of oilA ,hich he proposed to !eep for reserve use in ,hatever hidden la3oratory he mi'ht uncover 3eyond the terri3le open space ,ith its unclean altar and nameless covered ,ells. To traverse that space a'ain ,ould reDuire his utmost fortitudeA 3ut he !ne, it must 3e done. 4ortunately neither the fri'htful altar nor the opened shaft ,as near the vast cell1indented ,all ,hich 3ounded the cavern areaA and ,hose 3lac! mysterious arch,ays ,ould form the ne%t 'oals of a lo'ical search. So Willett ,ent 3ac! to that 'reat pillared hall of stench and an'uished ho,lin'B turnin' do,n his lamp to avoid any distant 'limpse of the hellish altarA or of the uncovered pit ,ith the pierced stone sla3 3eside it. 8ost of the 3lac! door,ays led merely to small cham3ersA some vacant and some evidently used as storeroomsB and in several of the latter he sa, some very curious accumulations of various o3Cects. +ne ,as pac!ed ,ith rottin' and dust1draped 3ales of spare clothin'A and the e%plorer thrilled ,hen he sa, that it ,as unmista!a3ly the clothin' of a century and a half 3efore. =n another room he found numerous odds and ends of modern clothin'A as if 'radual provisions ,ere 3ein' made to eDuip a lar'e 3ody of men. But ,hat he disli!ed most of all ,ere the hu'e copper vats ,hich occasionally appearedB theseA and the sinister incrustations upon them. 2e li!ed them even less than the ,eirdly fi'ured leaden 3o,ls ,hose rims retained such o3no%ious deposits and around ,hich clun' repellent odours percepti3le a3ove even the 'eneral noisomness of the crypt. When he had completed a3out half the entire circuit of the ,all he found another corridor li!e that from ,hich he had comeA and out of ,hich many doors opened. This he proceeded to investi'ateB and after enterin' three rooms of medium size and of no si'nificant contentsA he came at last to a lar'e o3lon' apartment ,hose 3usiness1 li!e tan!s and ta3lesA furnaces and modern instrumentsA occasional 3oo!s and endless shelves of Cars and 3ottles proclaimed it indeed the lon'1sou'ht la3oratory of Charles Ward 1 and no dou3t of old 6oseph Cur,en 3efore him. After li'htin' the three lamps ,hich he found filled and readyA $r. Willett e%amined the place and all the appurtenances ,ith the !eenest interestB notin' from the relative Duantities of various rea'ents on the shelves that youn' Ward<s dominant concern must have 3een ,ith some 3ranch of or'anic chemistry. +n the ,holeA little could 3e learned from the scientific ensem3leA ,hich included a 'ruesome1loo!in' dissectin'1ta3leB so that the room ,as really rather a disappointment. Amon' the 3oo!s ,as a tattered old copy of Borellus in 3lac!1letterA and it ,as ,eirdly interestin' to note that Ward had underlined the same passa'e ,hose mar!in' had so pertur3ed 'ood 8r. 8erritt in Cur,en<s farmhouse more than a century and half 3efore. That old copyA of courseA must have perished alon' ,ith the rest of Cur,en<s occult li3rary in the final raid. Three arch,ays opened off the la3oratoryA and these the doctor proceeded to sample in turn. 4rom his cursory survey he sa, that t,o led merely to small storeroomsB 3ut these he canvassed ,ith careA remar!in' the piles of coffins in various sta'es of dama'e and shudderin' violently at t,o or three of the fe, coffin1plates he could decipher. There ,as much clothin' also stored in these roomsA and

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1*)

several ne, and ti'htly nailed 3o%es ,hich he did not stop to investi'ate. 8ost interestin' of allA perhapsA ,ere some odd 3its ,hich he Cud'ed to 3e fra'ments of old 6oseph Cur,en<s la3oratory appliances. These had suffered dama'e at the hands of the raidersA 3ut ,ere still partly reco'nisa3le as the chemical paraphernalia of the 7eor'ian period. The third arch,ay led to a very sizea3le cham3er entirely lined ,ith shelves and havin' in the centre a ta3le 3earin' t,o lamps. These lamps Willett li'htedA and in their 3rilliant 'lo, studied the endless shelvin' ,hich surrounded him. Some of the upper levels ,ere ,holly vacantA 3ut most of the space ,as filled ,ith small odd1loo!in' leaden Cars of t,o 'eneral typesB one tall and ,ithout handles li!e a 7recian le!ythos or oil1Cu'A and the other ,ith a sin'le handle and proportioned li!e a >haleron Cu'. All had metal stoppersA and ,ere covered ,ith peculiar1loo!in' sym3ols moulded in lo, relief. =n a moment the doctor noticed that these Cu's ,ere classified ,ith 'reat ri'idityB all the le!ythoi 3ein' on one side of the room ,ith a lar'e ,ooden si'n readin' <Custodes< a3ove themA and all the >halerons on the otherA correspondin'ly la3elled ,ith a si'n readin' <8ateria<. Each of the Cars of Cu'sA e%cept some on the upper shelves that turned out to 3e vacantA 3ore a card3oard ta' ,ith a num3er apparently referrin' to a catalo'ueB and Willett resolved to loo! for the latter presently. 4or the momentA ho,everA he ,as more interested in the nature of the array as a ,holeA and e%perimentally opened several of the le!ythoi and >halerons at random ,ith a vie, to a rou'h 'eneralisation. The result ,as invaria3le. Both types of Car contained a small Duantity of a sin'le !ind of su3stanceB a fine dusty po,der of very li'ht ,ei'ht and of many shades of dullA neutral colour. To the colours ,hich formed the only point of variation there ,as no apparent method of disposalB and no distinction 3et,een ,hat occurred in the le!ythoi and ,hat occurred in the >halerons. A 3luish1'rey po,der mi'ht 3e 3y the side of a pin!ish1,hite oneA and any one in a >haleron mi'ht have its e%act counterpart in a le!ythos. The most individual feature a3out the po,ders ,as their non1adhesiveness. Willett ,ould pour one into his handA and upon returnin' it to its Cu' ,ould find that no residue ,hatever remained on his palm. The meanin' of the t,o si'ns puzzled himA and he ,ondered ,hy this 3attery of chemicals ,as separated so radically from those in 'lass Cars on the shelves of the la3oratory proper. LCustodesLA L8ateriaLB that ,as the 5atin for L7uardsL and L8aterialsLA respectively 1 and then there came a flash of memory as to ,here he had seen that ,ord L7uardsL 3efore in conne%ion ,ith this dreadful mystery. =t ,asA of courseA in the recent letter to $r. Allen purportin' to 3e from old Ed,in 2utchinsonB and the phrase had read9 <There ,as no ;eede to !eep the 7uards in Shape and eat<' off their 2eadsA and it made 8uch to 3e founde in Case of Trou3leA as you too ,elle !no,e.< What did this si'nifyG But ,ait 1 ,as there not still anot"er reference to L'uardsL in this matter ,hich he had failed ,holly to recall ,hen readin' the 2utchinson letterG Bac! in the old non1secretive days Ward had told him of the Eleazar Smith diary recordin' the spyin' of Smith and Weeden on the Cur,en farmA and in that dreadful chronicle there had 3een a mention of conversations overheard 3efore the old ,izard 3etoo! himself ,holly 3eneath the earth. There had 3eenA Smith and Weeden insistedA terri3le colloDuies ,herein fi'ured Cur,enA certain captives of hisA and t"e guards of t"ose capti!es% Those 'uardsA accordin' to 2utchinson or his avatarA had Leaten their heads offLA so that no, $r. Allen did not !eep them in s"ape. And if not in s"apeA ho, save as the LsaltsL to ,hich it appears this ,izard 3and ,as en'a'ed in reducin' as many human 3odies or s!eletons as they couldG

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

11*

So t"at ,as ,hat these le!ythoi containedB the monstrous fruit of unhallo,ed rites and deedsA presuma3ly ,on or co,ed to such su3mission as to helpA ,hen called up 3y some hellish incantationA in the defence of their 3lasphemous master or the Duestionin' of those ,ho ,ere not so ,illin'G Willett shuddered at the thou'ht of ,hat he had 3een pourin' in and out of his handsA and for a moment felt an impulse to flee in panic from that cavern of hideous shelves ,ith their silent and perhaps ,atchin' sentinels. Then he thou'ht of the L8ateriaL 1 in the myriad >haleron Cu's on the other side of the room. Salts too 1 and if not the salts of L'uardsLA then the salts of ,hatG 7odF Could it 3e possi3le that here lay the mortal relics of half the titan thin!ers of all the a'esB snatched 3y supreme 'houls from crypts ,here the ,orld thou'ht them safeA and su3Cect to the 3ec! and call of madmen ,ho sou'ht to drain their !no,led'e for some still ,ilder end ,hose ultimate effect ,ould concernA as poor Charles had hinted in his frantic noteA Lall civilisationA all natural la,A perhaps even the fate of the solar system and the universeLG And 8arinus Bic!nell Willett had sifted their dust throu'h his handsF Then he noticed a small door at the further end of the roomA and calmed himself enou'h to approach it and e%amine the crude si'n chiselled a3ove. =t ,as only a sym3olA 3ut it filled him ,ith va'ue spiritual dreadB for a mor3idA dreamin' friend of his had once dra,n it on paper and told him a fe, of the thin's it means in the dar! a3yss of sleep. =t ,as the si'n of 0othA that dreamers see fi%ed a3ove the arch,ay of a certain 3lac! to,er standin' alone in t,ili'ht 1 and Willett did not li!e ,hat his friend :andolph Carter had said of its po,ers. But a moment later he for'ot the si'n as he reco'nised a ne, acrid odour in the stench1filled air. This ,as a chemical rather than animal smellA and came clearly from the room 3eyond the door. And it ,asA unmista!a3lyA the same odour ,hich had saturated Charles Ward<s clothin' on the day the doctors had ta!en him a,ay. So it ,as here that the youth had 3een interrupted 3y the final summonsG 2e ,as ,iser that old 6oseph Cur,enA for he had not resisted. WillettA 3oldly determined to penetrate every ,onder and ni'htmare this nether realm mi'ht containA seized the small lamp and crossed the threshold. A ,ave of nameless fri'ht rolled out to meet himA 3ut he yielded to no ,him and deferred to no intuition. There ,as nothin' alive here to harm himA and he ,ould not 3e stayed in his piercin' of the eldritch cloud ,hich en'ulfed his patient. The room 3eyond the door ,as of medium sizeA and had no furniture save a ta3leA a sin'le chairA and t,o 'roups of curious machines ,ith clamps and ,heelsA ,hich Willett reco'nised after a moment as mediaeval instruments of torture. +n one side of the door stood a rac! of sava'e ,hipsA a3ove ,hich ,ere some shelves 3earin' empty ro,s of shallo, pedestalled cups of lead shaped li!e 7recian !yli!es. +n the other side ,as the ta3leB ,ith a po,erful Ar'and lampA a pad and pencilA and t,o of the stoppered le!ythoi from the shelves outside set do,n at irre'ular places as if temporarily or in haste. Willett li'hted the lamp and loo!ed carefully at the padA to see ,hat notes Ward mi'ht have 3een Cottin' do,n ,hen interruptedB 3ut found nothin' more intelli'i3le than the follo,in' disCointed fra'ments in that cra33ed Cur,en chiro'raphyA ,hich shed no li'ht on the case as a ,hole9 <B. dy<d not. Escap<d into ,alls and founde >lace 3elo,.< <Sa,e olde ?. saye ye Sa3aoth and learnt yee Way.< <:ais<d .o'1Sothoth thrice and ,as ye ne%te $ay deliver<d.< <4. sou'hte to ,ipe out all !no,<' ho,e to raise Those from +utside.<

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

111

As the stron' Ar'and 3laze lit up the entire cham3er the doctor sa, that the ,all opposite the doorA 3et,een the t,o 'roups of torturin' appliances in the cornersA ,as covered ,ith pe's from ,hich hun' a set of shapeless1loo!in' ro3es of a rather dismal yello,ish1,hite. But far more interestin' ,ere the t,o vacant ,allsA 3oth of ,hich ,ere thic!ly covered ,ith mystic sym3ols and formulae rou'hly chiselled in the smooth dressed stone. The damp floor also 3ore mar!s of carvin'B and ,ith 3ut little difficulty Willett deciphered a hu'e penta'ram in the centreA ,ith a plain circle a3out three feet ,ide half ,ay 3et,een this and each corner. =n one of these four circlesA near ,here a yello,ish ro3e had 3een flun' carelessly do,nA there stood a shallo, !yli% of the sort found on the shelves a3ove the ,hip1rac!B and Cust outside the periphery ,as one of the >haleron Cu's from the shelves in the other roomA its ta' num3ered 118. This ,as unstopperedA and proved upon inspection to 3e emptyB 3ut the e%plorer sa, ,ith a shiver that the !yli% ,as not. Within its shallo, areaA and saved from scatterin' only 3y the a3sence of ,ind in this seDuestered cavernA lay a small amount of a dryA dull1'reenish efflorescent po,der ,hich must have 3elon'ed in the Cu'B and Willett almost reeled at the implications that came s,eepin' over him as he correlated little 3y little the several elements and antecedents of the scene. The ,hips and the instruments of tortureA the dust or salts from the Cu' of L8ateriaLA the t,o le!ythoi from the LCustodesL shelfA the ro3esA the formulae on the ,allsA the notes on the padA the hints from letters and le'endsA and the thousand 'limpsesA dou3tsA and suppositions ,hich had come to torment the friends and parents of Charles Ward 1 all these en'ulfed the doctor in a tidal ,ave of horror as he loo!ed at that dry 'reenish po,der outspread in the pedestalled leaden !yli% on the floor. With an effortA ho,everA Willett pulled himself to'ether and 3e'an studyin' the formulae chiselled on the ,alls. 4rom the stained and incrusted letters it ,as o3vious that they ,ere carved in 6oseph Cur,en<s timeA and their te%t ,as such as to 3e va'uely familiar to one ,ho had read much Cur,en material or delved e%tensively into the history of ma'ic. +ne the doctor clearly reco'nised as ,hat 8rs. Ward heard her son chantin' on that ominous 7ood 4riday a year 3eforeA and ,hat an authority had told him ,as a very terri3le invocation addressed to secret 'ods outside the normal spheres. =t ,as not spelled here e%actly as 8rs. Ward had set it do,n from memoryA nor yet as the authority had she,n it to him in the for3idden pa'es of LEliphas 5eviLB 3ut its identity ,as unmista!a3leA and such ,ords as Sabaot"A MetratonA AlmonsinA and 4ariatnatmik sent a shudder of fri'ht throu'h the search ,ho had seen and felt so much of cosmic a3omination Cust around the corner. This ,as on the left1hand ,all as one entered the room. The ri'ht1hand ,all ,as no less thic!ly inscri3edA and Willett felt a start of reco'nition ,hen he came up the pair of formulae so freDuently occurrin' in the recent notes in the li3rary. They ,ereA rou'hly spea!in'A the sameB ,ith the ancient sym3ols of L$ra'on<s 2eadL and L$ra'on<s TailL headin' them as in Ward<s scri33lin's. But the spellin' differed Duite ,idely from that of the modern versionsA as if old Cur,en had had a different ,ay of recordin' soundA or as if later study had evolved more po,erful and perfected variants of the invocations in Duestion. The doctor tried to reconcile the chiselled version ,ith the one ,hich still ran persistently in his headA and found it hard to do. Where the script he had memorised 3e'an L.<ai <n'<n'ahA .o'1SothothLA this epi'raph started out as LAyeA en'en'ahA .o''e1 SothothaLB ,hich to his mind ,ould seriously interfere ,ith the sylla3ification of the second ,ord.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

11"

7round as the later te%t ,as into his consciousnessA the discrepancy distur3ed himB and he found himself chantin' the first of the formulae aloud in an effort to sDuare the sound he conceived ,ith the letters he found carved. Weird and menacin' in that a3yss of antiDue 3lasphemy ran' his voiceB its accents !eyed to a dronin' sin'1son' either throu'h the spell of the past and the un!no,nA or throu'h the hellish e%ample of that dullA 'odless ,ail from the pits ,hose inhuman cadences rose and fell rhythmically in the distance throu'h the stench and the dar!ness. .<A= <;7<;7A2A ;'G-S'T9'T9 2<EE15<7EB 4<A= T2:+$+7 (AAA2F But ,hat ,as this cold ,ind ,hich had sprun' into life at the very outset of the chantG The lamps ,ere sputterin' ,oefullyA and the 'loom 're, so dense that the letters on the ,all nearly faded from si'ht. There ,as smo!eA tooA and an acrid odour ,hich Duite dro,ned out the stench from the far1a,ay ,ellsB an odour li!e that he had smelt 3eforeA yet infinitely stron'er and more pun'ent. 2e turned from the inscriptions to face the room ,ith its 3izarre contentsA and sa, that the !yli% on the floorA in ,hich the ominous efflorescent po,der had lainA ,as 'ivin' forth a cloud of thic!A 'reenish13lac! vapour of surprisin' volume and opacity. That po,der 1 7reat 7odF it had come from the shelf of L8ateriaL 1 ,hat ,as it doin' no,A and ,hat had started itG The formula he had 3een chantin' 1 the first of the pair 1 $ra'on<s 2eadA ascending node 1 Blessed SaviourA could it 3e ... The doctor reeledA and throu'h his head raced ,ildly disCointed scraps from all he had seenA heardA and read of the fri'htful case of 6oseph Cur,en and Charles $e%ter Ward. L= say to you a'aineA doe not call up Any that you can not put do,ne ... 2ave ye Wordes for layin' at all times readieA and stopp not to 3e sure ,hen there is any $ou3te of Whom you have ... & Tal!es ,ith What ,as therein inhum<d ...L Mercy of 9ea!en& $"at is t"at s"ape be"ind t"e parting smoke/

8arinus Bic!nell Willett has not hope that any part of his tale ,ill 3e 3elieved e%cept 3y certain sympathetic friendsA hence he has made no attempt to tell it 3eyond his most intimate circle. +nly a fe, outsiders have ever heard it repeatedA and of these the maCority lau'h and remar! that the doctor surely is 'ettin' old. 2e has 3een advised to ta!e a lon' vacation and to shun future cases dealin' ,ith mental distur3ance. But 8r. Ward !no,s that the veteran physician spea!s only a horri3le truth. $id not he himself see the noisome aperture in the 3un'alo, cellarG $id not Willett send him home overcome and ill at eleven o<cloc! that portentous mornin'G $id he not telephone the doctor in vain that evenin'A and a'ain the ne%t dayA and had he not driven to the 3un'alo, itself on that follo,in' noonA findin' his friend unconscious 3ut unharmed on one of the 3eds upstairsG Willett had 3een 3reathin' stertorouslyA and opened his eyes slo,ly ,hen 8r. Ward 'ave him some 3randy fetched from the car. Then he shuddered and screamedA cryin' outA <That 3eard... those eyes... 7odA ,ho are youG< A very stran'e thin' to say to a trimA 3lue1eyedA clean1shaven 'entleman ,hom he had !no,n from the latter<s 3oyhood.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

11&

=n the 3ri'ht noon sunli'ht the 3un'alo, ,as unchan'ed since the previous mornin'. Willett<s clothin' 3ore no disarran'ement 3eyond certain smud'es and ,orn places at the !neesA and only a faint acrid odour reminded 8r. Ward of ,hat he had smelt on his son that day he ,as ta!en to the hospital. The doctor<s flashli'ht ,as missin'A 3ut his valise ,as safely thereA as empty as ,hen he had 3rou'ht it. Before indul'in' in any e%planationsA and o3viously ,ith 'reat moral effortA Willett sta''ered dizzily do,n to the cellar and tried the fateful platform 3efore the tu3s. =t ,as unyieldin'. Crossin' to ,here he had left his yet unused tool satchel the day 3eforeA he o3tained a chisel and 3e'an to pry up the stu33orn plan!s one 3y one. (nderneath the smooth concrete ,as still visi3leA 3ut of any openin' or perforation there ,as no lon'er a trace. ;othin' ya,ned this time to sic!en the mystified father ,ho had follo,ed the doctor do,nstairsB only the smooth concrete underneath the plan!s 1 no noisome ,ellA no ,orld of su3terrene horrorsA no secret li3raryA no Cur,en papersA no ni'htmare pits of stench and ho,lin'A no la3oratory or shelves or chiselled formulaeA no... $r. Willett turned paleA and clutched at the youn'er man. <.esterdayA< he as!ed softlyA <did you see it here ... and smell itG< And ,hen 8r. WardA himself transfi%ed ,ith dread and ,onderA found stren'th to nod an affirmativeA the physician 'ave a sound half a si'h and half a 'aspA and nodded in turn. <Then = ,ill tell you<A he said. So for an hourA in the sunniest room they could find upstairsA the physician ,hispered his fri'htful tale to the ,onderin' father. There ,as nothin' to relate 3eyond the loomin' up of that form ,hen the 'reenish13lac! vapour from the !yli% partedA and Willett ,as too tired to as! himself ,hat had really occurred. There ,ere futileA 3e,ildered head1sha!in's from 3oth menA and once 8r. Ward ventured a hushed su''estionA <$o you suppose it ,ould 3e of any use to di'G< The doctor ,as silentA for it seemed hardly fittin' for any human 3rain to ans,er ,hen po,ers of un!no,n spheres had so vitally encroached on this side of the 7reat A3yss. A'ain 8r. Ward as!edA <But ,here did it 'oG =t 3rou'ht you hereA you !no,A and it sealed up the hole someho,.< And Willett a'ain let silence ans,er for him. But after allA this ,as not the final phase of the matter. :eachin' for his hand!erchief 3efore risin' to leaveA $r. Willett<s fin'ers closed upon a piece of paper in his poc!et ,hich had not 3een there 3eforeA and ,hich ,as companioned 3y the candles and matches he had seized in the vanished vault. =t ,as a common sheetA torn o3viously from the cheap pad in that fa3ulous room of horror some,here under'roundA and the ,ritin' upon it ,as that of an ordinary lead pencil 1 dou3tless the one ,hich had lain 3eside the pad. =t ,as folded very carelesslyA and 3eyond the faint acrid scent of the cryptic cham3er 3ore no print or mar! of any ,orld 3ut this. But in the te%t itself it did indeed ree! ,ith ,onderB for here ,as no script of any ,holesome a'eA 3ut the la3oured stro!es of mediaeval dar!nessA scarcely le'i3le to the laymen ,ho no, strained over itA yet havin' com3inations of sym3ols ,hich seemed va'uely familiar. The 3riefly scra,led messa'e ,as thisA and its mystery lent purpose to the sha!en pairA ,ho forth,ith ,al!ed steadily out to the Ward car and 'ave orders to 3e driven first to a Duiet dinin' place and then to the 6ohn 2ay 5i3rary on the hill. At the li3rary it ,as easy to find 'ood manuals of palaeo'raphyA and over these the t,o men puzzled till the li'hts of evenin' shone out from the 'reat chandelier. =n the end they found ,hat ,as needed. The letters ,ere indeed no fantastic inventionA 3ut the normal script of a very dar! period. They ,ere the pointed Sa%on minuscules of the ei'hth or ninth century A.$.A and 3rou'ht ,ith them memories of an uncouth time ,hen under a fresh Christian veneer ancient faiths and ancient rites stirred stealthilyA and the pale moon of

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

11#

Britain loo!ed sometimes on stran'e deeds in the :oman ruins of Caerleon and 2e%hamA and 3y the to,ers alon' 2adrian<s crum3lin' ,all. The ,ords ,ere in such 5atin as a 3ar3arous a'e mi'ht remem3er 1 +Cor!inus necandus est% Cada!er a0AuaB forti dissol!endum& nec ali0AuiBd retinendum% Tace ut potes%+ 1 ,hich may rou'hly 3e translatedA LCur,en must 3e !illed. The 3ody must 3e dissolved in aDua fortisA nor must anythin' 3e retained. 0eep silence as 3est you are a3le.L Willett and 8r. Ward ,ere mute and 3affled. They had met the un!no,nA and found that they lac!ed emotions to respond to it as they va'uely 3elieved they ou'ht. With WillettA especiallyA the capacity for receivin' fresh impressions of a,e ,as ,ell1ni'h e%haustedB and 3oth men sat still and helpless till the closin' of the li3rary forced them to leave. Then they drove listlessly to the Ward mansion in >rospect StreetA and tal!ed to no purpose into the ni'ht. The doctor rested to,ard mornin'A 3ut did not 'o home. And he ,as still there Sunday noon ,hen a telephone messa'e came from the detectives ,ho had 3een assi'ned to loo! up $r. Allen. 8r. WardA ,ho ,as pacin' nervously a3out in a dressin'1'o,nA ans,ered the call in personB and told the men to come up early the ne%t day ,hen he heard their report ,as almost ready. Both Willett and he ,ere 'lad that this phase of the matter ,as ta!in' formA for ,hatever the ori'in of the stran'e minuscule messa'eA it seemed certain the LCur,enL ,ho must 3e destroyed could 3e no other than the 3earded and spectacled stran'er. Charles had feared this manA and had said in the frantic note that he must 3e !illed and dissolved in acid. AllenA moreoverA had 3een receivin' letters from the stran'e ,izards in Europe under the name of Cur,enA and palpa3ly re'arded himself as an avatar of the 3y'one necromancer. And no, from a fresh and un!no,n source had come a messa'e sayin' that LCur,enL must 3e !illed and dissolved in acid. The lin!a'e ,as too unmista!a3le to 3e factitiousB and 3esidesA ,as not Allen plannin' to murder youn' Ward upon the advice of the creature called 2utchinsonG +f courseA the letter they had seen had never reached the 3earded stran'erB 3ut from its te%t they could see that Allen had already formed plans for dealin' ,ith the youth if he 're, too LsDueamishL. Without dou3tA Allen must 3e apprehendedB and even if the most drastic directions ,ere not carried outA he must 3e placed ,here he could inflict no harm upon Charles Ward. That afternoonA hopin' a'ainst hope to e%tract some 'leam of information anent the inmost mysteries from the only availa3le one capa3le of 'ivin' itA the father and the doctor ,ent do,n the 3ay and called on youn' Charles at the hospital. Simply and 'ravely Willett told him all he had foundA and noticed ho, pale he turned as each description made certain the truth of the discovery. The physician employed as much dramatic effect as he couldA and ,atched for a ,incin' on Charles<s part ,hen he approached the matter of the covered pits and the nameless hy3rids ,ithin. But Ward did not ,ince. Willett pausedA and his voice 're, indi'nant as he spo!e of ho, the thin's ,ere starvin'. 2e ta%ed the youth ,ith shoc!in' inhumanityA and shivered ,hen only a sardonic lau'h came in reply. 4or CharlesA havin' dropped as useless his pretence that the crypt did not e%istA seemed to see some 'hastly Cest in this affairB and chuc!ed hoarsely at somethin' ,hich amused him. Then he ,hisperedA in accents dou3ly terri3le 3ecause of the crac!ed voice he usedA <$amn <emA they do eatA 3ut they don+t need toC That<s the rare partF A monthA you sayA ,ithout foodG 5udA SirA you 3e modestF $<ye !no,A that ,as the Co!e on poor old Whipple ,ith his virtuous 3lusterF 0ill everythin' offA ,ould heG WhyA dammeA he ,as half1deaf ,ith noise from +utside and never sa, or heard au'ht from the ,ellsF 2e never dreamed they ,ere

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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there at allF $evil ta!e yeA t"ose cursed t"ings "a!e been "o$ling do$n t"ere e!er since Cur$en $as done for a "undred and fifty-se!en years goneC< But no more than this could Willett 'et from the youth. 2orrifiedA yet almost convinced a'ainst his ,illA he ,ent on ,ith his tale in the hope that some incident mi'ht startle his auditor out of the mad composure he maintained. 5oo!in' at the youth<s faceA the doctor could not 3ut feel a !ind of terror at the chan'es ,hich recent months had ,rou'ht. TrulyA the 3oy had dra,n do,n nameless horrors from the s!ies. When the room ,ith the formulae and the 'reenish dust ,as mentionedA Charles she,ed his first si'n of animation. A Duizzical loo! overspread his face as he heard ,hat Willett had read on the padA and he ventured the mild statement that those notes ,ere old onesA of no possi3le si'nificance to anyone not deeply initiated in the history of ma'ic. ButA he addedA <had you 3ut !no,n the ,ords to 3rin' up that ,hich = had out in the cupA you had not 3een here to tell me this. <T,as ;um3er 118A and = conceive you ,ould have shoo! had you loo!ed it up in my list in t<other room. <T,as never raised 3y meA 3ut = meant to have it up that day you came to invite me hither.< Then Willett told of the formula he had spo!en and of the 'reenish13lac! smo!e ,hich had arisenB and as he did so he sa, true fear da,n for the first time on Charles Ward<s face. <=t cameA and you 3e here aliveG< As Ward croa!ed the ,ords his voice seemed almost to 3urst free of its trammels and sin! to cavernous a3ysses of uncanny resonance. WillettA 'ifted ,ith a flash of inspirationA 3elieved he sa, the situationA and ,ove into his reply a caution from a letter he remem3ered. <;o. 118A you sayG But don<t for'et that stones are all c"anged no$ in nine grounds out of ten% ;ou are ne!er sure till you 0uestionC < And thenA ,ithout ,arnin'A he dre, forth the minuscule messa'e and flashed it 3efore the patient<s eyes. 2e could have ,ished no stron'er resultA for Charles Ward fainted forth,ith. All this conversationA of courseA had 3een conducted ,ith the 'reatest secrecy lest the resident alienists accuse the father and the physician of encoura'in' a madman in his delusions. (naidedA tooA $r. Willett and 8r. Ward pic!ed up the stric!en youth and placed him on the couch. =n revivin'A the patient mum3led many times of some ,ord ,hich he must 'et to +rne and 2utchinson at onceB so ,hen his consciousness seemed fully 3ac! the doctor told him that of those stran'e creatures at least one ,as his 3itter enemyA and had 'iven $r. Allen advice for his assassination. This revelation produced no visi3le effectA and 3efore it ,as made the visitors could see that their host had already the loo! of a hunted man. After that he ,ould converse no moreA so Willett and the father departed presentlyB leavin' 3ehind a caution a'ainst the 3earded AllenA to ,hich the youth only replied that this individual ,as very safely ta!en care ofA and could do no one any harm even if he ,ished. This ,as said ,ith an almost evil chuc!le very painful to hear. They did not ,orry a3out any communications Charles mi'ht indite to that monstrous pair in EuropeA since they !ne, that the hospital authorities seized all out'oin' mail for censorship and ,ould pass no ,ild or outrO1loo!in' missive. There isA ho,everA a curious seDuel to the matter of +rne and 2utchinsonA if such indeed the e%iled ,izards ,ere. 8oved 3y some va'ue presentiment amidst the horrors of that periodA Willett arran'ed ,ith an international press1cuttin' 3ureau for accounts of nota3le current crimes and accidents in >ra'ue and in eastern TransylvaniaB and after si% months 3elieved that he had found t,o very si'nificant thin's amon'st the multifarious items he received and had translated. +ne ,as the total ,rec!in' of a house 3y ni'ht in the oldest Duarter of >ra'ueA and the disappearance of the evil old man called 6osef ;ade!A ,ho had

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

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d,elt in it alone ever since anyone could remem3er. The other ,as a titan e%plosion in the Transylvanian mountains east of :a!usA and the utter e%tirpation ,ith all its inmates of the ill1re'arded Castle 4erenczyA ,hose master ,as so 3adly spo!en of 3y peasants and soldiery ali!e that he ,ould shortly have 3een summoned to Bucharest for serious Duestionin' had not this incident cut off a career already so lon' as to antedate all common memory. Willett maintains that the hand ,hich ,rote those minuscules ,as a3le to ,ield stron'er ,eapons as ,ellB and that ,hile Cur,en ,as left to him to dispose ofA the ,riter felt a3le to find and deal ,ith +rne and 2utchinson itself. =f ,hat their fate may have 3een the doctor strives sedulously not to thin!. The follo,in' mornin' $r. Willett hastened to the Ward home to 3e present ,hen the detectives arrived. Allen<s destruction or imprisonment 1 or Cur,en<s if one mi'ht re'ard the tacit claim to reincarnation as valid 1 he felt must 3e accomplished at any costA and he communicated this conviction to 8r. Ward as they sat ,aitin' for the men to come. They ,ere do,nstairs this timeA for the upper parts of the house ,ere 3e'innin' to 3e shunned 3ecause of a particular nauseousness ,hich hun' indefinitely a3outB a nauseousness ,hich the older servants connected ,ith some curse left 3y the vanished Cur,en portrait. At nine o<cloc! the three detectives presented themselves and immediately delivered all that they had to say. They had notA re'retta3ly enou'hA located the Brava Tony 7omes as they had ,ishedA nor had they found the least trace of $r. Allen<s source or present ,herea3outsB 3ut they had mana'ed to unearth a considera3le num3er of local impressions and facts concernin' the reticent stran'er. Allen had struc! >a,tu%et people as a va'uely unnatural 3ein'A and there ,as a universal 3elief that his thic! sandy 3eard ,as either dyed or false 1 a 3elief conclusively upheld 3y the findin' of such a false 3eardA to'ether ,ith a pair of dar! 'lassesA in his room at the fateful 3un'alo,. 2is voiceA 8r. Ward could ,ell testify from his one telephone conversationA had a depth and hollo,ness that could not 3e for'ottenB and his 'lanced seemed mali'n even throu'h his smo!ed and horn1rimmed 'lasses. +ne shop!eeperA in the course of ne'otiationsA had seen a specimen of his hand,ritin' and declared it ,as very Dueer and cra33edB this 3ein' confirmed 3y pencilled notes of no clear meanin' found in his room and identified 3y the merchant. =n conne%ion ,ith the vampirism rumours of the precedin' summerA a maCority of the 'ossips 3elieved that Allen rather than Ward ,as the actual vampire. Statements ,ere also o3tained from the officials ,ho had visited the 3un'alo, after the unpleasant incident of the motor truc! ro33ery. They had felt less of the sinister in $r. AllenA 3ut had reco'nised him as the dominant fi'ure in the Dueer shado,y cotta'e. The place had 3een too dar! for them to o3serve him clearlyA 3ut they ,ould !no, him a'ain if they sa, him. 2is 3eard had loo!ed oddA and they thou'ht he had some sli'ht scar a3ove his dar! spectacled ri'ht eye. As for the detectives< search of Allen<s roomA it yielded nothin' definite save the 3eard and 'lassesA and several pencilled notes in a cra33ed ,ritin' ,hich Willett at once sa, ,as identical ,ith that shared 3y the old Cur,en manuscripts and 3y the voluminous recent notes of youn' Ward found in the vanished catacom3s of horror. $r. Willett and 8r. Ward cau'ht somethin' of a profoundA su3tleA and insidious cosmic fear from this data as it ,as 'radually unfoldedA and almost trem3led in follo,in' up the va'ueA mad thou'ht ,hich had simultaneously reached their minds. The false 3eard and 'lasses 1 the cra33ed Cur,en penmanship 1 the old portrait and its tiny scar 1 and t"e

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altered yout" in t"e "ospital $it" suc" a scar 1 that deepA hollo, voice on the telephone 1 ,as it not of this that 8r. Ward ,as reminded ,hen his son 3ar!ed forth those pitia3le tones to ,hich he no, claimed to 3e reducedG Who had ever seen Charles and Allen to'etherG .esA the officials had onceA 3ut ,ho later onG Was it not ,hen Allen left that Charles suddenly lost his 'ro,in' fri'ht and 3e'an to live ,holly at the 3un'alo,G Cur,en 1 Allen 1 Ward 1 in ,hat 3lasphemous and a3omina3le fusion had t,o a'es and t,o persons 3ecome involvedG That damna3le resem3lance of the picture to Charles 1 had it not used to stare and stareA and follo, the 3oy around the room ,ith its eyesG WhyA tooA did 3oth Allen and Charles copy 6oseph Cur,en<s hand,ritin'A even ,hen alone and off 'uardG And then the fri'htful ,or! of those people 1 the lost crypt of horrors that had a'ed the doctor overni'htB the starvin' monsters in the noisome pitsB the a,ful formula ,hich had yielded such nameless resultsB the messa'e in minuscules found in Willett<s poc!etB the papers and the letters and all the tal! of 'raves and LsaltsL and discoveries 1 ,hither did everythin' leadG =n the end 8r. Ward did the most sensi3le thin'. Steelin' himself a'ainst any realisation of ,hy he did itA he 'ave the detectives an article to 3e she,n to such >a,tu%et shop!eepers as had seen the portentous $r. Allen. That article ,as a photo'raph of his luc!less sonA on ,hich he no, carefully dre, in in! the pair of heavy 'lasses and the 3lac! pointed 3eard ,hich the men had 3rou'ht from Allen<s room. 4or t,o hours he ,aited ,ith the doctor in the oppressive house ,here fear and miasma ,ere slo,ly 'atherin' as the empty panel in the upstairs li3rary leered and leered and leered. Then the men returned. .es. T"e altered p"otograp" $as a !ery passable likeness of #r% Allen% 8r. Ward turned paleA and Willett ,iped a suddenly dampened 3ro, ,ith his hand!erchief. Allen 1 Ward 1 Cur,en 1 it ,as 3ecomin' too hideous for coherent thou'ht. What had the 3oy called out of the voidA and ,hat had it done to himG WhatA reallyA had happened from first to lastG Who ,as this Allen ,ho sou'ht to !ill Charles as too LsDueamishLA and ,hy had his destined victim said in the postscript to that frantic letter that he must 3e so completely o3literated in acidG WhyA tooA had the minuscule messa'eA of ,hose ori'in no one dared thin!A said that LCur,enL must 3e li!e,ise o3literatedG What ,as the c"angeA and ,hen had the final sta'e occurredG That day ,hen his frantic note ,as received 1 he had 3een nervous all the mornin'A then there ,as an alteration. 2e had slipped out unseen and s,a''ered 3oldly in past the men hired to 'uard him. That ,as the timeA ,hen he ,as out. But no 1 had he not cried out in terror as he entered his study 1 this very roomG What had he found thereG +r ,ait 1 $"at "ad found "im/ That simulacrum ,hich 3rushed 3oldly in ,ithout havin' 3een seen to 'o 1 ,as that an alien shado, and a horror forcin' itself upon a trem3lin' fi'ure ,hich had never 'one out at allG 2ad not the 3utler spo!en of Dueer noisesG Willett ran' for the man and as!ed him some lo,1toned Duestions. =t hadA surely enou'hA 3een a 3ad 3usiness. There had 3een noises 1 a cryA a 'aspA a cho!in'A and a sort of clatterin' or crea!in' or thumpin'A or all of these. And 8r. Charles ,as not the same ,hen he stal!ed out ,ithout a ,ord. The 3utler shivered as he spo!eA and sniffed at the heavy air that 3le, do,n from some open ,indo, upstairs. Terror had settled definitely upon the houseA and only the 3usiness1li!e detectives failed to im3i3e a full measure of it. Even they ,ere restlessA for this case had held va'ue elements in the 3ac!'round ,hich pleased them not at all. $r. Willett ,as thin!in' deeply and rapidlyA and his thou'hts ,ere terri3le ones. ;o, and then he ,ould almost 3rea! into mutterin' as he ran over in his head a ne,A appallin'A and increasin'ly conclusive chain of ni'htmare happenin's.

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Then 8r. Ward made a si'n that the conference ,as overA and everyone save him and the doctor left the room. =t ,as noon no,A 3ut shado,s as of comin' ni'ht seemed to en'ulf the phantom1haunted mansion. Willett 3e'an tal!in' very seriously to his hostA and ur'ed that he leave a 'reat deal of the future investi'ation to him. There ,ould 3eA he predictedA certain o3no%ious elements ,hich a friend could 3ear 3etter than a relative. As family physician he must have a free handA and the first thin' he reDuired ,as a period alone and undistur3ed in the a3andoned li3rary upstairsA ,here the ancient overmantel had 'athered a3out itself an aura of noisome horror more intense than ,hen 6oseph Cur,en<s features themselves 'lanced slyly do,n from the painted panel. 8r. WardA dazed 3y the flood of 'rotesDue mor3idities and unthin!a3ly maddenin' su''estions that poured in upon him from every sideA could only acDuiesceB and half an hour later the doctor ,as loc!ed in the shunned room ,ith the panellin' from +lney Court. The fatherA listenin' outsideA heard fum3lin' sounds of movin' and rumma'in' as the moments passedB and finally a ,rench and a crea!A as if a ti'ht cup3oard door ,ere 3ein' opened. Then there ,as a muffled cryA a !ind of snortin' cho!eA and a hasty slammin' of ,hatever had 3een opened. Almost at once the !ey rattled and Willett appeared in the hallA ha''ard and 'hastlyA and demandin' ,ood for the real fireplace on the south ,all of the room. The furnace ,as not enou'hA he saidB and the electric lo' had little practical use. 5on'in' yet not darin' to as! DuestionsA 8r. Ward 'ave the reDuisite orders and a man 3rou'ht some stout pine lo'sA shudderin' as he entered the tainted air of the li3rary to place them in the 'rate. Willett mean,hile had 'one up to the dismantled la3oratory and 3rou'ht do,n a fe, odds and ends not included in the movin' of the 6uly 3efore. They ,ere in a covered 3as!etA and 8r. Ward never sa, ,hat they ,ere. Then the doctor loc!ed himself in the li3rary once moreA and 3y the clouds of smo!e ,hich rolled do,n past the ,indo,s from the chimney it ,as !no,n that he had li'hted the fire. 5aterA after a 'reat rustlin' of ne,spapersA that odd ,rench and crea!in' ,ere heard a'ainB follo,ed 3y a thumpin' ,hich none of the eavesdroppers li!ed. Thereafter t,o suppressed cries of Willett<s ,ere heardA and hard upon these came a s,ishin' rustle of indefina3le hatefulness. 4inally the smo!e that the ,ind 3eat do,n from the chimney 're, very dar! and acridA and everyone ,ished that the ,eather had spared them this cho!in' and venomous inundation of peculiar fumes. 8r. Ward<s head reeledA and the servants all clustered to'ether in a !not to ,atch the horri3le 3lac! smo!e s,oop do,n. After an a'e of ,aitin' the vapours seemed to li'htedA and half1formless sounds of scrapin'A s,eepin'A and other minor operations ,ere heard 3ehind the 3olted door. And at lastA after the slammin' of some cup3oard ,ithinA Willett made his appearance 1 sadA paleA and ha''ardA and 3earin' the cloth1draped 3as!et he had ta!en from the upstairs la3oratory. 2e had left the ,indo, openA and into that once accursed room ,as pourin' a ,ealth of pureA ,holesome air to mi% ,ith a Dueer ne, smell of disinfectants. The ancient overmantel still lin'eredB 3ut it seemed ro33ed of mali'nity no,A and rose as calm and stately in its ,hite panellin' as if it had never 3orne the picture of 6oseph Cur,en. ;i'ht ,as comin' onA yet this time its shado,s held no latent fri'htA 3ut only a 'entle melancholy. +f ,hat he had done the doctor ,ould never spea!. To 8r. Ward he saidA <= can ans,er no DuestionsA 3ut = ,ill say that there are different !inds of ma'ic. = have made a 'reat pur'ationA and those in this house ,ill sleep the 3etter for it.<

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward 7

11)

That $r. Willett<s Lpur'ationL had 3een an ordeal almost as nerve1rac!in' in its ,ay as his hideous ,anderin' in the vanished crypt is she,n 3y the fact that the elderly physician 'ave out completely as soon as he reached home that evenin'. 4or three days he rested constantly in his roomA thou'h servants later muttered somethin' a3out havin' heard him after midni'ht on WednesdayA ,hen the outer door softly opened and closed ,ith phenomenal softness. Servants< ima'inationsA fortunatelyA are limitedA else comment mi'ht have 3een e%cited 3y an item in Thursday<s !ening Bulletin ,hich ran as follo,s9 ;orth End 7houls A'ain Active After a lull of ten months since the dastardly vandalism in the Weeden lot at the ;orth Burial 7roundA a nocturnal pro,ler ,as 'limpsed early this mornin' in the same cemetery 3y :o3ert 2artA the ni'ht ,atchman. 2appenin' to 'lance for a moment from his shelter at a3out " a.m.A 2art o3served the 'lo, of a lantern or poc!et torch not far to the north,estA and upon openin' the door detected the fi'ure of a man ,ith a tro,el very plainly silhouetted a'ainst a near3y electric li'ht. At once startin' in pursuitA he sa, the fi'ure dart hurriedly to,ard the main entranceA 'ainin' the street and losin' himself amon' the shado,s 3efore approach or capture ,as possi3le. 5i!e the first of the 'houls active durin' the past yearA this intruder had done no real dama'e 3efore detection. A vacant part of the Ward lot she,ed si'ns of a little superficial di''in'A 3ut nothin' even nearly the size of a 'rave had 3een attemptedA and no previous 'rave had 3een distur3ed. 2artA ,ho cannot descri3e the pro,ler e%cept as a small man pro3a3ly havin' a full 3eardA inclines to the vie, that all three of the di''in' incidents have a common sourceB 3ut police from the Second Station thin! other,ise on account of the sava'e nature of teh second incidentA ,here an ancient coffin ,as removed and its headstone violently shattered. The first of the incidentsA in ,hich it is thou'ht an attempt to 3ury somethin' ,as frustratedA occurred a year a'o last 8archA and has 3een attri3uted to 3ootle''ers see!in' a cache. =t is possi3leA says Ser't. :ileyA that this third affair is of similar nature. +fficers at the Second Station are ta!in' especial pains to capture the 'an' of miscreants responsi3le for these repeated outra'es. All day Thursday $r. Willett rested as if recuperatin' from somethin' past or nervin' himself for somethin' to come. =n the evenin' he ,rote a note to 8r. WardA ,hich ,as delivered the ne%t mornin' and ,hich caused the half1dazed parent to ponder lon' and deeply. 8r. Ward had not 3een a3le to 'o do,n to 3usiness since the shoc! of 8onday ,ith its 3afflin' reports and its sinister Lpur'ationLA 3ut he found somethin' calmin' a3out the doctor<s letter in spite of the despair it seemed to promise and the fresh mysteries it seemed to evo!e. 1* Barnes St.A >rovidenceA :. =.

H.P.Lovecr !t April 1"A 1)"8. $ear Theodore91

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1"*

= feel that = must say a ,ord to you 3efore doin' ,hat = am 'oin' to do tomorro,. =t ,ill conclude the terri3le 3usiness ,e have 3een 'oin' throu'h Jfor = feel that no spade is ever li!ely to reach that monstrous place ,e !no, ofKA 3ut =<m afraid it ,on<t set your mind at rest unless = e%pressly assure you ho, very conclusive it is. .ou have !no,n me ever since you ,ere a small 3oyA so = thin! you ,ill not distrust me ,hen = hint that some matters are 3est left undecided and une%plored. =t is 3etter that you attempt no further speculation as to Charles<s caseA and almost imperative that you tell his mother nothin' more than she already suspects. When = call on you tomorro, Charles ,ill have escaped. That is all ,hich need remain in anyone<s mind. 2e ,as madA and he escaped. .ou can tell his mother 'ently and 'radually a3out the mad part ,hen you stop sendin' the typed notes in his name. =<d advise you to Coin her in Atlantic City and ta!e a rest yourself. 7od !no,s you need one after this shoc!A as = do myself. = am 'oin' South for a ,hile to calm do,n and 3race up. So don<t as! me any Duestions ,hen = call. =t may 3e that somethin' ,ill 'o ,ron'A 3ut =<ll tell you if it does. = don<t thin! it ,ill. There ,ill 3e nothin' more to ,orry a3outA for Charles ,ill 3e veryA very safe. 2e is no, 1 safer than you dream. .ou need hold no fears a3out AllenA and ,ho or ,hat he is. 2e forms as much a part of the past as 6oseph Cur,en<s pictureA and ,hen = rin' your door3ell you may feel certain that there is no such person. And ,hat ,rote that minuscule messa'e ,ill never trou3le you or yours. But you must steel yourself to melancholyA and prepare your ,ife to do the same. = must tell you fran!ly that Charles<s escape ,ill not mean his restoration to you. 2e has 3een afflicted ,ith a peculiar diseaseA as you must realise from the su3tle physical as ,ell as mental chan'es in himA and you must not hope to see him a'ain. 2ave only this consolation 1 that he ,as never a fiend or even truly a madmanA 3ut only an ea'erA studiousA and curious 3oy ,hose love of mystery and of the past ,as his undoin'. 2e stum3led on thin's no mortal ou'ht ever to !no,A and reached 3ac! throu'h the years as no one ever should reachB and somethin' came out of those years to en'ulf him. And no, comes the matter in ,hich = must as! you to trust me most of all. 4or there ,ill 3eA indeedA no uncertainty a3out Charles<s fate. =n a3out a yearA sayA you can if you ,ish devise a suita3le account of the endB for the 3oy ,ill 3e no more. .ou can put up a stone in your lot at the ;orth Burial 7round e%actly ten feet ,est of your father<s and facin' the same ,ayA and that ,ill mar! the true restin'1place of your son. ;or need you fear that it ,ill mar! any a3normality or chan'elin'. The ashes in that 'rave ,ill 3e those of your o,n unaltered 3one and sine, 1 of the real Charles $e%ter Ward ,hose mind you ,atched from infancy 1 the real Charles ,ith the olive1mar! on his hip and ,ithout the 3lac! ,itch1mar! on his chest or the pit on his forehead. The Charles ,ho never did actual evilA and ,ho ,ill have paid ,ith his life for his LsDueamishnessL.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1"1

That is all. Charles ,ill have escapedA and a year from no, you can put up his stone. $o not Duestion me tomorro,. And 3elieve that the honour of your ancient family remains untainted no,A as it has 3een at all times in the past. With profoundest sympathyA and e%hortations to fortitudeA calmnessA and resi'nationA = am ever Sincerely your friendA 8arinus B. Willett. So on the mornin' of 4ridayA April 1&A 1)"8A 8arinus Bic!nell Willett visited the room of Charles $e%ter Ward at $r. Waite<s private hospital on Conanicut =sland. The youthA thou'h ma!in' no attempt to evade his callerA ,as in a sullen moodB and seemed disinclined to open the conversation ,hich Willett o3viously desired. The doctor<s discovery of the crypt and his monstrous e%perience therein had of course created a ne, source of em3arrassmentA so that 3oth hesitated percepti3ly after the interchan'e of a fe, strained formalities. Then a ne, element of constraint crept inA as Ward seemed to read 3ehind the doctor<s mas!1li!e face a terri3le purpose ,hich had never 3een there 3efore. The patient DuailedA conscious that since the last visit there had 3een a chan'e ,here3y the solicitous family physician had 'iven place to the ruthless and implaca3le aven'er. Ward actually turned paleA and the doctor ,as the first to spea!. <8oreA< he saidA <has 3een found outA and = must ,arn you fairly that a rec!onin' is due.< <$i''in' a'ainA and comin' upon more poor starvin' petsG< ,as the ironic reply. =t ,as evident that the youth meant to she, 3ravado to the last. <;oA< Willett slo,ly reCoinedA <this time = did not have to di'. We have had men loo!in' up $r. AllenA and they found the false 3eard and spectacles in the 3un'alo,.< <E%cellentA< commented the disDuieted host in an effort to 3e ,ittily insultin'A <and = trust they proved more 3ecomin' than the 3eard and 'lasses you no, have onF< <They ,ould 3ecome you very ,ellA< came the even and studied responseA +as indeed t"ey seem to "a!e done%< As Willett said thisA it almost seemed as thou'h a cloud passed over the sunB thou'h there ,as no chan'e in the shado,s on the floor. Then Ward ventured9 <And is this ,hat as!s so hotly for a rec!onin'G Suppose a man does find it no, and then useful to 3e t,ofoldG< <;o<A said Willett 'ravelyA <a'ain you are ,ron'. =t is no 3usiness of mine if any man see!s dualityB pro!ided "e "as any rig"t to e@ist at all& and pro!ided "e does not destroy $"at called "im out of space%< Ward no, started violently. <WellA SirA ,hat "a!e ye foundA and ,hat d<ye ,ant of meG< The doctor let a little time elapse 3efore replyin'A as if choosin' his ,ords for an effective ans,er.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1""

<= have found<A he finally intonedA <somethin' in a cup3oard 3ehind an ancient overmantel ,here a picture once ,asA and = have 3urned it and 3uried the ashes ,here the 'rave of Charles $e%ter Ward ou'ht to 3e.< The madman cho!ed and spran' from the chair in ,hich he had 3een sittin'9 <$amn yeA ,ho did ye tell 1 and ,ho<ll 3elieve it ,as he after these t,o full monthsA ,ith me aliveG What d<ye mean to doG< WillettA thou'h a small manA actually too! on a !ind of Cudicial maCesty as he calmed the patient ,ith a 'esture. <= have told no one. This is no common case 1 it is a madness out of time and a horror from 3eyond the spheres ,hich no police or la,yers or courts or alienists could ever fathom or 'rapple ,ith. Than! 7od some chance has left inside me the spar! of ima'inationA that = mi'ht not 'o astray in thin!in' out this thin'. ;ou cannot decei!e me& Josep" Cur$en& for I kno$ t"at your accursed magic is trueC< <= !no, ho, you ,ove the spell that 3rooded outside the years and fastened on your dou3le and descendantB = !no, ho, you dre, him into the past and 'ot him to raise you up from your detesta3le 'raveB = !no, ho, he !ept you hidden in his la3oratory ,hile you studied modern thin's and roved a3road as a vampire 3y ni'htA and ho, you later she,ed yourself in 3eard and 'lasses that no one mi'ht ,onder at your 'odless li!eness to himB = !no, ,hat you resolved to do ,hen he 3al!ed at your monstrous riflin' of the ,orld<s tom3sA and at $"at you planned after$ard A and = !no, ho, you did it.< <.ou left off your 3eard and 'lasses and fooled the 'uards around the house. They thou'ht it ,as he ,ho ,ent inA and they thou'ht it ,as he ,ho came out ,hen you had stran'led and hidden him. But you hadn<t rec!oned on the different contents of t,o minds. .ou ,ere a foolA 6oseph Cur,enA to fancy that a mere visual identity ,ould 3e enou'h. Why didn<t you thin! of the speech and the voice and the hand,ritin'G =t hasn<t ,or!edA you seeA after all. .ou !no, 3etter than = ,ho or ,hat ,rote that messa'e in minusculesA 3ut = ,ill ,arn you it ,as not ,ritten in vain. There are a3ominations and 3lasphemies ,hich must 3e stamped outA and = 3elieve that the ,riter of those ,ords ,ill attend to +rne and 2utchinson. +ne of those creatures ,rote you onceA Ldo not call up any that you can not put do,nL. .ou ,ere undone once 3eforeA perhaps in that very ,ayA and it may 3e that your o,n evil ma'ic ,ill undo you all a'ain. Cur,enA a man can<t tamper ,ith ;ature 3eyond certain limitsA and every horror you have ,oven ,ill rise up to ,ipe you out.< But here the doctor ,as cut short 3y a convulsive cry from the creature 3efore him. 2opelessly at 3ayA ,eaponlessA and !no,in' that any sho, of physical violence ,ould 3rin' a score of attendants to the doctor<s rescueA 6oseph Cur,en had recourse to his one ancient allyA and 3e'an a series of ca33alistic motions ,ith his forefin'ers as his deepA hollo, voiceA no, unconcealed 3y fei'ned hoarsenessA 3ello,ed out the openin' ,ords of a terri3le formula. <>E: A$+;A= E5+=8A A$+;A= 6E2+?AA A$+;A= SABA+T2A 8ET:AT+; ...< But Willett ,as too Duic! for him. Even as the do's in the yard outside 3e'an to ho,lA and even as a chill ,ind spran' suddenly up from the 3ayA the doctor commenced the

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The Case of Charles $e%ter Ward

1"&

solemn and measured intonation of that ,hich he had meant all alon' to recite. An eye for an eye 1 ma'ic for ma'ic 1 let the outcome she, ho, ,ell the lesson of the a3yss had 3een learnedF So in a clear voice 8arinus Bic!nell Willett 3e'an the second of that pair of formulae ,hose first had raised the ,riter of those minuscules 1 the cryptic invocation ,hose headin' ,as the $ra'on<s TailA si'n of the descending node 1 'GT9*'# AI+7 G B+(- +9 ;'G-S'T9'T9 +-GA9+-G AI+; 49*'C At the very first ,ord from Willett<s mouth the previously commenced formula of the patient stopped short. (na3le to spea!A the monster made ,ild motions ,ith his arms until they too ,ere arrested. When the a,ful name of ;og-Sot"ot" ,as utteredA the hideous chan'e 3e'an. =t ,as not merely a dissolutionA 3ut rather a transformation or recapitulationB and Willett shut his eyes lest he faint 3efore the rest of the incantation could 3e pronounced. But he did not faintA and that man of unholy centuries and for3idden secrets never trou3led the ,orld a'ain. The madness out of time had su3sidedA and the case of Charles $e%ter Ward ,as closed. +penin' his eyes 3efore sta''erin' out of that room of horrorA $r. Willett sa, that ,hat he had !ept in memory had not 3een !ept amiss. There hadA as he had predictedA 3een no need for acids. 4or li!e his accursed picture a year 3eforeA 6oseph Cur,en no, lay scattered on the floor as a thin coatin' of fine 3luish1'rey dust.

C ts A#$ /o-s
Bein' told of the cat1and1do' fi'ht a3out to occur in your literary clu3A = cannot resist contri3utin' a fe, Thomastic yo,ls and si3ilants upon my side of the disputeA thou'h conscious that the ,ord of a venera3le e%1mem3er can scarcely have much ,ei'ht a'ainst the 3rilliancy of such still active adherents as may 3ar! upon the other side. A,are of my ineptitude at ar'umentA a valued correspondent has supplied me ,ith the records of a similar controversy in the ;e, .or! Tri3uneA in ,hich 8r. Carl van $oran is on my side and 8r. Al3ert >ayson Terhune on that of the canine tri3e. 4rom this = ,ould 3e 'lad to pla'iarise such data as = needB 3ut my friendA ,ith 'enuinely 8achiavellian su3tletyA has furnished me ,ith only a part of the feline section ,hilst su3mittin' the do''ish 3rief in full. ;o dou3t he ima'ines that this arran'ementA in vie, of my o,n emphatic 3iasA ma!es for somethin' li!e ultimate fairnessB 3ut for me it is e%ceedin'ly inconvenientA since it ,ill force me to 3e more or less ori'inal in several parts of the ensuin' remar!s. Bet,een do's and cats my de'ree of choice is so 'reat that it ,ould never occur to me to compare the t,o. = have no active disli!e for do'sA any more than = have for mon!eysA human 3ein'sA tradesmenA co,sA sheepA or pterodactylsB 3ut for the cat = have entertained a particular respect and affection ever since the earliest days of my infancy. =n its fla,less 'race and superior self1sufficiency = have seen a sym3ol of the perfect 3eauty and 3land impersonality of the universe itselfA o3Cectively consideredA and in its air of silent mystery there resides for me all the ,onder and fascination of the un!no,n. The do' appeals to cheap and facile emotionsB the cat to the deepest founts of ima'ination and cosmic perception in the human mind. =t is no accident that the contemplative E'yptiansA to'ether ,ith such later poetic spirits as >oeA 7autierA Baudelaire and S,in3urneA ,ere all sincere ,orshippers of the supple 'rimal!in. ;aturallyA one<s preference in the matter of cats and do's depends ,holly upon one<s temperament and point of vie,. The do' ,ould appear to me to 3e the favorite of superficialA sentimentalA and emotional people 11 people ,ho feel rather than thin!A ,ho attach importance to man!ind and the popular conventional emotions of the simpleA and ,ho find their 'reatest consolation in the fa,nin' and dependent attachments of a 're'arious society. Such people live in a limited ,orld of ima'inationB acceptin' uncritically the values of common fol!loreA and al,ays preferrin' to have their naive 3eliefsA feelin'sA and preCudices tic!ledA rather than to enCoy a purely aesthetic and philosophic pleasure arisin' from discriminationA contemplationA and the reco'nition of austereA a3solute 3eauty. This is not to say that the cheaper elements do not also reside in the avera'e cat1lover<s love of catsA 3ut merely to point out that in ailurophily there e%ists a 3asis of true aestheticism ,hich !ynophily does not possess. The real lover of cats is one ,ho demands a clearer adCustment to the universe than ordinary household platitudes provideB one ,ho refuses to s,allo, the sentimental notion that all 'ood people love do'sA childrenA and horses ,hile all 3ad people disli!e and are disli!ed 3y such. 2e is un,illin' to set up himself and his cruder feelin's as a measure of universal valuesA or to allo, shallo, ethical notions to ,arp his Cud'ment. =n a ,ordA he had rather admire and respect than effuse and doteB and does not fall into the fallacy that pointless socia3ility and friendlinessA or slaverin' devotion and o3edienceA constitute anythin' intrinsically admira3le or e%alted. $o'1lovers 3ase their ,hole case on these commonplaceA servileA and

H.P.Lovecr !t

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ple3eian DualitiesA and amusin'ly Cud'e the intelli'ence of a pet 3y its de'ree of conformity to their o,n ,ishes. Cat1lovers escape this delusionA repudiate the idea that crin'in' su3servience and sidlin' companionship to man are supreme meritsA and stand free to ,orship aristocratic independenceA self1respectA and individual personality Coined to e%treme 'race and 3eauty as typified 3y the coolA litheA cynical and unconDuered lord of the housetops. >ersons of commonplace ideas 11 unima'inative ,orthy 3ur'hers ,ho are satisfied ,ith the daily round of thin's and ,ho su3scri3e to the popular credo of sentimental values 11 ,ill al,ays 3e do'1lovers. To them nothin' ,ill ever 3e more important than themselves and their o,n primitive feelin'sA and they ,ill never cease to esteem and 'lorify the fello,1animal ,ho 3est typifies these. Such persons are su3mer'ed in the vorte% of +riental idealism and a3asement ,hich ruined classic civilisation in the $ar! A'esA and live in a 3lea! ,orld of a3stract sentimental values ,herein the ma,!ish illusions of mee!nessA 'entlenessA 3rotherhoodA and ,hinin' humility are ma'nified into supreme virtuesA and a ,hole false ethic and philosophy erected on the timid reactions of the fle%or system of muscles. This herita'eA ironically foisted on us ,hen :oman politics raised the faith of a ,hipped and 3ro!en people to supremacy in the later empireA has naturally !ept a stron' hold over the ,ea! and sentimentally thou'htlessB and perhaps reached its culmination in the insipid nineteenth centuryA ,hen people ,ere ,ont to praise do's L3ecause they are so humanL Jas if humanity ,ere any valid standard of meritFKA and honest Ed,in 5andseer painted hundreds of smu' 4idoes and Carlos and :overs ,ith all the anthropoid trivialityA pettinessA and LcutenessL of eminent ?ictorians. But amidst this chaos of intellectual and emotional 'rovelin' a fe, free souls have al,ays stood out for the old civilised realities ,hich mediaevalism eclipsed 11 the stern classic loyalty to truthA stren'thA and 3eauty 'iven a clear mind and unco,ed spirit to the full1livin' Western Aryan confronted 3y ;ature<s maCestyA lovelinessA and aloofness. This is the virile aesthetic and ethic of the e%tensor muscles 11 the 3oldA 3uoyantA assertive 3eliefs and preferences of proudA dominantA un3ro!en and unterrified conDuerorsA huntersA and ,arriors 11 and it has small use for the shams and ,himperin's of the 3rotherlyA affection1 slo33erin' peacema!er and crin'er and sentimentalist. Beauty and sufficiency 11 t,in Dualities of the cosmos itself 11 are the 'ods of this unshac!led and pa'an typeB to the ,orshipper of such eternal thin's the supreme virtue ,ill not 3e found in lo,linessA attachmentA o3edienceA and emotional messiness. This sort of ,orshipper ,ill loo! for that ,hich 3est em3odies the loveliness of the stars and the ,orlds and the forests and the seas and the sunsetsA and ,hich 3est acts out the 3landnessA lordlinessA accuracyA self1 sufficiencyA crueltyA independenceA and contemptuous and capricious impersonality of the all 'overnin' ;ature. Beauty 11 coolness 11 aloofness 11 philosophic repose 11 self1 sufficiency 11 untamed mastery 11 ,here else can ,e find these thin's incarnated ,ith even half the perfection and completeness that mar! their incarnation in the peerless and softly 'lidin' catA ,hich performs its mysterious or3it ,ith the relentless and o3trusive certainty of a planet in infinityG That do's are dear to the unima'inative peasant13ur'her ,hilst cats appeal to the sensitive poet1aristocrat1 philosopher ,ill 3e clear in a moment ,hen ,e reflect on the matter of 3iolo'ical association. >ractical ple3eian fol! Cud'e a thin' only 3y its immediate touchA tasteA and smellB ,hile more delicate types form their estimates from the lin!ed ima'es and ideas ,hich the o3Cect calls up in their minds. ;o, ,hen do's and cats are consideredA the stolid churl sees only the t,o animals 3efore himA and 3ases his favour on

H.P.Lovecr !t

Cats And $o's

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their relative capacity to pander to his sloppyA uniformed ideas of ethics and friendship and flatterin' su3servience. +n the other hand the 'entleman and thin!er sees each in all its natural affiliationsA and cannot fail to notice that in the 'reat symmetries of or'anic life do's fall in ,ith slovenly ,olves and fo%es and Cac!als and coyotes and din'oes and painted hyaenasA ,hilst cats ,al! proudly ,ith the Cun'le<s lordsA and o,n the hau'hty lionA the sinuous leopardA the re'al ti'erA and the shapely panther and Ca'uar as their !in. $o's are the hiero'lyphs of 3lind emotionA inferiorityA servile attachmentA and 're'ariousness 11 the attri3utes of commonplaceA stupidly passionateA and intellectually and ima'inatively underdeveloped men. Cats are the runes of 3eautyA invinci3ilityA ,onderA prideA freedomA coldnessA self1sufficiencyA and dainty individuality 11 the Dualities of sensitiveA enli'htenedA mentally developedA pa'anA cynicalA poeticA philosophicA dispassionateA reservedA independentA ;ietzscheanA un3ro!enA civilisedA master1class men. The do' is a peasant and the cat is a 'entleman. We mayA indeedA Cud'e the tone and 3ias of a civilisation 3y its relative attitude to,ard do's and cats. The proud E'ypt ,herein >haraoh ,as >haraoh and pyramids rose in 3eauty at the ,ish of him ,ho dreamed them 3o,ed do,n to the catA and temples ,ere 3uilt to its 'oddess at Bu3astis. =n imperial :ome the 'raceful leopard adorned most homes of DualityA loun'in' in insolent 3eauty in the atrium ,ith 'olden collar and chainB ,hile after the a'e of the Antonines the actual cat ,as imported from E'ypt and cherished as a rare and costly lu%ury. So much for the dominant and enli'htened peoples. WhenA ho,everA ,e come to the 'rovelin' 8iddle A'es ,ith their superstitions and ecstasies and monasticisms and maunderin's over saints and their relicsA ,e find the cool and impersonal loveliness of the felidae in very lo, esteemB and 3ehold a sorry spectacle of hatred and cruelty sho,n to,ard the 3eautiful little creature ,hose mousin' virtues alone 'ained it sufferance amon'st the i'norant churls ,ho resented its self1respectin' coolness and feared its cryptical and elusive independence as somethin' a!in to the dar! po,ers of ,itchcraft. These 3oorish slaves of eastern dar!ness could not tolerate ,hat did not serve their o,n cheap emotions and flimsy purposes. They ,ished a do' to fa,n and hunt and fetch and carryA and had no use for the cat<s 'ift of eternal disinterested 3eauty to feed the spirit. +ne can ima'ine ho, they must have resented >ussy<s ma'nificent reposefulnessA unhurriednessA rela%ationA and scorn for trivial human aims and concernments. Thro, a stic!A and the servile do' ,heezes and pants and stum3les to 3rin' it to you. $o the same 3efore a catA and he ,ill eye you ,ith coolly polite and some,hat 3ored amusement. And Cust as inferior people prefer the inferior animal ,hich scampers e%citedly 3ecause someone else ,ants somethin'A so do superior people respect the superior animal ,hich lives its o,n life and !no,s that the puerile stic!1thro,in's of alien 3ipeds are none of its 3usiness and 3eneath its notice. The do' 3ar!s and 3e's and tum3les to amuse you ,hen you crac! the ,hip. That pleases a mee!ness1lovin' peasant ,ho relishes a stimulus to his self importance. The catA on the other handA charms you into playin' for its 3enefit ,hen it ,ishes to 3e amusedB ma!in' you rush a3out the room ,ith a paper on a strin' ,hen it feels li!e e%erciseA 3ut refusin' all your attempts to ma!e it play ,hen it is not in the humour. That is personality and individuality and self1respect 11 the calm mastery of a 3ein' ,hose life is its o,n and not yours 11 and the superior person reco'nises and appreciates this 3ecause he too is a free soul ,hose position is assuredA and ,hose only la, is his o,n herita'e and aesthetic sense. Alto'etherA ,e may see that the do' appeals to those primitive emotional souls ,hose chief demands on the universe are for meanin'less affectionA aimless companionshipA and flatterin' attention and su3servienceB ,hilst the cat rei'ns amon' those more contemplative and ima'inative spirits ,ho as! of the universe

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only the o3Cective si'ht of poi'nantA ethereal 3eauty and the animate sym3olisation of ;ature<s 3landA relentlessA reposefulA unhurried and impersonal order and sufficiency. The do' 'ivesA 3ut the cat is. Simple fol! al,ays overstress the ethical element in lifeA and it is Duite natural that they should e%tend it to the realm of their pets. Accordin'lyA ,e hear many inane dicta in favour of do's on the 'round that they are faithfulA ,hilst cats are treacherous. ;o, Cust ,hat does this really meanG Where are the points of referenceG CertainlyA the do' has so little ima'ination and individuality that it !no,s no motives 3ut its master<sB 3ut ,hat sophisticated mind can descry a positive virtue in this stupid a3ne'ation of its 3irthri'htG $iscrimination must surely a,ard the palm to the superior catA ,hich has too much natural di'nity to accept any scheme of thin's 3ut its o,nA and ,hich conseDuently cares not one ,hit ,hat any clumsy human thin!s or ,ishes or e%pects of it. =t is not treacherousA 3ecause it has never ac!no,led'ed any alle'iance to anythin' outside its o,n leisurely ,ishesB and treachery 3asically implies a departure from some covenant e%plicitly reco'nised. The cat is a realistA and no hypocrite. 2e ta!es ,hat pleases him ,hen he ,ants itA and 'ives no promises. 2e never leads you to e%pect more from him than he 'ivesA and if you choose to 3e stupidly ?ictorian enou'h to mista!e his purrs and ru33in's of self1 satisfaction for mar!s of transient affection to,ard youA that is no fault of his. 2e ,ould not for a moment have you 3elieve that he ,ants more of you than food and ,armth and shelter and amusement 11 and he is certainly Custified in criticisin' your aesthetic and ima'inative development if you fail to find his 'raceA 3eautyA and cheerful decorative influence an a3oundin'ly sufficient repayment for all you 'ive him. The cat1lover need not 3e amazed at another<s love for do's 11 indeedA he may also possess this Duality himselfB for do's are often very comelyA and as lova3le in a condescendin' ,ay as a faithful old servant or tenant in the eyes of a master 11 3ut he cannot help feelin' astonished at those ,ho do not share his love for cats. The cat is such a perfect sym3ol of 3eauty and superiority that it seems scarcely possi3le for any true aesthete and civilised cynic to do other than ,orship it. We call ourselves a do'<s LmasterL 11 3ut ,ho ever dared call himself the LmasterL of a catG We o,n a do' 11 he is ,ith us as a slave and inferior 3ecause ,e ,ish him to 3e. But ,e entertain a cat 11 he adorns our hearth as a 'uestA fello,1lod'erA and eDual 3ecause he ,ishes to 3e there. =t is no compliment to 3e the stupidly idolised master of a do' ,hose instinct it is to idoliseA 3ut it is a very distinct tri3ute to 3e chosen as the friend and confidant of a philosophic cat ,ho is ,holly his o,n master and could easily choose another companion if he found such a one more a'reea3le and interestin'. A traceA = thin!A of this 'reat truth re'ardin' the hi'her di'nity of the cat has crept into fol!lore in the use of the names LcatL and Ldo'L as terms of oppro3rium. Whilst LcatL has never 3een applied to any sort of offender more than the mildly spiteful and innocuously sly female 'ossip and commentatorA the ,ords Ldo'L and LcurL have al,ays 3een lin!ed ,ith vilenessA dishonorA and de'radation of the 'ravest type. =n the crystallisation of this nomenclature there has undou3tedly 3een present in the popular mind some dimA half1unconscious realisation that there are depths of slin!in'A ,hinin'A fa,nin'A and servile i'no3ility ,hich no !ith of the lion and the leopard could ever attain. The cat may fall lo,A 3ut he is al,ays un3ro!en. 2e isA li!e the ;ordic amon' menA one of those ,ho 'overn their o,n lives or die. We have 3ut to 'lance analytically at the t,o animals to see the points pile up in favour of the cat. BeautyA ,hich is pro3a3ly the only thin' of any 3asic si'nificance in all the cosmosA ou'ht to 3e our chief criterionB and here the cat e%cels so 3rilliantly that all comparisons collapse. Some do'sA it is trueA have 3eauty in a very ample de'reeB 3ut even

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the hi'hest level of canine 3eauty falls far 3elo, the feline avera'e. The cat is classic ,hilst the do' is 7othic 11 no,here in the animal ,orld can ,e discover such really 2ellenic perfection of formA ,ith anatomy adapted to functionA as in the felidae. >uss is a $oric temple 11 an =onic colonnade 11 in the utter classicism of its structural and decorative harmonies. And this is Cust as true !inetically as staticallyA for art has no parallel for the 3e,itchin' 'race of the cat<s sli'htest motion. The sheerA perfect aestheticism of !itty<s lazy stretchin'sA industrious face1,ashin'sA playful rollin'sA and little involuntary shiftin's in sleep is somethin' as !een and vital as the 3est pastoral poetry or 'enre paintin'B ,hilst the unerrin' accuracy of his leapin' and sprin'in'A runnin' and huntin'A has an art1value Cust as hi'h in a more spirited ,ay 3ut it is his capacity for leisure and repose ,hich ma!es the cat preeminent. 8r. Carl ?an ?echtenA in L>eter WhiffleAL holds up the timeless restfulness of the cat as a model for life<s philosophyA and >rof. William 5yon >helps has very effectively captured the secret of felinity ,hen he says that the cat does not merely lie do,nA 3ut Lpours his 3ody out on the floor li!e a 'lass of ,aterL. What other creature has thus mer'ed the aestheticism of mechanics and hydraulicsG Contrast this ,ith the inept pantin'A ,heezin'A fum3lin'A droolin'A scratchin'A and 'eneral clumsiness of the avera'e do' ,ith his false and ,asted motions. And in the details of neatness the fastidious cat is of course immeasura3ly ahead. We al,ays love to touch a catA 3ut only the insensitive can uniformly ,elcome the frantic and humid nuzzlin's and pa,in's of a dusty and perhaps not inodorous canine ,hich leaps and fusses and ,rithes a3out in a,!,ard feverishness for no particular reason save that 3lind nerve1centres have 3een spurred 3y certain meanin'less stimuli. There is a ,earyin' e%cess of 3ad manners in all this do''ish fury 11 ,ell13red people don<t pa, and maul oneA and surely enou'h ,e invaria3ly find the cat 'entle and reserved in his advancesA and delicate even ,hen he 'lides 'racefully into your lap ,ith cultivated purrsA or leaps ,himsical on the ta3le ,here you are ,ritin' to play ,ith your pen in modulatedA seriocomic pats. = do not ,onder that 8ahometA that shei! of perfect mannersA loved cats for their ur3anity and disli!ed do's for their 3oorishnessB or that cats are the favorites in the polite 5atin countries ,hilst do's ta!e the lead in heavyA practicalA and 3eer1drin!in' Central Europe. Watch a cat eatA and then ,atch a do'. The one is held in chec! 3y an inherent and inescapa3le daintinessA and lends a !ind of 'race to one of the most un'raceful of all processes. The do'A on the other handA is ,holly repulsive in his 3estial and insatiate 'reedinessB livin' up to his forest !inship of L,olfin'L most openly and unashamedly. :eturnin' to 3eauty of line 11 is it not si'nificant that ,hile many normal 3reeds of do's are conspicuously and admittedly u'lyA no healthy and ,ell1 developed feline of any species ,hatsoever is other than 3eautifulG There areA of courseA many u'ly catsB 3ut these are al,ays individual cases of mon'relismA malnutritionA deformityA or inCury. ;o 3reed of cats in its proper condition can 3y any stretch of the ima'ination 3e thou'ht of as even sli'htly un'raceful 11 a record a'ainst ,hich must 3e pitted the depressin' spectacle of impossi3ly flattened 3ulldo'sA 'rotesDuely elon'ated dachshundsA hideously shapeless and sha''y AiredalesA and< the li!e. +f courseA it may 3e said that no aesthetic standard is other than relative 11 3ut ,e al,ays ,or! ,ith such standards as ,e empirically haveA and in comparin' cats and do's under the Western European aesthetic ,e cannot 3e unfair to either. =f any undiscovered tri3e in Ti3et finds Airedales 3eautiful and >ersian cats u'lyA ,e ,ill not dispute them on their o,n territory 11 3ut Cust no, ,e are dealin' ,ith ourselves and our territoryA and here the verdict ,ould not admit of much dou3t even from the most ardent !ynophile. Such an one usually passes the pro3lem off in an epi'rammatic parado%A and says that LSnoo!ums is so homelyA he<s prettyFL This is the childish penchant for the 'rotesDue and ta,drily LcuteL ,hich ,e see li!e,ise em3odied in popular cartoonsA frea! dollsA and all the malformed decorative

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trumpery of the LBilli!inL or L0razy 0atL order found in the LdensL and Lcosy cornersL of the ,ould13e1sophisticated yo!elry. =n the matter of intelli'ence ,e find the caninites ma!in' amusin' claims 11 amusin' 3ecause they so naively measure ,hat they conceive to 3e an animal<s intelli'ence 3y its de'ree of su3servience to the human ,ill. A do' ,ill retrieveA a cat ,ill notB therefore JsicFK the do' is the more intelli'ent. $o's can 3e more ela3orately trained for the circus and vaudeville acts than catsA therefore J+ @eusA + :oyal 8ountFK they are cere3rally superior. ;o, of course this is all the sheerest nonsense. We ,ould not call a ,ea!1spirited man more intelli'ent than an independent citizen 3ecause ,e can ma!e him vote as ,e ,ish ,hereas ,e can<t influence the independent citizenA yet countless persons apply an e%actly parallel ar'ument in appraisin' the 'rey matter of do's and cats. Competition in servility is somethin' to ,hich no self1respectin' Thomas or Ta3itha ever stoopedA and it is plain that any really effective estimate of canine and feline intelli'ence must proceed from a careful o3servation of do's and cats in a detached state 11 uninfluenced 3y human 3ein's 11 as they formulate certain o3Cectives of their o,n and use their o,n mental eDuipment in achievin' them. When ,e do thisA ,e arrive at a very ,holesome respect for our purrin' hearthside friend ,ho ma!es so little display a3out his ,ishes and 3usiness methodsB for in every conception and calculation he sho,s a steel11cold and deli3erate union of intellectA ,illA and sense of proportion ,hich puts utterly to shame the emotional sloppin's1over and docilely acDuired artificial tric!s of the LcleverL and LfaithfulL pointer or sheep1do'. Watch a cat decide to move throu'h a doorA and see ho, patiently he ,aits for his opportunityA never losin' si'ht of his purpose even ,hen he finds it e%pedient to fei'n other interests in the interim. Watch him in the thic! of the chaseA and compare his calculatin' patience and Duite study of his terrain ,ith the noisy flounderin' and pa,in' of his canine rival. =t is not often that he returns empty1handed. 2e !no,s ,hat he ,antsA and means to 'et it in the most effective ,ayA even at the sacrifice of time 11 ,hich he philosophically reco'nises as unimportant in the aimless cosmos. There is no turnin' him aside or distractin' his attention 11 and ,e. !no, that amon' humans this is the Duality of mental tenacityA this a3ility to carry a sin'le thread throu'h comple% distractionsA is considered a pretty 'ood si'n of intellectual vi'our and maturity. ChildrenA old cronesA peasantsA and do's ram3leA cats and philosophers stic! to their point. =n resourcefulnessA tooA the cat attests his superiority. $o's can 3e ,ell trained to do a sin'le thin'A 3ut psycholo'ists tell us that these responses to an automatic memory instilled from outside are of little ,orth as indices of real intelli'ence. To Cud'e the a3stract development of a 3rainA confront it ,ith ne, and unfamiliar conditions and see ho, ,ell its o,n stren'th ena3les it to achieve its o3Cect 3y sheer reasonin' ,ithout 3lazed trails. 2ere the cats can silently devise a dozen mysterious and successful alternatives ,hilst poor 4ido is 3ar!in' in 3e,ilderment and ,onderin' ,hat it is all a3out. 7ranted that :over the retriever may ma!e a 'reater 3id for popular sentimental re'ard 3y 'oin' into the 3urnin' house and savin' the 3a3y in traditional cinema fashionA it remains a fact that ,his!ered and purrin' ;i' is a hi'her1'rade 3iolo'ical or'anism 11 somethin' physiolo'ically and psycholo'ically nearer a man 3ecause of his very freedom from man<s ordersA and as such entitled to a hi'her respect from those ,ho Cud'e 3y purely philosophic and aesthetic standards. We can respect a cat as ,e cannot respect a do'A no matter ,hich personally appeals the more to our mere dotin' fancyB and if ,e 3e aesthetes and analysts rather than commonplace1lovers and emotionalistsA the scales must inevita3ly turn completely in !itty<s favour.

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=t may 3e addedA moreoverA that even the aloof and sufficient cat is 3y no means devoid of sentimental appeal. +nce ,e 'et rid of the uncivilised ethical 3ias 11 the LtreacherousL and Lhorrid 3ird1catcherL preCudice 11 ,e find in the Lharmless catL the very ape% of happy domestic sym3olismB ,hilst small !ittens 3ecome o3Cects to adoreA idealiseA and cele3rate in the most rhapsodic of dactyls and anapaestsA iam3ics and trochaics. =A in my o,n senescent mello,nessA confess to an inordinate and ,holly unphilosophic predilection for tiny coal13lac! !ittens ,ith lar'e yello, eyesA and could no more pass one ,ithout pettin' him than $r. 6ohnson could pass a side,al! post ,ithout stri!in' it. There isA li!e,iseA in many cats Duite analo'ous to the reciprocal fondness so loudly e%tolled in do'sA human 3ein'sA horsesA and the li!e. Cats come to associate certain persons ,ith acts continuously contri3utin' to their pleasureA and acDuire for them a reco'nition and attachment ,hich manifests itself in pleasant e%citement at their approach 11 ,hether or not 3earin' food and drin! 11 and a certain pensiveness at their protracted a3sence. A cat ,ith ,hom = ,as on intimate terms reached the point of acceptin' food from no hand 3ut oneA and ,ould actually 'o hun'ry rather than touch the least morsel from a !indly nei'h3our source. 2e also had distinct affections amon'st the other cats of that idyllic householdB voluntarily offerin' food to one of his ,his!ered friendsA ,hilst disputin' most sava'ely the least 'lance ,hich his coal13lac! rival LSno,3allL ,ould 3esto, upon his plate. =f it 3e ar'ued that these feline fondnesses are essentially LselfishL and LpracticalL in their ultimate compositionA let us inDuire in return ho, many human fondnessesA apart from those sprin'in' directly upon primitive 3rute instinctA have any other 3asis. After the returnin' 3oard has 3rou'ht in the 'rand total of zero ,e shall 3e 3etter a3le to refrain from in'enuous censure of the LselfishL cat. The superior ima'inative inner life of the catA resultin' in superior self1possessionA is ,ell !no,n. A do' is a pitiful thin'A dependin' ,holly on companionshipA and utterly lost e%cept in pac!s or 3y the side of his master. 5eave him alone and he does not !no, ,hat to do e%cept 3ar! and ho,l and trot a3out till sheer e%haustion forces him to sleep. A catA ho,everA is never ,ithout the potentialities of contentment. 5i!e a superior manA he !no,s ho, to 3e alone and happy. +nce he loo!s a3out and finds no one to amuse himA he settles do,n to the tas! of amusin' himselfB and no one really !no,s cats ,ithout havin' occasionally pee!ed stealthily at some lively and ,ell1 3alanced !itten ,hich 3elieves itself to 3e alone. +nly after such a 'limpse of unaffected tail1chasin' 'race and unstudied purrin' can one fully understand the charm of those lines ,hich Colerid'e ,rote ,ith reference to the human rather than the feline youn' 11 pa'e eleven L.... a lim3er elfA Sin'in'A dancin' to itself.L But ,hole volumes could 3e ,ritten on the playin' of catsA since the varieties and aesthetic aspects of such sportiveness are infinite. Be it sufficient to say that in such pastimes cats have e%hi3ited traits and actions ,hich psycholo'ists authentically declare to 3e motivated 3y 'enuine humour and ,himsicality in its purest senseB so that the tas! of Lma!in' a cat lau'hL may not 3e so impossi3le a thin' even outside the 3orders of Cheshire. =n shortA a do' is an incomplete thin'. 5i!e an inferior manA he needs emotional stimuli from outsideA and must set somethin' artificial up as a 'od and motive. The catA ho,everA is perfect in himself. 5i!e the human philosopherA he is a self1 sufficient entity and microcosm. 2e is a real and inte'rated 3ein' 3ecause he thin!s and feels himself to 3e suchA ,hereas the do' can conceive of himself only in relation to somethin' else. Whip a do' and he lic!s your hand 1frauthF The 3east has no idea of himself e%cept as an inferior

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part of an or'anism ,hereof you are the superior part 11 he ,ould no more thin! of stri!in' 3ac! at you than you ,ould thin! of poundin' your o,n head ,hen it punishes you ,ith a headache. But ,hip a cat and ,atch it 'lare and move 3ac!,ard hissin' in outra'ed di'nity and self1respectF +ne more 3lo,A and it stri!es you in returnB for it is a 'entleman and your eDualA and ,ill accept no infrin'ement on its personality and 3ody of privile'es. =t is only in your house any,ay 3ecause it ,ishes to 3eA or perhaps even as a condescendin' favour to yourself. =t is the houseA not youA it li!esB for philosophers realise that human 3ein's are at 3est only minor adCuncts to scenery. 7o one step too farA and it leaves you alto'ether. .ou have mista!en your relationship to it and ima'ined you are its masterA and no real cat can tolerate that 3reach of 'ood manners. 2encefor,ard it ,ill see! companions of 'reater discrimination and clearer perspective. 5et anaemic persons ,ho 3elieve in Lturnin' the other chee!L console themselves ,ith crin'in' do's 11 for the ro3ust pa'an ,ith the 3lood of ;ordic t,ili'hts in his veins there is no 3east li!e the catB intrepid steed of 4reyaA ,ho can 3oldly loo! even Thor and +din full in the face and stare ,ith 'reat round eyes of undimmed yello, or 'reen. =n these o3servations = 3elieve = have outlined ,ith some fullness the diverse reasons ,hyA in my opinion and in the smartly timed title1phrase of 8r. ?an $orenA L'entlemen prefer cats.L The reply of 8r.Terhune in a su3seDuent issue of the Tri3une appears to me 3eside the pointB insomuch as it is less a refutation of facts than a mere personal affirmation of the author<s mem3ership in that conventional Lvery humanL maCority ,ho ta!e affection and companionship seriouslyA enCoy 3ein' important to somethin' aliveA hate a LparasiteL on mere ethical 'round ,ithout consultin' the ri'ht of 3eauty to e%ist for Sits o,n sa!eA and therefore love man<s no3lest and most faithful friendA the perennial do'. = suppose 8r.Terhune loves horses and 3a3ies alsoA for the three 'o conventionally to'ether in the 'reat hundred1per1center<s credo as hi'hly essential li!in's for every 'ood and lova3le he1man of the Arro, Collar and 2arold Bell Wri'ht hero schoolA even thou'h the automo3ile and 8ar'aret San'er have done much to reduce the last t,o items. $o'sA thenA are peasants and the pets of peasantsA cats are 'entlemen and the pets of 'entlemen. The do' is for him ,ho places crude feelin' and out'ro,n ethic and humanocentricity a3ove austere and disinterested 3eautyB ,ho Cust loves Lfol!s and fol!sinessL and doesn<t mind sloppy clumsiness if only somethin' ,ill truly care for him. JTa3leau of do' across master<s 'rave 11 cf. 5anseerA LThe +ld Shepherd<s Chief 8ourner.LK The 'uy ,ho isn<t much for hi'h3ro, stuffA 3ut is al,ays on the sDuare and don<t JsicK often find the Saddypost or the ;... World too deep for himB ,ho hadn<t much use for ?alentinoA 3ut thin!s $ou' 4air3an!s is Cust a3out ri'ht for an evenin'<s entertainment. Wholesome 11 constructive 11 non1mor3id 11 civic1minded 11 domestic 11 J= for'ot to mention the radioK normal 11 that<s the sort of 'o1'etter that ou'ht to 'o in for do's. The cat is for the aristocrat 11 ,hether 3y 3irth or inclinations or 3oth 1 ,ho admires his fello,1aristocrats. 2e is for the man ,ho appreciates 3eauty as the one livin' force in a 3lind and purposeless universeA and ,ho ,orships that 3eauty in all its forms ,ithout re'ard for the sentimental and ethical illusions of the moment. 4or the man ,ho !no,s the hollo,ness of feelin' and the emptiness of human o3Cects and aspirationsA and ,ho therefore clin's solely to ,hat is real 11 as 3eauty is real 3ecause it pretends to a si'nificance 3eyond the emotion ,hich it e%cites and is. 4or the man ,ho feels sufficient in the cosmosA and as!s no scruples of conventional preCudiceA 3ut loves repose and stren'th and freedom and lu%ury and sufficiency and contemplationB ,ho as a stron' fearless soul ,ishes somethin' to respect instead of somethin' to lic! his face and accept

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his alternate 3lo,s and stro!in'sB ,ho see!s a proud and 3eautiful eDual in the peera'e of individualism rather than a co,ed and crin'in' satellite in the hierarchy of fearA su3servienceA and devolution. The cat is not for the 3ris!A self1important little ,or!er ,ith a missionL A 3ut for the enli'htened dreamin' poet ,ho !no,s that the ,orld contains nothin' really ,orth doin'. The dilettante 11 the connoisseur 11 the decadentA if you ,illA thou'h in a healthier a'e than this there ,ere thin's for such men to doA so that they ,ere the planners and leader of those 'lorious pa'an times. The cat is for him ,ho does thin's not for empty duty 3ut for po,erA pleasureA splendourA romanceA and 'lamour 11 for the harpist ,ho sin's alone in the ni'ht of old 3attlesA or the ,arrior ,ho 'oes out to fi'ht such 3attles for 3eautyA 'loryA fame and the splendour of a land ath,art ,hich no shado, of ,ea!ness falls. 4or him ,ho ,ill 3e lulled 3y no sops of prose and usefulnessA 3ut demands for his comfort the ease and 3eauty and ascendancy and cultivation ,hich ma!e effort ,orth ,hile. 4or the man ,ho !no,s that playA not ,or!A and leisureA not 3ustleA are the 'reat thin's of lifeB and that the round of strivin' merely in order to strive some more is a 3itter irony of ,hich the civilised soul accepts as little as it can. BeautyA sufficiencyA easeA and 'ood manners 11 ,hat more can civilisation reDuireG We have them all in the divine monarch ,ho loun'es 'loriously on his sil!en cushion 3efore the hearth. 5oveliness and Coy for their o,n sa!e 11 pride and harmony and coordination 11 spiritA restfulness and completeness 11 all here are presentA and need 3ut a sympathetic disillusionment for ,orship in full measure. What fully civilised soul 3ut ,ould ea'erly serve as hi'h priest of BastG The star of the catA = thin!A is Cust no, in the ascendantA as ,e emer'e little 3y little from the dreams of ethics and conformity ,hich clouded the nineteenth century and raised the 'ru33in' and unlovely do' to the pinnacle of sentimental re'ard. Whether a renaissance of po,er and 3eauty ,ill restore our Western civilisationA or ,hether the forces of disinte'ration are already too po,erful for any hand to chec!A none may yet sayA 3ut in the present moment of cynical ,orld1unmas!in' 3et,een the pretence of the ei'hteen1hundreds and the ominous mystery of the decades ahead ,e have at least a flash of the old pa'an perspective and the old pa'an clearness and honesty. And one idol lit up 3y that flashA seen fair and lovely on a dream1throne of sil! and 'old under a chryselephantine domeA is a shape of deathless 'race not al,ays 'iven its due amon' 'ropin' mortals 11 the hau'htyA the unconDueredA the mysteriousA the lu%uriousA the Ba3ylonianA the impersonalA the eternal companion of superiority and art 11 the type of perfect 3eauty and the 3rother of poetry 11 the 3landA 'raveA compliantA and patrician cat.

The C ts o! 0lth r
=t is said that in (ltharA ,hich lies 3eyond the river S!aiA no man may !ill a catB and this = can verily 3elieve as = 'aze upon him ,ho sitteth purrin' 3efore the fire. 4or the cat is crypticA and close to stran'e thin's ,hich men cannot see. 2e is the soul of antiDue Ae'yptusA and 3earer of tales from for'otten cities in 8eroe and +phir. 2e is the !in of the Cun'leTs lordsA and heir to the secrets of hoary and sinister Africa. The Sphin% is his cousinA and he spea!s her lan'ua'eB 3ut he is more ancient than the Sphin%A and remem3ers that ,hich she hath for'otten. =n (ltharA 3efore ever the 3ur'esses for3ade the !illin' of catsA there d,elt an old cotter and his ,ife ,ho deli'hted to trap and slay the cats of their nei'h3ors. Why they did this = !no, notB save that many hate the voice of the cat in the ni'htA and ta!e it ill that cats should run stealthily a3out yards and 'ardens at t,ili'ht. But ,hatever the reasonA this old man and ,oman too! pleasure in trappin' and slayin' every cat ,hich came near to their hovelB and from some of the sounds heard after dar!A many villa'ers fancied that the manner of slayin' ,as e%ceedin'ly peculiar. But the villa'ers did not discuss such thin's ,ith the old man and his ,ifeB 3ecause of the ha3itual e%pression on the ,ithered faces of the t,oA and 3ecause their cotta'e ,as so small and so dar!ly hidden under spreadin' oa!s at the 3ac! of a ne'lected yard. =n truthA much as the o,ners of cats hated these odd fol!A they feared them moreB and instead of 3eratin' them as 3rutal assassinsA merely too! care that no cherished pet or mouser should stray to,ard the remote hovel under the dar! trees. When throu'h some unavoida3le oversi'ht a cat ,as missedA and sounds heard after dar!A the loser ,ould lament impotentlyB or console himself 3y than!in' 4ate that it ,as not one of his children ,ho had thus vanished. 4or the people of (lthar ,ere simpleA and !ne, not ,hence it is all cats first came. +ne day a caravan of stran'e ,anderers from the South entered the narro, co33led streets of (lthar. $ar! ,anderers they ,ereA and unli!e the other rovin' fol! ,ho passed throu'h the villa'e t,ice every year. =n the mar!et1place they told fortunes for silverA and 3ou'ht 'ay 3eads from the merchants. What ,as the land of these ,anderers none could tellB 3ut it ,as seen that they ,ere 'iven to stran'e prayersA and that they had painted on the sides of their ,a'ons stran'e fi'ures ,ith human 3odies and the heads of catsA ha,!sA rams and lions. And the leader of the caravan ,ore a headdress ,ith t,o horns and a curious dis! 3et,i%t the horns. There ,as in this sin'ular caravan a little 3oy ,ith no father or motherA 3ut only a tiny 3lac! !itten to cherish. The pla'ue had not 3een !ind to himA yet had left him this small furry thin' to miti'ate his sorro,B and ,hen one is very youn'A one can find 'reat relief in the lively antics of a 3lac! !itten. So the 3oy ,hom the dar! people called 8enes smiled more often than he ,ept as he sat playin' ,ith his 'raceful !itten on the steps of an oddly painted ,a'on.
+n the third mornin' of the ,anderersT stay in (ltharA 8enes could not find his !ittenB and as he so33ed aloud in the mar!et1place certain villa'ers told him of the old man and his ,ifeA and of sounds heard in the ni'ht. And ,hen he heard these thin's his so33in' 'ave place to meditationA and finally to prayer. 2e stretched out his arms to,ard the sun and prayed in a ton'ue no villa'er could understandB thou'h indeed the villa'ers did not try very hard to

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Cats of (lthar

1&#

understandA since their attention ,as mostly ta!en up 3y the s!y and the odd shapes the clouds ,ere assumin'. =t ,as very peculiarA 3ut as the little 3oy uttered his petition there seemed to form overhead the shado,yA ne3ulous fi'ures of e%otic thin'sB of hy3rid creatures cro,ned ,ith horn1flan!ed dis!s. ;ature is full of such illusions to impress the ima'inative. That ni'ht the ,anderers left (ltharA and ,ere never seen a'ain. And the householders ,ere trou3led ,hen they noticed that in all the villa'e there ,as not a cat to 3e found. 4rom each hearth the familiar cat had vanishedB cats lar'e and smallA 3lac!A 'reyA stripedA yello, and ,hite. +ld 0ranonA the 3ur'omasterA s,ore that the dar! fol! had ta!en the cats a,ay in reven'e for the !illin' of 8enesT !ittenB and cursed the caravan and the little 3oy. But ;ithA the lean notaryA declared that the old cotter and his ,ife ,ere more li!ely persons to suspectB for their hatred of cats ,as notorious and increasin'ly 3old. StillA no one durst complain to the sinister coupleB even ,hen little AtalA the inn!eeperTs sonA vo,ed that he had at t,ili'ht seen all the cats of (lthar in that accursed yard under the treesA pacin' very slo,ly and solemnly in a circle around the cotta'eA t,o a3reastA as if in performance of some unheard1of rite of 3easts. The villa'ers did not !no, ho, much to 3elieve from so small a 3oyB and thou'h they feared that the evil pair had charmed the cats to their deathA they preferred not to chide the old cotter till they met him outside his dar! and repellent yard. So (lthar ,ent to sleep in vain an'erB and ,hen the people a,a!ened at da,nU3eholdF every cat ,as 3ac! at his accustomed hearthF 5ar'e and smallA 3lac!A 'reyA stripedA yello, and ,hiteA none ,as missin'. ?ery slee! and fat did the cats appearA and sonorous ,ith purrin' content. The citizens tal!ed ,ith one another of the affairA and marveled not a little. +ld 0ranon a'ain insisted that it ,as the dar! fol! ,ho had ta!en themA since cats did not return alive from the cotta'e of the ancient man and his ,ife. But all a'reed on one thin'9 that the refusal of all the cats to eat their portions of meat or drin! their saucers of mil! ,as e%ceedin'ly curious. And for t,o ,hole days the slee!A lazy cats of (lthar ,ould touch no foodA 3ut only doze 3y the fire or in the sun. =t ,as fully a ,ee! 3efore the villa'ers noticed that no li'hts ,ere appearin' at dus! in the ,indo,s of the cotta'e under the trees. Then the lean ;ith remar!ed that no one had seen the old man or his ,ife since the ni'ht the cats ,ere a,ay. =n another ,ee! the 3ur'omaster decided to overcome his fears and call at the stran'ely silent d,ellin' as a matter of dutyA thou'h in so doin' he ,as careful to ta!e ,ith him Shan' the 3lac!smith and Thul the cutter of stone as ,itnesses. And ,hen they had 3ro!en do,n the frail door they found only this9 t,o cleanly pic!ed human s!eletons on the earthen floorA and a num3er of sin'ular 3eetles cra,lin' in the shado,y corners. There ,as su3seDuently much tal! amon' the 3ur'esses of (lthar. @athA the coronerA disputed at len'th ,ith ;ithA the lean notaryB and 0ranon and Shan' and Thul ,ere over,helmed ,ith Duestions. Even little AtalA the inn!eeperTs sonA ,as closely Duestioned and 'iven a s,eetmeat as re,ard. They tal!ed of the old cotter and his ,ifeA of the caravan of dar! ,anderersA of small 8enes and his 3lac! !ittenA of the prayer of 8enes and of the s!y durin' that prayerA of the doin's of the cats on the ni'ht the caravan leftA and of ,hat ,as later found in the cotta'e under the dar! trees in the repellent yard. And in the end the 3ur'esses passed that remar!a3le la, ,hich is told of 3y traders in 2athe' and discussed 3y travelers in ;irB namelyA that in (lthar no man may !ill a cat.

Cele*h is
=n a dream 0uranes sa, the city in the valleyA and the seacoast 3eyondA and the sno,y pea! overloo!in' the seaA and the 'aily painted 'alleys that sail out of the har3our to,ard distant re'ions ,here the sea meets the s!y. =n a dream it ,as also that he came 3y his name of 0uranesA for ,hen a,a!e he ,as called 3y another name. >erhaps it ,as natural for him to dream a ne, nameB for he ,as the last of his familyA and alone amon' the indifferent millions of 5ondonA so there ,ere not many to spea! to him and to remind him ,ho he had 3een. 2is money and lands ,ere 'oneA and he did not care for the ,ays of the people a3out himA 3ut preferred to dream and ,rite of his dreams. What he ,rote ,as lau'hed at 3y those to ,hom he sho,ed itA so that after a time he !ept his ,ritin's to himselfA and finally ceased to ,rite. The more he ,ithdre, from the ,orld a3out himA the more ,onderful 3ecame his dreamsB and it ,ould have 3een Duite futile to try to descri3e them on paper. 0uranes ,as not modernA and did not thin! li!e others ,ho ,rote. Whilst they strove to strip from life its em3roidered ro3es of myth and to sho, in na!ed u'liness the foul thin' that is realityA 0uranes sou'ht for 3eauty alone. When truth and e%perience failed to reveal itA he sou'ht it in fancy and illusionA and found it on his very doorstepA amid the ne3ulous memories of childhood tales and dreams. There are not many persons ,ho !no, ,hat ,onders are opened to them in the stories and visions of their youthB for ,hen as children ,e listen and dreamA ,e thin! 3ut half1 formed thou'htsA and ,hen as men ,e try to remem3erA ,e are dulled and prosaic ,ith the poison of life. But some of us a,a!e in the ni'ht ,ith stran'e phantasms of enchanted hills and 'ardensA of fountains that sin' in the sunA of 'olden cliffs overhan'in' murmurin' seasA of plains that stretch do,n to sleepin' cities of 3ronze and stoneA and of shado,y companies of heroes that ride caparisoned ,hite horses alon' the ed'es of thic! forestsB and then ,e !no, that ,e have loo!ed 3ac! throu'h the ivory 'ates into that ,orld of ,onder ,hich ,as ours 3efore ,e ,ere ,ise and unhappy. 0uranes came very suddenly upon his old ,orld of childhood. 2e had 3een dreamin' of the house ,here he had 3een 3ornB the 'reat stone house covered ,ith ivyA ,here thirteen 'enerations of his ancestors had livedA and ,here he had hoped to die. =t ,as moonli'htA and he had stolen out into the fra'rant summer ni'htA throu'h the 'ardensA do,n the terracesA past the 'reat oa!s of the par!A and alon' the lon' ,hite road to the villa'e. The villa'e seemed very oldA eaten a,ay at the ed'e li!e the moon ,hich had commenced to ,aneA and 0uranes ,ondered ,hether the pea!ed roofs of the small houses hid sleep or death. =n the streets ,ere spears of lon' 'rassA and the ,indo,1panes on either side 3ro!en or ifimily starin'. 0uranes had not lin'eredA 3ut had plodded on as thou'h summoned to,ard some 'oal. 2e dared not diso3ey the summons for fear it mi'ht prove an illusion li!e the ur'es and aspirations of ,a!in' lifeA ,hich do not lead to any 'oal. Then he had 3een dra,n do,n a lane that led off from the villa'e street to,ard the channel cliffsA and had come to the end of thin's to the precipice and the a3yss ,here all the villa'e and all the ,orld fell a3ruptly into the unechoin' emptiness of infinityA and ,here even the s!y ahead ,as empty and unit 3y the crum3lin' moon and the peerin' stars. 4aith had ur'ed him onA over the precipice and into the 'ulfA ,here he had floated do,nA do,nA do,nB past dar!A shapelessA undreamed dreamsA faintly 'lo,in' spheres that may have 3een partly dreamed dreamsA and lau'hin' ,in'ed thin's that seemed to moc! the dreamers of all the

H.P.Lovecr !t

Celephais

1&-

,orlds. Then a rift seemed to open in the dar!ness 3efore himA and he sa, the city of the valleyA 'listenin' radiantly farA far 3elo,A ,ith a 3ac!'round of sea and s!yA and a sno,capped mountain near the shore. 0uranes had a,a!ened the very moment he 3eheld the cityA yet he !ne, from his 3rief 'lance that it ,as none other than CelephaisA in the ?alley of +oth1;ar'ai 3eyond the Tanarian 2ills ,here his spirit had d,elt all the eternity of an hour one summer afternoon very lon' a'oA ,hen he had slipt a,ay from his nurse and let the ,arm sea13reeze lull him to sleep as he ,atched the clouds from the cliff near the villa'e. 2e had protested thenA ,hen they had found himA ,a!ed himA and carried him homeA for Cust as he ,as aroused he had 3een a3out to sail in a 'olden 'alley for those allurin' re'ions ,here the sea meets the s!y. And no, he ,as eDually resentful of a,a!in'A for he had found his fa3ulous city after forty ,eary years. But three ni'hts after,ard 0uranes came a'ain to Celephais. As 3eforeA he dreamed first of the villa'e that ,as asleep or deadA and of the a3yss do,n ,hich one must float silentlyB then the rift appeared a'ainA and he 3eheld the 'litterin' minarets of the cityA and sa, the 'raceful 'alleys ridin' at anchor in the 3lue har3ourA and ,atched the 'in'!o trees of 8ount 8an s,ayin' in the sea13reeze. But this time he ,as not snatched a,ayA and li!e a ,in'ed 3ein' settled 'radually over a 'rassy hillside till finally his feet rested 'ently on the turf. 2e had indeed come 3ac! to the ?alley of +oth1;ar'ai and the splendid city of Celephais. $o,n the hill amid scented 'rasses and 3rilliant flo,ers ,al!ed 0uranesA over the 3u33lin' ;ara%a on the small ,ooden 3rid'e ,here he had carved his name so many years a'oA and throu'h the ,hisperin' 'rove to the 'reat stone 3rid'e 3y the city 'ate. All ,as as of oldA nor ,ere the mar3le ,alls discolouredA nor the polished 3ronze statues upon them tarnished. And 0uranes sa, that he need not trem3le lest the thin's he !ne, 3e vanishedB for even the sentries on the ramparts ,ere the sameA and still as youn' as he remem3ered them. When he entered the cityA past the 3ronze 'ates and over the ony% pavementsA the merchants and camel1drivers 'reeted him as if he had never 3een a,ayB and it Was the same at the turDuoise temple of ;ath12orthathA ,here the orchid1,reathed priests told him that there is no time in +oth1;ar'aiA 3ut only perpetual youth. Then 0uranes ,al!ed throu'h the Street of >illars to the sea,ard ,allA ,here 'athered the traders and sailorsA and stran'e men from the re'ions ,here the sea meets the s!y. There he stayed lon'A 'azin' out over the 3ri'ht har3our ,here the ripples spar!led 3eneath an un!no,n sunA and ,here rode li'htly the 'alleys from far places over the ,ater. And he 'azed also upon 8ount 8an risin' re'ally from the shoreA its lo,er slopes 'reen ,ith s,ayin' trees and its ,hite summit touchin' the s!y. 8ore than ever 0uranes ,ished to sail in a 'alley to the far places of ,hich he had heard so many stran'e talesA and he sou'ht a'ain the captain ,ho had a'reed to carry him so lon' a'o. 2e found the manA Athi3A sittin' on the same chest of spice he had sat upon 3eforeA and Athi3 seemed not to realize that any time had passed. Then the t,o ro,ed to a 'alley in the har3ourA and 'ivin' orders to the oarmenA commenced to sail out into the 3illo,y Cerenarian Sea that leads to the s!y. 4or several days they 'lided undulatin'ly over the ,aterA till finally they came to the horizonA ,here the sea meets the s!y. 2ere the 'alley paused not at allA 3ut floated easily in the 3lue of the s!y amon' fleecy clouds tinted ,ith rose. And far 3eneath the !eel 0uranes could see stran'e lands and rivers and cities of surpassin' 3eautyA spread indolently in the sunshine ,hich seemed never to lessen or

H.P.Lovecr !t

Celephais

1&7

disappear. At len'th Athi3 told him that their Courney ,as near its endA and that they ,ould soon enter the har3our of SerannianA the pin! mar3le city of the cloudsA ,hich is 3uilt on that ethereal coast ,here the ,est ,ind flo,s into the s!yB 3ut as the hi'hest of the cityTs carven to,ers came into si'ht there ,as a sound some,here in spaceA and 0uranes a,a!ed in his 5ondon 'arret. 4or many months after that 0uranes sou'ht the marvellous city of Celephais and its s!y13ound 'alleys in vainB and thou'h his dreams carried him to many 'or'eous and unheard1of placesA no one ,hom he met could tell him ho, to find +oth1;ar'ai 3eyond the Tanarian 2ills. +ne ni'ht he ,ent flyin' over dar! mountains ,here there ,ere faintA lone campfires at 'reat distances apartA and stran'eA sha''y herds ,ith tin!lin' 3ells on the leadersA and in the ,ildest part of this hilly countryA so remote that fe, men could ever have seen itA he found a hideously ancient ,all or cause,ay of stone zi'za''in' alon' the rid'es and valleysB too 'i'antic ever to have risen 3y human handsA and of such a len'th that neither end of it could 3e seen. Beyond that ,all in the 'rey da,n he came to a land of Duaint 'ardens and cherry treesA and ,hen the sun rose he 3eheld such 3eauty of red and ,hite flo,ersA 'reen folia'e and la,nsA ,hite pathsA diamond 3roo!sA 3lue la!eletsA carven 3rid'esA and red1roofed pa'odasA that he for a moment for'ot Celephais in sheer deli'ht. But he remem3ered it a'ain ,hen he ,al!ed do,n a ,hite path to,ard a red1roofed pa'odaA and ,ould have Duestioned the people of this land a3out itA had he not found that there ,ere no people thereA 3ut only 3irds and 3ees and 3utterflies. +n another ni'ht 0uranes ,al!ed up a damp stone spiral stair,ay endlesslyA and came to a to,er ,indo, overloo!in' a mi'hty plain and river lit 3y the full moonB and in the silent city that spread a,ay from the river 3an! he thou'ht he 3eheld some feature or arran'ement ,hich he had !no,n 3efore. 2e ,ould have descended and as!ed the ,ay to +oth;ar'ai had not a fearsome aurora sputtered up from some remote place 3eyond the horizonA sho,in' the ruin and antiDuity of the cityA and the sta'nation of the reedy riverA and the death lyin' upon that landA as it had lain since 0in' 0ynaratholis came home from his conDuests to find the ven'eance of the 'ods. So 0uranes sou'ht fruitlessly for the marvellous city of Celephais and its 'alleys that sail to Serannian in the s!yA mean,hile seein' many ,onders and once 3arely escapin' from the hi'h1priest not to 3e descri3edA ,hich ,ears a yello, sil!en mas! over its face and d,ells all alone in a prehistoric stone monastery in the cold desert plateau of 5en'. =n time he 're, so impatient of the 3lea! intervals of day that he 3e'an 3uyin' dru's in order to increase his periods of sleep. 2asheesh helped a 'reat dealA and once sent him to a part of space ,here form does not e%istA 3ut ,here 'lo,in' 'ases study the secrets of e%istence. And a violet1coloured 'as told him that this part of space ,as outside ,hat he had called infinity. The 'as had not heard of planets and or'anisms 3eforeA 3ut identified 0uranes merely as one from the infinity ,here matterA ener'yA and 'ravitation e%ist. 0uranes ,as no, very an%ious to return to minaret1studded CelephaisA and increased his doses of dru'sB 3ut eventually he had no more money leftA and could 3uy no dru's. Then one summer day he ,as turned out of his 'arretA and ,andered aimlessly throu'h the streetsA driftin' over a 3rid'e to a place ,here the houses 're, thinner and thinner. And it ,as there that fulfillment cameA and he met the corte'e of !ni'hts come from Celephais to 3ear him thither forever. 2andsome !ni'hts they ,ereA astride roan horses and clad in shinin' armour ,ith ta3ards of cloth1of1'old curiously em3lazoned. So numerous ,ere theyA that 0uranes almost mistoo! them for an armyA 3ut they ,ere sent in his honourB since it ,as he ,ho

H.P.Lovecr !t

Celephais

1&8

had created +oth1;ar'ai in his dreamsA on ,hich account he ,as no, to 3e appointed its chief 'od for evermore. Then they 'ave 0uranes a horse and placed him at the head of the cavalcadeA and all rode maCestically throu'h the do,ns of Surrey and on,ard to,ard the re'ion ,here 0uranes and his ancestors ,ere 3orn. =t ,as very stran'eA 3ut as the riders ,ent on they seemed to 'allop 3ac! throu'h TimeB for ,henever they passed throu'h a villa'e in the t,ili'ht they sa, only such houses and villa'ers as Chaucer or men 3efore him mi'ht have seenA and sometimes they sa, !ni'hts on horse3ac! ,ith small companies of retainers. When it 're, dar! they travelled more s,iftlyA till soon they ,ere flyin' uncannily as if in the air. =n the dim da,n they came upon the villa'e ,hich 0uranes had seen alive in his childhoodA and asleep or dead in his dreams. =t ,as alive no,A and early villa'ers curtsied as the horsemen clattered do,n the street and turned off into the lane that ends in the a3yss of dreams. 0uranes had previously entered that a3yss only at ni'htA and ,ondered ,hat it ,ould loo! li!e 3y dayB so he ,atched an%iously as the column approached its 3rin!. 6ust as they 'alloped up the risin' 'round to the precipice a 'olden 'lare came some,here out of the ,est and hid all the landscape in efful'ent draperies. The a3yss ,as a seethin' chaos of roseate and cerulean splendourA and invisi3le voices san' e%ultantly as the !ni'htly entoura'e plun'ed over the ed'e and floated 'racefully do,n past 'litterin' clouds and silvery coruscations. Endlessly do,n the horsemen floatedA their char'ers pa,in' the aether as if 'allopin' over 'olden sandsB and then the luminous vapours spread apart to reveal a 'reater 3ri'htnessA the 3ri'htness of the city CelephaisA and the sea coast 3eyondA and the sno,y pea! overloo!in' the seaA and the 'aily painted 'alleys that sail out of the har3our to,ard distant re'ions ,here the sea meets the s!y. And 0uranes rei'ned thereafter over +oth1;ar'ai and all the nei'h3orin' re'ions of dreamA and held his court alternately in Celephais and in the cloud1fashioned Serannian. 2e rei'ns there stillA and ,ill rei'n happily for everA thou'h 3elo, the cliffs at =nnsmouth the channel tides played moc!in'ly ,ith the 3ody of a tramp ,ho had stum3led throu'h the half1deserted villa'e at da,nB played moc!in'lyA and cast it upon the roc!s 3y ivy1 covered Trevor To,ersA ,here a nota3ly fat and especially offensive millionaire 3re,er enCoys the purchased atmosphere of e%tinct no3ility.

The Ch lle#-e !rom Be&o#$

7eor'e Camp3ell opened sleep1fo''ed eyes upon dar!ness and lay 'azin' out of the tent flap upon the pale Au'ust ni'ht for some minutes 3efore he roused enou'h even to ,onder ,hat had ,a!ened him. There ,as in the !eenA clear air of these Canadian ,oods a soporific as potent as any dru'. Camp3ell lay Duiet for a momentA sin!in' slo,ly 3ac! into the delicious 3orderlands of sleepA conscious of an e%Duisite ,earinessA an unaccustomed sense of muscles ,ell usedA and rela%ed no, into perfect ease. These ,ere vacation<s most deli'htful momentsA after all 11 restA after toilA in the clearA s,eet forest ni'ht. 5u%uriouslyA as his mind san! 3ac!,ard into o3livionA he assured himself once more that three lon' months of freedom lay 3efore him 11 freedom from cities and monotonyA freedom from peda'o'y and the (niversity and students ,ith no rudiments of interest in the 'eolo'y he earned his daily 3read 3y dinnin' =nto their o3durate ears. 4reedom from 11 A3ruptly the deli'htful somnolence crashed a3out him. Some,here outside the sound of tin shrie!in' across tin slashed into his peace. 7eor'e Camp3ell sat up Cer!ily and reached for his flashli'ht. Then he lau'hed and put it do,n a'ainA strainin' his eyes throu'h the midni'ht 'loom outside ,here amon' the tum3lin' cans of his supplies a dar! anonymous little ni'ht 3east ,as pro,lin'. 2e stretched out a lon' arm and 'roped a3out amon' the roc!s at the tent door for a missile. 2is fin'ers closed on a lar'e stoneA and he dre, 3ac! his hand to thro,. But he never thre, it. =t ,as such a Dueer thin' he had come upon in the dar!. SDuareA crystal smoothA o3viously artificialA ,ith dull rounded corners. The stran'eness of its roc! surfaces to his fin'ers ,as so remar!a3le that he reached a'ain for his flashli'ht and turned its rays upon the thin' he held. All sleepiness left him as he sa, ,hat it ,as he had pic!ed up in his idle 'ropin'. =t ,as clear as roc! crystalA this DueerA smooth cu3e. /uartzA unDuestiona3lyA 3ut not in its usual he%a'onal crystallized form. Someho, 11 he could not 'uess the method 11 it had 3een ,rou'ht into a perfect cu3eA a3out four inches in measurement over each ,orn face. 4or it ,as incredi3ly ,orn. The hardA hard crystal ,as rounded no, until its corners ,ere almost 'one and the thin' ,as 3e'innin' to assume the outlines of a sphere. A'es and a'es of ,earin'A years almost 3eyond countin'A must have passed over this stran'e clear thin'. But the most curious thin' of all ,as that shape he could ma!e out dimly in the heart of the crystal. 4or im3edded in its center lay a little disc of a pale and nameless su3stance ,ith characters incised deep upon its Duartz1enclosed surface. Wed'e1shaped charactersA faintly reminiscent of cuneiform ,ritin'. 7eor'e Camp3ell ,rin!led his 3ro,s and 3ent closer a3ove the little eni'ma in his handsA puzzlin' helplessly. 2o, could such a thin' as this have im3edded in pure roc! crystalG :emotely a memory floated throu'h his mind of ancient le'ends that called Duartz crystals ice ,hich had frozen too hard to melt a'ain. =ce 11 and ,ed'e1shaped cuneiforms 11 yesA didn<t that sort of ,ritin' ori'inate amon' the Sumerians ,ho came do,n from the north in history<s remotest 3e'innin's to settle in the primitive 8esopotamian valleyG Then hard sense re'ained control and he lau'hed. /uartzA of courseA ,as formed in the earliest of

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Challen'e from Beyond

1#*

earth<s 'eolo'ical periodsA ,hen there ,as nothin' any,here 3ut 3eat and heavin' roc!. =ce had not come for tens of millions of years after this thin' must have 3een formed. And yet 11 that ,ritin'. 8an1madeA surelyA althou'h its characters ,ere unfamiliar save in their faint hintin' at cuneiform shapes. +r could thereA =n a >aleozoic ,orldA have 3een thin's ,ith a ,ritten lan'ua'e ,ho mi'ht have 'raven these cryptic ,ed'es upon the Duartz1enveloped disc he heldG +r 11 mi'ht a thin' li!e this have fallen meteor1li!e out of space into the unformed roc! of a still molten ,orldG Could it 11 Then he cau'ht himself up sharply and felt his ears 'oin' hot at the luridness of his o,n ima'ination. The silence and the solitude and the Dueer thin' in his hands ,ere conspirin' to play tric!s ,ith his common sense. 2e shru''ed and laid the crystal do,n at the ed'e of his palletA s,itchin' off the li'ht. >erhaps mornin' and a clear head ,ould 3rin' him an ans,er to the Duestions that seemed so insolu3le no,. But sleep did not come easily. 4or one thin'A it seemed to him as he flashed off the li'htA that the little cu3e had shone for a moment as if ,ith sustained li'ht 3efore it faded into the surroundin' dar!. +r perhaps he ,as ,ron'. >erhaps =t had 3een only his dazzled eyes that seemed to see the li'ht forsa!e it reluctantlyA 'lo,in' =n the eni'matic deeps of the thin' ,ith Dueer persistence. 2e lay there unDuietly for a lon' ,hileA turnin' the unans,ered Duestions over and over in his mind. There ,as somethin' a3out this crystal cu3e out of the unmeasured pastA perhaps from the da,n of all historyA that constituted a challen'e that ,ould not let him sleep. HA. 8errittI 2e lay thereA it seemed to himA for hours. =t had 3een the lin'erin' li'htA the luminescence that seemed so reluctant to dieA ,hich held his mind. =t ,as as thou'h somethin' in the heart of the cu3e had a,a!enedA stirred dro,silyA 3ecome suddenly alert ... and =ntent upon him. Sheer fantasyA this. 2e stirred impatiently and flashed his li'ht upon his ,atch. Close to one o<cloc!B three hours more 3efore the da,n. The 3eam fell and ,as focused upon the ,arm crystal cu3e. 2e held it there closelyA for minutes. 2e snapped =t outA then ,atched. There ,as no dou3t a3out it no,. As his eyes accustomed themselves to the dar!nessA he sa, that the stran'e crystal ,as 'limmerin' ,ith tiny fu'itive li'hts deep ,ithin it li!e threads of sapphire li'htnin's. They ,ere at =ts center and they seemed to him to come from the pale dis! ,ith =ts distur3in' mar!in's. And the disc itself ,as 3ecomin' lar'er ... the mar!in's shiftin' shapes ... the cu3e ,as 'ro,in' ... ,as it illusion 3rou'ht a3out 3y the tiny li'htnin's.... 2e heard a sound. =t ,as the very 'host of a soundA li!e the 'hosts of harp strin's 3ein' pluc!ed ,ith 'hostly fin'ers. 2e 3ent closer. =t came from the cu3e.... There ,as sDuea!in' in the under3rushA a flurry of 3odies and an a'onized ,ailin' li!e a child in death throes and s,iftly stilled. Some small tra'edy of the ,ildernessA !iller and prey. 2e stepped over to ,here it had 3een enactedA 3ut could see nothin'. 2e a'ain

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snapped off the flash and loo!ed to,ard his tent. (pon the 'round ,as a pale 3lue 'limmerin'. =t ,as the cu3e. 2e stooped to pic! it upB then o3eyin' some o3scure ,arnin'A dre, 3ac! his hand. And a'ainA he sa,A its 'lo, ,as dyin'. The tiny sapphire li'htnin's flashin' fitfullyA ,ithdra,in' to the disc from ,hich they had come. There ,as no sound from it. 2e satA ,atchin' the luminescence 'lo, and fadeA 'lo, and fadeA 3ut steadily 3ecomin' dimmer. =t came to him that t,o elements ,ere necessary to produce the phenomenon. The electric ray itselfA and his o,n fi%ed attention. 2is mind must travel alon' the rayA fi% itself upon the cu3e<s heartA if its 3eat ,ere to ,a%A until ... ,hatG 2e felt a chill of spiritA as thou'h from contact ,ith some alien thin'. =t ,as alienA he !ne, itB not of this earth. ;ot of earth<s life. 2e conDuered his shrin!in'A pic!ed up the cu3e and too! =t into the tent. =t ,as neither ,arm nor coldB e%cept for its ,ei'ht he ,ould not have !no,n he held it. 2e put it upon the ta3leA !eepin' the torch turned from itB then stepped to the flap of the tent and closed it. 2e ,ent 3ac! to the ta3leA dre, up the camp chairA and turned the flash directly upon the cu3eA focusin' it so far as he could upon its heart. 2e sent all his ,illA all his concentrationA alon' itB focusin' ,ill and si'ht upon the disc as he had the li'ht. As thou'h at commandA the sapphire li'htnin's 3urned forth. They 3urst from the disc into the 3ody of the crystal cu3eA then 3eat 3ac!A 3athin' the disc and the mar!in's. A'ain these 3e'an to chan'eA shiftin'A movin'A advancin'A and retreatin' in the 3lue 'leamin'. They ,ere no lon'er cuneiform. They ,ere thin's ... o3Cects. 2e heard the murmurin' musicA the pluc!ed harp strin's. 5ouder 're, the sound and louderA and no, all the 3ody of the cu3e vi3rated to their rhythm. The crystal ,alls ,ere meltin'A 'ro,in' misty as thou'h formed of the mist of diamonds. And the disc =tself ,as 'ro,in' ... the shapes shiftin'A dividin' and multiplyin' as thou'h some door had 3een opened and =nto it companies of phantasms ,ere pourin'. While 3ri'hterA more 3ri'ht 're, the pulsin' li'ht. 2e felt s,ift panicA tried to ,ithdra, si'ht and ,illA dropped the flash. The cu3e had no need no, of the ray ... and he could not ,ithdra, ... could not ,ithdra,G WhyA he himself ,as 3ein' suc!ed into that disc ,hich ,as no, a 'lo3e ,ithin ,hich unnamea3le shapes danced to a music that 3athed the 'lo3e ,ith steady radiance. There ,as no tent. There ,as only a vast curtain of spar!lin' mist 3ehind ,hich shone the 'lo3e.... 2e felt himself dra,n throu'h that mistA suc!ed throu'h it as if 3y a mi'hty ,indA strai'ht for the 'lo3e. H2. >. 5ovecraftI As the mist13lurred li'ht of the sapphire suns 're, more and more intenseA the outlines of the 'lo3e ahead ,avered and dissolved to a churnin' chaos. =ts pallor and its motion and its music all 3lended themselves ,ith the en'ulfin' mist1 3leachin' =t to a pale steel1colour and settin' it undulantly in motion. And the sapphire sunsA tooA melted =mpercepti3ly into the 'reyin' infinity of shapeless pulsation.

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8ean,hile the sense of for,ardA out,ard motion 're, intolera3lyA incredi3lyA cosmically s,ift. Every standard of speed !no,n to earth seemed d,arfedA and Camp3ell !ne, that any such fli'ht in physical reality ,ould mean instant death to a human 3ein'. Even as it ,as 11 in this stran'eA hellish hypnosis or ni'htmare 11 the Duasi1visual impression of meteor1li!e hurtlin' almost paralyzed his mind. Thou'h there ,ere no real points of reference in the 'reyA pulsin' voidA he felt that he ,as approachin' and passin' the speed of li'ht =tself. 4inally his consciousness did 'o under 11 and merciful 3lac!ness s,allo,ed everythin'. =t ,as very suddenlyA and amidst the most impenetra3le dar!nessA that thou'hts and =deas a'ain came to 7eor'e Camp3ell. +f ho, many moments 11 or years 11 or eternities 11 had elapsed since his fli'ht throu'h the 'rey voidA he could form no estimate. 2e !ne, only that he seemed to 3e at rest and ,ithout pain. =ndeedA the a3sence of all physical sensation ,as the salient Duality of his condition. =t made even the 3lac!ness seem less solidly 3lac! 11 su''estin' as it did that he ,as rather a disem3odied intelli'ence in a state 3eyond physical sensesA than a corporeal 3ein' ,ith senses deprived of their accustomed o3Cects of perception. 2e could thin! sharply and Duic!ly 11 almost preternaturally so 11 yet could form no idea ,hatsoever of his situation. 2alf 3y instinctA he realised that he ,as not in his o,n tent. TrueA he mi'ht have a,a!ed there from a ni'htmare to a ,orld eDually 3lac!B yet he !ne, this ,as not so. There ,as no camp cot 3eneath him 11 he had no hands to feel the 3lan!ets and canvas surface and flashli'ht that ou'ht to 3e around him 11 there ,as no sensation of cold in the air 11 no flap throu'h ,hich he could 'limpse the pale ni'ht outside ... somethin' ,as ,ron'A dreadfully ,ron'. 2e cast his mind 3ac!,ard and thou'ht of the fluorescent cu3e ,hich had hypnotised him 11 of thatA and all ,hich had follo,ed. 2e had !no,n that his mind ,as 'oin'A yet had 3een una3le to dra, 3ac!. At the last moment there had 3een a shoc!in'A panic fear 11 a su3conscious fear 3eyond even that caused 3y the sensation of daemonic fli'ht. =t had come from some va'ue flash or remote recollection 11 Cust ,hatA he could not at once tell. Some cell1'roup =n the 3ac! of his head had seemed to find a cloudily familiar Duality =n the cu3e 11 and that familiarity ,as frau'ht ,ith dim terror. ;o, he tried to remem3er ,hat the familiarity and the terror ,ere. 5ittle 3y little it came to him. +nce 11 lon' a'oA in connection ,ith his 'eolo'ical life1 ,or! 11 he had read of somethin' li!e that cu3e. =t had to do ,ith those de3ata3le and disDuietin' clay fra'ments called the Eltdo,n ShardsA du' up from pre1car3oniferous strata in southern En'land thirty years 3efore. Their shape and mar!in's ,ere so Dueer that a fe, scholars hinted at artificialityA and made ,ild conCectures a3out them and their ori'in. They cameA clearlyA from a time ,hen no human 3ein's could e%ist on the 'lo3e 11 3ut their contours and fi'urin's ,ere damna3ly puzzlin'. That ,as ho, they 'ot their name. =t ,as notA ho,everA =n the ,ritin's of any so3er scientist that Camp3ell had seen that reference to a crystalA disc1holdin' 'lo3e. The source ,as far less reputa3leA and infinitely more vivid. A3out 1)1" a deeply learned Susse% cler'yman of occultist leanin's 11 the :everend Arthur Broo!e Winters12all 11 had professed to =dentify the mar!in's on the Eltdo,n Shards ,ith some of the so1called Lpre1human hiero'lyphsL persistently cherished and esoterically handed do,n in certain mystical circlesA and had pu3lished at his o,n e%pense ,hat purported to 3e a LtranslationL of the primal and 3afflin' LinscriptionsL 11 a

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LtranslationL still Duoted freDuently and seriously 3y occult ,riters. =n this Ltranslation< 11 a surprisin'ly lon' 3rochure =n vie, of the limited num3er of LshardsL e%istin' 11 had occurred the narrativeA supposedly of pre1human authorshipA containin' the no, fri'htenin' reference. As the story ,entA there d,elt on a ,orld 11 and eventually on countless other ,orlds 11 of outer space a mi'hty order of ,orm1li!e 3ein's ,hose attainments and ,hose control of nature surpassed anythin' ,ithin the ran'e of terrestrial ima'ination. They had mastered the art of interstellar travel early in their careerA and had peopled every ha3ita3le planet in their o,n 'ala%y 1 !illin' off the races they found. Beyond the limits of their o,n 'ala%y 11 ,hich ,as not ours 11 they could not navi'ate in personB 3ut in their Duest for !no,led'e of all space and time they discovered a means of spannin' certain trans'alactic 'ulfs ,ith their minds. They devised peculiar o3Cects 11 stran'ely ener'ized cu3es of a curious crystal containin' hypnotic talismen and enclosed in space1resistin' spherical envelopes of an un!no,n su3stance 11 ,hich could 3e forci3ly e%pelled 3eyond the limits of their universeA and ,hich ,ould respond to the attraction of cool solid matter only. TheseA of ,hich a fe, ,ould necessarily land on various inha3ited ,orlds in outside universesA formed the ether13rid'es needed for mental communication. Atmospheric friction 3urned a,ay the protectin' envelopeA leavin' the cu3e e%posed and su3Cect to discovery 3y the intelli'ent minds of the ,orld ,here it fell. By its very natureA the cu3e ,ould attract and rivet attention. ThisA ,hen coupled ,ith the action of li'htA ,as sufficient to set its special properties ,or!in'. The mind that noticed the cu3e ,ould 3e dra,n into it 3y the po,er of the discA and ,ould 3e sent on a thread of o3scure ener'y to the place ,hence the disc had come 11 the remote ,orld of the ,orm1li!e spacee%plorers across stupendous 'alactic a3ysses. :eceived in one of the machines to ,hich each cu3e ,as attunedA the captured mind ,ould remain suspended ,ithout 3ody or senses until e%amined 3y one of the dominant race. Then it ,ouldA 3y an o3scure process of interchan'eA 3e pumped of all its contents. The investi'ator<s mind ,ould no, occupy the stran'e machine ,hile the captive mind occupied the interro'ator<s ,orm1li!e 3ody. ThenA in another interchan'eA the interro'ator<s mind ,ould leap across 3oundless space to the captive<s vacant and unconscious 3ody on the trans1'alactic ,orld 11 animatin' the alien tenement as 3est =t mi'htA and e%plorin' the alien ,orld in the 'uise of one of its denizens. When done ,ith e%plorationA the adventurer ,ould use the cu3e and its disc in accomplishin' his return 11 and sometimes the captured mind ,ould 3e restored safely to its o,n remote ,orld. ;ot al,aysA ho,everA ,as the dominant race so !ind. SometimesA ,hen a potentially important race capa3le of space travel ,as foundA the ,orm1li!e fol! ,ould employ the cu3e to capture and annihilate minds 3y the thousandsA and,ould e%tirpate the race for diplomatic reasons 11 usin' the e%plorin' minds as a'ents of destruction. =n other cases sections of the ,orm1fol! ,ould permanently occupy a trans1'alactic planet 1 destroyin' the captured minds and ,ipin' out the remainin' inha3itants preparatory to settlin' do,n in unfamiliar 3odies. ;everA ho,everA could the parent civilization 3e Duite duplicated =n such a caseB since the ne, planet ,ould not contain all

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the materials necessary for the ,orm1race<s arts. The cu3esA for e%ampleA could 3e made only on the home planet. +nly a fe, of the num3erless cu3es sent forth ever found a landin' and response on an inha3ited ,orld 1 since there ,as no such thin' as aiming them at 'oals 3eyond si'ht or !no,led'e. +nly threeA ran the storyA had ever landed on peopled ,orlds in our o,n particular universe. +ne of these had struc! a planet near the 'alactic rim t,o thousand 3illion years a'oA ,hile another had lod'ed three 3illion years a'o on a ,orld near the centre of the 'ala%y. The third 11 and the only one ever !no,n to have invaded the solar system 11 had reached our o,n earth 1 *A***A*** years a'o. =t ,as ,ith this latter that $r. Winters12all<s LtranslationL chiefly dealt. When the cu3e struc! the earthA he ,roteA the rulin' terrestrial species ,as a hu'eA cone1shaped race surpassin' all others 3efore or since =n mentality and achievements. This race ,as so advanced that it had actually sent minds a3road in 3oth space and time to e%plore the cosmosA hence reco'nised somethin' of ,hat had happened ,hen the cu3e fell from the s!y and certain =ndividuals had suffered mental chan'e after 'azin' at it. :eallsin' that the chan'ed =ndividuals represented invadin' mindsA the race<s leaders had them destroyed 11 even at the cost of leavin' the displaced minds e%iled in alien space. They had had e%perience ,ith even stran'er transitions. WhenA throu'h a mental e%ploration of space and timeA they formed a rou'h =dea of ,hat the cu3e ,asA they carefully hid the thin' from li'ht and si'htA and 'uarded it as a menace. They did not ,ish to destroy a thin' so rich in later e%perimental possi3ilities. ;o, and then some rashA unscrupulous adventurer ,ould furtively 'ain access to it and sample its perilous po,ers despite the conseDuences 11 3ut all such cases ,ere discoveredA and safely and drastically dealt ,ith. +f this evil meddlin' the only 3ad result ,as that the ,orm1li!e outside race learned from the ne, e%iles ,hat had happened to their e%plorers on earthA and conceived a violent hatred of the planet and all its life1forms. They ,ould have depopulated it if they couldA and indeed sent additional cu3es into space in the ,ild hope of stri!in' it 3y accident in un'uarded places 11 3ut that accident never came to pass. The cone1shaped terrestrial 3ein's !ept the one e%istin' cu3e in a special shrine as a reliDue and 3asis for e%perimentsA till after aeons it ,as lost amidst the chaos of ,ar and the destruction of the 'reat polar city ,here it ,as 'uarded. WhenA fifty million years a'oA the 3ein's sent their minds ahead into the infinite future to avoid a nameless peril of inner earthA the ,herea3outs of the sinister cu3e from space ,ere un!no,n. This muchA accordin' to the learned occultistA the Eltdo,n Shards had said. What no, made the account so o3scurely fri'htful to Camp3ell ,as the minute accuracy ,ith ,hich the alien cu3e had 3een descri3ed. Every detail tallied 11 dimensionsA consistencyA heiro'lyphed central discA hypnotic effects. As he thou'ht the matter over and over amidst the dar!ness of his stran'e situationA he 3e'an to ,onder ,hether his ,hole e%perience ,ith the crystal cu3e 11 indeedA its very e%istence 11 ,ere not a ni'htmare 3rou'ht on 3y some frea!ish su3conscious memory of this old 3it of e%trava'antA charlatanic readin'. =f soA thou'hA the ni'htmare must still 3e in forceB since his present apparently 3odiless state had nothin' of normality in it.

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+f the time consumed 3y this puzzled memory and reflectionA Camp3ell could form no estimate. Everythin' a3out his state ,as so unreal that ordinary dimensions and measurements 3ecame meanin'less. =t seemed an eternityA 3ut perhaps it ,as not really lon' 3efore the sudden interruption came. What happened ,as as stran'e and ine%plica3le as the 3lac!ness it succeeded. There ,as a sensation 1 of the mind rather than of the 3ody 11 and all at once Camp3ell felt his thou'hts s,ept or suc!ed 3eyond his control in tumultuous and chaotic fashion. 8emories arose irresponsi3ly and irrelevantly. All that he !ne, 11 all his personal 3ac!'roundA traditionsA e%periencesA scholarshipA dreamsA ideasA and inspirations1,elled up a3ruptly and simultaneouslyA ,ith a dizzyin' speed and a3undance ,hich soon made him una3le to !eep trac! of any separate concept. The parade of all his mental contents 3ecame an avalancheA a cascadeA a vorte%. =t ,as as horri3le and verti'inous as his hypnotic fli'ht throu'h space ,hen the crystal cu3e pulled him. 4inally it sapped his consciousness and 3rou'ht on fresh o3livion. Another measureless 3lan! 11 and then a slo, tric!le of sensation. This time it ,as physicalA not mental. Sapphire li'htA and a lo, rum3le of distant sound. There ,ere tactile impressions 11 he could realise that he ,as lyin' at full len'th on somethin'A thou'h there ,as a 3afflin' stran'eness a3out the feel of his posture. 2e could not reconcile the pressure of the supportin' surface ,ith his o,n outlines 11 or ,ith the outlines of the human form at all. 2e tried to move his armsA 3ut found no definite response to the attempt. =nsteadA there ,ere littleA ineffectual nervous t,itches all over the area ,hich seemed to mar! his 3ody. 2e tried to open his eyes more ,idelyA 3ut found himself una3le to control their mechanism. The sapphire li'ht came in a diffusedA ne3ulous mannerA and could no,here 3e voluntarily focussed =nto definiteness. 7raduallyA thou'hA visual ima'es 3e'an to tric!le in curiously and indecisively. The limits and Dualities of vision ,ere not those ,hich he ,as used toA 3ut he could rou'hly correlate the sensation ,ith ,hat he had !no,n as si'ht. As this sensation 'ained some de'ree of sta3ilityA Camp3ell realised that he must still 3e in the throes of ni'htmare. 2e seemed to 3e in a room of considera3le e%tent 11 of medium hei'htA 3ut ,ith a lar'e proportionate area. +n every side 11 and he could apparently see all four sides at once 11 ,ere hi'hA narro,ish slits ,hich seemed to serve as com3ined doors and ,indo,s. There ,ere sin'ular lo, ta3les or pedestalsA 3ut no furniture of normal nature and proportions. Throu'h the slits streamed floods of sapphire li'htA and 3eyond them could 3e mistily seen the sides and roofs of fantastic 3uildin's li!e clustered cu3es. +n the ,alls 1 in the vertical panels 3et,een the slits 1 ,ere stran'e mar!in's of an oddly disDuietin' character. =t ,as some time 3efore Camp3ell understood ,hy they distur3ed him so 11 then he sa, that they ,ereA in repeated instancesA precisely li!e some of the hiero'lyphs on the crystal cu3e<s disc. The actual ni'htmare elementA thou'hA ,as somethin' more than this. =t 3e'an ,ith the livin' thin' ,hich presently entered throu'h one of the slitsA advancin' deli3erately to,ard him and 3earin' a metal 3o% of 3izarre proportions and 'lassyA mirror1li!e surfaces. 4or this thin' ,as nothin' human 11 nothin' of earth 11 nothin' even of man<s myths and dreams. =t ,as a 'i'anticA pale1'rey ,orm or centipedeA as lar'e around as a man and t,ice as lon'A ,ith a disc1li!eA apparently eyelessA cilia1frin'ed head 3earin' a purple central orifice. =t 'lided on its rear pairs of le'sA ,ith its fore part raised vertically 11 the le'sA or at

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least t,o pairs of themA servin' as arms. Alon' its spinal rid'e ,as a curious purple com3A and a fan1shaped tail of some 'rey mem3rane ended its 'rotesDue 3ul!. There ,as a rin' of fle%i3le red spi!es around its nec!A and from the t,istin's of these came clic!in'A t,an'in' sounds in measuredA deli3erate rhythms. 2ereA indeedA ,as outrO ni'htmare at its hei'ht 11 capricious fantasy at its ape%. But even this vision of delirium ,as not ,hat caused 7eor'e Camp3ell to lapse a third time into unconsciousness. =t too! one more thin' 11 one finalA un3eara3le touch 11 to do that. As the nameless ,orm advanced ,ith its 'listenin' 3o%A the reclinin' man cau'ht in the mirror1li!e surface a 'limpse of ,hat should have 3een his o,n 3ody. .et 11 horri3ly verifyin' his disordered and unfamiliar sensations 11 it ,as not his o,n 3ody at all that he sa, reflected in the 3urnished metal. =t ,asA insteadA the loathsomeA pale1'rey 3ul! of one of the 'reat centipedes. H:o3ert E. 2o,ardA and 4ran! Bel!nap 5on'.I 4rom that final lap of senselessnessA he emer'ed ,ith a full understandin' of his situation. 2is mind ,as =mprisoned in the 3ody of a fri'htful native of an alien planetA ,hileA some,here on the other side of the universeA his o,n 3ody ,as housin' the monster<s personality. 2e fou'ht do,n an unreasonin' horror. 6ud'ed from a cosmic standpointA ,hy should his metamorphosis horrify himG 5ife and consciousness ,ere the only realities in the universe. 4orm ,as unimportant. 2is present 3ody ,as hideous only accordin' to terrestrial standards. 4ear and revulsion ,ere dro,ned in the e%citement of titanic adventure. What ,as his former 3ody 3ut a cloa!A eventually to 3e cast off at death any,ayG 2e had no sentimental illusions a3out the life from ,hich he had 3een e%iled. What had it ever 'iven him save toilA povertyA continual frustration and repressionG =f this life 3efore him offered no moreA at least it offered no less. =ntuition told him it offered more 11 much more. With the honesty possi3le only ,hen life is stripped to its na!ed fundamentalsA he realized that he remem3ered ,ith pleasure only the physical deli'hts of his former life. But he had lon' a'o e%hausted all the physical possi3ilities contained in that earthly 3ody. Earth held no ne, thrills. But in the possession of this ne,A alien 3ody he felt promises of stran'eA e%otic Coys. A la,less e%ultation rose in him. 2e ,as a man ,ithout a ,orldA tree of all conventions or inhi3itions of EarthA or of this stran'e planetA free of every artificial restraint in the universe. 2e ,as a 'odF With 'rim amusement he thou'ht of his 3ody movin' in earth<s 3usiness and societyA ,ith all the ,hile an alien monster starin' out of the ,indo,s that ,ere 7eor'e Camp3ell<s eyes on people ,ho ,ould flee Ff they !ne,. 5et him ,al! the earth slayin' and destroyin' as he ,ould. Earth and its races no lon'er had any meanin' to 7eor'e Camp3ell. There he had 3een one of a 3illion nonentitiesA fi%ed in place 3y a mountainous accumulation of conventionsA la,s and mannersA doomed to live and die in his sordid niche. But in one 3lind 3ound he had soared a3ove the commonplace. This ,as not deathA 3ut re13irth 11 the 3irth of a full1'ro,n mentalityA ,ith a ne,1found freedom that made little of physical captivity on .e!u3.

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The Challen'e from Beyond

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2e started. .e!u3F =t ,as the name of this planetA 3ut ho, had he !no,nG Then he !ne,A as he !ne, the name of him ,hose 3ody he occupied1 Tothe. 8emoryA deep 'rooved in Tothe<s 3rainA ,as stirrin' in him 1 shado,s of the !no,led'e Tothe had. Carved deep in the physical tissues of the 3rainA they spo!e dimly as implanted instincts to 7eor'e Camp3ellB and his human consciousness seized them and translated them to sho, him the ,ay not only to safety and freedomA 3ut to the po,er his soulA stripped to its primitive impulsesA craved. ;ot as a slave ,ould he d,ell on .e!u3A 3ut as a !in'l 6ust as of old 3ar3arians had sat on the throne of lordly empires. 4or the first time he turned his attention to his surroundin's. 2e still lay on the couch1 li!e thin' in the midst of that fantastic roomA and the centipede man stood 3efore himA holdin' the polished metal o3CectA and clashin' its nec!1spi!es. Thus it spo!e to himA Camp3ell !ne,A and ,hat it said he dimly understoodA throu'h the implanted thou'ht processes of TotheA Cust as he !ne, the creature ,as .u!thA supreme lord of science. But Camp3ell 'ave no heedA for he had made his desperate planA a plan so alien to the ,ays of .e!u3 that Ft ,as 3eyond .u!th<s comprehension and cau'ht him ,holly unprepared. .u!thA li!e Camp3ellA sa, the sharp1pointed metal shard on a near3y ta3leA 3ut to .u!th Ft ,as only a scientific implement. 2e did not even !no, it could 3e used as a ,eapon. Camp3ell<s earthly mind supplied the !no,led'e and the action that follo,edA drivin' Tothe<s 3ody into movements no man of .e!u3 had ever made 3efore. Camp3ell snatched the pointed shard and struc!A rippin' sava'ely up,ard. .u!th reared and toppledA his entrails spillin' on the floor. =n an instant Camp3ell ,as strea!in' for a door. 2is speed ,as amazin'A e%hilaratin'A first fulfillment of the promise of novel physical sensations. As he ranA 'uided ,holly 3y the =nstinctive !no,led'e implanted in Tothe<s physical refle%esA it ,as as =f he ,ere 3orne 3y a separate consciousness in his le's. Tothe<s 3ody ,as 3earin' him alon' a route it had traversed ten thousand times ,hen animated 3y Tothe<s mind. $o,n a ,indin' corridor he racedA up a t,isted stairA throu'h a carved doorA and the same instincts that had 3rou'ht him there told him he had found ,hat he sou'ht. 2e ,as in a circular room ,ith a domed roof from ,hich shone a livid 3lue li'ht. A stran'e structure rose =n the middle of the rain3o,1hued floorA tier on tierA each of a separateA vivid color. The ultimate tier ,as a purple coneA from the ape% of ,hich a 3lue smo!y mist drifted up,ard to a sphere that poised in mid1air 11 a sphere that shone li!e translucent ivory. ThisA the deep1'rooved memories of Tothe told Camp3ellA ,as the 'od of .e!u3A thou'h ,hy the people of .e!u3 feared and ,orshipped it had 3een for'otten a million years. A ,orm1priest stood 3et,een him and the altar ,hich no hand of flesh had ever touched. That it could 3e touched ,as a 3lasphemy that had never occurred to a man of .e!u3. The ,orm1priest stood in frozen horror until Camp3ell<s shard ripped the life out of him. +n his centipede1le's Camp3ell clam3ered the tiered altarA heedless of its sudden Duiverin'sA heedless of the chan'e that ,as ta!in' place in the floatin' sphereA heedless of the smo!e that no, 3illo,ed out =n 3lue clouds. 2e ,as drun! ,ith the feel of po,er. 2e feared the superstitions of .e!u3 no more than he feared those of earth. With that 'lo3e in his hands he ,ould 3e !in' of .e!u3. The ,orm men ,ould dare deny him nothin'A ,hen

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Challen'e from Beyond

1#8

he held their 'od as hosta'e. 2e reached a hand for the 3all 11 no lon'er ivory1huedA 3ut red as 3lood.... H4ran! Bel!nap 5on'I +ut of the tent into the pale Au'ust ni'ht ,al!ed the 3ody of 7eor'e Camp3ell. =t moved ,ith a slo,A ,averin' 'ait 3et,een the 3odies of enormous treesA over a forest path stre,ed ,ith s,eet scented pine needles. The air ,as crisp and cold. The s!y ,as an inverted 3o,l of frosted silver flec!ed ,ith stardustA and far to the north the Aurora Borealis splashed streamers of fire. The head of the ,al!in' man lolled hideously from side to side. 4rom the corners of his la% mouth drooled thic! threads of am3er frothA ,hich fluttered in the ni'ht 3reeze. 2e ,al!ed upri'ht at firstA as a man ,ould ,al!A 3ut 'radually as the tent recededA his posture altered. 2is torso 3e'an almost impercepti3ly to slantA and his lim3s to shorten. =n a far1off ,orld of outer space the centipede creature that ,as 7eor'e Camp3ell clasped to =ts 3osom a 'od ,hose lineaments ,ere red as 3loodA and ran ,ith insect1li!e Duiverin's across a rain3o,1hued hall and out throu'h massive portals into the 3ri'ht 'lo, of alien suns. Weavin' 3et,een the trees of earth in an attitude that su''ested the a,!,ard lopin' of a ,ere3eastA the 3ody of 7eor'e Camp3ell ,as fulfillin' a mindless destiny. 5on'A cla,1 tipped fin'ers dra''ed leaves from a carpet of odorous pine needles as it moved to,ard a ,ide e%panse of 'leamin' ,ater. =n the far1offA e%tra1'alactic ,orld of the ,orm peopleA 7eor'e Camp3ell moved 3et,een cyclopean 3loc!s of 3lac! masonry do,n lon'A fern1planted avenues holdin' aloft the round red 'od. There ,as a harsh animal cry in the under3rush near the 'leamin' la!e on earth ,here the mind of a ,orm creature d,elt in a 3ody s,ayed 3y instinct. 2uman teeth san! into soft animal furA tore at 3lac! animal flesh. A little silver fo% san! its fan's in frantic retaliation into a furry human ,ristA and thrashed a3out in terror as its 3lood spurted. Slo,ly the 3ody of 7eor'e Camp3ell aroseA its mouth splashed ,ith fresh 3lood. With upper lim3s s,ayin' oddly it moved to,ards the ,aters of the la!e. As the variform creature that ,as 7eor'e Camp3ell cra,led 3et,een the 3lac! 3loc!s of stone thousands of ,orm1shapes prostrated themselves in the scintillatin' dust 3efore it. A 'odli!e po,er seemed to emanate from its ,eavin' 3ody as it moved ,ith a slo,A undulant motion to,ard a throne of spiritual empire transcendin' all the soverei'nties of earth. A trapper stum3lin' ,earily throu'h the dense ,oods of earth near the tent ,here the ,orm1creature d,elt in the 3ody of 7eor'e Camp3ell came to the 'leamin' ,aters of the la!e and discerned somethin' dar! floatin' there. 2e had 3een lost in the ,oods all ni'htA and ,eariness enveloped him li!e a leaden cloa! in the pale mornin' li'ht.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Challen'e from Beyond

1#)

But the shape ,as a challen'e that he could not i'nore. 8ovin' to the ed'e of the ,ater he !nelt in the soft mud and reached out to,ard the floatin' 3ul!. Slo,ly he pulled it to the shore. 4ar off in outer space the ,orm1creature holdin' the 'lo,in' red 'od ascended a throne that 'leamed li!e the constellation Cassiopeia under an alien vault of hyper1suns. The 'reat deity that he held aloft ener'ized his ,orm tenementA 3urnin' a,ay in the ,hite fire of a supermundane spirituality all animal dross. +n earth the trapper 'azed ,ith unuttera3le horror into the 3lac!ened and hairy face of the dro,ned man. =t ,as a 3estial faceA repulsively anthropoid in contourA and from its t,istedA distorted mouth 3lac! ichor poured. L2e ,ho sou'ht your 3ody in the a3ysses of Time ,ill occupy an unresponsive tenementAL said the red 'od. L;o spa,n of .e!u3 can control the 3ody of a human. L+n all earthA livin' creatures rend one anotherA and feast ,ith unuttera3le cruelty on their !ith and !in. ;o ,orm1mind can control a 3estial man13ody ,hen it yearns to raven. +nly man1minds =nstinctively conditioned throu'h the course of ten thousand 'enerations can !eep the human instincts in thrall. .our 3ody ,ill destroy =tself on earthA see!in' the 3lood of its animal !inA see!in' the cool ,ater ,here it can ,allo, at =ts ease. See!in' eventually destructionA for the death1instinct is more po,erful in it than the instincts of life and it ,ill destroy itself in see!in' to return to the slime from ,hich it spran'.L Thus spo!e the round red 'od of .e!u3 in a far1off se'ment of the space1time continuum to 7eor'e Camp3ell as the latterA ,ith all human desire pur'ed a,ayA sat on a throne and ruled an empire of ,orms more ,isely !indlyA and 3enevolently than any man of earth had ever ruled an empire of men.

Coll *si#- Cosmoses

$am 3or 'lued each of his si% eyes to the lenses of the cosmoscope. 2is nasal tentacles ,ere oran'e ,ith fearA and his antennae 3uzzed hoarsely as he dictated his report to the operator 3ehind him. L=t has comeFL he cried. LThat 3lur in the ether can 3e nothin' less than a fleet from outside the space1time continuum ,e !no,. ;othin' li!e this has ever appeared 3efore. =t must 3e an enemy. 7ive the alarm to the =nter1Cosmic Cham3er of Commerce. There<s no time to lose 11 at this rate they<ll 3e upon us in less than si% centuries. 2a! ;i must have a chance to 'et the fleet in action at once.L H= 'lanced up from the Windy City Grab-BagA ,hich had 3e'uiled my inactive peace1 time days in the Super17alactic >atrol. The handsome youn' ve'eta3leA ,ith ,hom = shared my 3o,l of caterpillar custard since earliest infancyA and ,ith ,hom = had 3een thro,n out of every Coint in the intradimensional city of 0astor1.aAI had really a ,orried loo! upon his lavender face. After he had 'iven the alarm ,e Cumped on our ether13i!es and hastened across to the outer planet on ,hich the Cham3er held its sessions. HWithin the 7reat Council Cham3erA ,hich measured t,enty1ei'ht sDuare feet J,ith Duite a hi'h ceilin'KA ,ere 'athered dele'ates from all the thirty1seven 'ala%ies of our immediate universe. +ll StofA >resident of the Cham3er and representative of the 8illiner<s SovietA raised his eyeless snout ,ith di'nityI and prepared to address the assem3led multitude. 2e ,as a hi'hly developed protozoan or'anism from ;ov10osA and spo!e 3y emittin' alternate ,aves of heat and cold. HL7entlemenAL he radiatedA La terri3le peril has come upon us ,hich = feel = must 3rin' to your attention.L Every3ody applauded riotouslyA as a ,ave of e%citement rippled throu'h the varie'ated audienceB those ,ho ,ere handless slitherin' their tentacles to'ether. 2e continued9 L2a! ;iA cra,l upon the daisFL There ,as a thunderous silenceA durin' ,hich a faint promptin' ,as heardI from the dizzy summit of the platform. H2a! ;iA the yello,1furred and valorous commander of our ran!s throu'h numerous installmentsA ascended to the to,erin' pea! inches a3ove the floor. L8y friends 11 L he 3e'anA ,ith an eloDuent scrapin' of his posterior lim3sA Lthese treasured ,alls and pillars shall not mourn on my account....L At this pointA one of his numerous relatives cheered. LWell do = remem3er ,hen...L +ll Stof interrupted him.I L.ou have anticipated my thou'hts and orders. 7o forth and ,in for dear old =nter1Cosmic.L HT,o para'raphs later found us soarin' out past innumera3le stars to,ard ,here a faint 3lur half a million li'ht1years lon' mar!ed the presence of the hated enemyA ,hom ,e had not seen. What monsters of malformed 'rotesDueness seethed out there amon' the moons of infinityA ,e really didn<t !no,A 3ut there ,as a mali'n menace in the 'lo, that steadily

H.P.Lovecr !t

Collapsin' Cosmoses

1 1

increased until it spanned the entire heavens. ?ery soon ,e made out separate o3Cects in the 3lur. Before all my horror1stric!en vision1areas there spread an endless array of scissors1shaped spaceships of totally unfamiliar form. Then from the direction of the enemy there came a terrifyin' soundA ,hich = soon reco'nised as a hail and a challen'e. An ans,erin' thrill crept throu'h me as = met ,ith uplifted antennae this threat of 3attle ,ith a monstrous intrusion upon our fair system from un!no,n outside a3ysses.I At the soundA H,hich ,as somethin' li!e that of a rusty se,in'1machineA only more horri3leAI 2a! ;i too raised his snout in defianceA radiatin' a masterful order to the captains of the fleet. =nstantly the hu'e space1ships s,un' into 3attle formationA ,ith only a hundred or t,o of them many li'ht1years out of line.

The Colo%r O%t o! S* ce

West of Ar!ham the hills rise ,ildA and there are valleys ,ith deep ,oods that no a%e has ever cut. There are dar! narro, 'lens ,here the trees slope fantasticallyA and ,here thin 3roo!lets tric!le ,ithout ever havin' cau'ht the 'lint of sunli'ht. +n the 'entle slopes there are farmsA ancient and roc!yA ,ith sDuatA moss1coated cotta'es 3roodin' eternally over old ;e, En'land secrets in the lee of 'reat led'esB 3ut these are all vacant no,A the ,ide chimneys crum3lin' and the shin'led sides 3ul'in' perilously 3eneath lo, 'am3rel roofs. The old fol! have 'one a,ayA and forei'ners do not li!e to live there. 4rench1Canadians have tried itA =talians have tried itA and the >oles have come and departed. =t is not 3ecause of anythin' that can 3e seen or heard or handledA 3ut 3ecause of somethin' that is ima'ined. The place is not 'ood for ima'inationA and does not 3rin' restful dreams at ni'ht. =t must 3e this ,hich !eeps the forei'ners a,ayA for old Ammi >ierce has never told them of anythin' he recalls from the stran'e days. AmmiA ,hose head has 3een a little Dueer for yearsA is the only one ,ho still remainsA or ,ho ever tal!s of the stran'e daysB and he dares to do this 3ecause his house is so near the open fields and the travelled roads around Ar!ham. There ,as once a road over the hills and throu'h the valleysA that ran strai'ht ,here the 3lasted heath is no,B 3ut people ceased to use it and a ne, road ,as laid curvin' far to,ard the south. Traces of the old one can still 3e found amidst the ,eeds of a returnin' ,ildernessA and some of them ,ill dou3tless lin'er even ,hen half the hollo,s are flooded for the ne, reservoir. Then the dar! ,oods ,ill 3e cut do,n and the 3lasted heath ,ill slum3er far 3elo, 3lue ,aters ,hose surface ,ill mirror the s!y and ripple in the sun. And the secrets of the stran'e days ,ill 3e one ,ith the deep<s secretsB one ,ith the hidden lore of old oceanA and all the mystery of primal earth. When = ,ent into the hills and vales to survey for the ne, reservoir they told me the place ,as evil. They told me this in Ar!hamA and 3ecause that is a very old to,n full of ,itch le'ends = thou'ht the evil must he somethin' ,hich 'randams had ,hispered to children throu'h centuries. The name L3lasted heathL seemed to me very odd and theatricalA and = ,ondered ho, it had come into the fol!lore of a >uritan people. Then = sa, that dar! ,est,ard tan'le of 'lens and slopes for myselfA end ceased to ,onder at anythin' 3eside its o,n elder mystery. =t ,as mornin' ,hen = sa, itA 3ut shado, lur!ed al,ays there. The trees 're, too thic!lyA and their trun!s ,ere too 3i' for any healthy ;e, En'land ,ood. There ,as too much silence in the dim alleys 3et,een themA and the floor ,as too soft ,ith the dan! moss and mattin's of infinite years of decay. =n the open spacesA mostly alon' the line of the old roadA there ,ere little hillside farmsB sometimes ,ith all the 3uildin's standin'A sometimes ,ith only -ne or t,oA and sometimes ,ith only a lone chimney or fast1fillin' cellar. Weeds and 3riers rei'nedA and furtive ,ild thin's rustled in the under'ro,th. (pon everythin' ,as a haze of restlessness and oppressionB a touch of the unreal and the 'rotesDueA as if some vital element of perspective or chiaroscuro ,ere a,ry. = did not ,onder that the forei'ners ,ould not stayA for this ,as no re'ion to sleep in. =t ,as too much li!e a landscape of Salvator :osaB too much li!e some for3idden ,oodcut in a tale of terror.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Colour +ut of Space

1 &

But even all this ,as not so 3ad as the 3lasted heath. = !ne, it the moment = came upon it at the 3ottom of a spacious valleyB for no other name could fit such a thin'A or any other thin' fit such a name. =t ,as as if the poet had coined the phrase from havin' seen this one particular re'ion.1 =t mustA = thou'ht as = vie,ed itA 3e the outcome of a fireB 3ut ,hy had nothin' ne, ever 'ro,n over these five acres of 'rey desolation that spra,led open to the s!y li!e a 'reat spot eaten 3y acid in the ,oods and fieldsG =t lay lar'ely to the north of the ancient road lineA 3ut encroached a little on the other side. = felt an odd reluctance a3out approachin'A and did so at last only 3ecause my 3usiness too! me throu'h and past it. There ,as no ve'etation of any !ind on that 3road e%panseA 3ut only a fine 'rey dust or ash ,hich no ,ind seemed ever to 3lo, a3out. The trees near it ,ere sic!ly and stuntedA and many dead trun!s stood or lay rottin' at the rim. As = ,al!ed hurriedly 3y = sa, the tum3led 3ric!s and stones of an old chimney and cellar on my ri'htA and the ya,nin' 3lac! ma, of an a3andoned ,ell ,hose sta'nant vapours played stran'e tric!s ,ith the hues of the sunli'ht. Even the lon'A dar! ,oodland clim3 3eyond seemed ,elcome in contrastA and = marvelled no more at the fri'htened ,hispers of Ar!ham people. There had 3een no house or ruin nearB even in the old days the place must have 3een lonely and remote. And at t,ili'htA dreadin' to repass that ominous spotA = ,al!ed circuitously 3ac! to the to,n 3y the curious road on the south. = va'uely ,ished some clouds ,ould 'atherA for an odd timidity a3out the deep s!yey voids a3ove had crept into my soul. =n the evenin' = as!ed old people in Ar!ham a3out the 3lasted heathA and ,hat ,as meant 3y that phrase Lstran'e daysL ,hich so many evasively muttered. = could notA ho,everA 'et any 'ood ans,ers1 e%cept that all the mystery ,as much more recent than = had dreamed. =t ,as not a matter of old le'endry at allA 3ut somethin' ,ithin the lifetime of those ,ho spo!e. =t had happened in the <ei'htiesA and a family had disappeared or ,as !illed. Spea!ers ,ould not 3e e%actB and 3ecause they all told me to pay no attention to old Ammi >ierce<s crazy talesA = sou'ht him out the ne%t mornin'A havin' heard that he lived alone in the ancient totterin' cotta'e ,here the trees first 3e'in to 'et very thic!. =t ,as a fearsomely ancient placeA and had 3e'un to e%ude the faint miasmal odour ,hich clin's a3out houses that have stood too lon'. +nly ,ith persistent !noc!in' could = rouse the a'ed manA and ,hen he shuffled timidly to the door could could tell he ,as not 'lad to see me. 2e ,as not so fee3le as = had e%pectedB 3ut his eyes drooped in a curious ,ayA and his un!empt clothin' and ,hite 3eard made him seem very ,orn and dismal. ;ot !no,in' Cust ho, he could 3est 3e launched on his talesA = fei'ned a matter of 3usinessB told him of my surveyin'A and as!ed va'ue Duestions a3out the district. 2e ,as far 3ri'hter and more educated than = had 3een led to thin!A and 3efore = !ne, it had 'ra;ped Duite as much of the su3Cect as any man = had tal!ed ,ith in Ar!ham. 2e ,as not li!e other rustics = 3ad !no,n in the sections ,here reservoirs ,ere to 3e. 4rom him there ,ere no protests at the miles of old ,ood and farmland to 3e 3lotted outA thou'h perhaps there ,ould have 3een had not his home lain outside the 3ounds of the future la!e. :elief ,as all that he sho,edB relief at the doom of the dar! ancient valleys throu'h ,hich he had roamed all his life. They ,ere 3etter under ,ater no, 1 3etter under ,ater since the stran'e days. And ,ith this openin' his hus!y voice san! lo,A ,hile his 3ody leaned for,ard and his ri'ht forefin'er 3e'an to point sha!ily and impressively. =t ,as then that = heard the storyA and as the ram3lin' voice scraped and ,hispered on = shivered a'ain and a'ain spite the summer day. +ften = had to recall the spea!er from ram3lin'sA piece out scientific points ,hich he !ne, only 3y a fadin' parrot memory of professors< tal!A or 3rid'e over 'apsA ,here his sense of lo'ic and continuity 3ro!e do,n.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Colour +ut of Space

1 #

When he ,as done = did not ,onder that his mind had snapped a trifleA or that the fol! of Ar!ham ,ould not spea! much of the 3lasted heath. = hurried 3ac! 3efore sunset to my hotelA un,illin' to have the stars come out a3ove me in the openB and the ne%t day returned to 1 Boston to 'ive up my position. = could iFnot 'o into that dim chaos of old forest and slope a'ainA or face another time that 'rey 3lasted heath ,here the 3lac! ,ell ya,ned deep 3eside the tum3led 3ric!s and stones. The reservoir ,ill soon 3e 3uilt no,A and all those elder secrets ,ill 3e safe forever under ,atery fathoms. But even then = do not 3elieve = ,ould li!e to visit that country 3y ni'ht 1 at least not ,hen the sinister stars are outB and nothin' could 3ri3e me to drin! the ne, city ,ater of Ar!ham. =t all 3e'anA old Ammi saidA ,ith the meteorite. Before that time there had 3een no ,ild le'ends at all since the ,itch trialsA and even then these ,estern ,oods ,ere not feared half so much as the small island in the 8is!atonic ,here the devil held court 3eside a curious <lone altar older than the =ndians. These ,ere not haunted ,oodsA and their fantastic dus! ,as never terri3le till the stran'e days. Then there had come that ,hite noontide cloudA that strin' of e%plosions in the airA and that pillar of smo!e from the valley far in the ,ood. And 3y ni'ht all Ar!ham had heard of the 'reat roc! that fell out of the s!y and 3edded itself in the 'round 3eside the ,ell at the ;ahum 7ardner place. That ,as the house ,hich had stood ,here the 3lasted heath ,as to come 1 the trim ,hite ;ahum 7ardner house amidst its fertile 'ardens and orchards. ;ahum had come to to,n to tell people a3out the stoneA and dropped in at Ammi >ierce<s on the ,ay. Ammi ,as forty thenA and all the Dueer thin's ,ere fi%ed very stron'ly in his mind. 2e and his ,ife had 'one ,ith the three professors from 8is!atonic (niversity ,ho hastened out the ne%t mornin' to see the ,eird visitor from un!no,n stellar spaceA and had ,ondered ,hy ;ahum had called it so lar'e the day 3efore. =t had shrun!A ;ahum said as he pointed out the 3i' 3ro,nish mound a3ove the ripped earth and charred 'rass near the archaic ,ell1s,eep in his front yardB 3ut the ,ise men ans,ered that stones do not shrin!. =ts heat lin'ered persistentlyA and ;ahum declared it had 'lo,ed faintly in the ni'ht. The professors tried it ,ith a 'eolo'ist<s hammer and found it ,as oddly soft. =t ,asA in truthA so soft as to 3e almost plasticB and they 'ou'ed rather than chipped a specimen to ta!e 3ac! to the colle'e for testin'. They too! it in an old pail 3orro,ed from ;ahum<s !itchenA for even the small piece refused to 'ro, cool. +n the trip 3ac! they stopped at Ammi<s to restA and seemed thou'htful ,hen 8rs. >ierce remar!ed that the fra'ment ,as 'ro,in' smaller and 3urnin' the 3ottom of the pail. TrulyA it ,as not lar'eA 3ut perhaps they had ta!en less than they thou'ht. The day after that1all this ,as in 6une of <8"1the professors had trooped out a'ain in a 'reat e%citement. As they passed Ammi<s they told him ,hat Dueer thin's the specimen had doneA and ho, it had faded ,holly a,ay ,hen they put it in a 'lass 3ea!er. The 3ea!er had 'oneA tooA and the ,ise men tal!ed of the stran'e stone<s affinity for silicon. =t had acted Duite un3elieva3ly in that ,ell1ordered la3oratoryB doin' nothin' at all and sho,in' no occluded 'ases ,hen heated on charcoalA 3ein' ,holly ne'ative in the 3ora% 3eadA and soon provin' itself a3solutely non1volatile at any produci3le temperatureA includin' that of the o%y1hydro'en 3lo,pipe. +n an anvil it appeared hi'hly mallea3leA and in the dar! its luminosity ,as very mar!ed. stu33ornly refusin' to 'ro, coolA it soon had the colle'e in a state of real e%citementB and ,hen upon heatin' 3efore the spectroscope it displayed shinin' 3ands unli!e any !no,n colours of the normal spectrum there ,as much 3reathless tal! of ne, elementsA 3izarre optical propertiesA and other thin's ,hich puzzled men of science are ,ont to say ,hen faced 3y the un!no,n.

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The Colour +ut of Space

2ot as it ,asA they tested it in a cruci3le ,ith all the proper rea'ents. Water did nothin'. 2ydrochloric acid ,as the same. ;itric acid and even aDua re'ia merely hissed and spattered a'ainst its torrid invulnera3ility. Ammi had difficulty in recallin' all these thin'sA 3ut reco'nized some solvents as = mentioned them in the usual order of use. There ,ere am monia and caustic sodaA alcohol and etherA nauseous car3on disulphide and a dozen othersB 3ut althou'h the ,ei'ht 're, steadily less as time passedA and the fra'ment seemed to 3e sli'htly coolin'A there ,as no chan'e in the solvents to sho, that they had attac!ed the su3stance at all. =t ,as a metalA thou'hA 3eyond a dou3t. =t ,as ma'neticA for one thin'B and after its immersion in the acid solvents there seemed to 3e faint traces of the Widmanstatten fi'ures found on meteoric iron. When the coolin' had 'ro,n very considera3leA the testin' ,as carried on in 'lassB and it ,as in a 'lass 3ea!er that they left all the chips made of the ori'inal fra'ment durin' the ,or!. The ne%t mornin' 3oth chips and 3ea!er ,ere 'one ,ithout traceA and only a charred spot mar!ed the place on the ,ooden shelf ,here they had 3een. All this the professors told Ammi as they paused at his doorA and once more he ,ent ,ith them to see the stony messen'er from the starsA thou'h this time his ,ife did not accompany him. =t had no, most cer tainly shrun!A and even the so3er professors could not dou3t the truth of ,hat they sa,. All around the d,indlin' 3ro,n lump near the ,ell ,as a vacant spaceA e%cept ,here the earth had caved inB and ,hereas it had 3een a 'ood seven feet across the day 3eforeA it ,as no, scarcely five. =t ,as still hotA and the sa'es studied its surface curiously as they detached another and lar'er piece ,ith hammer and chisel. They 'ou'ed deeply this timeA and as they pried a,ay the smaller mass they sa, that the core of the thin' ,as not Duite homo'eneous. They had uncovered ,hat seemed to 3e the side of a lar'e coloured 'lo3ule em3edded in the su3stance. The colourA ,hich resem3led some of the 3ands in the meteor<s stran'e spectrumA ,as almost impossi3le to descri3eB and it ,as only 3y analo'y that they called it colour at all. =ts te%ture ,as 'lossyA and upon tappin' it appeared to promise 3oth 3rittle ness and hollo,ness. +ne of the professors 'ave it a smart 3lo, ,ith a hammerA and it 3urst ,ith a nervous little pop. ;othin' ,as emittedA and all trace of the thin' vanished ,ith the puncturin'. =t left 3ehind a hollo, spherical space a3out three inches acrossA and all thou'ht it pro3a3le that others ,ould 3e discovered as the enclosin' su3stance ,asted a,ay. ConCecture ,as vainB so after a futile attempt to find additional 'lo3ules 3y drillin'A the see!ers left a'ain ,ith their ne, specimen ,hich provedA ho,everA as 3afflin' in the la3oratory as its predecessor. Aside from 3ein' almost plasticA havin' heatA ma'netismA and sli'ht luminosityA coolin' sli'htly in po,erful acidsA possessin' an un!no,n spec trumA ,astin' a,ay in airA and attac!in' silicon compounds ,ith mutual destruction as a resultA it presented no identifyin' features ,hatsoeverB and at the end of the tests the colle'e scientists ,ere forced to o,n that they could not place it. =t ,as nothin' of this earthA 3ut a piece of the 'reat outsideB and as such do,ered ,ith outside properties and o3edient to outside la,s. That ni'ht there ,as a thunderstormA and ,hen the professors ,ent out to ;ahum<s the ne%t day they met ,ith a 3itter disappointment. The stoneA ma'netic as it had 3eenA must have had some peculiar electrical propertyB for it had Ldra,n the li'htnin'AL as ;ahum saidA ,ith a sin'ular persistence. Si% times ,ithin an hour the farmer sa, the li'htnin' stri!e the furro, in the front yardA and ,hen the storm ,as over nothin' remained 3ut a

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ra''ed pit 3y the ancient ,ell1s,eepA half1cho!ed ,ith a caved1in earth. $i''in' had 3orne no fruitA and the scientists verified the fact of the utter vanishment. The failure ,as totalB so that nothin' ,as left to do 3ut 'o 3ac! to the la3oratory and test a'ain the disappearin' fra'ment left carefully cased in lead. That fra'ment lasted a ,ee!A at the end of ,hich nothin' of value had 3een learned of it. When it had 'oneA no residue ,as left 3ehindA and in time the professors felt scarcely sure they had indeed seen ,ith ,a!in' eyes that cryptic vesti'e of the fathomless 'ulfs outsideB that loneA ,eird messa'e from other universes and other realms of matterA forceA and entity. As ,as naturalA the Ar!ham papers made much of the incident ,ith its colle'iate sponsorin'A and sent reporters to tal! ,ith ;ahum 7ardner and his family. At least one Boston daily also sent a scri3eA and ;ahum Duic!ly 3ecame a !ind of local cele3rity. 2e ,as a leanA 'enial person of a3out fiftyA livin' ,ith his ,ife and three sons on the pleasant farmstead in the valley. 2e and Ammi e%chan'ed visits freDuentlyA as did their ,ivesB and Ammi had nothin' 3ut praise for him after all these years. 2e seemed sli'htly proud of the notice his place had attractedA and tal!ed often of the meteorite in the succeedin' ,ee!s. That 6uly and Au'ust ,ere hotB and ;ahum ,or!ed hard at his hayin' in the ten1acre pasture across Chapman<s Broo!B his rattlin' ,ain ,earin' deep ruts in the shado,y lanes 3et,een. The la3our tired him more than it had in other yearsA and he felt that a'e ,as 3e'innin' to tell on him. Then fell the time of fruit and harvest. The pears and apples slo,ly ripenedA and ;ahum vo,ed that his orchards ,ere prosperin' as never 3efore. The fruit ,as 'ro,in' to phenomenal size and un,onted 'lossA and in such a3undance that e%tra 3arrels ,ere ordered to handle the future crop. But ,ith the ripenin' came sore disappointmentA for of all that 'or'eous array of specious lusciousness not one sin'le Cot ,as fit to eat. =nto the fine flavour of the pears and apples had crept a stealthy 3itterness and sic!ishnessA so that even the smallest 3ites induced a lastin' dis'ust. =t ,as the same ,ith the melons and tomatoesA and ;ahum sadly sa, that his entire crop ,as lost. /uic! to connect eventsA he declared that the meteorite had poisoned the soilA and than!ed 2eaven that most of the other crops ,ere in the upland lot alon' the road. Winter came earlyA and ,as very cold. Ammi sa, ;ahum less often than usualA and o3served that he had 3e'un to loo! ,orried. The rest of his family tooA seemed to have 'ro,n taciturnB and ,ere far from steady in their church1'oin' or their attendance at the various social events of the countryside. 4or this reserve or melancholy no cause could 3e foundA thou'h all the household confessed no, and then to poorer health and a feelin' of va'ue disDuiet. ;ahum himself 'ave the most definite statement of anyone ,hen he said he ,as distur3ed a3out certain footprints in the sno,. They ,ere the usual ,inter prints of red sDuirrelsA ,hite ra33itsA and fo%esA 3ut the 3roodin' farmer professed to see somethin' not Duite ri'ht a3out their nature and arran'ement. 2e ,as never specificA 3ut appeared to thin! that they ,ere not as characteristic of the anatomy and ha3its of sDuirrels and ra33its and fo%es as they ou'ht to 3e. Ammi listened ,ithout interest to this tal! until one ni'ht ,hen he drove past ;ahum<s house in his slei'h on the ,ay 3ac! from Clar!<s Comer. There had 3een a moonA and a ra33it had run across the roadA and the leaps of that ra33it ,ere lon'er than either Ammi or his horse li!ed. The latterA indeedA had almost run a,ay ,hen 3rou'ht up 3y a firm rein. Thereafter Ammi 'ave ;ahum<s tales more respectA and ,ondered ,hy the 7ardner do's seemed so co,ed and Duiverin' every mornin'. They hadA it developedA nearly lost the spirit to 3ar!.

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=n 4e3ruary the 8c7re'or 3oys from 8eado, 2ill ,ere out shootin' ,oodchuc!sA and not far from the 7ardner place 3a''ed a very peculiar specimen. The proportions of its 3ody seemed sli'htly altered in a Dueer ,ay impossi3le to descri3eA ,hile its face had ta!en on an e%pression ,hich no one ever sa, in a ,oodchuc! 3efore. The 3oys ,ere 'enuinely fri'htenedA and thre, the thin' a,ay at onceA so that only their 'rotesDue tales of it ever reached the people of the countryside. But the shyin' of horses near ;ahum<s house had no, 3ecome an ac!no,led'ed thin'A and all the 3asis for a cycle of ,hispered le'end ,as fast ta!in' form. >eople vo,ed that the sno, melted faster around ;ahum<s than it did any,here elseA and early in 8arch there ,as an a,ed discussion in >otter<s 'eneral store at Clar!<s Corners. Stephen :ice had driven past 7ardner<s in the mornin'A and had noticed the s!un!1ca33a'es comin' up throu'h the mud 3y the ,oods across the road. ;ever ,ere thin's of such size seen 3eforeA and they held stran'e colours that could not 3e put into any ,ords. Their shapes ,ere monstrousA and the horse had snorted at an odour ,hich struc! Stephen as ,holly unprecedented. That afternoon several persons drove past to see the a3normal 'ro,thA and all a'reed that plants of that !ind ou'ht never to sprout in a healthy ,orld. The 3ad fruit of the fall 3efore ,as freely mentionedA and it ,ent from mouth to mouth that there ,as poison in ;ahum<s 'round. +f course it ,as the meteoriteB and remem3erin' ho, stran'e the men from the colle'e had found that stone to 3eA several farmers spo!e a3out the matter to them. +ne day they paid ;ahum a visitB 3ut havin' no love of ,ild tales and fol!lore ,ere very conservative in ,hat they inferred. The plants ,ere certainly oddA 3ut all s!un!1 ca33a'es are more or less odd in shape and hue. >erhaps some mineral element from the stone had entered the soilA 3ut it ,ould soon 3e ,ashed a,ay. And as for the footprints and fri'htened horses 1 of course this ,as mere country tal! ,hich such a phenomenon as the aerolite ,ould 3e certain to start. There ,as really nothin' for serious men to do in cases of ,ild 'ossipA for superstitious rustics ,ill say and 3elieve anythin'. And so all throu'h the stran'e days the professors stayed a,ay in contempt. +nly one of themA ,hen 'iven t,o phials of dust for analysis in a police Co3 over a year and half laterA recalled that the Dueer colour of that s!un!1ca33a'e had 3een very li!e one of the anomalous 3ands of li'ht sho,n 3y the meteor fra'ment in the colle'e spectroscopeA and li!e the 3rittle 'lo3ule found im3edded in the stone from the a3yss. The samples in this analysis case 'ave the same odd 3ands at firstA thou'h later they lost the property. The trees 3udded prematurely around ;ahum<sA and at ni'ht they s,ayed ominously in the ,ind. ;ahum<s second son ThaddeusA a lad of fifteenA s,ore that they s,ayed also ,hen there ,as no ,indB 3ut even the 'ossips ,ould not credit this. CertainlyA ho,everA restlessness ,as in the air. The entire 7ardner family developed the ha3it of stealthy listenin'A thou'h not for any sound ,hich they could consciously name. The listenin' ,asA indeedA rather a product of moments ,hen consciousness seemed half to slip a,ay. (nfortunately such moments increased ,ee! 3y ,ee!A till it 3ecame common speech that Lsomethin' ,as ,ron' ,ith all ;ahum<s fol!s.L When the early sa%ifra'e came out it had another stran'e colourB not Duite li!e that of the s!un!1ca33a'eA 3ut plainly related and eDually un!no,n to anyone ,ho sa, it. ;ahum too! some 3lossoms to Ar!ham and sho,ed them to the editor of the 7azetteA 3ut that di'nitary did no more than ,rite a humorous article a3out themA in ,hich the dar! fears of rustics ,ere held up to polite ridicule. =t ,as a mista!e of ;ahum<s to tell a stolid city man a3out the ,ay the 'reatA over'ro,n mournin'1cloa! 3utterflies 3ehaved in connection ,ith these sa%ifra'es.

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April 3rou'ht a !ind of madness to the country fol!A and 3e'an that disuse of the road past ;ahum<s ,hich led to its ultimate a3andonment. =t ,as the ve'etation. All the orchard trees 3lossomed forth in stran'e coloursA and throu'h the stony soil of the yard and adCacent pastura'e there spran' up a 3izarre 'ro,th ,hich only a 3otanist could connect ,ith the proper flora of the re'ion. ;o sane ,holesome colours ,ere any,here to 3e seen e%cept in the 'reen 'rass and leafa'eB 3ut every,here ,ere those hectic and prismatic variants of some diseasedA underlyin' primary tone ,ithout a place amon' the< !no,n tints of earth. The L$utchman<s 3reechesL 3ecame a thin' of sinister menaceA and the 3loodroots 're, insolent in their chromatic perversion. Ammi and the 7ardners thou'ht that most of the colours had a sort of hauntin' familiarityA and decided that they reminded one of the 3rittle 'lo3ule in the meteor. ;ahum plou'hed and so,ed the ten1acre pasture and the upland lotA 3ut did nothin' ,ith the land around the house. 2e !ne, it ,ould 3e of no useA and hoped that the summer<s stran'e 'ro,ths ,ould dra, all the poison from the soil. 2e ,as prepared for almost anythin' no,A and had 'ro,n used to the sense of somethin' near him ,aitin' to 3e heard. The shunnin' of his house 3y nei'h3ors told on himA of courseB 3ut it told on his ,ife more. The 3oys ,ere 3etter offA 3ein' at school each dayB 3ut they could not help 3ein' fri'htened 3y the 'ossip. ThaddeusA an especially sensitive youthA suffered the most. =n 8ay the insects cameA and ;ahum<s place 3ecame a ni'htmare of 3uzzin' and cra,lin'. 8ost of the creatures seemed not Duite usual in their aspects and motionsA and their nocturnal ha3its contradicted all former e%perience. The 7ardners too! to ,atchin' at ni'ht 1 ,atchin' in all directions at random for somethin' 1 they could not tell ,hat. =t ,as then that they o,ned that Thaddeus had 3een ri'ht a3out the trees. 8rs. 7ardner ,as the ne%t to see it from the ,indo, as she ,atched the s,ollen 3ou'hs of a maple a'ainst a moonlit s!y. The 3ou'hs surely movedA and there ,as no <,ind. =t must 3e the sap. Stran'eness had come into everythin' 'ro,in' no,. .et it ,as none of ;ahum<s family at all ,ho made the ne%t discovery. 4amiliarity had dulled themA and ,hat they could not see ,as 'limpsed 3y a timid ,indmill salesman from Bolton ,ho drove 3y one ni'ht in i'norance of the country le'ends. What he told in Ar!ham ,as 'iven a short para'raph in the 7azetteB and it ,as there that all the farmersA ;ahum includedA sa, it first. The ni'ht had 3een dar! and the 3u''y1lamps faintA 3ut around a farm in the valley ,hich everyone !ne, from the account must 3e ;ahum<sA the dar!ness had 3een less thic!. A dim thou'h distinct luminosity seemed to inhere in all the ve'etationA 'rassA leavesA and 3lossoms ali!eA ,hile at one moment a detached piece of the phosphorescence appeared to stir furtively in the yard near the 3arn. The 'rass had so far seemed untouchedA and the co,s ,ere freely pastured in the lot near the houseA 3ut to,ard the end of 8ay the mil! 3e'an to 3e 3ad. Then ;ahum had the co,s driven to the uplandsA after ,hich this trou3le ceased. ;ot lon' after this the chan'e in 'rass and leaves 3ecame apparent to the eye. All the verdure ,as 'oin' 'reyA and ,as developin' a hi'hly sin'ular Duality of 3rittleness. Ammi ,as no, the only person ,ho ever visited the placeA and his visits ,ere 3ecomin' fe,er and fe,er. When school closed the 7ardners ,ere virtually cut off from the ,orldA and sometimes let Ammi do their errands in to,n. They ,ere failin' curiously 3oth physically and mentallyA and no one ,as surprised ,hen the ne,s of 8rs. 7ardner<s madness stole around. =t happened in 6uneA a3out the anniversary of the meteor<s fallA and the poor ,oman screamed a3out thin's in the air ,hich she could not descri3e. =n her ravin' there ,as not a sin'le specific nounA 3ut only ver3s and pronouns. Thin's moved and chan'ed and

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flutteredA and ears tin'led to impulses ,hich ,ere not ,holly sounds. Somethin' ,as ta!en a,ay 1 she ,as 3ein' drained of somethin' 1 somethin' ,as fastenin' itself on her that ou'ht not to 3e 1 someone must ma!e it !eep off 1 nothin' ,as ever still in the ni'ht 1 the ,alls and ,indo,s shifted. ;ahum did not send her to the county asylumA 3ut let her ,ander a3out the house as lon' as she ,as harmless to herself and others. Even ,hen her e%pression chan'ed he did nothin'. But ,hen the 3oys 're, afraid of herA and Thaddeus nearly fainted at the ,ay she made faces at himA he decided to !eep her loc!ed in the attic. By 6uly she had ceased to spea! and cra,led on all foursA and 3efore that month ,as over ;ahum 'ot the mad notion that she ,as sli'htly luminous in the dar!A as he no, clearly sa, ,as the case ,ith the near3y ve'etation. =t ,as a little 3efore this that the horses had stampeded. Somethin' had aroused them in the ni'htA and their nei'hin' and !ic!in' in their stalls had 3een terri3le. There seemed virtually nothin' to do to calm themA and ,hen ;ahum opened the sta3le door they all 3olted out li!e fri'htened ,oodland deer. =t too! a ,ee! to trac! all fourA and ,hen found they ,ere seen to 3e Duite useless and unmana'ea3le. Somethin' had snapped in their 3rainsA and each one had to 3e shot for its o,n 'ood. ;ahum 3orro,ed a horse from Ammi for his hayin'A 3ut found it ,ould not approach the 3arn. =t shiedA 3al!edA and ,hinniedA and in the end he could do nothin' 3ut drive it into the yard ,hile the men used their o,n stren'th to 'et the heavy ,a'on near enou'h the hayloft for convenient pitchin'. And all the ,hile the ve'etation ,as turnin' 'rey and 3rittle. Even the flo,ers ,hose hues had 3een so stran'e ,ere 'reyin' no,A and the fruit ,as comin' out 'rey and d,arfed and tasteless. The asters and 'olden1rod 3loomed 'rey and distortedA and the roses and zinneas and hollyhoc!s in the front yard ,ere such 3lasphemous1loo!in' thin's that ;ahum<s oldest 3oy @enas cut them do,n. The stran'ely puffed insects died a3out that timeA even the 3ees that had left their hives and ta!en to the ,oods. By Septem3er all the ve'etation ,as fast crum3lin' to a 'reyish po,derA and ;ahum feared that the trees ,ould die 3efore the poison ,as out of the soil. 2is ,ife no, had spells of terrific screamin'A and he and the 3oys ,ere in a constant state of nervous tension. They shunned people no,A and ,hen school opened the 3oys did not 'o. But it ,as AmmiA on one of his rare visitsA ,ho first realised that the ,ell ,ater ,as no lon'er 'ood. =t had an evil taste that ,as not e%actly fetid nor e%actly saltyA and Ammi advised his friend to di' another ,ell on hi'her 'round to use till the soil ,as 'ood a'ain. ;ahumA ho,everA i'nored the ,arnin'A for he had 3y that time 3ecome calloused to stran'e and unpleasant thin's. 2e and the 3oys continued to use the tainted supplyA drin!in' it as listlessly and mechanically as they ate their mea're and ill1coo!ed meals and did their than!less and monotonous chores throu'h the aimless days. There ,as somethin' of stolid resi'nation a3out them allA as if they ,al!ed half in another ,orld 3et,een lines of nameless 'uards to a certain and familiar doom. Thaddeus ,ent mad in Septem3er after a visit to the ,ell. 2e had 'one ,ith a pail and had come 3ac! empty1handedA shrie!in' and ,avin' his armsA and sometimes lapsin' into an inane titter or a ,hisper a3out Lthe movin' colours do,n there.L T,o in one family ,as pretty 3adA 3ut ;ahum ,as very 3rave a3out it. 2e let the 3oy run a3out for a ,ee! until he 3e'an stum3lin' and hurtin' himselfA and then he shut him in an attic room across the hall from his mother<s. The ,ay they screamed at each other from 3ehind their loc!ed doors ,as very terri3leA especially to little 8er,inA ,ho fancied they tal!ed in some terri3le lan'ua'e that ,as not of earth. 8er,in ,as 'ettin' fri'htfully ima'inativeA and his

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restlessness ,as ,orse after the shuttin' a,ay of the 3rother ,ho had 3een his 'reatest playmate. Almost at the same time the mortality amon' the livestoc! commenced. >oultry turned 'reyish and died very Duic!lyA their meat 3ein' found dry and noisome upon cuttin'. 2o's 're, inordinately fatA then suddenly 3e'an to under'o loathsome chan'es ,hich no one could e%plain. Their meat ,as of course uselessA and ;ahum ,as at his ,it<s end. ;o rural veterinary ,ould approach his placeA and the city veterinary from Ar!ham ,as openly 3affled. The s,ine 3e'an 'ro,in' 'rey and 3rittle and fallin' to pieces 3efore they diedA and their eyes and muzzles developed sin'ular alterations. =t ,as very ine%plica3leA for they had never 3een fed from the tainted ve'etation. Then somethin' struc! the co,s. Certain areas or sometimes the ,hole 3ody ,ould 3e uncannily shrivelled or compressedA and atrocious collapses or disinte'rations ,ere common. =n the last sta'es 1 and death ,as al,ays the result 1 there ,ould 3e a 'reyin' and turnin' 3rittle li!e that ,hich 3eset the ho's. There could 3e no Duestion of poisonA for all the cases occurred in a loc!ed and undistur3ed 3arn. ;o 3ites of pro,lin' thin's could have 3rou'ht the virusA for ,hat live 3east of earth can pass throu'h solid o3staclesG =t must 3e only natural disease 1 yet ,hat disease could ,rea! such results ,as 3eyond any mind<s 'uessin'. When the harvest came there ,as not an animal survivin' on the placeA for the stoc! and poultry ,ere dead and the do's had run a,ay. These do'sA three in num3erA had all vanished one ni'ht and ,ere never heard of a'ain. The five cats had left some time 3eforeA 3ut their 'oin' ,as scarcely noticed since there no, seemed to 3e no miceA and only 8rs. 7ardner had made pets of the 'raceful felines. +n the nineteenth of +cto3er ;ahum sta''ered into Ammi<s house ,ith hideous ne,s. The death had come to poor Thaddeus in his attic roomA and it had come in a ,ay ,hich could not 3e told. ;ahum had du' a 'rave in the railed family plot 3ehind the farmA and had put therein ,hat he found. There could have 3een nothin' from outsideA for the small 3arred ,indo, and loc!ed door ,ere intactB 3ut it ,as much as it had 3een in the 3arn. Ammi and his ,ife consoled the stric!en man as 3est they couldA 3ut shuddered as they did so. Star! terror seemed to clin' round the 7ardners and all they touchedA and the very presence of one in the house ,as a 3reath from re'ions unnamed and unnama3le. Ammi accompanied ;ahum home ,ith the 'reatest reluctanceA and did ,hat he mi'ht to calm the hysterical so33in' of little 8er,in. @enas needed no calmin'. 2e had come of late to do nothin' 3ut stare into space and o3ey ,hat his father told himB and Ammi thou'ht that his fate ,as very merciful. ;o, and then 8er,in<s screams ,ere ans,ered faintly from the atticA and in response to an inDuirin' loo! ;ahum said that his ,ife ,as 'ettin' very fee3le. When ni'ht approachedA Ammi mana'ed to 'et a,ayB for not even friendship could ma!e him stay in that spot ,hen the faint 'lo, of the ve'etation 3e'an and the trees may or may not have s,ayed ,ithout ,ind. =t ,as really luc!y for Ammi that he ,as not more ima'inative. Even as thin's ,ereA his mind ,as 3ent ever so sli'htlyB 3ut had he 3een a3le to connect and reflect upon all the portents around him he must inevita3ly have turned a total maniac. =n the t,ili'ht he hastened homeA the screams of the mad ,oman and the nervous child rin'in' horri3ly in his ears. Three days later ;ahum 3urst into Ammi<s !itchen in the early mornin'A and in the a3sence of his host stammered out a desperate tale once moreA ,hile 8rs. >ierce listened in a clutchin' fri'ht. =t ,as little 8er,in this time. 2e ,as 'one. 2e had 'one out late at ni'ht ,ith a lantern and pail for ,aterA and had never come 3ac!. 2e<d 3een 'oin' to pieces for daysA and hardly !ne, ,hat he ,as a3out. Screamed at everythin'. There had 3een a

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frantic shrie! from the yard thenA 3ut 3efore the father could 'et to the door the 3oy ,as 'one. There ,as no 'lo, from the lantern he had ta!enA and of the child himself no trace. At the time ;ahum thou'ht the lantern and pail ,ere 'one tooB 3ut ,hen da,n cameA and the man had plodded 3ac! from his all1ni'ht search of the ,oods and fieldsA he had found some very curious thin's near the ,ell. There ,as a crushed and apparently some,hat melted mass of iron ,hich had certainly 3een the lanternB ,hile a 3ent handle and t,isted iron hoops 3eside itA 3oth half1fusedA seemed to hint at the remnants of the pail. That ,as all. ;ahum ,as past ima'inin'A 8rs. >ierce ,as 3lan!A and AmmiA ,hen he had reached home and heard the taleA could 'ive no 'uess. 8er,in ,as 'oneA and there ,ould 3e no use in tellin' the people aroundA ,ho shunned all 7ardners no,. ;o useA eitherA in tellin' the city people at Ar!ham ,ho lau'hed at everythin'. Thad ,as 'oneA and no, 8er,in ,as 'one. Somethin' ,as creepin' and creepin' and ,aitin' to 3e seen and heard. ;ahum ,ould 'o soonA and he ,anted Ammi to loo! after his ,ife and @enas if they survived him. =t must all 3e a Cud'ment of some sortB thou'h he could not fancy ,hat forA since he had al,ays ,al!ed upri'htly in the 5ord<s ,ays so far as he !ne,. 4or over t,o ,ee!s Ammi sa, nothin' of ;ahumB and thenA ,orried a3out ,hat mi'ht have happenedA he overcame his fears and paid the 7ardner place a visit. There ,as no smo!e from the 'reat chimneyA and for a moment the visitor ,as apprehensive of the ,orst. The aspect of the ,hole farm ,as shoc!in' 1 'reyish ,ithered 'rass and leaves on the 'roundA vines fallin' in 3rittle ,rec!a'e from archaic ,alls and 'a3lesA and 'reat 3are trees cla,in' up at the 'rey ;ovem3er s!y ,ith a studied malevolence ,hich Ammi could not 3ut feel had come from some su3tle chan'e in the tilt of the 3ranches. But ;ahum ,as aliveA after all. 2e ,as ,ea!A and lyin' on a couch in the lo,1ceiled !itchenA 3ut perfectly conscious and a3le to 'ive simple orders to @enas. The room ,as deadly coldB and as Ammi visi3ly shiveredA the host shouted hus!ily to @enas for more ,ood. WoodA indeedA ,as sorely neededB since the cavernous fireplace ,as unlit and emptyA ,ith a cloud of soot 3lo,in' a3out in the chill ,ind that came do,n the chimney. >resently ;ahum as!ed him if the e%tra ,ood had made him any more comforta3leA and then Ammi sa, ,hat had happened. The stoutest cord had 3ro!en at lastA and the hapless farmer<s mind ,as proof a'ainst more sorro,. /uestionin' tactfullyA Ammi could 'et no clear data at all a3out the missin' @enas. L=n the ,ell 1 he lives in the ,ell 1 L ,as all that the clouded father ,ould say. Then there flashed across the visitor<s mind a sudden thou'ht of the mad ,ifeA and he chan'ed his line of inDuiry. L;a33yG WhyA here she isFL ,as the surprised response of poor ;ahumA and Ammi soon sa, that he must search for himself. 5eavin' the harmless 3a33ler on the couchA he too! the !eys from their nail 3eside the door and clim3ed the crea!in' stairs to the attic. =t ,as very close and noisome up thereA and no sound could 3e heard from any direction. +f the four doors in si'htA only one ,as loc!edA and on this he tried various !eys of the rin' he had ta!en. The third !ey proved the ri'ht oneA and after some fum3lin' Ammi thre, open the lo, ,hite door. =t ,as Duite dar! insideA for the ,indo, ,as small and half1o3scured 3y the crude ,ooden 3arsB and Ammi could see nothin' at all on the ,ide1plan!ed floor. The stench ,as 3eyond endurin'A and 3efore proceedin' further he had to retreat to another room and return ,ith his lun's filled ,ith 3reatha3le air. When he did enter he sa, somethin' dar! in the cornerA and upon seein' it more clearly he screamed outri'ht. While he screamed he thou'ht a momentary cloud eclipsed the ,indo,A and a second later he felt himself 3rushed as if 3y some hateful current of vapour. Stran'e colours danced 3efore his eyesB and had

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not a present horror num3ed him he ,ould have thou'ht of the 'lo3ule in the meteor that the 'eolo'ist<s hammer had shatteredA and of the mor3id ve'etation that had sprouted in the sprin'. As it ,as he thou'ht only of the 3lasphemous monstrosity ,hich confronted himA and ,hich all too clearly had shared the nameless fate of youn' Thaddeus and the livestoc!. But the terri3le thin' a3out the horror ,as that it very slo,ly and percepti3ly moved as it continued to crum3le. Ammi ,ould 'ive me no added particulars of this sceneA 3ut the shape in the comer does not reappear in his tale as a movin' o3Cect. There are thin's ,hich cannot 3e mentionedA and ,hat is done in common humanity is sometimes cruelly Cud'ed 3y the la,. = 'athered that no movin' thin' ,as left in that attic roomA and that to leave anythin' capa3le of motion there ,ould have 3een a deed so monstrous as to damn any accounta3le 3ein' to eternal torment. Anyone 3ut a stolid farmer ,ould have fainted or 'one madA 3ut Ammi ,al!ed conscious throu'h that lo, door,ay and loc!ed the accursed secret 3ehind him. There ,ould 3e ;ahum to deal ,ith no,B he must 3e fed and tendedA and removed to some place ,here he could 3e cared for. Commencin' his descent of the dar! stairs. Ammi heard a thud 3elo, him. 2e even thou'ht a scream had 3een suddenly cho!ed offA and recalled nervously the clammy vapour ,hich had 3rushed 3y him in that fri'htful room a3ove. What presence had his cry and entry started upG 2alted 3y some va'ue fearA he heard still further sounds 3elo,. =ndu3ita3ly there ,as a sort of heavy dra''in'A and a most detesta3ly stic!y noise as of some fiendish and unclean species of suction. With an associative sense 'oaded to feverish hei'htsA he thou'ht unaccounta3ly of ,hat he had seen upstairs. 7ood 7odF What eldritch dream1,orld ,as this into ,hich he had 3lunderedG 2e dared move neither 3ac!,ard nor for,ardA 3ut stood there trem3lin' at the 3lac! curve of the 3o%ed1in staircase. Every trifle of the scene 3urned itself into his 3rain. The soundsA the sense of dread e%pectancyA the dar!nessA the steepness of the narro, step 1 and merciful 2eavenF 1 the faint 3ut unmista!a3le luminosity of all the ,ood,or! in si'htB stepsA sidesA e%posed lathsA and 3eams ali!e. Then there 3urst forth a frantic ,hinny from Ammi<s horse outsideA follo,ed at once 3y a clatter ,hich told of a frenzied runa,ay. =n another moment horse and 3u''y had 'one 3eyond earshotA leavin' the fri'htened man on the dar! stairs to 'uess ,hat had sent them. But that ,as not all. There had 3een another sound out there. A sort of liDuid splash 1 ,ater 1 it must have 3een the ,ell. 2e had left 2ero untied near itA and a 3u''y ,heel must have 3rushed the copin' and !noc!ed in a stone. And still the pale phosphorescence 'lo,ed in that detesta3ly ancient ,ood,or!. 7odF ho, old the house ,asF 8ost of it 3uilt 3efore 1-7*A and the 'am3rel roof no later than 17&*. A fee3le scratchin' on the floor do,nstairs no, sounded distinctlyA and Ammi<s 'rip ti'htened on a heavy stic! he had pic!ed up in the attic for some purpose. Slo,ly nervin' himselfA he finished his descent and ,al!ed 3oldly to,ard the !itchen. But he did not complete the ,al!A 3ecause ,hat he sou'ht ,as no lon'er there. =t had come to meet himA and it ,as still alive after a fashion. Whether it had cra,led or ,hether it had 3een dra''ed 3y any e%ternal forcesA Ammi could not sayB 3ut the death had 3een at it. Everythin' had happened in the last half1hourA 3ut collapseA 'reyin'A and disinte'ration ,ere already far advanced. There ,as a horri3le 3rittlenessA and dry fra'ments ,ere scalin' off. Ammi could not touch itA 3ut loo!ed horrifiedly into the distorted parody that had 3een a face.

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LWhat ,as itA ;ahum 1 ,hat ,as itGL 2e ,hisperedA and the cleftA 3ul'in' lips ,ere Cust a3le to crac!le out a final ans,er. L;othin<... nothin<... the colour... it 3urns... cold an< ,etA 3ut it 3urns... it lived in the ,ell... = seen it... a !ind of smo!e... Cest li!e the flo,ers last sprin'... the ,ell shone at ni'ht... Thad an< 8er,in an< @enas... everythin' alive... suc!in< the life out of everythin'... in that stone... it must a< come in that stone pizened the ,hole place... dun<t !no, ,hat it ,ants... that round thin' them men from the colle'e du' outen the stone... they smashed it... it ,as the same colour... Cest the sameA li!e the flo,ers an< plants... must a< 3en more of <em... seeds... seeds... they 'ro,ed... = seen it the fust time this ,ee!... must a< 'ot stron' on @enas. . . he ,as a 3i' 3oyA full o< life... it 3eats do,n your mind an< then 'ets ye... 3urns ye up... in the ,ell ,ater... you ,as ri'ht a3out that... evil ,ater... @enas never come 3ac! from the ,ell... can<t 'it a,ay... dra,s ye... ye !no, summ<at<s comin< 3ut tain<t no use... = seen it time an< a'in senct @enas ,as too!... ,har<s ;a33yA AmmiG... my head<s no 'ood... dun<t !no, ho, lon' sense = fed her... it<ll 'it her ef ,e ain<t !eerful... Cest a colour. . . her face is 'ittin< to hev that colour sometimes to,ards ni'ht... an< it 3urns an< suc!s... it come from some place ,har thin's ain<t as they is here... one o< them professors said so... he ,as ri'ht... loo! outA AmmiA it<ll do suthin< more... suc!s the life out...L But that ,as all. That ,hich spo!e could spea! no more 3ecause it had completely caved in. Ammi laid a red chec!ed ta3lecloth over ,hat ,as left and reeled out the 3ac! door into the fields. 2e clim3ed the slope to the ten1acre pasture and stum3led home 3y the north road and the ,oods. 2e could not pass that ,ell from ,hich his horses had run a,ay. 2e had loo!ed at it throu'h the ,indo,A and had seen that no stone ,as missin' from the rim. Then the lurchin' 3u''y had not dislod'ed anythin' after all 1 the splash had 3een somethin' else 1 somethin' ,hich ,ent into the ,ell after it had done ,ith poor ;ahum. When Ammi reached his house the horses and 3u''y had arrived 3efore him and thro,n his ,ife into fits of an%iety. :eassurin' her ,ithout e%planationsA he set out at once for Ar!ham and notified the authorities that the 7ardner family ,as no more. 2e indul'ed in no detailsA 3ut merely told of the deaths of ;ahum and ;a33yA that of Thaddeus 3ein' already !no,nA and mentioned that the cause seemed to 3e the same stran'e ailment ,hich had !illed the live1stoc!. 2e also stated that 8er,in and @enas had disappeared. There ,as considera3le Duestionin' at the police stationA and in the end Ammi ,as compelled to ta!e three officers to the 7ardner farmA to'ether ,ith the coronerA the medical e%aminerA and the veterinary ,ho had treated the diseased animals. 2e ,ent much a'ainst his ,illA for the afternoon ,as advancin' and he feared the fall of ni'ht over that accursed placeA 3ut it ,as some comfort to have so many people ,ith him. The si% men drove out in a democrat1,a'onA follo,in' Ammi<s 3u''yA and arrived at the pest1ridden farmhouse a3out four o<cloc!. (sed as the officers ,ere to 'ruesome e%periencesA not one remained unmoved at ,hat ,as found in the attic and under the red chec!ed ta3lecloth on the floor 3elo,. The ,hole aspect of the farm ,ith its 'rey desolation ,as terri3le enou'hA 3ut those t,o crum3lin' o3Cects ,ere 3eyond all 3ounds. ;o one could loo! lon' at themA and even the medical e%aminer admitted that there ,as very little to e%amine. Specimens could 3e analysedA of courseA so he 3usied himself in o3tainin' them 1 and here it develops that a very puzzlin' aftermath occurred at the colle'e la3oratory ,here the t,o phials of dust ,ere finally ta!en. (nder the spectroscope 3oth samples 'ave off an un!no,n spectrumA in ,hich many of the 3afflin' 3ands ,ere precisely li!e those ,hich the stran'e meteor had yielded in the previous year. The

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property of emittin' this spectrum vanished in a monthA the dust thereafter consistin' mainly of al!aline phosphates and car3onates. Ammi ,ould not have told the men a3out the ,ell if he had thou'ht they meant to do anythin' then and there. =t ,as 'ettin' to,ard sunsetA and he ,as an%ious to 3e a,ay. But he could not help 'lancin' nervously at the stony cur3 3y the 'reat s,eepA and ,hen a detective Duestioned him he admitted that ;ahum had feared somethin' do,n there so much so that he had never even thou'ht of searchin' it for 8er,in or @enas. After that nothin' ,ould do 3ut that they empty and e%plore the ,ell immediatelyA so Ammi had to ,ait trem3lin' ,hile pail after pail of ran! ,ater ,as hauled up and splashed on the soa!in' 'round outside. The men sniffed in dis'ust at the fluidA and to,ard the last held their noses a'ainst the foetor they ,ere uncoverin'. =t ,as not so lon' a Co3 as they had feared it ,ould 3eA since the ,ater ,as phenomenally lo,. There is no need to spea! too e%actly of ,hat they found. 8er,in and @enas ,ere 3oth thereA in partA thou'h the vesti'es ,ere mainly s!eletal. There ,ere also a small deer and a lar'e do' in a3out the same stateA and a num3er of 3ones of small animals. The ooze and slime at the 3ottom seemed ine%plica3ly porous and 3u33lin'A and a man ,ho descended on hand1holds ,ith a lon' pole found that he could sin! the ,ooden shaft to any depth in the mud of the floor ,ithout meetin' any solid o3struction. T,ili'ht had no, fallenA and lanterns ,ere 3rou'ht from the house. ThenA ,hen it ,as seen that nothin' further could 3e 'ained from the ,ellA everyone ,ent indoors and conferred in the ancient sittin'1room ,hile the intermittent li'ht of a spectral half1moon played ,anly on the 'rey desolation outside. The men ,ere fran!ly nonplussed 3y the entire caseA and could find no convincin' common element to lin! the stran'e ve'eta3le conditionsA the un!no,n disease of live1stoc! and humansA and the unaccounta3le deaths of 8er,in and @enas in the tainted ,ell. They had heard the common country tal!A it is trueB 3ut could not 3elieve that anythin' contrary to natural la, had occurred. ;o dou3t the meteor had poisoned the soilA 3ut the illness of persons and animals ,ho had eaten nothin' 'ro,n in that soil ,as another matter. Was it the ,ell ,aterG ?ery possi3ly. =t mi'ht 3e a 'ood idea to analyze it. But ,hat peculiar madness could have made 3oth 3oys Cump into the ,ellG Their deeds ,ere so similar1and the fra'ments sho,ed that they had 3oth suffered from the 'rey 3rittle death. Why ,as everythin' so 'rey and 3rittleG =t ,as the coronerA seated near a ,indo, overloo!in' the yardA ,ho first noticed the 'lo, a3out the ,ell. ;i'ht had fully set inA and all the a3horrent 'rounds seemed faintly luminous ,ith more than the fitful moon3eamsB 3ut this ne, 'lo, ,as somethin' definite and distinctA and appeared to shoot up from the 3lac! pit li!e a softened ray from a searchli'htA 'ivin' dull reflections in the little 'round pools ,here the ,ater had 3een emptied. =t had a very Dueer colourA and as all the men clustered round the ,indo, Ammi 'ave a violent start. 4or this stran'e 3eam of 'hastly miasma ,as to him of no unfamiliar hue. 2e had seen that colour 3eforeA and feared to thin! ,hat it mi'ht mean. 2e had seen it in the nasty 3rittle 'lo3ule in that aerolite t,o summers a'oA had seen it in the crazy ve'etation of the sprin'timeA and had thou'ht he had seen it for an instant that very mornin' a'ainst the small 3arred ,indo, of that terri3le attic room ,here nameless thin's had happened. =t had flashed there a secondA and a clammy and hateful current of vapour had 3rushed past him 1 and then poor ;ahum had 3een ta!en 3y somethin' of that colour. 2e had said so at the last 1 said it ,as li!e the 'lo3ule and the plants. After that had come the runa,ay in the yard and the splash in the ,ell1and no, that ,ell ,as 3elchin' forth to the ni'ht a pale insidious 3eam of the same demoniac tint.

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=t does credit to the alertness of Ammi<s mind that he puzzled even at that tense moment over a point ,hich ,as essentially scientific. 2e could not 3ut ,onder at his 'leanin' of the same impression from a vapour 'limpsed in the daytimeA a'ainst a ,indo, openin' on the mornin' s!yA and from a nocturnal e%halation seen as a phosphorescent mist a'ainst the 3lac! and 3lasted landscape. =t ,asn<t ri'ht 1 it ,as a'ainst ;ature 1 and he thou'ht of those terri3le last ,ords of his stric!en friendA L=t come from some place ,har thin's ain<t as they is here... one o< them professors said so...L All three horses outsideA tied to a pair of shrivelled saplin's 3y the roadA ,ere no, nei'hin' and pa,in' frantically. The ,a'on driver started for the door to do somethin'A 3ut Ammi laid a sha!y hand on his shoulder. L$un<t 'o out tharAL he ,hispered. LThey<s more to this nor ,hat ,e !no,. ;ahum said somethin< lived in the ,ell that suc!s your life out. 2e said it must 3e some<at 'ro,ed from a round 3all li!e one ,e all seen in the meteor stone that fell a year a'o 6une. Suc!s an< 3urnsA he saidA an< is Cest a cloud of colour li!e that li'ht out thar no,A that ye can hardly see an< can<t tell ,hat it is. ;ahum thou'ht it feeds on everythin' livin< an< 'its stron'er all the time. 2e said he seen it this last ,ee!. =t must 3e somethin< from a,ay off in the s!y li!e the men from the colle'e last year says the meteor stone ,as. The ,ay it<s made an< the ,ay it ,or!s ain<t li!e no ,ay *< 7od<s ,orld. =t<s some<at from 3eyond.L So the men paused indecisively as the li'ht from the ,ell 're, stron'er and the hitched horses pa,ed and ,hinnied in increasin' frenzy. =t ,as truly an a,ful momentB ,ith terror in that ancient and accursed house itselfA four monstrous sets of fra'ments1t,o from the house and t,o from the ,ell1in the ,oodshed 3ehindA and that shaft of un!no,n and unholy iridescence from the slimy depths in front. Ammi had restrained the driver on impulseA for'ettin' ho, uninCured he himself ,as after the clammy 3rushin' of that coloured vapour in the attic roomA 3ut perhaps it is Cust as ,ell that he acted as he did. ;o one ,ill ever !no, ,hat ,as a3road that ni'htB and thou'h the 3lasphemy from 3eyond had not so far hurt any human of un,ea!ened mindA there is no tellin' ,hat it mi'ht not have done at that last momentA and ,ith its seemin'ly increased stren'th and the special si'ns of purpose it ,as soon to display 3eneath the half1clouded moonlit s!y. All at once one of the detectives at the ,indo, 'ave a shortA sharp 'asp. The others loo!ed at himA and then Duic!ly follo,ed his o,n 'aze up,ard to the point at ,hich its idle strayin' had 3een suddenly arrested. There ,as no need for ,ords. What had 3een disputed in country 'ossip ,as disputa3le no lon'erA and it is 3ecause of the thin' ,hich every man of that party a'reed in ,hisperin' later onA that the stran'e days are never tal!ed a3out in Ar!ham. =t is necessary to premise that there ,as no ,ind at that hour of the evenin'. +ne did arise not lon' after,ardA 3ut there ,as a3solutely none then. Even the dry tips of the lin'erin' hed'e1mustardA 'rey and 3li'htedA and the frin'e on the roof of the standin' democrat1,a'on ,ere unstirred. And yet amid that tense 'odless calm the hi'h 3are 3ou'hs of all the trees in the yard ,ere movin'. They ,ere t,itchin' mor3idly and spasmodicallyA cla,in' in convulsive and epileptic madness at the moonlit cloudsB scratchin' impotently in the no%ious air as if Cer!ed 3y some allied and 3odiless line of lin!a'e ,ith su3terrene horrors ,rithin' and stru''lin' 3elo, the 3lac! roots. ;ot a man 3reathed for several seconds. Then a cloud of dar!er depth passed over the moonA and the silhouette of clutchin' 3ranches faded out momentarily. At this there ,as a 'eneral cryB muffled ,ith a,eA 3ut hus!y and almost identical from every throat. 4or the terror had not faded ,ith the silhouetteA and in a fearsome instant of deeper dar!ness the

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,atchers sa, ,ri''lin' at that tree top hei'ht a thousand tiny points of faint and unhallo,ed radianceA tippin' each 3ou'h li!e the fire of St. Elmo or the flames that come do,n on the apostles< heads at >entecost. =t ,as a monstrous constellation of unnatural li'htA li!e a 'lutted s,arm of corpse1fed fireflies dancin' hellish sara3ands over an accursed marshA and its colour ,as that same nameless intrusion ,hich Ammi had come to reco'nize and dread. All the ,hile the shaft of phosphorescence from the ,ell ,as 'ettin' 3ri'hter and 3ri'hterA 3rin'in' to the minds of the huddled menA a sense of doom and a3normality ,hich far outraced any ima'e their conscious minds could form. =t ,as no lon'er shinin' outB it ,as pourin' outB and as the shapeless stream of unplacea3le colour left the ,ell it seemed to flo, directly into the s!y. The veterinary shiveredA and ,al!ed to the front door to drop the heavy e%tra 3ar across it. Ammi shoo! no lessA and had to tu' and point for lac! of controlla3le voice ,hen he ,ished to dra, notice to the 'ro,in' luminosity of the trees. The nei'hin' and stampin' of the horses had 3ecome utterly fri'htfulA 3ut not a soul of that 'roup in the old house ,ould have ventured forth for any earthly re,ard. With the moments the shinin' of the trees increasedA ,hile their restless 3ranches seemed to strain more and more to,ard verticality. The ,ood of the ,ell1s,eep ,as shinin' no,A and presently a policeman dum3ly pointed to some ,ooden sheds and 3ee1hives near the stone ,all on the ,est. They ,ere commencin' to shineA tooA thou'h the tethered vehicles of the visitors seemed so far unaffected. Then there ,as a ,ild commotion and cloppin' in the roadA and as Ammi Duenched the lamp for 3etter seein' they realized that the span of frantic 'reys had 3ro!en their saplin' and run off ,ith the democrat1,a'on. The shoc! served to loosen several ton'uesA and em3arrassed ,hispers ,ere e%chan'ed. L=t spreads on everythin' or'anic that<s 3een around hereAL muttered the medical e%aminer. ;o one repliedA 3ut the man ,ho had 3een in the ,ell 'ave a hint that his lon' pole must have stirred up somethin' intan'i3le. L=t ,as a,fulAL he added. LThere ,as no 3ottom at all. 6ust ooze and 3u33les and the feelin' of somethin' lur!in' under there.L Ammi<s horse still pa,ed and screamed deafenin'ly in the road outsideA and nearly dro,ned its o,ner<s faint Duaver as he mum3led his formless reflections. L=t come from that stone 1 it 'ro,ed do,n thar 1 it 'ot everythin' livin< 1 it fed itself on <emA mind and 3ody 1 Thad an< 8er,inA @enas an< ;a33y 1 ;ahum ,as the last 1 they all drun! the ,ater 1 it 'ot stron' on <em 1 it come from 3eyondA ,har thin's ain<t li!e they 3e here 1 no, it<s 'oin< home 1L At this pointA as the column of un!no,n colour flared suddenly stron'er and 3e'an to ,eave itself into fantastic su''estions of shape ,hich each spectator descri3ed differentlyA there came from poor tethered 2ero such a sound as no man 3efore or since ever heard from a horse. Every person in that lo,1pitched sittin' room stopped his earsA and Ammi turned a,ay from the ,indo, in horror and nausea. Words could not convey it 1 ,hen Ammi loo!ed out a'ain the hapless 3east lay huddled inert on the moonlit 'round 3et,een the splintered shafts of the 3u''y. That ,as the last of 2ero till they 3uried him ne%t day. But the present ,as no time to mournA for almost at this instant a detective silently called attention to somethin' terri3le in the very room ,ith them. =n the a3sence of the lampli'ht it ,as clear that a faint phosphorescence had 3e'un to pervade the entire apartment. =t 'lo,ed on the 3road1plan!ed floor and the fra'ment of ra' carpetA and shimmered over the sashes of the small1paned ,indo,s. =t ran up and do,n the e%posed corner1postsA coruscated a3out the shelf and mantelA and infected the very doors and furniture. Each minute sa, it stren'thenA and at last it ,as very plain that healthy livin' thin's must leave that house.

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Ammi sho,ed them the 3ac! door and the path up throu'h the fields to the ten1acre pasture. They ,al!ed and stum3led as in a dreamA and did not dare loo! 3ac! till they ,ere far a,ay on the hi'h 'round. They ,ere 'lad of the pathA for they could not have 'one the front ,ayA 3y that ,ell. =t ,as 3ad enou'h passin' the 'lo,in' 3arn and shedsA and those shinin' orchard trees ,ith their 'narledA fiendish contoursB 3ut than! 2eaven the 3ranches did their ,orst t,istin' hi'h up. The moon ,ent under some very 3lac! clouds as they crossed the rustic 3rid'e over Chapman<s Broo!A and it ,as 3lind 'ropin' from there to the open meado,s. When they loo!ed 3ac! to,ard the valley and the distant 7ardner place at the 3ottom they sa, a fearsome si'ht. At the farm ,as shinin' ,ith the hideous un!no,n 3lend of colourB treesA 3uildin'sA and even such 'rass and her3a'e as had not 3een ,holly chan'ed to lethal 'rey 3rittleness. The 3ou'hs ,ere all strainin' s!y,ardA tipped ,ith ton'ues of foul flameA and lam3ent tric!lin's of the same monstrous fire ,ere creepin' a3out the rid'epoles of the houseA 3arn and sheds. =t ,as a scene from a vision of 4useliA and over all the rest rei'ned that riot of luminous amorphousnessA that alien and undimensioned rain3o, of cryptic poison from the ,ell 1 seethin'A feelin'A lappin'A reachin'A scintillatin'A strainin'A and mali'nly 3u33lin' in its cosmic and unreco'niza3le chromaticism. Then ,ithout ,arnin' the hideous thin' shot vertically up to,ard the s!y li!e a roc!et or meteorA leavin' 3ehind no trail and disappearin' throu'h a round and curiously re'ular hole in the clouds 3efore any man could 'asp or cry out. ;o ,atcher can ever for'et that si'htA and Ammi stared 3lan!ly at the stars of Cy'nusA $ene3 t,in!lin' a3ove the othersA ,here the un!no,n colour had melted into the 8il!y Way. But his 'aze ,as the ne%t moment called s,iftly to earth 3y the crac!lin' in the valley. =t ,as Cust that. +nly a ,ooden rippin' and crac!lin'A and not an e%plosionA as so many others of the party vo,ed. .et the outcome ,as the sameA for in one feverish !aleidoscopic instant there 3urst up from that doomed and accursed farm a 'leamin'ly eruptive cataclysm of unnatural spar!s and su3stanceB 3lurrin' the 'lance of the fe, ,ho sa, itA and sendin' forth to the zenith a 3om3ardin' cloud3urst of such coloured and fantastic fra'ments as our universe must needs diso,n. Throu'h Duic!ly reclosin' vapours they follo,ed the 'reat mor3idity that had vanishedA and in another second they had vanished too. Behind and 3elo, ,as only a dar!ness to ,hich the men dared not returnA and all a3out ,as a mountin' ,ind ,hich seemed to s,eep do,n in 3lac!A frore 'usts from interstellar space. =t shrie!ed and ho,ledA and lashed the fields and distorted ,oods in a mad cosmic frenzyA till soon the trem3lin' party realized it ,ould 3e no use ,aitin' for the moon to sho, ,hat ,as left do,n there at ;ahum<s. Too a,ed even to hint theoriesA the seven sha!in' men trud'ed 3ac! to,ard Ar!ham 3y the north road. Ammi ,as ,orse than his fello,sA and 3e''ed them to see him inside his o,n !itchenA instead of !eepin' strai'ht on to to,n. 2e did not ,ish to cross the 3li'htedA ,ind1,hipped ,oods alone to his home on the main road. 4or he had had an added shoc! that the others ,ere sparedA and ,as crushed forever ,ith a 3roodin' fear he dared not even mention for many years to come. As the rest of the ,atchers on that tempestuous hill had stolidly set their faces to,ard the roadA Ammi had loo!ed 3ac! an instant at the shado,ed valley of desolation so lately shelterin' his ill1starred friend. And from that stric!enA far1a,ay spot he had seen somethin' fee3ly riseA only to sin! do,n a'ain upon the place from ,hich the 'reat shapeless horror had shot into the s!y. =t ,as Cust a colour 1 3ut not any colour of our earth or heavens. And 3ecause Ammi reco'nized that colourA and

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The Colour +ut of Space

1-8

!ne, that this last faint remnant must still lur! do,n there in the ,ellA he has never 3een Duite ri'ht since. Ammi ,ould never 'o near the place a'ain. =t is forty1four years no, since the horror happenedA 3ut he has never 3een thereA and ,ill 3e 'lad ,hen the ne, reservoir 3lots it out. = shall 3e 'ladA tooA for = do not li!e the ,ay the sunli'ht chan'ed colour around the mouth of that a3andoned ,ell = passed. = hope the ,ater ,ill al,ays 3e very deep 1 3ut even soA = shall never drin! it. = do not thin! = shall visit the Ar!ham country hereafter. Three of the men ,ho had 3een ,ith Ammi returned the ne%t mornin' to see the ruins 3y dayli'htA 3ut there ,ere not any real ruins. +nly the 3ric!s of the chimneyA the stones of the cellarA some mineral and metallic litter here and thereA and the rim of that nefandous ,ell. Save for Ammi<s dead horseA ,hich they to,ed a,ay and 3uriedA and the 3u''y ,hich they shortly returned to himA everythin' that had ever 3een livin' had 'one. 4ive eldritch acres of dusty 'rey desert remainedA nor has anythin' ever 'ro,n there since. To this day it spra,ls open to the s!y li!e a 'reat spot eaten 3y acid in the ,oods and fieldsA and the fe, ,ho have ever dared 'limpse it in spite of the rural tales have named it Lthe 3lasted heath.L The rural tales are Dueer. They mi'ht 3e even Dueerer if city men and colle'e chemists could 3e interested enou'h to analyze the ,ater from that disused ,ellA or the 'rey dust that no ,ind seems to disperse. BotanistsA tooA ou'ht to study the stunted flora on the 3orders of that spotA for they mi'ht shed li'ht on the country notion that the 3li'ht is spreadin' 1 little 3y littleA perhaps an inch a year. >eople say the colour of the nei'h3orin' her3a'e is not Duite ri'ht in the sprin'A and that ,ild thin's leave Dueer prints in the li'ht ,inter sno,. Sno, never seems Duite so heavy on the 3lasted heath as it is else,here. 2orses 1 the fe, that are left in this motor a'e 1 'ro, s!ittish in the silent valleyB and hunters cannot depend on their do's too near the splotch of 'reyish dust. They say the mental influences are very 3adA tooB num3ers ,ent Dueer in the years after ;ahum<s ta!in'A and al,ays they lac!ed the po,er to 'et a,ay. Then the stron'er1minded fol! all left the re'ionA and only the forei'ners tried to live in the crum3lin' old homesteads. They could not stayA thou'hB and one sometimes ,onders ,hat insi'ht 3eyond ours their ,ildA ,eird stories of ,hispered ma'ic have 'iven them. Their dreams at ni'htA they protestA are very horri3le in that 'rotesDue countryB and surely the very loo! of the dar! realm is enou'h to stir a mor3id fancy. ;o traveler has ever escaped a sense of stran'eness in those deep ravinesA and artists shiver as they paint thic! ,oods ,hose mystery is as much of the spirits as of the eye. = myself am curious a3out the sensation = derived from my one lone ,al! 3efore Ammi told me his tale. When t,ili'ht came = had va'uely ,ished some clouds ,ould 'atherA for an odd timidity a3out the deep s!yey voids a3ove had crept into my soul. $o not as! me for my opinion. = do not !no, 1 that is all. There ,as no one 3ut Ammi to DuestionB for Ar!ham people ,ill not tal! a3out the stran'e daysA and all three professors ,ho sa, the aerolite and its coloured 'lo3ule are dead. There ,ere other 'lo3ules 1 depend upon that. +ne must have fed itself and escapedA and pro3a3ly there ,as another ,hich ,as too late. ;o dou3t it is still do,n the ,ell 1 = !no, there ,as somethin' ,ron' ,ith the sunli'ht = sa, a3ove the miasmal 3rin!. The rustics say the 3li'ht creeps an inch a yearA so perhaps there is a !ind of 'ro,th or nourishment even no,. But ,hatever demon hatchlin' is thereA it must 3e tethered to somethin' or else it ,ould Duic!ly spread. =s it fastened to the roots of those trees that cla, the airG +ne of the current Ar!ham tales is a3out fat oa!s that shine and move as they ou'ht not to do at ni'ht.

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1-)

What it isA only 7od !no,s. =n terms of matter = suppose the thin' Ammi descri3ed ,ould 3e called a 'asA 3ut this 'as o3eyed the la,s that are not of our cosmos. This ,as no fruit of such ,orlds and suns as shine on the telescopes and photo'raphic plates of our o3servatories. This ,as no 3reath from the s!ies ,hose motions and dimensions our astronomers measure or deem too vast to measure. =t ,as Cust a colour out of space 1 a fri'htful messen'er from unformed realms of infinity 3eyond all ;ature as ,e !no, itB from realms ,hose mere e%istence stuns the 3rain and num3s us ,ith the 3lac! e%tra1 cosmic 'ulfs it thro,s open 3efore our frenzied eyes. = dou3t very much if Ammi consciously lied to meA and = do not thin! his tale ,as all a frea! of madness as the to,nsfol! had fore,arned. Somethin' terri3le came to the hills and valleys on that meteorA and somethin' terri3le 1 thou'h = !no, not in ,hat proportion 1 still remains. = shall 3e 'lad to see the ,ater come. 8ean,hile = hope nothin' ,ill happen to Ammi. 2e sa, so much of the thin' 1 and its influence ,as so insidious. Why has he never 3een a3le to move a,ayG 2o, clearly he recalled those dyin' ,ords of ;ahum<s 1 Lcan<t 'it a,ay 1 dra,s ye 1 ye !no, summ<at<s comin< 3ut tain<t no use 1 L Ammi is such a 'ood old man 1 ,hen the reservoir 'an' 'ets to ,or! = must ,rite the chief en'ineer to !eep a sharp ,atch on him. = ,ould hate to thin! of him as the 'reyA t,istedA 3rittle monstrosity ,hich persists more and more in trou3lin' my sleep.

Cool Air
.ou as! me to e%plain ,hy = am afraid of a drau'ht of cool airB ,hy = shiver more than others upon enterin' a cold roomA and seem nauseated and repelled ,hen the chill of evenin' creeps throu'h the heat of a mild autumn day. There are those ,ho say = respond to cold as others do to a 3ad odourA and = am the last to deny the impression. What = ,ill do is to relate the most horri3le circumstance = ever encounteredA and leave it to you to Cud'e ,hether or not this forms a suita3le e%planation of my peculiarity. =t is a mista!e to fancy that horror is associated ine%trica3ly ,ith dar!nessA silenceA and solitude. = found it in the 'lare of mid1afternoonA in the clan'our of a metropolisA and in the teamin' midst of a sha33y and commonplace roomin'1house ,ith a prosaic landlady and t,o stal,art men 3y my side. =n the sprin' of 1)"& = had secured some dreary and unprofita3le ma'azine ,or! in the city of ;e, .or!B and 3ein' una3le to pay any su3stantial rentA 3e'an driftin' from one cheap 3oardin' esta3lishment to another in search of a room ,hich mi'ht com3ine the Dualities of decent cleanlinessA endura3le furnishin'sA and very reasona3le price. =t soon developed that = had only a choice 3et,een different evilsA 3ut after a time = came upon a house in West 4ourteenth Street ,hich dis'usted me much less than the others = had sampled. The place ,as a four1story mansion of 3ro,nstoneA datin' apparently from the late fortiesA and fitted ,ith ,ood,or! and mar3le ,hose stained and sullied splendour ar'ued a descent from hi'h levels of tasteful opulence. =n the roomsA lar'e and loftyA and decorated ,ith impossi3le paper and ridiculously ornate stucco cornicesA there lin'ered a depressin' mustiness and hint of o3scure coo!eryB 3ut the floors ,ere cleanA the linen tolera3ly re'ularA and the hot ,ater not too often cold or turned offA so that = came to re'ard it as at least a 3eara3le place to hi3ernate till one mi'ht really live a'ain. The landladyA a slatternlyA almost 3earded Spanish ,oman named 2erreroA did not annoy me ,ith 'ossip or ,ith criticisms of the late13urnin' electric li'ht in my third1floor front hall roomB and my fello,1lod'ers ,ere as Duiet and uncommunicative as one mi'ht desireA 3ein' mostly Spaniards a little a3ove the coarsest and crudest 'rade. +nly the din of street cars in the thorou'hfare 3elo, proved a serious annoyance. = had 3een there a3out three ,ee!s ,hen the first odd incident occurred. +ne evenin' at a3out ei'ht = heard a spatterin' on the floor and 3ecame suddenly a,are that = had 3een smellin' the pun'ent odour of ammonia for some time. 5oo!in' a3outA = sa, that the ceilin' ,as ,et and drippin'B the soa!in' apparently proceedin' from a corner on the side to,ard the street. An%ious to stop the matter at its sourceA = hastened to the 3asement to tell the landladyB and ,as assured 3y her that the trou3le ,ould Duic!ly 3e set ri'ht. L$octair 8uVozAL she cried as she rushed upstairs ahead of meA Lhe have speel hees chemicals. 2e ees too seec! for doctair heemself11seec!er and seec!er all the time113ut he ,eel not have no othair for help. 2e ees vairy Dueer in hees seec!ness11all day he ta!e funnee1smellin' 3athsA and he cannot 'et e%cite or ,arm. All hees o,n house,or! he do11 hees leetle room are full of 3ottles and machinesA and he do not ,or! as doctair. But he ,as 'reat once11my fathair in Barcelona have hear of heem11and only Coost no, he fee% a arm of the plum3er that 'et hurt of sudden. 2e nevair 'o outA only on roofA and my 3oy Este3an

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he 3reen' heem hees food and laundry and mediceens and chemicals. 8y 7a,dA the sal1 ammoniac that man use for !eep heem coolFL 8rs. 2errero disappeared up the staircase to the fourth floorA and = returned to my room. The ammonia ceased to dripA and as = cleaned up ,hat had spilled and opened the ,indo, for airA = heard the landlady<s heavy footsteps a3ove me. $r. 8uVoz = had never heardA save for certain sounds as of some 'asoline1driven mechanismB since his step ,as soft and 'entle. = ,ondered for a moment ,hat the stran'e affliction of this man mi'ht 3eA and ,hether his o3stinate refusal of outside aid ,ere not the result of a rather 3aseless eccentricity. There isA = reflected tritelyA an infinite deal of pathos in the state of an eminent person ,ho has come do,n in the ,orld. = mi'ht never have !no,n $r. 8uVoz had it not 3een for the heart attac! that suddenly seized me one forenoon as = sat ,ritin' in my room. >hysicians had told me of the dan'er of those spellsA and = !ne, there ,as no time to 3e lostB so remem3erin' ,hat the landlady had said a3out the invalid<s help of the inCured ,or!manA = dra''ed myself upstairs and !noc!ed fee3ly at the door a3ove mine. 8y !noc! ,as ans,ered in 'ood En'lish 3y a curious voice some distance to the ri'htA as!in' my name and 3usinessB and these thin's 3ein' statedA there came an openin' of the door ne%t to the one = had sou'ht. A rush of cool air 'reeted meB and thou'h the day ,as one of the hottest of late 6uneA = shivered as = crossed the threshold into a lar'e apartment ,hose rich and tasteful decoration surprised me in this nest of sDualor and seediness. A foldin' couch no, filled its diurnal role of sofaA and the maho'any furnitureA sumptuous han'in'sA old paintin'sA and mello, 3oo!shelves all 3espo!e a 'entleman<s study rather than a 3oardin'1house 3edroom. = no, sa, that the hall room a3ove mine11the Lleetle roomL of 3ottles and machines ,hich 8rs. 2errero had mentioned11,as merely the la3oratory of the doctorB and that his main livin' Duarters lay in the spacious adCoinin' room ,hose convenient alcoves and lar'e conti'uous 3athroom permitted him to hide all dressers and o3trusively utilitarian devices. $r. 8uVozA most certainlyA ,as a man of 3irthA cultivationA and discrimination. The fi'ure 3efore me ,as short 3ut e%Duisitely proportionedA and clad in some,hat formal dress of perfect cut and fit. A hi'h13red face of masterful thou'h not arro'ant e%pression ,as adorned 3y a short iron1'rey full 3eardA and an old1fashioned pince1nez shielded the fullA dar! eyes and surmounted an aDuiline nose ,hich 'ave a 8oorish touch to a physio'nomy other,ise dominantly Celti3erian. Thic!A ,ell1trimmed hair that ar'ued the punctual calls of a 3ar3er ,as parted 'racefully a3ove a hi'h foreheadB and the ,hole picture ,as one of stri!in' intelli'ence and superior 3lood and 3reedin'. ;everthelessA as = sa, $r. 8uVoz in that 3last of cool airA = felt a repu'nance ,hich nothin' in his aspect could Custify. +nly his lividly inclined comple%ion and coldness of touch could have afforded a physical 3asis for this feelin'A and even these thin's should have 3een e%cusa3le considerin' the man<s !no,n invalidism. =t mi'htA tooA have 3een the sin'ular cold that alienated meB for such chilliness ,as a3normal on so hot a dayA and the a3normal al,ays e%cites aversionA distrustA and fear. But repu'nance ,as soon for'otten in admirationA for the stran'e physician<s e%treme s!ill at once 3ecame manifest despite the ice1coldness and sha!iness of his 3loodless1 loo!in' hands. 2e clearly understood my needs at a 'lanceA and ministered to them ,ith a master<s deftnessB the ,hile reassurin' me in a finely modulated thou'h oddly hollo, and

H.P.Lovecr !t

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17"

tim3reless voice that he ,as the 3itterest of s,orn enemies to deathA and had sun! his fortune and lost all his friends in a lifetime of 3izarre e%periment devoted to its 3afflement and e%tirpation. Somethin' of the 3enevolent fanatic seemed to reside in himA and he ram3led on almost 'arrulously as he sounded my chest and mi%ed a suita3le drau'ht of dru's fetched from the smaller la3oratory room. Evidently he found the society of a ,ell1 3orn man a rare novelty in this din'y environmentA and ,as moved to unaccustomed speech as memories of 3etter days sur'ed over him. 2is voiceA if DueerA ,as at least soothin'B and = could not even perceive that he 3reathed as the fluent sentences rolled ur3anely out. 2e sou'ht to distract my mind from my o,n seizure 3y spea!in' of his theories and e%perimentsB and = remem3er his tactfully consolin' me a3out my ,ea! heart 3y insistin' that ,ill and consciousness are stron'er than or'anic life itselfA so that if a 3odily frame 3e 3ut ori'inally healthy and carefully preservedA it may throu'h a scientific enhancement of these Dualities retain a !ind of nervous animation despite the most serious impairmentsA defectsA or even a3sences in the 3attery of specific or'ans. 2e mi'htA he half Cestin'ly saidA some day teach me to live11or at least to possess some !ind of conscious e%istence11,ithout any heart at allF 4or his partA he ,as afflicted ,ith a complication of maladies reDuirin' a very e%act re'imen ,hich included constant cold. Any mar!ed rise in temperature mi'htA if prolon'edA affect him fatallyB and the fri'idity of his ha3itation11some or - de'rees 4ahrenheit11,as maintained 3y an a3sorption system of ammonia coolin'A the 'asoline en'ine of ,hose pumps = had often heard in my o,n room 3elo,. :elieved of my seizure in a marvellously short ,hileA = left the shivery place a disciple and devotee of the 'ifted recluse. After that = paid him freDuent overcoated callsB listenin' ,hile he told of secret researches and almost 'hastly resultsA and trem3lin' a 3it ,hen = e%amined the unconventional and astonishin'ly ancient volumes on his shelves. = ,as eventuallyA = may addA almost cured of my disease for all time 3y his s!illful ministrations. =t seems that he did not scorn the incantations of the mediaevalistsA since he 3elieved these cryptic formulae to contain rare psycholo'ical stimuli ,hich mi'ht conceiva3ly have sin'ular effects on the su3stance of a nervous system from ,hich or'anic pulsations had fled. = ,as touched 3y his account of the a'ed $r. Torres of ?alenciaA ,ho had shared his earlier e%periments and nursed him throu'h the 'reat illness of ei'hteen years 3eforeA ,hence his present disorders proceeded. ;o sooner had the venera3le practitioner saved his collea'ue than he himself succum3ed to the 'rim enemy he had fou'ht. >erhaps the strain had 3een too 'reatB for $r. 8uVoz made it ,hisperin'ly clear11thou'h not in detail11 that the methods of healin' had 3een most e%traordinaryA involvin' scenes and processes not ,elcomed 3y elderly and conservative 7alens. As the ,ee!s passedA = o3served ,ith re'ret that my ne, friend ,as indeed slo,ly 3ut unmista!a3ly losin' 'round physicallyA as 8rs. 2errero had su''ested. The livid aspect of his countenance ,as intensifiedA his voice 3ecame more hollo, and indistinctA his muscular motions ,ere less perfectly coordinatedA and his mind and ,ill displayed less resilience and initiative. +f this sad chan'e he seemed 3y no means una,areA and little 3y little his e%pression and conversation 3oth too! on a 'ruesome irony ,hich restored in me somethin' of the su3tle repulsion = had ori'inally felt. 2e developed stran'e capricesA acDuirin' a fondness for e%otic spices and E'yptian incense till his room smelled li!e a vault of a sepulchred >haraoh in the ?alley of 0in's. At the same time his demands for cold air increasedA and ,ith my aid he amplified the

H.P.Lovecr !t

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17&

ammonia pipin' of his room and modified the pumps and feed of his refri'eratin' machine till he could !eep the temperature as lo, as &# de'rees or #* de'reesA and finally even "8 de'reesB the 3athroom and la3oratoryA of courseA 3ein' less chilledA in order that ,ater mi'ht not freezeA and that chemical processes mi'ht not 3e impeded. The tenant adCoinin' him complained of the icy air from around the connectin' doorA so = helped him fit heavy han'in's to o3viate the difficulty. A !ind of 'ro,in' horrorA of outre and mor3id castA seemed to possess him. 2e tal!ed of death incessantlyA 3ut lau'hed hollo,ly ,hen such thin's as 3urial or funeral arran'ements ,ere 'ently su''ested. All in allA he 3ecame a disconcertin' and even 'ruesome companionB yet in my 'ratitude for his healin' = could not ,ell a3andon him to the stran'ers around himA and ,as careful to dust his room and attend to his needs each dayA muffled in a heavy ulster ,hich = 3ou'ht especially for the purpose. = li!e,ise did much of his shoppin'A and 'asped in 3afflement at some of the chemicals he ordered from dru''ists and la3oratory supply houses. An increasin' and une%plained atmosphere of panic seemed to rise around his apartment. The ,hole houseA as = have saidA had a musty odourB 3ut the smell in his room ,as ,orse11and in spite of all the spices and incenseA and the pun'ent chemicals of the no, incessant 3aths ,hich he insisted on ta!in' unaided. = perceived that it must 3e connected ,ith his ailmentA and shuddered ,hen = reflected on ,hat that ailment mi'ht 3e. 8rs. 2errero crossed herself ,hen she loo!ed at himA and 'ave him up unreservedly to meB not even lettin' her son Este3an continue to run errands for him. When = su''ested other physiciansA the sufferer ,ould fly into as much of a ra'e as he seemed to dare to entertain. 2e evidently feared the physical effect of violent emotionA yet his ,ill and drivin' force ,a%ed rather than ,anedA and he refused to 3e confined to his 3ed. The lassitude of his earlier ill days 'ave place to a return of his fiery purposeA so that he seemed a3out to hurl defiance at the death1daemon even as that ancient enemy seized him. The pretence of eatin'A al,ays curiously li!e a formality ,ith himA he virtually a3andonedB and mental po,er alone appeared to !eep him from total collapse. 2e acDuired a ha3it of ,ritin' lon' documents of some sortA ,hich he carefully sealed and filled ,ith inCunctions that = transmit them after his death to certain persons ,hom he named11for the most part lettered East =ndiansA 3ut includin' a once cele3rated 4rench physician no, 'enerally thou'ht deadA and a3out ,hom the most inconceiva3le thin's had 3een ,hispered. As it happenedA = 3urned all these papers undelivered and unopened. 2is aspect and voice 3ecame utterly fri'htfulA and his presence almost un3eara3le. +ne Septem3er day an une%pected 'limpse of him induced an epileptic fit in a man ,ho had come to repair his electric des! lampB a fit for ,hich he prescri3ed effectively ,hilst !eepin' himself ,ell out of si'ht. That manA oddly enou'hA had 3een throu'h the terrors of the 7reat War ,ithout havin' incurred any fri'ht so thorou'h. ThenA in the middle of +cto3erA the horror of horrors came ,ith stupefyin' suddenness. +ne ni'ht a3out eleven the pump of the refri'eratin' machine 3ro!e do,nA so that ,ithin three hours the process of ammonia coolin' 3ecame impossi3le. $r. 8uVoz summoned me 3y thumpin' on the floorA and = ,or!ed desperately to repair the inCury ,hile my host cursed in a tone ,hose lifelessA rattlin' hollo,ness surpassed description. 8y amateur effortsA ho,everA proved of no useB and ,hen = had 3rou'ht in a mechanic from a nei'h3ourin' all1ni'ht 'ara'eA ,e learned that nothin' could 3e done till mornin'A ,hen a ne, piston ,ould have to 3e o3tained. The mori3und hermit<s ra'e and fearA s,ellin' to 'rotesDue proportionsA seemed li!ely to shatter ,hat remained of his failin' physiDueA and

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once a spasm caused him to clap his hands to his eyes and rush into the 3athroom. 2e 'roped his ,ay out ,ith face ti'htly 3anda'edA and = never sa, his eyes a'ain. The fri'idity of the apartment ,as no, sensi3ly diminishin'A and at a3out a.m. the doctor retired to the 3athroomA commandin' me to !eep him supplied ,ith all the ice = could o3tain at all1ni'ht dru' stores and cafeterias. As = ,ould return from my sometimes discoura'in' trips and lay my spoils 3efore the closed 3athroom doorA = could hear a restless splashin' ,ithinA and a thic! voice croa!in' out the order for L8ore11moreFL At len'th a ,arm day 3ro!eA and the shops opened one 3y one. = as!ed Este3an either to help ,ith the ice1fetchin' ,hilst = o3tained the pump pistonA or to order the piston ,hile = continued ,ith the iceB 3ut instructed 3y his motherA he a3solutely refused. 4inally = hired a seedy1loo!in' loafer ,hom = encountered on the corner of Ei'hth Avenue to !eep the patient supplied ,ith ice from a little shop ,here = introduced himA and applied myself dili'ently to the tas! of findin' a pump piston and en'a'in' ,or!men competent to install it. The tas! seemed intermina3leA and = ra'ed almost as violently as the hermit ,hen = sa, the hours slippin' 3y in a 3reathlessA foodless round of vain telephonin'A and a hectic Duest from place to placeA hither and thither 3y su3,ay and surface car. A3out noon = encountered a suita3le supply house far do,nto,nA and at appro%imately 19&* p.m. arrived at my 3oardin'1place ,ith the necessary paraphernalia and t,o sturdy and intelli'ent mechanics. = had done all = couldA and hoped = ,as in time. Blac! terrorA ho,everA had preceded me. The house ,as in utter turmoilA and a3ove the chatter of a,ed voices = heard a man prayin' in a deep 3asso. 4iendish thin's ,ere in the airA and lod'ers told over the 3eads of their rosaries as they cau'ht the odour from 3eneath the doctor<s closed door. The loun'er = had hiredA it seemsA had fled screamin' and mad1 eyed not lon' after his second delivery of iceB perhaps as a result of e%cessive curiosity. 2e could notA of courseA have loc!ed the door 3ehind himB yet it ,as no, fastenedA presuma3ly from the inside. There ,as no sound ,ithin save a nameless sort of slo,A thic! drippin'. Briefly consultin' ,ith 8rs. 2errero and the ,or!men despite a fear that 'na,ed my inmost soulA = advised the 3rea!in' do,n of the doorB 3ut the landlady found a ,ay to turn the !ey from the outside ,ith some ,ire device. We had previously opened the doors of all the other rooms on that hallA and flun' all the ,indo,s to the very top. ;o,A noses protected 3y hand!erchiefsA ,e trem3lin'ly invaded the accursed south room ,hich 3lazed ,ith the ,arm sun of early afternoon. A !ind of dar!A slimy trail led from the open 3athroom door to the hall doorA and thence to the des!A ,here a terri3le little pool had accumulated. Somethin' ,as scra,led there in pencil in an a,fulA 3lind hand on a piece of paper hideously smeared as thou'h 3y the very cla,s that traced the hurried last ,ords. Then the trail led to the couch and ended unuttera3ly. What ,asA or had 3eenA on the couch = cannot and dare not say here. But this is ,hat = shiverin'ly puzzled out on the stic!ily smeared paper 3efore = dre, a match and 3urned it to a crispB ,hat = puzzled out in terror as the landlady and t,o mechanics rushed frantically from that hellish place to 3a33le their incoherent stories at the nearest police station. The nauseous ,ords seemed ,ell1ni'h incredi3le in that yello, sunli'htA ,ith the clatter of cars and motor truc!s ascendin' clamorously from cro,ded 4ourteenth StreetA yet = confess that

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= 3elieved them then. Whether = 3elieve them no, = honestly do not !no,. There are thin's a3out ,hich it is 3etter not to speculateA and all that = can say is that = hate the smell of ammoniaA and 'ro, faint at a drau'ht of unusually cool air. LThe endAL ran that noisome scra,lA Lis here. ;o more ice11the man loo!ed and ran a,ay. Warmer every minuteA and the tissues can<t last. = fancy you !no,11,hat = said a3out the ,ill and the nerves and the preserved 3ody after the or'ans ceased to ,or!. =t ,as 'ood theoryA 3ut couldn<t !eep up indefinitely. There ,as a 'radual deterioration = had not foreseen. $r. Torres !ne,A 3ut the shoc! !illed him. 2e couldn<t stand ,hat he had to do11 he had to 'et me in a stran'eA dar! place ,hen he minded my letter and nursed me 3ac!. And the or'ans never ,ould ,or! a'ain. =t had to 3e done my ,ay11preservation11 for you see I died t"at time eig"teen years ago.L

The Cr 2li#- Ch os
+f the pleasures and pains of opium much has 3een ,ritten. The ecstasies and horrors of $e /uincey and the paradis artificiels of Baudelaire are preserved and interpreted ,ith an art ,hich ma!es them immortalA and the ,orld !no,s ,ell the 3eautyA the terror and the mystery of those o3scure realms into ,hich the inspired dreamer is transported. But much as has 3een toldA no man has yet dared intimate the nature of the phantasms thus unfolded to the mindA or hint at the direction of the unheard1of roads alon' ,hose ornate and e%otic course the parta!er of the dru' is so irresisti3ly 3orne. $e /uincey ,as dra,n 3ac! into AsiaA that teemin' land of ne3ulous shado,s ,hose hideous antiDuity is so impressive that Lthe vast a'e of the race and name overpo,ers the sense of youth in the individualAL 3ut farther than that he dared not 'o. Those ,ho "a!e 'one farther seldom returnedA and even ,hen they haveA they have 3een either silent or Duite mad. = too! opium 3ut once 11 in the year of the pla'ueA ,hen doctors sou'ht to deaden the a'onies they could not cure. There ,as an overdose 11 my physician ,as ,orn out ,ith horror and e%ertion 11 and = travelled very far indeed. =n the end = returned and livedA 3ut my ni'hts are filled ,ith stran'e memoriesA nor have = ever permitted a doctor to 'ive me opium a'ain. The pain and poundin' in my head had 3een Duite unendura3le ,hen the dru' ,as administeredA +f the future = had no heedB to escapeA ,hether 3y cureA unconsciousnessA or deathA ,as all that concerned me. = ,as partly deliriousA so that it is hard to place the e%act moment of transitionA 3ut = thin! the effect must have 3e'un shortly 3efore the poundin' ceased to 3e painful. As = have saidA there ,as an overdoseB so my reactions ,ere pro3a3ly far from normal. The sensation of fallin'A curiously dissociated from the idea of 'ravity or directionA ,as paramountB thou'h there ,as su3sidiary impression of unseen thron's in incalcula3le profusionA thron's of infinitely di1verse natureA 3ut all more or less related to me. Sometimes it seemed less as thou'h = ,ere fallin'A than as thou'h the universe or the a'es ,ere fallin' past me. Suddenly my pain ceasedA and = 3e'an to associate the poundin' ,ith an e%ternal rather than internal force. The fallin' had ceased alsoA 'ivin' place to a sensation of uneasyA temporary restB and ,hen = listened closelyA = fancied the poundin' ,as that of the vastA inscruta3le sea as its sinisterA colossal 3rea!ers lacerated some desolate shore after a storm of titanic ma'nitude. Then = opened my eyes. 4or a moment my surroundin's seemed confusedA li!e a proCected ima'e hopelessly out of focusA 3ut 'radually = realised my solitary presence in a stran'e and 3eautiful room li'hted 3y many ,indo,s. +f the e%act nature of the apartment = could form no ideaA for my thou'hts ,ere still far from settledA 3ut = noticed van1coloured ru's and draperiesA ela3orately fashioned ta3lesA chairsA ottomansA and divansA and delicate vases and ornaments ,hich conveyed a su''estion of the e%otic ,ithout 3ein' actually alien. These thin's = noticedA yet they ,ere not lon' uppermost in my mind. Slo,ly 3ut ine%ora3ly cra,lin' upon my consciousness and risin' a3ove every other impressionA came a dizzyin' fear of the un!no,nB a fear all the 'reater 3ecause = could not analyse itA and seemin' to concern a stealthily approachin' menaceB not deathA 3ut some namelessA unheard1of thin' ine%pressi3ly more 'hastly and a3horrent. >resently = realised that the direct sym3ol and e%citant of my fear ,as the hideous poundin' ,hose incessant rever3erations thro33ed maddenin'ly a'ainst my e%hausted

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3rain. =t seemed to come from a point outside and 3elo, the edifice in ,hich = stoodA and to associate itself ,ith the most terrifyin' mental ima'es. = felt that some horri3le scene or o3Cect lur!ed 3eyond the sil!1hun' ,allsA and shran! from 'lancin' throu'h the archedA latticed ,indo,s that opened so 3e,ilderin'ly on every hand. >erceivin' shutters attached to these ,indo,sA = closed them allA avertin' my eyes from the e%terior as = did so. ThenA employin' a flint and steel ,hich = found on one of the small ta3lesA = lit the many candles reposin' a3out the ,alls in ara3esDue sconces. The added sense of security 3rou'ht 3y closed shutters and artificial li'ht calmed my nerves to some de'reeA 3ut = could not shut out the monotonous poundin'. ;o, that = ,as calmerA the sound 3ecame as fascinatin' as it ,as fearfulA and = felt a contradictory desire to see! out its source despite my still po,erful shrin!in'. +penin' a portiere at the side of the room nearest the poundin'A = 3eheld a small and richly draped corridor endin' in a cavern door and lar'e oriel ,indo,. To this ,indo, = ,as irresisti3ly dra,nA thou'h my ill1defined apprehensions seemed almost eDually 3ent on holdin' me 3ac!. As = approached it = could see a chaotic ,hirl of ,aters in the distance. ThenA as = attained it and 'lanced out on all sidesA the stupendous picture of my surroundin's 3urst upon me ,ith full and devastatin' force. = 3eheld such a si'ht as = had never 3eheld 3eforeA and ,hich no livin' person can have seen save in the delirium of fever or the inferno of opium. The 3uildin' stood on a narro, point of land 11 or ,hat ,as no, a narro, point of land 11 fully three hundred feet a3ove ,hat must lately have 3een a seethin' vorte% of mad ,aters. +n either side of the house there fell a ne,ly ,ashed1out precipice of red earthA ,hilst ahead of me the hideous ,aves ,ere still rollin' in fri'htfullyA eatin' a,ay the land ,ith 'hastly monotony and deli3eration. +ut a mile or more there rose and fell menacin' 3rea!ers at least fifty feet in hei'htA and on the far horizon 'houlish 3lac! clouds of 'rotesDue contour ,ere restin' and 3roodin' li!e un,holesome vultures. The ,aves ,ere dar! and purplishA almost 3lac!A and clutched at the yieldin' red mud of the 3an! as if ,ith uncouthA 'reedy hands. = could not 3ut feel that some no%ious marine mind had declared a ,ar of e%termination upon all the solid 'roundA perhaps a3etted 3y the an'ry s!y. :ecoverin' at len'th from the stupor into ,hich this unnatural spectacle had thro,n meA = realized that my actual physical dan'er ,as acute. Even ,hilst = 'azedA the 3an! had lost many feetA and it could not 3e lon' 3efore the house ,ould fall undermined into the a,ful pit of lashin' ,aves. Accordin'ly = hastened to the opposite side of the edificeA and findin' a doorA emer'ed at onceA loc!in' it after me ,ith a curious !ey ,hich had hun' inside. = no, 3eheld more of the stran'e re'ion a3out meA and mar!ed a sin'ular division ,hich seemed to e%ist in the hostile ocean and firmament. +n each side of the Cuttin' promontory different conditions held s,ay. At my left as = faced inland ,as a 'ently heavin' sea ,ith 'reat 'reen ,aves rollin' peacefully in under a 3ri'htly shinin' sun. Somethin' a3out that sunTs nature and position made me shudderA 3ut = could not then tellA and cannot tell no,A ,hat it ,as. At my ri'ht also ,as the seaA 3ut it ,as 3lueA calmA and only 'ently undulatin'A ,hile the s!y a3ove it ,as dar!er and the ,ashed1out 3an! more nearly ,hite than reddish. = no, turned my attention to the landA and found occasion for fresh surpriseB for the ve'etation resem3led nothin' = had ever seen or read a3out. =t ,as apparently tropical or at least su31tropical 11 a conclusion 3orne out 3y the intense heat of the air. Sometimes = thou'ht = could trace stran'e analo'ies ,ith the flora of my native landA fancyin' that the ,ell1!no,n plants and shru3s mi'ht assume such forms under a radical chan'e of climateB 3ut the 'i'antic and omnipresent palm trees ,ere plainly forei'n. The house = had Cust left

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,as very small 11 hardly more than a cotta'e 11 3ut its material ,as evidently mar3leA and its architecture ,as ,eird and compositeA involvin' a Duaint fusion of Western and Eastern forms. At the corners ,ere Corinthian columnsA 3ut the red tile roof ,as li!e that of a Chinese pa'oda. 4rom the door inland there stretched a path of sin'ularly ,hite sandA a3out four feet ,ideA and lined on either side ,ith stately palms and unidentifia3le flo,erin' shru3s and plants. =t lay to,ard the side of the promontory ,here the sea ,as 3lue and the 3an! rather ,hitish. $o,n this path = felt impelled to fleeA as if pursued 3y some mali'nant spirit from the poundin' ocean. At first it ,as sli'htly uphillA then = reached a 'entle crest. Behind me = sa, the scene = had leftB the entire point ,ith the cotta'e and the 3lac! ,aterA ,ith the 'reen sea on one side and the 3lue sea on the otherA and a curse unnamed and unnama3le lo,erin' over all. = never sa, it a'ainA and often ,onder.... After this last loo! = strode ahead and surveyed the inland panorama 3efore me. The pathA as = have intimatedA ran alon' the ri'ht1hand shore as one ,ent inland. Ahead and to the left = no, vie,ed a ma'nificent valley comprisin' thousands of acresA and covered ,ith a s,ayin' 'ro,th of tropical 'rass hi'her than my head. Almost at the limit of vision ,as a colossal palm tree ,hich seemed to fascinate and 3ec!on me. By this time ,onder andT escape from the imperilled peninsula had lar'ely dissipated my fearA 3ut as = paused and san! fati'ued to the pathA idiy di''in' ,ith my hands into the ,armA ,hitish1 'olden sandA a ne, and acute sense of dan'er seized me. Some terror in the s,ishin' tall 'rass seemed added to that of the dia3olically poundin' seaA and = started up cryin' aloud and disCointedlyA LTi'erG Ti'erG =s it Ti'erG BeastG BeastG =s it a Beast that = am afraid ofGL 8y mind ,andered 3ac! to an ancient and classical story of ti'ers ,hich = had readB = strove to recall the authorA 3ut had difficulty. Then in the midst of my fear = remem3ered that the tale ,as 3y :udyard 0iplin'B nor did the 'rotesDueness of deemin' him an ancient author occur to meB = ,ished for the volume containin' this storyA and had almost started 3ac! to,ard the doomed cotta'e to procure it ,hen my 3etter sense and the lure of the palm prevented me. Whether or not = could have resisted the 3ac!,ard 3ec!onin' ,ithout the counter1 fascination of the vast palm treeA = do not !no,. This attraction ,as no, dominantA and = left the path and cra,led on hands and !nees do,n the valleyTs slope despite my fear of the 'rass and of the serpents it mi'ht contain. = resolved to fi'ht for life and reason as lon' as possi3le a'ainst all menaces of sea or landA thou'h = sometimes feared defeat as the maddenin' s,ish of the uncanny 'rasses Coined the still audi3le and irritatin' poundin' of the distant 3rea!ers. = ,ould freDuently pause and put my hands to my ears for reliefA 3ut could never Duite shut out the detesta3le sound. =t ,asA as it seemed to meA only after a'es that = finally dra''ed myself to the 3ec!onin' palm tree and lay Duiet 3eneath its protectin' shade. There no, ensued a series of incidents ,hich transported me to the opposite e%tremes of ecstasy and horrorB incidents ,hich = trem3le to recall and dare not see! to interpret. ;o sooner had = cra,led 3eneath the overhan'in' folia'e of the palmA than there dropped from its 3ranches a youn' child of such 3eauty as = never 3eheld 3efore. Thou'h ra''ed and dustyA this 3ein' 3ore the features of a faun or demi'odA and seemed almost to diffuse a radiance in the dense shado, of the tree. =t smiled and e%tended its handA 3ut 3efore = could arise and spea! = heard in the upper air the e%Duisite melody of sin'in'B notes hi'h and lo, 3lent ,ith a su3lime and ethereal harmoniousness. The sun had 3y this time sun! 3elo, the horizonA and in the t,ili'ht = sa, an aureole of lam3ent li'ht encircled the childTs head. Then in a tone of silver it addressed me9 W=t is the end. They have come do,n

H.P.Lovecr !t

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throu'h the 'loamin' from the stars. ;o, all is overA and 3eyond the Arinurian streams ,e shall d,ell 3lissfully in Teloe.X As the child spo!eA = 3eheld a soft radiance throu'h the leaves of the palm treeA and risin'A 'reeted a pair ,hom = !ne, to 3e the chief sin'ers amon' those = had heard. A 'od and 'oddess they must have 3eenA for such 3eauty is not mortalB and they too! my handsA sayin'A WComeA childA you have heard the voicesA and all is ,ell. =n Teloe 3eyond the 8il!y Way and the Arinurian streams are cities all of am3er and chalcedony. And upon their domes of many facets 'listen the ima'es of stran'e and 3eautiful stars. (nder the ivory 3rid'es of Teloe flo, rivers of liDuid 'old 3earin' pleasure13ar'es 3ound for 3lossomy Cytharion of the Seven Suns. And in Teloe and Cytharion a3ide only youthA 3eautyA and pleasureA nor are any sounds heardA save of lau'hterA son'A and the lute. +nly the 'ods d,ell in Teloe of the 'olden riversA 3ut amon' them shalt thou d,ell.X As = listenedA enchantedA = suddenly 3ecame a,are of a chan'e in my surroundin's. The palm treeA so lately overshado,in' my e%hausted formA ,as no, some distance to my left and considera3ly 3elo, me. = ,as o3viously floatin' in the atmosphereB companioned not only 3y the stran'e child and the radiant pairA 3ut 3y a constantly increasin' thron' of half1 luminousA vine1cro,ned youths and maidens ,ith ,ind13lo,n hair and Coyful countenance. We slo,ly ascended to'etherA as if 3orne on a fra'rant 3reeze ,hich 3le, not from the earth 3ut from the 'olden ne3ulaeA and the child ,hispered in my ear that = must loo! al,ays up,ard to the path,ays of li'htA and never 3ac!,ard to the sphere = had Cust left. The youths and maidens no, chanted mellifluous choriam3ics to the accompaniment of lutesA and = felt enveloped in a peace and happiness more profound than any = had in life ima'inedA ,hen the intrusion of a sin'le sound altered my destiny and shattered my soul. Throu'h the ravishin' strains of the sin'ers and the lutanistsA as if in moc!in'A daemoniac concordA thro33ed from 'ulfs 3elo, the damna3leA the detesta3le poundin' of that hideous ocean. As those 3lac! 3rea!ers 3eat their messa'e into my ears = for'ot the ,ords of the child and loo!ed 3ac!A do,n upon the doomed scene from ,hich = thou'ht = had escaped. $o,n throu'h the aether = sa, the accursed earth slo,ly turnin'A ever turnin'A ,ith an'ry and tempestuous seas 'na,in' at ,ild desolate shores and dashin' foam a'ainst the totterin' to,ers of deserted cities. And under a 'hastly moon there 'leamed si'hts = can never descri3eA si'hts = can never for'etB deserts of corpseli!e clay and Cun'les of ruin and decadence ,here once stretched the populous plains and villa'es of my native landA and maelstroms of frothin' ocean ,here once rose the mi'hty temples of my forefathers. 8ound the northern pole steamed a morass of noisome 'ro,ths and miasmal vapoursA hissin' 3efore the onslau'ht of the ever1mountin' ,aves that curled and fretted from the shudderin' deep. Then a rendin' report dave the ni'htA and ath,art the desert of deserts appeared a smo!in' rift. Still the 3lac! ocean foamed and 'na,edA eatin' a,ay the desert on either side as the rift in the center ,idened and ,idened. There ,as no, no land left 3ut the desertA and still the fumin' ocean ate and ate. All at once = thou'ht even the poundin' sea seemed afraid of somethin'A afraid of dar! 'ods of the inner earth that are 'reater than the evil 'od of ,atersA 3ut even if it ,as it could not turn 3ac!B and the desert had suffered too much from those ni'htmare ,aves to help them no,. So the ocean ate the last of the land and poured into the smo!in' 'ulfA there3y 'ivin' up all it had ever conDuered. 4rom the ne,1flooded lands it flo,ed a'ainA uncoverin' death and decayB and from its ancient and immemorial 3ed it tric!led loathsomelyA uncoverin' ni'hted secrets of the years ,hen Time ,as youn' and the 'ods un3orn. A3ove the ,aves rose ,eedy remem3ered spires. The moon laid pale lilies of li'ht on dead 5ondonA and >aris stood up from its damp 'rave to 3e sanctified ,ith star1dust. Then rose spires and monoliths that ,ere ,eedy 3ut not

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remem3eredB terri3le spires and monoliths of lands that men never !ne, ,ere lands. There ,as not any poundin' no,A 3ut only the unearthly roarin' and hissin' of ,aters tum3lin' into the rift. The smo!e of that rift had chan'ed to steamA and almost hid the ,orld as it 're, denser and denser. =t seared my face and handsA and ,hen = loo!ed to see ho, it affected my companions = found they had all disappeared. Then very suddenly it endedA and = !ne, no more till = a,a!ed upon a 3ed of convalescence. As the cloud of steam from the >lutonic 'ulf finally concealed the entire surface from my si'htA all the firmament shrie!ed at a sudden a'ony of mad rever3erations ,hich shoo! the trem3lin' aether. =n one delirious flash and 3urst it happenedB one 3lindin'A deafenin' holocaust of fireA smo!eA and thunder that dissolved the ,an moon as it sped out,ard to the void. And ,hen the smo!e cleared a,ayA and = sou'ht to loo! upon the earthA = 3eheld a'ainst the 3ac!'round of coldA humorous stars only the dyin' sun and the pale mournful planets searchin' for their sister.

The C%rse o! .i=n 1)" = ,ent into +!lahoma loo!in' for sna!e loreA and = came out ,ith a fear of sna!es that ,ill last me the rest of my life. = admit it is foolishA since there are natural e%planations for everythin' = sa, and heardA 3ut it masters me none the less. =f the old story had 3een all there ,as to itA = ,ould not have 3een so 3adly sha!en. 8y ,or! as an American =ndian ethnolo'ist has hardened me to all !inds of e%trava'ant le'endryA and = !no, that simple ,hite people can 3eat the reds!ins at their o,n 'ame ,hen it comes to fanciful inventions. But = can<t for'et ,hat = sa, ,ith my o,n eyes at the insane asylum in 7uthrie. = called at that asylum 3ecause a fe, of the oldest settlers told me = ,ould find somethin' important there. ;either =ndians nor ,hite men ,ould discuss the sna!e1'od le'ends = had come to trace. The oil13oom ne,comersA of courseA !ne, nothin' of such mattersA and the red men and old pioneers ,ere plainly fri'htened ,hen = spo!e of them. ;ot more than si% or seven people mentioned the asylumA and those ,ho did ,ere careful to tal! in ,hispers. But the ,hisperers said that $r. 8c;eill could she, me a very terri3le relic and tell me all = ,anted to !no,. 2e could e%plain ,hy .i'A the half1human father of serpentsA is a shunned and feared o3Cect in central +!lahomaA and ,hy old settlers shiver at the secret =ndian or'ies ,hich ma!e the autumn days and ni'hts hideous ,ith the ceaseless 3eatin' of tom1toms in lonely places. =t ,as ,ith the scent of a hound on the trail that = ,ent to 7uthrieA for = had spent many years collectin' data on the evolution of serpent1,orship amon' the =ndians. = had al,ays feltA from ,ell1defined undertones of le'end and archaeolo'yA that 'reat /uetzalcoatlU 3eni'n sna!e1'od of the 8e%icansUhad had an older and dar!er prototypeB and durin' recent months = had ,ell1ni'h proved it in a series of researches stretchin' from 7uatemala to the +!lahoma plains. But everythin' ,as tantalisin' and incompleteA for a3ove the 3order the cult of the sna!e ,as hed'ed a3out 3y fear and furtiveness. ;o, it appeared that a ne, and copious source of data ,as a3out to da,nA and = sou'ht the head of the asylum ,ith an ea'erness = did not try to cloa!. $r. 8c;eill ,as a smallA clean1shaven man of some,hat advanced yearsA and = sa, at once from his speech and manner that he ,as a scholar of no mean attainments in many 3ranches outside his profession. 7rave and dou3tful ,hen = first made !no,n my errandA his face 're, thou'htful as he carefully scanned my credentials and the letter of introduction ,hich a !indly old e%1=ndian a'ent had 'iven me. LSo you<ve 3een studyin' the .i' le'endA ehGL he reflected sententiously. L= !no, that many of our +!lahoma ethnolo'ists have tried to connect it ,ith /uetzalcoatlA 3ut = don<t thin! any of them have traced the intermediate steps so ,ell. .ou<ve done remar!a3le ,or! for a man as youn' as you seem to 3eA and you certainly deserve all the data ,e can 'ive. L= don<t suppose old 8aCor 8oore or any of the others told you ,hat it is = have here. They don<t li!e to tal! a3out itA and neither do =. =t is very tra'ic and very horri3leA 3ut that is all. = refuse to consider it anythin' supernatural. There<s a story a3out it that =<ll tell you after you see itUa devilish sad storyA 3ut one that = ,on<t call ma'ic. =t merely she,s the potency that 3elief has over some people. =<ll admit there are times ,hen = feel a shiver

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that<s more than physicalA 3ut in dayli'ht = set all that do,n to nerves. =<m not a youn' fello, any moreA alasF LTo come to the pointA the thin' = have is ,hat you mi'ht call a victim of .i'<s curseUa physically livin' victim. We don<t let the 3ul! of the nurses see itA althou'h most of them !no, it<s here. There are Cust t,o steady old chaps ,hom = let feed it and clean out its DuartersUused to 3e threeA 3ut 'ood old Stevens passed on a fe, years a'o. = suppose =<ll have to 3rea! in a ne, 'roup pretty soonB for the thin' doesn<t seem to a'e or chan'e muchA and ,e old 3oys can<t last forever. 8ay3e the ethics of the near future ,ill let us 'ive it a merciful releaseA 3ut it<s hard to tell. L$id you see that sin'le 'round1'lass 3asement ,indo, over in the east ,in' ,hen you came up the driveG That<s ,here it is. =<ll ta!e you there myself no,. .ou needn<t ma!e any comment. 6ust loo! throu'h the movea3le panel in the door and than! 7od the li'ht isn<t any stron'er. Then =<ll tell you the storyUor as much as =<ve 3een a3le to piece to'ether.L We ,al!ed do,nstairs very DuietlyA and did not tal! as ,e threaded the corridors of the seemin'ly deserted 3asement. $r. 8c;eill unloc!ed a 'rey1painted steel doorA 3ut it ,as only a 3ul!head leadin' to a further stretch of hall,ay. At len'th he paused 3efore a door mar!ed B 11-A opened a small o3servation panel ,hich he could use only 3y standin' on tiptoeA and pounded several times upon the painted metalA as if to arouse the occupantA ,hatever it mi'ht 3e. A faint stench came from the aperture as the doctor unclosed itA and = fancied his poundin' elicited a !ind of lo,A hissin' response. 4inally he motioned me to replace him at the peep1holeA and = did so ,ith a causeless and increasin' tremor. The 3arredA 'round1 'lass ,indo,A close to the earth outsideA admitted only a fee3le and uncertain pallorB and = had to loo! into the malodorous den for several seconds 3efore = could see ,hat ,as cra,lin' and ,ri''lin' a3out on the stra,1covered floorA emittin' every no, and then a ,ea! and vacuous hiss. Then the shado,ed outlines 3e'an to ta!e shapeA and = perceived that the sDuirmin' entity 3ore some remote resem3lance to a human form laid flat on its 3elly. = clutched at the door1handle for support as = tried to !eep from faintin'. The movin' o3Cect ,as almost of human sizeA and entirely devoid of clothin'. =t ,as a3solutely hairlessA and its ta,ny1loo!in' 3ac! seemed su3tly sDuamous in the dimA 'houlish li'ht. Around the shoulders it ,as rather spec!led and 3ro,nishA and the head ,as very curiously flat. As it loo!ed up to hiss at me = sa, that the 3eady little 3lac! eyes ,ere damna3ly anthropoidA 3ut = could not 3ear to study them lon'. They fastened themselves on me ,ith a horri3le persistenceA so that = closed the panel 'aspin'ly and left the creature to ,ri''le a3out unseen in its matted stra, and spectral t,ili'ht. = must have reeled a 3itA for = sa, that the doctor ,as 'ently holdin' my arm as he 'uided me a,ay. = ,as stutterin' over and over a'ain9 LB13ut for 7od<s sa!eA $"at is it/L $r. 8c;eill told me the story in his private office as = spra,led opposite him in an easy1 chair. The 'old and crimson of late afternoon chan'ed to the violet of early dus!A 3ut still = sat a,ed and motionless. = resented every rin' of the telephone and every ,hir of the 3uzzerA and = could have cursed the nurses and internes ,hose !noc!s no, and then summoned the doctor 3riefly to the outer office. ;i'ht cameA and = ,as 'lad my host s,itched on all the li'hts. Scientist thou'h = ,asA my zeal for research ,as half for'otten

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amidst such 3reathless ecstasies of fri'ht as a small 3oy mi'ht feel ,hen ,hispered ,itch1 tales 'o the rounds of the chimney1corner. =t seems that .i'A the sna!e1'od of the central plains tri3esUpresuma3ly the primal source of the more southerly /uetzalcoatl or 0u!ulcanU,as an oddA half1 anthropomorphic devil of hi'hly ar3itrary and capricious nature. 2e ,as not ,holly evilA and ,as usually Duite ,ell1disposed to,ard those ,ho 'ave proper respect to him and his childrenA the serpentsB 3ut in the autumn he 3ecame a3normally ravenousA and had to 3e driven a,ay 3y means of suita3le rites. That ,as ,hy the tom1toms in the >a,neeA WichitaA and Caddo country pounded ceaselessly ,ee! in and ,ee! out in Au'ustA Septem3erA and +cto3erB and ,hy the medicine1men made stran'e noises ,ith rattles and ,histles curiously li!e those of the Aztecs and 8ayas. .i'<s chief trait ,as a relentless devotion to his childrenUa devotion so 'reat that the reds!ins almost feared to protect themselves from the venomous rattlesna!es ,hich thron'ed the re'ion. 4ri'htful clandestine tales hinted of his ven'eance upon mortals ,ho flouted him or ,rea!ed harm upon his ,ri''lin' pro'enyB his chosen method 3ein' to turn his victimA after suita3le torturesA to a spotted sna!e. =n the old days of the =ndian TerritoryA the doctor ,ent onA there ,as not Duite so much secrecy a3out .i'. The plains tri3esA less cautious than the desert nomads and >ue3losA tal!ed Duite freely of their le'ends and autumn ceremonies ,ith the first =ndian a'entsA and let considera3le of the lore spread out throu'h the nei'h3ourin' re'ions of ,hite settlement. The 'reat fear came in the land1rush days of <8)A ,hen some e%traordinary incidents had 3een rumouredA and the rumours sustainedA 3y ,hat seemed to 3e hideously tan'i3le proofs. =ndians said that the ne, ,hite men did not !no, ho, to 'et on ,ith .i'A and after,ard the settlers came to ta!e that theory at face value. ;o, no old1timer in middle +!lahomaA ,hite or redA could 3e induced to 3reathe a ,ord a3out the sna!e1'od e%cept in va'ue hints. .et after allA the doctor added ,ith almost needless emphasisA the only truly authenticated horror had 3een a thin' of pitiful tra'edy rather than of 3e,itchment. =t ,as all very material and cruelUeven that last phase ,hich ha caused so much dispute. $r. 8c;eill paused and cleared his throat 3efore 'ettin' do,n to his special storyA and = felt a tin'lin' sensation as ,hen a theatre curtain rises. The thin' had 3e'un ,hen Wal!er $avis and his ,ife Audrey left Ar!ansas to settle in the ne,ly opened pu3lic lands in the sprin' of 188)A and the end had come in the country of the WichitasUnorth of the Wichita :iverA in ,hat is at present Caddo County. There is a small villa'e called Bin'er there no,A and the rail,ay 'oes throu'hB 3ut other,ise the place is less chan'ed than other parts of +!lahoma. =t is still a section of farms and ranchesUDuite productive in these daysUsince the 'reat oil1fields do not come very close. Wal!er and Audrey had come from 4ran!lin County in the +zar!s ,ith a canvas1topped ,a'onA t,o mulesA an ancient and useless do' called LWolfLA and all their household 'oods. They ,ere typical hill1fol!A youn'ish and perhaps a little more am3itious than mostA and loo!ed for,ard to a life of 3etter returns for their a hard ,or! than they had had in Ar!ansas. Both ,ere leanA ra,13oned specimensB the man tallA sandyA and 'rey1eyedA and the ,oman short and rather dar!A ,ith a 3lac! strai'htness of hair su''estin' a sli'ht =ndian admi%ture.

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=n 'eneralA there ,as very little of distinction a3out themA and 3ut for one thin' their annals mi'ht not have differed from those of thousands of other pioneers ,ho floc!ed into the ne, country at that time. That thin' ,as Wal!er<s almost epileptic fear of sna!esA ,hich some laid to prenatal causesA and some said came from a dar! prophecy a3out his end ,ith ,hich an old =ndian sDua, had tried to scare him ,hen he ,as small. Whatever the causeA the effect ,as mar!ed indeedB for despite his stron' 'eneral coura'e the very mention of a sna!e ,ould cause him to 'ro, faint and paleA ,hile the si'ht of even a tiny specimen ,ould produce a shoc! sometimes 3orderin' on a convulsion seizure. The $avises started out early in the yearA in the hope of 3ein' on their ne, land for the sprin' plou'hin'. Travel ,as slo,B for the roads ,ere 3ad in Ar!ansasA ,hile in the Territory there ,ere 'reat stretches of rollin' hills and redA sandy 3arrens ,ithout any roads ,hatever. As the terrain 're, flatterA the chan'e from their native mountains depressed them moreA perhapsA than they realisedB 3ut they found the people at the =ndian a'encies very affa3leA ,hile most of the settled =ndians seemed friendly and civil. ;o, and then they encountered a fello,1pioneerA ,ith ,hom crude pleasantries and e%pressions of amia3le rivalry ,ere 'enerally e%chan'ed. +,in' to the seasonA there ,ere not many sna!es in evidenceA so Wal!er did not suffer from his special temperamental ,ea!ness. =n the earlier sta'es of the CourneyA tooA there ,ere no =ndian sna!e1le'ends to trou3le himB for the transplanted tri3es from the southeast do not share the ,ilder 3eliefs of their ,estern nei'h3ours. As fate ,ould have itA it ,as a ,hite man at +!mul'ee in the Cree! country ,ho 'ave the $avises the first hint of .i' 3eliefsB a hint ,hich had a curiously fascinatin' effect on Wal!erA and caused him to as! Duestions very freely after that. Before lon' Wal!er<s fascination had developed into a 3ad case of fri'ht. 2e too! the most e%traordinary precautions at each of the ni'htly campsA al,ays clearin' a,ay ,hatever ve'etation he foundA and avoidin' stony places ,henever he could. Every clump of stunted 3ushes and every cleft in the 'reatA sla31li!e roc!s seemed to him no, to hide malevolent serpentsA ,hile every human fi'ure not o3viously part of a settlement or emi'rant train seemed to him a potential sna!e1'od till nearness had proved the contrary. 4ortunately no trou3lesome encounters came at this sta'e to sha!e his nerves still further. As they approached the 0ic!apoo country they found it harder and harder to avoid campin' near roc!s. 4inally it ,as no lon'er possi3leA and poor Wal!er ,as reduced to the puerile e%pedient of dronin' some of the rustic anti1sna!e charms he had learned in his 3oyhood. T,o or three times a sna!e ,as really 'limpsedA and these si'hts did not help the sufferer in his efforts to preserve composure. +n the t,enty1second evenin' of the Courney a sava'e ,ind made it imperativeA for the sa!e of the mulesA to camp in as sheltered a spot as possi3leB and Audrey persuaded her hus3and to ta!e advanta'e of a cliff ,hich rose uncommonly hi'h a3ove the dried 3ed of a former tri3utary of the Canadian :iver. 2e did not li!e the roc!y cast of the placeA 3ut allo,ed himself to 3e overruled this onceB leadin' the animals sullenly to,ard the protectin' slopeA ,hich the nature of the 'round ,ould not allo, the ,a'on to approach. AudreyA e%aminin' the roc!s near the ,a'onA mean,hile noticed a sin'ular sniffin' on the part of the fee3le old do'. Seizin' a rifleA she follo,ed his leadA and presently than!ed her stars that she had forestalled Wal!er in her discovery. 4or thereA snu'ly nested in the

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'ap 3et,een t,o 3ouldersA ,as a si'ht it ,ould have done him no 'ood to see. ?isi3le only as one convoluted e%panseA 3ut perhaps comprisin' as many as three or four separate unitsA ,as a mass of lazy ,ri''lin' ,hich could not 3e other than a 3rood of ne,13orn rattlesna!es. An%ious to save Wal!er from a tryin' shoc!A Audrey did not hesitate to actA 3ut too! the 'un firmly 3y the 3arrel and 3rou'ht the 3utt do,n a'ain and a'ain upon the ,rithin' o3Cects. 2er o,n sense of loathin' ,as 'reatA 3ut it did not amount to a real fear. 4inally she sa, that her tas! ,as doneA and turned to cleanse the improvised 3lud'eon in the red sand and dryA dead 'rass near 3y. She mustA she reflectedA cover the nest up 3efore Wal!er 'ot 3ac! from tetherin' the mules. +ld WolfA totterin' relic of mi%ed shepherd and coyote ancestry that he ,asA had vanishedA and she feared he had 'one to fetch his master. 4ootsteps at that instant proved her fear ,ell founded. A second moreA and Wal!er had seen everythin'. Audrey made a move to catch him if he should faintA 3ut he did no more than s,ay. Then the loo! of pure fri'ht on his 3loodless face turned slo,ly to somethin' li!e min'led a,e and an'erA and he 3e'an to up3raid his ,ife in trem3lin' tones. L7a,d<s sa!eA AudA 3ut ,hy<d ye 'o for to do thatG 2ain<t ye heerd all the thin's they<ve 3een tellin< a3out this sna!e1devil .i'G .e<d ou'ht to a told meA and ,e<d a moved on. $on<t ye !no, they<s a devil1'od ,hat 'ets even if ye hurts his childrenG What for d<ye thin! the =nCuns all dances and 3eats their drums in the fall a3outG This land<s under a curseA = tell yeUni'h every soul ,e<ve a1tal!ed to sence ,e come in<s said the same. .i' rules hereA an< he comes out every fall for to 'it his victims and turn <em into sna!es. WhyA AudA they ,on<t none of them =nCuns acrost the CanayCin !ill a sna!e for love nor moneyF L7a,d !no,s ,hat ye done to yourselfA 'alA a1stompin< out a hull 3rood o< .i'<s chillen. 2e<ll 'it yeA sureA sooner or laterA unlessen = !in 3uy a charm offen some o< the =nCun medicine1men. 2e<ll 'it yeA AudA as sure<s they<s a 7a,d in heavenUhe<ll come outa the ni'ht and turn ye into a cra,lin< spotted sna!eFL All the rest of the Courney Wal!er !ept up the fri'htened reproofs and prophecies. They crossed the Canadian near ;e,castleA and soon after,ard met ,ith the first of the real plains =ndians they had seenUa party of 3lan!eted WichitasA ,hose leader tal!ed freely under the spell of the ,his!ey offered himA and tau'ht poor Wal!er a lon'1,inded protective charm a'ainst .i' in e%chan'e for a Duart 3ottle of the same inspirin' fluid. By the end of the ,ee! the chosen site in the Wichita country ,as reachedA and the $avises made haste to trace their 3oundaries and perform the sprin' plou'hin' 3efore even 3e'innin' the construction of a ca3in. The re'ion ,as flatA drearily ,indyA and sparse of natural ve'etationA 3ut promised 'reat fertility under cultivation. +ccasional outcroppin's of 'ranite diversified a soil of decomposed red sandstoneA and here and there a 'reat flat roc! ,ould stretch alon' the surface of the 'round li!e a man1made floor. There seemed to 3e a very fe, sna!esA or possi3le dens for themB so Audrey at last persuaded Wal!er to 3uild the one1room ca3in over a vastA smooth sla3 of e%posed stone. With such a floorin' and ,ith a 'ood1sized fireplace the ,ettest ,eather mi'ht 3e defiedUthou'h it soon 3ecame evident that dampness ,as no salient Duality of the district. 5o's ,ere hauled in the ,a'on from the nearest 3elt of ,oodsA many miles to,ard the Wichita 8ountains.

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Wal!er 3uilt his ,ide1chimneyed ca3in and crude 3arn ,ith the aid of some of the other settlersA thou'h the nearest one ,as over a mile a,ay. =n turnA he helped his helpers at similar house1raisin'sA so that many ties of friendship spran' up 3et,een the ne, nei'h3ours. There ,as no to,n ,orthy the name nearer than El :enoA on the rail,ay thirty miles or more to the northeastB and 3efore many ,ee!s had passedA the people of the section had 3ecome very cohesive despite the ,ideness of their scatterin'. The =ndiansA a fe, of ,hom had 3e'un to settle do,n on ranchesA ,ere for the most part harmlessA thou'h some,hat Duarrelsome ,hen fired 3y the liDuid stimulation ,hich found its ,ay to them despite all 'overnment 3ans. +f all the nei'h3ours the $avises found 6oe and Sally ComptonA ,ho li!e,ise hailed from Ar!ansasA the most helpful and con'enial. Sally is still aliveA !no,n no, as 7randma ComptonB and her son ClydeA then an infant in armsA has 3ecome one of the leadin' men of the state. Sally and Audrey used to visit each other oftenA for their ca3ins ,ere only t,o miles apartB and in the lon' sprin' and summer afternoons they e%chan'ed many a tale of old Ar!ansas and many a rumour a3out the ne, country. Sally ,as very sympathetic a3out Wal!er<s ,ea!ness re'ardin' sna!esA 3ut perhaps did more to a''ravate than cure the parallel nervousness ,hich Audrey ,as acDuirin' throu'h his incessant prayin' and prophesyin' a3out the curse of .i'. She ,as uncommonly full of 'ruesome sna!e storiesA and produced a direfully stron' impression ,ith her ac!no,led'ed masterpieceUthe tale of a man in Scott County ,ho had 3een 3itten 3y a ,hole horde of rattlers at onceA and had s,elled so monstrously from poison that his 3ody had finally 3urst ,ith a pop. ;eedless to sayA Audrey did not repeat this anecdote to her hus3andA and she implored the Comptons to 3e,are of startin' it on the rounds of the countryside. =t is to 6oe<s and Sally<s credit that they heeded this plea ,ith the utmost fidelity. Wal!er did his corn1plantin' earlyA and in midsummer improved his time 3y harvestin' a fair crop of the native 'rass of the re'ion. With the help of 6oe Compton he du' a ,ell ,hich 'ave a moderate supply of very 'ood ,aterA thou'h he planned to sin! an artesian later on. 2e did not run into many serious sna!e scaresA and made his land as inhospita3le as possi3le for ,ri''lin' visitors. Every no, and then he rode over to the cluster of thatchedA conical huts ,hich formed the main villa'e of the WichitasA and tal!ed lon' ,ith the old men and shamans a3out the sna!e1'od and ho, to nullify his ,rath. Charms ,ere al,ays ready in e%chan'e for ,his!eyA 3ut much of the information he 'ot ,as far from reassurin'. .i' ,as a 'reat 'od. 2e ,as 3ad medicine. 2e did not for'et thin's. =n the autumn his children ,ere hun'ry and ,ildA and .i' ,as hun'ry and ,ildA too. All the tri3es made medicine a'ainst .i' ,hen the corn harvest came. They 'ave him some cornA and danced in proper re'alia to the sound of ,histleA rattleA and drum. They !ept the drums poundin' to drive .i' a,ayA and called do,n the aid of TirY,aA ,hose children men areA even as the sna!es are .i'<s children. =t ,as 3ad that the sDua, of $avis !illed the children of .i'. 5et $avis say the charms many times ,hen the corn harvest comes. .i' is .i'. .i' is a 'reat 'od. By the time the corn harvest did comeA Wal!er had succeeded in 'ettin' his ,ife into a deplora3ly Cumpy state. 2is prayers and 3orro,ed incantations came to 3e a nuisanceB and ,hen the autumn rites of the =ndians 3e'anA there ,as al,ays a distant ,ind13orne poundin' of tom1toms to lend an added 3ac!'round of the sinister. =t ,as maddenin' to

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have the muffled clatter al,ays stealin' over the ,ide red plains. Why ,ould it never stopG $ay and ni'htA ,ee! on ,ee!A it ,as al,ays 'oin' in e%haustless relaysA as persistently as the red dusty ,inds that carried it. Audrey loathed it more than her hus3and didA for he sa, in it a compensatin' element of protection. =t ,as ,ith this sense of a mi'htyA intan'i3le 3ul,ar! a'ainst evil that he 'ot in his corn crop and prepared ca3in and sta3le for the comin' ,inter. The autumn ,as a3normally ,armA and e%cept for their primitive coo!ery the $avises found scant use for the stone fireplace Wal!er had 3uilt ,ith such care. Somethin' in the unnaturalness of the hot dust1clouds preyed on the nerves of all the settlersA 3ut most of all on Audrey<s and Wal!er<s. The notions of a hoverin' sna!e1curse and the ,eirdA endless rhythm of the distant =ndian drums formed a 3ad com3ination ,hich any added element of the 3izarre ,ent far to render utterly unendura3le. ;ot,ithstandin' this strainA several festive 'atherin's ,ere held at one or another of the ca3ins after the crops ,ere reapedB !eepin' naively alive in modernity those curious rites of the harvest1home ,hich are as old as human a'riculture itself. 5afayette SmithA ,ho came from southern 8issouri and had a ca3in a3out three miles east of Wal!er<sA ,as a very passa3le fiddlerB and his tunes did much to ma!e the cele3rants for'et the monotonous 3eatin' of the distant tom1toms. Then 2allo,e<en dre, nearA and the settlers planned another frolicUthis timeA had they 3ut !no,n itA of a linea'e older than even a'ricultureB the dread Witch1Sa33ath of the primal pre1AryansA !ept alive throu'h a'es in the midni'ht 3lac!ness of secret ,oodsA and still hintin' at va'ue terrors under its latter1day mas! of comedy and li'htness. 2allo,e<en ,as to fall on a ThursdayA and the nei'h3ours a'reed to 'ather for their first revel at the $avis ca3in. =t ,as on that thirty1first of +cto3er that the ,arm spell 3ro!e. The mornin' ,as 'rey and leadenA and 3y noon the incessant ,inds had chan'ed from searin'ness to ra,ness. >eople shivered all the more 3ecause they ,ere not prepared for the chillA and Wal!er $avis< old do' Wolf dra''ed himself ,earily indoors to a place 3eside the hearth. But the distant drums still thumped onA nor ,ere the ,hite citizenry less inclined to pursue their chosen rites. As early as four in the afternoon the ,a'ons 3e'an to arrive at Wal!er<s ca3inB and in the evenin'A after a memora3le 3ar3ecueA 5afayette Smith<s fiddle inspired a very fair1sized company to 'reat feats of saltatory 'rotesDueness in the one 'ood1sized 3ut cro,ded room. The youn'er fol! indul'ed in the amia3le inanities proper to the seasonA and no, and then old Wolf ,ould ho,l ,ith doleful and spine1tic!lin' ominousness at some especially spectral strain from 5afayette<s sDuea!y violinUa device he had never heard 3efore. 8ostlyA thou'hA this 3attered veteran slept throu'h the merrimentB for he ,as past the a'e of active interests and lived lar'ely in his dreams. Tom and 6ennie :i'3y had 3rou'ht their collie @e!e alon'A 3ut the canines did not fraternise. @e!e seemed stran'ely uneasy over somethin'A and nosed around curiously all the evenin'. Audrey and Wal!er made a fine couple on the floorA and 7randma Compton still li!es to recall her impression of their dancin' that ni'ht. Their ,orries seemed for'otten for the nonceA and Wal!er ,as shaved and trimmed into a surprisin' de'ree of spruceness. By ten o<cloc! all hands ,ere healthily tiredA and the 'uests 3e'an to depart family 3y family ,ith many handsha!in's and 3luff assurances of ,hat a fine time every3ody had had. Tom ands 6ennie thou'ht @e!e<s eerie ho,ls as he follo,ed them to their ,a'on ,ere mar!s of re'ret at havin' to 'o homeB thou'h Audrey said it must 3e the far1a,ay tom1toms ,hich

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annoyed himA for the distant thumpin' ,as surely 'hastly enou'h after the merriment ,ithin. The ni'ht ,as 3itterly coldA and for the first time Wal!er put a 'reat lo' in the fireplace and 3an!ed it ,ith ashes to !eep it smoulderin' till mornin'. +ld Wolf dra''ed himself ,ithin the ruddy 'lo, and lapsed into his customary coma. Audrey and Wal!erA too tired to thin! of charms or cursesA tum3led into the rou'h pine 3ed and ,ere asleep 3efore the cheap alarm1cloc! on the mantel had tic!ed out three minutes. And from far a,ayA the rhythmic poundin' of those hellish tom1toms still pulsed on the chill ni'ht1,ind. $r. 8c;eill paused here and removed his 'lassesA as if a 3lurrin' of the o3Cective ,orld mi'ht ma!e the reminiscent vision clearer. L.ou<ll soon appreciateAL he saidA Lthat = had a 'reat deal of difficulty in piecin' out all that happened after the 'uests left. There ,ere timesA thou'hUat firstU,hen = ,as a3le to ma!e a try at it.L After a moment of silence he ,ent on ,ith the tale. Audrey had terri3le dreams of .i'A ,ho appeared to her in the 'uise of Satan as depicted in cheap en'ravin's she had seen. =t ,asA indeedA from an a3solute ecstasy of ni'htmare that she started suddenly a,a!e to find Wal!er already conscious and sittin' up in 3ed. 2e seemed to 3e listenin' intently to somethin'A and silenced her ,ith a ,hisper ,hen she 3e'an to as! ,hat had roused him. L2ar!A AudFL he 3reathed. L$on<t ye hear somethin< a1sin'in< and 3uzzin< and rustlin<G $<ye rec!on it<s the fall cric!etsGL CertainlyA there ,as distinctly audi3le ,ithin the ca3in such a sound as he had descri3ed. Audrey tried to analyse itA and ,as impressed ,ith some element at once horri3le and familiarA ,hich hovered Cust outside the rim of her memory. And 3eyond it allA ,a!in' a hideous thou'htA the monotonous 3eatin' of the distant tom1toms came incessantly across the 3lac! plains on ,hich a cloudy half1moon had set. LWal!erUs<pose it<sUtheUtheUcurse o< .i'GL She could feel him trem3le. L;oA 'alA = don<t rec!on he comes that a,ay. 2e<s shapen li!e a manA e%cept ye loo! at him clost. That<s ,hat Chief 7rey Ea'le says. This here<s some varmints come in outen the coldUnot cric!etsA = calc<lateA 3ut summat li!e <em. =<d orter 'it up and stomp <em out afore they ma!e much head,ay or 'it at the cup3oard.L 2e roseA felt for the lantern that hun' ,ithin easy reachA and rattled the tin match13o% nailed to the ,all 3eside it. Audrey sat up in 3ed and ,atched the flare of the match 'ro, into the steady 'lo, of the lantern. ThenA as their eyes 3e'an to ta!e in the ,hole of the roomA the crude rafters shoo! ,ith the frenzy of their simultaneous shrie!. 4or the flatA roc!y floorA revealed in the ne,13orn illuminationA ,as one seethin'A 3ro,n1spec!led mass of ,ri''lin' rattlesna!esA slitherin' to,ard the fireA and even no, turnin' their loathsome heads to menace the fri'ht13lasted lantern13earer. =t ,as only for an instant that Audrey sa, the thin's. The reptiles ,ere of every sizeA of uncounta3le num3ersA and apparently of several varietiesB and even as she loo!edA t,o or

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three of them reared their heads as if to stri!e at Wal!er. She did not faintUit ,as Wal!er<s crash to the floor that e%tin'uished the lantern and plun'ed her into 3lac!ness. 2e had not screamed a second timeUfri'ht had paralysed himA and he fell as if shot 3y a silent arro, from no mortal<s 3o,. To Audrey the entire ,orld seemed to ,hirl a3out fantasticallyA min'lin' ,ith the ni'htmare from ,hich she had started. ?oluntary motion of any sort ,as impossi3leA for ,ill and the sense of reality had left her. She fell 3ac! inertly on her pillo,A hopin' that she ,ould ,a!e soon. ;o actual sense of ,hat had happened penetrated her mind for some time. ThenA little 3y littleA the suspicion that she ,as really a,a!e 3e'an to da,n on herB and she ,as convulsed ,ith a mountin' 3lend of panic and 'rief ,hich made her lon' to shrie! out despite the inhi3itin' spell ,hich !ept her mute. Wal!er ,as 'oneA and she had not 3een a3le to help him. 2e had died of sna!esA Cust as the old ,itch1,oman had predicted ,hen he ,as a little 3oy. >oor Wolf had not 3een a3le to helpA eitherUpro3a3ly he had not even a,a!ed from his senile stupor. And no, the cra,lin' thin's must 3e comin' for herA ,rithin' closer and closer every moment in the dar!A perhaps even no, t,inin' slipperily a3out the 3edposts and oozin' up over the coarse ,oollen 3lan!ets. (nconsciously she crept under the clothes and trem3led. =t must 3e the curse of .i'. 2e had sent his monstrous children on All12allo,s< ;i'htA and they had ta!en Wal!er first. Why ,as thatU,asn<t he innocent enou'hG Why not come strai'ht for herUhadn<t she !illed those little rattlers aloneG Then she thou'ht of the curse<s form as told 3y the =ndians. She ,ouldn<t 3e !illedUCust turned to a spotted sna!e. ('hF So she ,ould 3e li!e those thin's she had 'limpsed on the floorUthose thin's ,hich .i' had sent to 'et her and enroll her amon' their num3erF She tried to mum3le a charm that Wal!er had tau'ht herA 3ut found she could not utter a sin'le sound. The noisy tic!in' of the alarm1cloc! sounded a3ove the maddenin' 3eat of the distant tom1toms. The sna!es ,ere ta!in' a lon' timeUdid they mean to delay on purpose to play on her nervesG Every no, and then she thou'ht she felt a steadyA insidious pressure on the 3edclothesA 3ut each time it turned out to 3e only the automatic t,itchin's of her over,rou'ht nerves. The cloc! tic!ed on in the dar!A and a chan'e came slo,ly over her thou'hts. Those sna!es couldn+t have ta!en so lon'F They couldn<t 3e .i'<s messen'ers after allA 3ut Cust natural rattlers that ,ere nested 3elo, the roc! and had 3een dra,n there 3y the fire. They ,eren<t comin' for herA perhapsUperhaps they had sated themselves on poor Wal!er. Where ,ere they no,G 7oneG Coiled 3y the fireG Still cra,lin' over the prone corpse of their victimG The cloc! tic!edA and the distant drums thro33ed on. At the thou'ht of her hus3and<s 3ody lyin' there in the pitch 3lac!ness a thrill of purely physical horror passed over Audrey. That story of Sally Compton<s a3out the man 3ac! in Scott CountyF 2eA tooA had 3een 3itten 3y a ,hole 3unch of rattlesna!esA and ,hat had happened to himG The poison had rotted the flesh and s,elled the ,hole corpseA and in the end the 3loated thin' had 3urst horri3lyU3urst horri3ly ,ith a detesta3le popping noise. Was that ,hat ,as happenin' to Wal!er do,n there on the roc! floorG =nstinctively she felt she had 3e'un to listen for somethin' too terri3le even to name to herself.

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The cloc! tic!ed onA !eepin' a !ind of moc!in'A sardonic time ,ith the far1off drummin' that the ni'ht1,ind 3rou'ht. She ,ished it ,ere a stri!in' cloc!A so that she could !no, ho, lon' this eldritch vi'il must last. She cursed the tou'hness of fi3re that !ept her from faintin'A and ,ondered ,hat sort of relief the da,n could 3rin'A after all. >ro3a3ly nei'h3ours ,ould passUno dou3t some3ody ,ould callU,ould they find her still saneG Was she still sane no,G 8or3idly listenin'A Audrey all at once 3ecame a,are of somethin' ,hich she had to verify ,ith every effort of her ,ill 3efore she could 3elieve itB and ,hichA once verifiedA she did not !no, ,hether to ,elcome or dread. T"e distant beating of t"e Indian tom-toms "ad ceased% They had al,ays maddened herU3ut had not Wal!er re'arded them as a 3ul,ar! a'ainst nameless evil from outside the universeG What ,ere some of those thin's he had repeated to her in ,hispers after tal!in' ,ith 7rey Ea'le and the Wichita medicine1 menG She did not relish this ne, and sudden silenceA after allF There ,as somethin' sinister a3out it. The loud1tic!in' cloc! seemed a3normal in its ne, loneliness. Capa3le at last of conscious motionA she shoo! the covers from her face and loo!ed into the dar!ness to,ard the ,indo,. =t must have cleared after the moon setA for she sa, the sDuare aperture distinctly a'ainst the 3ac!'round of stars. Then ,ithout ,arnin' came that shoc!in'A unuttera3le soundUu'hFUthat dullA putrid pop of cleft s!in and escapin' poison in the dar!. 7odFUSally<s storyUthat o3scene stenchA and this 'na,in'A cla,in' silenceF =t ,as too much. The 3onds of muteness snappedA and the 3lac! ni'ht ,a%ed rever3erant ,ith Audrey<s screams of star!A un3ridled frenzy. Consciousness did not pass a,ay ,ith the shoc!. 2o, merciful if only it hadF Amidst the echoes of her shrie!in' Audrey still sa, the star1sprin!led sDuare of ,indo, aheadA and heard the doom13odin' tic!in' of that fri'htful cloc!. $id she hear another soundG Was that sDuare ,indo, still a perfect sDuareG She ,as in no condition to ,ei'h the evidence of her senses or distin'uish 3et,een fact and hallucination. ;oUthat ,indo, ,as not a perfect sDuare. Somet"ing "ad encroac"ed on t"e lo$er edge% ;or ,as the tic!in' of the cloc! the only sound in the room. There ,asA 3eyond disputeA a heavy 3reathin' neither her o,n nor poor Wolf<s. Wolf slept very silentlyA and his ,a!eful ,heezin' ,as unmista!a3le. Then Audrey sa, a'ainst the stars the 3lac!A daemoniac silhouette of somethin' anthropoidUthe undulant 3ul! of a 'i'antic head and shoulders fum3lin' slo,ly to,ard her. L.<aaaahF .<aaaahF 7o a,ayF 7o a,ayF 7o a,ayA sna!e1devilF 7o <,ayA .i'F = didn<t mean to !ill <emU= ,as feared he<d 3e scairt of <em. $on<tA .i'A don<tF = didn<t 'o for to hurt yore chillenUdon<t come ni'h meUdon<t chan'e me into no spotted sna!eFL But the half1formless head and shoulders only lurched on,ard to,ard the 3edA very silently. Everythin' snapped at once inside Audrey<s headA and in a second she had turned from a co,erin' child to a ra'in' mad,oman. She !ne, ,here the a%e ,asUhun' a'ainst the ,all on those pe's near the lantern. =t ,as ,ithin easy reachA and she could find it in the

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dar!. Before she ,as conscious of anythin' further it ,as in her handsA and she ,as creepin' to,ard the foot of the 3edUto,ard the monstrous head and shoulders that every moment 'roped their ,ay nearer. 2ad there 3een any li'htA the loo! on her face ,ould not have 3een pleasant to see. LTa!e t"atA youF And t"atA and t"atA and t"atCL She ,as lau'hin' shrilly no,A and her cac!les mounted hi'her as she sa, that the starli'ht 3eyond the ,indo, ,as yieldin' to the dim prophetic pallor of comin' da,n. $r. 8c;eill ,iped the perspiration from his forehead and put on his 'lasses a'ain. = ,aited for him to resumeA and as he !ept silent = spo!e softly. LShe livedG She ,as foundG Was it ever e%plainedGL The doctor cleared his throat. L.esUshe livedA in a ,ay. And it ,as e%plained. = told you there ,as no 3e,itchmentU only cruelA pitifulA material horror.L =t ,as Sally Compton ,ho had made the discovery. She had ridden over to the $avis ca3in the ne%t afternoon to tal! over the party ,ith AudreyA and had seen no smo!e from the chimney. That ,as Dueer. =t had turned very ,arm a'ainA yet Audrey ,as usually coo!in' somethin' at that hour. The mules ,ere ma!in' hun'ry1soundin' noises in the 3arnA and there ,as no si'n of old Wolf sunnin' himself in the accustomed spot 3y the door. Alto'etherA Sally did not li!e the loo! of the placeA so ,as very timid and hesitant as she dismounted and !noc!ed. She 'ot no ans,er 3ut ,aited some time 3efore tryin' the crude door of split lo's. The loc!A it appearedA ,as unfastenedB and she slo,ly pushed her ,ay in. ThenA perceivin' ,hat ,as thereA she reeled 3ac!A 'aspedA and clun' to the Cam3 to preserve her 3alance. A terri3le odour had ,elled out as she opened the doorA 3ut that ,as not ,hat had stunned her. =t ,as ,hat she had seen. 4or ,ithin that shado,y ca3in monstrous thin's had happened and three shoc!in' o3Cects remained on the floor to a,e and 3affle the 3eholder. ;ear the 3urned1out fireplace ,as the 'reat do'Upurple decay on the s!in left 3are 3y man'e and old a'eA and the ,hole carcass 3urst 3y the puffin' effect of rattlesna!e poison. =t must have 3een 3itten 3y a verita3le le'ion of the reptiles. To the ri'ht of the door ,as the a%e1hac!ed remnant of ,hat had 3een a manUclad in a ni'htshirtA and ,ith the shattered 3ul! of a lantern clenched in one hand. 9e $as totally free from any sign of snake-bite. ;ear him lay the ensan'uined a%eA carelessly discarded. And ,ri''lin' flat on the floor ,as a loathsomeA vacant1eyed thin' that had 3een a ,omanA 3ut ,as no, only a mute mad caricature. All that this thin' could do ,as to hissA and hissA and hiss.

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Both the doctor and = ,ere 3rushin' cold drops from our foreheads 3y this time. 2e poured somethin' from a flas! on his des!A too! a nipA and handed another 'lass to me. = could only su''est tremulously and stupidly9 LSo Wal!er had only fainted that first timeUthe screams roused himA and the a%e did the restGL L.es.L $r. 8c;eill<s voice ,as lo,. LBut he met his death from sna!es Cust the same. =t ,as his fear ,or!in' in t,o ,aysUit made him faintA and it made him fill his ,ife ,ith the ,ild stories that caused her to stri!e out ,hen she thou'ht she sa, the sna!e1devil.L = thou'ht for a moment. LAnd AudreyU,asn<t it Dueer ho, the curse of .i' seemed to ,or! itself out on herG = suppose the impression of hissin' sna!es had 3een fairly 'round into her.L L.es. There ,ere lucid spells at firstA 3ut they 'ot to 3e fe,er and fe,er. 2er hair came ,hite at the roots as it 're,A and later 3e'an to fall out. The s!in 're, 3lotchyA and ,hen she diedUL = interrupted ,ith a start. L#ied/ Then ,hat ,as thatUthat thin' do,nstairsGL 8c;eill spo!e 'ravely. LThat is ,hat ,as 3orn to her three1Duarters of a year after,ard. There ,ere three more of themUt,o ,ere even ,orseU3ut this is the only one that lived.L

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= am ,ritin' this under an apprecia3le mental strainA since 3y toni'ht = shall 3e no more. >ennilessA and at the end of my supply of the dru' ,hich aloneA ma!es life endura3leA = can 3ear the torture no lon'erB and shall cast myself from this 'arret ,indo, into the sDualid street 3elo,. $o not thin! from my slavery to morphine that = am a ,ea!lin' or a de'enerate. When you have read these hastily scra,led pa'es you may 'uessA thou'h never fully realiseA ,hy it is that = must have for'etfulness or death. =t ,as in one of the most open and least freDuented parts of the 3road >acific that the pac!et of ,hich = ,as supercar'o fell a victim to the 7erman sea1raider. The 'reat ,ar ,as then at its very 3e'innin'A and the ocean forces of the 2un had not completely sun! to their later de'radationB so that our vessel ,as made a le'itimate prizeA ,hilst ,e of her cre, ,ere treated ,ith all the fairness and consideration due us as naval prisoners. So li3eralA indeedA ,as the discipline of our captorsA that five days after ,e ,ere ta!en = mana'ed to escape alone in a small 3oat ,ith ,ater and provisions for a 'ood len'th of time. When = finally found myself adrift and freeA = had 3ut little idea of my surroundin's. ;ever a competent navi'atorA = could only 'uess va'uely 3y the sun and stars that = ,as some,hat south of the eDuator. +f the lon'itude = !ne, nothin'A and no island or coastline ,as in si'ht. The ,eather !ept fairA and for uncounted days = drifted aimlessly 3eneath the scorchin' sunB ,aitin' either for some passin' shipA or to 3e cast on the shores of some ha3ita3le land. But neither ship nor land appearedA and = 3e'an to despair in my solitude upon the heavin' vastness of un3ro!en 3lue. The chan'e happened ,hilst = slept. =ts details = shall never !no,B for my slum3erA thou'h trou3led and dream1infestedA ,as continuous. When at last = a,a!enedA it ,as to discover myself half suc!ed into a slimy e%panse of hellish 3lac! mire ,hich e%tended a3out me in monotonous undulations as far as = could seeA and in ,hich my 3oat lay 'rounded some distance a,ay. Thou'h one mi'ht ,ell ima'ine that my first sensation ,ould 3e of ,onder at so prodi'ious and une%pected a transformation of sceneryA = ,as in reality more horrified than astonishedB for there ,as in the air and in the rottin' soil a sinister Duality ,hich chilled me to the very core. The re'ion ,as putrid ,ith the carcasses of decayin' fishA and of other less descri3a3le thin's ,hich = sa, protrudin' from the nasty mud of the unendin' plain. >erhaps = should not hope to convey in mere ,ords the unuttera3le hideousness that can d,ell in a3solute silence and 3arren immensity. There ,as nothin' ,ithin hearin'A and nothin' in si'ht save a vast reach of 3lac! slimeB yet the very completeness of the stillness and the homo'eneity of the landscape oppressed me ,ith a nauseatin' fear. The sun ,as 3lazin' do,n from a s!y ,hich seemed to me almost 3lac! in its cloudless crueltyB as thou'h reflectin' the in!y marsh 3eneath my feet. As = cra,led into the stranded 3oat = realised that only one theory could e%plain my position. Throu'h some unprecedented volcanic upheavalA a portion of the ocean floor must have 3een thro,n to the surfaceA e%posin' re'ions ,hich for innumera3le millions of years had lain hidden under unfathoma3le ,atery depths. So 'reat ,as the e%tent of the ne, land ,hich had

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risen 3eneath meA that = could not detect the faintest noise of the sur'in' oceanA strain my ears as = mi'ht. ;or ,ere there any sea1fo,l to prey upon the dead thin's. 4or several hours = sat thin!in' or 3roodin' in the 3oatA ,hich lay upon its side and afforded a sli'ht shade as the sun moved across the heavens. As the day pro'ressedA the 'round lost some of its stic!inessA and seemed li!ely to dry sufficiently for travellin' purposes in a short time. That ni'ht = slept 3ut littleA and the ne%t day = made for myself a pac! containin' food and ,aterA preparatory to an overland Courney in search of the vanished sea and possi3le rescue. +n the third mornin' = found the soil dry enou'h to ,al! upon ,ith ease. The odour of the fish ,as maddenin'B 3ut = ,as too much concerned ,ith 'raver thin's to mind so sli'ht an evilA and set out 3oldly for an un!no,n 'oal. All day = for'ed steadily ,est,ardA 'uided 3y a far1a,ay hummoc! ,hich rose hi'her than any other elevation on the rollin' desert. That ni'ht = encampedA and on the follo,in' day still travelled to,ard the hummoc!A thou'h that o3Cect seemed scarcely nearer than ,hen = had first espied it. By the fourth evenin' = attained the 3ase of the moundA ,hich turned out to 3e much hi'her than it had appeared from a distanceA an intervenin' valley settin' it out in sharper relief from the 'eneral surface. Too ,eary to ascendA = slept in the shado, of the hill. = !no, not ,hy my dreams ,ere so ,ild that ni'htB 3ut ere the ,anin' and fantastically 'i33ous moon had risen far a3ove the eastern plainA = ,as a,a!e in a cold perspirationA determined to sleep no more. Such visions as = had e%perienced ,ere too much for me to endure a'ain. And in the 'lo, of the moon = sa, ho, un,ise = had 3een to travel 3y day. Without the 'lare of the parchin' sunA my Courney ,ould have cost me less ener'yB indeedA = no, felt Duite a3le to perform the ascent ,hich had deterred me at sunset. >ic!in' up my pac!A = started for the crest of the eminence. = have said that the un3ro!en monotony of the rollin' plain ,as a source of va'ue horror to meB 3ut = thin! my horror ,as 'reater ,hen = 'ained the summit of the mound and loo!ed do,n the other side into an immeasura3le pit or canyonA ,hose 3lac! recesses the moon had not yet soared hi'h enou'h to illumine. = felt myself on the ed'e of the ,orldA peerin' over the rim into a fathomless chaos of eternal ni'ht. Throu'h my terror ran curious reminiscences of >aradise 5ostA and Satan<s hideous clim3 throu'h the unfashioned realms of dar!ness. As the moon clim3ed hi'her in the s!yA = 3e'an to see that the slopes of the valley ,ere not Duite so perpendicular as = had ima'ined. 5ed'es and outcroppin's of roc! afforded fairly easy footholds for a descentA ,hilst after a drop of a fe, hundred feetA the declivity 3ecame very 'radual. (r'ed on 3y an impulse ,hich = cannot definitely analyseA = scram3led ,ith difficulty do,n the roc!s and stood on the 'entler slope 3eneathA 'azin' into the Sty'ian deeps ,here no li'ht had yet penetrated. All at once my attention ,as captured 3y a vast and sin'ular o3Cect on the opposite slopeA ,hich rose steeply a3out a hundred yards ahead of meB an o3Cect that 'leamed ,hitely in the ne,ly 3esto,ed rays of the ascendin' moon. That it ,as merely a 'i'antic piece of stoneA = soon assured myselfB 3ut = ,as conscious of a distinct impression that its contour and position ,ere not alto'ether the ,or! of ;ature. A closer scrutiny filled me ,ith sensations = cannot e%pressB for despite its enormous ma'nitudeA and its position in an a3yss ,hich had ya,ned at the 3ottom of the sea since the ,orld ,as youn'A = perceived

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3eyond a dou3t that the stran'e o3Cect ,as a ,ell1shaped monolith ,hose massive 3ul! had !no,n the ,or!manship and perhaps the ,orship of livin' and thin!in' creatures. $azed and fri'htenedA yet not ,ithout a certain thrill of the scientist<s or archaeolo'ist<s deli'htA = e%amined my surroundin's more closely. The moonA no, near the zenithA shone ,eirdly and vividly a3ove the to,erin' steeps that hemmed in the chasmA and revealed the fact that a far1flun' 3ody of ,ater flo,ed at the 3ottomA ,indin' out of si'ht in 3oth directionsA and almost lappin' my feet as = stood on the slope. Across the chasmA the ,avelets ,ashed the 3ase of the Cyclopean monolithA on ,hose surface = could no, trace 3oth inscriptions and crude sculptures. The ,ritin' ,as in a system of hiero'lyphics un!no,n to meA and unli!e anythin' = had ever seen in 3oo!sA consistin' for the most part of conventionalised aDuatic sym3ols such as fishesA eelsA octopiA crustaceansA molluscsA ,hales and the li!e. Several characters o3viously represented marine thin's ,hich are un!no,n to the modern ,orldA 3ut ,hose decomposin' forms = had o3served on the ocean1risen plain. =t ,as the pictorial carvin'A ho,everA that did most to hold me spell3ound. >lainly visi3le across the intervenin' ,ater on account of their enormous size ,as an array of 3as1 reliefs ,hose su3Cects ,ould have e%cited the envy of a $ore. = thin! that these thin's ,ere supposed to depict men 11 at leastA a certain sort of menB thou'h the creatures ,ere sho,n disportin' li!e fishes in the ,aters of some marine 'rottoA or payin' homa'e at some monolithic shrine ,hich appeared to 3e under the ,aves as ,ell. +f their faces and forms = dare not spea! in detailA for the mere remem3rance ma!es me 'ro, faint. 7rotesDue 3eyond the ima'ination of a >oe or a Bul,erA they ,ere damna3ly human in 'eneral outline despite ,e33ed hands and feetA shoc!in'ly ,ide and fla33y lipsA 'lassyA 3ul'in' eyesA and other features less pleasant to recall. Curiously enou'hA they seemed to have 3een chiselled 3adly out of proportion ,ith their scenic 3ac!'roundB for one of the creatures ,as sho,n in the act of !illin' a ,hale represented as 3ut little lar'er than himself. = remar!edA as = sayA their 'rotesDueness and stran'e sizeB 3ut in a moment decided that they ,ere merely the ima'inary 'ods of some primitive fishin' or seafarin' tri3eB some tri3e ,hose last descendant had perished eras 3efore the first ancestor of the >iltdo,n or ;eanderthal 8an ,as 3orn. A,estruc! at this une%pected 'limpse into a past 3eyond the conception of the most darin' anthropolo'istA = stood musin' ,hilst the moon cast Dueer reflections on the silent channel 3efore me. Then suddenly = sa, it. With only a sli'ht churnin' to mar! its rise to the surfaceA the thin' slid into vie, a3ove the dar! ,aters. ?astA >olyphemus1li!eA and loathsomeA it darted li!e a stupendous monster of ni'htmares to the monolithA a3out ,hich it flun' its 'i'antic scaly armsA the ,hile it 3o,ed its hideous head and 'ave vent to certain measured sounds. = thin! = ,ent mad then. +f my frantic ascent of the slope and cliffA and of my delirious Courney 3ac! to the stranded 3oatA = remem3er little. = 3elieve = san' a 'reat dealA and lau'hed oddly ,hen = ,as una3le to sin'. = have indistinct recollections of a 'reat storm some time after = reached the 3oatB at any rateA = !ne, that = heard peals of thunder and other tones ,hich ;ature utters only in her ,ildest moods. When = came out of the shado,s = ,as in a San 4rancisco hospitalB 3rou'ht thither 3y the captain of the American ship ,hich had pic!ed up my 3oat in mid1ocean. =n my delirium = had said muchA 3ut found that my ,ords had 3een 'iven scant attention. +f any

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land upheaval in the >acificA my rescuers !ne, nothin'B nor did = deem it necessary to insist upon a thin' ,hich = !ne, they could not 3elieve. +nce = sou'ht out a cele3rated ethnolo'istA and amused him ,ith peculiar Duestions re'ardin' the ancient >hilistine le'end of $a'onA the 4ish17odB 3ut soon perceivin' that he ,as hopelessly conventionalA = did not press my inDuiries. =t is at ni'htA especially ,hen the moon is 'i33ous and ,anin'A that = see the thin'. = tried morphineB 3ut the dru' has 'iven only transient surceaseA and has dra,n me into its clutches as a hopeless slave. So no, = am to end it allA havin' ,ritten a full account for the information or the contemptuous amusement of my fello,1men. +ften = as! myself if it could not all have 3een a pure phantasm 11 a mere frea! of fever as = lay sun1stric!en and ravin' in the open 3oat after my escape from the 7erman man1of1,ar. This = as! myselfA 3ut ever does there come 3efore me a hideously vivid vision in reply. = cannot thin! of the deep sea ,ithout shudderin' at the nameless thin's that may at this very moment 3e cra,lin' and flounderin' on its slimy 3edA ,orshippin' their ancient stone idols and carvin' their o,n detesta3le li!enesses on su3marine o3elis!s of ,ater1soa!ed 'ranite. = dream of a day ,hen they may rise a3ove the 3illo,s to dra' do,n in their ree!in' talons the remnants of punyA ,ar1e%hausted man!ind 11 of a day ,hen the land shall sin!A and the dar! ocean floor shall ascend amidst universal pandemonium. The end is near. = hear a noise at the doorA as of some immense slippery 3ody lum3erin' a'ainst it. =t shall not find me. 7odA that handF The ,indo,F The ,indo,F

The /esce#$ #t
=n 5ondon there is a man ,ho screams ,hen the church 3ells rin'. 2e lives all alone ,ith his strea!ed cat in 7ray<s =nnA and people call him harmlessly mad. 2is room is filled ,ith 3oo!s of the tamest and most puerile !indA and hour after hour he tries to lose himself in their fee3le pa'es. All he see!s from life is not to thin!. 4or some reason thou'ht is very horri3le to himA and anythin' ,hich stirs the ima'ination he flees as a pla'ue. 2e is very thin and 'rey and ,rin!ledA hut there are those ,ho declare he is not nearly so old as he loo!s. 4ear has its 'risly cla,s upon himA and a sound ,ill ma!e him start ,ith starin' eyes and s,eat13eaded forehead. 4riends and companions he shunsA for he ,ishes to ans,er no Duestions. Those ,ho once !ne, him as scholar and aesthete say it is very pitiful to see him no,. 2e dropped them all years a'oA and no one feels sure ,hether he left the country or merely san! from si'ht in some hidden 3y,ay. =t is a decade no, since he moved into 7ray<s =nnA and of ,here he had 3een he ,ould say nothin' till the ni'ht youn' Williams 3ou'ht the ;ecronomicon. Williams ,as a dreamerA and only t,enty1threeA and ,hen he moved into the ancient house he felt a stran'eness and a 3reath of cosmic ,ind a3out the 'rey ,izened man in the ne%t room. 2e forced his friendship ,here old friends dared not force theirsA and marvelled at the fri'ht that sat upon this 'auntA ha''ard ,atcher and listener. 4or that the man al,ays ,atched and listened no one could dou3t. 2e ,atched and listened ,ith his mind more than ,ith his eyes and earsA and strove every moment to dro,n somethin' in his ceaseless porin' over 'ayA insipid novels. And ,hen the church 3ells ran' he ,ould stop his ears and screamA and the 'rey cat that d,elt ,ith him ,ould ho,l in unison till the last peal died rever3erantly a,ay. But try as Williams ,ouldA he could not ma!e his nei'h3our spea! of anythin' profound or hidden. The old man ,ould not live up to his aspect and mannerA 3ut ,ould fei'n a smile and a li'ht tone and prattle feverishly and frantically of cheerful triflesB his voice every moment risin' and thic!enin' till at last it ,ould split in a pipin' and incoherent falsetto. That his learnin' ,as deep and thorou'hA his most trivial remar!s made a3undantly clearB and Williams ,as not surprised to hear that he had 3een to 2arro, and +%ford. 5ater it developed that he ,as none other than 5ord ;orthamA of ,hose ancient hereditary castle on the .or!shire coast so many odd thin's ,ere toldB 3ut ,hen Williams tried to tal! of the castleA and of its reputed :oman ori'inA he refused to admit that there ,as anythin' unusual a3out it. 2e even tittered shrilly ,hen the su3Cect of the supposed under cryptsA he,n out of the solid cra' that fro,ns on the ;orth SeaA ,as 3rou'ht up. So matters ,ent till that ni'ht ,hen Williams 3rou'ht home the infamous ;ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul Alhazred. 2e had !no,n of the dreaded volume since his si%teenth yearA ,hen his da,nin' love of the 3izarre had led him to as! Dueer Duestions of a 3ent old 3oo!seller in Chandos StreetB and he had al,ays ,ondered ,hy men paled ,hen they spo!e of it. The old 3oo!seller had told him that only five copies ,ere !no,n to have survived the shoc!ed edicts of the priests and la,'ivers a'ainst it and that all of these ,ere loc!ed up ,ith fri'htened care 3y custodians ,ho had ventured to 3e'in a readin' of the hateful 3lac!1letter. But no,A at lastA he had not only found an accessi3le copy 3ut had made it his o,n at a ludicrously lo, fi'ure. =t ,as at a 6e,<s shop

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $escendant

1)8

in the sDualid precincts of 7lare 8ar!etA ,here he had often 3ou'ht stran'e thin's 3eforeA and he almost fancied the 'narled <old 5evite smiled amidst tan'les of 3eard as the 'reat discovery ,as made. The 3ul!y leather cover ,ith the 3rass clasp had 3een so prominently visi3leA and the price ,as so a3surdly sli'ht. The one 'limpse he had had of the title ,as enou'h to send him into transportsA and some of the dia'rams set in the va'ue 5atin te%t e%cited the tensest and most disDuietin' recollections in his 3rain. 2e felt it ,as hi'hly necessary to 'et the ponderous thin' home and 3e'in decipherin' itA and 3ore it out of the shop ,ith such precipitate haste that the old 6e, chuc!led distur3in'ly 3ehind him But ,hen at last it ,as safe in his room he found the com3ination of 3lac!1letter and de3ased idiom too much for his po,ers as a lin'uistA and reluctantly called on his stran'eA fri'htened friend for help ,ith the t,istedA mediaeval 5atin. 5ord ;ortham ,as simperin' inanities to his strea!ed catA and started violently ,hen the youn' man entered. Then he sa, the volume and shuddered ,ildlyA and fainted alto'ether ,hen Williams uttered the title. =t ,as ,hen he re'ained his senses that he told his storyB told his fantastic fi'ment of madness in frantic ,hispersA lest his friend 3e not Duic! to 3urn the accursed 3oo! and 'ive ,ide scatterin' to its ashes. There mustA 5ord ;ortham ,hisperedA have 3een somethin' ,ron' at the startB 3ut it ,ould never have come to a head if he had not e%plored too far. 2e ,as the nineteenth Baron of a line ,hose 3e'inin's ,ent uncomforti3lly far 3ac! into the past1 un3elieva3ly farA if va'ue tradition could 3e heededA for there ,ere familytales of a descent from pre1 Sa%on timesA ,hen a certain Cnaeus 7a3inius CapitoA military tri3une in the Third Au'ustan 5e'ion then stationed at 5indum in :oman BritainA had 3een summarily e%pelled from his command for participation in Certain rites unconnected ,ith any !no,n reli'ion. 7a3inius hadA the rumour ranA come upon a cliffside cavern ,here stran'e fol! met to'ether and made the Elder Si'n in the dar!B stran'e fol! ,hom the Britons !ne, not save in fearA and ,ho ,ere the last to survive from a 'reat land in the ,est that had sun!A leavin' only the islands ,ith the raths and circles and shrines of ,hich Stonehen'e ,as the 'reatest. There ,as no certaintyA of courseA in the le'end that 7a3inius had 3uilt an impre'na3le fortress over the for3idden cave and founded a line ,hich >ict and Sa%onA $ane and ;orman ,ere po,erless to o3literateB or in the tacit assumption that from this line spran' the 3old companion and lieutenant of the Blac! >rince ,hom Ed,ard Third created Baron of ;ortham. These thin's ,ere not certainA yet they ,ere often toldB and in truth the stone,or! of ;ortham 0eep did loo! alarmin'ly li!e the masonry of 2adrian<s Wall. As a child 5ord ;ortham had had peculiar dreams ,hen sleepin' in the older parts of the castleA and had acDuired a constant ha3it of loo!in' 3ac! throu'h his memory for half1 amorphous scenes and patterns and impressions ,hich formed no part of his ,a!in' e%perience. 2e 3ecame a dreamer ,ho found life tame and unsatisfyin'B a searcher for stran'e realms and relationships once familiarA yet lyin' no,here in the visi3le re'ions of earth. 4illed ,ith a feelin' that our tan'i3le ,orld is only an atom in a fa3ric vast and ominousA and that un!no,n demesnes press on and permeate the sphere of the !no,n at every pointA ;ortham in youth and youn' manhood drained in turn the founts of formal reli'ion and occult mystery. ;o,hereA ho,everA could he find ease and contentB and as he 're, older the staleness and limitations of life 3ecame more and more maddenin' to him. $urin' the <nineties he da33led in SatanismA and at all times he devoured avidly any doctrine or theory ,hich seemed to promise escape from the dose vistas of science and the dully unvaryin' la,s of ;ature. Boo!s li!e ='natius $onnelly<s chimerical account of Atlantis he a3sor3ed ,ith zestA and a dozen o3scure precursors of Charles 4ort enthralled him ,ith their va'aries. 2e ,ould travel lea'ues to follo, up a furtive villa'e tale of

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $escendant

1))

a3normal ,onderA and once ,ent into the desert of Ara3y to see! a ;ameless City of faint reportA ,hich no man has ever 3eheld. There rose ,ithin him the tantalisin' faith that some,here an easy 'ate e%istedA ,hich if one found ,ould admit him freely to those outer deeps ,hose echoes rattled so dimly at the 3ac! of his memory. =t mi'ht 3e in the visi3le ,orldA yet it mi'ht 3e only in his mind and soul. >erhaps he held ,ithin his o,n half1 e%plored 3rain that cryptic lin! ,hich ,ould a,a!en him to elder and future lives in for'otten dimensionsB ,hich ,ould 3ind him to the starsA and to the infinities and eternities 3eyond them.

The /i r& o! Alo#"o T&*er

E$=T+:<S ;+TE9 Alonzo 2as3rouch Typer of 0in'stonA ;e, .or!A ,as last seen and reco'nized on April 17A 1)*8A around noonA at the 2otel :ichmond in Batavia. 2e ,as the only survivor of an ancient (lster Country familyA and ,as fifty1three years old at the time of his disapperance. 8r. Typer ,as educated privately and at Colum3ia and 2eidel3er' universities. All his life ,as spent as a studentA the field of his researches includin' many o3scure and 'enerally feared 3orderlands of human !no,led'e. 2is papers on vampirismA 'houls and polter'eist phenomena ,ere privately printed after reCection 3y many pu3lishers. 2e resi'ned from the Society for >sychical :esearch in 1)** after a series of peculiarly 3itter controversies. At various times 8r. Typer traveled e%tensivelyA sometimes droppin' out of site for lon' periods. 2e is !no,n to have visited o3scure spots in ;epalA =ndiaA Ti3etA and =ndo1ChinaA and passed most of the year 18)) on mysterious Easter =sland. The e%tensive search for 8r. Typer after his disappeaance yielded no resultsA and his estate ,as divided amon' distant cousins in ;e, .or! City. The diary here,ith presented ,as alle'edly found in the ruins of a lar'e country house near AtticaA ;...A ,hich had 3orne a curiously sinister reputation for 'enerations 3efore its collapse. The edifice ,as very oldA antedatin' the 'eneral ,hite settlement of the re'ionA and had formed the home of a stran'e and secretive family named van der 2eylA ,hich had mi'rated from Al3any in 17#- under a curious cloud of ,itchcraft suspicion. The structure pro3a3ly dated from a3out 17-*. +f the history of the van der 2eyls very little is !no,n. They remained entirely aloof from their normal nei'h3orsA employed ne'ro servants 3rou'ht directly from Africa and spea!in' little En'lishA and educated their children privately and at European colle'es. Those of them ,ho ,ent out into the ,orld ,ere soon lost to si'htA thou'h not 3efore 'ainin' evil repute for association ,ith Blac! 8ass 'roups and cults of even dar!er si'nificance. Around the dreaded house a stra''lin' villa'e aroseA populated 3y =ndians and later 3y rene'ades from the surroundin' contryA ,hich 3ore the du3ious name of Chorazin. +f the sin'ular hereditary strains ,hich after,ard appeared in the mi%ed Chorazin villa'ersA several mono'raphs have 3een ,ritten 3y ethnolo'ists. 6ust 3ehind the villa'eA and in si'ht of the van der 2eyl houseA is a steep hill cro,ned ,ith a peculiar rin' of ancient standin' stones ,hich the =roDuois al,ays re'arded ,ith fear and loathin'. The ori'in and nature of the stonesA ,hose dateA accordin' to archeolo'ical and climatalo'ical evidenceA must 3e fa3ulously earlyA is a pro3lem still unsolved. 4rom a3out 17) on,ardA the le'ends of the incomin' pioneers and later population have much to say a3out stran'e cries and chants proceedin' at certain seaons from Chorazin and from the 'reat house and hill of standin' stonesB thou'h there is reason to suppose that the noises ceased a3out 187"A ,hen the entire van der 2eyl household 1 servants and all 1 suddenly and simultaneously disappeared.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer

"*1

Thencefor,ard the house ,as desertedB for other disastrous events 1 includin' three une%plained deathsA five disappearancesA and four cases of sudden insanity 1 occurred ,hen later o,ners and interested visitors attempted to stay in it. The houseA villa'eA and e%tensive rural areas on all sides reverted to the state and ,ere auctioned off in the a3sence of discovera3le van der 2eyl heirs. Since a3out 18)* the o,ners Jsuccessively the late Charles A. Shields and his son +scar S. ShieldsA of BuffaloK have left the entire property in a state of a3solute ne'lectA and have ,arned all inDuirers not to visit the re'ion. +f those !no,n to have approached the house durin' the last forty yearsA most ,ere occult studentsA police officersA ne,spaper menA and odd characters from a3road. Amon' the latter ,as a mysterious EurasianA pro3a3ly from Chochin1ChinaA ,hose later appearance ,ith 3lan! mind and 3izarre mutilations e%cited ,ide press notice in 1)*&. 8r. Typer<s diary 1 a 3oo! a3out - % & 1Z" inches in sizeA ,ith tou'h paper and an oddly dura3le 3indin' of thin sheet metal 1 ,as discovered in the possession of one of the decadent Chorazin villa'ers on ;ovem3er 1-A 1)& A 3y a state policeman sent to investi'ate the rumored collapse of the deserted van der 2eyl mansion. The house had indeed fallenA o3viously from sheer a'e and decrepitudeA in the severe 'ale of ;ovem3er 1". $isinter'ration ,as peculiarly completeA and no thorou'h search of the ruins could 3e made for several ,ee!s. 6ohn Ea'leA the s,arthyA simian1facedA =ndian1li!e villa'er ,ho had the diaryA said that he found the 3oo! Duite near the surface of the de3risA in ,hat must have 3een an upper front room. ?ery little of the contents of the house could 3e identifiedA thou'h an enormous and astonishin'ly solid 3ric! vault in the cellar J,hose ancient iron door had to 3e 3lasted open 3ecause of the stran'ely fi'ured and perversely tenacious loc!K remained intact and presented several puzzlin' features. 4or one thin'A the ,alls ,ere covered ,ith still undeciphered hiero'lyphs rou'hly incised in the 3ric!,or!. Another peculiarity ,as a hu'e circular aperture in the rear of the vaultA 3loc!ed 3y a cave1in evidently caused 3y the collapse of the house. But stran'est of all ,as the apparently recent deposit of some fetidA slimyA pitch13lac! su3stance on the fla'stoned floorA e%tendin' in a yard3roadA irre'ular line ,ith one end at the 3loc!ed circular aperture. Those ,ho first opened the vault declared that the place smelled li!e the sna!e1house at a zoo. The diaryA ,hich ,as apparently desi'ned solely to cover an investi'ation of the dreaded van der 2eyl houseA 3y the vanished 8r. TyperA has 3een proved 3y hand,ritin' e%perts to 3e 'enuine. The script sho,s si'ns of increasin' nervous strain as it pro'resses to,ard the endA in places 3ecomin' almost ille'i3le. Chorazin villa'ers 1 ,hose stupidity and taciturnity 3affle all students of the re'ion and its secrets 1 admit no recollection of 8r. Typer as distin'uished from other rash visitors to the dreaded house. The te%t of the diary is here 'iven ver3atim and ,ithout comment. 2o, to interpret itA and ,hatA other than the ,riter<s madnessA to infer from itA the reader must decide for himself. +nly the future can tell ,hat its value may 3e in solvin' a 'eneration1old mystery. =t may 3e remar!ed that 'enealo'ists confirm 8r. Typer<s 3elated memory in the matter of Adriaen Sleg"t.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer THE /,AR.

"*"

Arrived here a3out - >.8. 2ad to ,al! all the ,ay from Attica in the teeth of an oncomin' stormA for no one ,ould rent me a horse or ri'A and = can<t run an automo3ile. This place is even ,orse than = had e%pectedA and = dread ,hat is comin'A even thou'h = lon' at the same time to learn the secret. All too soon ,ill come the ni'ht 1 the old Walpur'is sa33at horror 1 and after that time in Wales = !no, ,hat to loo! for. Whatever comesA = shall not flinch. >rodded 3y some unfathoma3le ur'eA = have 'iven my ,hole life to the Duest of unholy mysteries. = came here for nothin' elseA and ,ill not Duarrel ,ith fate. =t ,as very dar! ,hen = 'ot hereA thou'h the sun had 3y no means set. The stormclouds ,ere the densest = had ever seenA and = could not have found my ,ay 3ut for the li'htnin'1 flashes. The villa'e is a hateful little 3ac!1,aterA and its fe, inha3itants no 3etter than idiots. +ne of them saluted me in a Dueer ,ayA as if he !ne, me. = could see very little of the landscape 1 Cust a smallA s,amp valley of stran'e 3ro,n ,eedstal!s and dead fun'i surrounded 3y scra''lyA evilly t,isted trees ,ith 3are 3ou'hs. But 3ehind the villa'e is a dismal1loo!in' hill on ,hose summit is a circle of 'reat stones ,ith another stone at the center. ThatA ,ithout DuestionA is the vile primordial thin' ? 1 1 1 told me a3out the ; 1 1 1 est3at. The 'reat house lies in the midst of a par! all over'ro,n ,ith curious1loo!in' 3riars. = could scarcely 3rea! throu'hA and ,hen = did the vast a'e and decrepitude of the 3uildin' almost stopped me from enterin'. The place loo!ed filthy and diseasedA and = ,ondered ho, so leprous a 3uildin' could han' to'ether. =t is ,oodenB and thou'h its ori'inal lines are hidden 3y a 3e,ilderin' tan'le of ,in's added at various datesA = thin! it ,as first 3uilt in the sDuare colonial fashion of ;e, En'land. >ro3a3ly that ,as easier to 3uild than a $utch stone house 1 and thenA tooA = recall that $irc! van der 2eyl<s ,ife ,as from SalemA a dau'hter of the unmentiona3le A3addon Corey. There ,as a small pillared porchA and = 'ot under it Cust as the storm 3urst. =t ,as a fiendish tempest 1 3lac! as midni'htA ,ith rain in sheetsA thunder and li'htnin' li!e the day of 'eneral dissolutionA and a ,ind that actually cla,ed at me. The door ,as unloc!edA so = too! out my electric torch and ,ent inside. $ust ,as inches thic! on floor and furnitureA and the place smelled li!e a mold1ca!ed tom3. There ,as a hall reachin' all the ,ay throu'hA and a curvin' staircase on the ri'ht. = plo,ed my ,ay upstairs and selected this front room to camp out it. The ,hole place seems fully furnishedA thou'h most of the furniture is 3rea!in' do,n. This is ,ritten at 8 o<cloc!A after a cold meal from my travelin'1case. After this the villa'e people ,ill 3rin' me suppliesA thou'h they ,on<t a'ree to come any closer than the ruins of the par! 'ate until Jas they sayK later. = ,ish = could 'et rid of an unpleasant feelin' of familiarity ,ith this place. 5ater = am conscious of several presences in this house. +ne in particular is decidedly hostile to,ard me 1 a malevolent ,ill ,hich is see!in' to 3rea! do,n my o,n and overcome me. = must not countenance this for an instantA 3ut must use all my forces to resist it. =t is appallin'ly evilA and definitely nonhuman. = thin! it must 3e allied to po,ers outside Earth

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer

"*&

1 po,ers in the spaces 3ehind time and 3eyond the universe. =t to,ers li!e a colossusA 3earin' out ,hat is said in the A!lo ,ritin's. There is such a feelin' of vast size connected ,ith it that = ,onder these cham3ers can contain its 3ul! 1 and yet it has no visi3le 3ul!. =ts a'e must 3e unuttera3ly vast 1 shoc!in'lyA indescri3a3ly so. April 18 Slept very little last ni'ht. At & A.8. a stran'eA creepin' ,ind 3e'an to pervade the ,hole re'ionA ever risin' until the house roc!ed as if in a typhoon. As = ,ent do,n the staircase to see the rattlin' front door the dar!ness too! half1visi3le forms in my ima'ination. 6ust 3elo, the landin' = ,as pushed violently from 3ehind 1 3y the ,indA = supposeA thou'h = could have s,orn = sa, the dissolvin' outlines of a 'i'antic 3lac! pa, as = turned Duic!ly a3out. = did not lose my footin'A 3ut safely finished the descent and shot the heavy 3olt of the dan'erously sha!in' door. = had not meant to e%plore the house 3efore da,nB yet no,A una3le to sleep a'ainA and fired ,ith mi%ed terror and curiousityA = felt reluctant to postpone my search. With my po,erful torch = plo,ed throu'h the dust to the 'reat south parlorA ,here = !ne, the portraits ,ould 3e. There they ,ereA Cust as ? 1 1 1 had saidA and as = seemed to !no, from some o3scurer source as ,ell. Some ,ere so 3lac!ened and dustclouded that = could ma!e little or nothin' of themA 3ut from those = could trace = reco'nized that they ,ere indeed of the hateful line of the van der 2eyls. Some of the paintin's seemed to su''est faces = had !no,nB 3ut Cust ,hat facesA = could not recall. The outlines of that fri'htful hy3rid 6oris 1 spa,ned in 177& 3y $irc!<s youn'est dau'hter 1 ,ere clearest of allA and = could trace the 'reen eyes and the serpent loo! in his face. Every time = shut off the flashli'ht that face ,ould seem to 'lo, in the dar! until = half fancied it shone ,ith a faintA 'reenish li'ht of its o,n. The more = loo!edA the more evil it seemedA and = turned a,ay to avoid hallucinations of chan'in' e%pression. But that to ,hich = turned ,as even ,orse. The lon'A dour faceA smallA closely set eyes and s,ine1li!e features identified it at onceA even thou'h the artist had striven to ma!e the snout loo! as human as possi3le. This ,as ,hat ? 1 1 1 had ,hispered a3out. As = stared in horrorA = thou'ht the eyes too! on a reddish 'lo,A and for a moment the 3ac!'round seemed replaced 3y an alien and seemin'ly irrelevant scene 1 a loneA 3lea! moor 3eneath a dirty yello, s!yA ,hereon 're, a ,retched1loo!in' 3lac!thorn 3ush. 4earin' for my sanityA = rushed from that accursed 'allery to the dust1cleared corner upstairs ,here = have my Lcamp.L 5ater $ecided to e%plore some more of the la3yrinthine ,in's of the house 3y dayli'ht. = cannot 3e lostA for my footprints are distinct in the an!le1deep dustA and = can trace other identifyin' mar!s ,hen necessary. =t is curious ho, easily = learn the intricate ,indin's of the corridors. 4ollo,ed a lon'A outflun' northerly LellL to its e%tremityA and came to a loc!ed doorA ,hich = forced. Beyond ,as a very small room Duite cro,ded ,ith furnitureA and ,ith the panellin' 3adly ,orm1eaten. +n the outer ,all = spied a 3lac! space 3ehind the rottin' ,ood,or!A and discovered a narro, secret passa'e leadin' do,n,ard to un!no,n in!y depths. =t ,as a steeply inclined chute or tunnel ,ithout steps or handholdsA and = ,ondered ,hat its use could have 3een.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer

"*#

A3ove the fireplace ,as a moldy paintin'A ,hich = found on close inspection to 3e that of a youn' ,oman in the dress of the late Ei'hteenth Century. The face is of classic 3eautyA yet ,ith the most fiendishly evil e%pression ,hich = have ever !no,n the human countenance to 3ear. ;ot merely callousnessA 'reedA and crueltyA 3ut some Duality hideous 3eyond human comprehension seems to sit upon those finely carved features. And as = loo!ed it seemed to me that the artist 1 or the slo, processes of mold and decay 1 had imparted to that pallid comple%ion a sic!ly 'reenish castA and the least su''estion of an almost impercepti3ly scaly te%ture. 5ater = ascended to the atticA ,here = found several chests of stran'e 3oo!s 1 many of utterly alien aspects in letters and in physical form ali!e. +ne contained variants of the A!lo formulae ,hich = had never !no,n to e%ist. = have not yet e%amined the 3oo!s on the dusty shelves do,nstairs. April 1) There are certainly unseen presences hereA even thou'h the dust 3ears no footprints 3ut my o,n. Cut a path throu'h the 3riars yeseterday to the par! 'ate ,here my supplies are leftA 3ut this mornin' = found it closed. ?ery oddA since the 3ushes are 3arely stirrin' ,ith sprin' sap. A'in = had that feelin' of somethin' at hand so colossal that the cham3ers can scarely contain it. This time = feel more than one of the presences is of such a sizeA and = !no, no, that the third A!lo ritual 1 ,hich = found in that 3oo! in the attic yesterday 1 ,ould ma!e such 3ein' solid and visi3le. Whether = shall dare to try this materialization remains to 3e seen. The perils are 'reat. 5ast ni'ht = 3e'an to 'limpse evanescent shado,1faces and forms in the dim corners of the halls and cham3ers 1 faces and forms so hideous and loathsome that = dare not descri3e them. They seemed allied in su3stance to that titanic pa, ,hich tried to push me do,n the stairs ni'ht 3efore lastA and must of course 3e phantoms of my distur3ed ima'ination. What = am see!in' ,ould not 3e Duite li!e these thin's. = have seen the pa, a'ainA sometimes alone and sometimes ,ith its mateA 3ut = have resolved to i'nore all such phenomena. Early this afternoon = e%plored the cellar for the first timeA descendin' 3y a ladder found in a store1roomA since the ,ooden steps had rotted a,ay. The ,hole place is a mass of nitrous encrustationsA ,ith amorphous mounds mar!in' the spots ,here various o3Cects have disinte'rated. At the farther end is a narro, passa'e ,hich seems to e%tend under the northerly LellL ,here = found the little loc!ed roomA and at the end of this is a heavy 3ric! ,all ,ith a loc!ed iron door. Apparently 3elon'in' to a vault of some sortA this ,all and door 3ear evidences of the Ei'hteenth Century ,or!manship and must 3e contemporary ,ith the oldest additions to the house 1 clearly pre1:evolutionary. +n the loc!A ,hich is o3viously older than the rest of the iron,or!A are en'raved certain sym3ols ,hich = cannot decipher. ? 1 1 1 had not told me a3out this vault. =t fills me ,ith a 'reater disDuiet than anythin' else = have seenA for every time = approach it = have an almost irresisti3le impulse to listen for somethin'. 2itherto no unto,ard sounds have mar!ed my stay in this mali'n place. As = left the cellar = ,ished devoutly that the steps ,ere still thereB for my pro'ress up the ladder seemed maddenin'ly slo,. = do not ,ant to 'o do,n there a'ain 1 and yet some evil 'enius ur'es me to try it at nig"t if = ,ould learn ,hat is to 3e learned.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer April "*

"*

= have sounded the depths of horror 1 only to 3e made a,are of still lo,er depths. 5ast ni'ht the temptation ,as too stron'A and in the 3lac! small hours = descended once more into that nitrousA hellish cellar ,ith my flashli'htA tiptoein' amon' the amorphous heaps to that terri3le 3ric! ,all and loc!ed door. = made no soundA and refrained from ,hisperin' any of the incantations = !ne,A 3ut = listened ,ith mad intentness. At last = heard the sounds from 3eyond those 3arred plates of sheet ironA the menacin' paddin' and mutterin' as of 'i'antic ni'ht1thin's ,ithin. ThenA tooA there ,as a damna3le slitherin'A as of a vast serpent or sea13east dra''in' its monstrous folds over a paved floor. ;early paralyzed ,ith fir'htA = 'lanced at the hu'e rusty loc!A and at the alienA cryptic hiero'lyphs 'raven upon it. They ,ere si'ns = could not reco'nizeA and somethin' in their va'uely 8on'oloid techniDue hinted at a 3lasphemous and indescri3a3le antiDuity. At times = fancied = could see them 'lo,in' ,ith a 'reenish li'ht. = turned to fleeA 3ut found that vision of the titan pa,s 3efore meA the 'reat talons seemin' to s,ell and 3ecome more tan'i3le as = 'azed. +ut of the cellar<s evil 3lac!ness they stretchedA ,ith shado,y hints of scaly ,rists 3eyond themA and ,ith a ,a%in'A mali'nant ,ill 'uidin' their horri3le 'ropin's. Then = heard from 3ehind me 1 ,ithin that a3omina3le vault 1 a fresh 3urst of muffled rever3erations ,hich seemed to echo from far horizons li!e distant thunder. =mpelled 3y this 'reater fearA = advanced to,ard the shado,y pa,s ,ith my flashli'ht and sa, them vanish 3efore the full force of the electric 3eam. Then up the ladder = racedA torch 3et,een my teethA nor did = rest till = had re'ained my upstairs Lcamp.L What is to 3e my ultimate endA = dare not ima'ine. = came as a see!erA 3ut no, = !no, that somethin' is see!in' me. = could not leave if = ,ished. This mornin' = tried to 'o to the 'ate for my suppliesA 3ut found the 3riars t,isted ti'htly in my path. =t ,as the same in every direction 1 3ehind and on all sides of the house. =n places the 3ro,nA 3ar3ed vines had uncurled to astonishin' hei'htsA formin' a steel1li!e hed'e a'ainst my e'ress. The villa'ers are connected ,ith all this. When = ,ent indoors = found my supplies in the 'reat front hallA thou'h ,ithout any clue as to ho, they came there. = am sorry no, that = s,ept the dust a,ay. = shall scatter some more and see ,hat prints are left. This afternoon = read some of the 3oo!s in the 'reat shado,y li3rary at the rear of the 'round floorA and formed certain suspicions ,hich = cannot 3ear to mention. = had never seen the te%t of the ,nakotic Manuscripts or of the ltdo$n S"ards 3eforeA and ,ould not have come here had = !no,n ,hat they contain. = 3elieve it is too late no, 1 for the a,ful Sa33at is only ten days a,ay. =t is for that ni'ht of horror that t"ey are savin' me. April "1 = have 3een studyin' the portraits a'ain. Some have names attachedA and = noticed one 1 of an evil1faced ,omanA painted some t,o centuries a'o 1 ,hich puzzled me. =t 3ore the name of TrintCe van der 2eyl Sle'htA and = have a distinct impression that = once met the name of Sle'ht 3eforeA in some si'nificant connection. =t ,as not horri3le thenA thou'h it 3ecomes so no,. = must rac! my 3rain for the clue.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer

"*-

The eyes of the pictures haunt me. =s it possi3le that some of them are emer'in' more distinctly from their shrouds of dust and decay and moldG The serpent1faced and s,ine1 faced ,arloc!s stare horri3ly at me from their 3lac!ened framesA and a score of other hy3rid faces are 3e'innin' to peer out of shado,y 3ac!'rounds. There is a hideous loo! of family resem3lance in them allA and that ,hich is human is more horri3le than that ,hich is non1human. = ,ish they reminded me less of other faces 1 faces = have !no,n in the past. They ,ere an accursed lineA and Cornelis of 5eydon ,as the ,orst of them. =t ,as he ,ho 3ro!e do,n the 3arrier after his father had found that other !ey. = am sure that ? 1 1 1 !no,s only a fra'ment of the horri3le truthA so that = am indeed unprepared and defenseless. What of the line 3efore old ClassG What he did in 1 )1 could never have 3een done ,ithout 'enerations of evil herita'eA or some lin! ,ith the outside. And ,hat of the 3ranches this monstrous line has sent forthG Are they scattered over the ,orldA all a,aitin' their common herita'e of horrorG = must recall the place ,here = once so particularly noticed the name of Sle'ht. = ,ish = could 3e sure that those pictures stay al,ays in their frames. 4or several hours no, = have 3een seein' momentary presences li!e the earlier pa,s and shado,1faces and formsA 3ut closely duplicatin' some of the ancient portraits. Someho, = can never 'limpse a presence and the portrait it resem3les at the same time 1 the li'ht is al,ays ,ron' for one or the otherA or else the presence and the portrait are in different rooms. >erhapsA as = have hopedA the presences are mere fi'ments of ima'inationA 3ut = cannot 3e sure no,. Some are femaleA and of the same hellin' 3eauty as the picture in the little loc!ed room. Some are li!e no portrait = have seenA yet ma!e me feel that their painted features lur! unreco'nized 3eneath the mold and soot of canvases = cannot decipher. A fe,A = desperately fearA have approached materialization in solid or semi1solid form 1 and some have a dreaded and une%plained familiarity. There is one ,oman ,ho in full loveliness e%cels all the rest. 2er poisonous charms are li!e a honeyed flo,er 'ro,in' on the 3rin! of hell. When = loo! at her closely she vanishesA only to reappear later. 2er face has a 'reenish castA and no, and then = fancy = can spy a suspicion of the sDuamous in its smooth te%ture. Who is sheG =s she that 3ein' ,ho d,elt in the little loc!ed room a century and more a'oG 8y supplies ,ere a'ain left in the front hall 1 thatA clearlyA is to 3e the custom. = had sprin!led dust a3out to catch footprintsA 3ut this mornin' the ,hole hall ,as s,ept clean 3y some un!no,n a'ency. April "" This has 3een a day of horri3le discovery. = e%plored the co3,e33ed attic a'ainA and found a carvedA crum3lin' chest 1 plainly from 2olland 1 full of 3lasphemous 3oo!s and papers far older than any hitherto encountered here. There ,as a 7ree! -ecronomiconA a ;orman14rench (i!re d+ ibonA and a first edition of old 5udvi' >rinn<s #e .ermis Mysteriis. But the old 3ound manuscript ,as the ,orst. =t ,as in lo, 5atinA and full of the stran'eA cra33ed hand,ritin' of Claes van der 2eylA 3ein' evidently the diary or note3oo! !ept 3y him 3et,een 1 -* and 1 8*. When = unfastened the 3lac!ened silver clasp and opened the yello,ed leaves a colored dra,in' fluttered out 1 the li!eness of a monstrous creature resem3lin' nothin' so much as a sDuidA 3ea!ed and tentacledA ,ith 'reat yello, eyesA and ,ith certain a3omina3le appro%imations to the human form in its contours.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer

"*7

= had never 3efore seen so utterly loathsome and ni'htmarish a form. +n the pa,sA feetA and head1tentacles ,ere curious cla,s 1 remindin' me of the colossal shado,1shapes ,hich had 'roped so horri3ly in my path 1 ,hile the entity as a ,hole sat upon a 'reat throne1li!e pedastal inscri3ed ,ith un!no,n hiero'lyphs of va'uely Chinese cast. A3out 3oth ,ritin' and ima'e there hun' an air of sinister evil so profound and pervasive that = could not thin! it the product of any one ,orld or a'e. :ather must that monstrous shape 3e a focus for all the evil in un3ounded spaceA throu'hout the eons past and to come 1 and those eldritch sym3ols 3e vile sentitent i!ons endo,s ,ith a mor3id life of their o,n and ready to ,rest themselves from the parchment for the reader<s destruction. To the meanin' of that monster and of those hiero'lpyhs = had no clueA 3ut = !ne, that 3oth had 3een traced ,ith a hellish precision and for no nama3le purpose. As = studdied the leerin' charactersA their !inship to the sym3ols on that ominous loc! in the cellar 3ecame more and more manifest. = left the picture in the atticA for never could sleep come to me ,ith such a thin' near 3y. All the afternoon and evenin' = read in the manuscript 3oo! of old Claes van der 2eylB and ,hat = read ,ill cloud and ma!e horri3le ,hatever period of life lies ahead of me. The 'enesis of the ,orldA and of previous ,orldsA unfolded itself 3efore my eyes. = learned of the city Sham3allahA 3uilt 3y the 5emurians fifty million years a'oA yet inviolate still 3ehind its ,all of psychic force in the eastern dester. = learned of the Book of #2yanA ,hose first si% chapters antedate the EarthA and ,hich ,as old ,hen the lords of ?enus came throu'h space in their ships to civilize our planet. And = sa, recorded in ,ritin' for the first time that name ,hich others had spo!en to me in ,hispersA and ,hich = had !no,n in a closer and more horri3le ,ay 1 the shunned and dread name of ;ian-9o. =n several places = ,as help up 3y passa'es reDuirin' a !ey. EventuallyA from various allusionsA = 'athered that old Claes had not dared to em3ody all his !no,led'e in one 3oo!A 3ut had left certain points for another. ;either volume can 3e ,holly intelli'i3le ,ithout its fello,B hence = have resolved to find the second one if it lies any,here ,ithin this accursed house. Thou'h plainly a prisonerA = have not lost my lifelon' zeal for the un!no,nB and am determined to pro3e the cosmos as deeply as possi3le 3efore doom comes. April "& Searched all the mornin' for the second diaryA and found it a3out noon in a des! in the little loc!ed room. 5i!e the firstA it is in Claes van der 2eyl<s 3ar3arous 5atinA and it seems to consist of disCointed notes referrin' to various sections of the other. 7lancin' throu'h the leavesA = spied at once the a3horred name of .ian12o 1 of .ian12oA that lost and hidden city ,herein 3rood eon1old secretsA and of ,hich dim memories older than the 3ody lur! 3ehind the minds of all men. =t ,as repeated many timesA and the te%t around it ,as stre,n ,ith crudely1dra,n hiero'lyphs plainly a!in to those on the pedestal in that hellish dra,in' = had seen. 2ereA clearlyA lay the !ey to that monstrous tentacled shape and its for3idden messa'e. With this !no,led'e = ascended the crea!in' stairs to the attic of co3,e3s and horror. When = tried to open the attic door it stuc! as never 3efore. Several times it resisted every effort to open itA and ,hen at last it 'ave ,ay = had a distinct feelin' that some colossal unseen shape had suddenly released it 1 a shape that soared a,ay on non1material 3ut audi3ly 3eatin' ,in's. When = found the horri3le dra,in' = felt that it ,as not precisely ,here = left it. Applyin' the !ey in the other 3oo!A = soon sa, that the latter ,as

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer

"*8

no instant 'uide to the secret. =t ,as only a clue 1 a clue to a secret too 3lac! to 3e left li'htly 'uarded. =t ,ould ta!e hours 1 perhaps days 1 to e%tract the a,ful messa'e. Shall = live lon' enou'h to learn the secretG The shado,y 3lac! arms and pa,s haunt my vision more and more no,A and seem even more titanic than at first. ;or am = ever lon' free from those va'ueA unhuman presences ,hose ne3ulous 3ul! seems too vast for the cham3ers to contain. And no, and then the 'rotesDueA evanescent faces and formsA and the moc!in' portrait1shapesA troop 3efore me in 3e,ilderin' confusion. TrulyA there are terri3le primal arcana of Earth ,hich had 3etter 3e left un!no,n and unevo!edB dread secrets ,hich have nothin' to do ,ith manA and ,hich man may learn only in e%chan'e for peace and sanityB cryptic truths ,hich ma!e the !no,er evermore an alien amon' his !indA and cause him to ,al! alone on Earth. 5i!e,ise there are dread survivals of thin's older and more potent than manB thin's that have 3lasphemously stra''led do,n throu'h the eons to a'es never ment for themB monstrous entities that have lain sleepin' endlessly in incredi3le crypts and remote cavernsA outside the la,s of reason and causationA and ready to 3e ,a!ed 3y such 3lasphemers as shall !no, their dar! for3idden si'ns and furtive pass,ords. April "# Studied the picture and the !ey all day in the attic. At sunset = heard stran'e soundsA of a sort not encountered 3efore and seemin' to come from far a,ay. 5istenin'A = realized that they must flo, from that Dueer a3rupt hill ,ith the circle of standin' stonesA ,hich lies 3ehind the villa'e and some distance north of the house. = had heard that there ,as a path from the house leadin' up that hill to the primal cromlechA and had suspected that at certain seasons the van der 2eyls had much occasion to use itB 3ut the ,hole matter had hitherto lain latent in my consciousness. The present sounds consisted of a shrill pipin' intermin'led ,ith a peculiar and hideous sort of hissin' or ,histlin'A a 3izarreA alien !ind of musicA li!e nothin' ,hich the annals of Earth descri3e. =t ,as very faintA and soon fadedA 3ut the matter has set met thin!in'. =t is to,ard the hill that the lon'A northerly LellL ,ith the secret chuteA and the loc!ed 3ric! vault under itA e%tend. Can there 3e any connection ,hich has so far eluded meG April " = have made a peculiar and distur3in' discovery a3out the nature of my imprisonment. $ra,n to,ard the hill 3y a sinsiter fascinationA = found the 3riars 'ivin' ,ay 3efore meA 3ut in that direction only. There is a ruined 'ateA and 3eneath the 3ushes the traces of an old path no dou3t e%ist. The 3riars e%tend part1,ay up and all around the hillA thou'h the summit ,ith the standin' stones 3ears only a curious 'ro,th of moss and stunted 'rass. = clim3ed the hill and spent several hours thereA noticin' a stran'e ,ind ,hich seems al,ays to s,eep around the for3iddin' monoliths and ,hich sometimes seems to ,hisper in an oddly articulate thou'h dar!ly cryptic fashion. These stonesA 3oth in color and te%tureA resem3le nothin' = have seen else,here. They are neither 3ro,n nor 'rayA 3ut rather of a dirty yello, mer'in' into an evil 'reen and havin' a su''estion of chameleon1li!e varia3ility. Their te%ture is Dueerly li!e that of a scaled serpentA and is ine%plica3ly nauseous to the touch 1 3ein' as cold and clammy as the s!in of a toad or other reptile. ;ear the central menhir is a sin'ular stone1rimmed hollo,

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer

"*)

,hich = cannot e%plainA 3ut ,hich may possi3ly form the entrance to a lon'1cho!ed ,ell or tunnel. When = sou'ht to descend the hill at points a,ay from the house = found the 3riars interceptin' me as 3eforeA thou'h the path to,ard the house ,as easily retracea3le. April "(p on the hill a'ain this evenin'A and found that ,indy ,hisperin' much more distinct. The almost an'ry hummin' came close to actual speechA of a va'ueA si3ilant sortA and reminded me of the stran'e pipin' chant = had heard from a far. After sunset there came a curious flash of premature summer li'htnin' on the northern horizonA follo,ed almost at once 3y a Dueer detonation hi'h in the fadin' s!y. Somethin' a3out this phenomenon distur3ed me 'reatlyA and = could not escape the impression that the noise ended in a !ind of unhuman hissin' speech ,hich trailed off into 'uttural cosmic lau'hter. =s my mind totterin' at lastA or has my un,arranted curiousity evo!ed unheard1of horrors from the t,ili'ht spacesG The Sa33at is close at hand no,. What ,ill 3e the endG April "7 At last my dreams are to 3e realizedF Whether or not my life or spirit or 3ody ,ill 3e claimedA = shall enter the 'ate,ayF >ro'ress in decipherin' those crucial hiero'lpyhs in the picture has 3een slo,A 3ut this afternoon = hit upon the final clue. By evenin' = !ne, their meanin' 1 and that meanin' can apply in only one ,ay to the thin's = have encountered in this house. There is 3eneath this house 1 sepulchered = !no, not ,here 1 an Ancient +ne Who ,ill sho, me the 'ate,ay = ,ould enterA and 'ive me the lost si'ns and ,ords = shall need. 2o, lon' =t has lain 3uried hereA for'otten save 3y those ,ho reared the stone on the hillA and 3y those ,ho later sou'ht out this place and 3uilt this houseA = cannot conCecture. =t ,as in search of this Thin'A 3eyond DuestionA that 2endri! van der 2eyl came to ;e,1 ;etherland in 1-&8. 8en of this Earth !no, =t notA save in the secret ,hispers of the fear1 sha!en fe, ,ho have found or inherited the !ey. ;o human eye has even yet 'limpsed =t 1 unlessA perhapsA the vanished ,izards of this house delved farther than has 3een 'uessed. With !no,led'e of the sym3ols came li!e,ise a mastery of the Seven 5ost Si'ns of TerrorA and a tacit reco'nition of the hideous and unuttera3le Words of 4ear. All that remains for me to accomplish is the Chant ,hich ,ill transfi'ure that 4or'otten +ne Who is 7uardian of the Ancient 7ate,ay. = marvel much at the Chant. =t is composed of stran'e and repellent 'utturals and distur3in' si3ilants resem3lin' no lan'ua'e = have ever encounteredA even in the 3lac!est chapters of the (i!re d+ ibon. When = visited the hill at sunset = tried to read it aloudA 3ut evo!ed in response only a va'ueA sinister rum3lin' on the far horizonA and a thin cloud of elemental dust that ,rithed and ,hirld li!e some evil livin' thin'. >erhaps = do not pronounce the alien sylla3les correctlyA or perhaps it is only on the Sa33at 1 that hellish Sa33at for ,hich the >o,ers in this house are ,ithout Duestion holdin' me 1 that the 'reat Transfi'uration can occur. 2ad an odd spell of fri'ht this mornin'. = thou'ht for a moment that = recalled ,here = had seen that 3afflin' name of Sle'ht 3eforeA and the prospect of realization filled me ,ith unuttera3le horror.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer April "8

"1*

Today dar! ominous clouds have hovered intermittently over the circle on this hill. = have noticed such clouds several times 3eforeA 3ut their contours and arran'ements no, hold a fresh si'nificance. They are sna!e1li!e and fantasticA and curiously li!e the evil shado,1shapes = have seen in the house. They float in a circle around the primal cromlechA revolvin' repeatedly as thou'h endo,ed ,ith a sinister life and purpose. = could s,ear that they 'ive forth an an'ry murmerin'. After some fifteen minutes they sail slo,ly a,ayA ever to the east,ardA li!e the units of a stra''lin' 3atallion. Are they indeed those dread +nes ,hom Solomon !ne, of old 1 those 'iant 3lac! 3ein's ,hose num3er is le'ion and ,hose tread doth sha!e the earthG = have 3een rehearsin' the Chant that ,ill transfi'ure the ;ameless Thin'B yet stran'e fears assail me even ,hen = utter the sylla3les under my 3reath. >iercin' all evidence to'etherA = have no, discovered that the only ,ay to =t is throu'ht the loc!ed cellar vault. That vault ,as 3uilt ,ith a hellish purposeA and must cover the hidden 3urro, leadin' to the =mmemorial 5air. What 'uardians live endlessly ,ithinA flourishin' from century to century on an un!no,n nourishmentA only the mad may conCecture. The ,arloc!s of this houseA ,ho called them out of inner EarthA have !no,n them only too ,ellA as the shoc!in' portraits and memories of the place reveal. What trou3les me most is the limited nature of the Chant. =t evo!es the ;ameless +neA yet provides no method for the control of That Which is evo!ed. There areA of courseA the 'eneral si'ns and 'esturesA 3ut ,hether they ,ill prove effective to,ard such an +ne remains to 3e seen. StillA the re,ards are 'reat enou'h to Custify any dan'erA and = could not retreat if = ,ouldA since an un!no,n force plainly ur'es me on. = have discovered one more o3stacle. Since the loc!ed cellar vault must 3e traversedA the !ey to that place must 3e found. The loc! is far too stron' for forcin'. That the !ey is some,here herea3outs cannot 3e dou3tedA 3ut the time 3efore the Sa33at is very short. = must search dili'ently and thorou'hly. =t ,ill ta!e coura'e to unloc! that iron doorA for ,hat prisoned horrors may not lur! ,ithinG 5ater = have 3een shunnin' the cellar for the past day or t,oA 3ut late this afternoon = a'ain descended to those for3iddin' precincts. At first all ,as silentA 3ut ,ithin five minutes the menacin' paddin' and mutterin' 3e'an once more 3eyond the iron door. This time it ,as loud and more terrifyin' than on any previous occasionA and = li!e,ise reco'nized the slitherin' that 3espo!e some monstrous sea13east 1 no, s,ifter and nervously intensifiedA as if the thin' ,ere strivin' to force its ,ay throu'h the portal ,here = stood. As the pacin' 're, louderA more restlessA and more sinisterA there 3e'an to pound throu'h it those hellish and more unidentifia3le rever3erations ,hich = had heard on my second visit to the cellar 1 those muffled rever3erations ,hich seemed to echo from far horizons li!e distant thunder. ;o,A ho,everA their volume ,as ma'nified an hundredfoldA and their tim3re frei'hted ,ith ne, and terrifyin' implications. = can compare the sound to nothin' more aptly than the roar of some dread monster of the vanished saurian a'eA ,hen

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer

"11

primal horrors roamed the EarthA and ?alusia<s serpent1men laid the foundation1stones of evil ma'ic. To such a roar 1 3ut s,elled to deafenin' hei'hts reached 3y no !no,n or'anic throat 1 ,as this shoc!in' sound a!in. $are = unloc! the door and face the onslau'ht of ,hat lies 3eyondG April ") The !ey to the vault is found. = came upon it this noon in the little loc!ed room 1 3uried 3eneath ru33ish in a dra,er of the ancient des!A as if some 3elated effort to conceal it had 3een made. =t ,as ,rapped in a crum3lin' ne,spaper dated +cto3er &1A 187"B 3ut there ,as an inner ,rappin' of dried s!in 1 evidently the hide of some un!no,n reptile 1 ,hich 3ore a 5o, 5atin messa'e in the same cra33ed ,ritin' as that of the note3oo!s = found. As = had thou'htA the loc! and !ey ,ere vastly older than the vault. +ld Claes van der 2eyl had them ready for somethin' he or his descendants meant to do 1 and ho, much older than he they ,ere = could not estimate. $ecipherin' the 5atin messa'eA = trem3led in a fresh access of clutchin' terror and nameless a,e. LThe secrets of the monstrous primal +nesBL ran the cra33ed te%tA L,hose cryptic ,ords relate the hidden thin's that ,ere 3efore manB the thin's no one of Earth should learnA lest peace 3e for ever forfeitedB shall 3e me never suffer revelation. To .ian12oA that lost and for3idden city of countless eons ,hose place may not 3e toldA = have 3een in the verita3le flesh of this 3odyA as none other amon' the livin' has 3een. Therein have = foundA and thence have = 3orne a,ayA that !no,led'e ,hich = ,ould 'lady loseA thou'h = may not. = have learnt to 3rid'e a 'ap that should not 3e 3rid'edA and must call out of the Earth That Which should not 3e ,a!ed nor called. And ,hat is sent to follo, me ,ill not sleep till = or those after me have found and done ,hat is to 3e found and done. LThat ,hich = have a,a!ed and 3orne a,ay ,ith meA = may not part ,ith a'ain. So it is ,ritten in the Book of 9idden T"ings. That ,hich = have ,illed to 3e has t,ined its dreadful shape around meA and 1 if = live not to do its 3iddin' 1 around those children 3orn and un3orn ,ho shall come after meA until the 3iddin' 3e done. Stran'e may 3e their Coinin'sA and a,ful the aid they may summon till the end 3e reached. =nto lands un!no,n and dim must the see!in' 'oA and a house must 3e 3uilt for the outer 'uardians. LThis is the !ey to that loc! ,hich ,as 'iven me in the dreadfulA eon1old and for3idden city of .ian12oB the loc! ,hich = or mine must place upon the vesti3ule of That Which is to 3e found. And may the 5ords of .addith succor me 1 or him 1 ,ho must set that loc! in place or turn the !ey thereof.L Such ,as the messa'e 1 a messa'e ,hichA once = had read itA = seemed to have !no,n 3efore. ;o,A as = ,rite these ,ordsA the !ey is 3efore me. = 'aze on it ,ith mi%ed dread and lon'in'A and cannot find ,ords to descri3e its aspect. =t is of the same un!no,nA su3tly 'reenish frosted metal as the loc!B a metal 3est compared to 3rass tarnished ,ith verdi'ris. =ts desi'n is alien and fantasticA and the coffin1shaped end of the ponderous 3ul! leaves no dou3t of the loc! it ,as meant to fit. The handle rou'hly forms a stran'eA nonhuman ima'eA ,hose e%act outlines and identity cannot no, 3e traced. (pon holdin' it for any len'th of time = seem to feel an alienA anomalous life in the cold metal 1 a Duic!enin' or pulsin' too fee3le for ordinary reco'nition.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer

"1"

Belo, the eidolon is 'raven a faintA eon1,orn le'end in those 3lasphemousA Chinese1 li!e hiero'lyphs = have come to !no, so ,ell. = can only ma!e out the 3e'innin' 1 the ,ords9 L8y ven'eance lur!s . . .L 1 3efore the te%t fades to insistinctness. There is some fatality in this timely findin' of the !ey 1 for tomorro, ni'ht comes the hellish Sa33at. But stran'ely enou'hA amidst all this hideous e%pectancyA that Duestion of the Sle'ht name 3others me more and more. Why should = dread to find it lin!ed ,ith the van der 2eylsG Walpur'is1Eve 1 April &* The time has come. = ,a!ed last ni'ht to see the !ey 'lo,in' ,ith a lurid 'reenish radiance 1 that same mor3id 'reen ,hich = have seen in the eyes and s!in of certain portraits hereA on the shoc!in' loc! and !eyA on the monstrous menhirs of the hillA and in a thousand other recesses of my consciousness. There ,ere strident ,hispers in the air 1 si3ilant ,hisperin's li!e those of the ,ind around that dreadful cromlech. Somethin' spo!e to me out of the frore HGI aether of spaceA and it saidA LThe hour falls.L =t is an omenA and = lau'h at my o,n fears. 2ave = not the dread ,ords and the Seven 5ost Si'ns of Terror 1 the po,er coercive of any $,eller in the cosmos or in the un!no,n dar!ened spacesG = ,ill no lon'er hesistate. The heavens are very dar!A as if a terrific storm ,ere comin' on 1 a storm even 'reater than that of the ni'ht ,hen = reached hereA nearly a fortni'ht a'o. 4rom the villa'eA less than a mile a,ayA = hear a Dueer and un,onted 3a33lin'. =t is as = thou'ht 1 these poor de'raded idiots are ,ithin the secretA and !eep the a,ful Sa33at on the hill. 2ere in the house the shado,s 'ather densely. =n the dar!ness the s!y 3efore me almost 'lo,s ,ith a 'reenish li'ht of its o,n. = have no yet 3een to the cellar. =t is 3etter that = ,aitA lest the sound of that mutterin' and paddin' 1 those slitherin's and muffled rever3erations 1 unnerve me 3efore = can unloc! the fateful door. +f ,hat = shall encounterA and ,hat = must doA = have only the most 'eneral idea. Shall = find my tas! in the vault itselfA or must = 3urro, deeper into the ni'hted heart of our planetG There are thin's = do not yet understand 1 or at leastA prefer not to understand 1 despite a dreadfulA increasin' and ine%plica3le sense of 3y'one familiarity ,ith this fearsome house. That chuteA for instanceA leadin' do,n from the little loc!ed room. But = thin! = !no, ,hy the ,in' ,ith the vault e%tends to,ard the hill.

- >.8. 5oo!in' out the north ,indo,sA = can see a 'roup of villa'ers on the hill. They seem una,are of the lo,erin' s!yA and are di''in' near the 'reat central menhir. =t occurs to me that they are ,or!in' on that stone1rimmed hollo, place ,hich loo!s li!e a lon'1cho!ed tunnel entrance. What is to comeG 2o, much of the olden Sa33at rites have these people retainedG That !ey 'lo,s horri3ly 1 it is not ima'ination. $are = use it as it must 3e usedG Another matter has 'reatly distur3ed me. 7lancin' nervously throu'h a 3oo! in the li3rary = came upon an ampler form of the name that has teased my memory so sorely9 LTrintCeA ,ife of Adriaen Sle'ht.L The Adriaen leads me to the very 3rin! of recollection.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $iary of Alonzo Typer 8idni'ht

"1&

2orror is unleashedA 3ut = must not ,ea!en. The storm has 3ro!en ,ith pandemoniac furyA and li'htnin' has struc! the hill three timesA yet the hy3ridA malformed villa'ers are 'atherin' ,ithin the cromlech. = can see them in the almost constant flashes. The 'reat standin' stones loom up shoc!in'lyA and have a dull 'reen luminosity that reveals them even ,hen the li'htnin' is not there. The peals of thunder are deafenin'A and every one seems to 3e horri3ly ans,ered from some indeterminate direction. As = ,riteA the creatures on the hill have 3e'un to chant and ho,l and scream in a de'radedA half1simian version of the ancient ritual. :ain pours do,n li!e a floodA yet they leap and emit sounds in a !ind of dia3olic ecstacy. )ID S"ub--iggurat"C T"e Goat Wit" a T"ousand ;oungC) But the ,orst thin' is ,ithin the house. Even at this hei'htA = have 3e'un to hear sounds from the cellar. It is t"e padding and muttering and slit"ering and muffled re!erberations $it"in t"e !ault% % % % 8emories come and 'o. That name Adriaen Sleg"t pounds oddly at my consciousness. $irc! van der 2eyl<s son1in1la, . . . his child old $irc!<s 'randdau'hter and A3addon Corey<s 'reat'randdau'hter. . . . 5ater 8erciful 7odF At last I kno$ $"ere I sa$ t"at name. = !no,A and am transfi%ed ,ith horror. All is lost. . . The !ey has 3e'un to fell ,arm as my left hand nervously clutches it. At times that va'ue Duic!enin' or pulsin' is so distinct that = can almost feel the livin' metal move. =t came from .ian12o for a terri3le purposeA and to me 1 ,ho all too late !no, the thin' stream of van der 2eyl 3lood that tric!les do,n throu'h the Sle'hts into my o,n linea'e 1 has descended the hideous tas! of fulfillin' that purpose. . . . 8y coura'e and curiousity ,ane. = !no, the horror that lies 3eyond that iron door. What if Claes van der 2eyl ,as my ancestor 1 need = e%piate his nameless sinG I $ill not - I s$ear I $ill notC . . . Jthe ,ritin' here 'ro,s indistinctK . . . too late 1 cannot help self 1 3lac! pa,s materialize 1 am dra''ed a,ay to,ard the cellar. . . .

The /isi#terme#t
= a,o!e a3ruptly from a horri3le dream and stared ,ildly a3out. ThenA seein' the hi'hA arched ceilin' and the narro, stained ,indo,s of my friend<s roomA a flood of uneasy revelation coursed over meB and = !ne, that all of Andre,s< hopes had 3een realized. = lay supine in a lar'e 3edA the posts of ,hich reared up,ard in dizzy perspectiveB ,hile on vast shelves a3out the cham3er ,ere the familiar 3oo!s and antiDues = ,as accustomed to seein' in that secluded corner of the crum3lin' and ancient mansion ,hich had formed our Coint home for many years. +n a ta3le 3y the ,all stood a hu'e candela3rum of early ,or!manship and desi'nA and the usual li'ht ,indo,1curtains had 3een replaced 3y han'in's of som3er 3lac!A ,hich too! on a faintA 'hostly luster in the dyin' li'ht. = recalled forci3ly the events precedin' my confinement and seclusion in this verita3le medieval fortress. They ,ere not pleasantA and = shuddered ane, ,hen = remem3ered the couch that had held me 3efore my tenancy of the present one 1 the couch that everyone supposed ,ould 3e my last. 8emory 3urned afresh re'ardin' those hideous circumstances ,hich had compelled me to choose 3et,een a true death and a hypothetical one 1 ,ith a later re1animation 3y therapeutic methods !no,n only to my comradeA 8arshall Andre,s. The ,hole thin' had 3e'un ,hen = returned from the +rient a year 3efore and discoveredA to my utter horrorA that = had contracted leprosy ,hile a3road. = had !no,n that = ,as ta!in' 'rave chances in carin' for my stric!en 3rother in the >hilippinesA 3ut no hint of my o,n affliction appeared until = returned to my native land. Andre,s himself had made the discoveryA and !ept it from me as lon' as possi3leB 3ut our close acDuaintance soon disclosed the a,ful truth. At once = ,as Duartered in our ancient a3ode atop the cra's overloo!in' crum3lin' 2ampdenA from ,hose musty halls and DuaintA arched door,ays = ,as never permitted to 'o forth. =t ,as a terri3le e%istenceA ,ith the yello, shado, han'in' constantly over meB yet my friend never faltered in his faithA ta!in' care not to contract the dread scour'eA 3ut mean,hile ma!in' life as pleasant and comforta3le as possi3le. 2is ,idespread thou'h some,hat sinister fame as a sur'eon prevented any authority from discoverin' my pli'ht and shippin' me a,ay. =t ,as after nearly a year of this seclusion 1 late in Au'ust 1 that Andre,s decided on a trip to the West =ndies 1 to study LnativeL medical methodsA he said. = ,as left in care of venera3le SimesA the household factotum. So far no out,ard si'ns of the disease had developedA and = enCoyed a tolera3le thou'h almost completely private e%istence durin' my collea'ue<s a3sence. =t ,as durin' this time that = read many of the tomes Andre,s had acDuired in the course of his t,enty years as a sur'eonA and learned ,hy his reputationA thou'h locally of the hi'hestA ,as Cust a 3it shady. 4or the volumes included any num3er of fanciful su3Cects hardly related to modern medical !no,led'e9 treatises and unauthoritative articles on monstrous e%periments in sur'eryB accounts of the 3izarre effects of 'landular transplantation and reCuvenation in animals and men ali!eB 3rochures on attempted 3rain transferenceA and a host of other fanatical speculations not countenanced 3y orthodo% physicians. =t appearedA tooA that Andre,s ,as an authority on o3scure medicamentsB some of the fe, 3oo!s = ,aded throu'h revealin' that he had spent much time in chemistry and

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $isinterment

"1

in the search for ne, dru's ,hich mi'ht 3e used as aids in sur'ery. 5oo!in' 3ac! at those studies no,A = find them hellishly su''estive ,hen associated ,ith his later e%periments. Andre,s ,as 'one lon'er than = e%pectedA returnin' early in ;ovem3erA almost four months laterB and ,hen he did arriveA = ,as Duite an%ious to see himA since my condition ,as at last on the 3rin! of 3ecomin' noticea3le. = had reached a point ,here = must see! a3solute privacy to !eep from 3ein' discovered. But my an%iety ,as sli'ht as compared ,ith his e%u3erance over a certain ne, plan he had hatched ,hile in the =ndies 1 a plan to 3e carried out ,ith the aid of a curious dru' he had learned of from a native LdoctorL in 2aiti. When he e%plained that his idea concerned meA = 3ecame some,hat alarmedB thou'h in my position there could 3e little to ma!e my pli'ht ,orse. = hadA indeedA considered more than once the o3livion that ,ould come ,ith a revolver or a plun'e from the roof to the Ca''ed roc!s 3elo,. +n the day after his arrivalA in the seclusion of the dimly lit studyA he outlined the ,hole 'risly scheme. 2e had found in 2aiti a dru'A the formula for ,hich he ,ould develop laterA ,hich induced a state of profound sleep in anyone ta!in' itB a trance so deep that death ,as closely counterfeited 1 ,ith all muscular refle%esA even the respiration and heart13eatA completely stilled for the time 3ein'. Andre,s hadA he saidA seen it demonstrated on natives many times. Some of them remained somnolent for days at a timeA ,holly immo3ile and as much li!e death as death itself. This suspended animationA he e%plained furtherA ,ould even pass the closest e%amination of any medical man. 2e himselfA accordin' to all !no,n la,sA ,ould have to report as dead a man under the influence of such a dru'. 2e statedA tooA that the su3Cect<s 3ody assumed the precise appearance of a corpse 1 even a sli'ht ri'or mortis developin' in prolon'ed cases. 4or some time his purpose did not seem ,holly clearA 3ut ,hen the full import of his ,ords 3ecame apparent = felt ,ea! and nauseated. .et in another ,ay = ,as relievedB for the thin' meant at least a partial escape from my curseA an escape from the 3anishment and shame of an ordinary death of the dread leprosy. BrieflyA his plan ,as to administer a stron' dose of the dru' to me and call the local authoritiesA ,ho ,ould immediately pronounce me deadA and see that = ,as 3uried ,ithin a very short ,hile. 2e felt assured that ,ith their careless e%amination they ,ould fail to notice my leprosy symptomsA ,hich in truth had hardly appeared. +nly a trifle over fifteen months had passed since = had cau'ht the diseaseA ,hereas the corruption ta!es seven years to run its entire course. 5aterA he saidA ,ould come resurrection. After my interment in the family 'raveyard 1 3eside my centuried d,ellin' and 3arely a Duarter1mile from his o,n ancient pile 1 the appropriate steps ,ould 3e ta!en. 4inallyA ,hen my estate ,as settled and my decease ,idely !no,nA he ,ould secretly open the tom3 and 3rin' me to his o,n a3ode a'ainA still alive and none the ,orse for my adventure. =t seemed a 'hastly and darin' planA 3ut to me it offered the only hope for even a partial freedomB so = accepted his propositionA 3ut not ,ithout a myriad of mis'ivin's. What if the effect of the dru' should ,ear off ,hile = ,as in my tom3G What if the coroner should discover the a,ful ruseA and fail to inter meG These ,ere some of the hideous dou3ts ,hich assailed me 3efore the e%periment. Thou'h death ,ould have 3een a release from my curseA = feared it even ,orse than the yello, scour'eB feared it even ,hen = could see its 3lac! ,in's constantly hoverin' over me. 4ortunately = ,as spared the horror of vie,in' my o,n funeral and 3urial rites. They mustA ho,everA have 'one Cust as Andre,s had plannedA even to the su3seDuent

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $isinterment

"1-

disintermentB for after the initial dose of the poison from 2aiti = lapsed into a semi1 paralytic state and from that to a profoundA ni'ht13lac! sleep. The dru' had 3een administered in my roomA and Andre,s had told me 3efore 'ivin' it that he ,ould recommend to the coroner a verdict of heart failure due to nerve strain. +f courseA there ,as no em3almin' 1 Andre,s sa, to that 1 and the ,hole procedureA leadin' up to my secret transportation from the 'raveyard to his crum3lin' manorA covered a period of three days. 2avin' 3een 3uried late in the afternoon of the third dayA my 3ody ,as secured 3y Andre,s that very ni'ht. 2e had replaced the fresh sod Cust as it had 3een ,hen the ,or!men left. +ld SimesA s,orn to secrecyA had helped Andre,s in his 'houlish tas!. 5ater = had lain for over a ,ee! in my old familiar 3ed. +,in' to some une%pected effect of the dru'A my ,hole 3ody ,as completely paralyzedA so that = could move my head only sli'htly. All my sensesA ho,everA ,ere fully alertA and 3y another ,ee!<s time = ,as a3le to ta!e nourishment in 'ood Duantities. Andre,s e%plained that my 3ody ,ould 'radually re'ain its former sensi3ilitiesB thou'h o,in' to the presence of the leprosy it mi'ht ta!e considera3le time. 2e seemed 'reatly interested in analyzin' my daily symptomsA and al,ays as!ed if there ,as any feelin' present in my 3ody. 8any days passed 3efore = ,as a3le to control any part of my anatomyA and much lon'er 3efore the paralysis crept from my enfee3led lim3s so that = could feel the ordinary 3odily reactions. 5yin' and starin' at my num3 hul! ,as li!e havin' it inCected ,ith a perpetual anesthetic. There ,as a total alienation = could not understandA considerin' that my head and nec! ,ere Duite alive and in 'ood health. Andre,s e%plained that he had revived my upper half first and could not account for the complete 3odily paralysisB thou'h my condition seemed to trou3le him little considerin' the damna3ly intent interest he centered upon my reactions and stimuli from the very 3e'innin'. 8any times durin' lulls in our conversation = ,ould catch a stran'e 'leam in his eyes as he vie,ed me on the couch 1 a 'lint of victorious e%ultation ,hichA Dueerly enou'hA he never voiced aloudB thou'h he seemed to 3e Duite 'lad that = had run the 'auntlet of death and had come throu'h alive. StillA there ,as that horror = ,as to meet in less than si% yearsA ,hich added to my desolation and melancholy durin' the tedious days in ,hich = a,aited the return of normal 3odily functions. But = ,ould 3e up and a3outA he assured meA 3efore very lon'A enCoyin' an e%istence fe, men had ever e%perienced. The ,ords did notA ho,everA impress me ,ith their true and 'hastly meanin' until many days later. $urin' that a,ful sie'e in 3ed Andre,s and = 3ecame some,hat estran'ed. 2e no lon'er treated me so much li!e a friend as li!e an implement in his s!illed and 'reedy fin'ers. = found him possessed of une%pected traits 1 little e%amples of 3aseness and crueltyA apparent even to the hardened SimesA ,hich distur3ed me in a most unusual manner. +ften he ,ould display e%traordinary cruelty to live specimens in his la3oratoryA for he ,as constantly carryin' on various hidden proCects in 'landular and muscular transplantation on 'uinea1pi's and ra33its. 2e had also 3een employin' his ne,ly discovered sleepin'1potion in curious e%periments ,ith suspended animation. But of these thin's he told me very littleB thou'h old Simes often let slip chance comments ,hich shed some li'ht on the proceedin's. = ,as not certain ho, much the old servant !ne,A 3ut he had surely learned considera3leA 3ein' a constant companion to 3oth Andre,s and myself.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $isinterment

"17

With the passa'e of timeA a slo, 3ut consistent feelin' 3e'an creepin' into my disa3led 3odyB and at the revivin' symptoms Andre,s too! a fanatical interest in my case. 2e still seemed more coldly analytical than sympathetic to,ard meA ta!in' my pulse and heart13eat ,ith more than usual zeal. +ccasionallyA in his fevered e%aminationsA = sa, his hands trem3le sli'htly 1 an uncommon si'ht ,ith so s!illed a sur'eon 1 3ut he seemed o3livious of my scrutiny. = ,as never allo,ed even a momentary 'limpse of my full 3odyA 3ut ,ith the fee3le return of the sense of touchA = ,as a,are of a 3ul! and heaviness ,hich at first seemed a,!,ard and unfamiliar. 7radually = re'ained the use of my hands and armsB and ,ith the passin' of the paralysis came a ne, and terri3le sensation of physical estran'ement. 8y lim3s had difficulty in follo,in' the commands of my mindA and every movement ,as Cer!y and uncertain. So clumsy ,ere my handsA that = had to 3ecome accustomed to them all over a'ain. This mustA = thou'htA 3e due to my disease and the advance of the conta'ion in my system. Bein' una,are of ho, the early symptoms affected the victim Jmy 3rother<s 3ein' a more advanced caseKA = had no means of Cud'in'B and since Andre,s shunned the su3CectA = deemed it 3etter to remain silent. +ne day = as!ed Andre,s 1 = no lon'er considered him a friend 1 if = mi'ht try risin' and sittin' up in 3ed. At first he o3Cected strenuouslyA 3ut laterA after cautionin' me to !eep the 3lan!ets ,ell up around my chin so that = ,ould not 3e chilledA he permitted it. This seemed stran'eA in vie, of the comforta3le temperature. ;o, that late autumn ,as slo,ly turnin' into ,interA the room ,as al,ays ,ell heated. A 'ro,in' chilliness at ni'htA and occasional 'limpses of a leaden s!y throu'h the ,indo,A had told me of the chan'in' seasonB for no calendar ,as ever in si'ht upon the din'y ,alls. With the 'entle help of Simes = ,as eased to a sittin' positionA Andre,s coldly ,atchin' from the door to the la3oratory. At my success a slo, smile spread across his leerin' featuresA and he turned to disappear from the dar!ened door,ay. 2is mood did nothin' to improve my condition. +ld SimesA usually so re'ular and consistentA ,as no, often late in his dutiesA sometimes leavin' me alone for hours at a time. The terri3le sense of alienation ,as hei'htened 3y my ne, position. =t seemed that the le's and arms inside my 'o,n ,ere hardly a3le to follo, the summonin' of my mindA and it 3ecame mentally e%haustin' to continue movement for any len'th of time. 8y fin'ersA ,oefully clumsyA ,ere ,holly unfamiliar to my inner sense of touchA and = ,ondered va'uely if = ,ere to 3e accursed the rest of my days ,ith an a,!,ardness induced 3y my dread malady. =t ,as on the evenin' follo,in' my half1recovery that the dreams 3e'an. = ,as tormented not only at ni'ht 3ut durin' the day as ,ell. = ,ould a,a!enA screamin' horri3lyA from some fri'htful ni'htmare = dared not thin! a3out outside the realm of sleep. These dreams consisted mainly of 'houlish thin'sB 'raveyards at ni'htA stal!in' corpsesA and lost souls amid a chaos of 3lindin' li'ht and shado,. The terri3le reality of the visions distur3ed me most of all9 it seemed that some inside influence ,as inducin' the 'risly vistas of moonlit tom3stones and endless catacom3s of the restless dead. = could not place their sourceB and at the end of a ,ee! = ,as Duite frantic ,ith a3omina3le thou'hts ,hich seemed to o3trude themselves upon my un,elcome consciousness. By that time a slo, plan ,as formin' ,here3y = mi'ht escape the livin' hell into ,hich = had 3een propelled. Andre,s cared less and less a3out meA seemin' intent only on my

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $isinterment

"18

pro'ress and 'ro,th and recovery of normal muscular reactions. = ,as 3ecomin' every day more convinced of the nefarious doin's 'oin' on in that la3oratory across the threshold 1 the animal cries ,ere shoc!in'A and rasped hideously on my over,rou'ht nerves. And = ,as 'radually 3e'innin' to thin! that Andre,s had not saved me from deportation solely for my o,n 3enefitA 3ut for some accursed reason of his o,n. Simes<s attention ,as slo,ly 3ecomin' sli'hter and sli'hterA and = ,as convinced that the a'ed servitor had a hand in the deviltry some,here. Andre,s no lon'er eyed me as a friendA 3ut as an o3Cect of e%perimentationB nor did = li!e the ,ay he fin'ered his scalpel ,hen he stood in the narro, door,ay and stared at me ,ith crafty alertness. = had never 3efore seen such a transformation come over any man. 2is ordinarily handsome features ,ere no, lined and ,his!er1'ro,nA and his eyes 'leamed as if some imp of Satan ,ere starin' from them. 2is coldA calculatin' 'aze made me shudder horri3lyA and 'ave me a fresh determination to free myself from his 3onda'e as soon as possi3le. = had lost trac! of time durin' my dream1or'yA and had no ,ay of !no,in' ho, fast the days ,ere passin'. The curtains ,ere often dra,n in the daytimeA the room 3ein' lit 3y ,a%en cylinders in the lar'e candela3rum. =t ,as a ni'htmare of livin' horror and unrealityB thou'h throu'h it all = ,as 'radually 3ecomin' stron'er. = al,ays 'ave careful responses to Andre,s< inDuiries concernin' my returnin' physical controlA concealin' the fact that a ne, life ,as vi3ratin' throu'h me ,ith every passin' day 1 an alto'ether stran'e sort of stren'thA 3ut one ,hich = ,as countin' on to serve me in the comin' crisis. 4inallyA one chilly evenin' ,hen the candles had 3een e%tin'uishedA and a pale shaft of moonli'ht fell throu'h the dar! curtains upon my 3edA = determined to rise and carry out my plan of action. There had 3een no movement from either of my captors for several hoursA and = ,as confident that 3oth ,ere asleep in adCoinin' 3edcham3ers. Shiftin' my cum3ersome ,ei'ht carefullyA = rose to a sittin' position and cra,led cautiously out of 3edA do,n upon the floor. A verti'o 'ripped me momentarilyA and a ,ave of ,ea!ness flooded my entire 3ein'. But finally stren'th returnedA and 3y clutchin' at a 3ed1post = ,as a3le to stand upon my feet for the first time in many months. 7radually a ne, stren'th coursed throu'h meA and = donned the dar! ro3e ,hich = had seen han'in' on a near3y chair. =t ,as Duite lon'A 3ut served as a cloa! over my ni'htdress. A'ain came that feelin' of a,ful unfamiliarity ,hich = had e%perienced in 3edB that sense of alienationA and of difficulty in ma!in' my lim3s perform as they should. But there ,as need for haste 3efore my fee3le stren'th mi'ht 'ive out. As a last precaution in dressin'A = slipped some old shoes over my feetB 3ut thou'h = could have s,orn they ,ere my o,nA they seemed a3normally looseA so that = decided they must 3elon' to the a'ed Simes. Seein' no other heavy o3Cects in the roomA = seized from the ta3le the hu'e candela3rumA upon ,hich the moon shone ,ith a pallid 'lo,A and proceeded very Duietly to,ard the la3oratory door. 8y first steps came Cer!ily and ,ith much difficultyA and in the semi1dar!ness = ,as una3le to ma!e my ,ay very rapidly. When = reached the thresholdA a 'lance ,ithin revealed my former friend seated in a lar'e overstuffed chairB ,hile 3eside him ,as a smo!in'1stand upon ,hich ,ere assorted 3ottles and a 'lass. 2e reclined half1,ay in the moonli'ht throu'h the lar'e ,indo,A and his 'reasy features ,ere creased in a drun!en smir!. An opened 3oo! lay in his lap 1 one of the hideous tomes from his private li3rary.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $isinterment

"1)

4or a lon' moment = 'loated over the prospect 3efore meA and thenA steppin' for,ard suddenlyA = 3rou'ht the heavy ,eapon do,n upon his unprotected head. The dull crunch ,as follo,ed 3y a spurt of 3loodA and the fiend crumpled to the floorA his head laid half open. = felt no contrition at ta!in' the man<s life in such a manner. =n the hideousA half1 visi3le specimens of his sur'ical ,izardry scattered a3out the room in various sta'es of completion and preservationA = felt there ,as enou'h evidence to 3last his soul ,ithout my aid. Andre,s had 'one too far in his practices to continue livin'A and as one of his monstrous specimens 1 of that = ,as no, hideously certain 1 it ,as my duty to e%terminate him. SimesA = realizedA ,ould 3e no such easy matterB indeedA only unusual 'ood fortune had caused me to find Andre,s unconscious. When = finally reeled up to the servant<s 3edcham3er doorA faint from e%haustionA = !ne, it ,ould ta!e all my remainin' stren'th to complete the ordeal. The old man<s room ,as in utmost dar!nessA 3ein' on the north side of the structureA 3ut he must have seen me silhouetted in the door,ay as = came in. 2e screamed hoarselyA and = aimed the candela3rum at him from the threshold. =t struc! somethin' softA ma!in' a slou'hin' sound in the dar!nessB 3ut the screamin' continued. 4rom that time on events 3ecame hazy and Cum3led to'etherA 3ut = remem3er 'rapplin' ,ith the man and cho!in' the life from him little 3y little. 2e 'i33ered a host of a,ful thin's 3efore = could lay hands on him 1 cried and 3e''ed for mercy from my clutchin' fin'ers. = hardly realized my o,n stren'th in that mad moment ,hich left Andre,s< associate in a condition li!e his o,n. :etreatin' from the dar!ened cham3erA = stum3led for the stair,ay doorA sa''ed throu'h itA and someho, reached the landin' 3elo,. ;o lamps ,ere 3urnin'A and my only li'ht ,as a filterin' of moon3eams comin' from the narro, ,indo,s in the hall. But = made my Cer!y ,ay over the coldA damp sla3s of stoneA reelin' from the terri3le ,ea!ness of my e%ertionA and reached the front door after a'es of fum3lin' and cra,lin' a3out in the dar!ness. ?a'ue memories and hauntin' shado,s came to taunt me in that ancient hall,ayB shado,s once friendly and understanda3leA 3ut no, 'ro,n alien and unreco'niza3leA so that = stum3led do,n the ,orn steps in a frenzy of somethin' more than fear. 4or a moment = stood in the shado, of the 'iant stone manorA vie,in' the moonlit trail do,n ,hich = must 'o to reach the home of my forefathersA only a Duarter of a mile distant. But the ,ay seemed lon'A and for a ,hile = despaired of ever traversin' the ,hole of it. At last = 'rasped a piece of dead ,ood as a cane and set out do,n the ,indin' road. AheadA seemin'ly only a fe, rods a,ay in the moonli'htA stood the venera3le mansion ,here my ancestors had lived and died. =ts turrets rose spectrally in the shimmerin' radianceA and the 3lac! shado, cast on the 3eetlin' hillside appeared to shift and ,averA as if 3elon'in' to a castle of unreal su3stance. There stood the monument of half a centuryB a haven for all my family old and youn'A ,hich = had deserted many years a'o to live ,ith the fanatical Andre,s. =t stood empty on that fateful ni'htA and = hope that it may al,ays remain so. =n some manner = reached the a'ed placeB thou'h = do not remem3er the last half of the Courney at all. =t ,as enou'h to 3e near the family cemeteryA amon' ,hose moss1covered and crum3lin' stones = ,ould see! the o3livion = had desired. As = approached the moonlit

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spot the old familiarity 1 so a3sent durin' my a3normal e%istence 1 returned to pla'ue me in a ,holly une%pected ,ay. = dre, close to my o,n tom3stoneA and the feelin' of homecomin' 're, stron'erB ,ith it came a fresh flood of that a,ful sense of alienation and disem3odiment ,hich = !ne, so ,ell. = ,as satisfied that the end ,as dra,in' nearB nor did = stop to analyze emotions till a little laterA ,hen the full horror of my position 3urst upon me. =ntuitively = !ne, my o,n tom3stoneB for the 'rass had scarcely 3e'un to 'ro, 3et,een the pieces of sod. With feverish haste = 3e'an cla,in' at the moundA and scrapin' the ,et earth from the hole left 3y the removal of the 'rass and roots. 2o, lon' = ,or!ed in the nitrous soil 3efore my fin'ers struc! the coffin1lidA = can never sayB 3ut s,eat ,as pourin' from me and my nails ,ere 3ut uselessA 3leedin' hoo!s. At last = thre, out the last 3it of loose earthA and ,ith trem3lin' fin'ers tu''ed on the heavy lid. =t 'ave a trifleB and = ,as prepared to lift it completely open ,hen a fetid and nauseous odor assailed my nostrils. = started erectA horrified. 2ad some idiot placed my tom3stone on the ,ron' 'raveA causin' me to unearth another 3odyG 4or surely there could 3e no mista!in' that a,ful stench. 7radually a hideous uncertainty came over me and = scram3led from the hole. +ne loo! at the ne,ly made headpiece ,as enou'h. This ,as indeed my o,n 'rave .. . 3ut ,hat fool had 3uried ,ithin it another corpseG All at once a 3it of the unspea!a3le truth propelled itself upon my 3rain. The odorA in spite of its putrescenceA seemed someho, familiar 1 horri3ly familiar. . . . .et = could not credit my senses ,ith such an idea. :eelin' and cursin'A = fell into the 3lac! cavity once moreA and 3y the aid of a hastily lit matchA lifted the lon' lid completely open. Then the li'ht ,ent outA as if e%tin'uished 3y a mali'nant handA and = cla,ed my ,ay out of that accursed pitA screamin' in a frenzy of fear and loathin'. When = re'ained consciousness = ,as lyin' 3efore the door of my o,n ancient manorA ,here = must have cra,led after that hideous rendezvous in the family cemetery. = realized that da,n ,as close at handA and rose fee3lyA openin' the a'ed portal 3efore me and enterin' the place ,hich had !no,n no footsteps for over a decade. A fever ,as rava'in' my ,ea!ened 3odyA so that = ,as hardly a3le to standA 3ut = made my ,ay slo,ly throu'h the mustyA dimly lit cham3ers and sta''ered into my o,n study 1 the study = had deserted so many years 3efore. When the sun has risenA = shall 'o to the ancient ,ell 3eneath the old ,illo, tree 3y the cemetery and cast my deformed self into it. ;o other man shall ever vie, this 3lasphemy ,hich has survived life lon'er than it should have. = do not !no, ,hat people ,ill say ,hen they see my disordered 'raveA 3ut this ,ill not trou3le me if = can find o3livion from that ,hich = 3eheld amidst the crum3lin'A moss1crusted stones of the hideous place. = !no, no, ,hy Andre,s ,as so secretive in his actionsB so damna3ly 'loatin' in his attitude to,ard me after my artificial death. 2e had meant me for a specimen all the time 1 a specimen of his 'reatest feat of sur'eryA his masterpiece of unclean ,itchery . . . an e%ample of perverted artistry for him alone to see. Where Andre,s o3tained that other ,ith ,hich = lay accursed in his molderin' mansion = shall pro3a3ly never !no,B 3ut = am afraid that it ,as 3rou'ht from 2aiti alon' ,ith his fiendish medicine. At least these lon' hairy arms and horri3le short le's are alien to me ... alien to all natural and sane la,s of

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man!ind. The thou'ht that = shall 3e tortured ,ith that other durin' the rest of my 3rief e%istence is another hell. ;o, = can 3ut ,ish for that ,hich once ,as mineB that ,hich every man 3lessed of 7od ou'ht to have at deathB that ,hich = sa, in that a,ful moment in the ancient 3urial 'round ,hen = raised the lid on the coffin 1 my o,n shrun!enA decayedA and headless 3ody.

The /oom Th t C me to S r# th
There is in the land of 8nar a vast still la!e that is fed 3y no streamA and out of ,hich no stream flo,s. Ten thousand years a'o there stood 3y its shore the mi'hty city of SarnathA 3ut Sarnath stands there no more. =t is told that in the immemorial years ,hen the ,orld ,as youn'A 3efore ever the men of Sarnath came to the land of 8narA another city stood 3eside the la!eB the 'ray stone city of =3A ,hich ,as old as the la!e itselfA and peopled ,ith 3ein's not pleasin' to 3ehold. ?ery odd and u'ly ,ere these 3ein'sA as indeed are most 3ein's of a ,orld yet inchoate and rudely fashioned. =t is ,ritten on the 3ric! cylinders of 0adatheron that the 3ein's of l3 ,ere in hue as 'reen as the la!e and the mists that rise a3ove itB that they had 3ul'in' eyesA poutin'A fla33y lipsA and curious earsA and ,ere ,ithout voice. =t is also ,ritten that they descended one ni'ht from the moon in a mistB they and the vast still la!e and 'ray stone city l3. 2o,ever this may 3eA it is certain that they ,orshipped a sea1'reen stone idol chiseled in the li!eness of Bo!ru'A the 'reat ,ater1lizardB 3efore ,hich they danced horri3ly ,hen the moon ,as 'i33ous. And it is ,ritten in the papyrus of =larne!A that they one day discovered fireA and thereafter !indled flames on many ceremonial occasions. But not much is ,ritten of these 3ein'sA 3ecause they lived in very ancient timesA and man is youn'A and !no,s 3ut little of the very ancient livin' thin's. After many eons men came to the land of 8narA dar! shepherd fol! ,ith their fleecy floc!sA ,ho 3uilt ThraaA =larne!A and 0adatheron on the ,indin' river Ai. And certain tri3esA more hardy than the restA pushed on to the 3order of the la!e and 3uilt Sarnath at a spot ,here precious metals ,ere found in the earth. ;ot far from the 'ray city of l3 did the ,anderin' tri3es lay the first stones of SarnathA and at the 3ein's of l3 they marveled 'reatly. But ,ith their marvelin' ,as mi%ed hateA for they thou'ht it not meet that 3ein's of such aspect should ,al! a3out the ,orld of men at dus!. ;or did they li!e the stran'e sculptures upon the 'ray monoliths of =3A for ,hy those sculptures lin'ered so late in the ,orldA even until the comin' menA none can tellB unless it ,as 3ecause the land of 8nar is very stillA and remote from most other landsA 3oth of ,a!in' and of dream. As the men of Sarnath 3eheld more of the 3ein's of l3 their hate 're,A and it ,as not less 3ecause they found the 3ein's ,ea!A and soft as Celly to the touch of stones and arro,s. So one day the youn' ,arriorsA the slin'ers and the spearmen and the 3o,menA marched a'ainst l3 and sle, all the inha3itants thereofA pushin' the Dueer 3odies into the la!e ,ith lon' spearsA 3ecause they did not ,ish to touch them. And 3ecause they did not li!e the 'ray sculptured monoliths of l3 they cast these also into the la!eB ,onderin' from the 'reatness of the la3or ho, ever the stones ,ere 3rou'ht from afarA as they must have 3eenA since there is nau'ht li!e them in the land of 8nar or in the lands adCacent. Thus of the very ancient city of l3 ,as nothin' sparedA save the sea1'reen stone idol chiseled in the li!eness of Bo!ru'A the ,ater1lizard. This the youn' ,arriors too! 3ac! ,ith them as a sym3ol of conDuest over the old 'ods and 3ein's of ThA and as a si'n of leadership in 8nar. But on the ni'ht after it ,as set up in the templeA a terri3le thin' must have happenedA for ,eird li'hts ,ere seen over the la!eA and in the mornin' the people

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found the idol 'one and the hi'h1priest Taran1=sh lyin' deadA as from some fear unspea!a3le. And 3efore he diedA Taran1=sh had scra,led upon the altar of chrysolite ,ith coarse sha!y stro!es the si'n of $++8. After Taran1=sh there ,ere many hi'h1priests in Sarnath 3ut never ,as the sea1'reen stone idol found. And many centuries came and ,entA ,herein Sarnath prospered e%ceedin'lyA so that only priests and old ,omen remem3ered ,hat Taran1=sh had scra,led upon the altar of chrysolite. Bet,i%t Sarnath and the city of =larne! arose a caravan routeA and the precious metals from the earth ,ere e%chan'ed for other metals and rare cloths and Ce,els and 3oo!s and tools for artificers and all thin's of lu%ury that are !no,n to the people ,ho d,ell alon' the ,indin' river Ai and 3eyond. So Sarnath ,a%ed mi'hty and learned and 3eautifulA and sent forth conDuerin' armies to su3due the nei'h3orin' citiesB and in time there sate upon a throne in Sarnath the !in's of all the land of 8nar and of many lands adCacent. The ,onder of the ,orld and the pride of all man!ind ,as Sarnath the ma'nificent. +f polished desert1Duarried mar3le ,ere its ,allsA in hei'ht three hundred cu3its and in 3readth seventy1fiveA so that chariots mi'ht pass each other as men drove them alon' the top. 4or full five hundred stadia did they runA 3ein' open only on the side to,ard the la!e ,here a 'reen stone sea1,all !ept 3ac! the ,aves that rose oddly once a year at the festival of the destroyin' of =3. =n Sarnath ,ere fifty streets from the la!e to the 'ates of the caravansA and fifty more intersectin' them. With ony% ,ere they pavedA save those ,hereon the horses and camels and elephants trodA ,hich ,ere paved ,ith 'ranite. And the 'ates of Sarnath ,ere as many as the land,ard ends of the streetsA each of 3ronzeA and flan!ed 3y the fi'ures of lions and elephants carven from some stone no lon'er !no,n amon' men. The houses of Sarnath ,ere of 'lazed 3ric! and chalcedonyA each havin' its ,alled 'arden and crystal la!elet. With stran'e art ,ere they 3uildedA for no other city had houses li!e themB and travelers from Thraa and =larne! and 0adatheron marveled at the shinin' domes ,here,ith they ,ere surmounted. But more marvelous still ,ere the palaces and the templesA and the 'ardens made 3y @o!!ar the olden !in'. There ,ere many palacesA the last of ,hich ,ere mi'htier than any in Thraa or =larne! or 0adatheron. So hi'h ,ere they that one ,ithin mi'ht sometimes fancy himself 3eneath only the s!yB yet ,hen li'hted ,ith torches dipt in the oil of $other their ,alls sho,ed vast paintin's of !in's and armiesA of a splendor at once inspirin' and stupefyin' to the 3eholder. 8any ,ere the pillars of the palacesA all of tinted mar3leA and carven into desi'ns of surpassin' 3eauty. And in most of the palaces the floors ,ere mosaics of 3eryl and lapis lazuli and sardony% and car3uncle and other choice materialsA so disposed that the 3eholder mi'ht fancy himself ,al!in' over 3eds of the rarest flo,ers. And there ,ere li!e,ise fountainsA ,hich cast scented ,aters a3out in pleasin' Cets arran'ed ,ith cunnin' art. +utshinin' all others ,as the palace of the !in's of 8nar and of the lands adCacent. +n a pair of 'olden crouchin' lions rested the throneA many steps a3ove the 'leamin' floor. And it ,as ,rou'ht of one piece of ivoryA thou'h no man lives ,ho !no,s ,hence so vast a piece could have come. =n that palace there ,ere also many 'alleriesA and many amphitheaters ,here lions and men and elephants 3attled at the pleasure of the !in's. Sometimes the amphitheaters ,ere flooded ,ith ,ater conveyed from the la!e in mi'hty aDueductsA and then ,ere enacted stirrin' sea1fi'htsA or com3ats 3et,i%t s,immers and deadly marine thin's.

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The $oom That Came to Sarnath

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5ofty and amazin' ,ere the seventeen to,er1li!e temples of SarnathA fashioned of a 3ri'ht multi1colored stone not !no,n else,here. A full thousand cu3its hi'h stood the 'reatest amon' themA ,herein the hi'h1priests d,elt ,ith a ma'nificence scarce less than that of the !in's. +n the 'round ,ere halls as vast and splendid as those of the palacesB ,here 'athered thron's in ,orship of @o10alar and Tamash and 5o3onA the chief 'ods of SarnathA ,hose incense1enveloped shrines ,ere as the thrones of monarchs. ;ot li!e the ei!ons of other 'ods ,ere those of @o10alar and Tamash and 5o3on. 4or so close to life ,ere they that one mi'ht s,ear the 'raceful 3earded 'ods themselves sate on the ivory thrones. And up unendin' steps of zircon ,as the to,er1cham3erA ,herefrom the hi'h1 priests loo!ed out over the city and the plains and the la!e 3y dayB and at the cryptic moon and si'nificant stars and planetsA and their reflections in the la!eA at ni'ht. 2ere ,as done the very secret and ancient rite in detestation of Bo!ru'A the ,ater1lizardA and here rested the altar of chrysolite ,hich 3ore the $oom1scra,l of Taran1=sh. Wonderful li!e,ise ,ere the 'ardens made 3y @o!!ar the olden !in'. =n the center of Sarnath they layA coverin' a 'reat space and encircled 3y a hi'h ,all. And they ,ere surmounted 3y a mi'hty dome of 'lassA throu'h ,hich shone the sun and moon and planets ,hen it ,as clearA and from ,hich ,ere hun' ful'ent ima'es of the sun and moon and stars and planets ,hen it ,as not clear. =n summer the 'ardens ,ere cooled ,ith fresh odorous 3reezes s!ilfully ,afted 3y fansA and in ,inter they ,ere heated ,ith concealed firesA so that in those 'ardens it ,as al,ays sprin'. There ran little streams over 3ri'ht pe33lesA dividin' meads of 'reen and 'ardens of many huesA and spanned 3y a multitude of 3rid'es. 8any ,ere the ,aterfalls in their coursesA and many ,ere the hued la!elets into ,hich they e%panded. +ver the streams and la!elets rode ,hite s,ansA ,hilst the music of rare 3irds chimed in ,ith the melody of the ,aters. =n ordered terraces rose the 'reen 3an!sA adorned here and there ,ith 3o,ers of vines and s,eet 3lossomsA and seats and 3enches of mar3le and porphyry. And there ,ere many small shrines and temples ,here one mi'ht rest or pray to small 'ods. Each year there ,as cele3rated in Sarnath the feast of the destroyin' of l3A at ,hich time ,ineA son'A dancin'A and merriment of every !ind a3ounded. 7reat honors ,ere then paid to the shades of those ,ho had annihilated the odd ancient 3ein'sA and the memory of those 3ein's and of their elder 'ods ,as derided 3y dancers and lutanists cro,ned ,ith roses from the 'ardens of @o!!ar. And the !in's ,ould loo! out over the la!e and curse the 3ones of the dead that lay 3eneath it. At first the hi'h1priests li!ed not these festivalsA for there had descended amon'st them Dueer tales of ho, the sea1'reen ei!on had vanishedA and ho, Taran1=sh had died from fear and left a ,arnin'. And they said that from their hi'h to,er they sometimes sa, li'hts 3eneath the ,aters of the la!e. But as many years passed ,ithout calamity even the priests lau'hed and cursed and Coined in the or'ies of the feasters. =ndeedA had they not themselvesA in their hi'h to,erA often performed the very ancient and secret rite in detestation of Bo!ru'A the ,ater1lizardG And a thousand years of riches and deli'ht passed over SarnathA ,onder of the ,orld. 7or'eous 3eyond thou'ht ,as the feast of the thousandth year of the destroyin' of l3. 4or a decade had it 3een tal!ed of in the land of 8narA and as it dre, ni'h there came to Sarnath on horses and camels and elephants men from ThraaA =larne!A and 0adetheronA and all the cities of 8nar and the lands 3eyond. Before the mar3le ,alls on the appointed ni'ht ,ere pitched the pavilions of princes and the tents of travelers. Within his 3anDuet1hall

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The $oom That Came to Sarnath

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reclined ;ar'is12eiA the !in'A drun!en ,ith ancient ,ine from the vaults of conDuered >nothA and surrounded 3y feastin' no3les and hurryin' slaves. There ,ere eaten many stran'e delicacies at that feastB peacoc!s from the distant hills of 5inplanA heels of camels from the Bnazic desertA nuts and spices from Sydathrian 'rovesA and pearls from ,ave1 ,ashed 8tal dissolved in the vine'ar of Thraa. +f sauces there ,ere an untold num3erA prepared 3y the su3tlest coo!s in all 8narA and suited to the palate of every feaster. But most prized of all the viands ,ere the 'reat fishes from the la!eA each of vast sizeA and served upon 'olden platters set ,ith ru3ies and diamonds. Whilst the !in' and his no3les feasted ,ithin the palaceA and vie,ed the cro,nin' dish as it a,aited them on 'olden plattersA others feasted else,here. =n the to,er of the 'reat temple the priests held revelsA and in pavilions ,ithout the ,alls the princes of nei'h3orin' lands made merry. And it ,as the hi'h1priest 7nai10ah ,ho first sa, the shado,s that descended from the 'i33ous moon into the la!eA and the damna3le 'reen mists that arose from the la!e to meet the moon and to shroud in a sinister haze the to,ers and the domes of fated Sarnath. Thereafter those in the to,ers and ,ithout the ,alls 3eheld stran'e li'hts on the ,aterA and sa, that the 'ray roc! A!urionA ,hich ,as ,ont to rear hi'h a3ove it near the shoreA ,as almost su3mer'ed. And fear 're, va'uely yet s,iftlyA so that the princes of =larne! and of far :o!ol too! do,n and folded their tents and pavilions and departedA thou'h they scarce !ne, the reason for their departin'. ThenA close to the hour of midni'htA all the 3ronze 'ates of Sarnath 3urst open and emptied forth a frenzied thron' that 3lac!ened the plainA so that all the visitin' princes and travelers fled a,ay in fri'ht. 4or on the faces of this thron' ,as ,rit a madness 3orn of horror unendura3leA and on their ton'ues ,ere ,ords so terri3le that no hearer paused for proof. 8en ,hose eyes ,ere ,ild ,ith fear shrie!ed aloud of the si'ht ,ithin the !in'<s 3anDuet1hallA ,here throu'h the ,indo,s ,ere seen no lon'er the forms of ;ar'is12ei and his no3les and slavesA 3ut a horde of indescri3a3le 'reen voiceless thin's ,ith 3ul'in' eyesA poutin'A fla33y lipsA and curious earsB thin's ,hich danced horri3lyA 3earin' in their pa,s 'olden platters set ,ith ru3ies and diamonds and containin' uncouth flames. And the princes and travelersA as they fled from the doomed city of Sarnath on horses and camels and elephantsA loo!ed a'ain upon the mist13e'ettin' la!e and sa, the 'ray roc! A!urion ,as Duite su3mer'ed. Throu'h all the land of 8nar and the land adCacent spread the tales of those ,ho had fled from SarnathA and caravans sou'ht that accursed city and its precious metals no more. =t ,as lon' ere any travelers ,ent thitherA and even then only the 3rave and adventurous youn' men of yello, hair and 3lue eyesA ,ho are no !in to the men of 8nar. These men indeed ,ent to the la!e to vie, SarnathB 3ut thou'h they found the vast still la!e itselfA and the 'ray roc! A!urion ,hich rears hi'h a3ove it near the shoreA they 3eheld not the ,onder of the ,orld and pride of all man!ind. Where once had risen ,alls of three hundred cu3its and to,ers yet hi'herA no, stretched only the marshy shoreA and ,here once had d,elt fifty million of men no, cra,led the detesta3le ,ater1lizard. ;ot even the mines of precious metal remained. $++8 had come to Sarnath. But half 3uried in the rushes ,as spied a curious 'reen idolB an e%ceedin'ly ancient idol chiseled in the li!eness of Bo!ru'A the 'reat ,ater1lizard. That idolA enshrined in the hi'h temple at =larne!A ,as su3seDuently ,orshipped 3eneath the 'i33ous moon throu'hout the land of 8nar.

The /re m 3%est o! 0#+#o2# K $ th

Three times :andolph Carter dreamed of the marvelous cityA and three times ,as he snatched a,ay ,hile still he paused on the hi'h terrace a3ove it. All 'olden and lovely it 3lazed in the sunsetA ,ith ,allsA templesA colonnades and arched 3rid'es of veined mar3leA silver13asined fountains of prismatic spray in 3road sDuares and perfumed 'ardensA and ,ide streets marchin' 3et,een delicate trees and 3lossom1laden urns and ivory statues in 'leamin' ro,sB ,hile on steep north,ard slopes clim3ed tiers of red roofs and old pea!ed 'a3les har3ourin' little lanes of 'rassy co33les. h ,as a fever of the 'odsA a fanfare of supernal trumpets and a clash of immortal cym3als. 8ystery hun' a3out it as clouds a3out a fa3ulous unvisited mountainB and as Carter stood 3reathless and e%pectant on that 3alustraded parapet there s,ept up to him the poi'nancy and suspense of almost1vanished memoryA the pain of lost thin's and the maddenin' need to place a'ain ,hat once had 3een an a,esome and momentous place. 2e !ne, that for him its meanin' must once have 3een supremeB thou'h in ,hat cycle or incarnation he had !no,n itA or ,hether in dream or in ,a!in'A he could not tell. ?a'uely it called up 'limpses of a far for'otten first youthA ,hen ,onder and pleasure lay in all the mystery of daysA and da,n and dus! ali!e strode forth prophetic to the ea'er sound of lutes and son'A unclosin' fiery 'ates to,ard further and surprisin' marvels. But each ni'ht as he stood on that hi'h mar3le terrace ,ith the curious urns and carven rail and loo!ed off over that hushed sunset city of 3eauty and unearthly immanence he felt the 3onda'e of dream<s tyrannous 'odsB for in no ,ise could he leave that lofty spotA or descend the ,ide marmoreal fi'hts flun' endlessly do,n to ,here those streets of elder ,itchery lay outspread and 3ec!onin'. When for the third time he a,a!ened ,ith those fli'hts still undescended and those hushed sunset streets still untraversedA he prayed lon' and earnestly to the hidden 'ods of dream that 3rood capricious a3ove the clouds on un!no,n 0adathA in the cold ,aste ,here no man treads. But the 'ods made no ans,er and she,ed no relentin'A nor did they 'ive any favourin' si'n ,hen he prayed to them in dreamA and invo!ed them sacrificially throu'h the 3earded priests of ;asht and 0aman1ThahA ,hose cavern1temple ,ith its pillar of flame lies not far from the 'ates of the ,a!in' ,orld. =t seemedA ho,everA that his prayers must have 3een adversely heardA for after even the first of them he ceased ,holly to 3ehold the marvellous cityB as if his three 'limpses from afar had 3een mere accidents or oversi'htsA and a'ainst some hidden plan or ,ish of the 'ods. At len'thA sic! ,ith lon'in' for those 'litterin' sunset streets and cryptical hill lanes amon' ancient tiled roofsA nor a3le sleepin' or ,a!in' to drive them from his mindA Carter resolved to 'o ,ith 3old entreaty ,hither no man had 'one 3eforeA and dare the icy deserts throu'h the dar! to ,here un!no,n 0adathA veiled in cloud and cro,ned ,ith unima'ined starsA holds secret and nocturnal the ony% castle of the 7reat +nes. =n li'ht slum3er he descended the seventy steps to the cavern of flame and tal!ed of this desi'n to the 3earded priests ;asht and 0aman1Thah. And the priests shoo! their pshent1 3earin' heads and vo,ed it ,ould 3e the death of his soul. They pointed out that the 7reat +nes had sho,n already their ,ishA and that it is not a'reea3le to them to 3e harassed 3y insistent pleas. They reminded himA tooA that not only had no man ever 3een to 0adathA 3ut

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no man had ever suspected in ,hat part of space it may lieB ,hether it 3e in the dreamlands around our o,n ,orldA or in those surroundin' some un'uessed companion of 4omalhaut or Alde3aran. =f in our dreamlandA it mi'ht conceiva3ly 3e reachedA 3ut only three human souls since time 3e'an had ever crossed and recrossed the 3lac! impious 'ulfs to other dreamlandsA and of that threeA t,o had come 3ac! Duite mad. There ,ereA in such voya'esA incalcula3le local dan'ersB as ,ell as that shoc!in' final peril ,hich 'i33ers unmentiona3ly outside the ordered universeA ,here no dreams reachB that last amorphous 3li'ht of nethermost confusion ,hich 3lasphemes and 3u33les at the centre of all infinity 1 the 3oundless daemon sultan AzathothA ,hose name no lips dare spea! aloudA and ,ho 'na,s hun'rily in inconceiva3leA unli'hted cham3ers 3eyond time amidst the muffledA maddenin' 3eatin' of vile drums and the thinA monotonous ,hine of accursed flutesB to ,hich detesta3le poundin' and pipin' dance slo,lyA a,!,ardlyA and a3surdly the 'i'antic (ltimate 'odsA the 3lindA voicelessA tene3rousA mindless +ther 'ods ,hose soul and messen'er is the cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep. +f these thin's ,as Carter ,arned 3y the priests ;asht and 0aman1Thah in the cavern of flameA 3ut still he resolved to find the 'ods on un!no,n 0adath in the cold ,asteA ,herever that mi'ht 3eA and to ,in from them the si'ht and remem3rance and shelter of the marvellous sunset city. 2e !ne, that his Courney ,ould 3e stran'e and lon'A and that the 7reat +nes ,ould 3e a'ainst itB 3ut 3ein' old in the land of dream he counted on many useful memories and devices to aid him. So as!in' a formal 3lessin' of the priests and thin!in' shre,dly on his courseA he 3oldly descended the seven hundred steps to the 7ate of $eeper Slum3er and set out throu'h the Enchanted Wood. =n the tunnels of that t,isted ,oodA ,hose lo, prodi'ious oa!s t,ine 'ropin' 3ou'hs and shine dim ,ith the phosphorescence of stran'e fun'iA d,ell the furtive and secretive @oo'sB ,ho !no, many o3scure secrets of the dream ,orld and a fe, of the ,a!in' ,orldA since the ,ood at t,o places touches the lands of menA thou'h it ,ould 3e disastrous to say ,here. Certain une%plained rumoursA eventsA and vanishments occur amon' men ,here the @oo's have accessA and it is ,ell that they cannot travel far outside the ,orld of dreams. But over the nearer parts of the dream ,orld they pass freelyA flittin' small and 3ro,n and unseen and 3earin' 3ac! piDuant tales to 3e'uile the hours around their hearths in the forest they love. 8ost of them live in 3urro,sA 3ut some inha3it the trun!s of the 'reat treesB and althou'h they live mostly on fun'i it is muttered that they have also a sli'ht taste for meatA either physical or spiritualA for certainly many dreamers have entered that ,ood ,ho have not come out. CarterA ho,everA had no fearB for he ,as an old dreamer and had learnt their flutterin' lan'ua'e and made many a treaty ,ith themB havin' found throu'h their help the splendid city of Celephais in +oth1;ar'ai 3eyond the Tanarian 2illsA ,here rei'ns half the year the 'reat 0in' 0uranesA a man he had !no,n 3y another name in life. 0uranes ,as the one soul ,ho had 3een to the star1'ulls and returned free from madness. Threadin' no, the lo, phosphorescent aisles 3et,een those 'i'antic trun!sA Carter made flutterin' sounds in the manner of the @oo'sA and listened no, and then for responses. 2e remem3ered one particular villa'e of the creatures ,as in the centre of the ,oodA ,here a circle of 'reat mossy stones in ,hat ,as once a cleanin' tells of older and more terri3le d,ellers lon' for'ottenA and to,ard this spot he hastened. 2e traced his ,ay 3y the 'rotesDue fun'iA ,hich al,ays seem 3etter nourished as one approaches the dread circle ,here elder 3ein's danced and sacrificed. 4inally the 'reat li'ht of those thic!er fun'i revealed a sinister 'reen and 'rey vastness pushin' up throu'h the roof of the forest

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and out of si'ht. This ,as the nearest of the 'reat rin' of stonesA and Carter !ne, he ,as close to the @oo' villa'e. :ene,in' his flutterin' soundA he ,aited patientlyB and ,as at last re,arded 3y an impression of many eyes ,atchin' him. =t ,as the @oo'sA for one sees their ,eird eyes lon' 3efore one can discern their smallA slippery 3ro,n outlines. +ut they s,armedA from hidden 3urro, and honeycom3ed treeA till the ,hole dim1litten re'ion ,as alive ,ith them. Some of the ,ilder ones 3rushed Carter unpleasantlyA and one even nipped loathsomely at his earB 3ut these la,less spirits ,ere soon restrained 3y their elders. The Council of Sa'esA reco'nizin' the visitorA offered a 'ourd of fermented sap from a haunted tree unli!e the othersA ,hich had 'ro,n from a seed dropt do,n 3y someone on the moonB and as Carter dran! it ceremoniously a very stran'e colloDuy 3e'an. The @oo's did notA unfortunatelyA !no, ,here the pea! of 0adath liesA nor could they even say ,hether the cold ,aste is in our dream ,orld or in another. :umours of the 7reat +nes came eDually from all pointsB and one mi'ht only say that they ,ere li!elier to 3e seen on hi'h mountain pea!s than in valleysA since on such pea!s they dance reminiscently ,hen the moon is a3ove and the clouds 3eneath. Then one very ancient @oo' recalled a thin' unheard1of 3y the othersB and said that in (ltharA 3eyond the :iver S!aiA there still lin'ered the last copy of those inconceiva3ly old >na!otic 8anuscripts made 3y ,a!in' men in for'otten 3oreal !in'doms and 3orne into the land of dreams ,hen the hairy canni3al 7noph!ehs overcame many1templed +lathoe and sle, all the heroes of the land of 5omar. Those manuscripts he saidA told much of the 'odsA and 3esidesA in (lthar there ,ere men ,ho had seen the si'ns of the 'odsA and even one old priest ,ho had scaled a 'reat mountain to 3ehold them dancin' 3y moonli'ht. 2e had failedA thou'h his companion had succeeded and perished namelessly. So :andolph Carter than!ed the @oo'sA ,ho fluttered amica3ly and 'ave him another 'ourd of moon1tree ,ine to ta!e ,ith himA and set out throu'h the phosphorescent ,ood for the other sideA ,here the rushin' S!ai flo,s do,n from the slopes of 5erionA and 2athe' and ;ir and (lthar dot the plain. Behind himA furtive and unseenA crept several of the curious @oo'sB for they ,ished to learn ,hat mi'ht 3efall himA and 3ear 3ac! the le'end to their people. The vast oa!s 're, thic!er as he pushed on 3eyond the villa'eA and he loo!ed sharply for a certain spot ,here they ,ould thin some,hatA standin' Duite dead or dyin' amon' the unnaturally dense fun'i and the rottin' mould and mushy lo's of their fallen 3rothers. There he ,ould turn sharply asideA for at that spot a mi'hty sla3 of stone rests on the forest floorB and those ,ho have dared approach it say that it 3ears an iron rin' three feet ,ide. :emem3erin' the archaic circle of 'reat mossy roc!sA and ,hat it ,as possi3ly set up forA the @oo's do not pause near that e%pansive sla3 ,ith its hu'e rin'B for they realise that all ,hich is for'otten need not necessarily 3e deadA and they ,ould not li!e to see the sla3 rise slo,ly and deli3erately. Carter detoured at the proper placeA and heard 3ehind him the fri'htened flutterin' of some of the more timid @oo's. 2e had !no,n they ,ould follo, himA so he ,as not distur3edB for one 'ro,s accustomed to the anomalies of these pryin' creatures. =t ,as t,ili'ht ,hen he came to the ed'e of the ,oodA and the stren'thenin' 'lo, told him it ,as the t,ili'ht of mornin'. +ver fertile plains rollin' do,n to the S!ai he sa, the smo!e of cotta'e chimneysA and on every hand ,ere the hed'es and plou'hed fields and thatched roofs of a peaceful land. +nce he stopped at a farmhouse ,ell for a cup of ,aterA and all the do's 3ar!ed affri'htedly at the inconspicuous @oo's that crept throu'h the 'rass 3ehind. At another houseA ,here people ,ere stirrin'A he as!ed Duestions a3out the 'odsA

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and ,hether they danced often upon 5erionB 3ut the farmer and his ,ile ,ould only ma!e the Elder Si'n and tell him the ,ay to ;ir and (lthar. At noon he ,al!ed throu'h the one 3road hi'h street of ;irA ,hich he had once visited and ,hich mar!ed his farthest former travels in this directionB and soon after,ard he came to the 'reat stone 3rid'e across the S!aiA into ,hose central piece the masons had sealed a livin' human sacrifice ,hen they 3uilt it thirteen1hundred years 3efore. +nce on the other sideA the freDuent presence of cats J,ho all arched their 3ac!s at the trailin' @oo'sK revealed the near nei'h3orhood of (ltharB for in (ltharA accordin' to an ancient and si'nificant la,A no man may !ill a cat. ?ery pleasant ,ere the su3ur3s of (ltharA ,ith their little 'reen cotta'es and neatly fenced farmsB and still pleasanter ,as the Duaint to,n itselfA ,ith its old pea!ed roofs and overhan'in' upper stories and num3erless chimney1pots and narro, hill streets ,here one can see old co33les ,henever the 'raceful cats afford space enou'h. CarterA the cats 3ein' some,hat dispersed 3y the half1seen @oo'sA pic!ed his ,ay directly to the modest Temple of the Elder +nes ,here the priests and old records ,ere said to 3eB and once ,ithin that venera3le circular to,er of ivied stone 1 ,hich cro,ns (lthar<s hi'hest hill 1 he sou'ht out the patriarch AtalA ,ho had 3een up the for3idden pea! 2athe'10ia in the stony desert and had come do,n a'ain alive. AtalA seated on an ivory dais in a festooned shrine at the top of the templeA ,as fully three centuries oldB 3ut still very !een of mind and memory. 4rom him Carter learned many thin's a3out the 'odsA 3ut mainly that they are indeed only Earth<s 'odsA rulin' fee3ly our o,n dreamland and havin' no po,er or ha3itation else,here. They mi'htA Atal saidA heed a man<s prayer if in 'ood humourB 3ut one must not thin! of clim3in' to their ony% stron'hold atop 0adath in the cold ,aste. =t ,as luc!y that no man !ne, ,here 0adath to,ersA for the fruits of ascendin' it ,ould 3e very 'rave. Atal<s companion Banni the Wise had 3een dra,n screamin' into the s!y for clim3in' merely the !no,n pea! of 2athe'1 0ia. With un!no,n 0adathA if ever foundA matters ,ould 3e much ,orseB for althou'h Earth<s 'ods may sometimes 3e surpassed 3y a ,ise mortalA they are protected 3y the +ther 7ods from +utsideA ,hom it is 3etter not to discuss. At least t,ice in the ,orld<s history the +ther 7ods set their seal upon Earth<s primal 'raniteB once in antediluvian timesA as 'uessed from a dra,in' in those parts of the >na!otic 8anuscripts too ancient to 3e readA and once on 2athe'10ia ,hen Barzai the Wise tried to see Earth<s 'ods dancin' 3y moonli'ht. SoA Atal saidA it ,ould 3e much 3etter to let all 'ods alone e%cept in tactful prayers. CarterA thou'h disappointed 3y Atal<s discoura'in' advice and 3y the mea're help to 3e found in the >na!otic 8anuscripts and the Seven Cryptical Boo!s of 2sanA did not ,holly despair. 4irst he Duestioned the old priest a3out that marvellous sunset city seen from the railed terraceA thin!in' that perhaps he mi'ht find it ,ithout the 'ods< aidB 3ut Atal could tell him nothin'. >ro3a3lyA Atal saidA the place 3elon'ed to his especial dream ,orld and not to the 'eneral land of vision that many !no,B and conceiva3ly it mi'ht 3e on another planet. =n that case Earth<s 'ods could not 'uide him if they ,ould. But this ,as not li!elyA since the stoppin' of the dreams she,ed pretty clearly that it ,as somethin' the 7reat +nes ,ished to hide from him. Then Carter did a ,ic!ed thin'A offerin' his 'uileless host so many drau'hts of the moon1,ine ,hich the @oo's had 'iven him that the old man 3ecame irresponsi3ly tal!ative. :o33ed of his reserveA poor Atal 3a33led freely of for3idden thin'sB tellin' of a 'reat ima'e reported 3y travellers as carved on the solid roc! of the mountain ;'rane!A on

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"&*

the isle of +ria3 in the Southern SeaA and hintin' that it may 3e a li!eness ,hich Earth<s 'ods once ,rou'ht of their o,n features in the days ,hen they danced 3y moonli'ht on that mountain. And he hiccou'hed li!e,ise that the features of that ima'e are very stran'eA so that one mi'ht easily reco'nize themA and that they are sure si'ns of the authentic race of the 'ods. ;o, the use of all this in findin' the 'ods 3ecame at once apparent to Carter. =t is !no,n that in dis'uise the youn'er amon' the 7reat +nes often espouse the dau'hters of menA so that around the 3orders of the cold ,aste ,herein stands 0adath the peasants must all 3ear their 3lood. This 3ein' soA the ,ay to find that ,aste must 3e to see the stone face on ;'rane! and mar! the featuresB thenA havin' noted them ,ith careA to search for such features amon' livin' men. Where they are plainest and thic!estA there must the 'ods d,ell nearestB and ,hatever stony ,aste lies 3ac! of the villa'es in that place must 3e that ,herein stands 0adath. 8uch of the 7reat +nes mi'ht 3e learnt in such re'ionsA and those ,ith their 3lood mi'ht inherit little memories very useful to a see!er. They mi'ht not !no, their parenta'eA for the 'ods so disli!e to 3e !no,n amon' men that none can 3e found ,ho has seen their faces ,ittin'lyB a thin' ,hich Carter realized even as he sou'ht to scale 0adath. But they ,ould have Dueer lofty thou'hts misunderstood 3y their fello,sA and ,ould sin' of far places and 'ardens so unli!e any !no,n even in the dreamland that common fol! ,ould call them foolsB and from all this one could perhaps learn old secrets of 0adathA or 'ain hints of the marvellous sunset city ,hich the 'ods held secret. And moreA one mi'ht in certain cases seize some ,ell1loved child of a 'od as hosta'eB or even capture some youn' 'od himselfA dis'uised and d,ellin' amon'st men ,ith a comely peasant maiden as his 3ride. AtalA ho,everA did not !no, ho, to find ;'rane! on its isle of +ria3B and recommended that Carter follo, the sin'in' S!ai under its 3rid'es do,n to the Southern SeaB ,here no 3ur'ess of (lthar has ever 3eenA 3ut ,hence the merchants come in 3oats or ,ith lon' caravans of mules and t,o1,heeled carts. There is a 'reat city thereA $ylath1 5eenA 3ut in (lthar its reputation is 3ad 3ecause of the 3lac! three13an!ed 'alleys that sail to it ,ith ru3ies from no clearly named shore. The traders that come from those 'alleys to deal ,ith the Ce,ellers are humanA or nearly soA 3ut the ro,ers are never 3eheldB and it is not thou'ht ,holesome in (lthar that merchants should trade ,ith 3lac! ships from un!no,n places ,hose ro,ers cannot 3e e%hi3ited. By the time he had 'iven this information Atal ,as very dro,syA and Carter laid him 'ently on a couch of inlaid e3ony and 'athered his lon' 3eard decorously on his chest. As he turned to 'oA he o3served that no suppressed flutterin' follo,ed himA and ,ondered ,hy the @oo's had 3ecome so la% in their curious pursuit. Then he noticed all the slee! complacent cats of (lthar lic!in' their chops ,ith unusual 'ustoA and recalled the spittin' and cater,aulin' he had faintly heardA in lo,er parts of the temple ,hile a3sor3ed in the old priest<s conversation. 2e recalledA tooA the evilly hun'ry ,ay in ,hich an especially impudent youn' @oo' had re'arded a small 3lac! !itten in the co33led street outside. And 3ecause he loved nothin' on earth more than small 3lac! !ittensA he stooped and petted the slee! cats of (lthar as they lic!ed their chopsA and did not mourn 3ecause those inDuisitive @oo's ,ould escort him no farther.

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=t ,as sunset no,A so Carter stopped at an ancient inn on a steep little street overloo!in' the lo,er to,n. And as he ,ent out on the 3alcony of his room and 'azed do,n at the sea of red tiled roofs and co33led ,ays and the pleasant fields 3eyondA all mello, and ma'ical in the slanted li'htA he s,ore that (lthar ,ould 3e a very li!ely place to d,ell in al,aysA ,ere not the memory of a 'reater sunset city ever 'oadin' one on,ard to,ard un!no,n perils. Then t,ili'ht fellA and the pin! ,alls of the plastered 'a3les turned violet and mysticA and little yello, li'hts floated up one 3y one from old lattice ,indo,s. And s,eet 3ells pealed in. the temple to,er a3oveA and the first star ,in!ed softly a3ove the meado,s across the S!ai. With the ni'ht came son'A and Carter nodded as the lutanists praised ancient days from 3eyond the fili'reed 3alconies and tesselated courts of simple (lthar. And there mi'ht have 3een s,eetness even in the voices of (lthar<s many catsA 3ut that they ,ere mostly heavy and silent from stran'e feastin'. Some of them stole off to those cryptical realms ,hich are !no,n only to cats and ,hich villa'ers say are on the moon<s dar! sideA ,hither the cats leap from tall housetopsA 3ut one small 3lac! !itten crept upstairs and spran' in Carter<s lap to purr and playA and curled up near his feet ,hen he lay do,n at last on the little couch ,hose pillo,s ,ere stuffed ,ith fra'rantA dro,sy her3s. =n the mornin' Carter Coined a caravan of merchants 3ound for $ylath15een ,ith the spun ,ool of (lthar and the ca33a'es of (lthar<s 3usy farms. And for si% days they rode ,ith tin!lin' 3ells on the smooth road 3eside the S!aiB stoppin' some ni'hts at the inns of little Duaint fishin' to,nsA and on other ni'hts campin' under the stars ,hile snatches of 3oatmen<s son's came from the placid river. The country ,as very 3eautifulA ,ith 'reen hed'es and 'roves and picturesDue pea!ed cotta'es and octa'onal ,indmills. +n the seventh day a 3lur of smo!e rose on the horizon aheadA and then the tall 3lac! to,ers of $ylath15eenA ,hich is 3uilt mostly of 3asalt. $ylath15een ,ith its thin an'ular to,ers loo!s in the distance li!e a 3it of the 7iant<s Cause,ayA and its streets are dar! and uninvitin'. There are many dismal sea1taverns near the myriad ,harvesA and all the to,n is thron'ed ,ith the stran'e seamen of every land on earth and of a fe, ,hich are said to 3e not on earth. Carter Duestioned the oddly ro3ed men of that city a3out the pea! of ;'rane! on the isle of +ria3A and found that they !ne, of it ,ell. Ships came from Baharna on that islandA one 3ein' due to return thither in only a monthA and ;'rane! is 3ut t,o days< ze3ra1ride from that port. But fe, had seen the stone face of the 'odA 3ecause it is on a very difficult side of ;'rane!A ,hich overloo!s only sheer cra's and a valley of sinister lava. +nce the 'ods ,ere an'ered ,ith men on that sideA and spo!e of the matter to the +ther 7ods. =t ,as hard to 'et this information from the traders and sailors in $ylath15een<s sea tavernsA 3ecause they mostly preferred to ,hisper of the 3lac! 'alleys. +ne of them ,as due in a ,ee! ,ith ru3ies from its un!no,n shoreA and the to,nsfol! dreaded to see it doc!. The mouths of the men ,ho came from it to trade ,ere too ,ideA and the ,ay their tur3ans ,ere humped up in t,o points a3ove their foreheads ,as in especially 3ad taste. And their shoes ,ere the shortest and Dueerest ever seen in the Si% 0in'doms. But ,orst of all ,as the matter of the unseen ro,ers. Those three 3an!s of oars moved too 3ris!ly and accurately and vi'orously to 3e comforta3leA and it ,as not ri'ht for a ship to stay in port for ,ee!s ,hile the merchants tradedA yet to 'ive no 'limpse of its cre,. =t ,as not fair to the tavern1!eepers of $ylath15eenA or to the 'rocers and 3utchersA eitherB for not a scrap of provisions ,as ever sent a3oard. The merchants too! only 'old and stout 3lac! slaves from >ar' across the river. That ,as all they ever too!A those unpleasantly featured merchants

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and their unseen ro,ersB never anythin' from the 3utchers and 'rocersA 3ut only 'old and the fat 3lac! men of >ar' ,hom they 3ou'ht 3y the pound. And the odours from those 'alleys ,hich the south ,ind 3le, in from the ,harves are not to 3e descri3ed. +nly 3y constantly smo!in' stron' tha',eed could even the hardiest denizen of the old sea1taverns 3ear them. $ylath15een ,ould never have tolerated the 3lac! 'alleys had such ru3ies 3een o3taina3le else,hereA 3ut no mine in all Barth<s dreamland ,as !no,n to produce their li!e. +f these thin's $ylath15een<s cosmopolitan fol! chiefly 'ossiped ,hilst Carter ,aited patiently for the ship from BaharnaA ,hich mi'ht 3ear him to the isle ,hereon carven ;'rane! to,ers lofty and 3arren. 8ean,hile he did not fall to see! throu'h the haunts of far travellers for any tales they mi'ht have concernin' 0adath in the cold ,aste or a marvellous city of mar3le ,alls and silver fountains seen 3elo, terraces in the sunset. +f these thin'sA ho,everA he learned nothin'B thou'h he once thou'ht that a certain old slant1 eyed merchant loo!ed Dueerly intelli'ent ,hen the cold ,aste ,as spo!en of. This man ,as reputed to trade ,ith the horri3le stone villa'es on the icy desert plateau of 5en'A ,hich no healthy fol! visit and ,hose evil fires are seen at ni'ht from afar. 2e ,as even rumoured to have dealt ,ith that 2i'h1>riest ;ot To Be $escri3edA ,hich ,ears a yello, sil!en mas! over its face and d,ells all alone in a prehistoric stone monastery. That such a person mi'ht ,ell have had ni33lin' traffic! ,ith such 3ein's as may conceiva3ly d,ell in the cold ,aste ,as not to 3e dou3tedA 3ut Carter soon found that it ,as no use Duestionin' him. Then the 3lac! 'alley slipped into the har3our past the 3asalt ,ale and the tall li'hthouseA silent and alienA and ,ith a stran'e stench that the south ,ind drove into the to,n. (neasiness rustled throu'h the taverns alon' that ,aterfrontA and after a ,hile the dar! ,ide1mouthed merchants ,ith humped tur3ans and short feet clumped steathily ashore to see! the 3azaars of the Ce,ellers. Carter o3served them closelyA and disli!ed them more the lon'er he loo!ed at them. Then he sa, them drive the stout 3lac! men of >ar' up the 'an'plan! 'runtin' and s,eatin' into that sin'ular 'alleyA and ,ondered in ,hat lands 1 or if in any lands at all 1 those fat pathetic creatures mi'ht 3e destined to serve. And on the third evenin' of that 'alley<s stay one of the uncomforta3le merchants spo!e to himA smir!in' sinfully and hintin' of ,hat he had heard in the taverns of Carter<s Duest. 2e appeared to have !no,led'e too secret for pu3lic tellin'B and althou'h the sound of his voice ,as un3eara3ly hatefulA Carter felt that the lore of so far a traveller must not 3e overloo!ed. 2e 3ade him therefore 3e his 'uest in loc!ed cham3ers a3oveA and dre, out the last of the @oo's< moon1,ine to loosen his ton'ue. The stran'e merchant dran! heavilyA 3ut smir!ed unchan'ed 3y the drau'ht. Then he dre, forth a curious 3ottle ,ith ,ine of his o,nA and Carter sa, that the 3ottle ,as a sin'le hollo,ed ru3yA 'rotesDuely carved in patterns too fa3ulous to 3e comprehended. 2e offered his ,ine to his hostA and thou'h Carter too! only the least sipA he felt the dizziness of space and the fever of unima'ined Cun'les. All the ,hile the 'uest had 3een smilin' more and more 3roadlyA and as Carter slipped into 3lan!ness the last thin' he sa, ,as that dar! odious face convulsed ,ith evil lau'hter and somethin' Duite unspea!a3le ,here one of the t,o frontal puffs of that oran'e tur3an had 3ecome disarran'ed ,ith the sha!in's of that epileptic mirth. Carter ne%t had consciousness amidst horri3le odours 3eneath a tent1li!e a,nin' on the dec! of a shipA ,ith the marvellous coasts of the Southern Sea flyin' 3y in unnatural s,iftness. 2e ,as not chainedA 3ut three of the dar! sardonic merchants stood 'rinnin'

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near3yA and the si'ht of those humps in their tur3ans made him almost as faint as did the stench that filtered up throu'h the sinister hatches. 2e sa, slip past him the 'lorious lands and cities of ,hich a fello,1dreamer of earth 1 a li'hthouse1!eeper in ancient 0in'sport 1 had often discoursed in the old daysA and reco'nized the templed terraces of @a!A a3ode of for'otten dreamsB the spires of infamous ThalarionA that daemon1city of a thousand ,onders ,here the eidolon 5athi rei'nsB the charnel 'ardens of @uraA land of pleasures unattainedA and the t,in headlands of crystalA meetin' a3ove in a resplendent archA ,hich 'uard the har3our of Sona1;ylA 3lessed land of fancy. >ast all these 'or'eous lands the malodourous ship fle, un,holesomelyA ur'ed 3y the a3normal stro!es of those unseen ro,ers 3elo,. And 3efore the day ,as done Carter sa, that the steersman could have no other 'oal than the Basalt >illars of the WestA 3eyond ,hich simple fol! say splendid Cathuria liesA 3ut ,hich ,ise dreamers ,ell !no, are the 'ates of a monstrous cataract ,herein the oceans of earth<s dreamland drop ,holly to a3ysmal nothin'ness and shoot throu'h the empty spaces to,ard other ,orlds and other stars and the a,ful voids outside the ordered universe ,here the daemon sultan Azathoth 'na,s hun'rily in chaos amid poundin' and pipin' and the hellish dancin' of the +ther 7odsA 3lindA voicelessA tene3rousA and mindlessA ,ith their soul and messen'er ;yarlathotep. 8ean,hile the three sardonic merchants ,ould 'ive no ,ord of their intentA thou'h Carter ,ell !ne, that they must 3e lea'ued ,ith those ,ho ,ished to hold him from his Duest. =t is understood in the land of dream that the +ther 7ods have many a'ents movin' amon' menB and all these a'entsA ,hether ,holly human or sli'htly less than humanA are ea'er to ,or! the ,ill of those 3lind and mindless thin's in return for the favour of their hideous soul and messen'erA the cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep. So Carter inferred that the merchants of the humped tur3ansA hearin' of his darin' search for the 7reat +nes in their castle of 0adathA had decided to ta!e him a,ay and deliver him to ;yarlathotep for ,hatever nameless 3ounty mi'ht 3e offered for such a prize. What mi'ht 3e the land of those merchants in our !no,n universe or in the eldritch spaces outsideA Carter could not 'uessB nor could he ima'ine at ,hat hellish trystin'1place they ,ould meet the cra,lin' chaos to 'ive him up and claim their re,ard. 2e !ne,A ho,everA that no 3ein's as nearly human as these ,ould dare approach the ultimate ni'hted throne of the daemon Azathoth in the formless central void. At the set of sun the merchants lic!ed their e%cessively ,ide lips and 'lared hun'rily and one of them ,ent 3elo, and returned from some hidden and offensive ca3in ,ith a pot and 3as!et of plates. Then they sDuatted close to'ether 3eneath the a,nin' and ate the smo!in' meat that ,as passed around. But ,hen they 'ave Carter a portionA he found somethin' very terri3le in the size and shape of itB so that he turned even paler than 3efore and cast that portion into the sea ,hen no eye ,as on him. And a'ain he thou'ht of those unseen ro,ers 3eneathA and of the suspicious nourishment from ,hich their far too mechanical stren'th ,as derived. =t ,as dar! ,hen the 'alley passed 3et,i%t the Basalt >illars of the West and the sound of the ultimate cataract s,elled portentous from ahead. And the spray of that cataract rose to o3scure the starsA and the dec! 're, dampA and the vessel reeled in the sur'in' current of the 3rin!. Then ,ith a Dueer ,histle and plun'e the leap ,as ta!enA and Carter felt the terrors of ni'htmare as earth fell a,ay and the 'reat 3oat shot silent and comet1li!e into planetary space. ;ever 3efore had he !no,n ,hat shapeless 3lac! thin's lur! and caper

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and flounder all throu'h the aetherA leerin' and 'rinnin' at such voya'ers as may passA and sometimes feelin' a3out ,ith slimy pa,s ,hen some movin' o3Cect e%cites their curiosity. These are the nameless larvae of the +ther 7odsA and li!e them are 3lind and ,ithout mindA and possessed of sin'ular hun'ers and thirsts. But that offensive 'alley did not aim as far as Carter had fearedA for he soon sa, that the helmsman ,as steerin' a course directly for the moon. The moon ,as a crescent shinin' lar'er and lar'er as they approached itA and she,in' its sin'ular craters and pea!s uncomforta3ly. The ship made for the ed'eA and it soon 3ecame clear that its destination ,as that secret and mysterious side ,hich is al,ays turned a,ay from earthA and ,hich no fully human personA save perhaps the dreamer Snireth10oA has ever 3eheld. The close aspect of the moon as the 'alley dre, near proved very distur3in' to CarterA and he did not li!e the size and shape of the ruins ,hich crum3led here and there. The dead temples on the mountains ,ere so placed that they could have 'lorified no suita3le or ,holesome 'odsA and in the symmetries of the 3ro!en columns there seemed to 3e some dar! and inner meanin' ,hich did not invite solution. And ,hat the structure and proportions of the olden ,orshippers could have 3eenA Carter steadily refused to conCecture. When the ship rounded the ed'eA and sailed over those lands unseen 3y manA there appeared in the Dueer landscape certain si'ns of lifeA and Carter sa, many lo,A 3roadA round cotta'es in fields of 'rotesDue ,hitish fun'i. 2e noticed that these cotta'es had no ,indo,sA and thou'ht that their shape su''ested the huts of EsDuimau%. Then he 'limpsed the oily ,aves of a slu''ish seaA and !ne, that the voya'e ,as once more to 3e 3y ,ater 1 or at least throu'h some liDuid. The 'alley struc! the surface ,ith a peculiar soundA and the odd elastic ,ay the ,aves received it ,as very perple%in' to Carter. They no, slid alon' at 'reat speedA once passin' and hailin' another 'alley of !indred formA 3ut 'enerally seein' nothin' 3ut that curious sea and a s!y that ,as 3lac! and star1 stre,n even thou'h the sun shone scorchin'ly in it. There presently rose ahead the Ca''ed hills of a leprous1loo!in' coastA and Carter sa, the thic! unpleasant 'rey to,ers of a city. The ,ay they leaned and 3entA the manner in ,hich they ,ere clusteredA and the fact that they had no ,indo,s at allA ,as very distur3in' to the prisonerB and he 3itterly mourned the folly ,hich had made him sip the curious ,ine of that merchant ,ith the humped tur3an. As the coast dre, nearerA and the hideous stench of that city 're, stron'erA he sa, upon the Ca''ed hills many forestsA some of ,hose trees he reco'nized as a!in to that solitary moon1tree in the enchanted ,ood of earthA from ,hose sap the small 3ro,n @oo's ferment their curious ,ine. Carter could no, distin'uish movin' fi'ures on the noisome ,harves aheadA and the 3etter he sa, them the ,orse he 3e'an to fear and detest them. 4or they ,ere not men at allA or even appro%imately menA 3ut 'reat 'reyish1,hite slippery thin's ,hich could e%pand and contract at ,illA and ,hose principal shape 1 thou'h it often chan'ed 1 ,as that of a sort of toad ,ithout any eyesA 3ut ,ith a curious vi3ratin' mass of short pin! tentacles on the end of its 3luntA va'ue snout. These o3Cects ,ere ,addlin' 3usily a3out the ,harvesA movin' 3ales and crates and 3o%es ,ith preternatural stren'thA and no, and then hoppin' on or off some anchored 'alley ,ith lon' oars in their forepa,s. And no, and then one ,ould appear drivin' a herd of clumpin' slavesA ,hich indeed ,ere appro%imate human 3ein's ,ith ,ide mouths li!e those merchants ,ho traded in $ylath15eenB only these herdsA 3ein' ,ithout tur3ans or shoes or clothin'A did not seem so very human after

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all. Some of the slaves 1 the fatter onesA ,hom a sort of overseer ,ould pinch e%perimentally 1 ,ere unloaded from ships and nailed in crates ,hich ,or!ers pushed into the lo, ,arehouses or loaded on 'reat lum3erin' vans. +nce a van ,as hitched and driven offA and theA fa3ulous thin' ,hich dre, it ,as such that Carter 'aspedA even after havin' seen the other monstrosities of that hateful place. ;o, and then a small herd of slaves dressed and tur3aned li!e the dar! merchants ,ould 3e driven a3oard a 'alleyA follo,ed 3y a 'reat cre, of the slippery toad1thin's as officersA navi'atorsA and ro,ers. And Carter sa, that the almost1human creatures ,ere reserved for the more i'nominious !inds of servitude ,hich reDuired no stren'thA such as steerin' and coo!in'A fetchin' and carryin'A and 3ar'ainin' ,ith men on the earth or other planets ,here they traded. These creatures must have 3een convenient on earthA for they ,ere truly not unli!e men ,hen dressed and carefully shod and tur3anedA and could ha''le in the shops of men ,ithout em3arrassment or curious e%planations. But most of themA unless lean or ill1favouredA ,ere unclothed and pac!ed in crates and dra,n off in lum3erin' lorries 3y fa3ulous thin's. +ccasionally other 3ein's ,ere unloaded and cratedB some very li!e these semi1humansA some not so similarA and some not similar at all. And he ,ondered if any of the poor stout 3lac! men of >ar' ,ere left to 3e unloaded and crated and shipped inland in those o3no%ious drays. When the 'alley landed at a 'reasy1loo!in' Duay of spon'y roc! a ni'htmare horde of toad1thin's ,i''led out of the hatchesA and t,o of them seized Carter and dra''ed him ashore. The smell and aspect of that city are 3eyond tellin'A and Carter held only scattered ima'es of the tiled streets and 3lac! door,ays and endless precipices of 'rey vertical ,alls ,ithout ,indo,s. At len'th he ,as dra''ed ,ithin a lo, door,ay and made to clim3 infinite steps in pitch 3lac!ness. =t ,asA apparentlyA all one to the toad1thin's ,hether it ,ere li'ht or dar!. The odour of the place ,as intolera3leA and ,hen Carter ,as loc!ed into a cham3er and left alone he scarcely had stren'th to cra,l around and ascertain its form and dimensions. =t ,as circularA and a3out t,enty feet across. 4rom then on time ceased to e%ist. At intervals food ,as pushed inA 3ut Carter ,ould not touch it. What his fate ,ould 3eA he did not !no,B 3ut he felt that he ,as held for the comin' of that fri'htful soul and messen'er of infinity<s +ther 7odsA the cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep. 4inallyA after an un'uessed span of hours or daysA the 'reat stone door s,un' ,ide a'ainA and Carter ,as shoved do,n the stairs and out into the red1litten streets of that fearsome city. =t ,as ni'ht on the moonA and all throu'h the to,n ,ere stationed slaves 3earin' torches. =n a detesta3le sDuare a sort of procession ,as formedB ten of the toad1thin's and t,enty1four almost human torch13earersA eleven on either sideA and one each 3efore and 3ehind. Carter ,as placed in the middle of the lineB five toad1thin's ahead and five 3ehindA and one almost1human torch13earer on either side of him. Certain of the toad1thin's produced dis'ustin'ly carven flutes of ivory and made loathsome sounds. To that hellish pipin' the column advanced out of the tiled streets and into ni'hted plains of o3scene fun'iA soon commencin' to clim3 one of the lo,er and more 'radual hills that lay 3ehind the city. That on some fri'htful slope or 3lasphemous plateau the cra,lin' chaos ,aitedA Carter could not dou3tB and he ,ished that the suspense mi'ht soon 3e over. The ,hinin' of those impious flutes ,as shoc!in'A and he ,ould have 'iven ,orlds for some even half1 normal soundB 3ut these toad1thin's had no voicesA and the slaves did not tal!.

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Then throu'h that star1spec!ed dar!ness there did come a normal sound. =t rolled from the hi'her hillsA and from all the Ca''ed pea!s around it ,as cau'ht up and echoed in a s,ellin' pandaemoniac chorus. =t ,as the midni'ht yell of the catA and Carter !ne, at last that the old villa'e fol! ,ere ri'ht ,hen they made lo, 'uesses a3out the cryptical realms ,hich are !no,n only to catsA and to ,hich the elders amon' cats repair 3y stealth nocturnallyA sprin'in' from hi'h housetops. ?erilyA it is to the moon<s dar! side that they 'o to leap and 'am3ol on the hills and converse ,ith ancient shado,sA and here amidst that column of foetid thin's Carter heard their homelyA friendly cryA and thou'ht of the steep roofs and ,arm hearths and little li'hted ,indo,s of home. ;o, much of the speech of cats ,as !no,n to :andolph CarterA and in this far terri3le place he uttered the cry that ,as suita3le. But that he need not have doneA for even as his lips opened he heard the chorus ,a% and dra, nearerA and sa, s,ift shado,s a'ainst the stars as small 'raceful shapes leaped from hill to hill in 'atherin' le'ions. The call of the clan had 3een 'ivenA and 3efore the foul procession had time even to 3e fri'htened a cloud of smotherin' fur and a phalan% of murderous cla,s ,ere tidally and tempestuously upon it. The flutes stoppedA and there ,ere shrie!s in the ni'ht. $yin' almost1humans screamedA and cats spit and yo,led and roaredA 3ut the toad1thin's made never a sound as their stin!in' 'reen ichor oozed fatally upon that porous earth ,ith the o3scene fun'i. =t ,as a stupendous si'ht ,hile the torches lastedA and Carter had never 3efore seen so many cats. Blac!A 'reyA and ,hiteB yello,A ti'erA and mi%edB commonA >ersianA and 8ari%B Thi3etanA An'oraA and E'yptianB all ,ere there in the fury of 3attleA and there hovered over them some trace of that profound and inviolate sanctity ,hich made their 'oddess 'reat in the temples of Bu3astis. They ,ould leap seven stron' at the throat of an almost1human or the pin! tentacled snout of a toad1thin' and dra' it do,n sava'ely to the fun'ous plainA ,here myriads of their fello,s ,ould sur'e over it and into it ,ith the frenzied cla,s and teeth of a divine 3attle1fury. Carter had seized a torch from a stric!en slaveA 3ut ,as soon over3orne 3y the sur'in' ,aves of his loyal defenders. Then he lay in the utter 3lac!ness hearin' the clan'our of ,ar and the shouts of the victorsA and feelin' the soft pa,s of his friends as they rushed to and fro over him in the fray. At last a,e and e%haustion closed his eyesA and ,hen he opened them a'ain it ,as upon a stran'e scene. The 'reat shinin' disc of the earthA thirteen times 'reater than that of the moon as ,e see itA had risen ,ith floods of ,eird li'ht over the lunar landscapeB and across all those lea'ues of ,ild plateau and ra''ed crest there sDuatted one endless sea of cats in orderly array. Circle on circle they reachedA and t,o or three leaders out of the ran!s ,ere lic!in' his face and purrin' to him consolin'ly. +f the dead slaves and toad1thin's there ,ere not many si'nsA 3ut Carter thou'ht he sa, one 3one a little ,ay off in the open space 3et,een him and the ,arriors. Carter no, spo!e ,ith the leaders in the soft lan'ua'e of catsA and learned that his ancient friendship ,ith the species ,as ,ell !no,n and often spo!en of in the places ,here cats con're'ate. 2e had not 3een unmar!ed in (lthar ,hen he passed throu'hA and the slee! old cats had remem3ered ho, he patted them after they had attended to the hun'ry @oo's ,ho loo!ed evilly at a small 3lac! !itten. And they recalledA tooA ho, he had ,elcomed the very little !itten ,ho came to see him at the innA and ho, he had 'iven it a saucer of rich cream in the mornin' 3efore he left. The 'randfather of that very little !itten ,as the leader of the army no, assem3ledA for he had seen the evil procession from a far

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hill and reco'nized the prisoner as a s,orn friend of his !ind on earth and in the land of dream. A yo,l no, came from the farther pea!A and the old leader paused a3ruptly in his conversation. =t ,as one of the army<s outpostsA stationed on the hi'hest of the mountains to ,atch the one foe ,hich Earth<s cats fearB the very lar'e and peculiar cats from SaturnA ,ho for some reason have not 3een o3livious of the charm of our moon<s dar! side. They are lea'ued 3y treaty ,ith the evil toad1thin'sA and are notoriously hostile to our earthly catsB so that at this Cuncture a meetin' ,ould have 3een a some,hat 'rave matter. After a 3rief consultation of 'eneralsA the cats rose and assumed a closer formationA cro,din' protectin'ly around Carter and preparin' to ta!e the 'reat leap throu'h space 3ac! to the housetops of our earth and its dreamland. The old field1marshal advised Carter to let himself 3e 3orne alon' smoothly and passively in the massed ran!s of furry leapersA and told him ho, to sprin' ,hen the rest spran' and land 'racefully ,hen the rest landed. 2e also offered to deposit him in any spot he desiredA and Carter decided on the city of $ylath15een ,hence the 3lac! 'alley had set outB for he ,ished to sail thence for +ria3 and the carven crest ;'rane!A and also to ,arn the people of the city to have no more traffic! ,ith 3lac! 'alleysA if indeed that traffic! could 3e tactfully and Cudiciously 3ro!en off. ThenA upon a si'nalA the cats all leaped 'racefully ,ith their friend pac!ed securely in their midstB ,hile in a 3lac! cave on an unhallo,ed summit of the moon1mountains still vainly ,aited the cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep. The leap of the cats throu'h space ,as very s,iftB and 3ein' surrounded 3y his companions Carter did not see this time the 'reat 3lac! shapelessnesses that lur! and caper and flounder in the a3yss. Before he fully realised ,hat had happened he ,as 3ac! in his familiar room at the inn at $ylath15eenA and the stealthyA friendly cats ,ere pourin' out of the ,indo, in streams. The old leader from (lthar ,as the last to leaveA and as Carter shoo! his pa, he said he ,ould 3e a3le to 'et home 3y coc!cro,. When da,n cameA Carter ,ent do,nstairs and learned that a ,ee! had elapsed since his capture and leavin'. There ,as still nearly a fortni'ht to ,ait for the ship 3ound to,ard +ria3A and durin' that time he said ,hat he could a'ainst the 3lac! 'alleys and their infamous ,ays. 8ost of the to,nsfol! 3elieved himB yet so fond ,ere the Ce,ellers of 'reat ru3ies that none ,ould ,holly promise to cease traffic!in' ,ith the ,ide1mouthed merchants. =f au'ht of evil ever 3efalls $ylath15een throu'h such traffic!A it ,ill not 3e his fault. =n a3out a ,ee! the desiderate ship put in 3y the 3lac! ,ale and tall li'hthouseA and Carter ,as 'lad to see that she ,as a 3arDue of ,holesome menA ,ith painted sides and yello, lateen sails and a 'rey captain in sil!en ro3es. 2er car'o ,as the fra'rant resin of +ria3<s inner 'rovesA and the delicate pottery 3a!ed 3y the artists of BahamaA and the stran'e little fi'ures carved from ;'rane!<s ancient lava. 4or this they ,ere paid in the ,ool of (lthar and the iridescent te%tiles of 2athe' and the ivory that the 3lac! men carve across the river in >ar'. Carter made arran'ements ,ith the captain to 'o to Baharna and ,as told that the voya'e ,ould ta!e ten days. And durin' his ,ee! of ,aitin' he tal!ed much ,ith that captain of ;'rane!A and ,as told that very fe, had seen the carven face thereonB 3ut that most travellers are content to learn its le'ends from old people and lava1 'atherers and ima'e1ma!ers in Baharna and after,ard say in their far homes that they have indeed 3eheld it. The captain ,as not even sure that any person no, livin' had 3eheld that carven faceA for the ,ron' side of ;'rane! is very difficult and 3arren and sinisterA and there are rumours of caves near the pea! ,herein d,ell the ni'ht1'aunts. But the captain

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did not ,ish to say Cust ,hat a ni'ht1'aunt mi'ht 3e li!eA since such cattle are !no,n to haunt most persistently the dreams of those ,ho thin! too often of them. Then Carter as!ed that captain a3out un!no,n 0adath in the cold ,asteA and the marvellous sunset cityA 3ut of these the 'ood man could truly tell nothin'. Carter sailed out of $ylath15een one early mornin' ,hen the tide turnedA and sa, the first rays of sunrise on the thin an'ular to,ers of that dismal 3asalt to,n. And for t,o days they sailed east,ard in si'ht of 'reen coastsA and sa, often the pleasant fishin' to,ns that clim3ed up steeply ,ith their red roofs and chimney1pots from old dreamin' ,harves and 3eaches ,here nets lay dryin'. But on the third day they turned sharply south ,here the roll of ,ater ,as stron'erA and soon passed from si'ht of any land. +n the fifth day the sailors ,ere nervousA 3ut the captain apolo'ized for their fearsA sayin' that the ship ,as a3out to pass over the ,eedy ,alls and 3ro!en columns of a sun!en city too old for memoryA and that ,hen the ,ater ,as clear one could see so many movin' shado,s in that deep place that simple fol! disli!ed it. 2e admittedA moreoverA that many ships had 3een lost in that part of the seaB havin' 3een hailed ,hen Duite close to itA 3ut never seen a'ain. That ni'ht the moon ,as very 3ri'htA and one could see a 'reat ,ay do,n in the ,ater. There ,as so little ,ind that the ship could not move muchA and the ocean ,as very calm. 5oo!in' over the rail Carter sa, many fathoms deep the dome of the 'reat templeA and in front of it an avenue of unnatural sphin%es leadin' to ,hat ,as once a pu3lic sDuare. $olphins sported merrily in and out of the ruinsA and porpoises revelled clumsily here and thereA sometimes comin' to the surface and leapin' clear out of the sea. As the ship drifted on a little the floor of the ocean rose in hillsA and one could clearly mar! the lines of ancient clim3in' streets and the ,ashed1do,n ,alls of myriad little houses. Then the su3ur3s appearedA and finally a 'reat lone 3uildin' on a hillA of simpler architecture than the other structuresA and in much 3etter repair. =t ,as dar! and lo, and covered four sides of a sDuareA ,ith a to,er at each cornerA a paved court in the centreA and small curious round ,indo,s all over it. >ro3a3ly it ,as of 3asaltA thou'h ,eeds draped the 'reater partB and such ,as its lonely and impressive place on that far hill that it may have 3een a temple or a monastery. Some phosphorescent fish inside it 'ave the small round ,indo,s an aspect of shinin'A and Carter did not 3lame the sailors much for their fears. Then 3y the ,atery moonli'ht he noticed an odd hi'h monolith in the middle of that central courtA and sa, that somethin' ,as tied to it. And ,hen after 'ettin' a telescope from the captain<s ca3in he sa, that that 3ound thin' ,as a sailor in the sil! ro3es of +ria3A head do,n,ard and ,ithout any eyesA he ,as 'lad that a risin' 3reeze soon too! the ship ahead to more healthy parts of the sea. The ne%t day they spo!e ,ith a ship ,ith violet sails 3ound for @arA in the land of for'otten dreamsA ,ith 3ul3s of stran'e coloured lilies for car'o. And on the evenin' of the eleventh day they came in si'ht of the isle of +ria3 ,ith ;'rane! risin' Ca''ed and sno,1 cro,ned in the distance. +ria3 is a very 'reat isleA and its port of Bahama a mi'hty city. The ,harves of Bahama are of porphyryA and the city rises in 'reat stone terraces 3ehind themA havin' streets of steps that are freDuently arched over 3y 3uildin's and the 3rid'es 3et,een 3uildin's. There is a 'reat canal ,hich 'oes under the ,hole city in a tunnel ,ith 'ranite 'ates and leads to the inland la!e of .athA on ,hose farther shore are the vast clay1 3ric! ruins of a primal city ,hose name is not remem3ered. As the ship dre, into the har3our at evenin' the t,in 3eacons Thon and Thal 'leamed a ,elcomeA and in all the million ,indo,s of Bahama<s terraces mello, li'hts peeped out Duietly and 'radually as

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the stars peep out overhead in the dus!A till that steep and clim3in' seaport 3ecame a 'litterin' constellation hun' 3et,een the stars of heaven and the reflections of those stars in the still har3our. The captainA after landin'A made Carter a 'uest in his o,n small house on the shores of .ath ,here the rear of the to,n slopes do,n to itB and his ,ife and servants 3rou'ht stran'e toothsome foods for the traveller<s deli'ht. And in the days after that Carter as!ed for rumours and le'ends of ;'rane! in all the taverns and pu3lic places ,here lava1 'atherers and ima'e1ma!ers meetA 3ut could find no one ,ho had 3een up the hi'her slopes or seen the carven face. ;'rane! ,as a hard mountain ,ith only an accursed valley 3ehind itA and 3esidesA one could never depend on the certainty that ni'ht1'aunts are alto'ether fa3ulous. When the captain sailed hac! to $ylath15een Carter too! Duarters in an ancient tavern openin' on an alley of steps in the ori'inal part of the to,nA ,hich is 3uilt of 3ric! and resem3les the ruins of .ath<s farther shore. 2ere he laid his plans for the ascent of ;'rane!A and correlated all that he had learned from the lava1'atherers a3out the roads thither. The !eeper of the tavern ,as a very old manA and had heard so many le'ends that he ,as a 'reat help. 2e even too! Carter to an upper room in that ancient house and she,ed him a crude picture ,hich a traveller had scratched on the clay ,all in the old days ,hen men ,ere 3older and less reluctant to visit ;'rane!<s hi'her slopes. The old tavern1!eeper<s 'reat1'randfather had heard from his 'reat1'randfather that the traveller ,ho scratched that picture had clim3ed ;'rane! and seen the carven faceA here dra,in' it for others to 3eholdA 3ut Carter had very 'reat dou3tsA since the lar'e rou'h features on the ,all ,ere hasty and carelessA and ,holly overshado,ed 3y a cro,d of little companion shapes in the ,orst possi3le tasteA ,ith horns and ,in's and cla,s and curlin' tails. At lastA havin' 'ained all the information he ,as li!ely to 'ain in the taverns and pu3lic places of BaharnaA Carter hired a ze3ra and set out one mornin' on the road 3y .ath<s shore for those inland parts ,herein to,ers stony ;'rane!. +n his ri'ht ,ere rollin' hills and pleasant orchards and neat little stone farmhousesA and he ,as much reminded of those fertile fields that flan! the S!ai. By evenin' he ,as near the nameless ancient ruins on .ath<s farther shoreA and thou'h old lava1'atherers had ,arned him not to camp there at ni'htA he tethered his ze3ra to a curious pillar 3efore a crum3lin' ,all and laid his 3lan!et in a sheltered corner 3eneath some carvin's ,hose meanin' none could decipher. Around him he ,rapped another 3lan!etA for the ni'hts are cold in +ria3B and ,hen upon a,a!in' once he thou'ht he felt the ,in's of some insect 3rushin' his face he covered his head alto'ether and slept in peace till roused 3y the ma'ah 3irds in distant resin 'roves. The sun had Cust come up over the 'reat slope ,hereon lea'ues of primal 3ric! foundations and ,orn ,alls and occasional crac!ed pillars and pedestals stretched do,n desolate to the shore of .athA and Carter loo!ed a3out for his tethered ze3ra. 7reat ,as his dismay to see that docile 3east stretched prostrate 3eside the curious pillar to ,hich it had 3een tiedA and still 'reater ,as he ve%ed on findin' that the steed ,as Duite deadA ,ith its 3lood all suc!ed a,ay throu'h a sin'ular ,ound in its throat. 2is pac! had 3een distur3edA and several shiny !nic!!nac!s ta!en a,ayA and all round on the dusty soil< ,ere 'reat ,e33ed footprints for ,hich he could not in any ,ay account. The le'ends and ,arnin's of lava1'atherers occurred to himA and he thou'ht of ,hat had 3rushed his face in the ni'ht. Then he shouldered his pac! and strode on to,ard ;'rane!A thou'h not ,ithout a shiver ,hen he sa, close to him as the hi'h,ay passed throu'h the ruins a 'reat 'apin' arch lo,

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in the ,all of an old templeA ,ith steps leadin' do,n into dar!ness farther than he could peer. 2is course no, lay uphill throu'h ,ilder and partly ,ooded countryA and he sa, only the huts of charcoal13urners and the camp of those ,ho 'athered resin from the 'roves. The ,hole air ,as fra'rant ,ith 3alsamA and all the ma'ah 3irds san' 3lithely as they flashed their seven colours in the sun. ;ear sunset he came on a ne, camp of lava1 'atherers returnin' ,ith laden sac!s from ;'rane!<s lo,er slopesB and here he also campedA listenin' to the son's and tales of the menA and overhearin' ,hat they ,hispered a3out a companion they had lost. 2e had clim3ed hi'h to reach a mass of fine lava a3ove himA and at ni'htfall did not return to his fello,s. When they loo!ed for him the ne%t day they found only his tur3anA nor ,as there any si'n on the cra's 3elo, that he had fallen. They did not search any moreA 3ecause the old man amon' them said it ,ould 3e of no use. ;o one ever found ,hat the ni'ht1'aunts too!A thou'h those 3easts themselves ,ere so uncertain as to 3e almost fa3ulous. Carter as!ed them if ni'ht1'aunts suc!ed 3lood and li!ed shiny thin's and left ,e33ed footprintsA 3ut they all shoo! their heads ne'atively and seemed fri'htened at his ma!in' such an inDuiry. When he sa, ho, taciturn they had 3ecome he as!ed them no moreA 3ut ,ent to sleep in his 3lan!et. The ne%t day he rose ,ith the lava1'atherers and e%chan'ed fare,ells as they rode ,est and he rode east on a ze3ra he 3ou'ht of them. Their older men 'ave him 3lessin's and ,arnin'sA and told him he had 3etter not clim3 too hi'h on ;'rane!A 3ut ,hile he than!ed them heartily he ,as in no ,ise dissuaded. 4or still did he feel that he must find the 'ods on un!no,n 0adathB and ,in from them a ,ay to that hauntin' and marvellous city in the sunset. By noonA after a lon' uphill rideA he came upon some a3andoned 3ric! villa'es of the hill1people ,ho had once d,elt thus close to ;'rane! and carved ima'es from its smooth lava. 2ere they had d,elt till the days of the old tavern!eeper<s 'randfatherA 3ut a3out that time they felt that their presence ,as disli!ed. Their homes had crept even up the mountain<s slopeA and the hi'her they 3uilt the more people they ,ould miss ,hen the sun rose. At last they decided it ,ould 3e 3etter to leave alto'etherA since thin's ,ere sometimes 'limpsed in the dar!ness ,hich no one could interpret favoura3lyB so in the end all of them ,ent do,n to the sea and d,elt in BahamaA inha3itin' a very old Duarter and teachin' their sons the old art of ima'e1ma!in' ,hich to this day they carry on. =t ,as from these children of the e%iled hill1people that Carter had heard the 3est tales a3out ;'rane! ,hen searchin' throu'h Bahama<s ancient taverns. All this time the 'reat 'aunt side of ;'rane! ,as loomin' up hi'her and hi'her as Carter approached it. There ,ere sparse trees on the lo,er slopes and fee3le shru3s a3ove themA and then the 3are hideous roc! rose spectral into the s!yA to mi% ,ith frost and ice and eternal sno,. Carter could see the rifts and ru''edness of that som3re stoneA and did not ,elcome the prospect of clim3in' it. =n places there ,ere solid streams of lavaA and scoriac heaps that littered slopes and led'es. ;inety aeons a'oA 3efore even the 'ods had danced upon its pointed pea!A that mountain had spo!en ,ith fire and roared ,ith the voices of the inner thunders. ;o, it to,ered all silent and sinisterA 3earin' on the hidden side that secret titan ima'e ,hereof rumour told. And there ,ere caves in that mountainA ,hich mi'ht 3e empty and alone ,ith elder dar!nessA or mi'ht 1 if le'end spo!e truly 1 hold horrors of a form not to 3e surmised.

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The 'round sloped up,ard to the foot of ;'rane!A thinly covered ,ith scru3 oa!s and ash treesA and stre,n ,ith 3its of roc!A lavaA and ancient cinder. There ,ere the charred em3ers of many campsA ,here the lava1'atherers ,ere ,ont to stopA and several rude altars ,hich they had 3uilt either to propitiate the 7reat +nes or to ,ard off ,hat they dreamed of in ;'rane!<s hi'h passes and la3yrinthine caves. At evenin' Carter reached the farthermost pile of em3ers and camped for the ni'htA tetherin' his ze3ra to a saplin' and ,rappin' himself ,ell in his 3lan!ets 3efore 'oin' to sleep. And all throu'h the ni'ht a voonith ho,led distantly from the shore of some hidden poolA 3ut Carter felt no fear of that amphi3ious terrorA since he had 3een told ,ith certainty that not one of them dares even approach the slope of ;'rane!. =n the clear sunshine of mornin' Carter 3e'an the lon' ascentA ta!in' his ze3ra as far as that useful 3east could 'oA 3ut tyin' it to a stunted ash tree ,hen the floor of the thin ,ood 3ecame too steep. Thereafter he scram3led up aloneB first throu'h the forest ,ith its ruins of old villa'es in over'ro,n clearin'sA and then over the tou'h 'rass ,here anaemic shru3s 're, here and there. 2e re'retted comin' clear of the treesA since the slope ,as very precipitous and the ,hole thin' rather dizzyin'. At len'th he 3e'an to discern all the countryside spread out 3eneath him ,henever he loo!ed a3outB the deserted huts of the ima'e1ma!ersA the 'roves of resin trees and the camps of those ,ho 'athered from themA the ,oods ,here prismatic ma'ahs nest and sin'A and even a hint very far a,ay of the shores of .ath and of those for3iddin' ancient ruins ,hose name is for'otten. 2e found it 3est not to loo! aroundA and !ept on clim3in' and clim3in' till the shru3s 3ecame very sparse and there ,as often nothin' 3ut the tou'h 'rass to clin' to. Then the soil 3ecame mea'reA ,ith 'reat patches of 3are roc! croppin' outA and no, and then the nest of a condor in a crevice. 4inally there ,as nothin' at all 3ut the 3are roc!A and had it not 3een very rou'h and ,eatheredA he could scarcely have ascended farther. 0no3sA led'esA and pinnaclesA ho,everA helped 'reatlyB and it ,as cheerin' to see occasionally the si'n of some lava1'atherer scratched clumsily in the fria3le stoneA and !no, that ,holesome human creatures had 3een there 3efore him. After a certain hei'ht the presence of man ,as further she,n 3y handholds and footholds he,n ,here they ,ere neededA and 3y little Duarries and e%cavations ,here some choice vein or stream of lava had 3een found. =n one place a narro, led'e had 3een chopped artificially to an especially rich deposit far to the ri'ht of the main line of ascent. +nce or t,ice Carter dared to loo! aroundA and ,as almost stunned 3y the spread of landscape 3elo,. All the island 3et,i%t him and the coast lay open to his si'htA ,ith Baharna<s stone terraces and the smo!e of its chimneys mystical in the distance. And 3eyond that the illimita3le Southern Sea ,ith all its curious secrets. Thus far there had 3een much ,indin' around the mountainA so that the farther and carven side ,as still hidden. Carter no, sa, a led'e runnin' up,ard and to the left ,hich seemed to head the ,ay he ,ishedA and this course he too! in the hope that it mi'ht prove continuous. After ten minutes he sa, it ,as indeed no cul1de1sacA 3ut that it led steeply on in an arc ,hich ,ouldA unless suddenly interrupted or deflectedA 3rin' him after a fe, hours< clim3in' to that un!no,n southern slope overloo!in' the desolate cra's and the accursed valley of lava. As ne, country came into vie, 3elo, him he sa, that it ,as 3lea!er and ,ilder than those sea,ard lands he had traversed. The mountain<s sideA tooA ,as some,hat differentB 3ein' here pierced 3y curious crac!s and caves not found on the strai'hter route he had left. Some of these ,ere a3ove him and some 3eneath himA all openin' on sheerly perpendicular cliffs and ,holly unreacha3le 3y the feet of man. The air

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,as very cold no,A 3ut so hard ,as the clim3in' that he did not mind it. +nly the increasin' rarity 3othered himA and he thou'ht that perhaps it ,as this ,hich had turned the heads of other travellers and e%cited those a3surd tales of ni'ht1'aunts ,here3y they e%plained the loss of such clim3ers as fell from these perilous paths. 2e ,as not much impressed 3y travellers< talesA 3ut had a 'ood curved scimitar in case of any trou3le. All lesser thou'hts ,ere lost in the ,ish to see that carven face ,hich mi'ht set him on the trac! of the 'ods atop un!no,n 0adath. At lastA in the fearsome iciness of upper spaceA he came round fully to the hidden side of ;'rane! and sa, in infinite 'ulfs 3elo, him the lesser cra's and sterile a3ysses of lava ,hich mar!ed olden ,rath of the 7reat +nes. There ,as unfoldedA tooA a vast e%panse of country to the southB 3ut it ,as a desert land ,ithout fair fields or cotta'e chimneysA and seemed to have no endin'. ;o trace of the sea ,as visi3le on this sideA for +ria3 is a 'reat island. Blac! caverns and odd crevices ,ere still numerous on the sheer vertical cliffsA 3ut none of them ,as accessi3le to a clim3er. There no, loomed aloft a 'reat 3eetlin' mass ,hich hampered the up,ard vie,A and Carter ,as for a moment sha!en ,ith dou3t lest it prove impassa3le. >oised in ,indy insecurity miles a3ove earthA ,ith only space and death on one side and only slippery ,alls of roc! on the otherA he !ne, for a moment the fear that ma!es men shun ;'rane!<s hidden side. 2e could not turn roundA yet the sun ,as already lo,. =f there ,ere no ,ay aloftA the ni'ht ,ould find him crouchin' there stillA and the da,n ,ould not find him at all. But there ,as a ,ayA and he sa, it in due season. +nly a very e%pert dreamer could have used those impercepti3le footholdsA yet to Carter they ,ere sufficient. Surmountin' no, the out,ard1han'in' roc!A he found the slope a3ove much easier than that 3elo,A since a 'reat 'lacier<s meltin' had left a 'enerous space ,ith loam and led'es. To the left a precipice dropped strai'ht from un!no,n hei'hts to un!no,n depthsA ,ith a cave<s dar! mouth Cust out of reach a3ove him. Else,hereA ho,everA the mountain slanted 3ac! stron'lyA and even 'ave him space to lean and rest. 2e felt from the chill that he must 3e near the sno, lineA and loo!ed up to see ,hat 'litterin' pinnacles mi'ht 3e shinin' in that late ruddy sunli'ht. Surely enou'hA there ,as the sno, uncounted thousands of feet a3oveA and 3elo, it a 'reat 3eetlin' cra' li!e that. he had Cust clim3edB han'in' there forever in 3old outline. And ,hen he sa, that cra' he 'asped and cried out aloudA and clutched at the Ca''ed roc! in a,eB for the titan 3ul'e had not stayed as earth<s da,n had shaped itA 3ut 'leamed red and stupendous in the sunset ,ith the carved and polished features of a 'od. Stern and terri3le shone that face that the sunset lit ,ith fire. 2o, vast it ,as no mind can ever measureA 3ut Carter !ne, at once that man could never have fashioned it. =t ,as a 'od chiselled 3y the hands of the 'odsA and it loo!ed do,n hau'hty and maCestic upon the see!er. :umour had said it ,as stran'e and not to 3e mista!enA and Carter sa, that it ,as indeed soB for those lon' narro, eyes and lon'1lo3ed earsA and that thin nose and pointed chinA all spo!e of a race that is not of men 3ut of 'ods. 2e clun' overa,ed in that lofty and perilous eyrieA even thou'h it ,as this ,hich he had e%pected and come to findB for there is in a 'od<s face more of marvel than prediction can tellA and ,hen that face is vaster than a 'reat temple and seen loo!in' do,n,ard at sunset in the scyptic silences of that upper ,orld from ,hose dar! lava it ,as divinely he,n of oldA the marvel is so stron' that none may escape it.

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2ereA tooA ,as the added marvel of reco'nitionB for althou'h he had planned to search all dreamland over for those ,hose li!eness to this face mi'ht mar! them as the 'od<s childrenA he no, !ne, that he need not do so. CertainlyA the 'reat face carven on that mountain ,as of no stran'e sortA 3ut the !in of such as he had seen often in the taverns of the seaport Celephais ,hich lies in +oth1;ar'ai 3eyond the Tanarian 2ills and is ruled over 3y that 0in' 0uranes ,hom Carter once !ne, in ,a!in' life. Every year sailors ,ith such a face came in dar! ships from the north to trade their ony% for the carved Cade and spun 'old and little red sin'in' 3irds of CelephaisA and it ,as clear that these could 3e no others than the hall1'ods he sou'ht. Where they d,eltA there must the cold ,aste lie closeA and ,ithin it un!no,n 0adath and its ony% castle for the 7reat +nes. So to Celephais he must 'oA far distant from the isle of +ria3A and in such parts as ,ould ta!e him 3ac! to $ylath1Teen and up the S!ai to the 3rid'e 3y ;irA and a'ain into the enchanted ,ood of the @oo'sA ,hence the ,ay ,ould 3end north,ard throu'h the 'arden lands 3y +u!ranos to the 'ilded spires of ThranA ,here he mi'ht find a 'alleon 3ound over the Cerenarian Sea. But dus! ,as no, thic!A and the 'reat carven face loo!ed do,n even sterner in shado,. >erched on that led'e ni'ht found the see!erB and in the 3lac!ness he mi'ht neither 'o do,n nor 'o upA 3ut only stand and clin' and shiver in that narro, place till the day cameA prayin' to !eep a,a!e lest sleep loose his hold and send him do,n the dizzy miles of air to the cra's and sharp roc!s of the accursed valley. The stars came outA 3ut save for them there ,as only 3lac! nothin'ness in his eyesB nothin'ness lea'ued ,ith deathA a'ainst ,hose 3ec!onin' he mi'ht do no more than clin' to the roc!s and lean 3ac! a,ay from an unseen 3rin!. The last thin' of earth that he sa, in the 'loamin' ,as a condor soarin' close to the ,est,ard precipice 3eside himA and dartin' screamin' a,ay ,hen it came near the cave ,hose mouth ya,ned Cust out of reach. SuddenlyA ,ithout a ,arnin' sound in the dar!A Carter felt his curved scimitar dra,n stealthily out of his 3elt 3y some unseen hand. Then he heard it clatter do,n over the roc!s 3elo,. And 3et,een him and the 8il!y Way he thou'ht he sa, a very terri3le outline of somethin' no%iously thin and horned and tailed and 3at1,in'ed. +ther thin'sA tooA had 3e'un to 3lot out patches of stars ,est of himA as if a floc! of va'ue entities ,ere flappin' thic!ly and silently out of that inaccessi3le cave in the face of the precipice. Then a sort of cold ru33ery arm seized his nec! and somethin' else seized his feetA and he ,as lifted inconsiderately up and s,un' a3out in space. Another minute and the stars ,ere 'oneA and Carter !ne, that the ni'ht1'aunts had 'ot him. They 3ore him 3reathless into that cliffside cavern and throu'h monstrous la3yrinths 3eyond. When he stru''ledA as at first he did 3y instinctA they tic!led him ,ith deli3eration. They made no sound at all themselvesA and even their mem3ranous ,in's ,ere silent. They ,ere fri'htfully cold and damp and slipperyA and their pa,s !neaded one detesta3ly. Soon they ,ere plun'in' hideously do,n,ard throu'h inconceiva3le a3ysses in a ,hirlin'A 'iddyin'A sic!enin' rush of dan!A tom31li!e airB and Carter felt they ,ere shootin' into the ultimate vorte% of shrie!in' and daemonic madness. 2e screamed a'ain and a'ainA 3ut ,henever he did so the 3lac! pa,s tic!led him ,ith 'reater su3tlety. Then he sa, a sort of 'rey phosphorescence a3outA and 'uessed they ,ere comin' even to that inner ,orld of su3terrene horror of ,hich dim le'ends tellA and ,hich is litten only 3y the pale death1fire ,here,ith ree!s the 'houlish air and the primal mists of the pits at earth<s core.

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At last far 3elo, him he sa, faint lines of 'rey and ominous pinnacles ,hich he !ne, must 3e the fa3led >ea!s of Thro!. A,ful and sinister they stand in the haunted disc of sunless and eternal depthsB hi'her than man may rec!onA and 'uardin' terri3le valleys ,here the $holes cra,l and 3urro, nastily. But Carter preferred to loo! at them than at his captorsA ,hich ,ere indeed shoc!in' and uncouth 3lac! thin's ,ith smoothA oilyA ,hale1 li!e surfacesA unpleasant horns that curved in,ard to,ard each otherA 3at ,in's ,hose 3eatin' made no soundA u'ly prehensile pa,sA and 3ar3ed tails that lashed needlessly and disDuietin'ly. And ,orst of allA they never spo!e or lau'hedA and never smiled 3ecause they had no faces at all to smile ,ithA 3ut only a su''estive 3lan!ness ,here a face ou'ht to 3e. All they ever did ,as clutch and fly and tic!leB that ,as the ,ay of ni'ht1'aunts. As the 3and fle, lo,er the >ea!s of Thro! rose 'rey and to,erin' on all sidesA and one sa, clearly that nothin' lived on that austere and impressive 'ranite of the endless t,ili'ht. At still lo,er levels the death1fires in the air 'ave outA and one met only the primal 3lac!ness of the void save aloft ,here the thin pea!s stood out 'o3lin1li!e. Soon the pea!s ,ere very far a,ayA and nothin' a3out 3ut 'reat rushin' ,inds ,ith the dan!ness of nethermost 'rottoes in them. Then in the end the ni'ht1'aunts landed on a floor of unseen thin's ,hich felt li!e layers of 3onesA and left Carter all alone in that 3lac! valley. To 3rin' him thither ,as the duty of the ni'ht1'aunts that 'uard ;'rane!B and this doneA they flapped a,ay silently. When Carter tried to trace their fli'ht he found he could notA since even the >ea!s of Thro! had faded out of si'ht. There ,as nothin' any,here 3ut 3lac!ness and horror and silence and 3ones. ;o, Carter !ne, from a certain source that he ,as in the vale of >nothA ,here cra,l and 3urro, the enormous $holesB 3ut he did not !no, ,hat to e%pectA 3ecause no one has ever seen a $hole or even 'uessed ,hat such a thin' may 3e li!e. $holes are !no,n only 3y dim rumourA from the rustlin' they ma!e amon'st mountains of 3ones and the slimy touch they have ,hen they ,ri''le past one. They cannot 3e seen 3ecause they creep only in the dar!. Carter did not ,ish to meet a $holeA so listened intently for any sound in the un!no,n depths of 3ones a3out him. Even in this fearsome place he had a plan and an o3CectiveA for ,hispers of >noth ,ere not un!no,n to one ,ith ,hom he had tal!ed much in the old days. =n 3riefA it seemed fairly li!ely that this ,as the spot into ,hich all the 'houls of the ,a!in' ,orld cast the refuse of their feastin'sB and that if he 3ut had 'ood luc! he mi'ht stum3le upon that mi'hty cra' taller even than Thro!<s pea!s ,hich mar!s the ed'e of their domain. Sho,ers of 3ones ,ould tell him ,here to loo!A and once found he could call to a 'houl to let do,n a ladderB for stran'e to sayA he had a very sin'ular lin! ,ith these terri3le creatures. A man he had !no,n in Boston 1 a painter of stran'e pictures ,ith a secret studio in an ancient and unhallo,ed alley near a 'raveyard 1 had actually made friends ,ith the 'houls and had tau'ht him to understand the simpler part of their dis'ustin' meepin' and 'li33erin'. This man had vanished at lastA and Carter ,as not sure 3ut that he mi'ht find him no,A and use for the first time in dreamland that far1a,ay En'lish of his dim ,a!in' life. =n any caseA he felt he could persuade a 'houl to 'uide him out of >nothB and it ,ould 3e 3etter to meet a 'houlA ,hich one can seeA than a $holeA ,hich one cannot see. So Carter ,al!ed in the dar!A and ran ,hen he thou'ht he heard somethin' amon' the 3ones underfoot. +nce he 3umped into a stony slopeA and !ne, it must 3e the 3ase of one of Thro!<s pea!s. Then at last he heard a monstrous rattlin' and clatter ,hich reached far up in the airA and 3ecame sure he had come ni'h the cra' of the 'houls. 2e ,as not sure he

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could 3e heard from this valley miles 3elo,A 3ut realised that the inner ,orld has stran'e la,s. As he pondered he ,as struc! 3y a flyin' 3one so heavy that it must have 3een a s!ullA and therefore realisin' his nearness to the fateful cra' he sent up as 3est he mi'ht that meepin' cry ,hich is the call of the 'houl. Sound travels slo,lyA so it ,as some time 3efore he heard an ans,erin' 'li33er. But it came at lastA and 3efore lon' he ,as told that a rope ladder ,ould 3e lo,ered. The ,ait for this ,as very tenseA since there ,as no tellin' ,hat mi'ht not have 3een stirred up amon' those 3ones 3y his shoutin'. =ndeedA it ,as not lon' 3efore he actually did hear a va'ue rustlin' afar off. As this thou'htfully approachedA he 3ecame more and more uncomforta3leB for he did not ,ish to move a,ay from the spot ,here the ladder ,ould come. 4inally the tension 're, almost un3eara3leA and he ,as a3out to flee in panic ,hen the thud of somethin' on the ne,ly heaped 3ones near3y dre, his notice from the other sound. =t ,as the ladderA and after a minute of 'ropin' he had it taut in his hands. But the other sound did not ceaseA and follo,ed him even as he clim3ed. 2e had 'one fully five feet from the 'round ,hen the rattlin' 3eneath ,a%ed emphaticA and ,as a 'ood ten feet up ,hen somethin' s,ayed the ladder from 3elo,. At a hei'ht ,hich must have 3een fifteen or t,enty feet he felt his ,hole side 3rushed 3y a 'reat slippery len'th ,hich 're, alternately conve% and concave ,ith ,ri''lin'B and hereafter he clim3ed desperately to escape the unendura3le nuzzlin' of that loathsome and overfed $hole ,hose form no man mi'ht see. 4or hours he clim3ed ,ith achin' and 3listered handsA seein' a'ain the 'rey death1fire and Thro!<s uncomforta3le pinnacles. At last he discerned a3ove him the proCectin' ed'e of the 'reat cra' of the 'houlsA ,hose vertical side he could not 'limpseB and hours later he sa, a curious face peerin' over it as a 'ar'oyle peers over a parapet of ;otre $ame. This almost made him lose his hold throu'h faintnessA 3ut a moment later he ,as himself a'ainB for his vanished friend :ichard >ic!man had once introduced him to a 'houlA and he !ne, ,ell their canine faces and slumpin' forms and unmentiona3le idiosyncrasies. So he had himself ,ell under control ,hen that hideous thin' pulled him out of the dizzy emptiness over the ed'e of the cra'A and did not scream at the partly consumed refuse heaped at one side or at the sDuattin' circles of 'houls ,ho 'na,ed and ,atched curiously. 2e ,as no, on a dim1litten plain ,hose sole topo'raphical features ,ere 'reat 3oulders and the entrances of 3urro,s. The 'houls ,ere in 'eneral respectfulA even if one did attempt to pinch him ,hile several others eyed his leanness speculatively. Throu'h patient 'li33erin' he made inDuiries re'ardin' his vanished friendA and found he had 3ecome a 'houl of some prominence in a3ysses nearer the ,a!in' ,orld. A 'reenish elderly 'houl offered to conduct him to >ic!man<s present ha3itationA so despite a natural loathin' he follo,ed the creature into a capacious 3urro, and cra,led after him for hours in the 3lac!ness of ran! mould. They emer'ed on a dim plain stre,n ,ith sin'ular relics of earth 1 old 'ravestonesA 3ro!en urnsA and 'rotesDue fra'ments of monuments 1 and Carter realised ,ith some emotion that he ,as pro3a3ly nearer the ,a!in' ,orld than at any other time since he had 'one do,n the seven hundred steps from the cavern of flame to the 7ate of $eeper Slum3er. ThereA on a tom3stone of 17-8 stolen from the 7ranary Buryin' 7round in BostonA sat a 'houl ,hich ,as once the artist :ichard (pton >ic!man. =t ,as na!ed and ru33eryA and had acDuired so much of the 'houlish physio'nomy that its human ori'in ,as already o3scure. But it still remem3ered a little En'lishA and ,as a3le to converse ,ith Carter in

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'runts and monosylla3lesA helped out no, and then 3y the 'li33erin' of 'houls. When it learned that Carter ,ished to 'et to the enchanted ,ood and from there to the city Celephais in +oth1;ar'ai 3eyond the Tanarian 2illsA it seemed rather dou3tfulB for these 'houls of the ,a!in' ,orld do no 3usiness in the 'raveyards of upper dreamland Jleavin' that to the red1footed ,amps that are spa,ned in dead citiesKA and many thin's intervene 3et,i%t their 'ulf and the enchanted ,oodA includin' the terri3le !in'dom of the 7u's. The 7u'sA hairy and 'i'anticA once reared stone circles in that ,ood and made stran'e sacrifices to the +ther 7ods and the cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotepA until one ni'ht an a3omination of theirs reached the ears of earth<s 'ods and they ,ere 3anished to caverns 3elo,. +nly a 'reat trap door of stone ,ith an iron rin' connects the a3yss of the earth1 'houls ,ith the enchanted ,oodA and this the 7u's are afraid to open 3ecause of a curse. That a mortal dreamer could traverse their cavern realm and leave 3y that door is inconceiva3leB for mortal dreamers ,ere their former foodA and they have le'ends of the toothsomeness of such dreamers even thou'h 3anishment has restricted their diet to the 'hastsA those repulsive 3ein's ,hich die in the li'htA and ,hich live in the vaults of @in and leap on lon' hind le's li!e !an'aroos. So the 'houl that ,as >ic!man advised Carter either to leave the a3yss at Sar!omandA that deserted city in the valley 3elo, 5en' ,here 3lac! nitrous stair,ays 'uarded 3y ,in'ed diarote lions lead do,n from dreamland to the lo,er 'ulfsA or to return throu'h a churchyard to the ,a!in' ,orld and 3e'in the Duest ane, do,n the seventy steps of li'ht slum3er to the cavern of flame and the seven hundred steps to the 7ate of $eeper Slum3er and the enchanted ,ood. ThisA ho,everA did not suit the see!erB for he !ne, nothin' of the ,ay from 5en' to +oth1;ar'aiA and ,as li!e,ise reluctant to a,a!e lest he for'et all he had so far 'ained in this dream. =t ,as disastrous to his Duest to for'et the au'ust and celestial faces of those seamen from the north ,ho traded ony% in CelephaisA and ,hoA 3ein' the sons of 'odsA must point the ,ay to the cold ,aste and 0adath ,here the 7reat +nes d,ell. After much persuasion the 'houl consented to 'uide his 'uest inside the 'reat ,all of the 7u's< !in'dom. There ,as one chance that Carter mi'ht 3e a3le to steal throu'h that t,ili'ht realm of circular stone to,ers at an hour ,hen the 'iants ,ould 3e all 'or'ed and snorin' indoorsA and reach the central to,er ,ith the si'n of 0oth upon itA ,hich has the stairs leadin' up to that stone trap door in the enchanted ,ood. >ic!man even consented to lend three 'houls to help ,ith a tom3stone lever in raisin' the stone doorB for of 'houls the 7u's are some,hat afraidA and they often flee from their o,n colossal 'raveyards ,hen they see them feastin' there. 2e also advised Carter to dis'uise as a 'houl himselfB shavin' the 3eard he had allo,ed to 'ro, Jfor 'houls have noneKA ,allo,in' na!ed in the mould to 'et the correct surfaceA and lopin' in the usual slumpin' ,ayA ,ith his clothin' carried in a 3undle as if it ,ere a choice morsel from a tom3. They ,ould reach the city of 7u's 1 ,hich is coterminous ,ith the ,hole !in'dom 1 throu'h the proper 3urro,sA emer'in' in a cemetery not far from the stair1containin' To,er of 0oth. They must 3e,areA ho,everA of a lar'e cave near the cemeteryB for this is the mouth of the vaults of @inA and the vindictive 'hasts are al,ays on ,atch there murderously for those denizens of the upper a3yss ,ho hunt and prey on them. The 'hasts try to come out ,hen the 7u's sleep and they attac! 'houls as readily as 7u'sA for they cannot discriminate. They are very primitiveA and eat one another. The 7u's have a sentry at a narro, in the vaults of @inA 3ut he is often dro,sy and is sometimes surprised

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3y a party of 'hasts. Thou'h 'hasts cannot live in real li'htA they can endure the 'rey t,ili'ht of the a3yss for hours. So at len'th Carter cra,led throu'h endless 3urro,s ,ith three helpful 'houls 3earin' the slate 'ravestone of Col. ;epemiah $er3yA o3it 171)A from the Charter Street Buryin' 7round in Salem. When they came a'ain into open t,ili'ht they ,ere in a forest of vast lichened monoliths reachin' nearly as hi'h as the eye could see and formin' the modest 'ravestones of the 7u's. +n the ri'ht of the hole out of ,hich they ,ri''ledA and seen throu'h aisles of monolithsA ,as a stupendous vista of cyclopean round to,ers mountin' up illimita3le into the 'rey air of inner earth. This ,as the 'reat city of the 7u'sA ,hose door,ays are thirty feet hi'h. 7houls come here oftenA for a 3uried 7u' ,ill feed a community for almost a yearA and even ,ith the added peril it is 3etter to 3urro, for 7u's than to 3other ,ith the 'raves of men. Carter no, understood the occasional titan 3ones he had felt 3eneath him in the vale of >noth. Strai'ht aheadA and Cust outside the cemeteryA rose a sheer perpendicular cliff at ,hose 3ase an immense and for3iddin' cavern ya,ned. This the 'houls told Carter to avoid as much as possi3leA since it ,as the entrance to the unhallo,ed vaults of @in ,here 7u's hunt 'hasts in the dar!ness. And trulyA that ,arnin' ,as soon ,ell CustifiedB for the moment a 'houl 3e'an to creep to,ard the to,ers to see if the hour of the 7u's< restin' had 3een ri'htly timedA there 'lo,ed in the 'loom of that 'reat cavern<s mouth first one pair of yello,ish1red eyes and then anotherA implyin' that the 7u's ,ere one sentry lessA and that 'hasts have indeed an e%cellent sharpness of smell. So the 'houl returned to the 3urro, and motioned his companions to 3e silent. =t ,as 3est to leave the 'hasts to their o,n devicesA and there ,as a possi3ility that they mi'ht soon ,ithdra,A since they must naturally 3e rather tired after copin' ,ith a 7u' sentry in the 3lac! vaults. After a moment somethin' a3out the size of a small horse hopped out into the 'rey t,ili'htA and Carter turned sic! at the aspect of that sca3rous and un,holesome 3eastA ,hose face is so curiously human despite the a3sence of a noseA a foreheadA and other important particulars. >resently three other 'hasts hopped out to Coin their fello,A and a 'houl 'li33ered softly at Carter that their a3sence of 3attle1scars ,as a 3ad si'n. =t proved that the. had not fou'ht the 7u' sentry at allA 3ut had merely slipped past him as he sleptA so that their stren'th and sava'ery ,ere still unimpaired and ,ould remain so till they had found and disposed of a victim. =t ,as very unpleasant to see those filthy and disproportioned animals ,hich soon num3ered a3out fifteenA 'ru33in' a3out and ma!in' their !an'aroo leaps in the 'rey t,ili'ht ,here titan to,ers and monoliths aroseA 3ut it ,as still more unpleasant ,hen they spo!e amon' themselves in the cou'hin' 'utturals of 'hasts. And yetA horri3le as they ,ereA they ,ere not so horri3le as ,hat presently came out of the cave after them ,ith disconcertin' suddenness. =t ,as a pa,A fully t,o feet and a half acrossA and eDuipped ,ith formida3le talons. Alter it came another pa,A and after that a 'reat 3lac!1furred arm to ,hich 3oth of the pa,s ,ere attached 3y short forearms. Then t,o pin! eyes shoneA and the head of the a,a!ened 7u' sentryA lar'e as a 3arrelA ,a33led into vie,. The eyes Cutted t,o inches from each sideA shaded 3y 3ony protu3erances over'ro,n ,ith coarse hairs. But the head ,as chiefly terri3le 3ecause of the mouth. That mouth had 'reat yello, fan's and ran from the top to the 3ottom of the headA openin' vertically instead of horizontally.

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"#8

But 3efore that unfortunate 7u' could emer'e from the cave and rise to his full t,enty feetA the vindictive 'hasts ,ere upon him. Carter feared for a moment that he ,ould 'ive an alarm and arouse all his !inA till a 'houl softly 'li33ered that 7u's have no voice 3ut tal! 3y means of facial e%pression. The 3attle ,hich then ensued ,as truly a fri'htful one. 4rom all sides the venomous 'hasts rushed feverishly at the creepin' 7u'A nippin' and tearin' ,ith their muzzlesA and maulin' murderously ,ith their hard pointed hooves. All the time they cou'hed e%citedlyA screamin' ,hen the 'reat vertical mouth of the 7u' ,ould occasionally 3ite into one of their num3erA so that the noise of the com3at ,ould surely have aroused the sleepin' city had not the ,ea!enin' of the sentry 3e'un to transfer the action farther and farther ,ithin the cavern. As it ,asA the tumult soon receded alto'ether from si'ht in the 3lac!nessA ,ith only occasional evil echoes to mar! its continuance. Then the most alert of the 'houls 'ave the si'nal for all to advanceA and Carter follo,ed the lopin' three out of the forest of monoliths and into the dar! noisome streets of that a,ful city ,hose rounded to,ers of cyclopean stone soared up 3eyond the si'ht. Silently they sham3led over that rou'h roc! pavementA hearin' ,ith dis'ust the a3omina3le muffled snortin's from 'reat 3lac! door,ays ,hich mar!ed the slum3er of the 7u's. Apprehensive of the endin' of the rest hourA the 'houls set a some,hat rapid paceB 3ut even so the Courney ,as no 3rief oneA for distances in that to,n of 'iants are on a 'reat scale. At lastA ho,everA they came to a some,hat open space 3efore a to,er even vaster than the restB a3ove ,hose colossal door,ay ,as fi%ed a monstrous sym3ol in 3as1relief ,hich made one shudder ,ithout !no,in' its meanin'. This ,as the central to,er ,ith the si'n of 0othA and those hu'e stone steps Cust visi3le throu'h the dus! ,ithin ,ere the 3e'innin' of the 'reat fli'ht leadin' to upper dreamland and the enchanted ,ood. There no, 3e'an a clim3 of intermina3le len'th in utter 3lac!ness9 made almost impossi3le 3y the monstrous size of the stepsA ,hich ,ere fashioned for 7u'sA and ,ere therefore nearly a yard hi'h. +f their num3er Carter could form no Cust estimateA for he soon 3ecame so ,orn out that the tireless and elastic 'houls ,ere forced to aid him. All throu'h the endless clim3 there lur!ed the peril of detection and pursuitB for thou'h no 7u' dares lift the stone door to the forest 3ecause of the 7reat +ne<s curseA there are no such restraints concernin' the to,er and the stepsA and escaped 'hasts are often chasedA even to the very top. So sharp are the ears of 7u'sA that the 3are feet and hands of the clim3ers mi'ht readily 3e heard ,hen the city a,o!eB and it ,ould of course ta!e 3ut little time for the stridin' 'iantsA accustomed from their 'hast1hunts in the vaults of @in to seein' ,ithout li'htA to overta!e their smaller and slo,er Duarry on those cyclopean steps. =t ,as very depressin' to reflect that the silent pursuin' 7u's ,ould not 3e heard at allA 3ut ,ould come very suddenly and shoc!in'ly in the dar! upon the clim3ers. ;or could the traditional fear of 7u's for 'houls 3e depended upon in that peculiar place ,here the advanta'es lay so heavily ,ith the 7u's. There ,as also some peril from the furtive and venomous 'hastsA ,hich freDuently hopped up onto the to,er durin' the sleep hour of the 7u's. =f the 7u's slept lon'A and the 'hasts returned soon from their deed in the cavernA the scent of the clim3ers mi'ht easily 3e pic!ed up 3y those loathsome and ill1disposed thin'sB in ,hich case it ,ould almost 3e 3etter to 3e eaten 3y a 7u'. ThenA after aeons of clim3in'A there came a cou'h from the dar!ness a3oveB and matters assumed a very 'rave and une%pected turn.

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=t ,as clear that a 'hastA or perhaps even moreA had strayed into that to,er 3efore the comin' of Carter and his 'uidesB and it ,as eDually clear that this peril ,as very close. Alter a 3reathless second the leadin' 'houl pushed Carter to the ,all and arran'ed his !infol! in the 3est possi3le ,ayA ,ith the old slate tom3stone raised for a crushin' 3lo, ,henever the enemy mi'ht come in si'ht. 7houls can see in the dar!A so the party ,as not as 3adly off as Carter ,ould have 3een alone. =n another moment the clatter of hooves revealed the do,n,ard hoppin' of at least one 3eastA and the sla313earin' 'houls poised their ,eapon for a desperate 3lo,. >resently t,o yello,ish1red eyes flashed into vie,A and the pantin' of the 'hast 3ecame audi3le a3ove its clatterin'. As it hopped do,n to the step a3ove the 'houlsA they ,ielded the ancient 'ravestone ,ith prodi'ious forceA so that there ,as only a ,heeze and a cho!in' 3efore the victim collapsed in a no%ious heap. There seemed to 3e only this one animalA and after a moment of listenin' the 'houls tapped Carter as a si'nal to proceed a'ain. As 3eforeA they ,ere o3li'ed to aid himB and he ,as 'lad to leave that place of carna'e ,here the 'hast<s uncouth remains spra,led invisi3le in the 3lac!ness. At last the 'houls 3rou'ht their companion to a haltB and feelin' a3ove himA Carter realised that the 'reat stone trap door ,as reached at last. To open so vast a thin' completely ,as not to 3e thou'ht ofA 3ut the 'houls hoped to 'et it up Cust enou'h to slip the 'ravestone under as a propA and permit Carter to escape throu'h the crac!. They themselves planned to descend a'ain and return throu'h the city of the 7u'sA since their elusiveness ,as 'reatA and they did not !no, the ,ay overland to spectral Sar!omand ,ith its lion1'uarded 'ate to the a3yss. 8i'hty ,as the strainin' of those three 'houls at the stone of the door a3ove themA and Carter helped push ,ith as much stren'th as he had. They Cud'ed the ed'e ne%t the top of the staircase to 3e the ri'ht oneA and to this they 3ent all the force of their disreputa3ly nourished muscles. Alter a fe, moments a crac! of li'ht appearedB and CarterA to ,hom that tas! had 3een entrustedA slipped the end of the old 'ravestone in the aperture. There no, ensued a mi'hty heavin'B 3ut pro'ress ,as very slo,A and they had of course to return to their first position every time they failed to turn the sla3 and prop the portal open. Suddenly their desperation ,as ma'nified a thousand fold 3y a sound on the steps 3elo, them. =t ,as only the thumpin' and rattlin' of the slain 'hast<s hooved 3ody as it rolled do,n to lo,er levelsB 3ut of all the possi3le causes of that 3ody<s dislod'ement and rollin'A none ,as in the least reassurin'. ThereforeA !no,in' the ,ays of 7u'sA the 'houls set to ,ith somethin' of a frenzyB and in a surprisin'ly short time had the door so hi'h that they ,ere a3le to hold it still ,hilst Carter turned the sla3 and left a 'enerous openin'. They no, helped Carter throu'hA lettin' him clim3 up to their ru33ery shoulders and later 'uidin' his feet as he clutched at the 3lessed soil of the upper dreamland outside. Another second and they ,ere throu'h themselvesA !noc!in' a,ay the 'ravestone and closin' the 'reat trap door ,hile a pantin' 3ecame audi3le 3eneath. Because of the 7reat +ne<s curse no 7u' mi'ht ever emer'e from that portalA so ,ith a deep relief and sense of repose Carter lay Duietly on the thic! 'rotesDue fun'i of the enchanted ,ood ,hile his 'uides sDuatted near in the manner that 'houls rest. Weird as ,as that enchanted ,ood throu'h ,hich he had fared so lon' a'oA it ,as verily a haven and a deli'ht after those 'ulfs he had no, left 3ehind. There ,as no livin' denizen a3outA for @oo's shun the mysterious door in fear and Carter at once consulted ,ith his 'houls a3out their future course. To return throu'h the to,er they no lon'er daredA and the

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,a!in' ,orld did not appeal to them ,hen they learned that they must pass the priests ;asht and 0aman1Thah in the cavern of flame. So at len'th they decided to return throu'h Sar!omand and its 'ate of the a3yssA thou'h of ho, to 'et there they !ne, nothin'. Carter recalled that it lies in the valley 3elo, 5en'A and recalled li!e,ise that he had seen in $ylath15een a sinisterA slant1eyed old merchant reputed to trade on 5en'A therefore he advised the 'houls to see! out $ylath15eenA crossin' the fields to ;ir and the S!ai and follo,in' the river to its mouth. This they at once resolved to doA and lost no time in lopin' offA since the thic!enin' of the dus! promised a full ni'ht ahead for travel. And Carter shoo! the pa,s of those repulsive 3eastsA than!in' them for their help and sendin' his 'ratitude to the 3east ,hich once ,as >ic!manB 3ut could not help si'hin' ,ith pleasure ,hen they left. 4or a 'houl is a 'houlA and at 3est an unpleasant companion for man. After that Carter sou'ht a forest pool and cleansed himself of the mud of nether earthA thereupon reassumin' the clothes he had so carefully carried. =t ,as no, ni'ht in that redou3ta3le ,ood of monstrous treesA 3ut 3ecause of the phosphorescence one mi'ht travel as ,ell as 3y dayB ,herefore Carter set out upon the ,ell1!no,n route to,ard CelephaisA in +oth1;ar'ai 3eyond the Tanarian 2ills. And as he ,ent he thou'ht of the ze3ra he had left tethered to an ash1tree on ;'rane! in far1a,ay +ria3 so many aeons a'oA and ,ondered if any lava1'atherers had fed and released it. And he ,onderedA tooA if he ,ould ever return to Baharna and pay for the ze3ra that ,as slain 3y ni'ht in those ancient ruins 3y .ath<s shoreA and if the old tavern!eeper ,ould remem3er him. Such ,ere the thou'hts that came to him in the air of the re'ained upper dreamland. But presently his pro'ress ,as halted 3y a sound from a very lar'e hollo, tree. 2e had avoided the 'reat circle of stonesA since he did not care to spea! ,ith @oo's Cust no,B 3ut it appeared from the sin'ular flutterin' in that hu'e tree that important councils ,ere in session else,here. (pon dra,in' nearer he made out the accents of a tense and heated discussionB and 3efore lon' 3ecame conscious of matters ,hich he vie,ed ,ith the 'reatest concern. 4or a ,ar on the cats ,as under de3ate in that soverei'n assem3ly of @oo's. =t all came from the loss of the party ,hich had snea!ed after Carter to (ltharA and ,hich the cats had Custly punished for unsuita3le intentions. The matter had lon' ran!ledB and no,A or at least ,ithin a monthA the marshalled @oo's ,ere a3out to stri!e the ,hole feline tri3e in a series of surprise attac!sA ta!in' individual cats or 'roups of cats una,aresA and 'ivin' not even the myriad cats of (lthar a proper chance to drill and mo3ilise. This ,as the plan of the @oo'sA and Carter sa, that he must foil it 3efore leavin' upon his mi'hty Duest. ?ery Duietly therefore did :andolph Carter steal to the ed'e of the ,ood and send the cry of the cat over the starlit fields. And a 'reat 'rimal!in in a near3y cotta'e too! up the 3urden and relayed it across lea'ues of rollin' meado, to ,arriors lar'e and smallA 3lac!A 'reyA ti'erA ,hiteA yello,A and mi%edA and it echoed throu'h ;ir and 3eyond the S!ai even into (ltharA and (lthar<s numerous cats called in chorus and fell into a line of march. =t ,as fortunate that the moon ,as not upA so that all the cats ,ere on earth. S,iftly and silently leapin'A they spran' from every hearth and housetop and poured in a 'reat furry sea across the plains to the ed'e of the ,ood. Carter ,as there to 'reet themA and the si'ht of shapelyA ,holesome cats ,as indeed 'ood for his eyes after the thin's he had seen and ,al!ed ,ith in the a3yss. 2e ,as 'lad to see his venera3le friend and one1time rescuer at the head of (lthar<s detachmentA a collar of ran! around his slee! nec!A and ,his!ers 3ristlin' at a martial an'le. Better stillA as a su31lieutenant in that army ,as a 3ris! youn' fello, ,ho

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proved to 3e none other than the very little !itten at the inn to ,hom Carter had 'iven a saucer of rich cream on that lon'1vanished mornin' in (lthar. 2e ,as a strappin' and promisin' cat no,A and purred as he shoo! hands ,ith his friend. 2is 'randfather said he ,as doin' very ,ell in the armyA and that he mi'ht ,ell e%pect a captaincy after one more campai'n. Carter no, outlined the peril of the cat tri3eA and ,as re,arded 3y deep1throated purrs of 'ratitude from all sides. Consultin' ,ith the 'eneralsA he prepared a plan of instant action ,hich involved marchin' at once upon the @oo' council and other !no,n stron'holds of @oo'sB forestallin' their surprise attac!s and forcin' them to terms 3efore the mo3ilization of their army of invasion. Thereupon ,ithout a moment<s loss that 'reat ocean of cats flooded the enchanted ,ood and sur'ed around the council tree and the 'reat stone circle. 4lutterin's rose to panic pitch as the enemy sa, the ne,comers and there ,as very little resistance amon' the furtive and curious 3ro,n @oo's. They sa, that they ,ere 3eaten in advanceA and turned from thou'hts of ven'eance to thou'hts of present self1 preservation. 2alf the cats no, seated themselves in a circular formation ,ith the captured @oo's in the centreA leavin' open a lane do,n ,hich ,ere marched the additional captives rounded up 3y the other cats in other parts of the ,ood. Terms ,ere discussed at len'thA Carter actin' as interpreterA and it ,as decided that the @oo's mi'ht remain a free tri3e on condition of renderin' to the cats a lar'e tri3ute of 'rouseA DuailA and pheasants from the less fa3ulous parts of the forest. T,elve youn' @oo's of no3le families ,ere ta!en as hosta'es to 3e !ept in the Temple of Cats at (ltharA and the victors made it plain that any disappearances of cats on the 3orders of the @oo' domain ,ould 3e follo,ed 3y conseDuences hi'hly disastrous to @oo's. These matters disposed ofA the assem3led cats 3ro!e ran!s and permitted the @oo's to slin! off one 3y one to their respective homesA ,hich they hastened to do ,ith many a sullen 3ac!,ard 'lance. The old cat 'eneral no, offered Carter an escort throu'h the forest to ,hatever 3order he ,ished to reachA deemin' it li!ely that the @oo's ,ould har3our dire resentment a'ainst him for the frustration of their ,arli!e enterprise. This offer he ,elcomed ,ith 'ratitudeB not only for the safety it affordedA 3ut 3ecause he li!ed the 'raceful companionship of cats. So in the midst of a pleasant and playful re'imentA rela%ed after the successful performance of its dutyA :andolph Carter ,al!ed ,ith di'nity throu'h that enchanted and phosphorescent ,ood of titan treesA tal!in' of his Duest ,ith the old 'eneral and his 'randson ,hilst others of the 3and indul'ed in fantastic 'am3ols or chased fallen leaves that the ,ind drove amon' the fun'i of that primeval floor. And the old cat said that he had heard much of un!no,n 0adath in the cold ,asteA 3ut did not !no, ,here it ,as. As for the marvellous sunset cityA he had not even heard of thatA 3ut ,ould 'ladly relay to Carter anythin' he mi'ht later learn. 2e 'ave the see!er some pass,ords of 'reat value amon' the cats of dreamlandA and commended him especially to the old chief of the cats in CelephaisA ,hither he ,as 3ound. That old catA already sli'htly !no,n to CarterA ,as a di'nified malteseB and ,ould prove hi'hly influential in any transaction. =t ,as da,n ,hen they came to the proper ed'e of the ,oodA and Carter 3ade his friends a reluctant fare,ell. The youn' su31lieutenant he had met as a small !itten ,ould have follo,ed him had not the old 'eneral for3idden itA 3ut that austere patriarch insisted that the path of duty lay ,ith the tri3e and the army. So Carter set

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out alone over the 'olden fields that stretched mysterious 3eside a ,illo,1frin'ed riverA and the cats ,ent 3ac! into the ,ood. Well did the traveller !no, those 'arden lands that lie 3et,i%t the ,ood of the Cerenerian SeaA and 3lithely did he follo, the sin'in' river +u!ianos that mar!ed his course. The sun rose hi'her over 'entle slopes of 'rove and la,nA and hei'htened the colours of the thousand flo,ers that starred each !noll and dan'le. A 3lessed haze lies upon all this re'ionA ,herein is held a little more of the sunli'ht than other places holdA and a little more of the summer<s hummin' music of 3irds and 3eesB so that men ,al! throu'h it as throu'h a faery placeA and feel 'reater Coy and ,onder than they ever after,ard remem3er. By noon Carter reached the Casper terraces of 0iran ,hich slope do,n to the river<s ed'e and 3ear that temple of loveliness ,herein the 0in' of =le!1?ad comes from his far realm on the t,ili'ht sea once a year in a 'olden palanDnin to pray to the 'od of +u!ianosA ,ho san' to him in youth ,hen he d,elt in a cotta'e 3y its 3an!s. All of Casper is that templeA and coverin' an acre of 'round ,ith its ,alls and courtsA its seven pinnacled to,ersA and its inner shrine ,here the river enters throu'h hidden channels and the 'od sin's softly in the ni'ht. 8any times the moon hears stran'e music as it shines on those courts and terraces and pinnaclesA 3ut ,hether that music 3e the son' of the 'od or the chant of the cryptical priestsA none 3ut the 0in' of =le!1?ad may sayB for only he had entered the temple or seen the priests. ;o,A in the dro,siness of dayA that carven and delicate fane ,as silentA and Carter heard only the murmur of the 'reat stream and the hum of the 3irds and 3ees as he ,al!ed on,ard under the enchanted sun. All that afternoon the pil'rim ,andered on throu'h perfumed meado,s and in the lee of 'entle river,ard hills 3earin' peaceful thatched cotta'es and the shrines of amia3le 'ods carven from Casper or chryso3eryl. Sometimes he ,al!ed close to the 3an! of +u!ianos and ,histled to the spri'htly and iridescent fish of that crystal streamA and at other times he paused amidst the ,hisperin' rushes and 'azed at the 'reat dar! ,ood on the farther sideA ,hose trees came do,n clear to the ,ater<s ed'e. =n former dreams he had seen Duaint lum3erin' 3uopoths come shyly out of that ,ood to drin!A 3ut no, he could not 'limpse any. +nce in a ,hile he paused to ,atch a carnivorous fish catch a fishin' 3irdA ,hich it lured to the ,ater 3y sho,in' its temptin' scales in the sunA and 'rasped 3y the 3ea! ,ith its enormous mouth as the ,in'ed hunter sou'ht to dart do,n upon it. To,ard evenin' he mounted a lo, 'rassy rise and sa, 3efore him flamin' in the sunset the thousand 'ilded spires of Thran. 5ofty 3eyond 3elief are the ala3aster ,alls of that incredi3le cityA slopin' in,ard to,ard the top and ,rou'ht in one solid piece 3y ,hat means no man !no,sA for they are more ancient than memory. .et lofty as they are ,ith their hundred 'ates and t,o hundred turretsA the clustered to,ers ,ithinA all ,hite 3eneath their 'olden spiresA are loftier stillB so that men on the plain around see them soarin' into the s!yA sometimes shinin' clearA sometimes cau'ht at the top in tan'les of cloud and mistA and sometimes clouded lo,er do,n ,ith their utmost pinnacles 3lazin' free a3ove the vapours. And ,here Thran<s 'ates open on the river are 'reat ,harves of mar3leA ,ith ornate 'alleons of fra'rant cedar and calamander ridin' 'ently at anchorA and stran'e 3earded sailors sittin' on cas!s and 3ales ,ith the hiero'lyphs of far places. 5and,ard 3eyond the ,alls lies the farm countryA ,here small ,hite cotta'es dream 3et,een little hillsA and narro, roads ,ith many stone 3rid'es ,ind 'racefully amon' streams and 'ardens.

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$o,n throu'h this verdant land Carter ,al!ed at evenin'A and sa, t,ili'ht float up from the river to the marvellous 'olden spires of Thran. And Cust at the hour of dus! he came to the southern 'ateA and ,as stopped 3y a red1ro3ed sentry till he had told three dreams 3eyond 3eliefA and proved himself a dreamer ,orthy to ,al! up Thran<s steep mysterious streets and lin'er in the 3azaars ,here the ,ares of the ornate 'alleons ,ere sold. Then into that incredi3le city he ,al!edB throu'h a ,all so thic! that the 'ate ,as a tunnelA and thereafter amidst curved and undulant ,ays ,indin' deep and narro, 3et,een the heaven,ard to,ers. 5i'hts shone throu'h 'rated and 3alconied ,indo,sA andAthe sound of lutes and pipes stole timid from inner courts ,here mar3le fountains 3u33led. Carter !ne, his ,ayA and ed'ed do,n throu'h dar!er streets to the riverA ,here at an old sea tavern he found the captains and seamen he had !no,n in myriad other dreams. There he 3ou'ht his passa'e to Celephais on a 'reat 'reen 'alleonA and there he stopped for the ni'ht after spea!in' 'ravely to the venera3le cat of that innA ,ho 3lin!ed dozin' 3efore an enormous hearth and dreamed of old ,ars and for'otten 'ods. =n the mornin' Carter 3oarded the 'alleon 3ound for CelephaisA and sat in the pro, as the ropes ,ere cast off and the lon' sail do,n to the Cerenerian Sea 3e'un. 4or many lea'ues the 3an!s ,ere much as they ,ere a3ove ThranA ,ith no, and then a curious temple risin' on the farther hills to,ard the ri'htA and a dro,sy villa'e on the shoreA ,ith steep red roofs and nets spread in the sun. 8indful of his searchA Carter Duestioned all the mariners closely a3out those ,hom they had met in the taverns of CelephaisA as!in' the names and ,ays of the stran'e men ,ith lon'A narro, eyesA lon'1lo3ed earsA thin nosesA and pointed chins ,ho came in dar! ships from the north and traded ony% for the carved Cade and spun 'old and little red sin'in' 3irds of Celephais. +f these men the sailors !ne, not muchA save that they tal!ed 3ut seldom and spread a !ind of a,e a3out them. Their landA very far a,ayA ,as called =nDuano!A and not many people cared to 'o thither 3ecause it ,as a cold t,ili'ht landA and said to 3e close to unpleasant 5en'B althou'h hi'h impassa3le mountains to,ered on the side ,here 5en' ,as thou'ht to lieA so that none mi'ht say ,hether this evil plateau ,ith its horri3le stone villa'es and unmentiona3le monastery ,ere really thereA or ,hether the rumour ,ere only a fear that timid people felt in the ni'ht ,hen those formida3le 3arrier pea!s loomed 3lac! a'ainst a risin' moon. CertainlyA men reached 5en' from very different oceans. +f other 3oundaries of =nDuano! those sailors had no notionA nor had they heard of the cold ,aste and un!no,n 0adath save from va'ue unplaced report. And of the marvellous sunset city ,hich Carter sou'ht they !ne, nothin' at all. So the traveller as!ed no more of far thin'sA 3ut 3ided his time till he mi'ht tal! ,ith those stran'e men from cold and t,ili'ht =nDuano! ,ho are the seed of such 'ods as carved their features on ;'rane!. 5ate in the day the 'alleon reached those 3ends of the river ,hich traverse the perfumed Cun'les of 0ied. 2ere Carter ,ished he mi'ht disem3ar!A for in those tropic tan'les sleep ,ondrous palaces of ivoryA lone and un3ro!enA ,here once d,elt fa3ulous monarchs of a land ,hose name is for'otten. Spells of the Elder +nes !eep those places unharmed and undecayedA for it is ,ritten that there may one day 3e need of them a'ainB and elephant caravans have 'limpsed them from afar 3y moonli'htA thou'h none dares approach them closely 3ecause of the 'uardians to ,hich their ,holeness is due. But the ship s,ept onA and dus! hushed the hum of the dayA and the first stars a3ove 3lin!ed ans,ers to the early fireflies on the 3an!s as that Cun'le fell far 3ehindA leavin' only its fra'rance as a memory that it had 3een. And all throu'h the ni'ht that 'alleon floated on past mysteries unseen and unsuspected. +nce a loo!out reported fires on the hills to the eastA 3ut the sleepy captain

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said they had 3etter not 3e loo!ed at too muchA since it ,as hi'hly uncertain Cust ,ho or ,hat had lit them. =n the mornin' the river had 3roadened out 'reatlyA and Carter sa, 3y the houses alon' the 3an!s that they ,ere close to the vast tradin' city of 2lanith on the Cerenerian Sea. 2ere the ,alls are of ru''ed 'raniteA and the houses pea!edly fantastic ,ith 3eamed and plastered 'a3les. The men of 2lanith are more li!e those of the ,a!in' ,orld than any others in dreamlandB so that the city is not sou'ht e%cept for 3arterA 3ut is prized for the solid ,or! of its artisans. The ,harves of 2lanith are of oa!A and there the 'alleon made fast ,hile the captain traded in the taverns. Carter also ,ent ashoreA and loo!ed curiously upon the rutted streets ,here ,ooden o% carts lum3ered and feverish merchants cried their ,ares vacuously in the 3azaars. The sea taverns ,ere all close to the ,harves on co33led lanes salted ,ith the spray of hi'h tidesA and seemed e%ceedin'ly ancient ,ith their lo, 3lac!13eamed ceilin's and casements of 'reenish 3ull<s1eye panes. Ancient sailors in those taverns tal!ed much of distant portsA and told many stories of the curious men from t,ili'ht =nDuano!A 3ut had little to add to ,hat the seamen of the 'alleon had told. Then at lastA after much unloadin' and loadin'A the ship set sail once more over the sunset seaA and the hi'h ,alls and 'a3les of 2lanith 're, less as the last 'olden li'ht of day lent them a ,onder and 3eauty 3eyond any that men had 'iven them. T,o ni'hts and t,o days the 'alleon sailed over the Cerenerian SeaA si'htin' no land and spea!in' 3ut one other vessel. Then near sunset of the second day there loomed up ahead the sno,y pea! of Aran ,ith its 'in'!o1trees s,ayin' on the lo,er slopeA and Carter !ne, that they ,ere come to the land of +oth1;ar'ai and the marvellous city of Celephais. S,iftly there came into si'ht the 'litterin' minarets of that fa3ulous to,nA and the untarnished mar3le ,alls ,ith their 3ronze statuesA and the 'reat stone 3rid'e ,here ;ara%a Coins the sea. Then rose the 'entle hills 3ehind the to,nA ,ith their 'roves and 'ardens of asphodels and the small shrines and cotta'es upon themB and far in the 3ac!'round the purple rid'e of the TanariansA potent and mysticalA 3ehind ,hich lay for3idden ,ays into the ,a!in' ,orld and to,ard other re'ions of dream. The har3our ,as full of painted 'alleysA some of ,hich ,ere from the mar3le cloud1city of SerannianA that lies in ethereal space 3eyond ,here the sea meets the s!yA and some of ,hich ,ere from more su3stantial parts of dreamland. Amon' these the steersman threaded his ,ay up to the spice1fra'rant ,harvesA ,here the 'alleon made fast in the dus! as the city<s million li'hts 3e'an to t,in!le out over the ,ater. Ever ne, seemed this deathless city of visionA for here time has no po,er to tarnish or destroy. As it has al,ays 3een is still the turDuoise of ;ath12orthathA and the ei'hty orchid1,reathed priests are the same ,ho 3uilded it ten thousand years a'o. Shinin' still is the 3ronze of the 'reat 'atesA nor are the ony% pavements ever ,orn or 3ro!en. And the 'reat 3ronze statues on the ,alls loo! do,n on merchants and camel drivers older than fa3leA yet ,ithout one 'rey hair in their for!ed 3eards. Carter did not once see! out the temple or the palace or the citadelA 3ut stayed 3y the sea,ard ,all amon' traders and sailors. And ,hen it ,as too late for rumours and le'ends he sou'ht out an ancient tavern he !ne, ,ellA and rested ,ith dreams of the 'ods on un!no,n 0adath ,hom he sou'ht. The ne%t day he searched all alon' the Duays for some of the stran'e mariners of =nDuano!A 3ut ,as told that none ,ere no, in portA their 'alley not 3ein' due from the north for full t,o ,ee!s. 2e foundA ho,everA one Thora3onian sailor ,ho had 3een to =nDuano! and had ,or!ed in the ony% Duarries of that t,ili'ht

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placeB and this sailor said there ,as certainly a descent to the north of the peopled re'ionA ,hich every3ody seemed to fear and shun. The Thora3onian opined that this desert led around the utmost rim of impassa3le pea!s into 5en'<s horri3le plateauA and that this ,as ,hy men feared itB thou'h he admitted there ,ere other va'ue tales of evil presences and nameless sentinels. Whether or not this could 3e the fa3led ,aste ,herein un!no,n 0adath stands he did not !no,B 3ut it seemed unli!ely that those presences and sentinelsA if indeed they e%istedA ,ere stationed for nou'ht. +n the follo,in' day Carter ,al!ed up the Street of the >illars to the turDuoise temple and tal!ed ,ith the 2i'h1>riest. Thou'h ;ath12orthath is chiefly ,orshipped in CelephaisA all the 7reat +nes are mentioned in diurnal prayersB and the priest ,as reasona3ly versed in their moods. 5i!e Atal in distant (ltharA he stron'ly advised a'ainst any attempts to see themB declarin' that they are testy and capriciousA and su3Cect to stran'e protection from the mindless +ther 7ods from +utsideA ,hose soul and messen'er is the cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep. Their Cealous hidin' of the marvellous sunset city she,ed clearly that they did not ,ish Carter to reach itA and it ,as dou3tful ho, they ,ould re'ard a 'uest ,hose o3Cect ,as to see them and plead 3efore them. ;o man had ever found 0adath in the pastA and it mi'ht 3e Cust as ,ell if none ever found it in the future. Such rumours as ,ere told a3out that ony% castle of the 7reat +nes ,ere not 3y any means reassurin'. 2avin' than!ed the orchid1cro,ned 2i'h1>riestA Carter left the temple and sou'ht out the 3azaar of the sheep13utchersA ,here the old chief of Celephais< cats d,elt slee! and contented. That 'rey and di'nified 3ein' ,as sunnin' himself on the ony% pavementA and e%tended a lan'uid pa, as his caller approached. But ,hen Carter repeated the pass,ords and introductions furnished him 3y the old cat 'eneral of (ltharA the furry patriarch 3ecame very cordial and communicativeB and told much of the secret lore !no,n to cats on the sea,ard slopes of +oth1;ar'ai. Best of allA he repeated several thin's told him furtively 3y the timid ,aterfront cats of Celephais a3out the men of =nDuano!A on ,hose dar! ships no cat ,ill 'o. =t seems that these men have an aura not of earth a3out themA thou'h that is not the reason ,hy no cat ,ill sail on their ships. The reason for this is that =nDuano! holds shado,s ,hich no cat can endureA so that in all that cold t,ili'ht realm there is never a cheerin' purr or a homely me,. Whether it 3e 3ecause of thin's ,afted over the impassa3le pea!s from hypothetical 5en'A or 3ecause of thin's filterin' do,n from the chilly desert to the northA none may sayB 3ut it remains a fact that in that far land there 3roods a hint of outer space ,hich cats do not li!eA and to ,hich they are more sensitive than men. Therefore they ,ill not 'o on the dar! ships that see! the 3asalt Duays of =nDuano!. The old chief of the cats also told him ,here to find his friend 0in' 0uranesA ,ho in Carter<s latter dreams had rei'ned alternately in the rose1crystal >alace of the Seventy $eli'hts at Celephais and in the turreted cloud1castle of s!y1floatin' Serannian. =t seemed that he could no more find content in those placesA 3ut had formed a mi'hty lon'in' for the En'lish cliffs and do,nlands of his 3oyhoodB ,here in little dreamin' villa'es En'land<s old son's hover at evenin' 3ehind lattice ,indo,sA and ,here 'rey church to,ers peep lovely throu'h the verdure of distant valleys. 2e could not 'o 3ac! to these thin's in the ,a!in' ,orld 3ecause his 3ody ,as deadB 3ut he had done the ne%t 3est thin' and dreamed a small tract of such countryside in the re'ion east of the city ,here meado,s roll 'racefully up from the sea1cliffs to the foot of the Tanarian 2ills. There he d,elt in a 'rey

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7othic manor1house of stone loo!in' on the seaA and tried to thin! it ,as ancient Trevor To,ersA ,here he ,as 3orn and ,here thirteen 'enerations of his forefathers had first seen the li'ht. And on the coast near3y he had 3uilt a little Cornish fishin' villa'e ,ith steep co33led ,aysA settlin' therein such people as had the most En'lish facesA and see!in' ever to teach them the dear remem3ered accents of old Corn,all fishers. And in a valley not far off he had reared a 'reat ;orman A33ey ,hose to,er he could see from his ,indo,A placin' around it in the churchyard 'rey stones ,ith the names of his ancestors carved thereonA and ,ith a moss some,hat li!e +ld En'land<s moss. 4or thou'h 0uranes ,as a monarch in the land of dreamA ,ith all ima'ined pomps and marvelsA splendours and 3eautiesA ecstasies and deli'htsA novelties and e%citements at his commandA he ,ould 'ladly have resi'ned forever the ,hole of his po,er and lu%ury and freedom for one 3lessed day as a simple 3oy in that pure and Duiet En'landA that ancientA 3eloved En'land ,hich had moulded his 3ein' and of ,hich he must al,ays 3e immuta3ly a part. So ,hen Carter 3ade that old 'rey chief of the cats adieuA he did not see! the terraced palace of rose crystal 3ut ,al!ed out the eastern 'ate and across the daisied fields to,ard a pea!ed 'a3le ,hich he 'limpsed throu'h the oa!s of a par! slopin' up to the sea1cliffs. And in time he came to a 'reat hed'e and a 'ate ,ith a little 3ric! lod'eA and ,hen he ran' the 3ell there ho33led to admit him no ro3ed and annointed lac!ey of the palaceA 3ut a small stu33y old man in a smoc! ,ho spo!e as 3est he could in the Duaint tones of far Corn,all. And Carter ,al!ed up the shady path 3et,een trees as near as possi3le to En'land<s treesA and clum3ed the terraces amon' 'ardens set out as in /ueen Anne<s time. At the doorA flan!ed 3y stone cats in the old ,ayA he ,as met 3y a ,his!ered 3utler in suita3le liveryB and ,as presently ta!en to the li3rary ,here 0uranesA 5ord of +oth1;ar'ai and the S!y around SerannianA sat pensive in a chair 3y the ,indo, loo!in' on his little seacoast villa'e and ,ishin' that his old nurse ,ould come in and scold him 3ecause he ,as not ready for that hateful la,n1party at the vicar<sA ,ith the carria'e ,aitin' and his mother nearly out of patience. 0uranesA clad in a dressin' 'o,n of the sort favoured 3y 5ondon tailors in his youthA rose ea'erly to meet his 'uestB for the si'ht of an An'lo1Sa%on from the ,a!in' ,orld ,as very dear to himA even if it ,as a Sa%on from BostonA 8assachusettsA instead of from Corn,all. And for lon' they tal!ed of old timesA havin' much to say 3ecause 3oth ,ere old dreamers and ,ell versed in the ,onders of incredi3le places. 0uranesA indeedA had 3een out 3eyond the stars in the ultimate voidA and ,as said to 3e the only one ,ho had ever returned sane from such a voya'e. At len'th Carter 3rou'ht up the su3Cect of his DuestA and as!ed of his host those Duestions he had as!ed of so many others. 0uranes did not !no, ,here 0adath ,asA or the marvellous sunset cityB 3ut he did !no, that the 7reat +nes ,ere very dan'erous creatures to see! outA and that the +ther 7ods had stran'e ,ays of protectin' them from impertinent curiosity. 2e had learned much of the +ther 7ods in distant parts of spaceA especially in that re'ion ,here form does not e%istA and coloured 'ases study the innermost secrets. The violet 'as S<n'ac had told him terri3le thin's of the cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotepA and had ,arned him never to approach the central void ,here the daemon sultan Azathoth 'na,s hun'rily in the dar!. Alto'etherA it ,as not ,ell to meddle ,ith the Elder +nesB and if they persistently denied all access to the marvellous sunset cityA it ,ere 3etter not to see! that city.

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0uranes furthermore dou3ted ,hether his 'uest ,ould profit au'ht 3y comin' to the city even ,ere he to 'ain it. 2e himself had dreamed and yearned lon' years for lovely Celephais and the land of +oth1;ar'aiA and for the freedom and colour and hi'h e%perience of life devoid of its chainsA and conventionsA and stupidities. But no, that he ,as come into that city and that landA and ,as the !in' thereofA he found the freedom and the vividness all too soon ,orn outA and monotonous for ,ant of lin!a'e ,ith anythin' firm in his feelin's and memories. 2e ,as a !in' in +oth1;ar'aiA 3ut found no meanin' thereinA and drooped al,ays for the old familiar thin's of En'land that had shaped his youth. All his !in'dom ,ould he 'ive for the sound of Cornish church 3ells over the do,nsA and all the thousand minarets of Celephais for the steep homely roofs of the villa'e near his home. So he told his 'uest that the un!no,n sunset city mi'ht not hold Duite that content he sou'htA and that perhaps it had 3etter remain a 'lorious and half1remem3ered dream. 4or he had visited Carter often in the old ,a!in' daysA and !ne, ,ell the lovely ;e, En'land slopes that had 'iven him 3irth. At the lastA he ,as very certainA the see!er ,ould lon' only for the early remem3ered scenesB the 'lo, of Beacon 2ill at evenin'A the tall steeples and ,indin' hill streets of Duaint 0in'sportA the hoary 'am3rel roofs of ancient and ,itch1haunted Ar!hamA and the 3lessed meads and valleys ,here stone ,alls ram3led and ,hite farmhouse 'a3les peeped out from 3o,ers of verdure. These thin's he told :andolph CarterA 3ut still the see!er held to his purpose. And in the end they parted each ,ith his o,n convictionA and Carter ,ent 3ac! throu'h the 3ronze 'ate into Celephais and do,n the Street of >illars to the old sea ,allA ,here he tal!ed more ,ith the mariners of far ports and ,aited for the dar! ship from cold and t,ili'ht =nDuano!A ,hose stran'e1faced sailors and ony%1traders had in them the 3lood of the 7reat +nes. +ne starlit evenin' ,hen the >haros shone splendid over the har3our the lon'ed1for ship put inA and stran'e1faced sailors and traders appeared one 3y one and 'roup 3y 'roup in the ancient taverns alon' the sea ,all. =t ,as very e%citin' to see a'ain those livin' faces so li!e the 'odli!e features of ;'rane!A 3ut Carter did not hasten to spea! ,ith the silent seamen. 2e did not !no, ho, much of pride and secrecy and dim supernal memory mi'ht fill those children of the 7reat +nesA and ,as sure it ,ould not 3e ,ise to tell them of his Duest or as! too closely of that cold desert stretchin' north of their t,ili'ht land. They tal!ed little ,ith the other fol! in those ancient sea tavernsB 3ut ,ould 'ather in 'roups in remote comers and sin' amon' themselves the hauntin' airs of un!no,n placesA or chant lon' tales to one another in accents alien to the rest of dreamland. And so rare and movin' ,ere those airs and tales that one mi'ht 'uess their ,onders from the faces of those ,ho listenedA even thou'h the ,ords came to common ears only as stran'e cadence and o3scure melody. 4or a ,ee! the stran'e seamen lin'ered in the taverns and traded in the 3azaars of CelephaisA and 3efore they sailed Carter had ta!en passa'e on their dar! shipA tellin' them that he ,as an old ony% miner and ,ishful to ,or! in their Duarries. That ship ,as very lovey and cunnin'ly ,rou'htA 3ein' of tea!,ood ,ith e3ony fittin's and traceries of 'oldA and the ca3in in ,hich the traveller lod'ed had han'in's of sil! and velvet. +ne mornin' at the turn of the tide the sails ,ere raised and the anchor liltedA and as Carter stood on the hi'h stern he sa, the sunrise13lazin' ,alls and 3ronze statues and 'olden minarets of a'eless Celephais sin! into the distanceA and the sno,y pea! of 8ount 8an 'ro, smaller and smaller. By noon there ,as nothin' in si'ht save the 'entle 3lue of the Cerenerian SeaA

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,ith one painted 'alley afar off 3ound for that realm of Serannian ,here the sea meets the s!y. And the ni'ht came ,ith 'or'eous starsA and the dar! ship steered for Charles< Wain and the 5ittle Bear as they s,un' slo,ly round the pole. And the sailors san' stran'e son's of un!no,n placesA and they stole off one 3y one to the forecastle ,hile the ,istful ,atchers murmured old chants and leaned over the rail to 'limpse the luminous fish playin' in 3o,ers 3eneath the sea. Carter ,ent to sleep at midni'htA and rose in the 'lo, of a youn' mornin'A mar!in' that the sun seemed farther south than ,as its ,ont. And all throu'h that second day he made pro'ress in !no,in' the men of the shipA 'ettin' them little 3y little to tal! of their cold t,ili'ht landA of their e%Duisite ony% cityA and of their fear of the hi'h and impassa3le pea!s 3eyond ,hich 5en' ,as said to 3e. They told him ho, sorry they ,ere that no cats ,ould stay in the land of =nDuano!A and ho, they thou'ht the hidden nearness of 5en' ,as to 3lame for it. +nly of the stony desert to the north they ,ould not tal!. There ,as somethin' disDuietin' a3out that desertA and it ,as thou'ht e%pedient not to admit its e%istence. +n later days they tal!ed of the Duarries in ,hich Carter said he ,as 'oin' to ,or!. There ,ere many of themA for all the city of =nDuano! ,as 3uilded of ony%A ,hilst 'reat polished 3loc!s of it ,ere traded in :inarA +'rothanA and Celephais and at home ,ith the merchants of ThraaA 4larne!A and 0adatheronA for the 3eautiful ,ares of those fa3ulous ports. And far to the northA almost in the cold desert ,hose e%istence the men of =nDuano! did not care to admitA there ,as an unused Duarry 'reater than all the restB from ,hich had 3een he,n in for'otten times such prodi'ious lumps and 3loc!s that the si'ht of their chiselled vacancies struc! terror to all ,ho 3eheld. Who had mined those incredi3le 3loc!sA and ,hither they had 3een transportedA no man mi'ht sayB 3ut it ,as thou'ht 3est not to trou3le that DuarryA around ,hich such inhuman memories mi'ht conceiva3ly clin'. So it ,as left all alone in the t,ili'htA ,ith only the raven and the rumoured Shanta!13ird to 3rood on its immensities. ,hen Carter heard of this Duarry he ,as moved to deep thou'htA for he !ne, from old tales that the 7reat +nes< castle atop un!no,n 0adath is of ony%. Each day the sun ,heeled lo,er and lo,er in the s!yA and the mists overhead 're, thic!er and thic!er. And in t,o ,ee!s there ,as not any sunli'ht at allA 3ut only a ,eird 'rey t,ili'ht shinin' throu'h a dome of eternal cloud 3y dayA and a cold starless phosphorescence from the under side of that cloud 3y ni'ht. +n the t,entieth day a 'reat Ca''ed roc! in the sea ,as si'hted from afarA the first land 'limpsed since 8an<s sno,y pea! had d,indled 3ehind the ship. Carter as!ed the captain the name of that roc!A 3ut ,as told that it had no name and had never 3een sou'ht 3y any vessel 3ecause of the sounds that came from it at ni'ht. And ,henA after dar!A a dull and ceaseless ho,lin' arose from that Ca''ed 'ranite placeA the traveller ,as 'lad that no stop had 3een madeA and that the roc! had no name. The seamen prayed and chanted till the noise ,as out of earshotA and Carter dreamed terri3le dreams ,ithin dreams in the small hours. T,o mornin's after that there loomed far ahead and to the east a line of 'reat 'rey pea!s ,hose tops ,ere lost in the chan'eless clouds of that t,ili'ht ,orld. And at the si'ht of them the sailors san' 'lad son'sA and some !nelt do,n on the dec! to prayA so that Carter !ne, they ,ere come to the land of =nDuano! and ,ould soon 3e moored to the 3asalt Duays of the 'reat to,n 3earin' that land<s name. To,ard noon a dar! coastline appearedA and 3efore three o<cloc! there stood out a'ainst the north the 3ul3ous domes and fantastic spires of the ony% city. :are and curious did that archaic city rise a3ove its ,alls and

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DuaysA all of delicate 3lac! ,ith scrollsA flutin'sA and ara3esDues of inlaid 'old. Tall and many1,indo,ed ,ere the housesA and carved on every side ,ith flo,ers and patterns ,hose dar! symmetries dazzled the eye ,ith a 3eauty more poi'nant than li'ht. Some ended in s,ellin' domes that tapered to a pointA others in terraced pyramids ,hereon rose clustered minarets displayin' every phase of stran'eness and ima'ination. The ,alls ,ere lo,A and pierced 3y freDuent 'atesA each under a 'reat arch risin' hi'h a3ove the 'eneral level and capped 3y the head of a 'od chiselled ,ith that same s!ill displayed in the monstrous face on distant ;'rane!. +n a hill in the centre rose a si%teen1an'led to,er 'reater than all the rest and 3earin' a hi'h pinnacled 3elfry restin' on a flattened dome. ThisA the seamen saidA ,as the Temple of the Elder +nesA and ,as ruled 3y an old 2i'h1 >riest sad ,ith inner secrets. At intervals the clan' of a stran'e 3ell shivered over the ony% cityA ans,ered each time 3y a peal of mystic music made up of hornsA violsA and chantin' voices. And from a ro, of tripods on a 'alley round the hi'h dome of the temple there 3urst flares of flame at certain momentsB for the priests and people of that city ,ere ,ise in the primal mysteriesA and faithful in !eepin' the rhythms of the 7reat +nes as set forth in scrolls older than the >na!otic 8anuscripts. As the ship rode past the 'reat 3asalt 3rea!,ater into the har3our the lesser noises of the city 're, manifestA and Carter sa, the slavesA sailorsA and merchants on the doc!s. The sailors and merchants ,ere of the stran'e1faced race of the 'odsA 3ut the slaves ,ere sDuatA slant1eyed fol! said 3y rumour to have drifted someho, across or around the impassa3le pea!s from the valleys 3eyond 5en'. The ,harves reached ,ide outside the city ,all and 3ore upon them all manner of merchandise from the 'alleys anchored thereA ,hile at one end ,ere 'reat piles of ony% 3oth carved and uncarved a,aitin' shipment to the far mar!ets of :inarA +'rathan and Celephais. =t ,as not yet evenin' ,hen the dar! ship anchored 3eside a Cuttin' Duay of stoneA and all the sailors and traders filed ashore and throu'h the arched 'ate into the city. The streets of that city ,ere paved ,ith ony% and some of them ,ere ,ide and strai'ht ,hilst others ,ere croo!ed and narro,. The houses near the ,ater ,ere lo,er than the restA and 3ore a3ove their curiously arched door,ays certain si'ns of 'old said to 3e in honour of the respective small 'ods that favoured each. The captain of the ship too! Carter to an old sea tavern ,here floc!ed the mariners of Duaint countriesA and promised that he ,ould ne%t day she, him the ,onders of the t,ili'ht cityA and lead him to the taverns of the ony%1 miners 3y the northern ,all. And evenin' fellA and little 3ronze lamps ,ere li'htedA and the sailors in that tavern san' son's of remote places. But ,hen from its hi'h to,er the 'reat 3ell shivered over the cityA and the peal of the horns and viols and voices rose cryptical in ans,er theretoA all ceased their son's or tales and 3o,ed silent till the. last echo died a,ay. 4or there is a ,onder and a stran'eness on the t,ili'ht city of =nDuano!A and men fear to 3e la% in its rites lest a doom and a ven'eance lur! unsuspectedly close. 4ar in the shado,s of that tavern Carter sa, a sDuat form he did not li!eA for it ,as unmista!a3ly that of the old slant1eyed merchant he had seen so lon' 3efore in the taverns of $ylath15eenA ,ho ,as reputed to trade ,ith the horri3le stone villa'es of 5en' ,hich no healthy fol! visit and ,hose evil fires are seen at ni'ht from afarA and even to have dealt ,ith that 2i'h1>riest ;ot To Be $escri3edA ,hich ,ears a yello, sil!en mas! over its face and d,ells all alone in a prehistoric stone monastery. This man had seemed to she, a Dueer 'leam of !no,in' ,hen Carter as!ed the traders of $ylath5een a3out the cold ,aste and 0adathB and someho, his presence in dar! and haunted =nDuano!A so close to the ,onders of the northA ,as not a reassurin' thin'. 2e slipped ,holly out of si'ht 3efore Carter could

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spea! to himA and sailors later said that he had come ,ith a ya! caravan from some point not ,ell determinedA 3earin' the colossal and rich1flavoured e''s of the rumoured Shanta!13ird to trade for the de%trous Cade 'o3lets that merchants 3rou'ht from =larne!. +n the follo,in' mornin' the ship1captain led Carter throu'h the ony% streets of =nDuano!A dar! under their t,ili'ht s!y. The inlaid doors and fi'ured house1frontsA carven 3alconies and crystal1paned oriels all 'leamed ,ith a som3re and polished lovelinessB and no, and then a plaza ,ould open out ,ith 3lac! pillarsA colonadesA and the statues of curious 3ein's 3oth human and fa3ulous. Some of the vistas do,n lon' and un3endin' streetsA or throu'h side alleys and over 3ul3ous domesA spiresA and ara3esDued roofsA ,ere ,eird and 3eautiful 3eyond ,ordsB and nothin' ,as more splendid than the massive hei'hts of the 'reat central Temple of the Elder +nes ,ith its si%teen carven sidesA its flattened domeA and its lofty pinnacled 3elfryA overtoppin' all elseA and maCestic ,hatever its fore'round. And al,ays to the eastA far 3eyond the city ,alls and the lea'ues of pasture landA rose the 'aunt 'rey sides of those topless and impassa3le pea!s across ,hich hideous 5en' ,as said to lie. The captain too! Carter to the mi'hty templeA ,hich is set ,ith its ,alled 'arden in a 'reat round plaza ,hence the streets 'o as spo!es from a ,heel<s hu3. The seven arched 'ates of that 'ardenA each havin' over it a carven face li!e those on the city<s 'atesA are al,ays openA and the people roam reverently at ,ill do,n the tiled paths and throu'h the little lanes lined ,ith 'rotesDue termini and the shrines of modest 'ods. And there are fountainsA poolsA and 3asins there to reflect the freDuent 3laze of the tripods on the hi'h 3alconyA all of ony% and havin' in them small luminous fish ta!en 3y divers from the lo,er 3o,ers of ocean. When the deep clan' from the temple 3elfry shivers over the 'arden and the cityA and the ans,er of the horns and viols and voices peals out from the seven lod'es 3y the 'arden 'atesA there issue from the seven doors of the temple lon' columns of mas!ed and hooded priests in 3lac!A 3earin' at arm<s len'th 3efore them 'reat 'olden 3o,ls from ,hich a curious steam rises. And all the seven columns strut peculiarly in sin'le fileA le's thro,n far for,ard ,ithout 3endin' the !neesA do,n the ,al!s that lead to the seven lod'esA ,herein they disappear and do not appear a'ain. =t is said that su3terrene paths connect the lod'es ,ith the templeA and that the lon' files of priests return throu'h themB nor is it un,hispered that deep fli'hts of ony% steps 'o do,n to mysteries that are never told. But only a fe, are those ,ho hint that the priests in the mas!ed and hooded columns are not human 3ein's. Carter did not enter the templeA 3ecause none 3ut the ?eiled 0in' is permitted to do that. But 3efore he left the 'arden the hour of the 3ell cameA and he heard the shiverin' clan' deafenin' a3ove himA and the ,ailin' of the horns and viols and voices loud from the lod'es 3y the 'ates. And do,n the seven 'reat ,al!s stal!ed the lon' files of 3o,l13earin' priests in their sin'ular ,ayA 'ivin' to the traveller a fear ,hich human priests do not often 'ive. When the last of them had vanished he left that 'ardenA notin' as he did so a spot on the pavement over ,hich the 3o,ls had passed. Even the ship1captain did not li!e that spotA and hurried him on to,ard the hill ,hereon the ?eiled 0in'<s palace rises many1 domed and marvellous. The ,ays to the ony% palace are steep and narro,A all 3ut the 3road curvin' one ,here the !in' and his companions ride on ya!s or in ya!1dra,n chariots. Carter and his 'uide clim3ed up an alley that ,as all stepsA 3et,een inlaid ,alls hearin' stran'e si'ns in 'oldA and under 3alconies and oriels ,hence sometimes floated soft strains of music or 3reaths

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The $ream /uest of (n!no,n 0adath

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of e%otic fra'rance. Al,ays ahead loomed those titan ,allsA mi'hty 3uttressesA and clustered and 3ul3ous domes for ,hich the ?eiled 0in'<s palace is famousB and at len'th they passed under a 'reat 3lac! arch and emer'ed in the 'ardens of the monarch<s pleasure. There Carter paused in faintness at so much 3eautyA for the ony% terraces and colonnaded ,al!sA the 'ay porterres and delicate flo,erin' trees espaliered to 'olden latticesA the 3razen urns and tripods ,ith cunnin' 3as1reliefsA the pedestalled and almost 3reathin' statues of veined 3lac! mar3leA the 3asalt13ottomed la'oon<s tiled fountains ,ith luminous fishA the tiny temples of iridescent sin'in' 3irds atop carven columnsA the marvellous scroll,or! of the 'reat 3ronze 'atesA and the 3lossomin' vines trained alon' every inch of the polished ,alls all Coined to form a si'ht ,hose loveliness ,as 3eyond realityA and half1 fa3ulous even in the land of dreams. There it shimmered li!e a vision under that 'rey t,ili'ht s!yA ,ith the domed and fretted ma'nificence of the palace aheadA and the fantastic silhouette of the distant impassa3le pea!s on the ri'ht. And ever the small 3irds and the fountains san'A ,hile the perfume of rare 3lossoms spread li!e a veil over that incredi3le 'arden. ;o other human presence ,as thereA and Carter ,as 'lad it ,as so. Then they turned and descended a'ain the ony% alley of stepsA for the palace itself no visitor may enterB and it is not ,ell to loo! too lon' and steadily at the 'reat central domeA since it is said to house the archaic father of all the rumoured Shanta!13irdsA and to send out Dueer dreams to the curious. After that the captain too! Carter to the north Duarter of the to,nA near the 7ate of the CaravansA ,here are the taverns of the ya!1merchants and the ony%1miners. And thereA in a lo,1ceiled inn of DuarrymenA they said fare,ellB for 3usiness called the captain ,hilst Carter ,as ea'er to tal! ,ith miners a3out the north. There ,ere many men in that innA and the traveller ,as not lon' in spea!in' to some of themB sayin' that he ,as an old miner of ony%A and an%ious to !no, some,hat of =nDuano!<s Duarries. But all that he learned ,as not much more than he !ne, 3eforeA for the miners ,ere timid and evasive a3out the cold desert to the north and the Duarry that no man visits. They had fears of fa3led emissaries from around the mountains ,here 5en' is said to lieA and of evil presences and nameless sentinels far north amon' the scattered roc!s. And they ,hispered also that the rumoured Shanta!13irds are no ,holesome thin'sB it 3ein'. indeed for the 3est that no man has ever truly seen one Jfor that fa3led father of Shanta!s in the !in'<s dome is fed in the dar!K. The ne%t dayA sayin' that he ,ished to loo! over all the various mines for himself and to visit the scattered farms and Duaint ony% villa'es of =nDuano!A Carter hired a ya! and stuffed 'reat leathern saddle13a's for a Courney. Beyond the 7ate of the Caravans the road lay strai'ht 3et,i%t tilled fieldsA ,ith many odd farmhouses cro,ned 3y lo, domes. At some of these houses the see!er stopped to as! DuestionsB once findin' a host so austere and reticentA and so full of an unplaced maCesty li!e to that in the hu'e features on ;'rane!A that he felt certain he had come at last upon one of the 7reat +nes themselvesA or upon one ,ith full nine1tenths of their 3loodA d,ellin' amon'st men. And to that austere and reticent cotter he ,as careful to spea! very ,ell of the 'odsA and to praise all the 3lessin's they had ever accorded him. That ni'ht Carter camped in a roadside meado, 3eneath a 'reat ly'ath1tree to ,hich he tied his ya!A and in the mornin' resumed his north,ard pil'rima'e. At a3out ten o<cloc! he reached the small1domed villa'e of (r'A ,here traders rest and miners tell their talesA and paused in its taverns till noon. =t is here that the 'reat caravan road turns ,est to,ard SelarnA 3ut Carter !ept on north 3y the Duarry road. All the afternoon he follo,ed that risin' roadA ,hich ,as some,hat narro,er than the 'reat hi'h,ayA and ,hich no, led

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The $ream /uest of (n!no,n 0adath

"-"

throu'h a re'ion ,ith more roc!s than tilled fields. And 3y evenin' the lo, hills on his left had risen into siza3le 3lac! cliffsA so that he !ne, he ,as close to the minin' country. All the ,hile the 'reat 'aunt sides of the impassa3le mountains to,ered afar off at his ri'htA and the farther he ,entA the ,orse tales he heard of them from the scattered farmers and traders and drivers of lum3erin' ony%1carts alon' the ,ay. +n the second ni'ht he camped in the shado, of a lar'e 3lac! cra'A tetherin' his ya! to a sta!e driven in the 'round. 2e o3served the 'reater phosphorescence of the clouds at his northerly pointA and more than once thou'ht he sa, dar! shapes outlined a'ainst them. And on the third mornin' he came in si'ht of the first ony% DuarryA and 'reeted the men ,ho there la3oured ,ith pic!s and chisels. Before evenin' he had passed eleven DuarriesB the land 3ein' here 'iven over alto'ether to ony% cliffs and 3ouldersA ,ith no ve'etation at allA 3ut only 'reat roc!y fra'ments scattered a3out a floor of 3lac! earthA ,ith the 'rey impassa3le pea!s al,ays risin' 'aunt and sinister on his ri'ht. The third ni'ht he spent in a camp of Duarry men ,hose flic!erin' fires cast ,eird reflections on the polished cliffs to the ,est. And they san' many son's and told many talesA she,in' such stran'e !no,led'e of the olden days and the ha3its of 'ods that Carter could see they held many latent memories of their sires the 7reat +nes. They as!ed him ,hither he ,entA and cautioned him not to 'o too far to the northB 3ut he replied that he ,as see!in' ne, cliffs of ony%A and ,ould ta!e no more ris!s than ,ere common amon' prospectors. =n the mornin' he 3ade them adieu and rode on into the dar!enin' northA ,here they had ,arned him he ,ould find the feared and unvisited Duarry ,hence hands older than men<s hands had ,renched prodi'ious 3loc!s. But he did not li!e it ,henA turnin' 3ac! to ,ave a last fare,ellA he thou'ht he sa, approachin' the camp that sDuat and evasive old merchant ,ith slantin' eyesA ,hose conCectured traffic! ,ith 5en' ,as the 'ossip of distant $ylath1 5een. After t,o more Duarries the inha3ited part of =nDuano! seemed to endA and the road narro,ed to a steeply risin' ya!1path amon' for3iddin' 3lac! cliffs. Al,ays on the ri'ht to,ered the 'aunt and distant pea!sA and as Carter clim3ed farther and farther into this untraversed realm he found it 're, dar!er and colder. Soon he perceived that there ,ere no prints of feet or hooves on the 3lac! path 3eneathA and realised that he ,as indeed come into stran'e and deserted ,ays of elder time. +nce in a ,hile a raven ,ould croa! far overheadA and no, and then a flappin' 3ehind some vast roc! ,ould ma!e him thin! uncomforta3ly of the rumoured Shanta!13ird. But in the main he ,as alone ,ith his sha''y steedA and it trou3led him to o3serve that this e%cellent ya! 3ecame more and more reluctant to advanceA and more and more disposed to snort affri'htedly at any small noise alon' the route. The path no, contracted 3et,een sa3le and 'listenin' ,allsA and 3e'an to display an even 'reater steepness than 3efore. =t ,as a 3ad footin'A and the ya! often slipped on the stony fra'ments stre,n thic!ly a3out. =n t,o hours Carter sa, ahead a definite crestA 3eyond ,hich ,as nothin' 3ut dull 'rey s!yA and 3lessed the prospect of a level or do,n,ard course. To reach this crestA ho,everA ,as no easy tas!B for the ,ay had 'ro,n nearly perpendicularA and ,as perilous ,ith loose 3lac! 'ravel and small stones. Eventually Carter dismounted and led his du3ious ya!B pullin' very hard ,hen the animal 3al!ed or stum3ledA and !eepin' his o,n footin' as 3est he mi'ht. Then suddenly he came to the top and sa, 3eyondA and 'asped at ,hat he sa,.

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The $ream /uest of (n!no,n 0adath

"-&

The path indeed led strai'ht ahead and sli'htly do,nA ,ith the same lines of hi'h natural ,alls as 3eforeB 3ut on the left hand there opened out a monstrous spaceA vast acres in e%tentA ,here some archaic po,er had riven and rent the native cliffs of ony% in the form of a 'iant<s Duarry. 4ar 3ac! into the solid precipice ran that cyclopean 'ou'eA and deep do,n ,ithin earth<s 3o,els its lo,er delvin's ya,ned. =t ,as no Duarry of manA and the concave sides ,ere scarred ,ith 'reat sDuaresA yards ,ideA ,hich told of the size of the 3loc!s once he,n 3y nameless hands and chisels. 2i'h over its Ca''ed rim hu'e ravens flapped and croa!edA and va'ue ,hirrin's in the unseen depths told of 3ats or urha's or less mentiona3le presences hauntin' the endless 3lac!ness. There Carter stood in the narro, ,ay amidst the t,ili'ht ,ith the roc!y path slopin' do,n 3efore himB tall ony% cliffs on his ri'ht that led on as far as he could see and tall cliffs on the left chopped off Cust ahead to ma!e that terri3le and unearthly Duarry. All at once the ya! uttered a cry and 3urst from his controlA leapin' past him and dartin' on in a panic till it vanished do,n the narro, slope to,ard the north. Stones !ic!ed 3y its flyin' hooves fell over the 3rin! of the Duarry and lost themselves in the dar! ,ithout any sound of stri!in' 3ottomB 3ut Carter i'nored the perils of that scanty path as he raced 3reathlessly after the flyin' steed. Soon the left13ehind cliffs resumed their courseA ma!in' the ,ay once more a narro, laneB and still the traveller leaped on after the ya! ,hose 'reat ,ide prints told of its desperate fli'ht. +nce he thou'ht he heard the hoof3eats of the fri'htened 3eastA and dou3led his speed from this encoura'ement. 2e ,as coverin' milesA and little 3y little the ,ay ,as 3roadenin' in front till he !ne, he must soon emer'e on the cold and dreaded desert to the north. The 'aunt 'rey flan!s of the distant impassa3le pea!s ,ere a'ain visi3le a3ove the ri'ht1hand cra'sA and ahead ,ere the roc!s and 3oulders of an open space ,hich ,as clearly a foretaste of the dar! arid limitless plain. And once more those hoof3eats sounded in his earsA plainer than 3eforeA 3ut this time 'ivin' terror instead of encoura'ement 3ecause he realised that they ,ere not the fri'htened hoof3eats of his fleein' ya!. The 3eats ,ere ruthless and purposefulA and they ,ere 3ehind him. Carter<s pursuit of the ya! 3ecame no, a fli'ht from an unseen thin'A for thou'h he dared not 'lance over his shoulder he felt that the presence 3ehind him could 3e nothin' ,holesome or mentiona3le. 2is ya! must have heard or felt it firstA and he did not li!e to as! himself ,hether it had follo,ed him from the haunts of men or had floundered up out of that 3lac! Duarry pit. 8ean,hile the cliffs had 3een left 3ehindA so that the oncomin' ni'ht fell over a 'reat ,aste of sand and spectral roc!s ,herein all paths ,ere lost. 2e could not see the hoofprints of his ya!A 3ut al,ays from 3ehind him there came that detesta3le cloppin'B min'led no, and then ,ith ,hat he fancied ,ere titanic flappin's and ,hirrin's. That he ,as losin' 'round seemed unhappily clear to himA and he !ne, he ,as hopelessly lost in this 3ro!en and 3lasted desert of meanin'less roc!s and untravelled sands. +nly those remote and impassa3le pea!s on the ri'ht 'ave him any sense of directionA and even they ,ere less clear as the 'rey t,ili'ht ,aned and the sic!ly phosphorescence of the clouds too! its place. Then dim and misty in the dar!lin' north 3efore him he 'limpsed a terri3le thin'. 2e had thou'ht it for some moments a ran'e of 3lac! mountainsA 3ut no, he sa, it ,as somethin' more. The phosphorescence of the 3roodin' clouds she,ed it plainlyA and even silhouetted parts of it as vapours 'lo,ed 3ehind. 2o, distant it ,as he could not tellA 3ut it must have 3een very far. =t ,as thousands of feet hi'hA stretchin' in a 'reat concave arc

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The $ream /uest of (n!no,n 0adath

"-#

from the 'rey impassa3le pea!s to the unima'ined ,est,ard spacesA and had once indeed 3een a rid'e of mi'hty ony% hills. But no, these hills ,ere hills no moreA for some hand 'reater than man<s had touched them. Silent they sDuatted there atop the ,orld li!e ,olves or 'houlsA cro,ned ,ith clouds and mists and 'uardin' the secrets of the north forever. All in a 'reat half circle they sDuattedA those do'1li!e mountains carven into monstrous ,atchin' statuesA and their ri'ht hands ,ere raised in menace a'ainst man!ind. =t ,as only the flic!erin' li'ht of the clouds that made their mitred dou3le heads seem to moveA 3ut as Carter stum3led on he sa, arise from their shado,y caps 'reat forms ,hose motions ,ere no delusion. Win'ed and ,hirrin'A those forms 're, lar'er each momentA and the traveller !ne, his stum3lin' ,as at an end. They ,ere not any 3irds or 3ats !no,n else,here on earth or in dreamlandA for they ,ere lar'er than elephants and had heads li!e a horse<s. Carter !ne, that they must 3e the Shanta!13irds of ill rumourA and ,ondered no more ,hat evil 'uardians and nameless sentinels made men avoid the 3oreal roc! desert. And as he stopped in final resi'nation he dared at last to loo! 3ehind himA ,here indeed ,as trottin' the sDuat slant1eyed trader of evil le'endA 'rinnin' astride a lean ya! and leadin' on a no%ious horde of leerin' Shanta!s to ,hose ,in's still clun' the rime and nitre of the nether pits. Trapped thou'h he ,as 3y fa3ulous and hippocephalic ,in'ed ni'htmares that pressed around in 'reat unholy circlesA :andolph Carter did not lose consciousness. 5ofty and horri3le those titan 'ar'oyles to,ered a3ove himA ,hile the slant1eyed merchant leaped do,n from his ya! and stood 'rinnin' 3efore the captive. Then the man motioned Carter to mount one of the repu'nant Shanta!sA helpin' him up as his Cud'ement stru''led ,ith his loathin'. =t ,as hard ,or! ascendin'A for the Shanta!13ird has scales instead of feathersA and those scales are very slippery. +nce he ,as seatedA the slant1eyed man hopped up 3ehind himA leavin' the lean ya! to 3e led a,ay north,ard to,ard the rin' of carven mountains 3y one of the incredi3le 3ird colossi. There no, follo,ed a hideous ,hirl throu'h fri'id spaceA endlessly up and east,ard to,ard the 'aunt 'rey flan!s of those impassa3le mountains 3eyond ,hich 5en' ,as said to 3e. 4ar a3ove the clouds they fle,A till at last there lay 3eneath them those fa3led summits ,hich the fol! of =nDuano! have never seenA and ,hich lie al,ays in hi'h vortices of 'leamin' mist. Carter 3eheld them very plainly as they passed 3elo,A and sa, upon their topmost pea!s stran'e caves ,hich made him thin! of those on ;'rane!B 3ut he did not Duestion his captor a3out these thin's ,hen he noticed that 3oth the man and the horse1 headed Shanta! appeared oddly fearful of themA hurryin' past nervously and she,in' 'reat tension until they ,ere left far in the rear. The Shanta! no, fle, lo,erA revealin' 3eneath the canopy of cloud a 'rey 3arren plain ,hereon at 'reat distances shone little fee3le fires. As they descended there appeared at intervals lone huts of 'ranite and 3lea! stone villa'es ,hose tiny ,indo,s 'lo,ed ,ith pallid li'ht. And there came from those huts and villa'es a shrill dronin' of pipes and a nauseous rattle of crotala ,hich proved at once that =nDuano!<s people are ri'ht in their 'eo'raphic rumours. 4or travellers have heard such sounds 3eforeA and !no, that they float only from the cold desert plateau ,hich healthy fol! never visitB that haunted place of evil and mystery ,hich is 5en'. Around the fee3le fires dar! forms ,ere dancin'A and Carter ,as curious as to ,hat manner of 3ein's they mi'ht 3eB for no healthy fol! have ever 3een to 5en'A and the place

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $ream /uest of (n!no,n 0adath

"-

is !no,n only 3y its fires and stone huts as seen from afar. ?ery slo,ly and a,!,ardly did those forms leapA and ,ith an insane t,istin' and 3endin' not 'ood to 3eholdB so that Carter did not ,onder at the monstrous evil imputed to them 3y va'ue le'endA or the fear in ,hich all dreamland holds their a3horrent frozen plateau. As the Shanta! fle, lo,erA the repulsiveness of the dancers 3ecame tin'ed ,ith a certain hellish familiarityB and the prisoner !ept strainin' his eyes and rac!in' his memory for clues to ,here he had seen such creatures 3efore. They leaped as thou'h they had hooves instead of feetA and seemed to ,ear a sort of ,i' or headpiece ,ith small horns. +f other clothin' they had noneA 3ut most of them ,ere Duite furry. Behind they had d,arfish tailsA and ,hen they 'lanced up,ard he sa, the e%cessive ,idth of their mouths. Then he !ne, ,hat they ,ereA and that they did not ,ear any ,i's or headpieces after all. 4or the cryptic fol! of 5en' ,ere of one race ,ith the uncomforta3le merchants of the 3lac! 'alleys that traded ru3ies at $ylath15eenB those not Duite human merchants ,ho are the slaves of the monstrous moon1thin'sF They ,ere indeed the same dar! fol! ,ho had shan'haied Carter on their noisome 'alley so lon' a'oA and ,hose !ith he had seen driven in herds a3out the unclean ,harves of that accursed lunar cityA ,ith the leaner ones toilin' and the fatter ones ta!en a,ay in crates for other needs of their polypous and amorphous masters. ;o, he sa, ,here such am3i'uous creatures came fromA and shuddered at the thou'ht that 5en' must 3e !no,n to these formless a3ominations from the moon. But the Shanta! fle, on past the fires and the stone huts and the less than human dancersA and soared over sterile hills of 'rey 'ranite and dim ,astes of roc! and ice and sno,. $ay cameA and the phosphorescence of lo, clouds 'ave place to the misty t,ili'ht of that northern ,orldA and still the vile 3ird ,in'ed meanin'ly throu'h the cold and silence. At times the slant1eyed man tal!ed ,ith his steed in a hateful and 'uttural lan'ua'eA and the Shanta! ,ould ans,er ,ith titterin' tones that rasped li!e the scratchin' of 'round 'lass. Al= this ,hile the land ,as 'ettin' hi'herA and finally they came to a ,ind1 s,ept ta3le1land ,hich seemed the very roof of a 3lasted and tenantless ,orld. ThereA all alone in the hush and the dus! and the coldA rose the uncouth stones of a sDuat ,indo,less 3uildin'A around ,hich a circle of crude monoliths stood. =n all this arran'ement there ,as nothin' humanA and Carter surmised from old tales that he ,as indeed come to that most dreadful and le'endary of all placesA the remote and prehistoric monastery ,herein d,ells uncompanioned the 2i'h1>riest ;ot To Be $escri3edA ,hich ,ears a yello, sil!en mas! over its face and prays to the +ther 7ods and their cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep. The loathsome 3ird no, settled to the 'roundA and the slant1eyed man hopped do,n and helped his captive ali'ht. +f the purpose of his seizure Carter no, felt very sureB for clearly the slant1eyed merchant ,as an a'ent of the dar!er po,ersA ea'er to dra' 3efore his masters a mortal ,hose presumption had aimed at the findin' of un!no,n 0adath and the sayin' of a prayer 3efore the faces of the 7reat +nes in their ony% castle. =t seemed li!ely that this merchant had caused his former capture 3y the slaves of the moon1thin's in $ylath15eenA and that he no, meant to do ,hat the rescuin' cats had 3affledB ta!in' the victim to some dread rendezvous ,ith monstrous ;yarlathotep and tellin' ,ith ,hat 3oldness the see!in' of un!no,n 0adath had 3een tried. 5en' and the cold ,aste north of =nDuano! must 3e close to the +ther 7odsA and there the passes to 0adath are ,ell 'uarded.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $ream /uest of (n!no,n 0adath

"--

The slant1eyed man ,as smallA 3ut the 'reat hippocephalic 3ird ,as there to see he ,as o3eyedB so Carter follo,ed ,here he ledA and passed ,ithin the circle of standin' roc!s and into the lo, arched door,ay of that ,indo,less stone monastery. There ,ere no li'hts insideA 3ut the evil merchant lit a small clay lamp 3earin' mor3id 3as1reliefs and prodded his prisoner on throu'h mazes of narro, ,indin' corridors. +n the ,alls of the corridors ,ere printed fri'htful scenes older than historyA and in a style un!no,n to the archaeolo'ists of earth. After countless aeons their pi'ments ,ere 3rilliant stillA for the cold and dryness of hideous 5en' !eep alive many primal thin's. Carter sa, them fleetin'ly in the rays of that dim and movin' lampA and shuddered at the tale they told. Throu'h those archaic frescoes 5en'<s annals stal!edB and the hornedA hoovedA and ,ide1mouthed almost1humans danced evilly amidst for'otten cities. There ,ere scenes of old ,arsA ,herein 5en'<s almost1humans fou'ht ,ith the 3loated purple spiders of the nei'h3ourin' valesB and there ,ere scenes also of the comin' of the 3lac! 'alleys from the moonA and of the su3mission of 5en'<s people to the polypous and amorphous 3lasphemies that hopped and floundered and ,ri''led out of them. Those slippery 'reyish1,hite 3lasphemies they ,orshipped as 'odsA nor ever complained ,hen scores of their 3est and fatted males ,ere ta!en a,ay in the 3lac! 'alleys. The monstrous moon13easts made their camp on a Ca''ed isle in the seaA and Carter could tell from the frescoes that this ,as none other than the lone nameless roc! he had seen ,hen sailin' to =nDuano!B that 'rey accursed roc! ,hich =nDuano!<s seamen shunA and from ,hich vile ho,lin's rever3erate all throu'h the ni'ht. And in those frescoes ,as she,n the 'reat seaport and capital of the almost1humansB proud and pillared 3et,i%t the cliffs and the 3asalt ,harvesA and ,ondrous ,ith hi'h fanes and carven places. 7reat 'ardens and columned streets led from the cliffs and from each of the si% sphin%1cro,ned 'ates to a vast central plazaA and in that plaza ,as a pair of ,in'ed colossal lions 'uardin' the top of a su3terrene staircase. A'ain and a'ain ,ere those hu'e ,in'ed lions she,nA their mi'hty flan!s of diarite 'listenin' in the 'rey t,ili'ht of the day and the cloudy phosphorescence of the ni'ht. And as Carter stum3led past their freDuent and repeated pictures it came to him at last ,hat indeed they ,ereA and ,hat city it ,as that the almost1humans had ruled so anciently 3efore the comin' of the 3lac! 'alleys. There could 3e no mista!eA for the le'ends of dreamland are 'enerous and profuse. =ndu3ita3ly that primal city ,as no less a place than storied Sar!omandA ,hose ruins had 3leached for a million years 3efore the first true human sa, the li'htA and ,hose t,in titan lions 'uard eternally the steps that lead do,n from dreamland to the 7reat A3yss. +ther vie,s she,ed the 'aunt 'rey pea!s dividin' 5en' from =nDuano!A and the monstrous Shanta!13irds that 3uild nests on the led'es half ,ay up. And they she,ed li!e,ise the curious caves near the very topmost pinnaclesA and ho, even the 3oldest of the Shanta!s fly screamin' a,ay from them. Carter had seen those caves ,hen he passed over themA and had noticed their li!eness to the caves on ;'rane!. ;o, he !ne, that the li!eness ,as more than a chance oneA for in these pictures ,ere she,n their fearsome denizensB and those 3at1,in'sA curvin' hornsA 3ar3ed tailsA prehensile pa,s and ru33ery 3odies ,ere not stran'e to him. 2e had met those silentA flittin' and clutchin' creatures 3eforeB those mindless 'uardians of the 7reat A3yss ,hom even the 7reat +nes fearA and ,ho o,n not ;yarlathotep 3ut hoary ;odens as their lord. 4or they ,ere the dreaded ni'ht1'auntsA ,ho never lau'h or smile 3ecause they have no facesA and ,ho flop unendin'ly in the dar! 3et,i%t the ?ale of >nath and the passes to the outer ,orld.

H.P.Lovecr !t

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The slant1eyed merchant had no, prodded Carter into a 'reat domed space ,hose ,alls ,ere carved in shoc!in' 3as1reliefsA and ,hose centre held a 'apin' circular pit surrounded 3y si% mali'nly stained stone altars in a rin'. There ,as no li'ht in this vast evil1smellin' cryptA and the small lamp of the sinister merchant shone so fee3ly that one could 'rasp details only little 3y little. At the farther end ,as a hi'h stone dais reached 3y five stepsB and there on a 'olden throne sat a lumpish fi'ure ro3ed in yello, sil! fi'ured ,ith red and havin' a yello, sil!en mas! over its face. To this 3ein' the slant1eyed man made certain si'ns ,ith his handsA and the lur!er in the dar! replied 3y raisin' a dis'ustin'ly carven flute of ivory in sil!1covered pa,s and 3lo,in' certain loathsome sounds from 3eneath its flo,in' yello, mas!. This colloDuy ,ent on for some timeA and to Carter there ,as somethin' sic!enin'ly familiar in the sound of that flute and the stench of the malodorous place. =t made him thin! of a fri'htful red1litten city and of the revoltin' procession that once filed throu'h itB of thatA and of an a,ful clim3 throu'h lunar countryside 3eyondA 3efore the rescuin' rush of earth<s friendly cats. 2e !ne, that the creature on the dais ,as ,ithout dou3t the 2i'h1>riest ;ot To Be $escri3edA of ,hich le'end ,hispers such fiendish and a3normal possi3ilitiesA 3ut he feared to thin! Cust ,hat that a3horred 2i'h1 >riest mi'ht 3e. Then the fi'ured sil! slipped a trifle from one of the 'reyish1,hite pa,sA and Carter !ne, ,hat the noisome 2i'h1>riest ,as. And in that hideous secondA star! fear drove him to somethin' his reason ,ould never have dared to attemptA for in all his sha!en consciousness there ,as room only for one frantic ,ill to escape from ,hat sDuatted on that 'olden throne. 2e !ne, that hopeless la3yrinths of stone lay 3et,i%t him and the cold ta3le1land outsideA and that even on that ta3le1land the no%ious Shante! still ,aitedB yet in spite of all this there ,as in his mind only the instant need to 'et a,ay from that ,ri''lin'A sil!1ro3ed monstrosity. The slant1eyed man had set the curious lamp upon one of the hi'h and ,ic!edly stained altar1stones 3y the pitA and had moved for,ard some,hat to tal! to the 2i'h1>riest ,ith his hands. CarterA hitherto ,holly passiveA no, 'ave that man a terrific push ,ith all the ,ild stren'th of fearA so that the victim toppled at once into that 'apin' ,ell ,hich rumour holds to reach do,n to the hellish ?aults of @in ,here 7u's hunt 'hasts in the dar!. =n almost the same second he seized the lamp from the altar and darted out into the frescoed la3yrinthsA racin' this ,ay and that as chance determined and tryin' not to thin! of the stealthy paddin' of shapeless pa,s on the stones 3ehind himA or of the silent ,ri''lin's and cra,lin's ,hich must 3e 'oin' on 3ac! there in li'htless corridors. After a fe, moments he re'retted his thou'htless hasteA and ,ished he had tried to follo, 3ac!,ard the frescoes he had passed on the ,ay in. TrueA they ,ere so confused and duplicated that they could not have done him much 'oodA 3ut he ,ished none the less he had made the attempt. Those he no, sa, ,ere even more horri3le than those he had seen thenA and he !ne, he ,as not in the corridors leadin' outside. =n time he 3ecame Duite sure he ,as not follo,edA and slac!ened his pace some,hatB 3ut scarce had he 3reathed in half relief ,hen a ne, peril 3eset him. 2is lamp ,as ,anin'A and he ,ould soon 3e in pitch 3lac!ness ,ith no means of si'ht or 'uidance. When the li'ht ,as all 'one he 'roped slo,ly in the dar!A and prayed to the 7reat +nes for such help as they mi'ht afford. At times he felt the stone floor slopin' up or do,nA and once he stum3led over a step for ,hich no reason seemed to e%ist. The farther he ,ent the damper it seemed to 3eA and ,hen he ,as a3le to feel a Cunction or the mouth of a side

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passa'e he al,ays chose the ,ay ,hich sloped do,n,ard the least. 2e 3elievedA thou'hA that his 'eneral course ,as do,nB and the vault1li!e smell and incrustations on the 'reasy ,alls and floor ali!e ,arned him he ,as 3urro,in' deep in 5en'<s un,holesome ta3le1 land. But there ,as not any ,arnin' of the thin' ,hich came at lastB only the thin' itself ,ith its terror and shoc! and 3reath1ta!in' chaos. +ne moment he ,as 'ropin' slo,ly over the slippery floor of an almost level placeA and the ne%t he ,as shootin' dizzily do,n,ard in the dar! throu'h a 3urro, ,hich must have 3een ,ell1ni'h vertical. +f the len'th of that hideous slidin' he could never 3e sureA 3ut it seemed to ta!e hours of delirious nausea and ecstatic frenzy. Then he realized he ,as stillA ,ith the phosphorescent clouds of a northern ni'ht shinin' sic!ly a3ove him. All around ,ere crum3lin' ,alls and 3ro!en columnsA and the pavement on ,hich he lay ,as pierced 3y stra''lin' 'rass and ,renched asunder 3y freDuent shru3s and roots. Behind him a 3asalt cliff rose topless and perpendicularB its dar! side sculptured into repellent scenesA and pierced 3y an arched and carven entrance to the inner 3lac!nesses out of ,hich he had come. Ahead stretched dou3le ro,s of pillarsA and the fra'ments and pedestals of pillarsA that spo!e of a 3road and 3y'one streetB and from the urns and 3asins alon' the ,ay he !ne, it had 3een a 'reat street of 'ardens. 4ar off at its end the pillars spread to mar! a vast round plazaA and in that open circle there loomed 'i'antic under the lurid ni'ht clouds a pair of monstrous thin's. 2u'e ,in'ed lions of diarite they ,ereA ,ith 3lac!ness and shado, 3et,een them. 4ull t,enty feet they reared their 'rotesDue and un3ro!en headsA and snarled derisive on the ruins around them. And Carter !ne, ri'ht ,ell ,hat they must 3eA for le'end tells of only one such t,ain. They ,ere the chan'eless 'uardians of the 7reat A3yssA and these dar! ruins ,ere in truth primordial Sar!omand. Carter<s first act ,as to close and 3arricade the arch,ay in the cliff ,ith fallen 3loc!s and odd de3ris that lay around. 2e ,ished no follo,er from 5en'<s hateful monasteryA for alon' the ,ay ahead ,ould lur! enou'h of other dan'ers. +f ho, to 'et from Sar!omand to the peopled parts of dreamland he !ne, nothin' at allB nor could he 'ain much 3y descendin' to the 'rottoes of the 'houlsA since he !ne, they ,ere no 3etter informed than he. The three 'houls ,hich had helped him throu'h the city of 7u's to the outer ,orld had not !no,n ho, to reach Sar!omand in their Courney 3ac!A 3ut had planned to as! old traders in $ylath15een. 2e did not li!e to thin! of 'oin' a'ain to the su3terrene ,orld of 7u's and ris!in' once more that hellish to,er of 0oth ,ith its Cyclopean steps leadin' to the enchanted ,oodA yet he felt he mi'ht have to try this course if all else failed. +ver 5en'<s plateau past the lone monastery he dared not 'o unaidedB for the 2i'h1>riest<s emissaries must 3e manyA ,hile at the Courney<s end there ,ould no dou3t 3e the Shanta!s and perhaps other thin's to deal ,ith. =f he could 'et a 3oat he mi'ht sail 3ac! to =nDuano! past the Ca''ed and hideous roc! in the seaA for the primal frescoes in the monastery la3yrinth had she,n that this fri'htful place lies not far from Sar!omand<s 3asalt Duays. But to find a 3oat in this aeon1deserted city ,as no pro3a3le thin'A and it did not appear li!ely that he could ever ma!e one. Such ,ere the thou'hts of :andolph Carter ,hen a ne, impression 3e'an 3eatin' upon his mind. All this ,hile there had stretched 3efore him the 'reat corpse1li!e ,idth of fa3led Sar!omand ,ith its 3lac! 3ro!en pillars and crum3lin' sphin%1cro,ned 'ates and titan stones and monstrous ,in'ed lions a'ainst the sic!ly 'lo, of those luminous ni'ht clouds. ;o, he sa, far ahead and on the ri'ht a 'lo, that no clouds could account forA and !ne, he ,as not alone in the silence of that dead city. The 'lo, rose and fell fitfullyA flic!erin' ,ith a 'reenish tin'e ,hich did not reassure the ,atcher. And ,hen he crept closerA do,n

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the littered street and throu'h some narro, 'aps 3et,een tum3led ,allsA he perceived that it ,as a campfire near the ,harves ,ith many va'ue forms clustered dar!ly around itB and a lethal odour han'in' heavily over all. Beyond ,as the oily lappin' of the har3our ,ater ,ith a 'reat ship ridin' at anchorA and Carter paused in star! terror ,hen he sa, that the ship ,as indeed one of the dreaded 3lac! 'alleys from the moon. ThenA Cust as he ,as a3out to creep 3ac! from that detesta3le flameA he sa, a stirrin' amon' the va'ue dar! forms and heard a peculiar and unmista!a3le sound. =t ,as the fri'htened meepin' of a 'houlA and in a moment it had s,elled to a verita3le chorus of an'uish. Secure as he ,as in the shado, of monstrous ruinsA Carter allo,ed his curiosity to conDuer his fearA and crept for,ard a'ain instead of retreatin'. +nce in crossin' an open street he ,ri''led ,orm1li!e on his stomachA and in another place he had to rise to his feet to avoid ma!in' a noise amon' heaps of fallen mar3le. But al,ays he succeeded in avoidin' discoveryA so that in a short time he had found a spot 3ehind a titan pillar ,here he could ,atch the ,hole 'reen1litten scene of action. There around a hideous fire fed 3y the o3no%ious stems of lunar fun'iA there sDuatted a stin!in' circle of the toadli!e moon3easts and their almost1human slaves. Some of these slaves ,ere heatin' curious iron spears in the leapin' flamesA and at intervals applyin' their ,hite1hot points to three ti'htly trussed prisoners that lay ,rithin' 3efore the leaders of the party. 4rom the motions of their tentacles Carter could see that the 3lunt1snouted moon3easts ,ere enCoyin' the spectacle hu'elyA and vast ,as his horror ,hen he suddenly reco'nised the frantic meepin' and !ne, that the tortured 'houls ,ere none other than the faithful trio ,hich had 'uided him safely from the a3yssA and had thereafter set out from the enchanted ,ood to find Sar!omand and the 'ate to their native deeps. The num3er of malodorous moon3easts a3out that 'reenish fire ,as very 'reatA and Carter sa, that he could do nothin' no, to save his former allies. +f ho, the 'houls had 3een captured he could not 'uessB 3ut fancied that the 'rey toadli!e 3lasphemies had heard them inDuire in $ylath15een concernin' the ,ay to Sar!omand and had not ,ished them to approach so closely the hateful plateau of 5en' and the 2i'h1>riest ;ot To Be $escri3ed. 4or a moment he pondered on ,hat he ou'ht to doA and recalled ho, near he ,as to the 'ate of the 'houls< 3lac! !in'dom. Clearly it ,as ,isest to creep east to the plaza of t,in lions and descend at once to the 'ulfA ,here assuredly he ,ould meet no horrors ,orse than those a3oveA and ,here he mi'ht soon find 'houls ea'er to rescue their 3rethren and perhaps to ,ipe out the moon3easts from the 3lac! 'alley. =t occurred to him that the portalA li!e other 'ates to the a3yssA mi'ht 3e 'uarded 3y floc!s of ni'ht1'auntsB 3ut he did not fear these faceless creatures no,. 2e had learned that they are 3ound 3y solemn treaties ,ith the 'houlsA and the 'houl ,hich ,as >ic!man had tau'ht him ho, to 'li33er a pass,ord they understood. So Carter 3e'an another silent cra,l throu'h the ruinsA ed'in' slo,ly to,ard the 'reat central plaza and the ,in'ed lions. =t ,as tic!lish ,or!A 3ut the moon3easts ,ere pleasantly 3usy and did not hear the sli'ht noises ,hich he t,ice made 3y accident amon' the scattered stones. At last he reached the open space and pic!ed his ,ay amon' the stunned trees and vines that had 'ro,n up therein. The 'i'antic lions loomed terri3le a3ove him in the sic!ly 'lo, of the phosphorescent ni'ht cloudsA 3ut he manfully persisted to,ard them and presently crept round to their facesA !no,in' it ,as on that side he ,ould find the mi'hty dar!ness ,hich they 'uard. Ten feet apart crouched the moc!in'1faced 3easts of diariteA 3roodin' on cyclopean pedestals ,hose sides ,ere chiselled in fearsome 3as1reliefs. Bet,i%t them ,as a tiled court ,ith a central space ,hich had once 3een railed

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,ith 3alusters of ony%. 8id,ay in this space a 3lac! ,ell openedA and Carter soon sa, that he had indeed reached the ya,nin' 'ulf ,hose crusted and mouldy stone steps lead do,n to the crypts of ni'htmare. Terri3le is the memory of that dar! descent in ,hich hours ,ore themselves a,ay ,hilst Carter ,ound si'htlessly round and round do,n a fathomless spiral of steep and slippery stairs. So ,orn and narro, ,ere the stepsA and so 'reasy ,ith the ooze of inner earthA that the clim3er never Duite !ne, ,hen to e%pect a 3reathless fall and hurtlin' do,n to the ultimate pitsB and he ,as li!e,ise uncertain Cust ,hen or ho, the 'uardian ni'ht1'aunts ,ould suddenly pounce upon himA if indeed there ,ere any stationed in this primeval passa'e. All a3out him ,as a stiflin' odour of nether 'ulfsA and he felt that the air of these cho!in' depths ,as not made for man!ind. =n time he 3ecame very num3 and somnolentA movin' more from automatic impulse than from reasoned ,illB nor did he realize any chan'e ,hen he stopped movin' alto'ether as somethin' Duietly seized him from 3ehind. 2e ,as flyin' very rapidly throu'h the air 3efore a malevolent tic!lin' told him that the ru33ery ni'ht1'aunts had performed their duty. A,a!ed to the fact that he ,as in the coldA damp clutch of the faceless flutterersA Carter remem3ered the pass,ord of the 'houls and 'li33ered it as loudly as he could amidst the ,ind and chaos of fli'ht. 8indless thou'h ni'ht1'aunts are said to 3eA the effect ,as instantaneousB for all tic!lin' stopped at onceA and the creatures hastened to shift their captive to a more comforta3le position. Thus encoura'ed Carter ventured some e%planationsB tellin' of the seizure and torture of three 'houls 3y the moon3eastsA and of the need of assem3lin' a party to rescue them. The ni'ht1'auntsA thou'h inarticulateA seemed to understand ,hat ,as saidB and she,ed 'reater haste and purpose in their fli'ht. Suddenly the dense 3lac!ness 'ave place to the 'rey t,ili'ht of inner earthA and there opened up ahead one of those flat sterile plains on ,hich 'houls love to sDuat and 'na,. Scattered tom3stones and osseous fra'ments told of the denizens of that placeB and as Carter 'ave a loud meep of ur'ent summonsA a score of 3urro,s emptied forth their leatheryA do'1li!e tenants. The ni'ht1'aunts no, fle, lo, and set their passen'er upon his feetA after,ard ,ithdra,in' a little and formin' a hunched semicircle on the 'round ,hile the 'houls 'reeted the ne,comer. Carter 'li33ered his messa'e rapidly and e%plicitly to the 'rotesDue companyA and four of them at once departed throu'h different 3urro,s to spread the ne,s to others and 'ather such troops as mi'ht 3e availa3le for a rescue. After a lon' ,ait a 'houl of some importance appearedA and made si'nificant si'ns to the ni'ht1'auntsA causin' t,o of the latter to fly off into the dar!. Thereafter there ,ere constant accessions to the hunched floc! of ni'ht1'aunts on the plainA till at len'th the slimy soil ,as fairly 3lac! ,ith them. 8ean,hile fresh 'houls cra,led out of the 3urro,s one 3y oneA all 'li33erin' e%citedly and formin' in crude 3attle array not far from the huddled ni'ht1'aunts. =n time there appeared that proud and influential 'houl ,hich ,as once the artist :ichard >ic!man of BostonA and to him Carter 'li33ered a very full account of ,hat had occurred. The erst,hile >ic!manA pleased to 'reet his ancient friend a'ainA seemed very much impressedA and held a conference ,ith other chiefs a little apart from the 'ro,in' thron'. 4inallyA after scannin' the ran!s ,ith careA the assem3led chiefs all meeped in unison and 3e'an 'li33erin' orders to the cro,ds of 'houls and ni'ht1'aunts. A lar'e detachment of the horned flyers vanished at onceA ,hile the rest 'rouped themselves t,o 3y t,o on their !nees ,ith e%tended forele'sA a,aitin' the approach of the 'houls one 3y one. As

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each 'houl reached the pair of ni'ht1'aunts to ,hich he ,as assi'nedA he ,as ta!en up and 3orne a,ay into the 3lac!nessB till at last the ,hole thron' had vanished save for CarterA >ic!manA and the other chiefsA and a fe, pairs of ni'ht1'aunts. >ic!man e%plained that ni'ht1'aunts are the advance 'uard and 3attle steeds of the 'houlsA and that the army ,as issuin' forth to Sar!omand to deal ,ith the moon3easts. Then Carter and the 'houlish chiefs approached the ,aitin' 3earers and ,ere ta!en up 3y the dampA slippery pa,s. Another moment and all ,ere ,hirlin' in ,ind and dar!nessB endlessly upA upA up to the 'ate of the ,in'ed and the special ruins of primal Sar!omand. WhenA after a 'reat intervalA Carter sa, a'ain the sic!ly li'ht of Sar!omand<s nocturnal s!yA it ,as to 3ehold the 'reat central plaza s,armin' ,ith militant 'houls and ni'ht1 'aunts. $ayA he felt sureA must 3e almost dueB 3ut so stron' ,as the army that no surprise of the enemy ,ould 3e needed. The 'reenish flare near the ,harves still 'limmered faintlyA thou'h the a3sence of 'houlish meepin' she,ed that the torture of the prisoners ,as over for the nonce. Softly 'li33erin' directions to their steeds and to the floc! of riderless ni'ht1 'aunts aheadA the 'houls presently rose in ,ide ,hirrin' columns and s,ept on over the 3lea! ruins to,ard the evil flame. Carter ,as no, 3eside >ic!man in the front ran! of 'houlsA and sa, as they approached the noisome camp that the moon3easts ,ere totally unprepared. The three prisoners lay 3ound and inert 3eside the fireA ,hile their toadli!e captors slumped dro,sily a3out in no certain order. The almost1human slaves ,ere asleepA even the sentinels shir!in' a duty ,hich in this realm must have seemed to them merely perfunctory. The final s,oop of the ni'ht1'aunts and mounted 'houls ,as very suddenA each of the 'reyish toadli!e 3lasphemies and their almost1human slaves 3ein' seized 3y a 'roup of ni'ht1'aunts 3efore a sound ,as made. The moon3eastsA of courseA ,ere voicelessB and even the slaves had little chance to scream 3efore ru33ery pa,s cho!ed them into silence. 2orri3le ,ere the ,rithin's of those 'reat Cellyfish a3normalities as the sardonic ni'ht1 'aunts clutched themA 3ut nothin' availed a'ainst the stren'th of those 3lac! prehensile talons. When a moon3east ,rithed too violentlyA a ni'ht1'aunt ,ould seize and pull its Duiverin' pin! tentaclesB ,hich seemed to hurt so much that the victim ,ould cease its stru''les. Carter e%pected to see much slau'hterA 3ut found that the 'houls ,ere far su3tler in their plans. They 'li33ered certain simple orders to the ni'ht1'aunts ,hich held the captivesA trustin' the rest to instinctB and soon the hapless creatures ,ere 3orne silently a,ay into the 7reat A3yssA to 3e distri3uted impartially amon'st the $holesA 7u'sA 'hasts and other d,ellers in dar!ness ,hose modes of nourishment are not painless to their chosen victims. 8ean,hile the three 3ound 'houls had 3een released and consoled 3y their conDuerin' !insfol!A ,hilst various parties searched the nei'h3orhood for possi3le remainin' moon3eastsA and 3oarded the evil1smellin' 3lac! 'alley at the ,harf to ma!e sure that nothin' had escaped the 'eneral defeat. Surely enou'hA the capture had 3een thorou'hA for not a si'n of further life could the victors detect. CarterA an%ious to preserve a means of access to the rest of dreamlandA ur'ed them not to sin! the anchored 'alleyB and this reDuest ,as freely 'ranted out of 'ratitude for his act in reportin' the pli'ht of the captured trio. +n the ship ,ere found some very curious o3Cects and decorationsA some of ,hich Carter cast at once into the sea. 7houls and ni'ht1'aunts no, formed themselves in separate 'roupsA the former Duestionin' their rescued fello, anent past happenin's. =t appeared that the three had follo,ed Carter<s directions and proceeded from the enchanted ,ood to $ylath15een 3y ,ay of ;ir and the S!inA stealin' human clothes at a lonely farmhouse and lopin' as

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closely as possi3le in the fashion of a man<s ,al!. =n $ylath15een<s taverns their 'rotesDue ,ays and faces had aroused much commentB 3ut they had persisted in as!in' the ,ay to Sar!omand until at last an old traveller ,as a3le to tell them. Then they !ne, that only a ship for 5ela'15en' ,ould serve their purposeA and prepared to ,ait patiently for such a vessel. But evil spies had dou3tless reported muchB for shortly a 3lac! 'alley put into portA and the ,ide1mouthed ru3y merchants invited the 'houls to drin! ,ith them in a tavern. Wine ,as produced from one of those sinister 3ottles 'rotesDuely carven from a sin'le ru3yA and after that the 'houls found themselves prisoners on the 3lac! 'alley as Carter had found himself. This timeA ho,everA the unseen ro,ers steered not for the moon 3ut for antiDue Sar!omandB 3ent evidently on ta!in' their captives 3efore the 2i'h1>riest ;ot To Be $escri3ed. They had touched at the Ca''ed roc! in the northern sea ,hich =nDuano!<s mariners shunA and the 'houls had there seen for the first time the red masters of the shipB 3ein' sic!ened despite their o,n callousness 3y such e%tremes of mali'n shapelessness and fearsome odour. ThereA tooA ,ere ,itnessed the nameless pastimes of the toadli!e resident 'arrison1such pastimes as 'ive rise to the ni'ht1ho,lin's ,hich men fear. After that had come the landin' at ruined Sar!omand and the 3e'innin' of the torturesA ,hose continuance the present rescue had prevented. 4uture plans ,ere ne%t discussedA the three rescued 'houls su''estin' a raid on the Ca''ed roc! and the e%termination of the toadli!e 'arrison there. To thisA ho,everA the ni'ht1'aunts o3CectedB since the prospect of flyin' over ,ater did not please them. 8ost of the 'houls favoured the desi'nA 3ut ,ere at a loss ho, to follo, it ,ithout the help of the ,in'ed ni'ht1'aunts. Thereupon CarterA seein' that they could not navi'ate the anchored 'alleyA offered to teach them the use of the 'reat 3an!s of oarsB to ,hich proposal they ea'erly assented. 7rey day had no, comeA and under that leaden northern s!y a pic!ed detachment of 'houls filed into the noisome ship and too! their seats on the ro,ers< 3enches. Carter found them fairly apt at learnin'A and 3efore ni'ht had ris!ed several e%perimental trips around the har3our. ;ot till three days laterA ho,everA did he deem it safe to attempt the voya'e of conDuest. ThenA the ro,ers trained and the ni'ht1'aunts safely sto,ed in the forecastleA the party set sail at lastB >ic!man and the other chiefs 'atherin' on dec! and discussin' models of approach and procedure. +n the very first ni'ht the ho,lin's from the roc! ,ere heard. Such ,as their tim3re that all the 'alley<s cre, shoo! visi3lyB 3ut most of all trem3led the three rescued 'houls ,ho !ne, precisely ,hat those ho,lin's meant. =t ,as not thou'ht 3est to attempt an attac! 3y ni'htA so the ship lay to under the phosphorescent clouds to ,ait for the da,n of a 'reyish day. ,hen the li'ht ,as ample and the ho,lin's still the ro,ers resumed their stro!esA and the 'alley dre, closer and closer to that Ca''ed roc! ,hose 'ranite pinnacles cla,ed fantastically at the dull s!y. The sides of the roc! ,ere very steepB 3ut on led'es here and there could 3e seen the 3ul'in' ,alls of Dueer ,indo,less d,ellin'sA and the lo, railin's 'uardin' travelled hi'hroads. ;o ship of men had ever come so near the placeA or at leastA had never come so near and departed a'ainB 3ut Carter and the 'houls ,ere void of fear and !ept infle%i3ly onA roundin' the eastern face of the roc! and see!in' the ,harves ,hich the rescued trio descri3ed as 3ein' on the southern side ,ithin a har3our formed of steep headlands. The headlands ,ere prolon'ations of the island properA and came so closely to'ether that only one ship at a time mi'ht pass 3et,een them. There seemed to 3e no ,atchers on

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the outsideA so the 'alley ,as steered 3oldly throu'h the flume1li!e strait and into the sta'nant putrid har3our 3eyond. 2ereA ho,everA all ,as 3ustle and activityB ,ith several ships lyin' at anchor alon' a for3iddin' stone DuayA and scores of almost1human slaves and moon3easts 3y the ,aterfront handlin' crates and 3o%es or drivin' nameless and fa3ulous horrors hitched to lum3erin' lorries. There ,as a small stone to,n he,n out of the vertical cliff a3ove the ,harvesA ,ith the start of a ,indin' road that spiralled out of si'ht to,ard hi'her led'es of the roc!. +f ,hat lay inside that prodi'ious pea! of 'ranite none mi'ht sayA 3ut the thin's one sa, on the outside ,ere far from encoura'in'. At si'ht of the incomin' 'alley the cro,ds on the ,harves displayed much ea'ernessB those ,ith eyes starin' intentlyA and those ,ithout eyes ,ri''lin' their pin! tentacles e%pectantly. They did notA of courseA realize that the 3lac! ship had chan'ed handsB for 'houls loo! much li!e the horned and hooved almost1humansA and the ni'ht1'aunts ,ere all out of si'ht 3elo,. By this time the leaders had fully formed a planB ,hich ,as to loose the ni'ht1'aunts as soon as the ,harf ,as touchedA and then to sail directly a,ayA leavin' matters ,holly to the instincts of those almost1mindless creatures. 8arooned on the roc!A the horned flyers ,ould first of all seize ,hatever livin' thin's they found thereA and after,ardA Duite helpless to thin! e%cept in terms of the homin' instinctA ,ould for'et their fears of ,ater and fly s,iftly 3ac! to the a3yssB 3earin' their noisome prey to appropriate destinations in the dar!A from ,hich not much ,ould emer'e alive. The 'houl that ,as >ic!man no, ,ent 3elo, and 'ave the ni'ht1'aunts their simple instructionsA ,hile the ship dre, very near to the ominous and malodorous ,harves. >resently a fresh stir rose alon' the ,aterfrontA and Carter sa, that the motions of the 'alley had 3e'un to e%cite suspicion. Evidently the steersman ,as not ma!in' for the ri'ht doc!A and pro3a3ly the ,atchers had noticed the difference 3et,een the hideous 'houls and the almost1human slaves ,hose places they ,ere ta!in'. Some silent alarm must have 3een 'ivenA for almost at once a horde of the mephitic moon3easts 3e'an to pour from the little 3lac! door,ays of the ,indo,less houses and do,n the ,indin' road at the ri'ht. A rain of curious Cavelins struc! the 'alley as the pro, hit the ,harf fellin' t,o 'houls and sli'htly ,oundin' anotherB 3ut at this point all the hatches ,ere thro,n open to emit a 3lac! cloud of ,hirrin' ni'ht1'aunts ,hich s,armed over the to,n li!e a floc! of horned and cyclopean 3ats. The Cellyish moon3easts had procured a 'reat pole and ,ere tryin' to push off the invadin' shipA 3ut ,hen the ni'ht1'aunts struc! them they thou'ht of such thin's no more. =t ,as a very terri3le spectacle to see those faceless and ru33ery tic!lers at their pastimeA and tremendously impressive to ,atch the dense cloud of them spreadin' throu'h the to,n and up the ,indin' road,ay to the reaches a3ove. Sometimes a 'roup of the 3lac! flutterers ,ould drop a toadli!e prisoner from aloft 3y mista!eA and the manner in ,hich the victim ,ould 3urst ,as hi'hly offensive to the si'ht and smell. When the last of the ni'ht1'aunts had left the 'alley the 'houlish leaders 'li33ered an order of ,ithdra,alA and the ro,ers pulled Duietly out of the har3our 3et,een the 'rey headlands ,hile still the to,n ,as a chaos of 3attle and conDuest. The >ic!man 'houl allo,ed several hours for the ni'ht1'aunts to ma!e up their rudimentary minds and overcome their fear of flyin' over the seaA and !ept the 'alley standin' a3out a mile off the Ca''ed roc! ,hile he ,aitedA and dressed the ,ounds of the inCured men. ;i'ht fellA and the 'rey t,ili'ht 'ave place to the sic!ly phosphorescence of lo, cloudsA and all the ,hile the leaders ,atched the hi'h pea!s of that accursed roc! for

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si'ns of the ni'ht1'aunts< fli'ht. To,ard mornin' a 3lac! spec! ,as seen hoverin' timidly over the top1most pinnacleA and shortly after,ard the spec! had 3ecome a s,arm. 6ust 3efore day3rea! the s,arm seemed to scatterA and ,ithin a Duarter of an hour it had vanished ,holly in the distance to,ard the northeast. +nce or t,ice somethin' seemed to fall from the thin' s,arm into the seaB 3ut Carter did not ,orryA since he !ne, from o3servation that the toadli!e moon3easts cannot s,im. At len'thA ,hen the 'houls ,ere satisfied that all the ni'ht1'aunts had left for Sar!omand and the 7reat A3yss ,ith their doomed 3urdensA the 'alley put 3ac! into the har3our 3et,i%t the 'rey headlandsB and all the hideous company landed and roamed curiously over the denuded roc! ,ith its to,ers and eyries and fortresses chiselled from the solid stone. 4ri'htful ,ere the secrets uncovered in those evil and ,indo,less cryptsB for the remnants of unfinished pastimes ,ere manyA and in various sta'es of departure from their primal state. Carter put out of the ,ay certain thin's ,hich ,ere after a fashion aliveA and fled precipitately from a fe, other thin's a3out ,hich he could not 3e very positive. The stench1filled houses ,ere furnished mostly ,ith 'rotesDue stools and 3enches carven from moon1treesA and ,ere painted inside ,ith nameless and frantic desi'ns. Countless ,eaponsA implementsA and ornaments lay a3outA includin' some lar'e idols of solid ru3y depictin' sin'ular 3ein's not found on the earth. These latter did notA despite their materialA invite either appropriation or lon' inspectionB and Carter too! the trou3le to hammer five of them into very small pieces. The scattered spears and Cavelins he collectedA and ,ith >ic!man<s approval distri3uted amon' the 'houls. Such devices ,ere ne, to the do'li!e lopersA 3ut their relative simplicity made them easy to master after a fe, concise hints. The upper parts of the roc! held more temples than private homesA and in numerous he,n cham3ers ,ere found terri3le carven altars and dou3tfully stained fonts and shrines for the ,orship of thin's more monstrous than the ,ild 'ods atop 0adath. 4rom the rear of one 'reat temple stretched a lo, 3lac! passa'e ,hich Carter follo,ed far into the roc! ,ith a torch till he came to a li'htless domed hall of vast proportionsA ,hose vaultin's ,ere covered ,ith demoniac carvin's and in ,hose centre ya,ned a foul and 3ottomless ,ell li!e that in the hideous monastery of 5en' ,here 3roods alone the 2i'h1>riest ;ot To Be $escri3ed. +n the distant shado,y sideA 3eyond the noisome ,ellA he thou'ht he discerned a small door of stran'ely ,rou'ht 3ronzeB 3ut for some reason he felt an unaccounta3le dread of openin' it or even approachin' itA and hastened 3ac! throu'h the cavern to his unlovely allies as they sham3led a3out ,ith an ease and a3andon he could scarcely feel. The 'houls had o3served the unfinished pastimes of the moon3eastsA and had profited in their fashion. They had also found a ho'shead of potent moon1,ineA and ,ere rollin' it do,n to the ,harves for removal and later use in diplomatic dealin'sA thou'h the rescued trioA remem3erin' its effect on them in $ylath15eenA had ,arned their company to taste none of it. +f ru3ies from lunar mines there ,as a 'reat storeA 3oth rou'h and polishedA in one of the vaults near the ,aterB 3ut ,hen the 'houls found they ,ere not 'ood to eat they lost all interest in them. Carter did not try to carry any a,ayA since he !ne, too much a3out those ,hich had mined them. Suddenly there came an e%cited meepin' from the sentries on the ,harvesA and all the loathsome fora'ers turned from their tas!s to stare sea,ard and cluster round the ,aterfront. Bet,i%t the 'rey headlands a fresh 3lac! 'alley ,as rapidly advancin'A and it ,ould 3e 3ut a moment 3efore the almost1humans on dec! ,ould perceive the invasion of the to,n and 'ive the alarm to the monstrous thin's 3elo,. 4ortunately the 'houls still 3ore the spears and Cavelins ,hich Carter had distri3uted amon'st themB and at his

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commandA sustained 3y the 3ein' that ,as >ic!manA they no, formed a line of 3attle and prepared to prevent the landin' of the ship. >resently a 3urst of e%citement on the 'alley told of the cre,<s discovery of the chan'ed state of thin'sA and the instant stoppa'e of the vessel proved that the superior num3ers of the 'houls had 3een noted and ta!en into account. After a moment of hesitation the ne, comers silently turned and passed out 3et,een the headlands a'ainA 3ut not for an instant did the 'houls ima'ine that the conflict ,as averted. Either the dar! ship ,ould see! reinforcements or the cre, ,ould try to land else,here on the islandB hence a party of scouts ,as at once sent up to,ard the pinnacle to see ,hat the enemy<s course ,ould 3e. =n a very fe, minutes the 'houl returned 3reathless to say that the moon3easts and almost1humans ,ere landin' on the outside of the more easterly of the ru''ed 'rey headlandsA and ascendin' 3y hidden paths and led'es ,hich a 'oat could scarcely tread in safety. Almost immediately after,ard the 'alley ,as si'hted a'ain throu'h the flume1li!e straitA 3ut only for a second. Then a fe, moments laterA a second messen'er panted do,n from aloft to say that another party ,as landin' on the other headlandB 3oth 3ein' much more numerous than the size of the 'alley ,ould seem to allo, for. The ship itselfA movin' slo,ly ,ith only one sparsely manned tier of oarsA soon hove in si'ht 3et,i%t the cliffsA and lay to in the foetid har3our as if to ,atch the comin' fray and stand 3y for any possi3le use. By this time Carter and >ic!man had divided the 'houls into three partiesA one to meet each of the t,o invadin' columns and one to remain in the to,n. The first t,o at once scram3led up the roc!s in their respective directionsA ,hile the third ,as su3divided into a land party and a sea party. The sea partyA commanded 3y CarterA 3oarded the anchored 'alley and ro,ed out to meet the under1manned 'alley of the ne,comersB ,hereat the latter retreated throu'h the strait to the open sea. Carter did not at once pursue itA for he !ne, he mi'ht 3e needed more acutely near the to,n. 8ean,hile the fri'htful detachments of the moon3easts and almost1humans had lum3ered up to the top of the headlands and ,ere shoc!in'ly silhouetted on either side a'ainst the 'rey t,ili'ht s!y. The thin hellish flutes of the invaders had no, 3e'un to ,hineA and the 'eneral effect of those hy3ridA half1amorphous processions ,as as nauseatin' as the actual odour 'iven off 3y the toadli!e lunar 3lasphemies. Then the t,o parties of the 'houls s,armed into si'ht and Coined the silhouetted panorama. 6avelins 3e'an to fly from 3oth sidesA and the s,ellin' meeps of the 'houls and the 3estial ho,ls of the almost1humans 'radually Coined the hellish ,hine of the flutes to form a frantic! and indescri3a3le chaos of daemon cacophony. ;o, and then 3odies fell from the narro, rid'es of the headlands into the sea outside or the har3our insideA in the latter case 3ein' suc!ed Duic!ly under 3y certain su3marine lur!ers ,hose presence ,as indicated only 3y prodi'ious 3u33les. 4or half an hour this dual 3attle ra'ed in the s!yA till upon the ,est cliff the invaders ,ere completely annihilated. +n the east cliffA ho,everA ,here the leader of the moon3east party appeared to 3e presentA the 'houls had not fared so ,ellB and ,ere slo,ly retreatin' to the slopes of the pinnacle proper. >ic!man had Duic!ly ordered reinforcements for this front from the party in the to,nA and these had helped 'reatly in the earlier sta'es of the com3at. ThenA ,hen the ,estern 3attle ,as overA the victorious survivors hastened across to the aid of their hard1pressed fello,sB turnin' the tide and forcin' the invaders 3ac! a'ain alon' the narro, rid'e of the headland. The almost1humans ,ere 3y this time all slainA 3ut

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the last of the toadli!e horrors fou'ht desperately ,ith the 'reat spears clutched in their po,erful and dis'ustin' pa,s. The time for Cavelins ,as no, nearly pastA and the fi'ht 3ecame a hand1to1hand contest of ,hat fe, spearmen could meet upon that narro, rid'e. As fury and rec!lessness increasedA the num3er fallin' into the sea 3ecame very 'reat. Those stri!in' the har3our met nameless e%tinction from the unseen 3u33lersA 3ut of those stri!in' the open sea some ,ere a3le to s,im to the foot of the cliffs and land on tidal roc!sA ,hile the hoverin' 'alley of the enemy rescued several moon3easts. The cliffs ,ere unscala3le e%cept ,here the monsters had de3ar!edA so that none of the 'houls on the roc!s could reCoin their 3attle1line. Some ,ere !illed 3y Cavelins from the hostile 'alley or from the moon3easts a3oveA 3ut a fe, survived to 3e rescued. When the security of the land parties seemed assuredA Carter<s 'alley sallied forth 3et,een the headlands and drove the hostile ship far out to seaB pausin' to rescue such 'houls as ,ere on the roc!s or still s,immin' in the ocean. Several moon3easts ,ashed on roc!s or reefs ,ere speedily put out of the ,ay. 4inallyA the moon3east 'alley 3ein' safely in the distance and the invadin' land army concentrated in one placeA Carter landed a considera3le force on the eastern headland in the enemy<s rearB after ,hich the fi'ht ,as short1lived indeed. Attac!ed from 3oth sidesA the noisome flounderers ,ere rapidly cut to pieces or pushed into the seaA till 3y evenin' the 'houlish chiefs a'reed that the island ,as a'ain clear of them. The hostile 'alleyA mean,hileA had disappearedB and it ,as decided that the evil Ca''ed roc! had 3etter 3e evacuated 3efore any over,helmin' horde of lunar horrors mi'ht 3e assem3led and 3rou'ht a'ainst the victors. So 3y ni'ht >ic!man and Carter assem3led all the 'houls and counted them ,ith careA findin' that over a fourth had 3een lost in the day<s 3attles. The ,ounded ,ere placed on 3un!s in the 'alleyA for >ic!man al,ays discoura'ed the old 'houlish custom of !illin' and eatin' one<s o,n ,oundedA and the a3le13odied troops ,ere assi'ned to the oars or to such other places as they mi'ht most usefully fill. (nder the lo, phosphorescent clouds of ni'ht the 'alley sailedA and Carter ,as not sorry to 3e departin' from the island of un,holesome secretsA ,hose li'htless domed hall ,ith its 3ottomless ,ell and repellent 3ronze door lin'ered restlessly in his fancy. $a,n found the ship in si'ht of Sar!omand<s ruined Duays of 3asaltA ,here a fe, ni'ht1'aunt sentries still ,aitedA sDuattin' li!e 3lac! horned 'ar'oyles on the 3ro!en columns and crum3lin' sphin%es of that fearful city ,hich lived and died 3efore the years of man. The 'houls made camp amon'st the fallen stones of Sar!omandA despatchin' a messen'er for enou'h ni'ht1'aunts to serve them as steeds. >ic!man and the other chiefs ,ere effusive in their 'ratitude for the aid Carter had lent them. Carter no, 3e'an to feel that his plans ,ere indeed maturin' ,ellA and that he ,ould 3e a3le to command the help of these fearsome allies not only in Duittin' this part of dreamlandA 3ut in pursuin' his ultimate Duest for the 'ods atop un!no,n 0adathA and the marvellous sunset city they so stran'ely ,ithheld from his slum3ers. Accordin'ly he spo!e of these thin's to the 'houlish leadersB tellin' ,hat he !ne, of the cold ,aste ,herein 0adath stands and of the monstrous Shanta!s and the mountains carven into dou3le1headed ima'es ,hich 'uard it. 2e spo!e of the fear of Shanta!s for ni'ht1'auntsA and of ho, the vast hippocephalic 3irds fly screamin' from the 3lac! 3urro,s hi'h up on the 'aunt 'rey pea!s that divide =nDuano! from hateful 5en'. 2e spo!eA tooA of the thin's he had learned concernin' ni'ht1 'aunts from the frescoes in the ,indo,less monastery of the 2i'h1>riest ;ot To Be

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$escri3edB ho, even the 7reat +nes fear themA and ho, their ruler is not the cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep at allA 3ut hoary and immemorial ;odensA 5ord of the 7reat A3yss. All these thin's Carter 'li33ered to the assem3led 'houlsA and presently outlined that reDuest ,hich he had in mind and ,hich he did not thin! e%trava'ant considerin' the services he had so lately rendered the ru33ery do'li!e lopers. 2e ,ished very muchA he saidA for the services of enou'h ni'ht1'aunts to 3ear him safely throu'h the aft past the realm of Shanta!s and carven mountainsA and up into the old ,aste 3eyond the returnin' trac!s of any other mortal. 2e desired to fly to the ony% castle atop un!no,n 0adath in the cold ,aste to plead ,ith the 7reat +nes for the sunset city they denied himA and felt sure that the ni'ht1'aunts could ta!e him thither ,ithout trou3leB hi'h a3ove the perils of the plainA and over the hideous dou3le heads of those carven sentinel mountains that sDuat eternally in the 'rey dus!. 4or the horned and faceless creatures there could 3e no dan'er from au'ht of earth since the 7reat +nes themselves dread them. And even ,ere une%pected thin's to come from the +ther 7odsA ,ho are prone to oversee the affairs of earth<s milder 'odsA the ni'ht1'aunts need not fearB for the outer hells are indifferent matters to such silent and slippery flyers as o,n not ;yarlathotep for their masterA 3ut 3o, only to potent and archaic ;odens. A floc! of ten or fifteen ni'ht1'auntsA Carter 'li33eredA ,ould surely 3e enou'h to !eep any com3ination of Shanta!s at a distanceA thou'h perhaps it mi'ht 3e ,ell to have some 'houls in the party to mana'e the creaturesA their ,ays 3ein' 3etter !no,n to their 'houlish allies than to men. The party could land him at some convenient point ,ithin ,hatever ,alls that fa3ulous ony% citadel mi'ht haveA ,aitin' in the shado,s for his return or his si'nal ,hilst he ventured inside the castle to 'ive prayer to the 'ods of earth. =f any 'houls chose to escort him into the throne1room of the 7reat +nesA he ,ould 3e than!fulA for their presence ,ould add ,ei'ht and importance to his plea. 2e ,ould notA ho,everA insist upon this 3ut merely ,ished transportation to and from the castle atop un!no,n 0adathB the final Courney 3ein' either to the marvellous sunset city itselfA in case of 'ods proved favoura3leA or 3ac! to the earth,ard 7ate of $eeper Slum3er in the Enchanted Wood in case his prayers ,ere fruitless. Whilst Carter ,as spea!in' all the 'houls listened ,ith 'reat attentionA and as the moments advanced the s!y 3ecame 3lac! ,ith clouds of those ni'ht1'aunts for ,hich messen'ers had 3een sent. The ,in'ed steeds settled in a semicircle around the 'houlish armyA ,aitin' respectfully as the do'li!e chieftains considered the ,ish of the earthly traveller. The 'houl that ,as >ic!man 'li33ered 'ravely ,ith his fello,s and in the end Carter ,as offered far more than he had at most e%pected. As he had aided the 'houls in their conDuest of the moon3eastsA so ,ould they aid him in his darin' voya'e to realms ,hence none had ever returnedB lendin' him not merely a fe, of their allied ni'ht1'auntsA 3ut their entire army as then encampedA veteran fi'htin' 'houls and ne,ly assem3led ni'ht1'aunts ali!eA save only a small 'arrison for the captured 3lac! 'alley and such spoils as had come from the Ca''ed roc! in the sea. They ,ould set out throu'h the aft ,henever he mi'ht ,ishA and once arrived on 0adath a suita3le train of 'houls ,ould attend him in state as he placed his petition 3efore earth<s 'ods in their ony% castle. 8oved 3y a 'ratitude and satisfaction 3eyond ,ordsA Carter made plans ,ith the 'houlish leaders for his audacious voya'e. The army ,ould fly hi'hA they decidedA over hideous 5en' ,ith its nameless monastery and ,ic!ed stone villa'esB stoppin' only at the vast 'rey pea!s to confer ,ith the Shanta!1fri'htenin' ni'ht1'aunts ,hose 3urro,s

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honeycom3ed their summits. They ,ould thenA accordin' to ,hat advice they mi'ht receive from those denizensA choose their final courseB approachin' un!no,n 0adath either throu'h the desert of carven mountains north of =nDuano!A or throu'h the more northerly reaches of repulsive 5en' itself. $o'li!e and soulless as they areA the 'houls and ni'ht1 'aunts had no dread of ,hat those untrodden deserts mi'ht revealB nor did they feel any deterrin' a,e at the thou'ht of 0adath to,erin' lone ,ith its ony% castle of mystery. A3out midday the 'houls and ni'ht1'aunts prepared for fli'htA each 'houl selectin' a suita3le pair of horned steeds to 3ear him. Carter ,as placed ,ell up to,ard the head of the column 3eside >ic!manA and in front of the ,hole a dou3le line of riderless ni'ht1'aunts ,as provided as a van'uard. At a 3ris! meep from >ic!man the ,hole shoc!in' army rose in a ni'htmare cloud a3ove the 3ro!en columns and crum3lin' sphin%es of primordial Sar!omandB hi'her and hi'herA till even the 'reat 3asalt cliff 3ehind the to,n ,as clearedA and the coldA sterile ta3le1land of 5en'<s outs!irts laid open to si'ht. Still hi'her fle, the 3lac! hostA till even this ta3le1land 're, small 3eneath themB and as they ,or!ed north,ard over the ,ind1s,ept plateau of horror Carter sa, once a'ain ,ith a shudder the circle of crude monoliths and the sDuat ,indo,less 3uildin' ,hich he !ne, held that fri'htful sil!en1mas!ed 3lasphemy from ,hose clutches he had so narro,ly escaped. This time no descent ,as made as the army s,ept 3atli!e over the sterile landscapeA passin' the fee3le fires of the un,holesome stone villa'es at a 'reat altitudeA and pausin' not at all to mar! the mor3id t,istin's of the hoovedA horned almost1humans that dance and pipe eternally therein. +nce they sa, a Shanta!13ird flyin' lo, over the plainA 3ut ,hen it sa, them it screamed no%iously and flapped off to the north in 'rotesDue panic. At dus! they reached the Ca''ed 'rey pea!s that form the 3arrier of =nDuano!A and hovered a3out these stran'e caves near the summits ,hich Carter recalled as so fri'htful to the Shanta!s. At the insistent meepin' of the 'houlish leaders there issued forth from each lofty 3urro, a stream of horned 3lac! flyers ,ith ,hich the 'houls and ni'ht1'aunts of the party conferred at len'th 3y means of u'ly 'estures. =t soon 3ecame clear that the 3est course ,ould 3e that over the cold ,aste north of =nDuano!A for 5en'<s north,ard reaches are full of unseen pitfalls that even the ni'ht1'aunts disli!eB a3ysmal influences centerin' in certain ,hite hemispherical 3uildin's on curious !nollsA ,hich common fol!lore associates unpleasantly ,ith the +ther 7ods and their cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep. +f 0adath the flutterers of the pea!s !ne, almost nothin'A save that there must 3e some mi'hty marvel to,ard the northA over ,hich the Shanta!s and the carven mountains stand 'uard. They hinted at rumoured a3normalities of proportion in those trac!less lea'ues 3eyondA and recalled va'ue ,hispers of a realm ,here ni'ht 3roods eternallyB 3ut of definite data they had nothin' to 'ive. So Carter and his party than!ed them !indlyB andA crossin' the topmost 'ranite pinnacles to the s!ies of =nDuano!A dropped 3elo, the level of the phosphorescent ni'ht clouds and 3eheld in the distance those terri3le sDuattin' 'ar'oyles that ,ere mountains till some titan hand carved fri'ht into their vir'in roc!. There they sDuatted in a hellish half1circleA their le's on the desert sand and their mitres piercin' the luminous cloudsB sinisterA ,olfli!eA and dou3le1headedA ,ith faces of fury and ri'ht hands raisedA dully and mali'nly ,atchin' the rim of man<s ,orld and 'uardin' ,ith horror the reaches of a cold northern ,orld that is not man<s. 4rom their hideous laps rose evil Shanta!s of elephantine 3ul!A 3ut these all fled ,ith insane titters as the van'uard of ni'ht1'aunts ,as si'hted in the misty s!y. ;orth,ard a3ove those 'ar'oyle mountains the army fle,A and over lea'ues of dim desert ,here never a landmar! rose. 5ess and less

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luminous 're, the cloudsA till at len'th Carter could see only 3lac!ness around himB 3ut never did the ,in'ed steeds falterA 3red as they ,ere in earth<s 3lac!est cryptsA and seein' not ,ith any eyesA 3ut ,ith the ,hole dan! surface of their slippery forms. +n and on they fle,A past ,inds of du3ious scent and sounds of du3ious importB ever in thic!est dar!nessA and coverin' such prodi'ious spaces that Carter ,ondered ,hether or not they could still 3e ,ithin earth<s dreamland. Then suddenly the clouds thinned and the stars shone spectrally a3ove. All 3elo, ,as still 3lac!A 3ut those pallid 3eacons in the s!y seemed alive ,ith a meanin' and directiveness they had never possessed else,here. =t ,as not that the fi'ures of the constellations ,ere differentA 3ut that the same familiar shapes no, revealed a si'nificance they had formerly failed to ma!e plain. Everythin' focussed to,ard the northB every curve and asterism of the 'litterin' s!y 3ecame part of a vast desi'n ,hose function ,as to hurry first the eye and then the ,hole o3server on,ard to some secret and terri3le 'oal of conver'ence 3eyond the frozen ,aste that stretched endlessly ahead. Carter loo!ed to,ard the east ,here the 'reat rid'e of 3arrier pea!s had to,ered alon' all the len'th of =nDuano! and sa, a'ainst the stars a Ca''ed silhouette ,hich told of its continued presence. =t ,as more 3ro!en no,A ,ith ya,nin' clefts and fantastically erratic pinnaclesB and Carter studied closely the su''estive turnin's and inclinations of that 'rotesDue outlineA ,hich seemed to share ,ith the stars some su3tle north,ard ur'e. They ,ere flyin' past at a tremendous speedA so that the ,atcher had to strain hard to catch detailsB ,hen all at once he 3eheld Cust a3ove the line of the topmost pea!s a dar! and movin' o3Cect a'ainst the starsA ,hose course e%actly paralleled that of his o,n 3izarre party. The 'houls had li!e,ise 'limpsed itA for he heard their lo, 'li33erin' all a3out himA and for a moment he fancied the o3Cect ,as a 'i'antic Shanta!A of a size vastly 'reater than that of the avera'e specimen. SoonA ho,everA he sa, that this theory ,ould not holdB for the shape of the thin' a3ove the mountains ,as not that of any hippocephalic 3ird. =ts outline a'ainst the starsA necessarily va'ue as it ,asA resem3led rather some hu'e mitred headA or pair of heads infinitely ma'nifiedB and its rapid 3o33in' fli'ht throu'h the s!y seemed most peculiarly a ,in'less one. Carter could not tell ,hich side of the mountains it ,as onA 3ut soon perceived that it had parts 3elo, the parts he had first seenA since it 3lotted out all the stars in places ,here the rid'e ,as deeply cleft. Then came a ,ide 'ap in the ran'eA ,here the hideous reaches of transmontane 5en' ,ere Coined to the cold ,aste on this side 3y a lo, pass trou'h ,hich the stars shone ,anly. Carter ,atched this 'ap ,ith intense careA !no,in' that he mi'ht see outlined a'ainst the s!y 3eyond it the lo,er parts of the vast thin' that fle, undulantly a3ove the pinnacles. The o3Cect had no, floated ahead a trifleA and every eye of the party ,as fi%ed on the rift ,here it ,ould presently appear in full1len'th silhouette. 7radually the hu'e thin' a3ove the pea!s neared the 'apA sli'htly slac!enin' its speed as if conscious of havin' outdistanced the 'houlish army. 4or another minute suspense ,as !eenA and then the 3rief instant of full silhouette and revelation cameB 3rin'in' to the lips of the 'houls an a,ed and half1cho!ed meep of cosmic fearA and to the soul of the traveller a chill that never ,holly left it. 4or the mammoth 3o33in' shape that overtopped the rid'e ,as only a head 1 a mitred dou3le head 1 and 3elo, it in terri3le vastness loped the fri'htful s,ollen 3ody that 3ore itB the mountain1hi'h monstrosity that ,al!ed in stealth and silenceB the hyaena1li!e distortion of a 'iant anthropoid shape that trotted 3lac!ly a'ainst the s!yA its repulsive pair of cone1capped heads reachin' half ,ay to the zenith.

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Carter did not lose consciousness or even scream aloudA for he ,as an old dreamerB 3ut he loo!ed 3ehind him in horror and shuddered ,hen he sa, that there ,ere other monstrous heads silhouetted a3ove the level of the pea!sA 3o33in' alon' stealthily after the first one. And strai'ht in the rear ,ere three of the mi'hty mountain shapes seen full a'ainst the southern starsA tiptoein' ,olfli!e and lum3erin'lyA their tall mitres noddin' thousands of feet in the aft. The carven mountainsA thenA had not stayed sDuattin' in that ri'id semicircle north of =nDuano!A ,ith ri'ht hands uplifted. They had duties to performA and ,ere not remiss. But it ,as horri3le that they never spo!eA and never even made a sound in ,al!in'. 8ean,hile the 'houl that ,as >ic!man had 'li33ered an order to the ni'ht1'auntsA and the ,hole army soared hi'her into the air. (p to,ard the stars the 'rotesDue column shotA till nothin' stood out any lon'er a'ainst the s!yB neither the 'rey 'ranite rid'e that ,as still nor the carven mitred mountains that ,al!ed. All ,as 3lac!ness 3eneath as the flutterin' le'ion sur'ed north,ard amidst rushin' ,inds and invisi3le lau'hter in the aetherA and never a Shanta! or less mentiona3le entity rose from the haunted ,astes to pursue them. The farther they ,entA the faster they fle,A till soon their dizzyin' speed seemed to pass that of a rifle 3all and approach that of a planet in its or3it. Carter ,ondered ho, ,ith such speed the earth could still stretch 3eneath themA 3ut !ne, that in the land of dream dimensions have stran'e properties. That they ,ere in a realm of eternal ni'ht he felt certainA and he fancied that the constellations overhead had su3tly emphasized their north,ard focusB 'atherin' themselves up as it ,ere to cast the flyin' army into the void of the 3oreal poleA as the folds of a 3a' are 'athered up to cast out the last 3its of su3stance therein. Then he noticed ,ith terror that the ,in's of the ni'ht1'aunts ,ere not flappin' any more. The horned and faceless steeds had folded their mem3ranous appenda'esA and ,ere restin' Duite passive in the chaos of ,ind that ,hirled and chuc!led as it 3ore them on. A force not of earth had seized on the armyA and 'houls and ni'ht1'aunts ali!e ,ere po,erless 3efore a current ,hich pulled madly and relentlessly into the north ,hence no mortal had ever returned. At len'th a lone pallid li'ht ,as seen on the s!yline aheadA thereafter risin' steadily as they approachedA and havin' 3eneath it a 3lac! mass that 3lotted out the stars. Carter sa, that it must 3e some 3eacon on a mountainA for only a mountain could rise so vast as seen from so prodi'ious a hei'ht in the air. 2i'her and hi'her rose the li'ht and the 3lac!ness 3eneath itA till all the northern s!y ,as o3scured 3y the ru''ed conical mass. 5ofty as the army ,asA that pale and sinister 3eacon rose a3ove itA to,erin' monstrous over all pea!s and concernments of earthA and tastin' the atomless aether ,here the cryptical moon and the mad planets reel. ;o mountain !no,n of man ,as that ,hich loomed 3efore them. The hi'h clouds far 3elo, ,ere 3ut a frin'e for its foothills. The 'ropin' dizziness of topmost air ,as 3ut a 'irdle for its loins. Scornful and spectral clim3ed that 3rid'e 3et,i%t earth and heavenA 3lac! in eternal ni'htA and cro,ned ,ith a pshent of un!no,n stars ,hose a,ful and si'nificant outline 're, every moment clearer. 7houls meeped in ,onder as they sa, itA and Carter shivered in fear lest all the hurtlin' army 3e dashed to pieces on the unyieldin' ony% of that cyclopean cliff. 2i'her and hi'her rose the li'htA till it min'led ,ith the loftiest or3s of the zenith and ,in!ed do,n at the flyers ,ith lurid moc!ery. All the north 3eneath it ,as 3lac!ness no,B dreadA stony 3lac!ness from infinite depths to infinite hei'htsA ,ith only that pale ,in!in'

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3eacon perched unreacha3ly at the top of all vision. Carter studied the li'ht more closelyA and sa, at last ,hat lines its in!y 3ac!'round made a'ainst the stars. There ,ere to,ers on that titan mountaintopB horri3le domed to,ers in no%ious and incalcula3le tiers and clusters 3eyond any dreama3le ,or!manship of manB 3attlements and terraces of ,onder and menaceA all limned tiny and 3lac! and distant a'ainst the starry pshent that 'lo,ed malevolently at the uppermost rim of si'ht. Cappin' that most measureless of mountains ,as a castle 3eyond all mortal thou'htA and in it 'lo,ed the daemon1li'ht. Then :andolph Carter !ne, that his Duest ,as doneA and that he sa, a3ove him the 'oal of all for3idden steps and audacious visionsB the fa3ulousA the incredi3le home of the 7reat +nes atop un!no,n 0adath. Even as he realised this thin'A Carter noticed a chan'e in the course of the helplessly ,ind1suc!ed party. They ,ere risin' a3ruptly no,A and it ,as plain that the focus of their fli'ht ,as the ony% castle ,here the pale li'ht shone. So close ,as the 'reat 3lac! mountain that its sides sped 3y them dizzily as they shot up,ardA and in the dar!ness they could discern nothin' upon it. ?aster and vaster loomed the tene3rous to,ers of the ni'hted castle a3oveA and Carter could see that it ,as ,ell1ni'h 3lasphemous in its immensity. Well mi'ht its stones have 3een Duarried 3y nameless ,or!men in that horri3le 'ulf rent out of the roc! in the hill pass north of =nDuano!A for such ,as its size that a man on its threshold stood even as air out on the steps of earth<s loftiest fortress. The pshent of un!no,n stars a3ove the myriad domed turrets 'lo,ed ,ith a sallo,A sic!ly flareA so that a !ind of t,ili'ht hun' a3out the mur!y ,alls of slippery ony%. The pallid 3eacon ,as no, seen to 3e a sin'le shinin' ,indo, hi'h up in one of the loftiest to,ersA and as the helpless army neared the top of the mountain Carter thou'ht he detected unpleasant shado,s flittin' across the fee3ly luminous e%panse. =t ,as a stran'ely arched ,indo,A of a desi'n ,holly alien to earth. The solid roc! no, 'ave place to the 'iant foundations of the monstrous castleA and it seemed that the speed of the party ,as some,hat a3ated. ?ast ,alls shot upA and there ,as a 'limpse of a 'reat 'ate throu'h ,hich the voya'ers ,ere s,ept. All ,as ni'ht in the titan courtyardA and then came the deeper 3lac!ness of inmost thin's as a hu'e arched portal en'ulfed the column. ?ortices of cold ,ind sur'ed dan!ly throu'h si'htless la3yrinths of ony%A and Carter could never tell ,hat Cyclopean stairs and corridors lay silent alon' the route of his endless aerial t,istin'. Al,ays up,ard led the terri3le plun'e in dar!nessA and never a soundA touch or 'limpse 3ro!e the dense pall of mystery. 5ar'e as the army of 'houls and ni'ht1'aunts ,asA it ,as lost in the prodi'ious voids of that more than earthly castle. And ,hen at last there suddenly da,ned around him the lurid li'ht of that sin'le to,er room ,hose lofty ,indo, had served as a 3eaconA it too! Carter lon' to discern the far ,alls and hi'hA distant ceilin'A and to realize that he ,as indeed not a'ain in the 3oundless air outside. :andolph Carter had hoped to come into the throne1room of the 7reat +nes ,ith poise and di'nityA flan!ed and follo,ed 3y impressive lines of 'houls in ceremonial orderA and offerin' his prayer as a free and potent master amon' dreamers. 2e had !no,n that the 7reat +nes themselves are not 3eyond a mortal<s po,er to cope ,ithA and had trusted to luc! that the +ther 7ods and their cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep ,ould not happen to come to their aid at the crucial momentA as they had so often done 3efore ,hen men sou'ht out earth<s 'ods in their home or on their mountains. And ,ith his hideous escort he had half hoped to defy even the +ther 7ods if need ,ereA !no,in' as he did that 'houls have no mastersA and that ni'ht1'aunts o,n not ;yarlathotep 3ut only archaic ;odens for their lord.

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But no, he sa, that supernal 0adath in its cold ,aste is indeed 'irt ,ith dar! ,onders and nameless sentinelsA and that the +ther 7ods are of a surety vi'ilant in 'uardin' the mildA fee3le 'ods of earth. ?oid as they are of lordship over 'houls and ni'ht1'auntsA the mindlessA shapeless 3lasphemies of outer space can yet control them ,hen they mustB so that it ,as not in state as a free and potent master of dreamers that :andolph Carter came into the 7reat +nes< throne1room ,ith his 'houls. S,ept and herded 3y ni'htmare tempests from the starsA and do''ed 3y unseen horrors of the northern ,asteA all that army floated captive and helpless in the lurid li'htA droppin' num3ly to the ony% floor ,hen 3y some voiceless order the ,inds of fri'ht dissolved. Before no 'olden dais had :andolph Carter comeA nor ,as there any au'ust circle of cro,ned and haloed 3ein's ,ith narro, eyesA lon'1lo3ed earsA thin noseA and pointed chin ,hose !inship to the carven face on ;'rane! mi'ht stamp them as those to ,hom a dreamer mi'ht pray. Save for the one to,er room the ony% castle atop 0adath ,as dar!A and the masters ,ere not there. Carter had come to un!no,n 0adath in the cold ,asteA 3ut he had not found the 'ods. .et still the lurid li'ht 'lo,ed in that one to,er room ,hose size ,as so little less than that of all outdoorsA and ,hose distant ,alls and roof ,ere so nearly lost to si'ht in thinA curlin' mists. Earth<s 'ods ,ere not thereA it ,as trueA 3ut of su3tler and less visi3le presences there could 3e no lac!. Where the mild 'ods are a3sentA the +ther 7ods are not unrepresentedB and certainlyA the ony% castle of castles ,as far from tenantless. =n ,hat outra'eous form or forms terror ,ould ne%t reveal itself Carter could 3y no means ima'ine. 2e felt that his visit had 3een e%pectedA and ,ondered ho, close a ,atch had all alon' 3een !ept upon him 3y the cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep. =t is ;yarlathotepA horror of infinite shapes and dread soul and messen'er of the +ther 7odsA that the fun'ous moon3easts serveB and Carter thou'ht of the 3lac! 'alley that had vanished ,hen the tide of 3attle turned a'ainst the toadli!e a3normalities on the Ca''ed roc! in the sea. :eflectin' upon these thin'sA he ,as sta''erin' to his feet in the midst of his ni'htmare company ,hen there ran' ,ithout ,arnin' throu'h that pale1litten and limitless cham3er the hideous 3last of a daemon trumpet. Three times pealed that fri'htful 3razen screamA and ,hen the echoes of the third 3last had died chuc!lin'ly a,ay :andolph Carter sa, that he ,as alone. WhitherA ,hy and ho, the 'houls and ni'ht1'aunts had 3een snatched from si'ht ,as not for him to divine. 2e !ne, only that he ,as suddenly aloneA and that ,hatever unseen po,ers lur!ed moc!in'ly around him ,ere no po,ers of earth<s friendly dreamland. >resently from the cham3er<s uttermost reaches a ne, sound came. ThisA tooA ,as a rhythmic trumpetin'B 3ut of a !ind far removed from the three raucous 3lasts ,hich had dissolved his 'oodly cohorts. =n this lo, fanfare echoed all the ,onder and melody of ethereal dreamB e%otic vistas of unima'ined loveliness floatin' from each stran'e chord and su3tly alien cadence. +dours of incense came to match the 'olden notesB and overhead a 'reat li'ht da,nedA its colours chan'in' in cycles un!no,n to earth<s spectrumA and follo,in' the son' of the trumpets in ,eird symphonic harmonies. Torches flared in the distanceA and the 3eat of drums thro33ed nearer amidst ,aves of tense e%pectancy. +ut of the thinnin' mists and the cloud of stran'e incenses filed t,in columns of 'iant 3lac! slaves ,ith loin1cloths of iridescent sil!. (pon their heads ,ere strapped vast helmet1li!e torches of 'litterin' metalA from ,hich the fra'rance of o3scure 3alsams spread in fumous spirals. =n their ri'ht hands ,ere crystal ,ands ,hose tips ,ere carven into leerin' chimaerasA ,hile their left hands 'rasped lon' thin silver trumpets ,hich they 3le, in turn. Armlets and an!lets of 'old they hadA and 3et,een each pair of an!lets stretched a

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'olden chain that held its ,earer to a so3er 'ait. That they ,ere true 3lac! men of earth<s dreamland ,as at once apparentA 3ut it seemed less li!ely that their rites and costumes ,ere ,holly thin's of our earth. Ten feet from Carter the columns stoppedA and as they did so each trumpet fle, a3ruptly to its 3earer<s thic! lips. Wild and ecstatic ,as the 3last that follo,edA and ,ilder still the cry that chorused Cust after from dar! throats someho, made shrill 3y stran'e artifice. Then do,n the ,ide lane 3et,i%t the t,o columns a lone fi'ure strodeB a tallA slim fi'ure ,ith the youn' face of an antiDue >haraohA 'ay ,ith prismatic ro3es and cro,ned ,ith a 'olden pshent that 'lo,ed ,ith inherent li'ht. Close up to Carter strode that re'al fi'ureB ,hose proud carria'e and smart features had in them the fascination of a dar! 'od or fallen archan'elA and around ,hose eyes there lur!ed the lan'uid spar!le of capricious humour. =t spo!eA and in its mello, tones there rippled the ,ild music of 5ethean streams. L:andolph CarterAL said the voiceA Lyou have come to see the 7reat +nes ,hom it is unla,ful for men to see. Watchers have spo!en of this thin'A and the +ther 7ods have 'runted as they rolled and tum3led mindlessly to the sound of thin flutes in the 3lac! ultimate void ,here 3roods the daemon1sultan ,hose name no lips dare spea! aloud. LWhen Barzai the Wise clim3ed 2athe'10ia to see the 7reater +nes dance and ho,l a3ove the clouds in the moonli'ht he never returned. The +ther 7ods ,ere thereA and they did ,hat ,as e%pected. @eni' of Aphorat sou'ht to reach un!no,n 0adath in the cold ,asteA and his s!ull is no, set in a rin' on the little fin'er of one ,hom = need not name. LBut youA :andolph CarterA have 3raved all thin's of earth<s dreamlandA and 3urn still ,ith the flame of Duest. .ou came not as one curiousA 3ut as one see!in' his dueA nor have you failed ever in reverence to,ard the mild 'ods of earth. .et have these 'ods !ept you from the marvellous sunset city of your dreamsA and ,holly throu'h their o,n small covetousnessB for verilyA they craved the ,eird loveliness of that ,hich your fancy had fashionedA and vo,ed that hencefor,ard no other spot should 3e their a3ode. LThey are 'one from their castle on un!no,n 0adath to d,ell in your marvellous city. All throu'h its palaces of veined mar3le they revel 3y dayA and ,hen the sun sets they 'o out in the perfumed 'ardens and ,atch the 'olden 'lory on temples and colonnadesA arched 3rid'es and silver13asined fountainsA and ,ide streets ,ith 3lossom1laden urns and ivory statues in 'leamin' ro,s. And ,hen ni'ht comes they clim3 tall terraces in the de,A and sit on carved 3enches of porphyry scannin' the starsA or lean over pale 3alustrades to 'aze at the to,n<s steep north,ard slopesA ,here one 3y one the little ,indo,s in old pea!ed 'a3les shine softly out ,ith the calm yello, li'ht of homely candles. LThe 'ods love your marvellous cityA and ,al! no more in the ,ays of the 'ods. They have for'otten the hi'h places of earthA and the mountains that !ne, their youth. The earth has no lon'er any 'ods that are 'odsA and only the +ther +nes from outer space hold s,ay on unremem3ered 0adath. 4ar a,ay in a valley of your o,n childhoodA :andolph CarterA play the heedless 7reat +nes. .ou have dreamed too ,ellA + ,ise arch1dreamerA for you have dra,n dream<s 'ods a,ay from the ,orld of all men<s visions to that ,hich is ,holly yoursB havin' 3uilded out of your 3oyhood<s small fancies a city more lovely than all the phantoms that have 'one 3efore.

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L=t is not ,ell that earth<s 'ods leave their thrones for the spider to spin onA and their realm for the +thers to s,ay in the dar! manner of +thers. 4ain ,ould the po,ers from outside 3rin' chaos and horror to youA :andolph CarterA ,ho are the cause of their upsettin'A 3ut that they !no, it is 3y you alone that the 'ods may 3e sent 3ac! to their ,orld. =n that half1,a!in' dreamland ,hich is yoursA no po,er of uttermost ni'ht may pursueB and only you can send the selfish 7reat +nes 'ently out of your marvellous sunset cityA 3ac! throu'h the northern t,ili'ht to their ,onted place atop un!no,n 0adath in the cold ,aste. LSo. :andolph CarterA in the name of the +ther 7ods = spare you and char'e you to see! that sunset city ,hich is yoursA and to send thence the dro,sy truant 'ods for ,hom the dream ,orld ,aits. ;ot hard to find is that roseal fever of the 'odsA that fanfare of supernal trumpets and clash of immortal cym3alsA that mystery ,hose place and meanin' have haunted you throu'h the halls of ,a!in' and the 'ulfs of dreamin'A and tormented you ,ith hints of vanished memory and the pain of lost thin's a,esome and momentous. ;ot hard to find is that sym3ol and relic of your days of ,onderA for trulyA it is 3ut the sta3le and eternal 'em ,herein all that ,onder spar!les crystallised to li'ht your evenin' path. BeholdF =t is not over un!no,n seas 3ut 3ac! over ,ell1!no,n years that your Duest must 'oB 3ac! to the 3ri'ht stran'e thin's of infancy and the Duic! sun1drenched 'limpses of ma'ic that old scenes 3rou'ht to ,ide youn' eyes. L4or !no, youA that your 'old and mar3le city of ,onder is only the sum of ,hat you have seen and loved in youth. =t is the 'lory of Boston<s hillside roofs and ,estern ,indo,s aflame ,ith sunsetA of the flo,er1fra'rant Common and the 'reat dome on the hill and the tan'le of 'a3les and chimneys in the violet valley ,here the many13rid'ed Charles flo,s dro,sily. These thin's you sa,A :andolph CarterA ,hen your nurse first ,heeled you out in the sprin'timeA and they ,ill 3e the last thin's you ,ill ever see ,ith eyes of memory and of love. And there is antiDue Salem ,ith its 3roodin' yearsA and spectral 8ar3lehead scalin' its roc!y precipices into past centuriesF And the 'lory of Salem<s to,ers and spires seen afar from 8ar3lehead<s pastures across the har3our a'ainst the settin' sun. LThere is >rovidence Duaint and lordly on its seven hills over the 3lue har3ourA ,ith terraces of 'reen leadin' up to steeples and citadels of livin' antiDuityA and ;e,port clim3in' ,raithli!e from its dreamin' 3rea!,ater. Ar!ham is thereA ,ith its moss1'ro,n 'am3rel roofs and the roc!y rollin' meado,s 3ehind itB and antediluvian 0in'sport hoary ,ith stac!ed chimneys and deserted Duays and overhan'in' 'a3lesA and the marvel of hi'h cliffs and the mil!y1misted ocean ,ith tollin' 3uoys 3eyond. LCool vales in ConcordA co33led lands in >ortsmouthA t,ili'ht 3ends of rustic ;e, 2ampshire roads ,here 'iant elms half hide ,hite farmhouse ,alls and crea!in' ,ell1 s,eeps. 7loucester<s salt ,harves and Truro<s ,indy ,illo,s. ?istas of distant steepled to,ns and hills 3eyond hills alon' the ;orth ShoreA hushed stony slopes and lo, ivied cotta'es in the lee of hu'e 3oulders in :hode =sland<s 3ac! country. Scent of the sea and fra'rance of the fieldsB spell of the dar! ,oods and Coy of the orchards and 'ardens at da,n. TheseA :andolph CarterA are your cityB for they are yourself. ;e, En'land 3ore youA and into your soul she poured a liDuid loveliness ,hich cannot die. This lovelinessA mouldedA crystallisedA and polished 3y years of memory and dreamin'A is your terraced ,onder of elusive sunsetsB and to find that mar3le parapet ,ith curious urns and carven railA and descend at last these endless 3alustraded steps to the city of 3road sDuares and

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The $ream /uest of (n!no,n 0adath

"8

prismatic fountainsA you need only to turn 3ac! to the thou'hts and visions of your ,istful 3oyhood. L5oo!F throu'h that ,indo, shine the stars of eternal ni'ht. Even no, they are shinin' a3ove the scenes you have !no,n and cherishedA drin!in' of their charm that they may shine more lovely over the 'ardens of dream. There is Antares1he is ,in!in' at this moment over the roofs of Tremont StreetA and you could see him from your ,indo, on Beacon 2ill. +ut 3eyond those stars ya,n the 'ulfs from ,hence my mindless masters have sent me. Some day you too may traverse themA 3ut if you are ,ise you ,ill 3e,are such follyB for of those mortals ,ho have 3een and returnedA only one preserves a mind unshattered 3y the poundin'A cla,in' horrors of the void. Terrors and 3lasphemies 'na, at one another for spaceA and there is more evil in the lesser ones than in the 'reaterB even as you !no, from the deeds of those ,ho sou'ht to deliver you into my handsA ,hilst = myself har3oured no ,ish to shatter youA and ,ould indeed have helped you hither lon' a'o had = not 3een else,here 3usyAand certain that you ,ould yourself find the ,ay. Shun thenA the outer hellsA and stic! to the calmA lovely thin's of your youth. See! out your marvellous city and drive thence the recreant 7reat +nesA sendin' them 3ac! 'ently to those scenes ,hich are of their o,n youthA and ,hich ,ait uneasy for their return. LEasier even then the ,ay of dim memory is the ,ay = ,ill prepare for you. SeeF There comes hither a monstrous Shanta!A led 3y a slave ,ho for your peace of mind had 3est !eep invisi3le. 8ount and 3e ready 1 thereF .o'ash the Blac! ,ill help you on the scaly horror. Steer for that 3ri'htest star Cust south of the zenith 1 it is ?e'aA and in t,o hours ,ill 3e Cust a3ove the terrace of your sunset city. Steer for it only till you hear a far1off sin'in' in the hi'h aether. 2i'her than that lur!s madnessA so rein your Shanta! ,hen the first note lures. 5oo! then 3ac! to earthA and you ,ill see shinin' the deathless altar1flame of =red1 ;aa from the sacred roof of a temple. That temple is in your desiderate sunset cityA so steer for it 3efore you heed the sin'in' and are lost. LWhen you dra, ni'h the city steer for the same hi'h parapet ,hence of old you scanned the outspread 'loryA proddin' the Shanta! till he cry aloud. That cry the 7reat +nes ,ill hear and !no, as they sit on their perfumed terracesA and there ,ill come upon them such a homesic!ness that all of your city<s ,onders ,ill not console them for the a3sence of 0adath<s 'rim castle and the pshent of eternal stars that cro,ns it. LThen must you land amon'st them ,ith the Shanta!A and let them see and touch that noisome and hippocephalic 3irdB mean,hile discoursin' to them of un!no,n 0adathA ,hich you ,ill so lately have leftA and tellin' them ho, its 3oundless halls are lovely and unli'htedA ,here of old they used to leap and revel in supernal radiance. And the Shanta! ,ill tal! to them in the manner of Shanta!sA 3ut it ,ill have no po,ers of persuasion 3eyond the recallin' of elder days. L+ver and over must you spea! to the ,anderin' 7reat +nes of their home and youthA till at last they ,ill ,eep and as! to 3e she,n the returnin' path they have for'otten. Thereat can you loose the ,aitin' Shanta!A sendin' him s!y,ard ,ith the homin' cry of his !indB hearin' ,hich the 7reat +nes ,ill prance and Cump ,ith antiDue mirthA and forth,ith stride after the loathly 3ird in the fashion of 'odsA throu'h the deep 'ulfs of heaven to 0adath<s familiar to,ers and domes.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $ream /uest of (n!no,n 0adath

"8-

LThen ,ill the marvellous sunset city 3e yours to cherish and inha3it for everA and once more ,ill earth<s 'ods rule the dreams of men from their accustomed seat. 7o no, 1 the casement is open and the stars a,ait outside. Already your Shanta! ,heezes and titters ,ith impatience. Steer for ?e'a throu'h the ni'htA 3ut turn ,hen the sin'in' sounds. 4or'et not this ,arnin'A lest horrors unthin!a3le suc! you into the 'ulf of shrie!in' and ululant madness. :emem3er the +ther 7odsB they are 'reat and mindless and terri3leA and lur! in the outer voids. They are 'ood 'ods to shun. )9eiC Aa-s"anta +nyg"C .ou are offF Send 3ac! earth<s 'ods to their haunts on un!no,n 0adathA and pray to all space that you may never meet me in my thousand other forms. 4are,ellA :andolph CarterA and 3e,areB for = am ;yarlathotepA the Cra,lin' Chaos.L And :andolph CarterA 'aspin' and dizzy on his hideous Shanta!A shot screamin'ly into space to,ard the cold 3lue 'lare of 3oreal ?e'aB loo!in' 3ut once 3ehind him at the clustered and chaotic turrets of the ony% ni'htmare ,herein still 'lo,ed the lone lurid li'ht of that ,indo, a3ove the air and the clouds of earth<s dreamland. 7reat polypous horrors slid dar!ly pastA and unseen 3at ,in's 3eat multitudinous around himA 3ut still he clun' to the un,holesome mane of that loathly and hippocephalic scaled 3ird. The stars danced moc!in'lyA almost shiftin' no, and then to form pale si'ns of doom that one mi'ht ,onder one had not seen and feared 3eforeB and ever the ,inds of nether ho,led of va'ue 3lac!ness and loneliness 3eyond the cosmos. Then throu'h the 'litterin' vault ahead there fell a hush of portentA and all the ,inds and horrors slun! a,ay as ni'ht thin's slin! a,ay 3efore the da,n. Trem3lin' in ,aves that 'olden ,isps of ne3ula made ,eirdly visi3leA there rose a timid hint of far1off melodyA dronin' in faint chords that our o,n universe of stars !no,s not. And as that music 're,A the Shanta! raised its ears and plun'ed aheadA and Carter li!e,ise 3ent to catch each lovely strain. =t ,as a son'A 3ut not the son' of any voice. ;i'ht and the spheres san' itA and it ,as old ,hen space and ;yarlathotep and the +ther 7ods ,ere 3orn. 4aster fle, the Shanta!A and lo,er 3ent the riderA drun! ,ith the marvel of stran'e 'ulfsA and ,hirlin' in the crystal coils of outer ma'ic. Then came too late the ,arnin' of the evil oneA the sardonic caution of the daemon le'ate ,ho had 3idden the see!er 3e,are the madness of that son'. +nly to taunt had ;yarlathotep mar!ed out the ,ay to safety and the marvellous sunset cityB only to moc! had that 3lac! messen'er revealed the secret of these truant 'ods ,hose steps he could so easily lead 3ac! at ,ill. 4or madness and the void<s ,ild ven'eance are ;yarlathotep<s only 'ifts to the presumptuousB and frantic! thou'h the rider strove to turn his dis'ustin' steedA that leerin'A titterin' Shanta! coursed on impetuous and relentlessA flappin' its 'reat slippery ,in's in mali'nant Coy and headed for those unhallo,ed pits ,hither no dreams reachB that last amorphous 3li'ht of nether1 most confusion ,here 3u33les and 3lasphemes at infinity<s centre the mindless daemon1 sultan AzathothA ,hose name no lips dare spea! aloud. (ns,ervin' and o3edient to the foul le'ate<s ordersA that hellish 3ird plun'ed on,ard throu'h shoals of shapeless lur!ers and caperers in dar!nessA and vacuous herds of driftin' entities that pa,ed and 'roped and 'roped and pa,edB the nameless larvae of the +ther 7odsA that are li!e them 3lind and ,ithout mindA and possessed of sin'ular hun'ers and thirsts

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+n,ard uns,ervin' and relentlessA and titterin' hilariously to ,atch the chuc!lin' and hysterics into ,hich the risen son' of ni'ht and the spheres had turnedA that eldritch scaly monster 3ore its helpless riderB hurtlin' and shootin'A cleavin' the uttermost rim and spannin' the outermost a3yssesB leavin' 3ehind the stars and the realms of matterA and dartin' meteor1li!e throu'h star! formlessness to,ard those inconceiva3leA unli'hted cham3ers 3eyond time ,herein Azathoth 'na,s shapeless and ravenous amidst the muffledA maddenin' 3eat of vile drums and the thinA monotonous ,hine of accursed flutes. +n,ard 1 on,ard 1 throu'h the screamin'A cac!lin'A and 3lac!ly populous 'ulfs 1 and then from some dim 3lessed distance there came an ima'e and a thou'ht to :andolph Carter the doomed. Too ,ell had ;yarlathotep planned his moc!in' and his tantalisin'A for he had 3rou'ht up that ,hich no 'usts of icy terror could Duite efface. 2ome 1 ;e, En'land 1 Beacon 2ill 1 the ,a!in' ,orld. L4or !no, youA that your 'old and mar3le city of ,onder is only the sum of ,hat you have seen and loved in youth... the 'lory of Boston<s hillside roofs and ,estern ,indo,s aflame ,ith sunsetB of the flo,er1fra'rant Common and the 'reat dome on the hill and the tan'le of 'a3les and chimneys in the violet valley ,here the many13rid'ed Charles flo,s dro,sily... this lovelinessA mouldedA crystallisedA and polished 3y years of memory and dreamin'A is your terraced ,onder of elusive sunsetsB and to find that mar3le parapet ,ith curious urns and carven railA and descend at last those endless 3alustraded steps to the city of 3road sDuares and prismatic fountainsA you need only to turn 3ac! to the thou'hts and visions of your ,istful 3oyhood.L +n,ard 1 on,ard 1 dizzily on,ard to ultimate doom throu'h the 3lac!ness ,here si'htless feelers pa,ed and slimy snouts Costled and nameless thin's tittered and tittered and tittered. But the ima'e and the thou'ht had comeA and :andolph Carter !ne, clearly that he ,as dreamin' and only dreamin'A and that some,here in the 3ac!'round the ,orld of ,a!in' and the city of his infancy still lay. Words came a'ain 1 L.ou need only turn 3ac! to the thou'hts and visions of your ,istful 3oyhood.L Turn 1 turn 1 3lac!ness on every sideA 3ut :andolph Carter could turn. Thic! thou'h the rushin' ni'htmare that clutched his sensesA :andolph Carter could turn and move. 2e could moveA and if he chose he could leap off the evil Shanta! that 3ore him hurtlin'ly doom,ard at the orders of ;yarlathotep. 2e could leap off and dare those depths of ni'ht that ya,ned intermina3ly do,nA those depths of fear ,hose terrors yet could not e%ceed the nameless doom that lur!ed ,aitin' at chaos< core. 2e could turn and move and leap 1 he could 1 he ,ould 1 he ,ould 1 he ,ould. +ff that vast hippocephalic a3omination leaped the doomed and desperate dreamerA and do,n throu'h endless voids of sentient 3lac!ness he fell. Aeons reeledA universes died and ,ere 3orn a'ainA stars 3ecame ne3ulae and ne3ulae 3ecame starsA and still :andolph Carter fell throu'h those endless voids of sentient 3lac!ness. Then in the slo, creepin' course of eternity the utmost cycle of the cosmos churned itself into another futile completionA and all thin's 3ecame a'ain as they ,ere unrec!oned !alpas 3efore. 8atter and li'ht ,ere 3orn ane, as space once had !no,n themB and cometsA suns and ,orlds spran' flamin' into lifeA thou'h nothin' survived to tell that they had 3een and 'oneA 3een and 'oneA al,ays and al,aysA 3ac! to no first 3e'innin'.

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The $ream /uest of (n!no,n 0adath

"88

And there ,as a firmament a'ainA and a ,indA and a 'lare of purple li'ht in the eyes of the fallin' dreamer. There ,ere 'ods and presences and ,illsB 3eauty and evilA and the shrie!in' of no%ious ni'ht ro33ed of its prey. 4or throu'h the un!no,n ultimate cycle had lived a thou'ht and a vision of a dreamer<s 3oyhoodA and no, there ,ere remade a ,a!in' ,orld and an old cherished city to 3ody and to Custify these thin's. +ut of the void S<n'ac the violet 'as had pointed the ,ayA and archaic ;odens ,as 3ello,in' his 'uidance from unhinted deeps. Stars s,elled to da,nsA and da,ns 3urst into fountains of 'oldA carmineA and purpleA and still the dreamer fell. Cries rent the aether as ri33ons of li'ht 3eat 3ac! the fiends from outside. And hoary ;odens raised a ho,l of triumph ,hen ;yarlathotepA close on his DuarryA stopped 3affled 3y a 'lare that seared his formless huntin'1horrors to 'rey dust. :andolph Carter had indeed descended at last the ,ide marmoreal fli'hts to his marvellous cityA for he ,as come a'ain to the fair ;e, En'land ,orld that had ,rou'ht him. So to the or'an chords of mornin'<s myriad ,histlesA and da,n<s 3laze thro,n dazzlin' throu'h purple panes 3y the 'reat 'old dome of the State 2ouse on the hillA :andolph Carter leaped shoutin'ly a,a!e ,ithin his Boston room. Birds san' in hidden 'ardens and the perfume of trellised vines came ,istful from ar3ours his 'randfather had reared. Beauty and li'ht 'lo,ed from classic mantel and carven cornice and ,alls 'rotesDuely fi'uredA ,hile a slee! 3lac! cat rose ya,nin' from hearthside sleep that his master<s start and shrie! had distur3ed. And vast infinities a,ayA past the 7ate of $eeper Slum3er and the enchanted ,ood and the 'arden lands and the Cerenarian Sea and the t,ili'ht reaches of =nDuano!A the cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotep strode 3roodin' into the ony% castle atop un!no,n 0adath in the cold ,asteA and taunted insolently the mild 'ods of earth ,hom he had snatched a3ruptly from their scented revels in the marvellous sunset city.

/re ms i# the Witch4Ho%se

Whether the dreams 3rou'ht on the fever or the fever 3rou'ht on the dreams Walter 7ilman did not !no,. Behind everythin' crouched the 3roodin'A festerin' horror of the ancient to,nA and of the mouldyA unhallo,ed 'arret 'a3le ,here he ,rote and studied and ,restled ,ith fi'ures and formulae ,hen he ,as not tossin' on the mea're iron 3ed. 2is ears ,ere 'ro,in' sensitive to a preternatural and intolera3le de'reeA and he had lon' a'o stopped the cheap mantel cloc! ,hose tic!in' had come to seem li!e a thunder of artillery. At ni'ht the su3tle stirrin' of the 3lac! city outsideA the sinister scurryin' of rats in the ,ormy partitionsA and the crea!in' of hidden tim3ers in the centuried houseA ,ere enou'h to 'ive him a sense of strident pandernonium. The dar!ness al,ays teemed ,ith une%plained sound 11 and yet he sometimes shoo! ,ith fear lest the noises he heard should su3side and allo, him to hear certain other fainter noises ,hich he suspected ,ere lur!in' 3ehind them. 2e ,as in the chan'elessA le'end1haunted city of Ar!hamA ,ith its clusterin' 'am3rel roofs that s,ay and sa' over attics ,here ,itches hid from the 0in'<s men in the dar!A olden years of the >rovince. ;or ,as any spot in that city more steeped in maca3re memory than the 'a3le room ,hich har3oured him 11 for it ,as this house and this room ,hich had li!e,ise har3oured old 0eziah 8asonA ,hose fli'ht from Salem 7aol at the last no one ,as ever a3le to e%plain. That ,as in 1-)" 11 the 'aoler had 'one mad and 3a33led of a small ,hite1fan'ed furry thin' ,hich scuttled out of 0eziah<s cellA and not even Cotton 8ather could e%plain the curves and an'les smeared on the 'rey stone ,alls ,ith some redA stic!y fluid. >ossi3ly 7ilman ou'ht not to have studied so hard. ;on1Euclidean calculus and Duantum physics are enou'h to stretch any 3rainA and ,hen one mi%es them ,ith fol!loreA and tries to trace a stran'e 3ac!'round of multi1dimensional reality 3ehind the 'houlish hints of the 7othic tales and the ,ild ,hispers of the chimney1cornerA one can hardly e%pect to 3e ,holly free from mental tension. 7ilman came from 2averhillA 3ut it ,as only after he had entered colle'e in Ar!ham that he 3e'an to connect his mathematics ,ith the fantastic le'ends of elder ma'ic. Somethin' in the air of the hoary to,n ,or!ed o3scurely on his ima'ination. The professors at 8is!atonic had ur'ed him to slac!en upA and had voluntarily cut do,n his course at several points. 8oreoverA they had stopped him from consultin' the du3ious old 3oo!s on for3idden secrets that ,ere !ept under loc! and !ey in a vault at the university li3rary. But all these precautions came late in the dayA so that 7ilman had some terri3le hints from the dreaded -ecronomicon of A3dul AlhazredA the fra'mentary Book of ibonA and the suppressed 5naussprec"licken 3ulten of von 6unzt to correlate ,ith his a3stract formulae on the properties of space and the lin!a'e of dimensions !no,n and un!no,n. 2e !ne, his room ,as in the old Witch12ouse 11 thatA indeedA ,as ,hy he had ta!en it. There ,as much in the Esse% County records a3out 0eziah 8ason<s trialA and ,hat she had admitted under pressure to the Court of +yer and Terminer had fascinated 7ilman 3eyond all reason. She had told 6ud'e 2athorne of lines and curves that could he made to point out directions leadin' throu'h the ,alls of space to other spaces 3eyondA and had implied that such lines and curves ,ere freDuently used at certain midni'ht meetin's in the dar! valley

H.P.Lovecr !t

$reams in the Witch12ouse

")*

of the ,hite stone 3eyond 8eado, 2ill and on the unpeopled island in the river. She had spo!en also of the Blac! 8anA of her oathA and of her ne, secret name of ;aha3. Then she had dra,n those devices on the ,alls of her cell and vanished. 7ilman 3elieved stran'e thin's a3out 0eziahA and had felt a Dueer thrill on learnin' that her d,ellin' ,as still standin' after more than t,o hundred and thirty1five years. When he heard the hushed Ar!ham ,hispers a3out 0eziah<s persistent presence in the old house and the narro, streetsA a3out the irre'ular human tooth1mar!s left on certain sleepers in that and other housesA a3out the childish cries heard near 8ay1EveA and 2allo,massA a3out the stench often noted in the old house<s attic Cust after those dreaded seasonsA and a3out the smallA furryA sharp1toothed thin' ,hich haunted the moulderin' structure and the to,n and nuzzled people curiously in the 3lac! hours 3efore da,nA he resolved to live in the place at any cost. A room ,as easy to secureA for the house ,as unpopularA hard to rentA and lon' 'iven over to cheap lod'in's. 7ilman could not have told ,hat he e%pected to find thereA 3ut he !ne, he ,anted to 3e in the 3uildin' ,here some circumstance had more or less suddenly 'iven a mediocre old ,oman of the Seventeenth Century an insi'ht into mathematical depths perhaps 3eyond the utmost modern delvin's of >lanc!A 2eisen3er'A EinsteinA and de Sitter. 2e studied the tim3er and plaster ,alls for traces of cryptic desi'ns at every accessi3le spot ,here the paper had peeledA and ,ithin a ,ee! mana'ed to 'et the eastern attic room ,here 0eziah ,as held to have practised her spells. =t had 3een vacant from the first 11 for no one had ever 3een ,illin' to stay there lon' 11 3ut the >olish landlord had 'ro,n ,ary a3out rentin' it. .et nothin' ,hatever happened to 7ilman till a3out the time of the fever. ;o 'hostly 0eziah flitted throu'h the som3re halls and cham3ersA no small furry thin' crept into his dismal eyrie to nuzzle himA and no record of the ,itch<s incantations re,arded his constant search. Sometimes he ,ould ta!e ,al!s throu'h shado,y tan'les of unpaved musty1smellin' lanes ,here eldritch 3ro,n houses of un!no,n a'e leaned and tottered and leered moc!in'ly throu'h narro,A small1paned ,indo,s. 2ere he !ne, stran'e thin's had happened onceA and there ,as a faint su''estion 3ehind the surface that everythin' of that monstrous past mi'ht not 11 at least in the dar!estA narro,estA and most intricately croo!ed alleys 11 have utterly perished. 2e also ro,ed out t,ice to the ill1 re'arded island in the riverA and made a s!etch of the sin'ular an'les descri3ed 3y the moss1'ro,n ro,s of 'rey standin' stones ,hose ori'in ,as so o3scure and immemorial. 7ilman<s room ,as of 'ood size 3ut Dueerly irre'ular shapeB the north ,all slatin' percepti3ly in,ard from the outer to the inner endA ,hile the lo, ceilin' slanted 'ently do,n,ard in the same direction. Aside from an o3vious rat1hole and the si'ns of other stopped1up onesA there ,as no access 11 nor any appearance of a former avenue of access 11 to the space ,hich must have e%isted 3et,een the slantin' ,all and the strai'ht outer ,all on the house<s north sideA thou'h a vie, from the e%terior sho,ed ,here a ,indo, had heen 3oarded up at a very remote date. The loft a3ove the ceilin' 11 ,hich must have had a slantin' floor 11 ,as li!e,ise inaccessi3le. When 7ilman clim3ed up a ladder to the co31 ,e33ed level loft a3ove the rest of the attic he found vesti'es of a 3y'one aperture ti'htly and heavily covered ,ith ancient plan!in' and secured 3y the stout ,ooden pe's common in Colonial carpentry. ;o amount of persuasionA ho,everA could induce the stolid landlord to let him investi'ate either of these t,o closed spaces. As time ,ore alon'A his a3sorption in the irre'ular ,all and ceilin' of his room increasedB for he 3e'an to read into the odd an'les a mathematical si'nificance ,hich

H.P.Lovecr !t

$reams in the Witch12ouse

")1

seemed to offer va'ue clues re'ardin' their pnrpose. +ld 0eziahA he reflectedA mi'ht have had e%cellent reasons for livin' in a room ,ith peculiar an'lesB for ,as it not throu'h certain an'les that she claimed to have 'one outside the 3oundaries of the ,orld of space ,e !no,G 2is interest 'radually veered a,ay from the unplum3ed voids 3eyond the slantin' surfacesA since it no, appeared that the purpose of those surfaces concerned the side he ,as on. The touch of 3rain1fever and the dreams 3e'an early in 4e3ruary. 4or some timeA apparentlyA the curious an'les of 7ilman<s room had 3een havin' a stran'eA almost hypnotic effect on himB and as the 3lea! ,inter advanced he had found himself starin' more and more intently at the corner ,here the do,n1slantin' ceilin' met the in,ard1 slantin' ,all. A3out this period his ina3ility to concentrate on his formal studies ,orried him considera3lyA his apprehensions a3out the mid1year e%aminations 3ein' very acute. But the e%a''erated sense of 3earin' ,as scarcely less annoyin'. 5ife had 3ecome an insistent and almost unendura3le cacophonyA and there ,as that constantA terrifyin' impression of other sounds 11 perhaps from re'ions 3eyond life 11 trem3lin' on the very 3rin! of audi3ility. So far as concrete noises ,entA the rats in the ancient partitions ,ere the ,orst. Sometimes their scratchin' seemed not only furtive 3ut deli3erate. When it came from 3eyond the slantin' north ,all it ,as mi%ed ,ith a sort of dry rattlin'B and ,hen it came from the century1closed loft a3ove the slantin' ceilin' 7ilman al,ays 3raced himself as if e%pectin' some horror ,hich only 3ided its time 3efore descendin' to en'ulf him utterly. The dreams ,ere ,holly 3eyond the pale of sanityA and 7ilman fell that they must 3e a resultA CointlyA of his stndies in mathematics and in fol!lore. 2e had 3een thin!in' too much a3out the va'ue re'ions ,hich his formulae told him must lie 3eyond the three dimensions ,e !no,A and a3out the possi3ility that old 0eziah 8ason 11 'uided 3y some influence past all conCecture 11 had actually found the 'ate to those re'ions. The yello,ed country records containin' her testimony and that of her accusers ,ere so damna3ly su''estive of thin's 3eyond human e%penence 11 and the descriptions of the dartin' little furry o3Cect ,hich served as her familiar ,ere so painfully realistic despite their incredi3le details. That o3Cect 11 no lar'er than a 'ood1sized rat and Duaintly called 3y the to,nspeople LBro,n 6en!ins 11 seemed to have 3een the fruit of a remar!a3le case of sympathetic herd1 delusionA for in 1-)" no less than eleven persons had testified to 'limpsin' it. There ,ere recent rumoursA tooA ,ith a 3afflin' and disconcertin' amount of a'reement. Witnesses said it had lon' hair and the shape of a ratA 3ut that its sharp1toothedA 3earded face ,as evilly human ,hile its pa,s ,ere li!e tiny human hands. =t too! messa'es 3et,i%t old 0eziah and the devilA and ,as nursed on the ,itch<s 3loodA ,hich it suc!ed li!e a vampire. =ts voice ,as a !ind of loathsome titterA and it could spea! all lan'ua'es. +f all the 3izarre monstrosities in 7ilman<s dreamsA nothin' filled him ,ith 'reater panic and nausea than this 3lasphemous and diminutive hy3ridA ,hose ima'e flitted across his vision in a form a thousandfold more hateful than anythin' his ,a!in' mind had deduced from the ancient records and the modern ,hispers. 7ilman<s dreams consisted lar'ely in plun'es throu'h limitless a3ysses of ine%plica3ly coloured t,ili'lit and 3affin'ly disordered soundB a3ysses ,hose material and 'ravitational propertiesA and ,hose relation to his o,n entityA he could not even 3e'in to e%plain. 2e did not ,al! or clim3A fly or s,imA cra,l or ,ri''leB yet al,ays e%perienced a mode of motion partly voluntary and partly involuntary. +f his o,n condition he could not ,ell Cud'eA for

H.P.Lovecr !t

$reams in the Witch12ouse

")"

si'ht of his armsA le'sA and torso seemed al,ays cut off 3y some odd disarran'ement of perspectiveB 3ut he felt that his physical or'anization and faculties ,ere someho, marvellously transmuted and o3liDuely proCected 11 thou'h not ,ithout a certain 'rotesDue relationship to his normal proportions and properties. The a3ysses ,ere 3y no means vacantA 3ein' cro,ded ,ith indescri3a3ly an'led masses of alien1hued su3stanceA some of ,hich appeared to 3e or'anic ,hile others seemed inor'anic. A fe, of the or'anic o3Cects tended to a,a!e va'ue memories in the 3ac! of his mindA thou'h he could form no conscious idea of ,hat they moc!in'ly resem3led or su''ested. =n the later dreams he 3e'an to distin'uish separate cate'ories into ,hich the or'anic o3Cects appeared to 3e dividedA and ,hich seemed to involve in each case a radically different species of conduct1pattern and 3asic motivation. +f these cate'ories one seemed to him to include o3Cects sli'htly less illo'ical and irrelevant in their motions than the mem3ers of the other cate'ories. All the o3Cects 11 or'anic and inor'anic ali!e 11 ,ere totally 3eyond description or even comprehension. 7ilman sometimes compared the inor'anic matter to prismsA la3yrinthsA clusters of cu3es and planesA and Cyclopean 3uildin'sB and the or'anic thin's struc! him variously as 'roups of 3u33lesA octopiA centipedesA livin' 2indoo idolsA and intricate ara3esDues roused into a !ind of ophidian animation. Everythin' he sa, ,as unspea!a3ly menacin' and horri3leB and ,henever one of the or'anic entities appeared 3y its motions to 3e noticin' himA he felt a star!A hideous fri'ht ,hich 'enerally Colted him a,a!e. +f ho, the or'anic entities movedA he could tell no more than of ho, he moved himself. =n time he o3served a further mystery 11 the tendency of certain entities to appear suddenly out empty spaceA or to disappear totally ,ith eDual suddenness. The shrie!in'A roarin' confusion of sound ,hich permeated the a3ysses ,as past all analysis as to pitchA tim3re or rhythmB 3ut seemed to 3e synchronous ,ith va'ue visual chan'es in all the indefinite o3CectsA or'anic and inor'anic ali!e. 7ilman had a constant sense of dread that it mi'ht rise to some un3eara3le de'ree of intensity durin' one or another of its o3scureA relentlessly inevita3le fluctuations. But it ,as not in these vortices of complete aliena'e that he sa, Bro,n 6en!in. That shoc!in' little horror ,as reserved for certain li'hterA sharper dreams ,hich assailed him Cust 3efore he dropped into the fullest depths of sleep. 2e ,ould 3e lyin' in the dar! fi'htin' to !eep a,a!e ,hen a faint lam3ent 'lo, ,ould seem to shimmer around the centuried roomA sho,in' in a violet mist the conver'ence of an'led planes ,hich had seized his 3rain so insidiously. The horror ,ould appear to pop out of the rat1hole in the corner and patter to,ard him over the sa''in'A ,ide1plan!ed floor ,ith evil e%pectancy in its tinyA 3earded human faceB 3ut mercifullyA this dream al,ays melted a,ay 3efore the o3Cect 'ot close enou'h to nuzzle him. =t had hellishly lon'A sharpA canine teethB 7ilman tried to stop up the rat1hole every dayA 3ut each ni'ht the real tenants of the partitions ,ould 'na, a,ay the o3structionA ,hatever it mi'ht 3e. +nce he had the landlord nail a tin over itA 3ut the ne%t ni'ht the rats 'na,ed a fresh holeA in ma!in' ,hich they pushed or dra''ed out into the room a curious little fra'ment of 3one. 7ilman did not report his fever to the doctorA for he !ne, he could not pass the e%aminations if ordered to the colle'e infirmary ,hen every moment ,as needed for crammin'. As it ,asA he failed in Calculus $ and Advanced 7eneral >sycholo'yA thou'h not ,ithout hope of ma!in' up lost 'round 3efore the end of the term.

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=t ,as in 8arch ,hen the fresh element entered his li'hter preliminary dreamin'A and the ni'htmare shape of Bro,n 6en!in 3e'an to 3e companioned 3y the ne3ulous 3lur ,hich 're, more and more to resem3le a 3ent old ,oman. This addition distur3ed him more than he could account forA 3ut finally he decided that it ,as li!e an ancient crone ,hom he had t,ice actually encountered in the dar! tan'le of lanes near the a3andoned ,harves. +n those occasions the evilA sardonicA and seemin'ly unmotivated stare of the 3eldame had set him almost shiverin' 11 especially the first time ,hen an over'ro,n rat dartin' across the shado,ed mouth of a nei'h3ourin' alley had made him thin! irrationally of Bro,n 6en!in. ;o,A he reflectedA those nervous fears ,ere 3ein' mirrored in his disordered dreams. That the influence of the old house ,as un,holesome he could not denyA 3ut traces of his early mor3id interest still held him there. 2e ar'ued that the fever alone ,as responsi3le for his ni'htly fantasiesA and that ,hen the touch a3ated he ,ould 3e free from the monstrous visions. Those visionsA ho,everA ,ere of a3sor3in' vividness and convincin'nessA and ,henever he a,a!ed he retained a va'ue sense of havin' under'one much more than he remem3ered. 2e ,as hideously sure that in unrecalled dreams he had tal!ed ,ith 3oth Bro,n 6en!in and the old ,omanA and that they had 3een ur'in' him to 'o some,here ,ith them and to meet a third 3ein' of 'reater potency. To,ard the end of 8arch he 3e'an to pic! up in his mathematicsA thou'h the other stndies 3othered him increasin'ly. 2e ,as 'ettin' an intuitive !nac! for solvin' :iemannian eDuationsA and astonished >rofessor (pham 3y his comprehension of fourth1 dimensional and other pro3lems ,hich had floored all the rest of the class. +ne afternoon there ,as a discussion of possi3le frea!ish curvatures in spaceA and of theoretical points of approach or even contact 3et,een our part of the cosmos and various other re'ions as distant as the farthest stars or the trans'alactic 'ulfs themselves 11 or even as fa3ulously remote as the tentatively conceiva3le cosmic units 3eyond the ,hole Einsteinian space1 time continuum. 7ilman<s handlin' of this theme filled everyone ,ith admirationA even thou'h some of his hypothetical illustrations caused an increase in the al,ays plentiful 'ossip a3out his nervous and solitary eccentricity. What made the students sha!e their heads ,as his so3er theory that a man mi'ht 11 'iven mathematical !no,led'e admittedly 3eyond all li!elihood of human acDuirement 11 step deli3erately from the earth to any other celestial 3ody ,hich mi'ht lie at one of an infinity of specifc points in the cosmic pattern. Such a stepA he saidA ,ould reDuire only t,o sta'esB firstA a passa'e out of the three1 dimensional sphere ,e !no,A and secondA a passa'e 3ac! to the three1dimensional sphere at another pointA perhaps one of infinite remoteness. That this could 3e accomplished ,ithout loss of life ,as in many cases conceiva3le. Any 3ein' from any part of three1 dimensional space could pro3a3ly survive in the fourth dimensionB and its survival of the second sta'e ,ould depend upon ,hat alien part of three1dimensional space it mi'ht select for its re1entry. $enizens of some planets mi'ht 3e a3le to live on certain others 11 even planets 3elon'in' to other 'ala%iesA or to similar dimensional phases of other space1time continua 11 thou'h of course there must 3e vast num3ers of mutually uninha3ita3le even thou'h mathematically Cu%taposed 3odies or zones of space. =t ,as also possi3le that the inha3itants of a 'iven dimensional realm could survive entry to many un!no,n and incomprehensi3le realms of additional or indefinitely multiplied dimensions 11 3e they ,ithin or outside the 'iven space1time continuum 11 and that the converse ,ould 3e li!e,ise true. This ,as a matter for speculationA thou'h one could 3e fairly certain that the type of mutation involved in a passa'e from any 'iven dimensional plane to the ne%t hi'her one ,ould not 3e destructive of 3iolo'ical inte'rity as

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,e understand it. 7ilman could not 3e very clear a3out his reasons for this last assumptionA 3ut his haziness here ,as more than over3alanced 3y his clearness on other comple% points. >rofessor (pham especially li!ed his demonstration of the !inship of hi'her mathematics to certain phases of ma'ical lore transmitted do,n the a'es from an ineffa3le antiDuity 11 human or pre1human 11 ,hose !no,led'e of the cosmos and its la,s ,as 'reater than ours. Around 1 April 7ilman ,orried cosidera3ly 3ecause his slo, fever did not a3ate. 2e ,as also trou3led 3y ,hat some of his fello, lod'ers said a3out his sleep1,al!in'. =t seened that he ,as often a3sent from his 3ed and that the crea!in' of his floor at certain hours of the ni'ht ,as remar!ed 3y the man in the room 3elo,. This fello, also spo!e of hearin' the tread of shod feet in the ni'htB 3ut 7ilman ,as sure he must have 3een mista!en in thisA since shoes as ,ell as other apparel ,ere al,ays precisely in place in the mornin'. +ne could develop all sorts of aural delusions in this mor3id old house 11 for did not 7ilman himselfA even in dayli'htA no, feel certain that noises other than rat1scratchin' came from the 3lac! voids 3eyond the slantin' ,all and a3ove the slantin' ceilin'G 2is patholo'ically sensitive ears 3e'an to listen for faint footfalls in the immemorially sealed loft overheadA and sometimes the illusion of such thin's ,as a'onizin'ly realistic. 2o,everA he !ne, that he had actually 3ecome a somnam3ulistB for t,ice at ni'ht his room had 3een found vacantA thou'h ,ith all his clothin' in place. +f this he had 3een assured 3y 4ran! El,oodA the one fello,1student ,hose poverty forced him to room in this sDualid and unpopular house. El,ood had 3een studyin' in the small hours and had come up for help on a differential eDuationA only to find 7ilman a3sent. =t had 3een rather presumptuous of him to open the unloc!ed door after loc!in' had failed to rouse a responseA 3ut he had needed the help very 3adly and thou'ht that his host ,ould not mind a 'entle proddin' a,a!e. +n neither occasionA thou'hA had 7ilman 3een thereB and ,hen told of the matter he ,ondered ,here he could have 3een ,anderin'A 3arefoot and ,ith only his ni'ht clothes on. 2e resolved to investi'ate the matter if reports of his sleep1 ,al!in' continuedA and thou'ht of sprin!lin' flour on the floor of the corridor to see ,here his footsteps mi'ht lead. The door ,as the only conceiva3le e'ressA for there ,as no possi3le foothold outside the narro, ,indo,. As April advancedA 7ilman<s fever1sharpened ears ,ere distur3ed 3y the ,hinin' prayers of a superstitious loom1fi%er named 6oe 8azure,icz ,ho had a room on the 'round floor. 8azure,icz had told lon'A ram3lin' stories a3out the 'host of old 0eziah and the furry sharp1fan'edA nuzzlin' thin'A and had said he ,as so 3adly haunted at times that only his silver crucifi% 11 'iven him for the purpose 3y 4ather =,anic!i of St. Stanislaus< Church 11 could 3rin' him relief. ;o, he ,as prayin' 3ecause the Witches< Sa33ath ,as dra,in' near. 8ay Eve ,as Walpur'is ;i'htA ,hen hell<s 3lac!est evil roamed the earth and all the slaves of Satan 'athered for nameless rites and deeds. =t ,as al,ays a very 3ad lime in Ar!hamA even thou'h the fine fol!s up in 8is!atonic Avenue and 2i'h and Saltonstall Streets pretended to !no, nothin' a3out it. There ,ould 3e 3ad doin'sA and a child or t,o ,ould pro3a3ly 3e missin'. 6oe !ne, a3out such thin'sA for his 'randmother in the old country had heard tales from her 'randmother. =t ,as ,ise to pray and count one<s 3eads at this season. 4or three months 0eziah and Bro,n 6en!in had not 3een near 6oe<s roomA nor near >aul Choyns!i<s roomA nor any,here else 11 and it meant no 'ood ,hen they held off li!e that. They must 3e up to somethin'.

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7ilman dropped in at the doctor<s office on the si%teenth of the monthA and ,as surprised to find his temperature ,as not as hi'h as he had feared. The physician Duestioned him sharplyA and advised him to see a nerve specialist. +n reflectionA he ,as 'lad he had not consulted the still more inDuisitive colle'e doctor. +ld WaldronA ,ho had curtailed his activities 3eforeA ,ould have made him ta!e a rest 11 an impossi3le thin' no, that he ,as so close to 'reat results in his eDuations. 2e ,as certainly near the 3oundary 3et,een the !no,n universe and the fourth dimensionA and ,ho could say ho, much farther he mi'ht 'oG But even as these thou'hts came to him he ,ondered at the source of his stran'e confidence. $id all of this perilous sense of immininence come from the formulae on the sheets he covered day 3y dayG The softA stealthyA ima'inary footsteps in the sealed loft a3ove ,ere unnervin'. And no,A tooA there ,as a 'ro,in' feelin' that some3ody ,as constantly persuadin' him to do somethin' terri3le ,hich he could not do. 2o, a3out the somnam3ulismG Where did he 'o sometimes in the ni'htG And ,hat ,as that faint su''estion of sound ,hich once in a ,hile seemed to tric!le throu'h the confusion of identifia3le sounds even in 3road dayli'ht and full ,a!efulnessG =ts rhythm did not correspond to anythin' on earthA unless perhaps to the cadence of one or t,o unmentiona3le Sa33at1chantsA and sometimes he feared it corresponded to certain attri3utes of the va'ue shrie!in' or roarin' in those ,holly alien a3ysses of dream. The dreams ,ere mean,hile 'ettin' to 3e atrocious. =n the li'hter preliminary phase the evil old ,oman ,as no, of fiendish distinctnessA and 7ilman !ne, she ,as the one ,ho had fri'htened him in the slums. 2er 3ent 3ac!A lon' noseA and shrivelled chin ,ere unmista!a3leA and her shapeless 3ro,n 'arments ,ere li!e those he remem3ered. The e%pression on her face ,as one of hideous malevolence and e%ultationA and ,hen he a,a!ed he could recall a croa!in' voice that persuaded and threatened. 2e must meet the Blac! 8an and 'o ,ith them all to the throne of Azathoth at the centre of ultimate chaos. That ,as ,hat she said. 2e must si'n the 3oo! of Azathoth in his o,n 3lood and ta!e a ne, secret name no, that his independent delvin's had 'one so far. What !ept him from 'oin' ,ith her and Bro,n 6en!in and the other to the throne of Chaos ,here the thin flutes pipe mindlessly ,as the fact that he had seen the name LAzathothL in the -ecronomiconA and !ne, it stood for a primal evil too horri3le for description. The old ,oman al,ays appeared out of thin air near the corner ,here the do,n,ard slant met the in,ard slant. She seemed to crystallize at a point closer to the ceilin' than to the floorA and every ni'ht she ,as a little nearer and more distinct 3efore the dream shifted. Bro,n 6en!inA too ,as al,ays a little nearer at the lastA and its yello,ish1,hite fan's 'listened shoc!in'ly in that unearthly violet phosphorescence. =ts shrill loathsome titterin' struc! more and more into 7ilman<s headA and he could remem3er in the mornin' ho, it had pronounced the ,ords LAzathothL and L;yarlathotepL. =n the deeper dreams everythin' ,as li!e,ise more distinctA and 7ilman felt that the t,ili'ht a3ysses around him ,ere those of the fourth dimension. Those or'anic entities ,hose motions seemed least fla'rantly irrelevant and unmotivated ,ere pro3a3ly proCections of life1fonns from our o,n planetA includin' human 3ein's. What the others ,ere in their o,n dimensional sphere or spheres he dared not try to thin!. T,o of the less irrelevantly movin' thin's 11 a rather lar'e con'eries of iridescentA prolately spheroidal 3u33les and a very much smaller polyhedron of un!no,n colours and rapidly shiftin' surface an'les 11 seemed to ta!e notice of him and follo, him a3out or float ahead as he

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chan'ed position amon' the titan prismsA la3yrinthsA cu3e1and1plane clusters and Duasi1 3uildin'sB and all the ,hile the va'ue shrie!in' and roarin' ,a%ed louder and louderA as if approachin' some monstrous clima% of utterly unendura3le intensity. $urin' the ni'ht of 1)1"* April the ne, development occurred. 7ilman ,as half involuntarily movin' a3out in the t,ili'ht a3ysses ,ith the 3u33le1mass and the small polyhedron floatin' ahead ,hen he noticed the peculiarly re'ular an'les formed 3y the ed'es of some 'i'antic nei'h3ourin' prism1clusters. =n another second he ,as out of the a3yss and standin' tremulously on a roc!y hillside 3athed in intenseA diffused 'reen li'ht. 2e ,as 3arefooted and in his ni'htclothes. and ,hen he tried to ,al! discovered that he could scarcely lift his feet. A s,irlin' vapour hid everythin' 3ut the immediate slopin' terrain from si'htA and he shran! from the thou'ht of the soundsA that mi'ht sur'e out of that vapour. Then he sa, the t,o shapes la3oriously cra,lin' to,ard him 11 the old ,oman and the little furry thin'. The crone strained up to her !nees and mana'ed to cross her arms in a sin'ular fashionA ,hile Bro,n 6en!in pointed in a certain direction ,ith a horri3ly anthropoid forepa, ,hich it raised ,ith evident difficulty. Spurred 3y an impulse he did not ori'inateA 7ilman dra''ed himself for,ard alon' a course determined 3y the an'le of the old ,oman<s arms and the direction of the small monstrosity<s pa,A and 3efore he had shuffled three steps he ,as 3ac! in the t,ili'ht a3ysses. 7eometrical shapes seethed around himA and he fell dizzily and intermina3ly. At last he ,o!e in his 3ed in the crazily an'led 'arret of the eldritch old house. 2e ,as 'ood for nothin' that mornin'A and stayed a,ay from all his classes. Some un!no,n attraction ,as pullin' his eyes in a seemin'ly irrelevant directionA for he could not help starin' at a certain vacant spot on the floor. As the day advancedA the focus of his unseein' eyes chan'd positionA and 3y noon he had conDuered the impulse to stare at vacancy. A3out t,o o<cloc! he ,ent out for lunch and as he threaded the narro, lanes of the city he found himself turnin' al,ays to the southeast. +nly an effort halted him at a cafeteria in Church StreetA and after the meal he felt the un!no,n pull still more stron'ly. 2e ,ould have to consult a nerve specialist after all 11 perhaps there ,as a connection ,ith his somnam3ulism 11 3ut mean,hile he mi'ht at least try to 3rea! the mor3id spell himself. (ndou3tedly he could still mana'e to ,al! a,ay from the pullA so ,ith 'reat resolution he headed a'ainst it and dra'ed himself deli3erately north alon' 7arrison Street. By the time he had reached the 3rid'e over the 8is!atonic he ,as in a cold perspirationA and he clutched at the iron railin' as he 'azed upstream at the ill1re'arded island ,hose re'ular lines of ancient standin' stones 3rooded sullenly in the afternoon sunli'ht. Then he 'ave a start. 4or there ,as a clearly visi3le livin' fi'ure on that desolate islandA and a second 'lance told him it ,as certainly the stran'e old ,oman ,hose sinister aspect had ,or!ed itself so disastrously into his dreams. The tall 'rass near her ,as novin'A tooA as if some other livin' thin' ,ere cra,lin' close to the 'round. When the old ,oman 3e'an to turn to,ard him he fled precipitately off the 3rid'e and into the shelter of the to,n<s la3yrinthine ,aterfront alleys. $istant thou'h the island ,asA he felt that a monstrous and invinci3le evil could flo, from the sardonic stare of that 3entA ancient fi'ure in 3ro,n.

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The southeast,ards pull still heldA and only ,ith tremendous resolution could 7ilman dra' himself into the old house and up the ric!ety stairs. 4or hours he sat silent and aimlessA ,ith his eyes shiftin' 'radually ,est,ard. A3out si% o<cloc! his sharpened ears cau'ht the ,hinin' prayers of 6oe 8azure,icz t,o floors 3elo,A and in desperation he seized his hat and ,al!ed out into the sunset1'olden streetsA lettin' the no, directly south,ard pull carry him ,here it mi'ht. An hour later dar!ness found him in the open fields 3eyond 2an'man<s Broo!A ,ith the 'limmerin' sprin' stars shinin' ahead. The ur'e to ,al! ,as 'radually chan'in' to an ur'e to leap mystically into spaceA and suddenly he realized Cust ,here the source of the pull lay. =t ,as in the s!y. A definite point amon' the stars had a caim on him and ,as callin' him. Apparently it ,as a point some,here 3et,een 2ydra and Ar'o ;avisA and he !ne, that he had 3een ur'ed to,ard it ever since he had a,a!ed soon after da,n. =n the mornin' it had 3een underfootA and no, it ,as rou'hly south 3ut stealin' to,ard the ,est. What ,as the meanin' of this ne, thin'G Was he 'oin' madG 2o, lon' ,ould it lastG A'ain musterin' his resolutionA 7ilman turned and dra''ed himself 3ac! to the sinister old house. 8azure,icz ,as ,aitin' for him at the doorA and seemed 3oth an%ious and reluctant to ,hisper some fresh 3it of superstition. =t ,as a3out the ,itch1li'ht. 6oe had 3een out cele3ratin' the ni'ht 3efore 11 and ,as >atriots< $ay in 8assachusetts 11 and had come home after midni'ht. 5oo!in' up at the house from outsideA he had thou'ht at first that 7ilman<s ,indo, ,as dar!A 3ut then he had seen the faint violet 'lo, ,ithin. 2e ,anted to ,arn the 'entleman a3out that 'lo,A for every3ody in Ar!ham !ne, it ,as 0eziah<s ,itch1 li'ht ,hich played near Bro,n 6en!in and the 'host of the old crone herself. 2e had not mentioned this 3eforeA 3ut no, he must tell a3out it 3ecause it meant that 0eziah and her lon'1toothed familiar ,ere hauntin' the yonn' 'entleman. Sometimes he and >aul Choyns!i and 5andlord $om3ro,s!i thou'ht they sa, that li'ht seepin' out of crac!s in the sealed loft a3ove the youn' 'entleman<s roomA 3ut they had all a'reed not to tal! a3out that. 2o,everA it ,ould 3e 3etter for the 'entleman to ta!e another room and 'et a crucifi% from some 'ood priest li!e 4ather =,anic!i. As the man ram3led onA 7ilman felt a nameless panic clutch at his throat. 2e !ne, that 6oe must have 3een half drun! ,hen he came home the ni'ht 3eforeB yet the mention of a violet li'ht in the 'arret ,indo, ,as of fri'htful import. =t ,as a lam3ent 'o, of this sort ,hich al,ays played a3out the old ,oman and the small furry thin' in those li'hterA sharper dreams ,hich prefaced his plun'e into un!no,n a3yssesA and the thou'ht that a ,a!eful second person could see the dream1luminance ,as utterly 3eyond sane har3ora'e. .et ,here had the fello, 'ot such an odd notionG 2ad he himself tal!ed as ,ell as ,al!ed around the house in his sleepG ;oA 6oe saidA he had not 11 3ut he must chec! up on this. >erhaps 4ran! El,ood could tell him somethin'A thou'h he hated to as!. 4ever 11 ,ild dreams 11 somnam3ulism 11 illusions of sounds 11 a pull to,ard a point in the s!y 11 and no, a suspicion of insane sleep1tal!in'F 2e must stop studyin'A see a nerve specialistA and ta!e himself in hand. When he clim3ed to the second storey he paused at El,ood<s door 3ut sa, that the other youth ,as out. :eluctantly he continued up to his 'arret room and sat do,n in the dar!. 2is 'aze ,as still pulled to the south,ardA 3ut he also found himself listenin' intently for some sound in the closed loft a3oveA and half ima'inin' that an evil violet li'ht seeped do,n throu'h an infinitesimal crac! in the lo,A slantin' ceilin'.

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That ni'ht as 7ilnan sleptA the violet li'ht 3ro!e upon him ,ith hei'htened intensityA and the old ,itch and small furry thin'A 'ettin' closer than ever 3eforeA moc!ed him ,ith inhuman sDueals and devilish 'estures. 2e ,as 'lad to sin! into the va'uely roarin' t,ili'ht a3yssesA thou'h the pursuit of that iridescent 3u33le1con'eries and that !aleidoscopic little polyhedron ,as menacin' and irritatin'. Then came the shift as vast conver'in' planes of a slippery1loo!in' su3stance loomed a3ove and 3elo, him 11 a shift ,hich ended in a flash of delinum and a 3laze of un!no,nA alien li'ht in ,hich yello,A carmineA and indi'o ,ere madly and ine%trica3ly 3lended. 2e ,as half lyin' on a hi'hA fantastically 3alustraded terrace a3out a 3oundless Cun'le of outlandishA incredi3le pea!sA 3alanced planesA domesA minaretsA horizontal dis!s poised on pinnaclesA and num3erless forms of still 'reater ,ildness 11 some of stone and some of metal 11 ,hich 'littered 'or'eously in the mi%edA almost 3listenin' 'lare from a poly1 chromatic s!y. 5oo!in' up,ard he sa, three stupendous dis!s of flameA each of a different hueA and at a different hei'ht a3ove an infinitely distant curvin' horizon of lo, mountains. Behind him tiers of hi'her terraces to,ered aloft as far as he could see. The city 3elo, stretched a,ay to the limits of visionA and he hoped that no sound ,ould ,ell up from it. The pavement from ,hich he easily raised himself ,as a veined polished stone 3eyond his po,er to identifyA and the tiles ,ere cut in 3izarre1an'led shapes ,hich struc! himm as less asymmetrical than 3ased on some unearthly symmetry ,hose la,s he could not comprehend. The 3alustrade ,as chest1hi'hA delicateA and fantastically ,rou'htA ,hile alon' the rail ,ere ran'ed at short intervals little fi'ures of 'rotesDue desi'n and e%Duisite ,or!manship. TheyA li!e the ,hole 3alustradeA seemed to 3e made of some sort of shinin' metal ,hose colour could not 3e 'uessed in the chaos of mi%ed efful'encesA and their nature utterly defied conCecture. They represented some rid'ed 3arrel1shaped o3Cects ,ith thin horizontal arms radiatin' spo!e1li!e from a central rin' and ,ith vertical !no3s or 3ul3s proCectin' from the head and 3ase of the 3arrel. Each of these !no3s ,as the hu3 of a system of five lon'A flatA trian'ularly taperin' arms arran'ed around it li!e the arms of a starfish 11 nearly horizontalA 3ut curvin' sli'htly a,ay from the central 3arrel. The 3ase of the 3ottom !no3 ,as fused to the lon' railin' ,ith so delicate a point of contact that several fi'ures had 3een 3ro!en off and ,ere missin'. The fi'ures ,ere a3out four and a half inches in hei'htA ,hile the spi!y arms 'ave them a ma%imum diameter of a3out t,o and a half inches. When 7ilman stood upA the tiles felt hot to his 3are feet. 2e ,as ,holly aloneA and his first act ,as to ,al! to the 3alustrade and loo! dizzily do,n at the endlessA Cyclopean city almost t,o thousand feet 3elo,. As he listened he thou'ht a rhythmic confusion of faint musical pipin's coverin' a ,ide tonal ran'e ,elled up from the narro, streets 3eneathA and he ,ished he mi'ht discern the denizens of the place. The si'ht turned him 'iddy after a ,hileA so that he ,ould have fallen to the pavement had he not clutched instinctively at the lustrous 3alustrade. 2is ri'ht hand fell on one of the proCectin' fi'uresA the touch seemin' to steady him sli'htly. =t ,as too muchA ho,everA for the e%otic delicacy of the metal1,or!A and the spi!y fi'ure snapped off under his 'rasp. Still half dazedA he continued to clutch it as his other hand seized a vacant space on the smooth railin'. But no, his over1sensitive ears cau'ht somethin' 3ehind himA and he loo!ed 3ac! across the level terrace. Approachin' him softly thou'h ,ithout apparent furtiveness ,ere five fi'uresA t,o of ,hich ,ere the sinister old ,oman and the fan'edA furry little animal. The other three ,ere ,hat sent him unconsciousB for they ,ere livin' entities a3out ei'ht

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feet hi'hA shaped precisely li!e the spi!y ima'es on the 3alustradeA and propellin' themselves 3y a spider1li!e ,ri''lin' of their lo,er set of starfish1arms. 7ilman a,o!e in his 3edA drenched 3y a cold perspiration and ,ith a smartin' sensation in his faceA hands and feet. Sprin'in' to the floorA he ,ashed and dressed in frantic hasteA as if it ,ere necessary for him to 'et out of the house as Duic!ly as possi3le. 2e did not !no, ,here he ,ished to 'oA 3ut felt that once more he ,ould have to sacrifice his classes. The odd pull to,ard that spot in the s!y 3et,een 2ydra and Ar'o had a3atedA 3ut another of even 'reater stren'th had ta!en its place. ;o, he felt that he must 'o north 11 infinitely north. 2e dreaded to cross the 3rid'e that 'ave a vie, of the desolate island in the 8is!atonicA so ,ent over the >ea3ody Avenue 3rid'e. ?ery often he stum3ledA for his eyes and ears ,ere chained to an e%tremely lofty point in the 3lan! 3lue s!y. After a3out an hour he 'ot himself under 3etter controlA and sa, that he ,as far from the city. All around him stretched the 3lea! emptiness of salt marshesA ,hile the narro, road ahead led to =nnsmouth 11 that ancientA half1deserted to,n ,hich Ar!ham people ,ere so curiously un,illin' to visit. Thou'h the north,ard pull had not diminishedA he resisted it as he had resisted the other pullA and finally found that he could almost 3alance the one a'ainst the other. >loddin' 3ac! to to,n and 'ettin' some coffee at a soda fountainA he dra''ed himself into the pu3lic li3rary and 3ro,sed aimlessly amon' the li'hter ma'azines. +nce he met some friends ,ho remar!ed ho, oddly sun3urned he loo!edA 3ut he did not tell them of his ,al!. At three o<cloc! he too! some lunch at a restaurantA notin' mean,hile that the pull had either lessened or divided itself. After that he !illed the time at a cheap cinema sho,A seein' the inane performance over and over a'ain ,ithout payin' any attention to it. A3out nine at ni'ht he drifted home,ard and shuffled into the ancient house 6oe 8azure,icz ,as ,hinin' unintelli'i3le prayersA and 7ilman hastened up to his o,n 'arret cham3er ,ithout pausin' to see if El,ood ,as in. =t ,as ,hen he turned on the fee3le electric li'ht that the shoc! came. At once he sa, there ,as somethin' on the ta3le ,hich did not 3elon' thereA and a second loo! left no room for dou3t. 5yin' on its side 11 for it could not stand up alone 11 ,as the e%otic spi!y fi'ure ,hich in his monstrous dream he had 3ro!en off the fantastic 3alustrade. ;o detail ,as missin'. The rid'edA 3arrel1shaped centerA the thin radiatin' armsA the !no3s at each endA and the flatA sli'htly out,ard1curvin' starfish1arms spreadin' from those !no3s 11 all ,ere there. =n the electric li'ht the colour seemed to 3e a !ind of iridescent 'rey veined ,ith 'reenB and 7ilman could see amidst his horror and 3e,ilderment that one of the !no3s ended in a Ca''ed 3rea!A correspondin' to its former point of attachment to the dream1railin'. +nly his tendency to,ard a dazed stupor prevented him from screamin' aloud. This fusion of dream and reality ,as too much to 3ear. Still dazedA he clutched at the spi!y thin' and sta''ered do,nstairs to 5andlord $om3ro,s!i<s Duarters. The ,hinin' prayers of the superstitious loom1fi%er ,ere still soundin' throu'h the mouldy hallsA 3ut 7ilman did not mind them no,. The landlord ,as inA and 'reeted him pleasantly. ;oA he had not seen that thin' 3efore and did not !no, anythin' a3out it. But his ,ife had said she found a funny tin thin' in one of the teds ,hen she fi%ed the rooms at noonA and may3e that ,as it. $om3ro,s!i called herA and she ,addled in. .esA that ,as tine thin'. She had found it in the youn' 'entleman<s 3ed 11 on the side ne%t the ,all. =t had loo!ed very Dueer to herA 3ut of course the youn' 'entleman had lots of Dueer thin's in his room 11 3oo!s and curios and pictures and mar!in's on paper. She certainly !ne, nothin' a3out it.

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So 7ilman clim3ed upstairs a'ain in mental turmoilA convinced that he ,as either still dreamin' or that his somnam3ulism had run to incredi3le e%tremes and led him to depredations in un!no,n places. Where had he 'ot this outrE thin'G 2e did not recall seein' it in any museum in Ar!ham. =t must have 3een some,hereA thou'hB and the si'ht of it as he snatched it in his sleep must have caused the odd dream1picture of the 3alustraded terrace. ;e%t day he ,ould ma!e some very 'uarded inDuiries 11 and perhaps see the nerve specialist. 8ean,hile he ,ould try to !eep trac! of his somnam3ulism. As he ,ent upstairs and across the 'arret hall he sprin!led a3out some flour ,hich he had 3orro,ed 11 ,ith a fran! admission as to its purpose 11 from the landlord. 2e had stopped at Et,ood<s door on the ,ayA 3ut had found all dar! ,ithin. Enterin' his roomA he placed the spi!y thin' on the ta3leA and lay do,n in complete mental and physical e%haustion ,ithout pausin' to undress. 4rom the closed loft a3ove the slatin' ceilin' he thou'ht he heard a faint scratchin' and paddin'A 3ut he ,as too disor'anized even to mind it. That cryptical pull from the north ,as 'ettin' very stron' a'ainA thou'h it seemed no, to come from a lo,er place in the s!y. =n the dazzlin' violet li'ht of dream the old ,oman and the fan'edA furry thin' came a'ain and ,ith a 'reater distinctness than on any former occasion. This time they actually reached himA and he felt the crone<s ,ithered cla,s clutchin' at him. 2e ,as pulled out of 3ed and into empty spaceA and for a moment he heard a rhythmic roarin' and sa, the t,ili'ht amorphousness of the va'ue a3ysses seethin' around him. But that moment ,as very 3riefA for presently he ,as in a crudeA ,indo,less little space ,ith rou'h 3eams and plan!s risin' to a pea! Cust a3ove his headA and ,ith a curious slantin' floor underfoot. >ropped level on that floor ,ere lo, cases full of 3oo!s of every de'ree of antiDuity and disinte'rationA and in the centre ,ere a ta3le and 3enchA 3oth apparently fastened in place. Small o3Cects of un!no,n shape and nature ,ere ran'ed on the tops of the casesA and in the flamin' violet li'ht 7ilman thou'ht he sa, a counterpart of the spi!y ima'e ,hich had puzzled him so horri3ly. +n the left the floor fell a3ruptly a,ayA leavin' a 3lac! trian'ular 'ulf out of ,hichA after a second<s dry rattlin'A there presently clim3ed the hateful little furry thin' ,ith the yello, fan's and 3earded human face. The evilly1'rinnin' 3eldame still clutched himA and 3eyond the ta3le stood a fi'ure he had never seen 3efore 11 a tallA lean man of dead 3lac! colouration 3ut ,ithout the sli'htest si'n of ne'roid features9 ,holly devoid of either hair or 3eardA and ,earin' as his only 'arment a shapeless ro3e of some heavy 3lac! fa3ric. 2is feet ,ere indistin'uisha3le 3ecause of the ta3le and 3enchA 3ut he must have 3een shodA since there ,as a clic!in' ,henever he chan'ed position. The man did not spea!A and 3ore no trace of e%pression on his smallA re'ular features. 2e merely pointed to a 3oo! of prodi'ious size ,hich lay open on the ta3leA ,hile the 3eldame thrust a hu'e 'rey Duill into 7ilman<s ri'ht hand. +ver everythin' ,as a pall of intensely maddenin' fearA and the clima% ,as reached ,hen the furry thin' ran up the dreamer<s clothin' to his shoulders and then do,n his left armA finally 3itin' him sharply in the ,rist Cust 3elo, his cuff. As the 3lood spurted from this ,ound 7ilman lapsed into a faint. 2e a,a!ed on the mornin' of the t,enty1second ,ith a pain in his left ,ristA and sa, that his cuff ,as 3ro,n ,ith dried 3lood. 2is recollections ,ere very confusedA 3ut the scene ,ith the 3lac! man in the un!no,n space stood out vividly. The rats must have 3itten him as he sleptA 'ivin' rise to the clima% of that fri'htful dream. +penin' the doorA he sa,

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that the flour on the corridor floor ,as undistur3ed e%cept for the hu'e prints of the loutish fello, ,ho roomed at the other end of the 'arret. So he had not 3een sleep1,al!in' this time. But somethin' ,ould have to 3e done a3out those rats. 2e ,ould spea! to the landlord a3out them. A'ain he tried to stop up the hole at the 3ase of the slantin' ,allA ,ed'in' in a candlestic! ,hich seemed of a3out the ri'ht size. 2is ears ,ere rin'in' horri3lyA as if ,ith the residual echoes of some horri3le noise heard in dreams. As he 3athed and chan'ed clothes he tried to recall ,hat he had dreamed after the scene in the violet1litten spaceA 3ut nothin' definite ,ould crystallize in his mind. That scene itself must have corresponded to the sealed loft overheadA ,hich had 3e'un to attac! his ima'ination so violentlyA 3ut later impressions ,ere faint and hazy. There ,ere su''estions of the va'ueA t,ili'ht a3yssesA and of still vasterA 3lac!er a3ysses 3eyond them 11 a3ysses in ,hich all fi%ed su''estions ,ere a3sent. 2e had 3een ta!en there 3y the 3u33le1 con'eries and the little polyhedron ,hich al,ays do''ed himB 3ut theyA li!e himselfA had chan'ed to ,isps of mist in this farther void of ultimate 3lac!ness. Somethin' else had 'one on ahead 11 a lar'er ,isp ,hich no, and then condensed into nameless appro%imations of form 11 and he thou'ht that their pro'ress had not 3een in a strai'ht lineA 3ut rather alon' the alien curves and spirals of some ethereal vorte% ,hich o3eyed la,s un!no,n to the physics and mathematics of any conceiva3le cosmos. Eventually there had 3een a hint of vastA leapin' shado,sA of a monstrousA half1acoustic pulsin'A and of the thinA monotonous pipin' of an unseen flute 11 3ut that ,as all. 7ilman decided he had pic!ed up that last conception from ,hat he had read in the -ecronomicon a3out the mindless entity AzathothA ,hich rules all time and space from a 3lac! throne at the centre of Chaos. When the 3lood ,as ,ashed a,ay the ,rist ,ound proved very sli'htA and 7ilman puzzled over the location of the t,o tiny punctures. =t occurred to him that there ,as no 3lood on the 3edspread ,here he had lain 11 ,hich ,as very curious in vie, of the amount on his s!in and cuff. 2ad he 3een sleep1,al!in' ,ithin his roomA and had the rat 3itten him as he sat in some chair or paused in some less rational positionG 2e loo!ed in every corner for 3ro,nish drops or stainsA 3ut did not find any. 2e had 3etterA he thou'htA spin!le flour ,ithin the room as ,ell as outside the door 11 thou'h after all no further proof of his sleep1 ,al!in' ,as needed. 2e !ne, he did ,al! and the thin' to do no, ,as to stop it. 2e must as! 4ran! El,ood for help. This mornin' the stran'e pulls from space seemed lessenedA thou'h they ,ere replaced 3y another sensation even more ine%plica3le. =t ,as a va'ueA insistent impulse to fly a,ay from his present situationA 3ut held not a hint of the specific direction in ,hich he ,ished to fly. As he pic!ed up the stran'e spi!y ima'e on the ta3le he thou'ht the older north,ard pull 're, a trifle stron'er. 3ut even soA it ,as ,holly overruled 3y the ne,er and more 3e,ilderin' ur'e. 2e too! the spi!y ima'e do,n to El,ood<s roomA steelin' himself a'ainst the ,hines of the loom1fi%er ,hich ,elled up from the 'round floor. El,ood ,as inA than! heavenA and appeared to 3e stirrin' a3out. There ,as time for a little conversation 3efore leavin' for 3rea!fast and colle'eA so 7ilman hurriedly poured forth an account of his recent dreams and fears. 2is host ,as very sympatheticA and a'reed that somethin' ou'ht to 3e done. 2e ,as shoc!ed 3y his 'uest<s dra,nA ha''ard aspectA and noticed the DueerA a3normal1loo!in' sun3urn ,hich others had remar!ed durin' the past ,ee!. There ,as not muchA thou'hA that he could say. 2e had not seen 7ilman on any sleep1 ,al!in' e%peditionA and had no idea ,hat the curious ima'e could 3e. 2e hadA thou'hA heard the 4rench[Canadian ,ho lod'ed Cust under 7ilman tal!in' to 8azure,icz one

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evenin'. They ,ere tellin' each other ho, 3adly they dreaded the comin' of Walpur'is ;i'htA no, only a fe, days offB and ,ere e%chan'in' pityin' comments a3out the poorA doomed youn' 'entleman. $esrochersA the fello, under 7ilman<s roomA had spo!en of nocturnal footsteps shod and unshodA and of the violet li'ht he sa, one ni'ht ,hen he had stolen fearfully up to peer throu'h 7ilman<s !eyhole. 2e had not dared to peerA he told 8azure,iczA after he had 'limpsed that li'ht throu'h the crac!s around the door. There had 3een soft tal!in'A too 11 and as he 3e'an to descri3e it his voice had sun! to an inaudi3le ,hisper. El,ood could not ima'ine ,hat had set these superstitious creatures 'ossipin'A 3ut supposed their ima'inations had 3een roused 3y 7ilman<s late hours and somnolent ,al!in' and tal!in' on the one handA and 3y the nearness of traditionally1feared 8ay Eve on the other hand. That 7ilman tal!ed in his sleep ,as plainA and it ,as o3viously from $esrochers< !eyhole listenin's that the delusive notion of the violet dream1li'ht had 'ot a3road. These simple people ,ere Duic! to ima'ine they had seen any odd thin' they had heard a3out. As for a plan of action 11 7ilman had 3etter move do,n to El,ood<s room and avoid sleepin' alone. El,ood ,ouldA if a,a!eA rouse him ,henever he 3e'an to tal! or rise in his sleep. ?ery soonA tooA he must see the specialist. 8ean,hile they ,ould ta!e the spi!y ima'e around to the various museums and to certain professorsB see!in' identification and slatin' that it had 3een found in a pu3lic ru33ish1can. AlsoA $om3ro,s!i must attend to the poisonin' of those rats in the ,alls. Braced up 3y El,ood<s companionshipA 7ilman attended classes that day. Stran'e ur'es still tu''ed at himA 3ut he could sidetrac! them ,ith considera3le success. $urin' a free period he sho,ed the Dueer ima'e to several professorsA all of ,hom ,ere intensely interestedA thou'h none of them could shed any li'ht upon its nature or ori'in. That ni'ht he slept on a couch ,hich El,ood had had the landlord 3rin' to the second1storey roomA and for the first time in ,ee!s ,as ,holly free from disDuietin' dreams. But the feverishness still hun' onA and the ,hines of the loom1fi%er ,ere an unnervin' influence. $urin' the ne%t fe, days 7ilman enCoyed an almost perfect immunity from mor3id manifestations. 2e hadA El,ood saidA sho,ed no tendency to tal! or rise in his sleepB and mean,hile the landlord ,as puttin' rat1poison every,here. The only distur3in' element ,as the tal! amon' the superstitious forei'nersA ,hose ima'inations had 3ecome hi'hly e%cited. 8azure,icz ,as al,ays tryin' to ma!e him 'et a crucifi%A and finally forced one upon him ,hich he said had 3een 3lessed 3y the 'ood 4ather =,anic!i. $esrochersA tooA had somethin' to sayB in factA he insisted that cautious steps had sounded in the no, vacant room a3ove him on the first and second ni'hts of 7ilinan<s a3sence from it. >aul Choyns!i thou'ht he heard sounds in the halls and on the stairs at ni'htA and claimed that his door had 3een softly triedA ,hile 8rs. $om3ro,s!i vo,ed she had seen Bro,n 6en!in for the first time since All12allo,s. But such na\ve reports could mean very littleA and 7ilman let the cheap metal crucifi% han' idly from a !no3 on his host<s dresser. 4or three days 7ilman and El,ood canvassed the local museums in an effort to identify the stran'e spi!y ima'eA 3ut al,ays ,ithout success. =n every DuarterA ho,everA interest ,as intenseB for the utter aliena'e of the thin' ,as a tremendous challen'e to scientific curiosity. +ne of the small radiatin' arms ,as 3ro!en off and su3Cected to chemical analysis. >rofessor Ellery found platinumA iron and tellurium in the stran'e alloyB 3ut mi%ed ,ith these ,ere at least three other apparent elements of hi'h atomic ,ei'ht ,hich chemistry ,as a3solutely po,erless to classify. ;ot only did they fail to correspond ,ith

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any !no,n elementA 3ut they did not even fit the vacant places reserved for pro3a3le elements in the periodic system. The mystery remains unsolved to this dayA thou'h the ima'e is on e%hi3ition at the museum of 8is!atonic (niversity. +n the mornin' of April t,enty1seventh a fresh rat13ole appeared in the room ,here 7ilman ,as a 'uestA 3ut $om3ro,s!i tinned it up durin' the day. The poison ,as not havin' much effectA for scratchin's and scurryin's in the ,alls ,ere virtually undiminished. El,ood ,as out late that ni'htA and 7ilman ,aited up for him. 2e did not ,ish to 'o to sleep in a room alone 11 especially since he thou'ht he had 'limpsed in the evenin' t,ili'ht the repellent old ,oman ,hose ima'e had 3ecome so horri3ly transferred to his dreams. 2e ,ondered ,ho she ,asA and ,hat had 3een near her rattlin' the tin can in a ru33ish1 heap at the mouth of a sDualid courtyard. The crone had seemed to notice him and leer evilly at him 11 thou'h perhaps this ,as merely his ima'ination. The ne%t day 3oth youths felt very tiredA and !ne, they ,ould sleep li!e lo's ,hen ni'ht came. =n the evenin' they dro,sily discussed the mathematical studies ,hich had so completely and perhaps harmfully en'rossed 7ilmanA and speculated a3out the lin!a'e ,ith ancient ma'ic and fol!lore ,hich seemed so dar!ly pro3a3le. They spo!e of old 0eziah 8asonA and El,ood a'reed that 7ilman had 'ood scientific 'rounds for thin!in' she mi'ht have stum3led on stran'e and si'nificant information. The hidden cults to ,hich these ,itches 3elon'ed often 'uarded and handed do,n surprisin' secrets from elderA for'otten eonsB and it ,as 3y no means impossi3le that 0eziah had actually mastered the art of passin' throu'h dimensional 'ates. Tradition emphasizes the uselessness of material 3arriers in haltin' a ,itch<s notionsA and ,ho can say ,hat underlies the old tales of 3roomstic! rides throu'h the ni'htG Whether a modern student could ever 'ain similar po,ers from mathematical research aloneA ,as still to 3e seen. SuceessA 7ilman addedA mi'ht lead to dan'erous and unthin!a3le situationsA for ,ho could foretell the conditions pervadin' an adCacent 3ut normally inaccessi3le dimensionG +n the other handA the picturesDue possi3ilities ,ere enormous. Time could not e%ist in certain 3elts of spaceA and 3y enterin' and remainin' in such a 3elt one mi'ht preserve one<s life and a'e indefinitelyB never sufferin' or'anic meta3olism or deterioration e%cept for sli'ht amounts incurred durin' visits to one<s o,n or similar planes. +ne mi'htA for e%ampleA pass into a timeless dimension and emer'e at some remote period of the earth<s history as youn' as 3efore. Whether any3ody had ever mana'ed to do thisA one could hardly conCecture ,ith any de'ree of authority. +ld le'ends are hazy and am3i'uousA and in historic times all attempts at crossin' for3idden 'aps seem complicated 3y stran'e and terri3le alliances ,ith 3ein's and messen'ers from outside. There ,as the immemorial fi'ure of the deputy or messen'er of hidden and terri3le po,ers 11 the LBlac! 8anL of the ,itch1cultA and the L;yarlathotepL of the -ecronomicon. There ,asA tooA the 3afflin' pro3lem of the lesser messen'ers or intermediaries 11 the Duasi1animals and Dueer hy3rids ,hich le'end depicts as ,itches< familiars. As 7ilman and El,ood retiredA too sleepy to ar'ue furtherA they heard 6oe 8azure,icz reel into the house half drun!A and shuddered at the desperate ,ildness of his ,hinin' prayers.

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That ni'ht 7ilinan sa, the violet li'ht a'ain. =n his dream he had heard a scratchin' and 'na,in' in the partitionsA and thou'ht that someone fum3led clumsily at the latch. Then he sa, the old ,oman and the small furry thin' advancin' to,ard him over the carpeted floor. The 3eldame<s face ,as ali'ht ,ith inhuman e%ultationA and the little yello,1toothed mor3idity tittered moc!in'ly as it pointed at the heavily1sleepin' form of El,ood on the other couch across the room. A paralysis of fear stifled all attempts to cry out. As once 3eforeA the hideous crone seized 7ilman 3y the shouldersA yan!in' him out of 3ed and into empty space. A'ain the infinitude of the shrie!in' a3ysses flashed past himA 3ut in another second he thou'ht he ,as in a dar!A muddyA un!no,n alley of foetid odors ,ith the rottin' ,alls of ancient houses to,erin' up on every hand. Ahead ,as the ro3ed 3lac! man he had seen in the pea!ed space in the other dreamA ,hile from a lesser distance the old ,oman ,as 3ec!onin' and 'rimacin' imperiously. Bro,n 6en!in ,as ru33in' itself ,ith a !ind of affectionate playfulness around the an!les of the 3lac! manA ,hich the deep mud lar'ely concealed. There ,as a dar! open door,ay on the ri'htA to ,hich the 3lac! man silently pointed. =nto this the 'rinnin' crone startedA dra''in' 7ilman after her 3y his paCama sleeves. There ,ere evil1smellin' staircases ,hich crea!ed ominouslyA and on ,hich the old ,oman seemed to radiate a faint violet li'htB and finally a door leadin' off a landin'. The crone fum3led ,ith the latch and pushed the door openA motionin' to 7ilman to ,aitA and disappearin' inside the 3lac! aperture. The youth<s over1sensitive ears cau'ht a hideous stran'led cryA and presently the 3eldame came out of the room 3earin' a smallA senseless form ,hich she thrust at the dreamer as if orderin' him to carry it. The si'ht of this formA and the e%pression on its faceA 3ro!e the spell. Still too dazed to cry outA he plun'ed rec!lessly do,n the noisome staircase and into the mud outsideA haltin' only ,hen seized and cho!ed 3y the ,aitin' 3lac! man. As consciousness departed he heard the faintA shrill titterin' of the fan'edA rat1 li!e a3normality. +n the mornin' of the t,enty1ninth 7ilman a,a!ed into a maelstrom of horror. The instant he opened his eyes he !ne, somethin' ,as terri3ly ,ron'A for he ,as 3ac! in his old 'arret room ,ith the slantin' ,all and ceilin'A spra,led on the no, unmade 3ed. 2is throat ,as achin' ine%plica3lyA and as he stru''led to a sittin' posture he sa, ,ith 'ro,in' fri'ht that his feet and paCama 3ottoms ,ere 3ro,n ,ith ca!ed mud. 4or the moment his recollections ,ere hopelessly hazyA 3ut he !ne, at least that he must have 3een sleep1,al!in'. El,ood had 3een lost too deeply in slum3er to hear and stop him. +n the floor ,ere confused muddy printsA 3ut oddly enou'h they did not e%tend all the ,ay to the door. The more 7ilman loo!ed at themA the more peculiar they seemedB for in addition to those he could reco'nize as his there ,ere some smallerA almost round mar!in's 11 such as the le's of a lar'e chair or a ta3le mi'ht ma!eA e%cept that most of them tended to 3e divided into halves. There ,ere also some curious muddy rat1trac!s leadin' out of a fresh hole and 3ac! into it a'ain. (tter 3e,ilderment and the fear of madness rac!ed +ilman as he sta''ered to the door and sa, that there ,ere no muddy prints outside. The more he remem3ered of his hideous dream the more terrified he feltA and it added to his desperation to hear 6oe 8azure,icz chantin' mournfully t,o floors 3elo,. $escendin' to El,ood<s room he roused his still1sleepin' host and 3e'an tellin' of ho, he had found himselfA 3ut El,ood could form no idea of ,hat mi'ht really have happened. Where 7ilman could have 3eenA ho, he 'ot 3ac! to his room ,ithout ma!in' trac!s in the hallA and ho, the muddyA furniture1li!e prints came to 3e mi%ed ,ith his in the 'arret

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cham3erA ,ere ,holly 3eyond conCecture. Then there ,ere those dar!A livid mar!s on his throatA as if he had tried to stran'le himself. 2e put his hands up to themA 3ut found that they did not even appro%imately fit. While they ,ere tal!in'A $esrochers dropped in to say that he had heard a terrific clatterin' overhead in the dar! small hours. ;oA there had 3een no one on the stairs after midni'htA thou'h Cust 3efore midni'ht he had heard faint footfalls in the 'arretA and cautiously descendin' steps he did not li!e. =t ,asA he addedA a very 3ad time of year for Ar!ham. The youn' 'entleman had 3etter 3e sure to ,ear the circifi% 6oe 8azure,icz had 'iven him. Even the daytime ,as not safeA for after da,n there had 3een stran'e sounds in the house 11 especially a thinA childish ,ail hastily cho!ed off. 7ilman mechanically attended classes that mornin'A 3ut ,as ,holly una3le to fi% his mind on his studies. A mood of hideous apprehension and e%pectancy had seized himA and he seemed to 3e a,aitin' the fall of some annihilatin' 3lo,. At noon he lunched at the (niversity spaA pic!in' up a paper from the ne%t seat as he ,aited for dessert. But he never ate that dessertB for an item on the paper<s first pa'e left him limpA ,ild1eyedA and a3le only to pay his chec! and sta''er 3ac! to El,ood<s room. There had 3een a stran'e !idnappin' the ni'ht 3efore in +rne<s 7an',ayA and the t,o1 year1old child of a clod1li!e laundry ,or!er named Anastasia WoleC!o had completely vanished from si'ht. The motherA it appearedA had feared the event for some timeB 3ut the reasons she assi'ned for her fear ,ere so 'rotesDue that no one too! them seriously. She hadA she saidA seen Bro,n 6en!in a3out the place no, and then ever since early in 8archA and !ne, from its 'rimaces and titterin's that little 5adislas must 3e mar!ed for sacrifice at the a,ful Sa33at on Walpur'is ;i'ht. She had as!ed her nei'h3our 8ary Czane! to sleep in the room and try to protect the childA 3ut 8ary had not dared. She could not tell the policeA for they never 3elieved such thin's. Children had 3een ta!en that ,ay every year ever since she could remem3er. And her friend >ete Sto,ac!i ,ould not help 3ecause he ,anted the child out of the ,ay. But ,hat thre, 7ilman into a cold perspiration ,as the report of a pair of revellers ,ho had 3een ,al!in' past the mouth of the 'an',ay Cust after midni'ht. They admitted they had 3een drun!A 3ut 3oth vo,ed they had seen a crazily dressed trio furtively enterin' the dar! passa'e,ay. There hadA they saidA 3een a hu'e ro3ed ne'roA a little old ,oman in ra'sA and a youn' ,hite man in his ni'ht1clothes. The old ,oman had 3een dra''in' the youthA ,hile around the feet of the ne'ro a tame rat ,as ru33in' and ,eavin' in the 3ro,n mud. 7ilman sat in a daze all the afternoonA and El,ood 11 ,ho had mean,hile seen the papers and formed terri3le conCectures from them 11 found him thus ,hen he came home. This time neither could dou3t 3ut that somethin' hideously serious ,as closin' in around them. Bet,een the phantasms of ni'htmare and the realities of the o3Cective ,orld a monstrous and unthin!a3le relationship ,as crystallizin'A and only stupendous vi'ilance could avert still more direful developments. 7ilman must see a specialist sooner or laterA 3ut not Cust no,A ,hen all the papers ,ere full of this !idnappin' 3usiness. 6ust ,hat had really happened ,as maddenin'ly o3scureA and for a moment 3oth 7ilman and El,ood e%chan'ed ,hispered theories of the ,ildest !ind. 2ad 7ilman unconsciously succeeded 3etter than he !ne, in his studies of space and its dimensionsG 2ad he actually slipped outside our sphere to points un'uessed and unima'ina3leG Where 11 if any,here 11 had he 3een on those ni'hts of demoniac aliena'eG The roarin' t,ili'ht a3ysses 11 the 'reen hillside 11 the 3listerin' terrace 11 the pulls from the stars 11 the

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ultimate 3lac! vorte% 1 the 3lac! man 11 the muddy alley and the stairs 11 the old ,itch and the fan'edA furry horror 11 the 3u33le1con'eries and the little polyhedron 11 the stran'e sun3urn 11 the ,rist1,ound 11 the une%plained ima'e 11 the muddy feet 11 the throat mar!s 11 the tales and fears of the superstitious forei'ners 11 ,hat did all this meanG To ,hat e%tent could the la,s of sanity apply to such a caseG There ,as no sleep for either of them that ni'htA 3ut ne%t day they 3oth cut classes and dro,sed. This ,as April thirtiethA and ,ith the dus! ,ould come the hellish Sa33at1time ,hich all the forei'ners and the superstitious old fol! feared. 8azure,icz came home at si% o<cloc! and said people at the mill ,ere ,hisperin' that the Walpur'is revels ,ould 3e held in the dar! ravine 3eyond 8eado, 2ill ,here the old ,hite stone stands in a place Dueerly devoid of all plant1life. Some of them had even told the police and advised them to loo! there for the missin' WoleC!o childA 3ut they did not 3elieve anythin' ,ould 3e done. 6oe insisted that the poor youn' 'entleman ,ear his nic!el1chained crucifi%A and 7ilman put it on and dropped it inside his shirt to humour the fello,. 5ate at ni'ht the t,o youths sat dro,sin' in their chairsA lulled 3y the prayin' of the loom1fi%er on the floor 3elo,. 7ilman listened as he noddedA his preternaturally sharpened hearin' seemin' to strain for some su3tleA dreaded murmur 3eyond the noises in the ancient house. (n,holesome recollections of thin's in the -ecronomicon and the Blac! Boo! ,elled upA and he found himself s,ayin' to infandous rhythms said to pertain to the 3lac!est ceremonies of the Sa33at and to have an o ri'in outside the time and space ,e comprehend. >resently he realized ,hat he ,as listenin' for 11 the hellish chant of the cele3rants in the distant 3lac! valley. 2o, did he !no, so much a3out ,hat they e%pectedG 2o, did he !no, the time ,hen ;aha3 and her acolyte ,ere due to 3ear the 3rimmin' 3o,l ,hich ,ould follo, the 3lac! coc! and the 3lac! 'oatG 2e sa, that El,ood had dropped asleepA and tried to call out and ,a!en him. Somethin'A ho,everA closed his throat. 2e ,as not his o,n master. 2ad he si'ned the 3lac! man<s 3oo! after allG Then his feveredA a3normal 3earin' cau'ht the distantA ,ind3orne notes. +ver miles of hill and field and alley they cameA 3ut he reco'nized them none the less. The fires must 3e litA and the dancers must 3e startin' in. 2o, could he !eep himself from 'oin'G What ,as it that had enmeshed himG 8athematics 11 fol!lore 11 the house 11 old 0eziah 11 Bro,n 6en!in ... and no, he sa, that there ,as a fresh rat1hole in the ,all near his couch. A3ove the distant chantin' and the nearer prayin' of 6oe 8azure,icz came another sound 11 a stealthyA determined scratchin' in the partitions. 2e hoped the electric li'hts ,ould not 'o out. Then he sa, the fan'edA 3earded little face in the rat1hole 11 the accursed little face ,hich he at last realized 3ore such a shoc!in'A moc!in' resem3lance to old 0eziah<s 11 and heard the faint fum3lin' at the door. The screamin' t,ili'ht a3ysses flashed 3efore himA and he felt himself helpless in the formless 'rasp of the iridescent 3u33le1con'eries. Ahead raced the smallA !aleidoscopic polyhedron and all throu'h the churnin' void there ,as a hei'htenin' and acceleration of the va'ue tonal pattern ,hich seemed to foreshado, some unuttera3le and unendura3le clima%. 2e seemed to !no, ,hat ,as comin' 11 the monstrons 3urst of Walpur'is1rhythm in ,hose cosmic tim3re ,ould 3e coneentrated all the primalA ultimate space1time seethin's ,hich lie 3ehind the massed spheres of matter and sometimes 3rea! forth in

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measured rever3erations that penetrate faintly to every layer of entity and 'ive hideous si'nificance throu'hout the ,orlds to certain dreaded periods. But all this vanished in a second. 2e ,as a'ain in the crampedA violet1litten pea!ed space ,ith the slantin' floorA the lo, cases of ancient 3oo!sA the 3ench and ta3leA the Dueer o3CectsA and the trian'ular 'ulf at one side. +n the ta3le lay a small ,hite fi'ure 11 an infant 3oyA unclothed and unconscious 11 ,hile on the other side stood the monstrousA leerin' old ,oman ,ith a 'leamin'A 'rotesDue1hafted !nife in her ri'ht handA and a Dueerly proportioned pale metal 3o,l covered ,ith curiously chased desi'ns and havin' delicate lateral handles in her left. She ,as intonin' some croa!in' ritual in a lan'ua'e ,hich 7ilman could not understandA 3ut ,hich seemed li!e somethin' 'uardedly Duoted in the -ecronomicon. As the scene 're, clearer he sa, the ancient crone 3end for,ard and e%tend the empty 3o,l across the ta3le 11 and una3le to control his o,n emotionsA he reached far for,ard and too! it in 3oth handsA noticin' as he did so its comparative li'htness. At the same moment the dis'ustin' form of Bro,n 6en!in scram3led up over the 3rin! of the trian'ular 3lac! 'ulf on his left. The crone no, motioned him to hold the 3o,l in a certain position ,hile she raised the hu'eA 'rotesDue !nife a3ove the small ,hite victim as hi'h as her ri'ht hand could reach. The fan'edA furry thin' 3e'an titterin' a continuation of the un!no,n ritualA ,hile the ,itch croa!ed loathsome responses. 7ilman felt a 'na,in' poi'nant a3horrence shoot throu'h his mental and emotional paralysisA and the li'ht metal 3o,l shoo! in his 'rasp. A second later the do,n,ard motion of the !nife 3ro!e the spell conpletelyA and he dropped the 3o,l ,ith a resoundin' 3ell1li!e clan'our ,hile his hands darted out frantically to stop the monstrous deed. =n an instant he had ed'ed up the slantin' floor around the end of the ta3le and ,renched the !nife from the old ,oman<s cla,sB sendin' it clatterin' over the 3rin! of the narro, trian'ular 'ulf. =n another instantA ho,everA matters ,ere reversedB for those murderous cla,s had loc!ed themselves ti'htly around his o,n throatA ,hile the ,rin!led face ,as t,isted ,ith insane fury. 2e felt the chain of the cheap crucifi% 'rindin' into his nec!A and in his peril ,ondered ho, the si'ht of the o3Cect itself ,ould affect the evil creature. 2er stren'th ,as alto'ether superhumanA 3ut as she continued her cho!in' he reached fee3ly in his s!irt and dre, out the metal sym3olA snappin' the chain and pullin' it free. At si'ht of the device the ,itch seemed struc! ,ith panicA and her 'rip rela%ed lon' enou'h to 'ive 7ilman a chance to 3rea! it entirely. 2e pulled the steel1li!e cla,s from his nec!A and ,ould have dra''ed the 3eldame over the ed'e of the 'ulf had not the cla,s received a fresh access of stren'th and closed in a'ain. This time he resolved to reply in !indA and his o,n hands reached out for the creature<s throat. Before she sa, ,hat he ,as doin' he had the chain of the crucifi% t,isted a3out her nec!A and a moment later he had ti'htened it enou'h to cut off her 3reath. $urin' her last stru''le he felt somethin' 3ite at his an!leA and sa, that Bro,n 6en!in had come to her aid. With one sava'e !ic! he sent the mor3idity over the ed'e of the 'ulf and heard it ,himper on some level far 3elo,. Whether he had !illed the ancient crone he did not !no,A 3ut he let her rest on the floor ,here she had fallen. ThenA as he turned a,ayA he sa, on the ta3le a si'ht ,hich nearly snapped the last thread of his reason. Bro,n 6en!inA tou'h of sine, and ,ith four tiny hands of demoniac de%terityA had 3een 3usy ,hile the ,itch ,as throttlin' himA and his

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efforts had 3een in vain. What he had prevented the !nife from doin' to the victim<s chestA the yello, fan's of the furry 3lasphemy had done to a ,rist 11 and the 3o,l so lately on the floor stood full 3eside the small lifeless 3ody. =n his dream1delirium 7ilman heard the hellish alien1rhythmed chant of the Sa33at comin' from an infinite distanceA and !ne, the 3lac! man must 3e there. Confused memories mi%ed themselves ,ith his mathematicsA and he 3elieved his su3conscious mind held the angles ,hich he needed to 'uide him 3ac! to the normal ,orld alone and unaided for the first time. 2e felt sure he ,as in the immemorially sealed loft a3ove his o,n roomA 3ut ,hether he could ever escape throu'h the slantin' floor or the lon'1stooped e'ress he dou3ted 'reatly. BesidesA ,ould not an escape from a dream1loft 3rin' him merely into a dream1house 11 an a3normal proCection of the actual place he sou'htG 2e ,as ,holly 3e,ildered as to the relation 3et,i%t dream and reality in all his e%periences. The passa'e throu'h the va'ue a3ysses ,ould 3e fri'htfulA for the Walpur'is1rhythm ,ould 3e vi3ratin'A and at last he ,ould have to hear that hitherto1veiled cosmic pulsin' ,hich he so mortally dreaded. Even no, he could detect a lo,A monstrous sha!in' ,hose tempo he suspected all too ,ell. At Sa33at1time it al,ays mounted and reached throu'h to the ,orlds to summon the initiate to nameless rites. 2alf the chants of the Sa33at ,ere patterned on this faintly overheard pulsin' ,hich no earthly ear could endure in its unveiled spatial fulness. 7ilman ,onderedA tooA ,hether he could trust his instincts to ta!e him 3ac! to the ri'ht part of space. 2o, could he 3e sure he ,ould not land on that 'reen1 litten hillside of a far planetA on the tessellated terrace a3ove the city of tentacled monsters some,here 3eyond the 'ala%y or in the spiral 3lac! vortices of that ultimate void of Chaos ,here rei'ns the mindless demon1sultan AzathothG 6ust 3efore he made the plun'e the violet li'ht ,ent out and left him in utter 3lac!ness. The ,itch 11 old 0eziah 11 ;aha3 11 that must have meant her death. And mi%ed ,ith the distant chant of the Sa33at and the ,himpers of Bro,n 6en!in in the 'ulf 3elo, he thou'ht he heard another and ,ilder ,hine from un!no,n depths. 6oe 8azure,icz 11 the prayers a'ainst the Cra,lin' Chaos no, turnin' to an ine%plica3ly triumphant shrie! ,orlds of sardonic actuality impin'in' on vortices of fe3rile dream 11 =]F Shu31;i''urathF The 7oat ,ith a Thonsand .oun'... They found 7ilman on the floor of his Dueerly1an'led old 'arret room lon' 3efore da,nA for the terri3le cry had 3rou'ht $esrochers and Choyns!i and $om3ro,s!i and 8azure,icz at onceA and had even ,a!ened the soundly sleepin' El,ood in his chair. 2e ,as aliveA and ,ith openA starin' eyesA 3ut seemed lar'ely unconscious. +n his throat ,ere the mar!s of murderous handsA and on his left an!le ,as a distressin' rat13ite. 2is clothin' ,as 3adly rumpled and 6oe<s crucifi% ,as missin'A El,ood trem3ledA afraid even to speculate ,hat ne, form his friend<s sleep1,al!in' had ta!en. 8azure,icz seemed half dazed 3ecause of a Lsi'nL he said he had had in response to his prayersA and he crossed himself frantically ,hen the sDuealin' and ,himperin' of a rat sounded from 3eyond the slantin' partition. When the dreamer ,as settled on his couch in El,ood<s room they sent for $octor 8al!o,s!i 11 a local practitioner ,ho ,ould repeat no tales ,here they mi'ht prove em3arrassin' 11 and he 'ave 7ilman t,o hypodermic inCections ,hich caused him to rela% in somethin' li!e natural dro,siness. $urin' the day the patient re'ained consciousness at

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times and ,hispered his ne,est dream disCointedly to El,ood. =t ,as a painful processA and at its very start 3rou'ht out a fresh and disconcertin' fact. 7ilman 11 ,hose ears had so lately possessed an a3normal sensitiveness 11 ,as no, stone1deaf. $octor 8al!o,s!iA summoned a'ain in hasteA told El,ood that 3oth ear1drums ,ere rupturedA as if 3y the impact of some stupendous sound intense 3eyond all human conception or endurance. 2o, such a sound could have 3een heard in the last fe, hours ,ithout arousin' all the 8is!atonic ?alley ,as more than the honest physician could say. El,ood ,rote his part of the colloDuy on paperA so that a fairly easy communication ,as maintained. ;either !ne, ,hat to ma!e of the ,hole chaotic 3usinessA and decided it ,ould 3e 3etter if they thou'ht as little as possi3le a3out it. BothA thou'hA a'reed that they must leave this ancient and accursed house as soon as it could 3e arran'ed. Evenin' papers spo!e of a police raid on some curious revellers in a ravine 3eyond 8eado, 2ill Cust 3efore da,nA and mentioned that the ,hite stone there ,as an o3Cect of a'e1lon' superstitions re'ard. ;o3ody had 3een cau'htA 3ut amon' the scatterin' fu'itives had 3een 'limpsed a hu'e ne'ro. =n another column it ,as stated that no trace of the missin' child 5adislas WoleC!o had 3een found. The cro,nin' horror came that very ni'ht. El,ood ,ill never for'et itA and ,as forced to stay out of colle'e the rest of the term 3ecause of the resultin' nervous 3rea!do,n. 2e had thou'ht he heard rats in the partition all the evenin'A 3ut paid little attention to them. ThenA lon' after 3oth he and 7ilman had retiredA the atrocious shrie!in' 3e'an. El,ood Cumped upA turned on the li'hts and rushed over to his 'uest<s couch. The occupant ,as emittin' sounds of verita3ly inhuman natureA as if rac!ed 3y some torment 3eyond description. 2e ,as ,rithin' under the 3edclothesA and a 'reat stain ,as 3e'innin' to appear on the 3lan!ets. El,ood scarcely dared to touch himA 3ut 'radually the screamin' and ,rithin' su3sided. By this time $om3ro,s!iA Choyns!iA $esrochersA 8azure,iczA and the top1floor lod'er ,ere all cro,din' into the door,ayA and the landlord had sent his ,ife 3ac! to telephone for $octor 8al!o,a!i. Every3ody shrie!ed ,hen a lar'e rat1li!e form suddenly Cumped out from 3eneath the ensan'uined 3edclothes and scuttled across the floor to a freshA open hole close 3y. When the doctor arrived and 3e'an to pull do,n those fri'htful covers Walter 7ilman ,as dead. =t ,ould 3e 3ar3arous to do more than su''est ,hat had !illed 7ilman. There had 3een virtually a tunnel throu'h his 3ody 11 somethin' had eaten his heart out. $om3ro,s!iA frantic at the failure of his rat1poisonin' effortsA cast aside all thou'ht of his lease and ,ithin a ,ee! had moved ,ith all his older lod'ers to a din'y 3ut less ancient house in Walnut Street. The ,orst thin' for a ,hile ,as !eepin' 6oe 8azure,icz DuietB for the 3roodin' loom1fi%er ,ould never stay so3erA and ,as constantly ,hinin' and mutterin' a3out spectral and terri3le thin's. =t seems that on that last hideous ni'ht 6oe had stooped to loo! at the crimson rat1trac!s ,hich led from 7ilman<s couch to the near13y hole. +n the carpet they ,ere very indistinctA 3ut a piece of open floorin' intervened 3et,een the carpet<s ed'e and the 3ase3oard. There 8azure,icz had found somethin' monstrous 11 or thou'ht he hadA for no one else could Duite a'ree ,ith him despite the undenia3le Dueerness of the prints. The trac!s on the floorin' ,ere certainly vastly unli!e the avera'e prints of a rat 3ut even

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$reams in the Witch12ouse

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Choyns!i and $esrochers ,ould not admit that they ,ere li!e the prints of four tiny human hands. The house ,as never rented a'ain. As soon as $om3ro,s!i left it the pall of its final desolation 3e'an to descendA for people shunned it 3oth on account of its old reputation and 3ecause of the ne, foetid odour. >erhaps the e%1landlord<s rat1poison had ,or!ed after allA for not lon' after his departure the place 3ecame a nei'h3ourhood nuisance. 2ealth officials traced the smell to the closed spaces a3ove and 3eside the eastern 'arret roomA and a'reed that the num3er of dead rats must 3e enormous. They decidedA ho,everA that it ,as not ,orth their ,hile to he, open and disinfect the lon'1sealed spacesB for the foetor ,ould soon 3e overA and the locality ,as not one ,hich encoura'ed fastidious standards. =ndeedA there ,ere al,ays va'ue local tales of une%plained stenches upstairs in the Witch1 2ouse Cust after 8ay1Eve and 2aflo,mass. The nei'h3ours acDuiesced in the inertia 11 3ut the foetor none the less formed an additional count a'ainst the place. To,ard the last the house ,as condemned as a ha3itation 3y the 3uildin' inspector. 7ilman<s dreams and their attendant circumstances have never 3een e%plained. El,oodA ,hose thou'hts on the entire episode are sometimes almost maddenin'A came 3ac! to colle'e the ne%t autumn and ,as 'raduated in the follo,in' 6une. 2e found the spectral 'ossip of the to,n much disminishedA and it is indeed a fact that 11 not,ithstandin' certain reports of a 'hostly titterin' in the deserted house ,hich lasted almost as lon' as that edifice itself 11 no fresh appearances either of +ld 0eziah or of Bro,n 6en!in have 3een mutered of since 7ilman<s death. =t is rather fortunate that El,ood ,as not in Ar!ham in that later year ,hen certain events a3ruptly rene,ed the local ,hispers a3out elder horrors. +f course he heard a3out the matter after,ard and suffered untold torments of 3lac! and 3e,ildered speculationB 3ut even that ,as not as 3ad as actual nearness and several possi3le si'hts ,ould have 3een. =n 8archA 1)&1A a 'ale ,rec!ed the roof and 'reat chimney of the vacant Witch12ouseA so that a chaos of crum3lin' 3ric!sA 3lac!enedA moss1'ro,n shin'lesA and rottin' plan!s and tim3ers crashed do,n into the loft and 3ro!e throu'h the floor 3eneath. The ,hole attic storey ,as cho!ed ,ith de3ris from a3oveA 3ut no one too! the trou3le to touch the mess 3efore the inevita3le razin' of the decrepit structure. That ultimate step came in the follo,in' $ecem3erA and it ,as ,hen 7ilman<s old room ,as cleared out 3y reluctantA apprehensive ,or!men that the 'ossip 3e'an. Amon' the ru33ish ,hich had crashed throu'h the ancient slantin' ceilin' ,ere several thin's ,hich made the ,or!men pause and call in the police. 5ater the police in turn called in the coroner and several professors from the university. There ,ere 3ones 11 3adly crushed and splinteredA 3ut clearly reco'niza3le as human 11 ,hose manifestly modern date conflicted puzzlin'ly ,ith the remote period at ,hich their only possi3le lur!in' placeA the lo,A slant1floored loft overheadA had supposedly 3een sealed from all human access. The coroner<s physician decided that some 3elon'ed to a small childA ,hile certain others 11 found mi%ed ,ith shreds of rotten 3ro,nish cloth 11 3elon'ed to a rather undersizedA 3ent female of advanced years. Careful siftin' of de3ris also disclosed many tiny 3ones of rats cau'ht in the collapseA as ,ell as older rat13ones 'na,ed 3y small fan's in a fashion no, and then hi'hly productive of controversy and reflection. +ther o3Cects found included the man'led fra'ments of many 3oo!s and papersA to'ether ,ith a yello,ish dust left from the total disinte'ration of still older 3oo!s and

H.P.Lovecr !t

$reams in the Witch12ouse

&11

papers. AllA ,ithout e%ceptionA appeared to deal ,ith 3lac! ma'ic in its most advanced and horri3le formsB and the evidently recent date of certain items is still a mystery as unsolved as that of the modern human 3ones. An even 'reater mystery is the a3solute homo'eneity of the cra33edA archaic ,ritin' found on a ,ide ran'e of papers ,hose conditions and ,atermar!s su''est a'e differences of at least one hundred and fifty to t,o hundred years. To someA thou'hA the 'reatest mystery of all is the variety of utterly ine%plica3le o3Cects 11 o3Cects ,hose shapesA materialsA types of ,or!manshipA and purposes 3affle all conCecture 11 found scattered amidst the ,rec!a'e in evidently diverse states of inCury. +ne of these thin's 11 ,hich e%cited several 8is!atonie professors profoundly is a 3adly dama'ed monstrosity plainly resem3lin' the stran'e ima'e ,hich 7ilman 'ave to the colle'e museumA save that it is lar'eA ,rou'ht of some peculiar 3luish stone instead of metalA and possessed of a sin'ularly an'led pedestal ,ith undeciphera3le hiero'lyphics. Archaeolo'ists and anthropolo'ists are still tryin' to e%plain the 3izarre desi'ns chased on a crushed 3o,l of li'ht metal ,hose inner side 3ore ominous 3ro,nish stains ,hen found. 4orei'ners and credulous 'randmothers are eDually 'arrulous a3out the modern nic!el crucifi% ,ith 3ro!en chain mi%ed in the ru33ish and shiverin'ly identified 3y 6oe 8ature,icz as that ,hich he had 'iven poor 7ilman many years 3efore. Some 3elieve this crucifi% ,as dra''ed up to the sealed loft 3y ratsA ,hile others thin! it must have 3een on the floor in some corner of 7ilman<s old room at the time. Still othersA includin' 6oe himselfA have theories too ,ild and fantastic for so3er credence. When the slantin' ,all of 7ilman<s room ,as torn outA the once1sealed trian'ular space 3et,een that partition and the house<s north ,all ,as found to contain much less structural de3risA even in proportion to its sizeA than the room itselfA thou'h it had a 'hastly layer of older materials ,hich paralyzed the ,rec!ers ,ith horror. =n 3riefA the floor ,as a verita3le ossuary of the 3ones of small children 11 some fairly modernA 3ut others e%tendin' 3ac! in infinite 'radations to a period so remote that crum3lin' ,as almost complete. +n this deep 3ony layer rested a !nife of 'reat sizeA o3vious antiDuityA and 'rotesDueA ornateA and e%otic desi'n 11 a3ove ,hich the de3ris ,as piled. =n the midst of this de3risA ,ed'ed 3et,een a fallen plan! and a cluster of cemented 3ric!s from the ruined chimneyA ,as an o3Cect destined to cause more 3afflementA veiled fri'htA and openly superstitious tal! in Ar!ham than anythin' else discovered in the haunted and accursed 3uildin'. This o3Cect ,as the partly crushed s!eleton of a hu'e diseased ratA ,hose a3normalities of form are still a topic of de3ate and source of sin'ular reticence amon' the mem3ers of 8is!atonic<s department of comparative anatomy. ?ery little concernin' this s!eleton has lea!ed outA 3ut the ,or!men ,ho found it ,hisper in shoc!ed tones a3out the lon'A 3ro,nish hairs ,ith ,hich it ,as associated. The 3ones of the tiny pa,sA it is rumouredA imply prehensile characteristics more typical of a diminutive mon!ey than of a ratA ,hile the small s!ull ,ith its sava'e yello, fan's is of the utmost anomalousnessA appearin' from certain an'les li!e a miniatureA monstrously de'raded parody of a human s!ull. The ,or!men crossed themselves in fri'ht ,hen they came upon this 3lasphemyA 3ut later 3urned candles of 'ratitude in St. Stanislaus< Church 3ecause of the shrillA 'hostly titterin' they felt they ,ould never hear a'ain.

The /%#2ich Horror

Gorgons and 9ydras& and C"imaeras - dire stories of Celaeno and t"e 9arpies may reproduce t"emsel!es in t"e brain of superstition - but t"ey $ere t"ere before% T"ey are transcripts& types - t"e arc"types are in us& and eternal% 9o$ else s"ould t"e recital of t"at $"ic" $e kno$ in a $aking sense to be false come to affect us all/ Is it t"at $e naturally concei!e terror from suc" obFects& considered in t"eir capacity of being able to inflict upon us bodily inFury/ '& least of allC These terrors are of older standin'. They date 3eyond 3ody - or $it"out t"e body& t"ey $ould "a!e been t"e same%%% T"at t"e kind of fear "ere treated is purely spiritual - t"at it is strong in proportion as it is obFectless on eart"& t"at it predominates in t"e period of our sinless infancy - are difficulties t"e solution of $"ic" mig"t afford some probable insig"t into our ante-mundane condition& and a peep at least into t"e s"ado$land of pre-e@istence% 1 Charles 5am39 Witc"es and 't"er -ig"t-7ears

,.
When a traveller in north central 8assachusetts ta!es the ,ron' for! at the Cunction of Ayles3ury pi!e Cust 3eyond $ean<s Corners he comes upon a lonely and curious country. The 'round 'ets hi'herA and the 3rier13ordered stone ,alls press closer and closer a'ainst the ruts of the dustyA curvin' road. The trees of the freDuent forest 3elts seem too lar'eA and the ,ild ,eedsA 3ram3les and 'rasses attain a lu%uriance not often found in settled re'ions. At the same time the planted fields appear sin'ularly fe, and 3arrenB ,hile the sparsely scattered houses ,ear a surprisin'ly uniform aspect of a'eA sDualorA and dilapidation. Without !no,in' ,hyA one hesitates to as! directions from the 'narled solitary fi'ures spied no, and then on crum3lin' doorsteps or on the slopin'A roc!1stre,n meado,s.Those fi'ures are so silent and furtive that one feels someho, confronted 3y for3idden thin'sA ,ith ,hich it ,ould 3e 3etter to have nothin' to do. When a rise in the road 3rin's the mountains in vie, a3ove the deep ,oodsA the feelin' of stran'e uneasiness is increased. The summits are too rounded and symmetrical to 'ive a sense of comfort and naturalnessA and sometimes the s!y silhouettes ,ith especial clearness the Dueer circles of tall stone pillars ,ith ,hich most of them are cro,ned. 7or'es and ravines of pro3lematical depth intersect the ,ayA and the crude ,ooden 3rid'es al,ays seem of du3ious safety. When the road dips a'ain there are stretches of marshland that one instinctively disli!esA and indeed almost fears at evenin' ,hen unseen ,hippoor,ills chatter and the fireflies come out in a3normal profusion to dance to the raucousA creepily insistent rhythms of stridently pipin' 3ull1fro's. The thinA shinin' line of the 8is!atonic<s upper reaches has an oddly serpent1li!e su''estion as it ,inds close to the feet of the domed hills amon' ,hich it rises.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $un,ich 2orror

&1&

As the hills dra, nearerA one heeds their ,ooded sides more than their stone1cro,ned tops. Those sides loom up so dar!ly and precipitously that one ,ishes they ,ould !eep their distanceA 3ut there is no road 3y ,hich to escape them. Across a covered 3rid'e one sees a small villa'e huddled 3et,een the stream and the vertical slope of :ound 8ountainA and ,onders at the cluster of rottin' 'am3rel roofs 3espea!in' an earlier architectural period than that of the nei'h3ourin' re'ion. =t is not reassurin' to seeA on a closer 'lanceA that most of the houses are deserted and fallin' to ruinA and that the 3ro!en1steepled church no, har3ours the one slovenly mercantile esta3lishment of the hamlet. +ne dreads to trust the tene3rous tunnel of the 3rid'eA yet there is no ,ay to avoid it. +nce acrossA it is hard to prevent the impression of a faintA mali'n odour a3out the villa'e streetA as of the massed mould and decay of centuries. =t is al,ays a relief to 'et clear of the placeA and to follo, the narro, road around the 3ase of the hips and across the level country 3eyond till it reCoins the Ayles3ury pi!e. After,ards one sometimes learns that one has 3een throu'h $un,ich. +utsiders visit $un,ich as seldom as possi3leA and since a certain season of horror all the si'n3oards pointin' to,ards it have 3een ta!en do,n. The sceneryA Cud'ed 3y an ordinary aesthetic canonA is more than commonly 3eautifulB yet there is no influ% of artists or summer tourists. T,o centuries a'oA ,hen tal! of ,itch13loodA Satan1,orshipA and stran'e forest presences ,as not lau'hed atA it ,as the custom to 'ive reasons for avoidin' the locality. =n our sensi3le a'e 1 since the $un,ich horror of 1)"8 ,as hushed up 3y those ,ho had the to,n<s and the ,orld<s ,elfare at heart 1 people shun it ,ithout !no,in' e%actly ,hy. >erhaps one reason 1 thou'h it cannot apply to uninformed stran'ers 1 is that the natives are no, repellently decadentA havin' 'one far alon' that path of retro'ression so common in many ;e, En'land 3ac!,aters. They have come to form a race 3y themselvesA ,ith the ,ell1defined mental and physical sti'mata of de'eneracy and in3reedin'. The avera'e of their intelli'ence is ,oefully lo,A ,hilst their annals ree! of overt viciousness and of half1hidden murdersA incestsA and deeds of almost unnamea3le violence and perversity. The old 'entryA representin' the t,o or three armi'erous families ,hich came from Salem in 1-)"A have !ept some,hat a3ove the 'eneral level of decayB thou'h many 3ranches are sun! into the sordid populace so deeply that only their names remain as a !ey to the ori'in they dis'race. Some of the Whateleys and Bishops still send their eldest sons to 2arvard and 8is!atonicA thou'h those sons seldom return to the moulderin' 'am3rel roofs under ,hich they and their ancestors ,ere 3orn. ;o oneA even those ,ho have the facts concernin' the recent horrorA can say Cust ,hat is the matter ,ith $un,ichB thou'h old le'ends spea! of unhallo,ed rites and conclaves of the =ndiansA amidst ,hich they called for3idden shapes of shado, out of the 'reat rounded hillsA and made ,ild or'iastic prayers that ,ere ans,ered 3y loud crac!in's and rum3lin's from the 'round 3elo,. =n 17#7 the :everend A3iCah 2oadleyA ne,ly come to the Con're'ational Church at $un,ich ?illa'eA preached a memora3le sermon on the close presence of Satan and his impsB in ,hich he said9 L=t must 3e allo,<dA that these Blasphemies of an infernall Train of $aemons are 8atters of too common 0no,led'e to 3e deny<dB the cursed ?oices of Azazel and BuzraelA of Beelze3u3 and BelialA 3ein' heard no, from under 7round 3y a3ove a Score of credi3le Witnesses no, livin'. = myself did not more than a 4ortni'ht a'o catch a very plain $iscourse of evill >o,ers in the 2ill 3ehind my 2ouseB ,herein there ,ere a :attlin' and :ollin'A 7roanin'A Screechin'A and 2issin'A such as no

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The $un,ich 2orror

&1#

Thin's of this Earth could raise upA and ,hich must needs have come from those Caves that only 3lac! 8a'ic! can discoverA and only the $ivell unloc!L. 8r. 2oadley disappeared soon after deliverin' this sermonA 3ut the te%tA printed in Sprin'fieldA is still e%tant. ;oises in the hills continued to 3e reported from year to yearA and still form a puzzle to 'eolo'ists and physio'raphers. +ther traditions tell of foul odours near the hill1cro,nin' circles of stone pillarsA and of rushin' airy presences to 3e heard faintly at certain hours from stated points at the 3ottom of the 'reat ravinesB ,hile still others try to e%plain the $evil<s 2op .ard 1 a 3lea!A 3lasted hillside ,here no treeA shru3A or 'rass13lade ,ill 'ro,. ThenA tooA the natives are mortally afraid of the numerous ,hippoor,ills ,hich 'ro, vocal on ,arm ni'hts. =t is vo,ed that the 3irds are psychopomps lyin' in ,ait for the souls of the dyin'A and that they time their eerie cries in unison ,ith the sufferer<s stru''lin' 3reath. =f they can catch the fleein' soul ,hen it leaves the 3odyA they instantly flutter a,ay chitterin' in daemoniac lau'hterB 3ut if they failA they su3side 'radually into a disappointed silence. These talesA of courseA are o3solete and ridiculousB 3ecause they come do,n from very old times. $un,ich is indeed ridiculously old 1 older 3y far than any of the communities ,ithin thirty miles of it. South of the villa'e one may still spy the cellar ,alls and chimney of the ancient Bishop houseA ,hich ,as 3uilt 3efore 17**B ,hilst the ruins of the mill at the fallsA 3uilt in 18*-A form the most modern piece of architecture to 3e seen. =ndustry did not flourish hereA and the nineteenth1century factory movement proved short1lived. +ldest of all are the 'reat rin's of rou'h1he,n stone columns on the hilltopsA 3ut these are more 'enerally attri3uted to the =ndians than to the settlers. $eposits of s!ulls and 3onesA found ,ithin these circles and around the sizea3le ta3le1li!e roc! on Sentinel 2illA sustain the popular 3elief that such spots ,ere once the 3urial1places of the >ocumtuc!sB even thou'h many ethnolo'istsA disre'ardin' the a3surd impro3a3ility of such a theoryA persist in 3elievin' the remains Caucasian.

,,.
=t ,as in the to,nship of $un,ichA in a lar'e and partly inha3ited farmhouse set a'ainst a hillside four miles from the villa'e and a mile and a half from any other d,ellin'A that Wil3ur Whateley ,as 3orn at a.m. on SundayA the second of 4e3ruaryA 1)1&. This date ,as recalled 3ecause it ,as CandlemasA ,hich people in $un,ich curiously o3serve under another nameB and 3ecause the noises in the hills had soundedA and all the do's of the countryside had 3ar!ed persistentlyA throu'hout the ni'ht 3efore. 5ess ,orthy of notice ,as the fact that the mother ,as one of the decadent WhateleysA a some,hat deformedA unattractive al3ino ,oman of thirty1five A livin' ,ith an a'ed and half1insane father a3out ,hom the most fri'htful tales of ,izardry had 3een ,hispered in his youth. 5avinia Whateley had no !no,n hus3andA 3ut accordin' to the custom of the re'ion made no attempt to disavo, the childB concernin' the other side of ,hose ancestry the country fol! mi'ht 1 and did 1 speculate as ,idely as they chose. +n the contraryA she seemed stran'ely proud of the dar!A 'oatish1loo!in' infant ,ho formed such a contrast to her o,n sic!ly and pin!1eyed al3inismA and ,as heard to mutter many curious prophecies a3out its unusual po,ers and tremendous future.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $un,ich 2orror

&1

5avinia ,as one ,ho ,ould 3e apt to mutter such thin'sA for she ,as a lone creature 'iven to ,anderin' amidst thunderstorms in the hills and tryin' to read the 'reat odorous 3oo!s ,hich her father had inherited throu'h t,o centuries of WhateleysA and ,hich ,ere fast fallin' to pieces ,ith a'e and ,ormholes. She had never 3een to schoolA 3ut ,as filled ,ith disCointed scraps of ancient lore that +ld Whateley had tau'ht her. The remote farmhouse had al,ays 3een feared 3ecause of +ld Whateley<s reputation for 3lac! ma'icA and the une%plained death 3y violence of 8rs Whateley ,hen 5avinia ,as t,elve years old had not helped to ma!e the place popular. =solated amon' stran'e influencesA 5avinia ,as fond of ,ild and 'randiose day1dreams and sin'ular occupationsB nor ,as her leisure much ta!en up 3y household cares in a home from ,hich all standards of order and cleanliness had lon' since disappeared. There ,as a hideous screamin' ,hich echoed a3ove even the hill noises and the do's< 3ar!in' on the ni'ht Wil3ur ,as 3omA 3ut no !no,n doctor or mid,ife presided at his comin'. ;ei'h3ours !ne, nothin' of him till a ,ee! after,ardA ,hen +ld Wateley drove his slei'h throu'h the sno, into $un,ich ?illa'e and discoursed incoherently to the 'roup of loun'ers at +s3orne<s 'eneral store. There seemed to 3e a chan'e in the old man 1 an added element of furtiveness in the clouded 3rain ,hich su3tly transformed him from an o3Cect to a su3Cect of fear 1 thou'h he ,as not one to 3e pertur3ed 3y any common family event. Amidst it all he sho,ed some trace of the pride later noticed in his dau'hterA and ,hat he said of the child<s paternity ,as remem3ered 3y many of his hearers years after,ard. <= dun<t !eer ,hat fol!s thin! 1 ef 5avinny<s 3oy loo!ed li!e his paA he ,ouldn<t loo! li!e nothin< ye e%pec!. .e needn<t thin! the only fol!s is the fol!s herea3outs. 5avinny<s read someA an< has seed some thin's the most o< ye only tell a3aout. = calc<late her man is as 'ood a hus3an< as ye !in find this side of Ayles3uryB an< ef ye !no,ed as much a3aout the hills as = de,A ye ,ouldn<t ast no 3etter church ,eddin< nor her<n. 5et me tell ye suthin 1 some day ye$ folks+ll "ear a c"ild o+ (a!inny+s a-callin+ its fat"er+s name on t"e top o+ Sentinel 9illC+ The only person ,ho sa, Wil3ur durin' the first month of his life ,ere old @echariah WhateleyA of the undecayed WhateleysA and Earl Sa,yer<s common1la, ,ifeA 8amie Bishop. 8amie<s visit ,as fran!ly one of curiosityA and her su3seDuent tales did Custice to her o3servationsB 3ut @echariah came to lead a pair of Alderney co,s ,hich +ld Whateley had 3ou'ht of his son Curtis. This mar!ed the 3e'innin' of a course of cattle13uyin' on the part of small Wil3ur<s family ,hich ended only in 1)"8A ,hen the $un,ich horror came and ,entB yet at no time did the ramshac!le Wateley team seem overcro,ded ,ith livestoc!. There came a period ,hen people ,ere curious enou'h to steal up and count the herd that 'razed precariously on the steep hillside a3ove the old farm1houseA and they could never find more than ten or t,elve anaemicA 3loodless1loo!in' specimens. Evidently some 3li'ht or distemperA perhaps sprun' from the un,holesome pastura'e or the diseased fun'i and tim3ers of the filthy 3arnA caused a heavy mortality amon'st the Whateley animals. +dd ,ounds or soresA havin' somethin' of the aspect of incisionsA seemed to afflict the visi3le cattleB and once or t,ice durin' the earlier months certain callers fancied they could discern similar sores a3out the throats of the 'reyA unshaven old man and his slattemlyA crin!ly1haired al3ino dau'hter. =n the sprin' after Wil3ur<s 3irth 5avinia resumed her customary ram3les in the hillsA 3earin' in her misproportioned arms the s,arthy child. >u3lic interest in the Whateley<s

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $un,ich 2orror

&1-

su3sided after most of the country fol! had seen the 3a3yA and no one 3othered to comment on the s,ift development ,hich that ne,comer seemed every day to e%hi3it. Wil3ur<s 'ro,th ,as indeed phenomenalA for ,ithin three months of his 3irth he had attained a size and muscular po,er not usually found in infants under a full year of a'e. 2is motions and even his vocal sounds sho,ed a restraint and deli3erateness hi'hly peculiar in an infantA and no one ,as really unprepared ,henA at seven monthsA he 3e'an to ,al! unassistedA ,ith falterin's ,hich another month ,as sufficient to remove. =t ,as some,hat after this time 1 on 2allo,e<en 1 that a 'reat 3laze ,as seen at midni'ht on the top of Sentinel 2ill ,here the old ta3le1li!e stone stands amidst its tumulus of ancient 3ones. Considera3le tal! ,as started ,hen Silas Bishop 1 of the undecayed Bishops 1 mentioned havin' seen the 3oy runnin' sturdily up that hill ahead of his mother a3out an hour 3efore the 3laze ,as remar!ed. Silas ,as roundin' up a stray heiferA 3ut he nearly for'ot his mission ,hen he fleetin'ly spied the t,o fi'ures in the dim li'ht of his lantern. They darted almost noiselessly throu'h the under3rushA and the astonished ,atcher seemed to thin! they ,ere entirely unclothed. After,ards he could not 3e sure a3out the 3oyA ,ho may have had some !ind of a frin'ed 3elt and a pair of dar! trun!s or trousers on. Wil3ur ,as never su3seDuently seen alive and conscious ,ithout complete and ti'htly 3uttoned attireA the disarran'ement or threatened disarran'ement of ,hich al,ays seemed to fill him ,ith an'er and alarm. 2is contrast ,ith his sDualid mother and 'randfather in this respect ,as thou'ht very nota3le until the horror of 1)"8 su''ested the most valid of reasons. The ne%t 6anuary 'ossips ,ere mildly interested in the fact that <5avinny<s 3lac! 3rat< had commenced to tal!A and at the a'e of only eleven months. 2is speech ,as some,hat remar!a3le 3oth 3ecause of in difference from the ordinary accents of the re'ionA and 3ecause it displayed a freedom from infantile lispin' of ,hich many children of three or four mi'ht ,ell 3e proud. The 3oy ,as not tal!ativeA yet ,hen he spo!e he seemed to reflect some elusive element ,holly unpossessed 3y $un,ich and its denizens. The stran'eness did not reside in ,hat he saidA or even in the simple idioms he usedB 3ut seemed va'uely lin!ed ,ith his intonation or ,ith the internal or'ans that produced the spo!en sounds. 2is facial aspectA tooA ,as remar!a3le for its maturityB for thou'h he shared his mother<s and 'randfather<s chinlessnessA his firm and precociously shaped nose united ,ith the e%pression of his lar'eA dar!A almost 5atin eyes to 'ive him an air of Duasi1 adulthood and ,ell1ni'h preternatural intelli'ence. 2e ,asA ho,everA e%ceedin'ly u'ly despite his appearance of 3rilliancyB there 3ein' somethin' almost 'oatish or animalistic a3out his thic! lipsA lar'e1poredA yello,ish s!inA coarse crin!ly hairA and oddly elon'ated ears. 2e ,as soon disli!ed even more decidedly than his mother and 'randsireA and all conCectures a3out him ,ere spiced ,ith references to the 3y'one ma'ic of +ld WhateleyA and ho, the hills once shoo! ,hen he shrie!ed the dreadful name of ;og-Sot"ot" in the midst of a circle of stones ,ith a 'reat 3oo! open in his arms 3efore him. $o's a3horred the 3oyA and he ,as al,ays o3li'ed to ta!e various defensive measures a'ainst their 3ar!in' menace.

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The $un,ich 2orror

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8ean,hile +ld Whateley continued to 3uy cattle ,ithout measura3ly increasin' the size of his herd. 2e also cut tim3er and 3e'an to repair the unused parts of his house 1 a spaciousA pea!1roofed affair ,hose rear end ,as 3uried entirely in the roc!y hillsideA and ,hose three least1ruined 'round1floor rooms had al,ays 3een sufficient for himself and his dau'hter. There must have 3een prodi'ious reserves of stren'th in the old man to ena3le him to accomplish so much hard la3ourB and thou'h he still 3a33led dementedly at timesA his carpentry seemed to sho, the effects of sound calculation. =t had already 3e'un as soon as Wil3ur ,as 3ornA,hen one of the many tool sheds had 3een put suddenly in orderA clap3oardedA and fitted ,ith a stout fresh loc!. ;o,A in restorin' the a3andoned upper storey of the houseA he ,as a no less thorou'h craftsman. 2is mania sho,ed itself only in his ti'ht 3oardin'1up of all the ,indo,s in the reclaimed section 1 thou'h many declared that it ,as a crazy thin' to 3other ,ith the reclamation at all. 5ess ine%plica3le ,as his fittin' up of another do,nstairs room for his ne, 'randson 1 a room ,hich several callers sa,A thou'h no one ,as ever admitted to the closely13oarded upper storey. This cham3er he lined ,ith tallA firm shelvin'A alon' ,hich he 3e'an 'radually to arran'eA in apparently careful orderA all the rottin' ancient 3oo!s and parts of 3oo!s ,hich durin' his o,n day had 3een heaped promiscuously in odd corners of the various rooms. <= made some use of <emA< he ,ould say as he tried to mend a torn 3lac!1letter pa'e ,ith paste prepared on the rusty !itchen stoveA <3ut the 3oy<s fitten to ma!e 3etter use of <em. 2e<d orter hev <em as ,ell so as he !inA for they<re 'oin< to 3e all of his larnin<.< When Wil3ur ,as a year and seven months old 1 in Septem3er of 1)1# 1 his size and accomplishments ,ere almost alarmin'. 2e had 'ro,n as lar'e as a child of fourA and ,as a fluent and incredi3ly intelli'ent tal!er. 2e ran freely a3out the fields and hillsA and accompanied his mother on all her ,anderin's. At home he ,ould pore dilli'ently over the Dueer pictures and charts in his 'randfather<s 3oo!sA ,hile +ld Whateley ,ould instruct and catechize him throu'h lon'A hushed afternoons. By this time the restoration of the house ,as finishedA and those ,ho ,atched it ,ondered ,hy one of the upper ,indo,s had 3een made into a solid plan! door. =t ,as a ,indo, in the rear of the east 'a3le endA close a'ainst the hillB and no one could ima'ine ,hy a cleated ,ooden run,ay ,as 3uilt up to it from the 'round. A3out the period of this ,or!<s completion people noticed that the old tool1houseA ti'htly loc!ed and ,indo,lessly clap3oarded since Wil3ur<s 3irthA had 3een a3andoned a'ain. The door s,un' listlessly openA and ,hen Earl Sa,yer once stepped ,ithin after a cattle1sellin' call on +ld Whateley he ,as Duite discomposed 3y the sin'ular odour he encountered 1 such a stenchA he averredA as he had never 3efore smelt in all his life e%cept near the =ndian circles on the hillsA and ,hich could not come from anythin' sane or of this earth. But thenA the homes and sheds of $un,ich fol! have never 3een remar!a3le for olfactory immaculateness. The follo,in' months ,ere void of visi3le eventsA save that everyone s,ore to a slo, 3ut steady increase in the mysterious hill noises. +n 8ay Eve of 1)1 there ,ere tremors ,hich even the Ayles3ury people feltA ,hilst the follo,in' 2allo,e<en produced an

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under'round rum3lin' Dueerly synchronized ,ith 3ursts of flame 1 <them ,itch Whateleys< doin<s< 1 from the summit of Sentinel 2ill. Wil3ur ,as 'ro,in' up uncannilyA so that he loo!ed li!e a 3oy of ten as he entered his fourth year. 2e read avidly 3y himself no,B 3ut tal!ed much less than formerly. A settled taciturnity ,as a3sor3in' himA and for the first time people 3e'an to spea! specifically of the da,nin' loo! of evil in his 'oatish face. 2e ,ould sometimes mutter an unfamiliar Car'onA and chant in 3izarre rhythms ,hich chilled the listener ,ith a sense of une%plaina3le terror. The aversion displayed to,ards him 3y do's had no, 3ecome a matter of ,ide remar!A and he ,as o3li'ed to carry a pistol in order to traverse the countryside in safety. 2is occasional use of the ,eapon did not enhance his popularity amon'st the o,ners of canine 'uardians. The fe, callers at the house ,ould often find 5avinia alone on the 'round floorA ,hile odd cries and footsteps resounded in the 3oarded1up second storey. She ,ould never tell ,hat her father and the 3oy ,ere doin' up thereA thou'h once she turned pale and displayed an a3normal de'ree of fear ,as a Cocose fish1pedlar tried the loc!ed door leadin' to the stair,ay. That pedlar told the store loun'ers at $un,ich ?illa'e that he thou'ht he heard a horse stampin' on that floor a3ove. The loun'ers reflectedA thin!in' of the door and run,ayA and of the cattle that so s,iftly disappeared. Then they shuddered as they recalled tales of +ld Whateley<s youthA and of the stran'e thin's that are called out of the earth ,hen a 3ulloc! is sacrificed at the proper time to certain heathen 'ods. =t had for some time 3een noticed that do's had 3e'un to hate and fear the ,hole Whateley place as violently as they hated and feared youn' Wil3ur personally. =n 1)17 the ,ar cameA and SDuire Sa,yer WhateleyA as chairman of the local draft 3oardA had hard ,or! findin' a Duota of youn' $un,ich men fit even to 3e sent to development camp. The 'overnmentA alarmed at such si'ns of ,holesale re'ional decadenceA sent several officers and medical e%perts to investi'ateB conductin' a survey ,hich ;e, En'land ne,spaper readers may still recall. =t ,as the pu3licity attendin' this investi'ation ,hich set reporters on the trac! of the WhateleysA and caused the Boston 7lo3e and Ar!ham Advertiser to print flam3oyant Sunday stories of youn' Wil3ur<s precociousnessA +ld Whateley<s 3lac! ma'icA and the shelves of stran'e 3oo!sA the sealed second storey of the ancient farmhouseA and the ,eirdness of the ,hole re'ion and its hill noises. Wil3ur ,as four and a half thenA and loo!ed li!e a lad of fifteen. 2is lips and chee!s ,ere fuzzy ,ith a coarse dar! do,nA and his voice had 3e'un to 3rea!. Earl Sa,yer ,ent out to the Whateley place ,ith 3oth sets of reporters and camera menA and called their attention to the Dueer stench ,hich no, seemed to tric!le do,n from the sealed upper spaces. =t ,asA he saidA e%actly li!e a smell he had found in the toolshed a3andoned ,hen the house ,as finally repairedB and li!e the hint odours ,hich he sometimes thou'ht he cau'ht near the stone circle on the mountains. $un,ich fol! read the stories ,hen they appearedA and 'rinned over the o3vious mista!es. They ,onderedA tooA ,hy the ,riters made so much of the fact that +ld Whateley al,ays paid for his cattle in 'old pieces of e%tremely ancient date. The Whateleys had received their visitors ,ith ill1 concealed distasteA thou'h they did not dare court further pu3licity 3y a violent resistance or refusal to tal!.

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,V.
4or a decade the annals of the Whateleys sin! indistin'uisha3ly into the 'eneral life of a mor3id community used to their Dueer ,ays and hardened to their 8ay Eve and All1 2allo,s or'ies. T,ice a year they ,ould li'ht fires on the top of Sentinel 2illA at ,hich times the mountain rum3lin's ,ould recur ,ith 'reater and 'reater violenceB ,hile at all seasons there ,ere stran'e and portentous doin's at the lonely farm1house. =n the course of time callers professed to hear sounds in the sealed upper storey even ,hen all the family ,ere do,nstairsA and they ,ondered ho, s,iftly or ho, lin'erin'ly a co, or 3ulloc! ,as usually sacrificed. There ,as tally of a complaint to the Society for the >revention of Cruelty to Animals 3ut nothin' ever came of itA since $un,ich fol! are never an%ious to call the outside ,orld<s attention to themselves. A3out 1)"&A ,hen Wil3ur ,as a 3oy of ten ,hose mindA voiceA statureA and 3earded face 'ave all the impressions of maturityA a second 'reat sie'e of carpentry ,ent on at the old house. =t ,as all inside the sealed upper partA and from 3its of discarded lum3er people concluded that the youth and his 'randfather had !noc!ed out all the partitions and even removed the attic floorA leavin' only one vast open void 3et,een the 'round storey and the pea!ed roof. They had torn do,n the 'reat central chimneyA tooA and fitted the rusty ran'e ,ith a flimsy outside tin stove1pipe. =n the sprin' after this event +ld Whateley noticed the 'ro,in' num3er of ,hippoor,ills that ,ould come out of Cold Sprin' 7len to chirp under his ,indo, at ni'ht. 2e seemed to re'ard the circumstance as one of 'reat si'nificanceA and told the loun'ers at +s3orn<s that he thou'ht his time had almost come. <They ,histle Cest in tune ,ith my 3reathin< nao,A< he saidA <an< = 'uess they<re 'ittin< ready to !etch my soul. They !no, it<s a1'oin< aoutA an< dun<t calc<late to miss it. .e,<ll !no,A 3oysA arter =<m 'oneA ,hether they 'it me er not. Ef they de,A they<ll !eep up a1 sin'in< an< lapin< till 3rea! o< day. Ef they dun<t they<ll !inder Duiet dao,n li!e. = e%pec! them an< the souls they hunts fer hev some pretty tou'h tussles sometimes.< +n 5arnmas ;i'htA 1)"#A $r 2ou'hton of Ayles3ury ,as hastily summoned 3y Wil3ur WhateleyA ,ho had lashed his one remainin' horse throu'h the dar!ness and telephoned from +s3orn<s in the villa'e. 2e found +ld Whateley in a very 'rave stateA ,ith a cardiac action and stertorous 3reathin' that told of an end not far off. The shapeless al3ino dau'hter and oddly 3earded 'randson stood 3y the 3edsideA ,hilst from the vacant a3yss overhead there came a disDuietin' su''estion of rhythmical sur'in' or lappin'A as of the ,aves on some level 3each. The doctorA thou'hA ,as chiefly distur3ed 3y the chatterin' ni'ht 3irds outsideB a seemin'ly limitless le'ion of ,hippoor,ills that cried their endless messa'e in repetitions timed dia3olically to the ,heezin' 'asps of the dyin' man. =t ,as uncanny and unnatural 1 too muchA thou'ht $r 2ou'htonA li!e the ,hole of the re'ion he had entered so reluctantly in response to the ur'ent call. To,ards one o<cloc! +ld Whateley 'ained consciousnessA and interrupted his ,heezin' to cho!e out a fe, ,ords to his 'randson. <8ore spaceA WillyA more space soon. .e, 'ro,s1 an< that 'ro,s faster. =t<ll 3e ready to serve ye soonA 3oy. +pen up the 'ates to .o'1Sothoth ,ith the lon' chant that ye<ll find on

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page >G< of t"e complete editionA an then put a match to the prison. 4ire from airth can<t 3urn it nohao,.< 2e ,as o3viously Duite mad. After a pauseA durin' ,hich the floc! of ,hippoor,ills outside adCusted their cries to the altered tempo ,hile some indications of the stran'e hill noises came from afar offA he added another sentence or t,o. <4eed it re'<larA WillyA an< mind the DuantityB 3ut dun<t let it 'ro, too fast fer the placeA fer ef it 3usts Duarters or 'its aout afore ye opens to .o'1SothothA it<s all over an< no use. +nly them from 3eyont !in ma!e it multiply an< ,or!... +nly themA the old uns as ,ants to come 3ac!...< But speech 'ave place to 'asps a'ainA and 5avinia screamed at the ,ay the ,hippoor,ills follo,ed the chan'e. =t ,as the same for more than an hourA ,hen the final throaty rattle came. $r 2ou'hton dre, shrun!en lids over the 'lazin' 'rey eyes as the tumult of 3irds faded impercepti3ly to silence. 5avinia so33edA 3ut Wil3ur only chuc!led ,hilst the hill noises rum3led faintly. <They didn<t 'it himA< he muttered in his heavy 3ass voice. Wil3ur ,as 3y this time a scholar of really tremendous erudition in his one1sided ,ayA and ,as Duietly !no,n 3y correspondence to many li3rarians in distant places ,here rare and for3idden 3oo!s of old days are !ept. 2e ,as more and more hated and dreaded around $un,ich 3ecause of certain youthful disappearances ,hich suspicion laid va'uely at his doorB 3ut ,as al,ays a3le to silence inDuiry throu'h fear or throu'h use of that fund of old1time 'old ,hich stillA as in his 'randfather<s timeA ,ent forth re'ularly and increasin'ly for cattle13uyin'. 2e ,as no, tremendously mature of aspectA and his hei'htA havin' reached the normal adult limitA seemed inclined to ,a% 3eyond that fi'ure. =n 1)" A ,hen a scholarly correspondent from 8is!atonic (niversity called upon him one day and departed pale and puzzledA he ,as fully si% and three1Duarters feet tall. Throu'h all the years Wil3ur had treated his half1deformed al3ino mother ,ith a 'ro,in' contemptA finally for3iddin' her to 'o to the hills ,ith him on 8ay Eve and 2allo,massB and in 1)"- the poor creature complained to 8amie Bishop of 3ein' afraid of him. <They<s more a3aout him as = !no,s than = !in tell yeA 8amieA< she saidA <an< nao,adays they<s more nor ,hat = !no, myself. = vao, afur 7a,dA = dun<t !no, ,hat he ,ants nor ,hat he<s a1tryin< to de,.< That 2allo,e<en the hill noises sounded louder than everA and fire 3urned on Sentinel 2ill as usualB 3ut people paid more attention to the rhythmical screamin' of vast floc!s of unnaturally 3elated ,hippoor,ills ,hich seemed to 3e assem3led near the unli'hted Whateley farmhouse. After midni'ht their shrill notes 3urst into a !ind of pandemoniac cachinnation ,hich filled all the countrysideA and not until da,n did they finally Duiet do,n. Then they vanishedA hurryin' south,ard ,here they ,ere fully a month overdue. What this meantA no one could Duite 3e certain till later. ;one of the countryfol! seemed to have died 1 3ut poor 5avinia WhateleyA the t,isted al3inoA ,as never seen a'ain.

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=n the summer of 1)"7 Wil3ur repaired t,o sheds in the farmyard and 3e'an movin' his 3oo!s and effects out to them. Soon after,ards Earl Sa,yer told the loun'ers at +s3orn<s that more carpentry ,as 'oin' on in the Whateley farmhouse. Wil3ur ,as closin' all the doors and ,indo,s on the 'round floorA and seemed to 3e ta!in' out partitions as he and his 'randfather had done upstairs four years 3efore. 2e ,as livin' in one of the shedsA and Sa,yer thou'ht he seemed unusually ,orried and tremulous. >eople 'enerally suspected him of !no,in' somethin' a3out his mother disappearanceA and very fe, ever approached his nei'h3ourhood no,. 2is hei'ht had increased to more than seven feetA and sho,ed no si'ns of ceasin' its development.

V.
The follo,in' ,inter 3rou'ht an event no less stran'e than Wil3ur<s first trip outside the $un,ich re'ion. Correspondence ,ith the Widener 5i3rary at 2arvardA the Bi3liothMDue ;ationale in >arisA the British 8useumA the (niversity of Buenos AyresA and the 5i3rary of 8is!atonic (niversity at Ar!ham had failed to 'et him the loan of a 3oo! he desperately ,antedB so at len'th he set out in personA sha33yA dirtyA 3eardedA and uncouth of dialectA to consult the copy at 8is!atonicA ,hich ,as the nearest to him 'eo'raphically. Almost ei'ht feet tallA and carryin' a cheap ne, valise from +s3orne<s 'eneral storeA this dar! and 'oatish 'ar'oyle appeared one day in Ar!ham in Duest of the dreaded volume !ept under loc! and !ey at the colle'e li3rary 1 the hideous -ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul Alhazred in +laus Wormius< 5atin versionA as printed in Spain in the seventeenth century. 2e had never seen a city 3eforeA 3ut had no thou'ht save to find his ,ay to the university 'roundsB ,here indeedA he passed heedlessly 3y the 'reat ,hite1fan'ed ,atchdo' that 3ar!ed ,ith unnatural fury and enmityA and tu''ed frantically at its stout chaim. Wil3ur had ,ith him the priceless 3ut imperfect copy of $r $ee<s En'lish version ,hich his 'randfather had 3eDueathed himA and upon receivin' access to the 5atin copy he at once 3e'an to collate the t,o te%ts ,ith the aim of discoverin' a certain passa'e ,hich ,ould have come on the 7 1st pa'e of his o,n defective volume. This much he could not civilly refrain from tellin' the li3rarian 1 the same erudite 2enry Armita'e JA.8. 8is!atonicA >h.$. >rincetonA 5itt.$. 6ohns 2op!insK ,ho had once called at the farmA and ,ho no, politely plied him ,ith Duestions. 2e ,as loo!in'A he had to admitA for a !ind of formula or incantation containin' the fri'htful name ;og-Sot"ot"& and it puzzled him to find discrepanciesA duplicationsA and am3i'uities ,hich made the matter of determination far from easy. As he copied the formula he finally choseA $r Armita'e loo!ed involuntarily over his shoulder at the open pa'esB the left1hand one of ,hichA in the 5atin versionA contained such monstrous threats to the peace and sanity of the ,orld. ;or is it to 3e thou'ht Jran the te%t as Armita'e mentally translated itK that man is either the oldest or the last of earth<s mastersA or that the common 3ul! of life and su3stance ,al!s alone. The +ld +nes ,ereA the +ld +nes areA and the +ld +nes shall 3e. ;ot in the spaces ,e !no,A 3ut 3et,een themA they ,al! serene and primalA undimensioned and to us unseen. .o'1Sothoth !no,s the 'ate. .o'1Sothoth is the 'ate. .o'1Sothoth is the !ey and 'uardian of the 'ate. >astA presentA futureA all are one in .o'1Sothoth. 2e !no,s ,here the +ld +nes 3ro!e throu'h of oldA and ,here They shall 3rea! throu'h a'ain. 2e !no,s ,here They had trod earth<s fieldsA and ,here They still tread themA and ,hy no one can 3ehold Them as They

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tread. By Their smell can men sometimes !no, Them nearA 3ut of Their sem3lance can no man !no,A savin' only in the features of those They have 3e'otten on man!indB and of those are there many sortsA differin' in li!eness from man<s truest eidolon to that shape ,ithout si'ht or su3stance ,hich is Them. They ,al! unseen and foul in lonely places ,here the Words have 3een spo!en and the :ites ho,led throu'h at their Seasons. The ,ind 'i33ers ,ith Their voicesA and the earth mutters ,ith Their consciousness. They 3end the forest and crush the cityA yet may not forest or city 3ehold the hand that smites. 0adath in the cold ,aste hath !no,n ThemA and ,hat man !no,s 0adathG The ice desert of the South and the sun!en isles of +cean hold stones ,hereon Their seal is en'raverA 3ut ,ho 3ath seen the deep frozen city or the sealed to,er lon' 'arlanded ,ith sea,eed and 3arnaclesG 7reat Cthulhu is Their cousinA yet can he spy Them only dimly. =]F Shu31 ;i''urathF As a foulness shall ye !no, Them. Their hand is at your throatsA yet ye see Them notB and Their ha3itation is even one ,ith your 'uarded threshold. .o'1 Sothoth is the !ey to the 'ateA ,here3y the spheres meet. 8an rules no, ,here They ruled onceB They shall soon rule ,here man rules no,. After summer is ,interA after ,inter summer. They ,ait patient and potentA for here shall They rei'n a'ain. $r. Annita'eA associatin' ,hat he ,as readin' ,ith ,hat he had heard of $un,ich and its 3roodin' presencesA and of Wil3ur Whateley and his dimA hideous aura that stretched from a du3ious 3irth to a cloud of pro3a3le matricideA felt a ,ave of fri'ht as tan'i3le as a drau'ht of the tom3<s cold clamminess. The 3entA 'oatish 'iant 3efore him seemed li!e the spa,n of another planet or dimensionB li!e somethin' only partly of man!indA and lin!ed to 3lac! 'ulfs of essence and entity that stretch li!e titan phantasms 3eyond all spheres of force and matterA space and time. >resently Wil3ur raised his head and 3e'an spea!in' in that stran'eA resonant fashion ,hich hinted at sound1producin' or'ans unli!e the run of man!ind<s. <8r Armita'eA< he saidA <= calc<late =<ve 'ot to ta!e that 3oo! home. They<s thin's in it =<ve 'ot to try under sarten conditions that = can<t 'it hereA en< it <ud 3e a mortal sin to let a red1 tape rule hold me up. 5et me ta!e it alon'A SirA an< =<ll s,ar they ,un<t no3ody !no, the difference. = dun<t need to tell ye =<ll ta!e 'ood !eer of it. =t ,an<t me that put this $ee copy in the shape it is...< 2e stopped as he sa, firm denial on the li3rarian<s faceA and his o,n 'oatish features 're, crafty. Armita'eA half1ready to tell him he mi'ht ma!e a copy of ,hat parts he neededA thou'ht suddenly of the possi3le conseDuences and chec!ed himself. There ,as too much responsi3ility in 'ivin' such a 3ein' the !ey to such 3lasphemous outer spheres. Whateley sa, ho, thin's stoodA and tried to ans,er li'htly. <WalA all ri'htA ef ye feel that ,ay a3aout it. 8ay3e 2arvard ,on<t 3e so fussy as ye, 3e.< And ,ithout sayin' more he rose and strode out of the 3uildin'A stoopin' at each door,ay. Armita'e heard the sava'e yelpin' of the 'reat ,atchdo'A and studied Whateley<s 'orilla1li!e lope as he crossed the 3it of campus visi3le from the ,indo,. 2e thou'ht of the ,ild tales he had heardA and recalled the old Sunday stories in t"e Ad!ertiserB these thin'sA and the lore he had pic!ed up from $un,ich rustics and villa'ers durin' his one visit there. (nseen thin's not of earth 1 or at least not of tridimensional earth 1 rushed

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foetid and horri3le throu'h ;e, En'land<s 'lensA and 3rooded o3scenely on the mountain tops. +f this he had lon' fat certain. ;o, he seemed to sense the close presence of some terri3le part of the intrudin' horrorA and to 'limpse a hellish advance in the 3lac! dominion of the ancient and once passive ni'htmare. 2e loc!ed a,ay t"e -ecronomicon ,ith a shudder of dis'ustA 3ut the room still ree!ed ,ith an unholy and unidentifia3le stench. <As a foulness shall ye !no, themA< he Duoted. .es 1 the odour ,as the same as that ,hich had sic!ened him at the Whateley farmhouse less than three years 3efore. 2e thou'ht of Wil3urA 'oatish and ominousA once a'ainA and lau'hed moc!in'ly at the villa'e rumours of his parenta'e. <=n3reedin'G< Armita'e muttered half1aloud to himself. <7reat 7odA ,hat simpletonsF Sho, them Arthur 8achen<s 7reat 7od >an and they<ll thin! it a common $un,ich scandalF But ,hat thin' 1 ,hat cursed shapeless influence on or off this three1dimensional earth 1 ,as Wil3ur Whateley<s fatherG Born on Candlemas 1 nine months after 8ay Eve of 1)1"A ,hen the tal! a3out the Dueer earth noises reached clear to Ar!ham 1 ,hat ,al!ed on the mountains that 8ay ni'htG What :oodmas horror fastened itself on the ,orld in half1 human flesh and 3loodG< $urin' the ensuin' ,ee!s $r Armita'e set a3out to collect all possi3le data on Wil3ur Whateley and the formless presences around $un,ich. 2e 'ot in communication ,ith $r 2ou'hton of Ayles3uryA ,ho had attended +ld Whateley in his last illnessA and found much to ponder over in the 'randfatter<s last ,ords as Duoted 3y the physician. A visit to $un,ich ?illa'e failed to 3rin' out much that ,as ne,B 3ut a close survey of t"e -ecronomiconA in those parts ,hich Wil3ur had sou'ht so avidlyA seemed to supply ne, and terri3le clues to the natureA methodsA and desires of the stran'e evil so va'uely threatenin' this planet. Tal!s ,ith several students of archaic lore in BostonA and letters to many others else,hereA 'ave him a 'ro,in' amazement ,hich passed slo,ly throu'h varied de'rees of alarm to a state of really acute spiritual fear. As the summer dre, on he felt dimly that somethin' ou'ht to 3e done a3out the lur!in' terrors of the upper 8is!atonic valleyA and a3out the monstrous 3ein' !no,n to the human ,orld as Wil3ur Whateley.

V,.
The $un,ich horror itself came 3et,een 5ammas and the eDuino% in 1)"8A and $r Armita'e ,as amon' those ,ho ,itnessed its monstrous prolo'ue. 2e had heardA mean,hileA of Whateley<s 'rotesDue trip to Cam3rid'eA and of his frantic efforts to 3orro, or copy from t"e -ecronomicon at the Widener 5i3rary. Those efforts had 3een in vainA since Armita'e had issued ,arnin's of the !eenest intensity to all li3rarians havin' char'e of the dreaded volume. Wil3ur had 3een shoc!in'ly nervous at Cam3rid'eB an%ious for the 3oo!A yet almost eDually an%ious to 'et home a'ainA as if he feared the results of 3ein' a,ay lon'. Early in Au'ust the half1e%pected outcome developedA and in the small hours of the third $r Armita'e ,as a,a!ened suddenly 3y the ,ildA fierce cries of the sava'e ,atchdo' on the colle'e campus. $eep and terri3leA the snarlin'A half1mad 'ro,ls and 3ar!s continuedB al,ays in mountin' volumeA 3ut ,ith hideously si'nificant pauses. Then there ran' out a scream from a ,holly different throat 1 such a scream as roused half the sleepers

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of Ar!ham and haunted their dreams ever after,ards 1 such a scream as could come from no 3ein' 3orn of earthA or ,holly of earth. Armita'eA hastenin' into some clothin' and rushin' across the street and la,n to the colle'e 3uildin'sA sa, that others ,ere ahead of himB and heard the echoes of a 3ur'lar1 alarm still shrillin' from the li3rary. An open ,indo, sho,ed 3lac! and 'apin' in the moonli'ht. What had come had indeed completed its entranceB for the 3ar!in' and the screamin'A no, fast fadin' into a mi%ed lo, 'ro,lin' and moanin'A proceeded unmista!a3ly from ,ithin. Some instinct ,arned Armita'e that ,hat ,as ta!in' place ,as not a thin' for unfortified eyes to seeA so he 3rushed 3ac! the cro,d ,ith authority as he unloc!ed the vesti3ule door. Amon' the others he sa, >rofessor Warren :ice and $r 4rancis 8or'anA men to ,hom he had told some of his conCectures and mis'ivin'sB and these t,o he motioned to accompany him inside. The in,ard soundsA e%cept for a ,atchfulA dronin' ,hine from the do'A had 3y this time Duite su3sidedB 3ut Armita'e no, perceived ,ith a sudden start that a loud chorus of ,hippoor,ills amon' the shru33ery had commenced a damna3ly rhythmical pipin'A as if in unison ,ith the last 3reaths of a dyin' man. The 3uildin' ,as full of a fri'htful stench ,hich $r Armita'e !ne, too ,ellA and the three men rushed across the hall to the small 'enealo'ical readin'1room ,hence the lo, ,hinin' came. 4or a second no3ody dared to turn on the li'htA then Armita'e summoned up his coura'e and snapped the s,itch. +ne of the three 1 it is not certain ,hich 1 shrie!ed aloud at ,hat spra,led 3efore them amon' disordered ta3les and overturned chairs. >rofessor :ice declares that he ,holly lost consciousness for an instantA thou'h he did not stum3le or fall. The thin' that lay half13ent on its side in a foetid pool of 'reenish1yello, ichor and tarry stic!iness ,as almost nine feet tallA and the do' had torn off all the clothin' and some of the slain. =t ,as not Duite deadA 3ut t,itched silently and spasmodically ,hile its chest heaved in monstrous unison ,ith the mad pipin' of the e%pectant ,hippoor,ills outside. Bits of shoe1leather and fra'ments of apparel ,ere scattered a3out the roomA and Cust inside the ,indo, an empty canvas sac! lay ,here it had evidently 3een thro,n. ;ear the central des! a revolver had fallenA a dented 3ut undischar'ed cartrid'e later e%plainin' ,hy it had not 3een fired. The thin' itselfA ho,everA cro,ded out all other ima'es at the time. =t ,ould 3e trite and not ,holly accurate to say that no human pen could descri3e itA 3ut one may properly say that it could not 3e vividly visualized 3y anyone ,hose ideas of aspect and contour are too closely 3ound up ,ith the common life1forms of this planet and of the three !no,n dimensions. =t ,as partly humanA 3eyond a dou3tA ,ith very manli!e hands and headA and the 'oatishA chinless face had the stamp of the Whateley<s upon it. But the torso and lo,er parts of the 3ody ,ere teratolo'ically fa3ulousA so that only 'enerous clothin' could ever have ena3led it to ,al! on earth unchallen'ed or uneradicated. A3ove the ,aist it ,as semi1anthropomorphicB thou'h its chestA ,here the do'<s rendin' pa,s still rested ,atchfullyA had the leatheryA reticulated hide of a crocodile or alli'ator. The 3ac! ,as pie3ald ,ith yello, and 3lac!A and dimly su''ested the sDuamous coverin' of certain sna!es.Belo, the ,aistA thou'hA it ,as the ,orstB for here all human resem3lance left off and sheer phantasy 3e'an. The s!in ,as thic!ly covered ,ith coarse 3lac! furA and from the a3domen a score of lon' 'reenish1'rey tentacles ,ith red suc!in' mouths protruded limply.

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Their arran'ement ,as oddA and seemed to follo, the symmetries of some cosmic 'eometry un!no,n to earth or the solar system. +n each of the hipsA deep set in a !ind of pin!ishA ciliated or3itA ,as ,hat seemed to 3e a rudimentary eyeB ,hilst in lieu of a tail there depended a !ind of trun! or feeler ,ith purple annular mar!in'sA and ,ith many evidences of 3ein' an undeveloped mouth or throat. The lim3sA save for their 3lac! furA rou'hly resem3led the hind le's of prehistoric earth<s 'iant sauriansA and terminated in rid'y1veined pads that ,ere neither hooves nor cla,s. When the thin' 3reathedA its tail and tentacles rhythmically chan'ed colourA as if from some circulatory cause normal to the non1human 'reenish tin'eA ,hilst in the tail it ,as manifest as a yello,ish appearance ,hich alternated ,ith a sic!ly 'rayish1,hite in the spaces 3et,een the purple rin's. +f 'enuine 3lood there ,as noneB only the foetid 'reenish1yello, ichor ,hich tric!led alon' the painted floor 3eyond the radius of the stic!inessA and left a curious discoloration 3ehind it. As the presence of the three men seemed to rouse the dyin' thin'A it 3e'an to mum3le ,ithout turnin' or raisin' its head. $r Armita'e made no ,ritten record of its mouthin'sA 3ut asserts confidently that nothin' in En'lish ,as uttered. At first the sylla3les defied all correlation ,ith any speech of earthA 3ut to,ards the last there came some disCointed fra'ments evidently ta!en from t"e -ecronomiconA that monstrous 3lasphemy in Duest of ,hich the thin' had perished. These fra'mentsA as Armita'e recalls themA ran somethin' li!e +-+gai& n+g"a+g"aa& bugg-s"oggog& y+"a"8 ;og-Sot"ot"& ;og-Sot"ot" %%%+ They trailed off into nothin'ness as the ,hippoor,ills shrie!ed in rhythmical crescendos of unholy anticipation. Then came a halt in the 'aspin'A and the do' raised its head in a lon'A lu'u3rious ho,l. A chan'e came over the yello,A 'oatish face of the prostrate thin'A and the 'reat 3lac! eyes fell in appallin'ly. +utside the ,indo, the shrillin' of the ,hippoor,ills had suddenly ceasedA and a3ove the murmurs of the 'atherin' cro,d there came the sound of a panic1 struc! ,hirrin' and flutterin'. A'ainst the moon vast clouds of feathery ,atchers rose and raced from si'htA frantic at that ,hich they had sou'ht for prey. All at once the do' started up a3ruptlyA 'ave a fri'htened 3ar!A and leaped nervously out of the ,indo, 3y ,hich it had entered. A cry rose from the cro,dA and $r Armita'e shouted to the men outside that no one must 3e admitted till the police or medical e%aminer came. 2e ,as than!ful that the ,indo,s ,ere Cust too hi'h to permit of peerin' inA and dre, the dar! curtains carefully do,n over each one. By this time t,o policemen had arrivedB and $r 8or'anA meetin' them in the vesti3uleA ,as ur'in' them for their o,n sa!es to postpone entrance to the stench1filled readin'1room till the e%aminer came and the prostrate thin' could 3e covered up. 8ean,hile fri'htful chan'es ,ere ta!in' place on the floor. +ne need not descri3e the !ind and rate of shrin!a'e and disinte'ration that occurred 3efore the eyes of $r Armita'e and >rofessor :iceB 3ut it is permissi3le to say thatA aside from the e%ternal appearance of face and handsA the really human element in Wil3ur Whateley must have 3een very small. When the medical e%aminer cameA there ,as only a stic!y ,hitish mass on the painted 3oardsA and the monstrous odour had nearly disappeared. Apparently Whateley had had no s!ull or 3ony s!eletonB at leastA in any true or sta3le sense. 2e had ta!en some,hat after his un!no,n father.

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V,,.
.et all this ,as only the prolo'ue of the actual $un,ich horror. 4ormalities ,ere 'one throu'h 3y 3e,ildered officialsA a3normal details ,ere duly !ept from press and pu3licA and men ,ere sent to $un,ich and Ayles3ury to loo! up property and notify any ,ho mi'ht 3e heirs of the late Wil3ur Whateley. They found the countryside in 'reat a'itationA 3oth 3ecause of the 'ro,in' rum3lin's 3eneath the domed hillsA and 3ecause of the un,onted stench and the sur'in'A lappin' sounds ,hich came increasin'ly from the 'reat empty shell formed 3y Whateley<s 3oarded1up farmhouse. Earl Sa,yerA ,ho tended the horse and cattle durin' Wil3ur<s a3senceA had developed a ,oefully acute case of nerves. The officials devised e%cuses not to enter the noisome 3oarded placeB and ,ere 'lad to confine their survey of the deceased<s livin' DuartersA the ne,ly mended shedsA to a sin'le visit. They filed a ponderous report at the courthouse in Ayles3uryA and liti'ations concernin' heirship are said to 3e still in pro'ress amon'st the innumera3le WhateleysA decayed and undecayedA of the upper 8is!atonic valley. An almost intermina3le manuscript in stran'e charactersA ,ritten in a hu'e led'er and adCud'ed a sort of diary 3ecause of the spacin' and the variations in in! and penmanshipA presented a 3afflin' puzzle to those ,ho found it on the old 3ureau ,hich served as its o,ner<s des!. After a ,ee! of de3ate it ,as sent to 8is!atonic (niversityA to'ether ,ith the deceased<s collection of stran'e 3oo!sA for study and possi3le translationB 3ut even the 3est lin'uists soon sa, that it ,as not li!ely to 3e unriddled ,ith ease. ;o trace of the ancient 'old ,ith ,hich Wil3ur and +ld Whateley had al,ays paid their de3ts has yet 3een discovered. =t ,as in the dar! of Septem3er ninth that the horror 3ro!e loose. The hill noises had 3een very pronounced durin' the evenin'A and do's 3ar!ed frantically all ni'ht. Early risers on the tenth noticed a peculiar stench in the air. A3out seven o<cloc! 5uther Bro,nA the hired 3oy at 7eor'e Corey<sA 3et,een Cold Sprin' 7len and the villa'eA rushed frenziedly 3ac! from his mornin' trip to Ten1Acre 8eado, ,ith the co,s. 2e ,as almost convulsed ,ith fri'ht as he stum3led into the !itchenB and in the yard outside the no less fri'htened herd ,ere pa,in' and lo,in' pitifullyA havin' follo,ed the 3oy 3ac! in the panic they shared ,ith him. Bet,een 'asps 5uther tried to stammer out his tale to 8rs Corey. <(p thar in the rud 3eyont the 'lenA 8is< Corey 1 they<s suthin< 3en tharF =t smells li!e thunderA an< all the 3ushes an< little trees is pushed 3ac! from the red li!e they<d a haouse 3en moved alon' of it. An< that ain<t the ,ustA nuther. They<s prints in the rudA 8is< Corey 1 'reat raound prints as 3i' as 3arrel1headsA all sun! da,on deep li!e a elephant had 3en alon'A only they<s a si'ht more nor four feet could ma!eF = loo!ed at one or t,o afore = runA an< = see every one ,as covered ,ith lines spreadin< aout from one placeA li!e as if 3i' palm1leaf fans 1 t,ict or three times as 3i' as any they is 1 hed of 3en paounded da,on into the rud. An< the smell ,as a,fulA li!e ,hat it is around Wizard Whateley<s ol< haouse...< 2ere he falteredA and seemed to shiver afresh ,ith the fri'ht that had sent him flyin' home. 8rs CoreyA una3le to e%tract more informationA 3e'an telephonin' the nei'h3oursB thus startin' on its rounds the overture of panic that heralded the maCor terrors. When she 'ot Sally Sa,yerA house!eeper at Seth Bishop<sA the nearest place to Whateley<sA it 3ecame her turn to listen instead of transmitB for Sally<s 3oy ChaunceyA ,ho slept poorlyA had 3een

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up on the hill to,ards Whateley<sA and had dashed 3ac! in terror after one loo! at the placeA and at the pastura'e ,here 8r Bishop<s co,s had 3een left out all ni'ht. <.esA 8is< CoreyA< came Sally<s tremulous voice over the party ,ireA <Cha<ncey he Cust come 3ac! a1postin<A and couldn<t half tal! fer 3ein< scairtF 2e says +l< Whateley<s house is all 3o,ed upA ,ith tim3ers scattered raound li!e they<d 3en dynamite insideB only the 3ottom floor ain<t throu'hA 3ut is all covered ,ith a !ind o< tar1li!e stuff that smells a,ful an< drips dao,n often the aid'es onto the 'raoun< ,har the side tim3ers is 3ro,ed a,ay. An< they<s a,ful !inder mar!s in the yardA te, 1 'reat raound mar!s 3i''er raound than a ho'sheadA an< all stic!y ,ith stuff li!e is on the 3ro,ed1up haouse. Cha<ncey he says they leads off into the meddersA ,har a 'reat s,ath ,ider<n a 3arn is matted dao,nA an< all the stun ,alls tum3led every ,hich,ay ,herever it 'oes. <An< he saysA says heA 8is< CoreyA as hao, he sot to loo! fer Seth<s cao,sA fri'htened ez he ,as an< faound <em in the upper pasture ni'h the $evil<s 2op .ard in an a,ful shape. 2alf on <em<s clean 'oneA an< ni'h haff o< them that<s left is suc!ed most dry o< 3loodA ,ith sores on <em li!e they<s 3en on Whateleys cattle ever senct 5avinny<s 3lac! 3rat ,as 3orn. Seth hes 'one aout nao, to loo! at <emA thou'h =<ll vao, he ,on<t !eer ter 'it very ni'h Wizard Whateley<sF Cha<ncey didn<t loo! !eerful ter see ,har the 3i' matted1dao,n s,ath led arter it lef the pastura'eA 3ut he says he thin!s it p<inted to,ards the 'len rud to the villa'e. <= tell yeA 8is< CoreyA they<s suthin< a3road as hadn<t orter 3e a3roadA an< = for one thin! that 3lac! Wil3ur WhateleyA as come to the 3ad end he deservedA is at the 3ottom of the 3reedin< of it. 2e ,a<n<t all human hisselfA = allus says to every3odyB an< = thin! he an< +l< Whateley must a raised suthin< in that there nailed1up haouse as ain<t even so human as he ,as. They<s allus 3en unseen thin's araound $un,ich 1 livin< thin's 1as ain<t human an< ain<t 'ood fer human fol!s. <The 'raoun< ,as a1tal!ie< las< ni'htA an< to,ards mornin< Cha<ncey he heered the ,hippoor,ills so laoud in Col< Sprin' 7len he couldn<t sleep nun. Then he thou'ht he heered another faint1li!e saound over to,ards Wizard Whateley<s 1 a !inder rippin< or tearin< o< ,oodA li!e some 3i' 3o% er crate ,as 3in< opened fur off. What ,ith this an< thatA he didn<t 'it to sleep at all till sunupA an< no sooner ,as he up this mornin<A 3ut he<s 'ot to 'o over to Whateley<s an< see ,hat<s the matter. 2e see enou'h = tell yeA 8is< CoreyF This dun<t mean no 'oodA an< = thin! as all the men1fol!s ou'ht to 'it up a party an< do suthin<. = !no, suthin< a,ful<s a3aoutA an< feel my time is ni'hA thou'h only 7a,d !no,s Cest ,hat it is. <$id your 5uther ta!e accaount o< ,har them 3i' trac!s led te,G ;oG WalA 8is< CoreyA ef they ,as on the 'len rud this side o< the 'lenA an< ain<t 'ot to your haouse yetA = calc<late they must 'o into the 'len itself. They ,ould do that. = allus says Col< Sprin' 7len ain<t no healthy nor decent place. The ,hippoor,ills an< fireflies there never did act li!e they ,as creaters o< 7a,dA an< they<s them as says ye !in hear stran'e thin's a1rushin< an< a1tal!in< in the air da,on thar ef ye stand in the ri'ht placeA at,een the roc! falls an< Bear<s $en.< By that noon fully three1Duarters of the men and 3oys of $un,ich ,ere troopin' over the roads and meado,s 3et,een the ne,made Whateley ruins and Cold Sprin' 7lenA e%aminin' in horror the vastA monstrous printsA the maimed Bishop cattleA the stran'eA noisome ,rec! of the farmhouseA and the (nusedA matted ve'etation of the fields and

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roadside. Whatever had 3urst loose upon the ,orld had assuredly 'one do,n into the 'reat sinister ravineB for all the trees on the 3an!s ,ere 3ent and 3ro!enA and a 'reat avenue had 3een 'ou'ed in the precipice 1 han'in' under3rush. =t ,as as thou'h a houseA launched 3y an avalancheA had slid do,n throu'h the tan'led 'ro,ths of the almost vertical slope. 4rom 3elo, no sound cameA 3ut only a distantA undefina3le foetorB and it is not to 3e ,ondered at that the men preferred to stay on the ed'e and ar'ueA rather than descend and 3eard the un!no,n Cyclopean horror in its lair. Three do's that ,ere ,ith the party had 3ar!ed furiously at firstA 3ut seemed co,ed and reluctant ,hen near the 'len. Someone telephoned the ne,s to the Aylesbury TranscriptB 3ut the editorA accustomed to ,ild tales from $un,ichA did no more than concoct a humorous para'raph a3out itB an item soon after,ards reproduced 3y the Associated >ress. That ni'ht everyone ,ent homeA and every house and 3arn ,as 3arricaded as stoutly as possi3le. ;eedless to sayA no cattle ,ere allo,ed to remain in open pastura'e. A3out t,o in the mornin' a fri'htful stench and the sava'e 3ar!in' of the do's a,a!ened the household at Elmer 4rye<sA on the eastern ed'e of Cold Sprin' 7lenA and all a'reed that they could hear a sort of muffled s,ishin' or lappin' sound from some,here outside. 8rs 4rye proposed telephonin' the nei'h3oursA and Elmer ,as a3out to a'ree ,hen the noise of splinterin' ,ood 3urst in upon their deli3erations. =t cameA apparentlyA from the 3arnB and ,as Duic!ly follo,ed 3y a hideous screamin' and stampin' amon'st the cattle. The do's slavered and crouched close to the feet of the fear1num3ed family. 4rye lit a lantern throu'h force of ha3itA 3ut !ne, it ,ould 3e death to 'o out into that 3lac! farmyard. The children and the ,omen1fol! ,himperedA !ept from screamin' 3y some o3scureA vesti'ial instinct of defence ,hich told them their lives depended on silence. At last the noise of the cattle su3sided to a pitiful moanin'A and a 'reat snappin'A crashin'A and crac!lin' ensued. The 4ryesA huddled to'ether in the sittin'1roomA did not dare to move until the last echoes died a,ay far do,n in Cold Sprin' 7len. ThenA amidst the dismal moans from the sta3le and the daemoniac pipin' of the late ,hippoor,ills in the 'lenA Selina 4rye tottered to the telephone and spread ,hat ne,s she could of the second phase of the horror. The ne%t day all the countryside ,as in a panicB and co,edA uncommunicative 'roups came and ,ent ,here the fiendish thin' had occurred. T,o titan s,aths of destruction stretched from the 'len to the 4rye farmyardA monstrous prints covered the 3are patches of 'roundA and one side of the old red 3arn had completely caved in. +f the cattleA only a Duarter could 3e found and identified. Some of these ,ere in curious fra'mentsA and all that survived had to 3e shot. Earl Sa,yer su''ested that help 3e as!ed from Ayles3ury or Ar!hamA 3ut others maintained it ,ould 3e of no use. +ld @e3ulon WhateleyA of a 3ranch that hovered a3out half,ay 3et,een soundness and decadenceA made dar!ly ,ild su''estions a3out rites that ou'ht to 3e practiced on the hill1tops. 2e came of a line ,here tradition ran stron'A and his memories of chantin's in the 'reat stone circles ,ere not alto'ether connected ,ith Wil3ur and his 'randfather. $ar!ness fell upon a stric!en countryside too passive to or'anize for real defence. =n a fe, cases closely related families ,ould 3and to'ether and ,atch in the 'loom under one roofB 3ut in 'eneral there ,as only a repetition of the 3arricadin' of the ni'ht 3eforeA and a futileA ineffective 'esture of loadin' mus!ets and settin' pitchfor!s handily a3out. ;othin'A ho,everA occurred e%cept some hill noisesB and ,hen the day came there ,ere many ,ho hoped that the ne, horror had 'one as s,iftly as it had come. There ,ere even 3old souls ,ho proposed an offensive e%pedition do,n in the 'lenA thou'h they did not venture to set an actual e%ample to the still reluctant maCority.

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When ni'ht came a'ain the 3arricadin' ,as repeatedA thou'h there ,as less huddlin' to'ether of families. =n the mornin' 3oth the 4rye and the Seth Bishop households reported e%citement amon' the do's and va'ue sounds and stenches from afarA ,hile early e%plorers noted ,ith horror a fresh set of the monstrous trac!s in the road s!irtin' Sentinel 2ill. As 3eforeA the sides of the road sho,ed a 3ruisin' indicative of the 3lasphemously stupendous 3ul! of the horrorB ,hilst the conformation of the trac!s seemed to ar'ue a passa'e in t,o directionsA as if the movin' mountain had come from Cold Sprin' 7len and returned to it alon' the same path. At the 3ase of the hill a thirty1foot s,ath of crushed shru33ery saplin's led steeply up,ardsA and the see!ers 'asped ,hen they sa, that eves the most perpendicular places did not deflect the ine%ora3le trail. Whatever the horror ,asA it could scale a sheer stony cliff of almost complete verticalityB and as the investi'ators clim3ed round to the hill<s summit 3y safer routes they sa, that the trail ended 1 or ratherA reversed 1 there. =t ,as here that the Whateleys used to 3uild their hellish fires and chant their hellish rituals 3y the ta3le1li!e stone on 8ay Eve and 2allo,mass. ;o, that very stone formed the centre of a vast space thrashed around 3y the mountainous horrorA ,hilst upon its sli'htly concave surface ,as a thic! and foetid deposit of the same tarry stic!iness o3served on the floor of the ruined Whateley farmhouse ,hen the horror escaped. 8en loo!ed at one another and muttered. Then they loo!ed do,n the hill. Apparently the horror had descended 3y a route much the same as that of its ascent. To speculate ,as futile. :easonA lo'icA and normal ideas of motivation stood confounded. +nly old @e3ulonA ,ho ,as not ,ith the 'roupA could have done Custice to the situation or su''ested a plausi3le e%planation. Thursday ni'ht 3e'an much li!e the othersA 3ut it ended less happily. The ,hippoor,ills in the 'len had screamed ,ith such unusual persistence that many could not sleepA and a3out & A.8. all the party telephones ran' tremulously. Those ,ho too! do,n their receivers heard a fri'ht1mad voice shrie! outA <2elpA ohA my 7a,dF ...< and some thou'ht a crashin' sound follo,ed the 3rea!in' off of the e%clamation. There ,as nothin' more. ;o one dared do anythin'A and no one !ne, till mornin' ,hence the call came. Then those ,ho had heard it called everyone on the lineA and found that only the 4ryes did not reply. The truth appeared an hour laterA ,hen a hastily assem3led 'roup of armed men trud'ed out to the 4rye place at the head of the 'len. =t ,as horri3leA yet hardly a surprise. There ,ere more s,aths and monstrous printsA 3ut there ,as no lon'er any house. =t had caved in li!e an e''1shellA and amon'st the ruins nothin' livin' or dead could 3e discovered. +nly a stench and a tarry stic!iness. The Elmer 4ryes had 3een erased from $un,ich.

V,,,.
=n the meantime a Duieter yet even more spiritually poi'nant phase of the horror had 3een 3lac!ly un,indin' itself 3ehind the closed door of a shelf1lined room in Ar!ham. The curious manuscript record or diary o Wil3ur WhateleyA delivered to 8is!atonic (niversity for translation had caused much ,orry and 3afflement amon' the e%perts in lan'ua'e 3oth ancient and modernB its very alpha3etA not,ithstandin' a 'eneral resem3lance to the heavily1shaded Ara3ic used in 8esopotamiaA 3ein' a3solutely un!no,n to any availa3le authority. The final conclusion of the lin'uists ,as that the te%t represented an artificial alpha3etA 'ivin' the effect of a cipherB thou'h none of the usual methods of crypto'raphic

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solution seemed to furnish any clueA even ,hen applied on the 3asis of every ton'ue the ,riter mi'ht conceiva3ly have used. The ancient 3oo!s ta!en from Whateley<s DuartersA ,hile a3sor3in'ly interestin' and in several cases promisin' to open up ne, and terri3le lines of research amon' philosophers and men of scienceA ,ere of no assistance ,hatever in this matter. +ne of themA a heavy tome ,ith an iron claspA ,as in another un!no,n alpha3et 1 this one of a very different castA and resem3lin' Sans!rit more than anythin' else. The old led'er ,as at len'th 'iven ,holly into the char'e of $r Armita'eA 3oth 3ecause of his peculiar interest in the Whateley matterA and 3ecause of his ,ide lin'uistic learnin' and s!ill in the mystical formulae of antiDuity and the middle a'es. Armita'e had an idea that the alpha3et mi'ht 3e somethin' esoterically used 3y certain for3idden cults ,hich have come do,n from old timesA and ,hich have inherited many forms and traditions from the ,izards of the Saracenic ,orld. That DuestionA ho,everA he did not deem vitalB since it ,ould 3e unnecessary to !no, the ori'in of the sym3ols ifA as he suspectedA they ,ere used as a cipher in a modern lan'ua'e. =t ,as his 3elief thatA considerin' the 'reat amount of te%t involvedA the ,riter ,ould scarcely have ,ished the trou3le of usin' another speech than his o,nA save perhaps in certain special formulae and incantations. Accordin'ly he attac!ed the manuscript ,ith the preliminary assumption that the 3ul! of it ,as in En'lish. $r Armita'e !ne,A from the repeated failures of his collea'uesA that the riddle ,as a deep and comple% oneB and that no simple mode of solution could merit even a trial. All throu'h late Au'ust he fortified himself ,ith the mass lore of crypto'raphyB dra,in' upon the fullest resources of his o,n li3raryA and ,adin' ni'ht after ni'ht amidst the arcane of Trithemius< ,oligrap"iaA 7iam3attista >orta<s #e 7urti!is (iterarum -otisA $e ?i'enere<s Traite des C"oresA 4alconer<s Cryptomenysis ,atefactaA $avys< and Thic!nesse<s ei'hteenth1century treatisesA and such fairly modern authorities as BlairA van 8arten and 0lu3er<s script itselfA and in time 3ecame convinced that he had to deal ,ith one of those su3tlest and most in'enious of crypto'ramsA in ,hich many separate lists of correspondin' letters are arran'ed li!e the multiplication ta3leA and the messa'e 3uilt up ,ith ar3itrary !ey1,ords !no,n only to the initiated. The older authorities seemed rather more helpful than the ne,er onesA and Armita'e concluded that the code of the manuscript ,as one of 'reat antiDuityA no dou3t handed do,n throu'h a lon' line of mystical e%perimenters. Several times he seemed near dayli'htA only to 3e set 3ac! 3y some unforeseen o3stacle. ThenA as Septem3er approachedA the clouds 3e'an to clear. Certain lettersA as used in certain parts of the manuscriptA emer'ed definitely and unmista!a3lyB and it 3ecame o3vious that the te%t ,as indeed in En'lish. +n the evenin' of Septem3er second the last maCor 3arrier 'ave ,ayA and $r Armita'e read for the first time a continuous passa'e of Wil3ur Whateley<s annals. =t ,as in truth a diaryA as all had thou'htB and it ,as couched in a style clearly sho,in' the mi%ed occult erudition and 'eneral illiteracy of the stran'e 3ein' ,ho ,rote it. Almost the first lon' passa'e that Armita'e decipheredA an entry dated ;ovem3er "-A 1)1-A proved hi'hly startlin' and disDuietin'. =t ,as ,rittenAhe remem3eredA3y a child of three and a half ,ho loo!ed li!e a lad of t,elve or thirteen. Today learned the A!lo for the Sa3aoth Jit ranKA ,hich did not li!eA it 3ein' ans,era3le from the hill and not from the air. That upstairs more ahead of me than = had thou'ht it ,ould 3eA and is not li!e to have much earth 3rain. Shot Elam 2utchins<s collie 6ac! ,hen he ,ent to 3ite meA and Elam says he ,ould !ill me if

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he dast. = 'uess he ,on<t. 7randfather !ept me sayin' the $ho formula last ni'htA and = thin! = sa, the inner city at the " ma'netic poles. = shall 'o to those poles ,hen the earth is cleared offA if = can<t 3rea! throu'h ,ith the $ho12na formula ,hen = commit it. They from the air told me at Sa33at that it ,ill 3e years 3efore = can clear off the earthA and = 'uess 'randfather ,ill 3e dead thenA so = shall have to learn all the an'les of the planes and all the formulas 3et,een the .r and the ;hhn'r. They from outside ,ill helpA 3ut they cannot ta!e 3ody ,ithout human 3lood. That upstairs loo!s it ,ill have the ri'ht cast. = can see it a little ,hen = ma!e the ?oorish si'n or 3lo, the po,der of =3n 7hazi at itA and it is near li!e them at 8ay Eve on the 2ill. The other face may ,ear off some. = ,onder ho, = shall loo! ,hen the earth is cleared and there are no earth 3ein's on it. 2e that came ,ith the A!lo Sa3aoth said = may 3e transfi'ured there 3ein' much of outside to ,or! on. 8ornin' found $r Armita'e in a cold s,eat of terror and a frenzy of ,a!eful concentration. 2e had not left the manuscript all ni'htA 3ut sat at his ta3le under the electric li'ht turnin' pa'e after pa'e ,ith sha!in' hands as fast as he could decipher the cryptic te%t. 2e had nervously telephoned his ,ife he ,ould not 3e homeA and ,hen she 3rou'ht him a 3rea!fast from the house he could scarcely dispose of a mouthful. All that day he read onA no, and then halted maddenin'ly as a reapplication of the comple% !ey 3ecame necessary. 5unch and dinner ,ere 3rou'ht himA 3ut he ate only the smallest fraction of either. To,ard the middle of the ne%t ni'ht he dro,sed off in his chairA 3ut soon ,o!e out of a tan'le of ni'htmares almost as hideous as the truths and menaces to man<s e%istence that he had uncovered. +n the mornin' of Septem3er fourth >rofessor :ice and $r 8or'an insisted on seein' him for a ,hileA and departed trem3lin' and ashen1'rey. That evenin' he ,ent to 3edA 3ut slept only fitfully. Wednesday 1 the ne%t day 1 he ,as 3ac! at the manuscriptA and 3e'an to ta!e copious notes 3oth from the current sections and from those he had already deciphered. =n the small hours of that ni'ht he slept a little in a easy chair in his officeA 3ut ,as at the manuscript a'ain 3efore da,n. Some time 3efore noon his physicianA $r 2art,ellA called to see him and insisted that he cease ,or!. 2e refusedB intimatin' that it ,as of the most vital importance for him to complete the readin' of the diary and promisin' an e%planation in due course of time. That evenin'A Cust as t,ili'ht fellA he finished his terri3le perusal and san! 3ac! e%hausted. 2is ,ifeA 3rin'in' his dinnerA found him in a half1comatose stateB 3ut he ,as conscious enou'h to ,arn her off ,ith a sharp cry ,hen he sa, her eyes ,ander to,ard the notes he had ta!en. Wea!ly risin'A he 'athered up the scri33led papers and sealed them all in a 'reat envelopeA ,hich he immediately placed in his inside coat poc!et. 2e had sufficient stren'th to 'et homeA 3ut ,as so clearly in need of medical aid that $r 2art,ell ,as summoned at once. As the doctor put him to 3ed he could only mutter over and over a'ainA +But $"at& in God+s name& can $e do/+ $r Armita'e sleptA 3ut ,as partly delirious the ne%t day. 2e made no e%planations to 2art,ellA 3ut in his calmer moments spo!e of the imperative need of a lon' conference ,ith :ice and 8or'an. 2is ,ilder ,anderin's ,ere very startlin' indeedA includin' frantic appeals that somethin' in a 3oarded1up farmhouse 3e destroyedA and fantastic references to some plan for the e%tirpation of the entire human race and all animal and ve'eta3le life from the earth 3y some terri3le elder race of 3ein's from another dimension. 2e ,ould shout that the ,orld ,as in dan'erA since the Elder Thin's ,ished to strip it and dra' it a,ay from the solar system and cosmos of matter into some other plane or phase of entity from ,hich it had once fallenA vi'intillions of aeons a'o. At other times he ,ould call for

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the dreaded -ecronomicon and the #aemonolatreia of :emi'iusA in ,hich he seemed hopeful of findin' some formula to chec! the peril he conCured up. <Stop themA stop theml< he ,ould shout. <Those Whateleys meant to let them inA and the ,orst of all is leftF Tell :ice and 8or'an ,e must do somethin' 1 it<s a 3lind 3usinessA 3ut = !no, ho, to ma!e the po,der... =t hasn<t 3een fed since the second of Au'ustA ,hen Wil3ur came here to his deathA and at that rate...< But Armita'e had a sound physiDue despite his seventy1three yearsA and slept off his disorder that ni'ht ,ithout developin' any real fever. 2e ,o!e late 4ridayA clear of headA thou'h so3er ,ith a 'na,in' fear and tremendous sense of responsi3ility. Saturday afternoon he felt a3le to 'o over to the li3rary and summon :ice and 8or'an for a conferenceA and the rest of that day and evenin' the three men tortured their 3rains in the ,ildest speculation and the most desperate de3ate. Stran'e and terri3le 3oo!s ,ere dra,n voluminously from the stac! shelves and from secure places of stora'eB and dia'rams and formulae ,ere copied ,ith feverish haste and in 3e,ilderin' a3undance. +f scepticism there ,as none. All three had seen the 3ody of Wil3ur Whateley as it lay on the floor in a room of that very 3uildin'A and after that not one of them could feel even sli'htly inclined to treat the diary as a madman<s ravin'. +pinions ,ere divided as to notifyin' the 8assachusetts State >oliceA and the ne'ative finally ,on. There ,ere thin's involved ,hich simply could not 3e 3elieved 3y those ,ho had not seen a sampleA as indeed ,as made dear durin' certain su3seDuent investi'ations. 5ate at ni'ht the conference dis3anded ,ithout havin' developed a definite planA 3ut all day Sunday Armita'e ,as 3usy comparin' formulae and mi%in' chemicals o3tained from the colle'e la3oratory. The more he reflected on the hellish diaryA the more he ,as inclined to dou3t the efficacy of any material a'ent in stampin' out the entity ,hich Wil3ur Whateley had left 3ehind him 1 the earth threatenin' entity ,hichA un!no,n to himA ,as to 3urst forth in a fe, hours and 3ecome the memora3le $un,ich horror. 8onday ,as a repetition of Sunday ,ith $r Armita'eA for the tas! in hand reDuired an infinity of research and e%periment. 4urther consultations of the monstrous diary 3rou'ht a3out various chan'es of planA and he !ne, that even in the end a lar'e amount of uncertainty must remain. By Tuesday he had a definite line of action mapped outA and 3elieved he ,ould try a trip to $un,ich ,ithin a ,ee!. ThenA on WednesdayA the 'reat shoc! came. Tuc!ed o3scurely a,ay in a corner of the Ark"am Ad!ertiser ,as a facetious little item from the Associated >ressA tellin' ,hat a record13rea!in' monster the 3ootle' ,his!y of $un,ich had raised up. Armita'eA half stunnedA could only telephone for :ice and 8or'an. 4ar into the ni'ht they discussedA and the ne%t day ,as a ,hirl,ind of preparation on the part of them all. Armita'e !ne, he ,ould 3e meddlin' ,ith terri3le po,ersA yet sa, that there ,as no other ,ay to annul the deeper and more mali'n meddlin' ,hich others had done 3efore him.

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,5.
4riday mornin' Armita'eA :iceA and 8or'an set out 3y motor for $un,ichA arrivin' at the villa'e a3out one in the afternoon. The day ,as pleasantA 3ut even in the 3ri'htest sunli'ht a !ind of Duiet dread and portent seemed to hover a3out the stran'ely domed hills and the deepA shado,y ravines of the stric!en re'ion. ;o, and then on some mountain top a 'aunt circle of stones could 3e 'limpsed a'ainst the s!y. 4rom the air of hushed fri'ht at +s3orn<s store they !ne, somethin' hideous had happenedA and soon learned of the annihilation of the Elmer 4rye house and family. Throu'hout that afternoon they rode around $un,ichA Duestionin' the natives concernin' all that had occurredA and seein' for themselves ,ith risin' pan's of horror the drear 4rye ruins ,ith their lin'erin' traces of the tarry stic!inessA the 3lasphemous trac!s in the 4rye yardA the ,ounded Seth Bishop cattleA and the enormous s,aths of distur3ed ve'etation in various places. The trail up and do,n Sentinel 2ill seemed to Armita'e of almost cataclysmic si'nificanceA and he loo!ed lon' at the sinister altar1li!e stone on the summit. At len'th the visitorsA apprised of a party of State >olice ,hich had come from Ayles3ury that mornin' in response to the first telephone reports of the 4rye tra'edyA decided to see! out the officers and compare notes as far as practica3le. ThisA ho,everA they found more easily planned than performedB since no si'n of the party could 3e found in any direction. There had 3een five of them in a carA 3ut no, the car stood empty near the ruins in the 4rye yard. The nativesA all of ,hom had tal!ed ,ith the policemenA seemed at first as perple%ed as Armita'e and his companions. Then old Sam 2utchins thou'ht of somethin' and turned paleA nud'in' 4red 4arr and pointin' to the dan!A deep hollo, that ya,ned close 3y. <7a,dA< he 'aspedA <= telled <em not ter 'o dao,n into the 'lenA an< = never thou'ht no3ody<d de, it ,ith them trac!s an< that smell an< the ,hippoor,ills a1screechin< dao,n thar in the dar! o< noonday...< A cold shudder ran throu'h natives and visitors ali!eA and every ear seemed strained in a !ind of instinctiveA unconscious listenin'. Armita'eA no, that he had actually come upon the horror and its monstrous ,or!A trem3led ,ith the responsi3ility he felt to 3e his. ;i'ht ,ould soon fallA and it ,as then that the mountainous 3lasphemy lum3ered upon its eldritch course. -egotium perambuians in tenebris%%% The old li3rarian rehearsed the formulae he had memorizedA and clutched the paper containin' the alternative one he had not memorized. 2e sa, that his electric flashli'ht ,as in ,or!in' order. :iceA 3eside himA too! from a valise a metal sprayer of the sort used in com3atin' insectsB ,hilst 8or'an uncased the 3i'1'ame rifle on ,hich he relied despite his collea'ue<s ,arnin's that no material ,eapon ,ould 3e of help. Armita'eA havin' read the hideous diaryA !ne, painfully ,ell ,hat !ind of a manifestation to e%pectB 3ut he did not add to the fri'ht of the $un,ich people 3y 'ivin' any hints or clues. 2e hoped that it mi'ht 3e conDuered ,ithout any revelation to the ,orld of the monstrous thin' it had escaped. As the shado,s 'atheredA the natives commenced to disperse home,ardA an%ious to 3ar themselves indoors despite the present evidence that all human loc!s and 3olts ,ere useless 3efore a force that could 3end trees and crush houses ,hen it chose. They shoo! their heads at the visitors< plan to stand 'uard at the 4rye ruins near the 'lenB andA as they leftA had little e%pectancy of ever seein' the ,atchers a'ain.

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There ,ere rum3lin's under the hills that ni'htA and the ,hippoor,ills piped threatenin'ly. +nce in a ,hile a ,indA s,eepin' up out of Cold Sprin' 7lenA ,ould 3rin' a touch of ineffa3le foetor to the heavy ni'ht airB such a foetor as all three of the ,atchers had smelled once 3eforeA ,hen they stood a3ove a dyin' thin' that had passed for fifteen years and a half as a human 3ein'. But the loo!ed1for terror did not appear. Whatever ,as do,n there in the 'len ,as 3idin' its timeA and Armita'e told his collea'ues it ,ould 3e suicidal to try to attac! it in the dar!. 8ornin' came ,anlyA and the ni'ht1sounds ceased. =t ,as a 'reyA 3lea! dayA ,ith no, and then a drizzle of rainB and heavier and heavier clouds seemed to 3e pilin' themselves up 3eyond the hills to the north1,est. The men from Ar!ham ,ere undecided ,hat to do. See!in' shelter from the increasin' rainfall 3eneath one of the fe, undestroyed 4rye out3uildin'sA they de3ated the ,isdom of ,aitin'A or of ta!in' the a''ressive and 'oin' do,n into the 'len in Duest of their namelessA monstrous Duarry. The do,npour ,a%ed in heavinessA and distant peals of thunder sounded from far horizons. Sheet li'htnin' shimmeredA and then a for!y 3olt flashed near at handA as if descendin' into the accursed 'len itself. The s!y 're, very dar!A and the ,atchers hoped that the storm ,ould prove a shortA sharp one follo,ed 3y clear ,eather. =t ,as still 'ruesomely dar! ,henA not much over an hour laterA a confused 3a3el of voices sounded do,n the road. Another moment 3rou'ht to vie, a fri'htened 'roup of more than a dozen menA runnin'A shoutin'A and even ,himperin' hysterically. Someone in the lead 3e'an so33in' out ,ordsA and the Ar!ham men started violently ,hen those ,ords developed a coherent form. <+hA my 7a,dA my 7a,dA< the voice cho!ed out. <=t<s a1'oin< a'inA an< this time 3y dayF =t<s aout 1 it<s aout an< a1movin< this very minuteA an< only the 5ord !no,s ,hen it<ll 3e on us all F< The spea!er panted into silenceA 3ut another too! up his messa'e. <;i'h on a haour a'o @e3 Whateley here heered the <phone a1rin'in<A an< it ,as 8is< CoreyA 7eor'e<s ,ifeA that lives dao,n 3y the Cunction. She says the hired 3oy 5uther ,as aout drivin< in the cao,s from the storm arter the 3i' 3oltA ,hen he see all the trees a1 3endin< at the maouth o< the 'len 1 opposite side ter this 1 an< smelt the same a,ful smell li!e he smelt ,hen he faound the 3i' trac!s las< 8onday mornin<. An< she says he says they ,as a s,ishin< lappin< saoundA more nor ,hat the 3endin< trees an< 3ushes could ma!eA an< all on a suddent the trees alon' the rod 3e'un ter 'it pushed one sideA an< they ,as a a,ful stompin< an< splashin< in the mud. But mind yeA 5uther he didn<t see nothin< at allA only Cust the 3endin< trees en< under3rush. <Then fur ahead ,here Bishop<s Broo! 'oes under the rud he heerd a a,ful crea!in< an< strainin< on the 3rid'eA an< says he could tell the saound o< ,ood a1startin< to crac! an< split. An< all the ,hiles he never see a thin'A only them trees an< 3ushes a13endin<. An< ,hen the s,ishin< saound 'ot very fur off 1 on the rud to,ards Wizard Whateley<s an< Sentinel 2ill 1 5uther he had the 'uts ter step up ,har he<d heerd it fust an< loo! at the 'raound. =t ,as all mud an< ,aterA an< the s!y ,as dar!A an< the rain ,as ,ipin< aout all trac!s a3aout as fast as could 3eB 3ut 3e'innin< at the 'len maouthA ,har the trees hed movedA they ,as still some o< them a,ful prints 3i' as 3ar<ls li!e he seen 8onday.<

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At this point the first e%cited spea!er interrupted. <But that ain<t the trou3le nao, 1 that ,as only the start. @e3 here ,as callin< fol!s up an< every3ody ,as a1listenin< in ,hen a call from Seth Bishop<s cut in. 2is haouse!eeper Sally ,as carryin< on fit to !ill 1 she<d Cest seed the trees a13endin< 3eside the rudA an< says they ,as a !ind o< mushy saoundA li!e a elephant puffin< an< treadin<A a1headin< fer the haouse. Then she up an< spo!e suddent of a fearful smellA an< says her 3oy Cha<ncey ,as a1 screamin< as hao, it ,as Cest li!e ,hat he smelt up to the Whateley re,ins 8onday mornin<. An< the do's ,as 3ar!in< en< ,hinin< a,ful. <An <then she let aout a turri3le yellA an< says the shed dao,n the red had Cest caved in li!e the storm 3ed 3ro,ed it overA only he ,ind ,<an<t stron' enou'h to de, that. Every3ody ,as a1listenin<A an< ,e could hear lots o< fol!s on the ,ire a1'aspin<. All to onct Sally she yelled a'ainA an< says the front yard pic!et fence 3ed Cust crum3led upA thou'h they ,a<n<t no si'n o< ,hat done it. Then every3ody on the line could hear Cha<ncey an< old Seth Bishop a1yellin< fe,A an< Sally ,as shrie!in< aout that suthin< heavy hed struc! the haouse 1 not li'htnin< nor nothin<A 3ut suthin< heavy a'ain the frontA that !ep< a1launchin< itself a'in an< a'inA thou'h ye couldn<t see nothin< aout the front ,inders. An< then... an< then...< 5ines of fri'ht deepened on every faceB and Armita'eA sha!en as he ,asA had 3arely poise enou'h to prompt the spea!er. <An< then.... Sally she yelled aoutA L+ helpA the haouse is a1cavin< in... an< on the ,ire ,e could hear a turri3le crashin< an< a hull floc! o< screamin'... Ces li!e ,hen Elmer 4rye<s place ,as too!A only ,uss...< The man pausedA and another of the cro,d spo!e. <That<s all 1 not a saound nor sDuea! over the <phone arter that. 6est still1li!e. We that heerd it 'ot aout 4ords an< ,a'ons an< rounded up as many a3le13odied men1fol!s as ,e could 'itA at Corey<s placeA an< come up here ter see ,hat ye, thou'ht 3est ter de,. ;ot 3ut ,hat = thin! it<s the 5ord<s Ced'ment fer our iniDuitiesA that no mortal !in ever set aside.< Armita'e sa, that the time for positive action had comeA and spo!e decisively to the falterin' 'roup of fri'htened rustics. <We must follo, itA 3oys.< 2e made his voice as reassurin' as possi3le. <= 3elieve there<s a chance of puttin' it out of 3usiness. .ou men !no, that those Whateleys ,ere ,izards 1 ,ellA this thin' is a thin' of ,izardryA and must 3e put do,n 3y the same means. =<ve seen Wil3ur Whateley<s diary and read some of the stran'e old 3oo!s he used to readB and = thin! = !no, the ri'ht !ind of spell to recite to ma!e the thin' fade a,ay. +f courseA one can<t 3e sureA 3ut ,e can al,ays ta!e a chance. =t<s invisi3le 1 = !ne, it ,ould 3e 1 3ut there<s po,der in this lon'1distance sprayer that mi'ht ma!e it sho, up for a second. 5ater on ,e<ll try it. =t<s a fri'htful thin' to have aliveA 3ut it isn<t as 3ad as ,hat Wil3ur ,ould have let in if he<d lived lon'er. .ou<ll never !no, ,hat the ,orld escaped. ;o, ,e<ve only this one thin' to fi'htA and it can<t multiply. =t canA thou'hA do a lot of harmB so ,e mustn<t hesitate to rid the community of it.

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The $un,ich 2orror

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<We must follo, it 1 and the ,ay to 3e'in is to 'o to the place that has Cust 3een ,rec!ed. 5et some3ody lead the ,ay 1 = don<t !no, your roads very ,ellA 3ut =<ve an idea there mi'ht 3e a shorter cut across lots. 2o, a3out itGL The men shuffled a3out a momentA and then Earl Sa,yer spo!e softlyA pointin' ,ith a 'rimy fin'er throu'h the steadily lessenin' rain. <= 'uess ye !in 'it to Seth Bishop<s Duic!est 3y cuttin< across the lo,er medder hereA ,adin< the 3roo! at the lo, placeA an< clim3in< throu'h Carrier<s mo,in< an< the tim3er1lot 3eyont. That comes aout on the upper rud mi'hty ni'h Seth<s 1 a leetle t<other side.< Armita'eA ,ith :ice and 8or'anA started to ,al! in the direction indicatedB and most of the natives follo,ed slo,ly. The s!y ,as 'ro,in' li'hterA and there ,ere si'ns that the storm had ,orn itself a,ay. When Armita'e inadvertently too! a ,ron' directionA 6oe +s3om ,arned him and ,al!ed ahead to sho, the ri'ht one. Coura'e and confidence ,ere mountin'A thou'h the t,ili'ht of the almost perpendicular ,ooded hill ,hich lay to,ards the end of their short cutA and amon' ,hose fantastic ancient trees they had to scram3le as if up a ladderA put these Dualities to a severe test. At len'th they emer'ed on a muddy road to find the sun comin' out. They ,ere a little 3eyond the Seth Bishop placeA 3ut 3ent trees and hideously unmista!a3le trac!s sho,ed ,hat had passed 3y. +nly a fe, moments ,ere consumed in surveyin' the ruins Cust round the 3end. =t ,as the 4rye incident all over a'ainA and nothin' dead or livin' ,as found in either of the collapsed shells ,hich had 3een the Bishop house and team. ;o one cared to remain there amidst the stench and tarry stic!inessA 3ut all fumed instinctively to the line of horri3le prints leadin' on to,ards the ,rec!ed Whateley farmhouse and the altar1cro,ned slopes of Sentinel 2ill. As the men passed the site of Wil3ur Whateley<s a3ode they shuddered visi3lyA and seemed a'ain to mi% hesitancy ,ith their zeal. =t ,as no Co!e trac!in' do,n somethin' as 3i' as a house that one could not seeA 3ut that had all the vicious malevolence of a daemon. +pposite the 3ase of Sentinel 2ill the trac!s left the roadA and there ,as a fresh 3endin' and mattin' visi3le alon' the 3road s,ath mar!in' the monster<s former route to and from the summit. Armita'e produced a poc!et telescope of considera3le po,er and scanned the steep 'reen side of the hill. Then he handed the instrument to 8or'anA ,hose si'ht ,as !eener. After a moment of 'azin' 8or'an cried out sharplyA passin' the 'lass to Earl Sa,yer and indicatin' a certain spot on the slope ,ith his fin'er. Sa,yerA as clumsy as most non1users of optical devices areA fum3led a ,hileB 3ut eventually focused the lenses ,ith Armita'e<s aid. When he did so his cry ,as less restrained than 8or'an<s had 3een. <7a,d almi'htyA the 'rass an< 3ushes is a<movin<F =t<s a1'oin< up 1 slo,1li!e 1 creepin< 1 up ter the top this minuteA heaven only !no,s ,hat furF< Then the 'erm of panic seemed to spread amon' the see!ers. =t ,as one thin' to chase the nameless entityA 3ut Duite another to find it. Spells mi'ht 3e all ri'ht 1 3ut suppose they ,eren<tG ?oices 3e'an Duestionin' Armita'e a3out ,hat he !ne, of the thin'A and no reply seemed Duite to satisfy. Everyone seemed to feel himself in close pro%imity to phases of ;ature and of 3ein' utterly for3idden and ,holly outside the sane e%perience of man!ind.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $un,ich 2orror

&&7

5.
=n the end the three men from Ar!ham 1 oldA ,hite13earded $r Armita'eA stoc!yA iron1 'rey >rofessor :iceA and leanA youn'ish $r 8or'anA ascended the mountain alone. After much patient instruction re'ardin' its focusin' and useA they left the telescope ,ith the fri'htened 'roup that remained in the roadB and as they clim3ed they ,ere ,atched closely 3y those amon' ,hom the 'lass ,as passed round. =t ,as hard 'oin'A and Armita'e had to 3e helped more than once. 2i'h a3ove the toilin' 'roup the 'reat s,ath trem3led as its hellish ma!er repassed ,ith snail1li!e deli3erateness. Then it ,as o3vious that the pursuers ,ere 'ainin'. Curtis Whateley 1 of the undecayed 3ranch 1 ,as holdin' the telescope ,hen the Ar!ham party detoured radically from the s,ath. 2e told the cro,d that the men ,ere evidently tryin' to 'et to a su3ordinate pea! ,hich overloo!ed the s,ath at a point considera3ly ahead of ,here the shru33ery ,as no, 3endin'. ThisA indeedA proved to 3e trueB and the party ,ere seen to 'ain the minor elevation only a short time after the invisi3le 3lasphemy had passed it. Then Wesley CoreyA ,ho had ta!en the 'lassA cried out that Armita'e ,as adCustin' the sprayer ,hich :ice heldA and that somethin' must 3e a3out to happen. The cro,d stirred uneasilyA recallin' that his sprayer ,as e%pected to 'ive the unseen horror a moment of visi3ility. T,o or three men shut their eyesA 3ut Curtis Whateley snatched 3ac! the telescope and strained his vision to the utmost. 2e sa, that :iceA from the party<s point of advanta'e a3ove and 3ehind the entityA had an e%cellent chance of spreadin' the potent po,der ,ith marvellous effect. Those ,ithout the telescope sa, only an instant<s flash of 'rey cloud 1 a cloud a3out the size of a moderately lar'e 3uildin' 1 near the top of the mountain. CurtisA ,ho held the instrumentA dropped it ,ith a piercin' shrie! into the an!le1deep mud of the road. 2e reeledA and ,ould have crum3led to the 'round had not t,o or three others seized and steadied him. All he could do ,as moan half1inaudi3ly. <+hA ohA 'reat 7a,d... that... that...< There ,as a pandemonium of Duestionin'A and only 2enry Wheeler thou'ht to rescue the fallen telescope and ,ipe it clean of mud. Curtis ,as past all coherenceA and even isolated replies ,ere almost too much for him. <Bi''er<n a 3arn... all made o< sDuirmin< ropes... hull thin' sort o< shaped li!e a hen<s e'' 3i''er<n anythin' ,ith dozens o< le's li!e ho's1heads that haff shut up ,hen they step... nothin< solid a3aout it 1 all li!e CellyA an< made o< sep<rit ,ri''lin< ropes pushed cost to'ether... 'reat 3ul'in< eyes all over it... ten or t,enty maouths or trun!s a1stic!in< aout all alon' the sidesA 3i' as stove1pipes an ad a1tossin< an openin< an< shuttin<... all 'reyA ,ith !inder 3lue or purple rin's... an 7a,d nit 2eaven 1 that haff face on top...< This final memoryA ,hatever it ,asA proved too much for poor CurtisB and he collapsed completely 3efore he could say more. 4red 4arr and Will 2utchins carried him to the roadside and laid him on the damp 'rass. 2enry WheelerA trem3lin'A turned the rescued telescope on the mountain to see ,hat he mi'ht. Throu'h the lenses ,ere discerni3le three

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $un,ich 2orror

&&8

tiny fi'uresA apparently runnin' to,ards the summit as fast as the steep incline allo,ed. +nly these 1 nothin' more. Then everyone noticed a stran'ely unseasona3le noise in the deep valley 3ehindA and even in the under3rush of Sentinel 2ill itself. =t ,as the pipin' of unnum3ered ,hippoor,illsA and in their shrill chorus there seemed to lur! a note of tense and evil e%pectancy. Earl Sa,yer no, too! the telescope and reported the three fi'ures as standin' on the topmost rid'eA virtually level ,ith the altar1stone 3ut at a considera3le distance from it. +ne fi'ureA he saidA seemed to 3e raisin' its hands a3ove its head at rhythmic intervalsB and as Sa,yer mentioned the circumstance the cro,d seemed to hear a faintA half1musical sound from the distanceA as if a loud chant ,ere accompanyin' the 'estures. The ,eird silhouette on that remote pea! must have 3een a spectacle of infinite 'rotesDueness and impressivenessA 3ut no o3server ,as in a mood for aesthetic appreciation. <= 'uess he<s sayin< the spellA< ,hispered Wheeler as he snatched 3ac! the telescope. The ,hippoor,ills ,ere pipin' ,ildlyA and in a sin'ularly curious irre'ular rhythm Duite unli!e that of the visi3le ritual. Suddenly the sunshine seemed to lessen ,ithout the intervention of any discerni3le cloud. =t ,as a very peculiar phenomenonA and ,as plainly mar!ed 3y all. A rum3lin' sound seemed 3re,in' 3eneath the hillsA mi%ed stran'ely ,ith a concordant rum3lin' ,hich dearly came from the s!y. 5i'htnin' flashed aloftA and the ,onderin' cro,d loo!ed in vain for the portents of storm. The chantin' of the men from Ar!ham no, 3ecame unmista!a3leA and Wheeler sa, throu'h the 'lass that they ,ere all raisin' their arms in the rhythmic incantation. 4rom some farmhouse far a,ay came the frantic 3ar!in' of do's. The chan'e in the Duality of the dayli'ht increasedA and the cro,d 'azed a3out the horizon in ,onder. A purplish dar!nessA 3orn of nothin' more than a spectral deepenin' of the s!y<s 3lueA pressed do,n upon the rum3lin' hills. Then the li'htnin' flashed a'ainA some,hat 3ri'hter than 3eforeA and the cro,d fancied that it had sho,ed a certain mistiness around the altar1stone on the distant hei'ht. ;o oneA ho,everA had 3een usin' the telescope at that instant. The ,hippoor,ills continued their irre'ular pulsationA and the men of $un,ich 3raced themselves tensely a'ainst some impondera3le menace ,ith ,hich the atmosphere seemed surchar'ed. Without ,arnin' came those deepA crac!edA raucous vocal sounds ,hich ,ill never leave the memory of the stric!en 'roup ,ho heard them. ;ot from any human throat ,ere they 3ornA for the or'ans of man can yield no such acoustic perversions. :ather ,ould one have said they came from the pit itselfA had not their source 3een so unmista!a3ly the altar1 stone on the pea!. =t is almost erroneous to call them sounds at allA since so much of their 'hastlyA infra13ass tim3re spo!e to dim seats of consciousness and terror far su3tler than the earB yet one must do soA since their form ,as indisputa3ly thou'h va'uely that of half1 articulate ,ords. They ,ere loud 1 loud as the rum3lin's and the thunder a3ove ,hich they echoed 1 yet did they come from no visi3le 3ein'. And 3ecause ima'ination mi'ht su''est a conCectural source in the ,orld of non1visi3le 3ein'sA the huddled cro,d at the mountain<s 3ase huddled still closerA and ,inced as if in e%pectation of a 3lo,. <.'nailh... y'naiih... thflth!h<n'ha.... .o'1Sothoth ...< ran' the hideous croa!in' out of space. <.<3thn!... h<ehye 1 n<'r!dl<lh...<

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $un,ich 2orror

&&)

The spea!in' impulse seemed to falter hereA as if some fri'htful psychic stru''le ,ere 'oin' on. 2enry Wheeler strained his eye at the telescopeA 3ut sa, only the three 'rotesDuely silhouetted human fi'ures on the pea!A all movin' their arms furiously in stran'e 'estures as their incantation dre, near its culmination. 4rom ,hat 3lac! ,ells of Acherontic fear or feelin'A from ,hat unplum3ed 'ulfs of e%tra1cosmic consciousness or o3scureA lon'1latent heredityA ,ere those half1articulate thunder1croa!in's dra,nG >resently they 3e'an to 'ather rene,ed force and coherence as they 're, in star!A utterA ultimate frenzy <Eh1y1ya1ya1yahaah 1 e<yayayaaaa... n'h<aaaaa... n'h<aaa... h<yuh... h<yuh... 2E5>F 2E5>F ...ff 1 ff 1 ff 1 4AT2E:F 4AT2E:F .+71S+T2+T2F...< But that ,as all. The pallid 'roup in the roadA still reelin' at the indisputa3ly En'lish sylla3les that had poured thic!ly and thunderously do,n from the frantic vacancy 3eside that shoc!in' altar1stoneA ,ere never to hear such sylla3les a'ain. =nsteadA they Cumped violently at the terrific report ,hich seemed to rend the hillsB the deafenin'A cataclysmic peal ,hose sourceA 3e it inner earth or s!yA no hearer ,as ever a3le to place. A sin'le li'htnin' 3olt shot from the purple zenith to the altar1stoneA and a 'reat tidal ,ave of vie,less force and indescri3a3le stench s,ept do,n from the hill to all the countryside. TreesA 'rassA and under13rush ,ere ,hipped into a furyB and the fri'htened cro,d at the mountain<s 3aseA ,ea!ened 3y the lethal foetor that seemed a3out to asphy%iate themA ,ere almost hurled off their feet. $o's ho,led from the distanceA 'reen 'rass and folia'e ,ilted to a curiousA sic!ly yello,1'reyA and over field and forest ,ere scattered the 3odies of dead ,hippoor,ills. The stench left Duic!lyA 3ut the ve'etation never came ri'ht a'ain. To this day there is somethin' Dueer and unholy a3out the 'ro,ths on and around that fearsome hilt Curtis Whateley ,as only Cust re'ainin' consciousness ,hen the Ar!ham men came slo,ly do,n the mountain in the 3eams of a sunli'ht once more 3rilliant and untainted. They ,ere 'rave and DuietA and seemed sha!en 3y memories and reflections even more terri3le than those ,hich had reduced the 'roup of natives to a state of co,ed Duiverin'. =n reply to a Cum3le of Duestions they only shoo! their heads and reaffirmed one vital fact. <The thin' has 'one for everA< Armita'e said. <=t has 3een split up into ,hat it ,as ori'inally made ofA and can never e%ist a'ain. =t ,as an impossi3ility in a normal ,orld. +nly the least fraction ,as really matter in any sense ,e !no,. =t ,as li!e its father 1 and most of it has 'one 3ac! to him in some va'ue realm or dimension outside our material universeB some va'ue a3yss out of ,hich only the most accursed rites of human 3lasphemy could ever have called him for a moment on the hills.< There ,as a 3rief silenceA and in that pause the scattered senses of poor Curtis Whateley 3e'an to !nit 3ac! into a sort of continuityB so that he put his hands to his head ,ith a moan. 8emory seemed to pic! itself up ,here it had left offA and the horror of the si'ht that had prostrated him 3urst in upon him a'ain. <+hA ohA my 7a,dA that haff face 1 that haff face on top of it... that face ,ith the red eyes an< crin!ly al3ino hairA an< no chinA li!e the Whateleys... =t ,as a octopusA centipedeA spider !ind o< thinA 3ut they ,as a haff1shaped man<s face on top of itA an< it loo!ed li!e Wizard Whateley<sA only it ,as yards an< yards acrost....<

H.P.Lovecr !t

The $un,ich 2orror

&#*

2e paused e%haustedA as the ,hole 'roup of natives stared in a 3e,ilderment not Duite crystallized into fresh terror. +nly old @e3ulon WhateleyA ,ho ,anderin'ly remem3ered ancient thin's 3ut ,ho had 3een silent heretoforeA spo!e aloud. <4ifteen year< 'oneA< he ram3ledA <= heered +l< Whateley say as hao, some day ,e<d hear a child o< 5avinny<s a1callin< its father<s name on the top o< Sentinel 2ill...< But 6oe +s3orn interrupted him to Duestion the Ar!ham men ane,. <What ,as itA anyhao,A en< hao,ever did youn' Wizard Whateley call it aout o< the air it come fromG< Armita'e chose his ,ords very carefully. <=t ,as 1 ,ellA it ,as mostly a !ind of force that doesn<t 3elon' in our part of spaceB a !ind of force that acts and 'ro,s and shapes itself 3y other la,s than those of our sort of ;ature. We have no 3usiness callin' in such thin's from outsideA and only very ,ic!ed people and very ,ic!ed cults ever try to. There ,as some of it in Wil3ur Whateley himself 1 enou'h to ma!e a devil and a precocious monster of himA and to ma!e his passin' out a pretty terri3le si'ht. =<m 'oin' to 3urn his accursed diaryA and if you men are ,ise you<ll dynamite that altar1stone up thereA and pull do,n all the rin's of standin' stones on the other hills. Thin's li!e that 3rou'ht do,n the 3ein's those Whateleys ,ere so fond of 1 the 3ein's they ,ere 'oin' to let in tan'i3ly to ,ipe out the human race and dra' the earth off to some nameless place for some nameless purpose. <But as to this thin' ,e<ve Cust sent 3ac! 1 the Whateleys raised it for a terri3le part in the doin's that ,ere to come. =t 're, fast and 3i' from the same reason that Wil3ur 're, fast and 3i' 1 3ut it 3eat him 3ecause it had a 'reater share of the outsideness in it. .ou needn<t as! ho, Wil3ur called it out of the air. 2e didn<t call it out. =t ,as his t,in 3rotherA 3ut it loo!ed more li!e the father than he did.<

The Electric E1ec%tio#er

4or one ,ho has never faced the dan'er of le'al e%ecutionA = have a rather Dueer horror of the electric chair as a su3Cect. =ndeedA = thin! the topic 'ives me more of a shudder than it 'ives many a man ,ho has 3een on trial for his life. The reason is that = associate the thin' ,ith an incident of forty years a'o11a very stran'e incident ,hich 3rou'ht me close to the ed'e of the un!no,n 3lac! a3yss. =n 188) = ,as an auditor and investi'ator connected ,ith the Tla%cala 8inin' Company of San 4ranciscoA ,hich operated several small silver and copper properties in the San 8ateo 8ountains in 8e%ico. There had 3een some trou3le at 8ine ;o. &A ,hich had a surlyA furtive assistant superindendent named Arthur 4eldonB and on Au'ust si%th the first received a tele'ram sayin' that 4eldon had decampedA ta!in' ,ith him all the stoc! recordsA securitiesA and private papersA and leavin' the ,hole clerical and financial situation in dire confusion. This development ,as a severe 3lo, to the companyA and late in the afternoon >resident 8cCom3 called me into his office to 'ive orders for the recovery of the papers at any cost. There ,ereA he !ne,A 'rave dra,3ac!s. = had never seen 4eldonA and there ,ere only very indifferent photo'raphs to 'o 3y. 8oreoverA my o,n ,eddin' ,as set for Thursday of the follo,in' ,ee!11only nine days ahead11so that = ,as naturally not ea'er to 3e hurried off to 8e%ico on a man1hunt of indefinite len'th. The needA ho,everA ,as so 'reat that 8cCom3 felt Custified in as!in' me to 'o at onceB and = for my part decided that the effect on my status ,ith the company ,ould ma!e ready acDuiescence eminently ,orth ,hile. = ,as to start that ni'htA usin' the president<s private car as far as 8e%ico CityA after ,hich = ,ould have to ta!e a narro,1'a'e rail,ay to the mines. 6ac!sonA the superintendent of ;o. &A ,ould 'ive me all the details and any possi3le clues upon my arrivalB and then the search ,ould 3e'in in earnest11throu'h the mountainsA do,n to the coastA or amon' the 3y,ays of 8e%ico CityA as the case mi'ht 3e. = set out ,ith a 'rim determination to 'et the matter done11and successfully done11as s,iftly as possi3leB and tempered my discontent ,ith pictures of an early return ,ith papers and culpritA and of a ,eddin' ,hich ,ould 3e almost a triumphal ceremony. 2avin' notified my familyA fianceeA and principal friendsA and made hasty preparations for the tripA = met >resident 8cCom3 at ei'ht >.8. at the Southern >acific depotA received from him some ,ritten instructions and a chec!13oo!A and left in his car attached to the ei'ht1fifteen east3ound transcontinental train. The Courney that follo,ed seemed destined for uneventfulnessA and after a 'ood ni'ht<s sleep = revelled in the ease of the private car so thou'htfully assi'ned meB readin' my instructions ,ith careA and formulatin' plans for the capture of 4eldon and the recovery of the documents. = !ne, the Tla%cala country Duite ,ell11pro3a3ly much 3etter than the missin' man11hence had a certain amount of advanta'e in my search unless he had already used the rail,ay. Accordin' to the instructionsA 4eldon had 3een a su3Cect of ,orry to Superindendent 6ac!son for some timeB actin' secretivelyA and ,or!in' unaccounta3ly in the company<s la3oratory at odd hours. That he ,as implicated ,ith a 8e%ican 3oss and several peons in some thefts of ore ,as stron'ly suspectedB 3ut thou'h the natives had 3een dischar'edA

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Electric E%ecutioner

&#"

there ,as not enou'h evidence to ,arrant any positive step re'ardin' the su3tle official. =ndeedA despite his furtivenessA there seemed to 3e more of defiance than of 'uilt in the man<s 3earin'. 2e ,ore a chip on his shoulderA and tal!ed as if the company ,ere cheatin' him instead of his cheatin' the company. The o3vious surveillance of his collea'uesA 6ac!son ,roteA appeated to irritate him increasin'lyB and no, he had 'one ,ith everythin' of importance in the office. +f his possi3le ,herea3outs no 'uess could 3e madeB thou'h 6ac!son<s final tele'ram su''ested the ,ild slopes of the Sieraa de 8alincheA that tallA myth1surrounded pea! ,ith the corpse1shaped silhouetteA from ,hose nei'h3orhood the thievin' natives ,ere said to have come. At El >asoA ,hich ,e reached at t,o A.8. of the ni'ht follo,in' our startA my private car ,as detatched from the transcontinental train and Coined to an en'ine specially ordered 3y tele'raph to ta!e it south,ard to 8e%ico City. = continued to dro,se till da,nA and all the ne%t day 're, 3ored on the flatA desert Chilhauhau landscape. The cre, had told me ,e ,ere due in 8e%ico City at noon 4ridayA 3ut = soon sa, that countless delays ,ere ,astin' precious hours. There ,ere ,aits on sidin's all alon' the sin'le1trac!ed routeA and no, and then a hot13o% or other difficulty ,ould further complicate the schedule. At Torreon ,e ,ere si% hours lateA and it ,as almost ei'ht o<cloc! on 4riday evenin'11 fully t,elve hours 3ehind schedule11,hen the conductor consented to do some speedin' in an effort to ma!e up time. 8y nerves ,ere on ed'eA and = could do nothin' 3ut pace the car in desperation. =n the end = found that the speedin' had 3een purchased at a hi'h costA for ,ithin a half1hour the symptoms of a hot3o% had developed in my car itselfB so that after a maddenin' ,ait the cre, decided that all the 3earin's ,ould have to 3e overhauled after a Duarter1speed limp to the ne%t station ,ith shops11the factory to,n of /ueretaro. This ,as the last stra,A and = almost stamped li!e a child. Actually = sometimes cau'ht myself pushin' at my chair1arm as if tryin' to ur'e the train for,ard at a less snail1li!e pace. =t ,as almost ten in the evenin' ,hen ,e dra, into /ueretaroA and = spent a fretful hour on the station platform ,hile my car ,as sidetrac!ed and tin!ered at 3y a dozen native mechanics. At last they told me the Co3 ,as too much for themA since the for,ard truc! needed ne, parts ,hich could not 3e o3tained nearer than 8e%ico City. Everythin' indeed seemed a'ainst meA and = 'ritted my teeth ,hen = thou'ht of 4eldon 'ettin' farther and farther a,ay11perhaps to the easy cover of ?era Cruz ,ith its shippin' or 8e%ico City ,ith its varied rail facilities11,hile fresh delays !ept me tied and helpless. +f course 6ac!son had notified the police in all the cities aroundA 3ut = !ne, ,ith sorro, ,hat their efficiency amounted to. The 3est = could doA = soon found outA ,as to ta!e the re'ular ni'ht e%press for 8e%ico CityA ,hich ran from A'uas Calientes and made a five1minute stop at /ueretaro. =t ,ould 3e alon' at one A.8. if on timeA and ,as due in 8e%ico City at five o<cloc! Saturday mornin'. When = purchased my tic!et = found that the train ,ould 3e made up of European compartment carria'es instead of lon' American cars ,ith ro,s of t,o1seat chairs. These had 3een much used in the early days of 8e%ican railroadin'A o,in' to the European construction interests 3ac! of the first linesB and in 188) the 8e%ican Central ,as still runnin' a fair num3er of them on its shorter trips. +rindarily = prefer the Americna coachesA since = hate to have people facin' meB 3ut for this once = ,as 'lad of the forei'n carria'e. At such a time of ni'ht = stood a 'ood chance of havin' a ,hole compartment to myselfA and in my tiredA nervously hypersensitive state = ,elcomed the

H.P.Lovecr !t

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solitude11as ,ell as the comforta3ly upholstered set ,ith sof arm1rests and head1cushionA runnin' the ,hole ,idth of the vehicle. = 3ou'ht a first class tic!etA o3tained my valise from the side1trac!ed private carA tele'raphed 3oth >resident 8cCom3 and 6ac!son of ,hat had happenedA and settled do,n in the station to ,ait for the ni'ht e%press as patiently as my strained nerves ,ould let me. 4or a ,onderA the train ,as only half an hour lateB thou'h even soA the solitary station vi'il had a3out finished my endurance. The conductorA sho,in' me into a compartmentA told me he e%pected to ma!e up the delay and reach the capital on timeB and = stretched myself comforta3ly on the for,ard1facin' seat in the e%pectation of a Duiet three1and1a1 half hour run. The li'ht from the overhead oil lamp ,as soothin'ly dimA and = ,ondered ,hether = could snatch some much1needed sleep in spite of my an%iety and nerve1tension. =t seemedA as the train Colted into motionA tha t= ,as aloneB and = ,as heartily 'lad of it. 8y thou'hts leaped ahead to my DuestA and = nodded ,ith the acceleratin' rhythm of the speedin' strin' of carria'es. Then suddenly = perceived that = ,as not alone after all. =n the corner dia'onally opposite meA slumped do,n so that his face ,as invisi3leA sat a rou'hly clad man of unusual sizeA ,hom the fee3le li'ht had failed to reveal 3efore. Beside him on the seat ,as a hu'e valiseA 3attered and 3ul'in'A and ti'htly 'ripped even in his sleep 3y one of his incon'ruously slender hands. As the en'ine ,histled sharply at some curve or crossin'A the sleeper started nervously into a !ind of ,atchful half1a,a!enin'B rasin' his head and disclosin' a handsome faceA 3earded and clearly An'lo1Sa%onA ,ith dar!A lustrous eyes. At si'ht of me his ,a!efulness 3ecame completeA and = ,ondered at the rather hostile ,ildness of his 'lance. ;o dou3tA = thou'htA he resented my presence ,hen he had hoped to have the compartment alone all the ,ayB Cust as = ,as myself disappointed to find stran'e company in the half1li'hted carria'e. The 3est ,e could doA ho,everA ,as to accept the situation 'racefullyB so = 3e'an apolo'izin' to the man for my intrusion. 2e seemed to 3e a fello,1AmericanA and ,e could 3oth feel more at ease after a fe, civilities. Then ,e could leave each other in peace for the 3alance of the Courney. To my surpriseA the stran'er did not respond to my courtesies ,ith so much as a ,ord. =nsteadA he !ept starin' at me fiercely and almost appraisin'lyA and 3rushed aside my em3arrassed proffer of a ci'ar ,ith a nervous lateral movement of his disen'a'ed hand. 2is other hand still tensely clutched the 'reatA ,orn valiseA and his ,hole person seemed to radiate some o3scure mali'nity. After a time he a3ruptly turned his face to,ard the ,indo,A thou'h there ,as nothin' to see in the dense 3lac!ness outside. +ddlyA he appeared to 3e loo!in' at somethin' as intently as if there really ,ere somethin' to loo! at. = decided to leave him to his o,n curious devices and meditations ,ithout further annoyanceB so settled 3ac! in my seatA dre, the 3rim of my soft hat over my faceA and closed my eyes in an effort to snatch the sleep = had half1counted on. = could not have dozed very lon' or very fully ,hen my eyes fell open as if in response to some e%ternal force. Closin' them a'ain ,ith some determinationA = rene,ed my Duest of a napA yet ,holly ,ithout avail. An intan'i3le influence seemed 3ent on !eepin' me a,a!eB so raisin' my headA = loo!ed a3out the dimly li'hted compartment to see if anythin' ,ere amiss. All appeared normalA 3ut = noticed that the stran'er in the opposite corner ,as loo!in' at me very intently11intentlyA thou'h ,ithout any of the 'eniality or friendliness ,hich ,ould have implied a chan'e from his former surly attitude. = did not attempt conversation this timeA 3ut leaned 3ac! in my previous sleepy postureB half closin'

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my eyes as if = had dozed off once moreA yet continuin' to ,atch him curiously from 3eneath my do,n1turned hat 3rim. As the train rattled on,ard throu'h the ni'ht = sa, a su3tle and 'radual metamorphosis come over the e%pression of the starin' man. Evidently satisfied that = ,as asleepA he allo,ed his face to reflect a curious Cum3le of emotionsA the nature of ,hich seemed anythin' 3ut reassurin'. 2atredA fearA triumph and fanaticism flic!ered compositely over the lines of his lips and the an'les of his eyes ,hile his 'aze 3ecame a 'lare of really alarmin' 'reed and ferocity. Suddenly it da,ned upon me that this man ,as mad and dan'erously so. = ,ill not pretend that = ,as anythin' 3ut deeply and thorou'hly fri'htened ,hen = sa, ho, thin's stood. >erspiration started out all over me and = had hard ,or! to maintain my attitude of rela%ation and slum3er. 5ife had many attractions for me Cust then and the thou'ht of dealin' ,ith a homicidal maniac11possi3ly armed and certainly po,erful to a marvelous de'ree11,as a dismayin' and terrifyin' one. 8y disadvanta'e in any sort of stru''le ,as enormousB for the man ,as a virtual 'iantB evidently in the 3est of athletic trimA ,hile = have al,ays 3een rather frailA and ,as then almost ,orn out ,ith an%ietyA sleeplessnessA and nervous tension. =t ,as undenia3ly a 3ad moment for meA and = felt pretty close to a horri3le death as = reco'nized the fury of madness in the stran'er<s eyes. Events from the past came up into my consciousness as if for a fare,ell11Cust as a dro,nin' man<s ,hole life is said to resurrect itself 3efore him at the last moment. +f course = had my revolver in my coat poc!etA 3ut any motion of mine to reach in and dra, it ,ould 3e instantly o3vious. 8oreoverA if = did secure itA there ,as no tellin' ,hat effect it ,ould have on the maniac. Even if = shot him once or t,ice he mi'ht have enou'h remainin' stren'th to 'et the 'un from me and deal ,ith me in his o,n ,ayB or if he ,ere armed himself he mi'ht shoot or sta3 ,ithout tryin' to disarm me. +ne can co, a sane man 3y coverin' him ,ith a pistolA 3ut an insane man<s complete indifference to conseDuences 'ives him a stren'th and menace Duite superhuman for the time 3ein'. Even in those pre14reudian days = had a common1sense realization of the dan'erous po,er of a person ,ithout normal inhi3itions. That the stran'er in the corner ,as indeed a3out to start some murderous actionA his 3urnin' eyes and t,itchin' facial muscles did not permit me to dou3t for a moment. Suddenly = heard his 3reath 3e'in to come in e%cited 'aspsA and sa, his chest heavin' ,ith mountin' e%citement. The time for a sho,do,n ,as closeA and = tried desperately to thin! of the 3est thin' to do. Without interruptin' my pretense of sleepA = 3e'an to slide my ri'ht hand 'radually and inconspicuously to,ard the poc!et containin' my pistolB ,atchin' the madman closely as = did soA to see if he ,ould detect any move. (nfortunately he did11almost 3efore he had time to re'ister the fact in his e%pression. With a 3ound so a'ile and a3rupt as to 3e almost incredi3le in a man of his sizeA he ,as upon me 3efore = !ne, ,hat had happenedB loomin' up and s,ayin' for,ard li!e a 'iant o're of le'endA and pinionin' me ,ith one po,erful hand ,hile ,ith the other he forestalled me in reachin' the revolver. Ta!in' it from my poc!et and placin' it in his o,nA he released me contemptuouslyA ,ell !no,in' ho, fully his physiDue placed me at his mercy. Then he stood up at his full hei'ht11his head almost touchin' the roof of the carria'e11and stared do,n at me ,ith eyes ,hose fury had Duic!ly turned to a loo! of pityin' scorn and 'houlish calculation.

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= did not moveA and after a moment the man resumed his seat opposite meB smilin' a 'hastly smile as he opened his 'reat 3ul'in' valise and e%tracted an article of peculiar appearance11a rather lar'e ca'e of semi1fle%i3le ,ireA ,oven some,hat li!e a 3ase3all catcher<s mas!A 3ut shaped more li!e the helmet of a divin'1suit. =ts top ,as connected ,ith a cord ,hose other end remained in the valise. This device he fondled ,ith o3vious affectionA cradlin' it in his lap as he loo!ed at me afresh and lic!ed his 3earded lips ,ith an almost feline motion of the ton'ue. ThenA for the first timeA he spo!e11in a deepA mello, voice of a softness and calculation startlin'ly at variance ,ith his rou'h corduroy clothes and un!empt aspect. L.ou are fortunateA sir. = shall use you first of all. .ou shall 'o into history as the first fruits of a remar!a3le invention. ?ast sociolo'ical conseDuences11= shall let my li'ht shineA as it ,ere. =<m radiatin' all the timeA 3ut no3ody !no,s it. ;o, you shall !no,. =ntelli'ent 'uinea1pi'. Cats and 3urros11it even ,or!ed ,ith a 3urro. . . .L 2e pausedA ,hile his 3earded features under,ent a convulsive motion closely synchronized ,ith a vi'orous 'yratory sha!in' of the ,hole head. =t ,as as thou'h he ,ere sha!in' clear of some ne3ulous o3structin' mediumA for the 'esture ,as follo,ed 3y a clarification or su3tilization of e%pression ,hich hid the more o3vious madness in a loo! of suave composure throu'h ,hich the craftiness 'leamed only dimly. = 'limpsed the difference at onceA and put in a ,ord to see if = could lead his mind into harmless channels. L.ou seem to have a marvelously fine instrumentA if =<m any Cud'e. Won<t you tell me ho, you came to invent itGL 2e nodded. L8ere lo'ical reflectionA dear sir. = consulted the needs of the a'e and acted upon them. +thers mi'ht have done the same had their minds 3een as po,erful11that isA as capa3le of sustained concentration11as mine. = had the sense of conviction11the availa3le ,ill1po,er11 that is all. = realizedA as no one else has yet realizedA ho, imperative it is to remove every3ody from the earth 3efore /uetzalcoatl comes 3ac!A and realized also that it must 3e done el'antly. = hate 3utchery of any !indA and han'in' is 3ar3arously crude. .ou !no, last year the ;e, .or! le'islature voted to adopt electric e%ecution for condemned men11 3ut all the apparatus they have in mind is as primitive as Stephenson<s <:oc!et< or $avenports first electric en'ine. = !ne, of a 3etter ,ayA and told them soA 3ut they paid no attention to me. 7odA the foolsF As if = didn<t !no, all there is to !no, a3out men and death and electricity11studentA man and 3oy11technolo'ist and en'ineer11soldier of fortune. . . .L 2e leaned 3ac! and narro,ed his eyes. L= ,as in 8a%imillian<s army t,enty years and more a'o. They ,ere 'oin' to ma!e me a no3leman. Then those damned 'reasers !illed him and = had to 'o home. But = came 3ac!113ac! and forthA 3ac! and forth. = live in :ochesterA ;e, .or!. . . .L 2is eye 're, deeply craftyA and he leaned for,ardA touchin' me on the !nee ,ith the fin'ers of a parado%ically delicate hand. L= came 3ac!A = sayA and = ,ent deeper than any of them. = hate 'reasersA 3ut = li!e 8e%icansF A puzzleG 5isten to meA youn' fello,11you don<t thin! 8e%ico is really

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SpanishA do youG 7odA if you !ne, the tri3es = !no,F =n the mountains11in the mountains11Anahuac11Tenochtitlan11the old ones. . . .L 2is voice chan'ed to a chantin' and not unmelodious ho,l. L=]F 2uitzilopotchliF . . . 2ahuatlacatlF SevenA sevenA seven . . . RochimilcaA ChalcaA TepanecaA AcolhuaA TlahuicaA TlascaltecaA AztecaF . . . =]F =]F = have 3een to the Seven Caves of ChicomoztocA 3ut no one shall ever !no,F = tell you because you $ill ne!er repeat it% . . .L 2e su3sidedA and resumed a conversational tone. L=t ,ould surprise you to !no, ,hat thin's are told in the mountains. 2uitzilopotchli is comin' 3ac! . . . of that there can 3e no dou3t. Any peon south of 8e%ico City can tell you that. But = meant to do nothin' a3out it. = ,ent homeA as = tell youA a'ain and a'ainA and ,as 'oin' to 3enefit society ,ith my electric e%ecutioner ,hen that cursed Al3any le'islature adopted the other ,ay. A Co!eA sirA a Co!eF 7randfather<s chair11sit 3y the fireside112a,thorne11L The man ,as chuc!lin' ,ith a mor3id parody of 'ood nature. LWhyA sirA =<d li!e to 3e the first man to sit in their damned chair and feel their little t,o1 3it 3attery currentF =t ,ouldn<t ma!e a fro'<s le's danceF And they e%pect to !ill murderers ,ith it11re,ard of merit11everythin'F But thenA youn' manA = sa, the uselessness11the pointless illo'icalityA as it ,ere11of !illin' Cust a fe,. Every3ody is a murderer11they murder ideas11steal inventions11stole mine 3y ,atchin'A and ,atchin'A and ,atchin'11L The man cho!ed and pausedA and = spo!e soothin'ly. L=<m sure your invention ,as much the 3etterA and pro3a3ly they<ll come to use it in the end.L Evidently my tact ,as not 'reat enou'hA for his response sho,ed fresh irritation. L <SureA< are youG ;iceA mildA conservative assuranceF Cursed lot you care11but you+ll soon kno$C WhyA damn youA all the 'ood there ever ,ill 3e in that electric chair ,ill have 3een stolen from me. The 'host of ;ezahualpilli told me that on the sacred mountain. They ,atchedA and ,atchedA and ,atched11L 2e cho!ed a'ainA then 'ave another of those 'estures in ,hich he seemed to sha!e 3oth his head and his facial e%pression. That seemed momentarily to steady him. LWhat my invention needs is testin'. That is it11here. The ,ire hood or head1set is fle%i3leA and slips on easily. ;ec!piece 3inds 3ut doesn<t cho!e. Electrodes touch forehead and 3ase of cere3ellum11all that<s necessary. Stop the head and ,hat else can 'oG The fools up at Al3any ,ith their carved oa! easy1chairA thin! they<ve 'ot to ma!e it a head1to1foot affair. =diotsF11don<t they !no, that you don<t need to shoot a man throu'h the 3ody after you<ve plu''ed him throu'h the 3rainG =<ve seen men die in 3attle11= !no, 3etter. And then their silly hi'h1po,er circuit11dynamoes11all that. Why didn<t they see ,hat =<ve done ,ith the stora'e13atteryG ;ot a hearin'11no3ody !no,s11= alone have the

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secret alone11= and theyA if = choose to let them. . . . But = must have e%perimental su3Cects11 su3Cects11do you kno$ $"om I+!e c"osen for t"e first/) = tried CocosenessA Duic!ly mer'in' into friendly seriousnessA as a sedative. /uic! thou'ht and apt ,ords mi'ht save me yet. LWellA there are lots of fine su3Cects amon' the politicians of San 4ranciscoA ,here = come fromF They need your treatmentA and =<d li!e to help you introduce itF But reallyA = thin! = can help you in all truth. = have some influence in SacramentoA and if you<ll 'o 3ac! to the States ,ith me after =<m throu'h ,ith my 3usiness in 8e%icoA =<ll see that you 'et a hearin'.L 2e ans,ered so3erly and civilly. L;o11= can<t 'o 3ac!. = s,ore not to ,hen those criminals at Al3any turned do,n my invention and set spies to ,atch meA and steal from me. But = must have American su3Cects. Those 'reasers are under a curseA and ,ould 3e too easyB and the full13lood1 =ndians11the real children of the feathered serpent11are sacred and inviolate e%cept for proper sacrificial victims . . . and even those must 3e slain accordin' to ceremony. = must have Americans ,ithout 'oin' 3ac!11and the first man = chosoe ,ill 3e si'nally honored. $o you !no, ,ho he isGL = temporized desperately. L+hA if that<s all the trou3leA =<ll find you a dozen first1rate .an!ee specimens as soon as ,e 'et to 8e%ico CityF = !no, ,here there are lots of small minin' men ,ho ,ouldn<t 3e missed for days11L But he cut me short ,ith a ne, and sudden air of authority ,hich had a touch of real di'nity in it. LThat<ll do11,e<ve trifled lon' enou'h. 7et up and stand erect li!e a man. .ou<re the su3Cect =<ve chosenA and you<ll than! me for the honor in the other ,orldA Cust as the sacrificial victim than!s the priest for transferrin' him to eternal 'lory. A ne, principle11 no other man alive has dreamed of such a 3atteryA and it mi'ht never a'ain 3e hit on if the ,orld e%perimented a thousand years. $o you !no, atoms aren<t ,hat they seemG 4oolsF A century after this some dolt ,ould 3e 'uessin' if = ,ere to let the ,orld liveFL As = arose at his commandA he dre, additional feet of cord from the valise and stood erect 3eside meB the ,ire helmet outstretched to,ard me in 3oth handsA and a loo! of real e%altation on his tanned and 3earded face. 4or an instant he seemed li!e a radiant 2ellenic mysta'o'ue or hierophant9 L2ereA + .outh11a li3ationF Wine of the cosmos11nectar of the starry spaces115inos11 =acchus11=alemus11@a'reus11$ionysos11Atys112ylas11sprun' from Apollo and slain 3y the hounds of Ar'os11seed of >samathe11child of the sun11EvoeF EvoeFL 2e ,as chantin' a'ainA and this time his mind seemed far 3ac! amon'st the classical memories of his collect days. =n my erect posture = noticed the nearness of the si'nal cord overheadA and ,ondered ,hether = could reach it throu'h some 'ensture of ostensi3le response to his ceremonial mood. =t ,as ,orth tryin'A so ,ith an antiphonal cry of

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LEvoeFL = put my arms for,ard and up,ard to,ard him in a ritualistic fashionA hopin' to 'ive the cord a tu' 3efore he could notice the act. But it ,as useless. 2e sa, my purposeA and moved one hand to,ard the ri'ht1hand coat poc!et ,here my revolver lay. ;o ,ords ,ere neededA and ,e stood for a moment li!e carven fi'ures. Then he Duietly saidA L8a!e hasteFL A'ain my mind rushed frantically a3out see!in' avenues of escape. The doorsA = !ne,A ,ere not loc!ed on 8e%ican trainsB 3ut my companion could easily forestall me if = tried to unlatch one and Cump out. BesidesA our speed ,as so 'reat that success in that direction ,ould pro3a3ly 3e as fatal as failure. The only thin' to do ,as to play for time. +f the three1and1a1half hour trip a 'ood slice ,as already ,orn a,ayA and once ,e 'ot to 8e%ico City the 'uards and police in the station ,ould provide instant safety. There ,ouldA = thou'htA 3e t,o distinct times for diplomatic stallin'. =f = could 'et him to postpone the slippin' on of the hoodA that much time ,ould 3e 'ained. =f = could 'et him to postpone the slippin' on of the hoodA that much time ,ould 3e 'ained. +f course = had no 3elief that the thin' ,as really deadlyB 3ut = !ne, enou'h of madmen to understand ,hat ,ould happen ,hen it failed to ,r!. To his disappointment ,ould 3e added a mad sense of my responsi3ility for the failure ,hich ,ould hold his attention and lead him into more or less e%tended searches for corrective influences. = ,ondered Cust ho, far his credulity ,entA and ,hether = could prepare in advance a prophecy of failure ,hich ,ould ma!e the failure itself stamp me as a seer or initiateA or perhaps a 'od. = had enou'h of a smatterin' of 8e%ican mytholo'y to ma!e it ,orth tryin'B thou'h = ,ould try other delayin' influences first and let the prophecy come as a sudden revelation. Would he spare me in the end if = could ma!e him thin! me a prophet or divinity. Could = L'et 3yL as /uetzalcoatl or 2uitzilopotchliG Anythin' to dra' matters out till five o<cloc!A ,hen ,e ,ere due in 8e%ico City. But my openin' LstallL ,as the veteran ,ill1ma!in' ruse. As the maniac repeated his command for hasteA = told him of my family and intended marria'eA and as!ed for the privile'e of leavin' a messa'e and disposin' of my money and effects. =fA = saidA he ,ould lend me some paper and a'ree to mail ,hat = should ,riteA = could die more peacefully and ,illin'ly. After some co'itation he 'ave a favora3le verdict and fished in his valise for a padA ,hich he handed me solemnly as = resumed my seat. = produced a pencilA artfully 3rea!in' the point at the outset and causin' some delay ,hile he searched for one of his o,n. When he 'ave me thisA he too! my 3ro!en pencil and proceeded to sharpen it ,ith a lar'eA horn1handled !nife ,hich had 3een in his 3elt under his coat. Evidently a second pencil13rea!in' ,ould not profit me 'reatly. What = ,roteA = can hardly recall at this date. =t ,as lar'ely 'i33erishA and composed of random scraps of memorized literature ,hen = could thin! of nothin' else to set do,n. = made my hand,ritin' as ille'i3le as = could ,ithout destroyin' its nature as ,ritin'B for = !ne, he ,ould 3e li!ely to loo! at the result 3efore commencin' his e%perimentA and realized ho, he ,ould react to the si'ht of o3vious nonsense. The ordeal ,as a terri3le oneA and = chafed each second at the slo,ness of the train. =n the past = had often ,histled a 3ris! 'allop to the spri'htly LtacL of ,heels on railsA 3ut no, the tempo seemed slo,ed do,n to that of a funeral march11my funeral marchA = 'rimly reflected. 8y ruse ,or!ed till = had covered four pa'esA si% 3y nineB ,hen at last the madman dre, out his ,atch and told me = could have 3ut five minutes more. What should = do

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ne%tG = ,as hastily 'oin' throu'h the form of concludin' the ,ill ,hen a ne, idea struc! me. Endin' ,ith a flourish and handin' him the finished sheetsA ,hich he thrust carelessly into his left1hand coat poc!etA = reminded him of my influential Sacramento friends ,ho ,ould 3e so much interested in his invention. L+u'htn<t = 'ive you a letter of introduction to themGL = said. L+u'htn<t = to ma!e a si'ned s!etch and description of your e%ecutioner so that they<ll 'rant you a cordial hearin'G They can ma!e you famousA you !no,11and there<s no Duestion at all 3ut that they<ll adopt your method for the state of California if they hear of it throu'h someone li!e meA ,hom they !no, and trust.L = ,as ta!in' this tac! on the chance that his thou'hts as a disappointed inventor ,ould let him for'et the Aztec1reli'ious side of his mania for a ,hile. When he vieered to the latter a'ainA = reflectedA = ,ould sprin' the LrevelationL and Lprophecy.L The scheme ,or!edA for his eyes 'lo,ed an ea'er assentA thou'h he 3rus!ly told me to 3e Duic!. 2e furhter emptied the valiesA liftin' out a Dueer1loo!in' con'eries of 'lass cells and coils to ,hich the ,ire from the helmet ,as attachedA and deliverin' a fire of runnin' comment too technical for me to follo, yet apparently Duite plausi3le and strai'htfor,ard. = pretended to note do,n all he saidA ,onderin' as = did so ,hether the Dueer apparatus ,as really a 3attery after all. Would = 'et a sli'ht shoc! ,hen he applied the deviceG The man surely tal!ed as if he ,ere a 'enuine electrician. $escription of his o,n invention ,as clearly a con'enial tas! for himA and = sa, he ,as not as impatient as 3efore. The hopeful 'ray of da,n 'limmered red throu'h the ,indo,s 3efore he ,ound upA and = 'elt at last that my chance of escape had really 3ecome tan'i3le. But heA tooA sa, the da,nA and 3e'an 'larin' ,ildly a'ain. 2e !ne, the train ,as due in 8e%ico City at fiveA and ,ould certainly force Duic! action unless = could override all his Cud'ement ,ith en'rossin' ideas. As he rose ,ith a determined airA settin' the 3attery on the seat 3eside the open valiesA = reminded him that = had not made the needed s!etchB and as!ed him to hold the headpiece so that = could dra, it near the 3attery. 2e complied and resumed his seatA ,ith many admonitions to me to hurry. After another moment = paused for some informationA as!in' him ho, the victim ,as placed for e%ecutionA and ho, his presuma3le stru''les ,ere overcome. LWhyAL he repliedA Lthe criminal is securely strapped to a post. =t does not matter ho, much he tosses his headA for the helmet fits ti'htly and dra,s even closer ,hen the current comes on. We turn the s,itch 'radually11you see it hereA a carefully arran'ed affair ,ith a rheostat.L A ne, idea for delay occurred to me as the tilled fields and increasin'ly freDuent houses in the da,nli'ht outside told of our approach to the capital at last. LButAL = saidA L= must dra, the helmet in place on a human head as ,ell as 3eisde the 3attery. Can<t you slip it on yourself a moment so that = can s!etch you ,ith itG The papers as ,ell as the officials ,ill ,ant all thisA and they are stron' on completeness.L = hadA 3y chanceA made a 3etter shot than = had plannedB for at my mention of the press the madman<s eyes lit up afresh.

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LThe papersG .es11damn themA you can ma!e even the papers 'ive me a hearin'F They all lau'hed at me and ,ouldn<t print a ,ord. 2ereA you hurry upF We<ve not a second to loseFL L;o,A curse <emA they<ll print picturesF =<ll revise your s!etch if you ma!e any 3lunders11must 3e accurate at any cost. >olice ,ill find you after,ard11they<ll tell ho, it ,or!s. Associated >ress item113ac! up your letter11immortal fame. . . . 2urryA = say11 hurryA confound youFL The train ,as lurchin' over the poorer road3ed near the cityA and ,e s,ayed disconcertin'ly no, and then. With this e%cuse = mana'ed to 3rea! the pencil a'ainA 3ut of course the maniac at once handed me my o,n ,hich he had sharpened. 8y first 3atch of ruses ,as a3out used upA and = felt that = should have to su3mit to the headpiece in a moment. We ,ere still a 'ood Duarter1hour from the terminalA and it ,as a3out time for me to divert my companion to his reli'ious side and sprin' the divine prophecy. 8usterin' up my scraps of ;ahuan1Aztec mytholo'yA = suddenly thre, do,n pencil and paper and commenced to chant. L=aF =aF TloDuenahuaDueA Thou Who Art All =n ThyselfF ThouA tooA =palnemoanA By Whom We 5iveF = hearA = hearF = seeA = seeF Serpent13earin' Ea'leA hailF A messa'eF A messa'eF 2uitzilopotchliA in my soul echoes thy thunderFL At my intonation the maniac stared incredulously throu'h his odd mas!A his handsome face sho,n in a surprise and perple%ity ,hich Duic!ly chan'ed to alarm. 2is mind seemed to 'o 3lan! a momentA and then to recrystallize in another pattern. :aisin' his hands aloftA he chanted as if in a dream. L8ictlanteuctliA 7reat 5ordA a si'nF A si'n from ,ithin thy 3lac! caveF =aF Tonotiuh1 8etztliF CthulhuF CommandA and = serveFL ;o,A in all this responsive 'i33erish there ,as one ,ord ,hich struc! an odd chord in my memory. +ddA 3ecause it never occurs in any printed account of 8e%ican mytholo'yA yet had 3een overheard 3y me more than once as an a,e1struc! ,hisper amon'st the peons in my o,n firm<s Tla%cala mines. =t seemed to 3e part of an e%ceedin'ly secret and ancient ritualB for there ,ere characteristic ,hispered responses ,hich = had cau'ht no, and thenA and ,hich ,ere as un!no,n as itself to academic scholarship. This maniac must have spent considera3le time ,ith the hill peons and =ndiansA Cust as he had saidB for surely such unrecorded lore could have come from no mere 3oo!1learnin'. :ealizin' the importance he must attach to this dou3ly esoteric Car'onA = determined to stri!e at his most vulnera3le spot and 'ive him the 'i33erish responses the natives used. L.a1:<lyehF .a1:<lyehL = shouted. LCthulhu fhta'hnF ;i'urat1.i'F .o'1Sototl11L But = never had a chance to finish. 7alvanized into a reli'ious epilepsy 3y the e%act response ,hich his su3conscious mind had pro3a3ly not really e%pectedA the madman scram3led do,n to a !neelin' position on the floorA 3o,in' his ,ire1helmeted head a'ain and a'ainA and turnin' it to the ri'ht and left as he did so. With each turn his o3eisances 3ecame more profoundA and = could hear his foamin' lips repeatin' the sylla3le L!illA !illA !illAL in a rapidly s,ellin' monotone. =t occurred to me that = had overreached myselfA and

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Electric E%ecutioner

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that my response had unloosed a mountin' mania ,hich ,ould rouse him to the slayin'1 point 3efore the train reached the station. As the arc of the madman<s turnin's 'radually increasedA the slac! in the cord from his headpiece to the 3attery had naturally 3een ta!en up more and more. ;o,A in an all1 for'ettin' delerium of ecstasyA he 3e'an to ma'nify his turns to complete circlesA so that the cord ,ound round his nec! and 3e'an to tu' at its moorin's to the 3attery on the seat. = ,ondered ,hat he ,ould do ,hen the inevita3le happenedA and the 3attery ,ould 3e dra''ed to presuma3le destruction on the floor. Then came the sudden cataclysm. The 3atteryA yan!ed over the seat<s ed'e 3y the maniac<s last 'esture of or'iastic frenzyA did indeed fallB 3ut it did not seem to have ,holly 3ro!en. =nsteadA as my eye cau'ht the spectacle in one too1fleetin' instantA the actual impact ,as 3orne 3y the rheostatA so that the s,itch ,as Cer!ed over instantly to full current. And the marvelous thin' is that there ,as a current. The invention ,as no mere dream of insanity. = sa, a 3lindin' 3lue auroral coruscationA heard an ululatin' shrie! more hideous than any of the previous cries of that madA horri3le CourneyA and smelled the nauseous odor of 3urnin' flesh. That ,as all my over,rou'ht consciousness could 3earA and = san! instantly into o3livion. When the train 'uard at 8e%ico City revivied meA = found a cro,d on the station platform around my compartment door. At my involuntary cry the pressin' faces 3ecame curious and du3iousA and = ,as 'lad ,hen the 'uard shut out all 3ut the trim doctor ,ho had pushed his ,ay throu'h to me. 8y cry ,as a very natural thin'A 3ut it had 3een prompted 3y somethin' more than the shoc!in' si'ht on the carria'e floor ,hich = had e%pected to see. +r should = sayA 3y somethin' lessA 3ecause in truth there ,as not anythin' on the floor at all. ;orA said the 'uardA had there 3een ,hen he opened the door and found me unconscious ,ithin. 8y tic!et ,as the only one sold for that compartment and = ,as the only person found ,ithin it. 6ust myself and my caliseA nothin' more. = had 3een alone all the ,ay from /ueretaro. 7uardA doctorA and spectator ali!e tapped their foreheads si'nificantly at my frantic and insistent Duestions. 2ad it all 3een a dreamA or ,as = indeed madG = recalled my an%iety and over,rou'ht nervesA and shuddered. Than!in' the 'uard and doctorA and sha!in' free of the curious cro,dA = sta''ered into a ca3 and ,as ta!en to the 4onda ;ationalA ,hereA after tele'raphin' 6ac!son at the mineA = slept till afternoon in an effort to 'et a fresh 'rip on myself. = had myself called at one o<cloc!A in time to catch the narro,1'a'e for the minin' countryA 3ut ,hen = 'ot up = found a tele'ram under the door. =t ,as from 6ac!sonA and said that 4eldon had 3een found dead in the mountains that mornin'A the ne,s reachin' the mine a3out ten o<cloc!. The papers ,ere all safeA and the San 4rancisco office had 3een duly notified. So the ,hole tripA ,ith its nervous haste and harro,in' mental ordealA had 3een for nothin'. 0no,in' that 8cCom3 ,ould e%pect a personal report despite the course of eventsA = sent another ,ire ahead and too! the narro,1'a'e after all. 4our hours later = ,as rattled and Colted into the station of 8ine ;o. &A ,here 6ac!son ,as ,aitin' to 'ive a cordial

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The Electric E%ecutioner

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'reetin'. 2e ,as so full of the affair at the mine that he did not notice my still sha!en and seedy appearance. The superintendent<s story ,as 3riefA and he told me it as he led me to,ard the shac! up the hillside a3out the arrastraA ,here 4eldon<s 3ody still lay. 4eldonA he saidA had al,ays 3een a DueerA sullen characterA ever since he ,as hired the year 3eforeB ,or!in' at some secret mechanical device and complainin' of constant espiona'eA and 3ein' dis'ustin'ly familiar ,ith the native ,or!men. But he certainly !ne, the ,or!A the countryA and the people. 2e used to ma!e lon' trips into the hills ,here the peons livedA and even to ta!e part in some of their ancientA heathenish ceremonies. 2e hinted at odd secrets and stran'e po,ers as often as he 3oasted of his mechanical s!ill. +f late he had disinter'rated rapidlyB 'ro,in' mor3idly suspicious of his collea'uesA and udou3tedly Coinin' his native friends in ore1thievin' after his cash 'ot lo,. 2e needed unholy amounts of money for somethin' or other11,as al,ays havin' 3o%es come from la3oratories and machine shops in 8e%ico City or the States. As for the final a3scondin' ,ith the papers11it ,as only a crazy 'esture of reven'e for ,hat he called Lspyin'.L 2e ,as certainly star! madA for he had 'one across country to a hidden cave on the ,ild slopes of the haunted Sierra de 8alincheA ,here no ,hite men liveA and had done some amazin'ly Dueer thin's. The caveA ,hich ,ould never have 3een found 3ut for the final tra'edyA ,as full of hideous old Aztec idols and altarsB the latter covered ,ith the charred 3ones of recent 3urnt1offerin's of dou3tful nature. The natives ,ould tell nothin'11indeedA they s,ore they !ne, nothin'113ut it ,as easy to see that the cave ,as an old rendevous of theirsA and that 4eldon had shared their practices to the fullest e%tent. The searchers had found the place only 3ecause of the chantin' and the final cry. =t had 3een close to five that mornin'A and after an all1ni'ht encampment the party had 3e'un to pac! up for its empty1handed return to the mines. Then some3ody had heard faint rhythms in the distanceA and !ne, that one of the no%ious old native rituals ,as 3ein' ho,led from some lonely spot up the slope of the corpse1shaped mountain. They heard the same old names118ictlanteuctliA Tonatiuh18etzliA CthulhuA .a1:<lyehA and all the rest113ut the Dueer thin' ,as that some En'lish ,ords ,ere mi%ed ,ith them. :eal ,hite man<s En'lishA and no 'reaser1patter. 7uided 3y the soundA they had hastened up the ,eed1entan'led mountainside to,ard itA ,hen after a spell of Duiet the shrie! had 3urst upon them. =t ,as a terri3le thin'11a ,orse thin' any of them had never heard 3efore. There seemed to 3e some smo!eA tooA and a mor3id acrid smell. Then they stum3led on the caveA its entrance screened 3y scru3 mesDuitesA 3ut no, emittin' clouds of fetid smo!e. =t ,as li'hted ,ithinA the horri3le altar and 'rotesDue ima'es revealed flic!erin'ly 3y candles ,hich must have 3een chan'ed less than a half1 hour 3eforeB and on the 'ravelly floor lay the horror that made all the cro,d reel 3ac!,ard. =t ,as 4eldonA head 3urned to a crisp 3y some odd device he had slipped over it11a !ind of ,ire ca'e connected ,ith a rather sha!en1up 3attery ,hich had evidently fallen to the floor from a near3y altar1top. When the men sa, it they e%chan'ed 'lancesA thin!in' of the Lelectric e%ecutionerL 4eldon had al,ays 3oasted of inventin'11the thin' ,hich everyone had reCectedA 3ut had tried to steal and copy. The papers ,ere safe in 4eldon<s open portmanteau ,hich stood close 3yA and an hour later the column of searchers started 3ac! for ;o. & ,ith a 'risly 3urden on an improvised stretcher.

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The Electric E%ecutioner

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That ,as allA 3ut it ,as enou'h to ma!e me turn pale and falter as 6ac!son led me up past the arrastra to the shed ,here he said the 3ody lay. 4or = ,as not ,ithout ima'inationA and !ne, only to ,ell into ,hat hellish ni'htmare this tra'edy someho, supernaturally dovetailed. = !ne, ,hat = should see inside that 'apin' door around ,hich the curious miners clusteredA and did not flinch ,hen my eyes too! in the 'iant formA the rou'h corduroy clothesA the oddly delicate handsA the ,isps of 3urnt 3eardA and the hellish machine itself113attery sli'htly 3ro!enA and headpiece 3lac!ened 3y the charrin' of ,hat ,as inside. The 'reatA 3ul'in' portmanteau did not surprise meA and = Duailed only at t,o thin's11the folded sheets of paper stic!in' out of the left1hand poc!et. =n a moment ,hen no one ,as loo!in' = reached out and seized the too familiar sheetsA crushin' them in my hand ,ithout darin' to loo! at their penmanship. = ou'ht to 3e sorry no, that a !ind of panic feat made me 3urn them that ni'ht ,ith averted eyes. They ,ould have 3een a positive proof or disproof of somethin'113ut for that matter = could still have had proof 3y as!in' a3out the revolver the coroner after,ard too! from that sa''in' ri'ht1hand coat poc!et. = never had the coura'e to as! a3out that113ecause my o,n revolver ,as missin' after the ni'ht on the train. 8y poc!et pencilA tooA sho,ed si'ns of a crude and hasty sharpenin' unli!e the precise pointin' = had 'iven it 4riday afternoon on the machine in >resident 8cCom3<s private car. So in the end = ,ent home puzzled11mercifully puzzledA perhaps. The private car ,as repaired ,hen = 'ot 3ac! to /ueretaroA 3ut my 'reatest relief ,as crossin' the :io 7rande into El >aso and the States. By the ne%t 4riday = ,as in San 4rancisco a'ainA and the postponed ,eddin' came off the follo,in' ,ee!. As to ,hat really happened that ni'ht11as =<ve saidA = simply don<t dare to speculate. The chap 4eldon ,as insane to start ,ithA and on top of his insanity he had piled a lot of prehistoric Aztec ,itchlore that no3ody has any ri'ht to !no,. 2e ,as really an inventive 'eniusA and that 3attery must have 3een the 'enuine stuff. = heard later ho, he had 3een 3rushed aside in former years 3y pressA pu3lic and potentates ali!e. Too much disappointment isn<t 'ood for men of a certain !ind. Anyho,A some unholy com3ination of influences ,as at ,or!. 2e had reallyA 3y the ,ayA 3een a soldier of 8a%imillian<s. When = tell my story most people call me a plain liar. +hers lay it to a3normal psycholo'y11and 2eaven !no,s = ,as over,rou'ht11,hile still others tal! of Lastral proCectionL of some sort. 8y zeal to catch 4eldon certainly sent my thou'hts ahead to,ard himA and ,ill all his =ndian ma'ic he<d 3e a3out the first one to reco'nize and meet them. Was he in the rail,ay1carria'e or ,as = in the cave on the coprse1shaped haunted mountainG What ,ould have happened to meA had = not delayed him as = didG =<ll confess = don<t !no,A and =<m not sure that = ,ant to !no,. =<ve never 3een in 8e%ico since11and as = said at the startA = don<t enCoy hearin' a3out electric e%ecutions.

The Evil Cler-&m #

= ,as sho,n into the attic cham3er 3y a 'raveA intelli'ent1loo!in' man ,ith Duiet clothes and an iron1'ray 3eardA ,ho spo!e to me in this fashion9 L.esA "e lived here 1 3ut = donTt advise your doin' anythin'. .our curiosity ma!es you irresponsi3le. We never come here at ni'htA and itTs only 3ecause of "is ,ill that ,e !eep it this ,ay. .ou !no, ,hat "e did. That a3omina3le society too! char'e at lastA and ,e donTt !no, ,here "e is 3uried. There ,as no ,ay the la, or anythin' else could reach the society. L= hope you ,onTt stay till after dar!. And = 3e' of you to let that thin' on the ta3le 1 the thin' that loo!s li!e a match13o% 1 alone. We donTt !no, ,hat it isA 3ut ,e suspect it has somethin' to do ,ith ,hat "e did. We even avoid loo!in' at it very steadily.L After a time the man left me alone in the attic room. =t ,as very din'y and dustyA and only primitively furnishedA 3ut it had a neatness ,hich sho,ed it ,as not a slum1denizenTs Duarters. There ,ere shelves full of theolo'ical and classical 3oo!sA and another 3oo!case containin' treatises on ma'ic 1 >aracelsusA Al3ertus 8a'nusA TrithemiusA 2ermes Trisme'istusA BorellusA and others in a stran'e alpha3et ,hose titles = could not decipher. The furniture ,as very plain. There ,as a doorA 3ut it led only into a closet. The only e'ress ,as the aperture in the floor up to ,hich the crudeA steep staircase led. The ,indo,s ,ere of 3ullTs1eye patternA and the 3lac! oa! 3eams 3espo!e un3elieva3le antiDuity. >lainlyA this house ,as of the +ld World. = seemed to !no, ,here = ,asA 3ut cannot recall ,hat = then !ne,. Certainly the to,n ,as not 5ondon. 8y impression is of a small seaport. The small o3Cect on the ta3le fascinated me intensely. = seemed to !no, ,hat to do ,ith itA for = dre, a poc!et electric li'ht 1 or ,hat loo!ed li!e one 1 out of my poc!et and nervously tested its flashes. The li'ht ,as not ,hite 3ut violetA and seemed less li!e true li'ht than li!e some radioactive 3om3ardment. = recall that = did not re'ard it as a common flashli'ht 1 indeedA = "ad a common flashli'ht in another poc!et. =t ,as 'ettin' dar!A and the ancient roofs and chimney1pots outside loo!ed very Dueer throu'h the 3ullTs1eye ,indo,1panes. 4inally = summoned up coura'e and propped the small o3Cect up on the ta3le a'ainst a 3oo! 1 then turned the rays of the peculiar violet li'ht upon it. The li'ht seemed no, to 3e more li!e a rain of hail or small violet particles than li!e a continuous 3eam. As the particles struc! the 'lassy surface at the center of the stran'e deviceA they seemed to produce a crac!lin' noise li!e the sputterin' of a vacuum tu3e throu'h ,hich spar!s are passed. The dar! 'lassy surface displayed a pin!ish 'lo,A and a va'ue ,hite shape seemed to 3e ta!in' form at its center. Then = noticed that = ,as not alone in the room 1 and put the ray1proCector 3ac! in my poc!et. But the ne,comer did not spea! 1 nor did = hear any sound ,hatever durin' all the immediately follo,in' moments. Everythin' ,as shado,y pantomimeA as if seen at a vast distance throu'h some intervenin' haze 1 althou'h on the other hand the ne,comer and all su3seDuent comers loomed lar'e and closeA as if 3oth near and distantA accordin' to some a3normal 'eometry.

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The Evil Cler'yman

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The ne,comer ,as a thinA dar! man of medium hei'ht attired in the clerical 'ar3 of the An'lican church. 2e ,as apparently a3out thirty years oldA ,ith a sallo,A olive comple%ion and fairly 'ood featuresA 3ut an a3normally hi'h forehead. 2is 3lac! hair ,as ,ell cut and neatly 3rushedA and he ,as clean1shaven thou'h 3lue1chinned ,ith a heavy 'ro,th of 3eard. 2e ,ore rimless spectacles ,ith steel 3o,s. 2is 3uild and lo,er facial features ,ere li!e other cler'ymen = had seenA 3ut he had a vastly hi'her foreheadA and ,as dar!er and more intelli'ent1loo!in' 1 also more su3tly and concealedly e!il1loo!in'. At the present moment 1 havin' Cust li'hted a faint oil lamp 1 he loo!ed nervousA and 3efore = !ne, it he ,as castin' all his ma'ical 3oo!s into a fireplace on the ,indo, side of the room J,here the ,all slanted sharplyK ,hich = had not noticed 3efore. The flames devoured the volumes 'reedily 1 leapin' up in stran'e colors and emittin' indescri3a3ly hideous odors as the stran'ely hiero'lyphed leaves and ,ormy 3indin's succum3ed to the devastatin' element. All at once = sa, there ,ere others in the room 1 'raveloo!in' men in clerical costumeA one of ,hom ,ore the 3ands and !nee13reeches of a 3ishop. Thou'h = could hear nothin'A = could see that they ,ere 3rin'in' a decision of vast import to the first1coiner. They seemed to hate and fear him at the same timeA and he seemed to return these sentiments. 2is face set itself into a 'rim e%pressionA 3ut = could see his ri'ht hand sha!in' as he tried to 'rip the 3ac! of a chair. The 3ishop pointed to the empty case and to the fireplace J,here the flames had died do,n amidst a charredA non1committal massKA and seemed filled ,ith a peculiar loathin'. The first1coiner then 'ave a ,ry smile and reached out ,ith his left hand to,ard the small o3Cect on the ta3le. Everyone then seemed fri'htened. The procession of clerics 3e'an filin' do,n the steep stairs throu'h the trapdoor in the floorA turnin' and ma!in' menacin' 'estures as they left. The 3ishop ,as last to 'o. The first1coiner no, ,ent to a cup3oard on the inner side of the room and e%tracted a coil of rope. 8ountin' a chairA he attached one end of the rope to a hoo! in the 'reat e%posed central 3eam of 3lac! oa!A and 3e'an ma!in' a noose ,ith the other end. :ealizin' he ,as a3out to han' himselfA = started for,ard to dissuade or save him. 2e sa, me and ceased his preparationsA loo!in' at me ,ith a !ind of triump" ,hich puzzled and distur3ed me. 2e slo,ly stepped do,n from the chair and 3e'an 'lidin' to,ard me ,ith a positively ,olfish 'rin on his dar!A thin1lipped face. = felt someho, in deadly perilA and dre, out the peculiar ray1proCector as a ,eapon of defense. Why = thou'ht it could help meA = do not !no,. = turned it on 1 full in his faceA and sa, the sallo, features 'lo, first ,ith violet and then ,ith pin!ish li'ht. 2is e%pression of ,olfish e%ultation 3e'an to 3e cro,ded aside 3y a loo! of profound fear 1 ,hich did notA ho,everA ,holly displace the e%ultation. 2e stopped in his trac!s 1 thenA flailin' his arms ,ildly in the airA 3e'an to sta''er 3ac!,ards. = sa, he ,as ed'in' to,ard the open stair1 ,ell in the floorA and tried to shout a ,arnin'A 3ut he did not hear me. =n another instant he had lurched 3ac!,ard throu'h the openin' and ,as lost to vie,. = found difficulty in movin' to,ard the stair1,ellA 3ut ,hen = did 'et there = found no crushed 3ody on the floor 3elo,. =nstead there ,as a clatter of people comin' up ,ith lanternsA for the spell of phantasmal silence had 3ro!enA and = once more heard sounds and sa, fi'ures as normally tri1dimensional. Somethin' had evidently dra,n a cro,d to this place. 2ad there 3een a noise = had not heardG >resently the t,o people Jsimple villa'ersA apparentlyK farthest in the lead sa, me 1 and stood paralyzed. +ne of them shrie!ed loudly and rever3erantly9

H.P.Lovecr !t LAhrrhF ... =t 3eTeeA zurG A'ainGL

The Evil Cler'yman

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Then they all turned and fled frantically. AllA that isA 3ut one. When the cro,d ,as 'one = sa, the 'rave13earded man ,ho had 3rou'ht me to this place 1 standin' alone ,ith a lantern. 2e ,as 'azin' at me 'aspin'ly and fascinatedlyA 3ut did not seem afraid. Then he 3e'an to ascend the stairsA and Coined me in the attic. 2e spo!e9 LSo you didnHt let it aloneF =Tm sorry. = !no, ,hat has happened. =t happened once 3eforeA 3ut the man 'ot fri'htened and shot himself. .ou ou'ht not to have made "im come 3ac!. .ou !no, ,hat "e ,ants. But you mustnTt 'et fri'htened li!e the other man he 'ot. Somethin' very stran'e and terri3le has happened to youA 3ut it didnTt 'et far enou'h to hurt your mind and personality. =f youTll !eep coolA and accept the need for ma!in' certain radical readCustments in your lifeA you can !eep ri'ht on enCoyin' the ,orldA and the fruits of your scholarship. But you canTt live here 1 and = donTt thin! youTll ,ish to 'o 3ac! to 5ondon. =Td advise America. L.ou mustnTt try anythin' more than that 1 thin'. ;othin' can 3e put 3ac! no,. =t ,ould only ma!e matters ,orse to do 1 or summon 1 anythin'. .ou are not as 3adly off as you mi'ht 3e 1 3ut you must 'et out of here at once and stay a,ay. .ouTd 3etter than! 2eaven it didnTt 'o further... L=Tm 'oin' to prepare you as 3luntly as = can. ThereTs 3een a certain chan'e 1 in your personal appearance. 9e al,ays causes that. But in a ne, country you can 'et used to it. ThereTs a mirror up at the other end of the roomA and =Tm 'oin' to ta!e you to it. .ouTll 'et a shoc! 1 thou'h you ,ill see nothin' repulsive.L = ,as no, sha!in' ,ith a deadly fearA and the 3earded man almost had to hold me up as he ,al!ed me across the room to the mirrorA the faint lamp Ji.e.A that formerly on the ta3leA not the still fainter lantern he had 3rou'htK in his free hand. This is ,hat = sa, in the 'lass9 A thinA dar! man of medium stature attired in the clerical 'ar3 of the An'lican churchA apparently a3out thirtyA and ,ith rimlessA steel13o,ed 'lasses 'listenin' 3eneath a sallo,A olive forehead of a3normal hei'ht. =t ,as the silent first1coiner ,ho had 3urned his 3oo!s. 4or all the rest of my lifeA in out,ard formA = ,as to 3e that manF

E1 O6livio#e
When the last days ,ere upon meA and the u'ly trifles of e%istence 3e'an to drive me to madness li!e the small drops of ,ater that torturers let fall ceaselessly upon one spot of their victims 3odyA = loved the irradiate refu'e of sleep. =n my dreams = found a little of the 3eauty = had vainly sou'ht in lifeA and ,andered throu'h old 'ardens and enchanted ,oods. +nce ,hen the ,ind ,as soft and scented = heard the south callin'A and sailed endlessly and lan'uorously under stran'e stars. +nce ,hen the 'entle rain fell = 'lided in a 3ar'e do,n a sunless stream under the earth till = reached another ,orld of purple t,ili'htA iridescent ar3oursA and undyin' roses. And once = ,al!ed throu'h a 'olden valley that led to shado,y 'roves and ruinsA and ended in a mi'hty ,all 'reen ,ith antiDue vinesA and pierced 3y a little 'ate of 3ronze. 8any times = ,al!ed throu'h that valleyA and lon'er and lon'er ,ould = pause in the spectral half1li'ht ,here the 'iant trees sDuirmed and t,isted 'rotesDuelyA and the 'rey 'round stretched damply from trun! to trun!A some times disclosin' the mould1stained stones of 3uried temples. And al,ay the 'oal of my fancies ,as the mi'hty vine1'ro,n ,all ,ith the little 'ate of 3ronze therein. After a ,hileA as the days of ,a!in' 3ecame less and less 3eara3le from their 'reyness and samenessA = ,ould often drift in opiate peace throu'h the valley and the shado,y 'rovesA and ,onder ho, = mi'ht seize them for my eternal d,ellin'1placeA so that = need no more cra,l 3ac! to a dull ,orld stript of interest and ne, colours. And as = loo!ed upon the little 'ate in the mi'hty ,allA = felt that 3eyond it lay a dream1country from ,hichA once it ,as enteredA there ,ould 3e no return. So each ni'ht in sleep = strove to find the hidden latch of the 'ate in the ivied antiDue ,allA thou'h it ,as e%ceedin'ly ,ell hidden. And = ,ould tell myself that the realm 3eyond the ,all ,as not more lastin' merelyA 3ut more lovely and radiant as ,ell. Then one ni'ht in the dream1city of @a!arion = found a yello,ed papyrus filled ,ith the thou'hts of dream1sa'es ,ho d,elt of old in that cityA and ,ho ,ere too ,ise ever to 3e 3orn in the ,a!in' ,orld. Therein ,ere ,ritten many thin's concernin' the ,orld of dreamA and amon' them ,as lore of a 'olden valley and a sacred 'rove ,ith templesA and a hi'h ,all pierced 3y a little 3ronze 'ate. When = sa, this loreA = !ne, that it touched on the scenes = had hauntedA and = therefore read lon' in the yello,ed papyrus. Some of the dream1sa'es ,rote 'or'eously of the ,onders 3eyond the irrepassa3le 'ateA 3ut others told of horror and disappointment. = !ne, not ,hich to 3elieveA yet lon'ed more and more to cross for ever into the un!no,n landB for dou3t and secrecy are the lure of luresA and no ne, horror can 3e more terri3le than the daily torture of the commonplace. So ,hen = learned of the dru' ,hich ,ould unloc! the 'ate and drive me throu'hA = resolved to ta!e it ,hen ne%t = a,a!ed. 5ast ni'ht = s,allo,ed the dru' and floated dreamily into the 'olden valley and the shado,y 'rovesB and ,hen = came this time to the

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antiDue ,allA = sa, that the small 'ate of 3ronze ,as aCar. 4rom 3eyond came a 'lo, that ,eirdly lit the 'iant t,isted trees and the tops of the 3uried templesA and = drifted on son'fullyA e%pectant of the 'lories of the land from ,hence = should never return. But as the 'ate s,un' ,ider and the sorcery of the dru' and the dream pushed me throu'hA = !ne, that all si'hts and 'lories ,ere at an endB for in that ne, realm ,as neither land nor seaA 3ut only the ,hite void of unpeopled and illimita3le space. SoA happier than = had ever dared hope to 3eA = dissolved a'ain into that native infinity of crystal o3livion from ,hich the daemon 5ife had called me for one 3rief and desolate hour.

F cts Co#cer#i#- the L te Arth%r 7erm&# #$ His F mil&

,.
5ife is a hideous thin'A and from the 3ac!'round 3ehind ,hat ,e !no, of it peer daemoniacal hints of truth ,hich ma!e it sometimes a thousandfold more hideous. ScienceA already oppressive ,ith its shoc!in' revelationsA ,ill perhaps 3e the ultimate e%terminator of our human speciesUif separate species ,e 3eUfor its reserve of un'uessed horrors could never 3e 3orne 3y mortal 3rains if loosed upon the ,orld. =f ,e !ne, ,hat ,e areA ,e should do as Sir Arthur 6ermyn didB and Arthur 6ermyn soa!ed himself in oil and set fire to his clothin' one ni'ht. ;o one placed the charred fra'ments in an urn or set a memorial to him ,ho had 3eenB for certain papers and a certain 3o%ed o3Cect ,ere found ,hich made men ,ish to for'et. Some ,ho !ne, him do not admit that he ever e%isted. Arthur 6ermyn ,ent out on the moor and 3urned himself after seein' the 3o%ed o3Cect ,hich had come from Africa. =t ,as this o3CectA and not his peculiar personal appearanceA ,hich made him end his life. 8any ,ould have disli!ed to live if possessed of the peculiar features of Arthur 6ermynA 3ut he had 3een a poet and scholar and had not minded. 5earnin' ,as in his 3loodA for his 'reat1'randfatherA Sir :o3ert 6ermynA Bt.A had 3een an anthropolo'ist of noteA ,hilst his 'reat1'reat1'reat1'randfatherA Sir Wade 6ermynA ,as one of the earliest e%plorers of the Con'o re'ionA and had ,ritten eruditely of its tri3esA animalsA and supposed antiDuities. =ndeedA old Sir Wade had possessed an intellectual zeal amountin' almost to a maniaB his 3izarre conCectures on a prehistoric ,hite Con'olese civilisation earnin' him much ridicule ,hen his 3oo!A +3servation on the Several >arts of AfricaA ,as pu3lished. =n 17- this fearless e%plorer had 3een placed in a madhouse at 2untin'don. 8adness ,as in all the 6ermynsA and people ,ere 'lad there ,ere not many of them. The line put forth no 3ranchesA and Arthur ,as the last of it. =f he had not 3eenA one can not say ,hat he ,ould have done ,hen the o3Cect came. The 6ermyns never seemed to loo! Duite ri'htUsomethin' ,as amissA thou'h Arthur ,as the ,orstA and the old family portraits in 6ermyn 2ouse sho,ed fine faces enou'h 3efore Sir WadeTs time. CertainlyA the madness 3e'an ,ith Sir WadeA ,hose ,ild stories of Africa ,ere at once the deli'ht and terror of his fe, friends. =t sho,ed in his collection of trophies and specimensA ,hich ,ere not such as a normal man ,ould accumulate and preserveA and appeared stri!in'ly in the +riental seclusion in ,hich he !ept his ,ife. The latterA he had saidA ,as the dau'hter of a >ortu'uese trader ,hom he had met in AfricaB and did not li!e En'lish ,ays. SheA ,ith an infant son 3orn in AfricaA had accompanied him 3ac! from the second and lon'est of his tripsA and had 'one ,ith him on the third and lastA never returnin'. ;o one had ever seen her closelyA not even the servantsB for her disposition had 3een violent and sin'ular. $urin' her 3rief stay at 6ermyn 2ouse she occupied a remote ,in'A and ,as ,aited on 3y her hus3and alone. Sir Wade ,asA indeedA most peculiar in his solicitude for his familyB for ,hen he returned to Africa he ,ould permit no one to care for his youn' son save a

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loathsome 3lac! ,oman from 7uinea. (pon comin' 3ac!A after the death of 5ady 6ermynA he himself assumed complete care of the 3oy. But it ,as the tal! of Sir WadeA especially ,hen in his cupsA ,hich chiefly led his friends to deem him mad. =n a rational a'e li!e the ei'hteenth century it ,as un,ise for a man of learnin' to tal! a3out ,ild si'hts and stran'e scenes under a Con'o moonB of the 'i'antic ,alls and pillars of a for'otten cityA crum3lin' and vine1'ro,nA and of dampA silentA stone steps leadin' intermina3ly do,n into the dar!ness of a3ysmal treasure1vaults and inconceiva3le catacom3s. Especially ,as it un,ise to rave of the livin' thin's that mi'ht haunt such a placeB of creatures half of the Cun'le and half of the impiously a'ed city Ufa3ulous creatures ,hich even a >liny mi'ht descri3e ,ith scepticismB thin's that mi'ht have sprun' up after the 'reat apes had overrun the dyin' city ,ith the ,alls and the pillarsA the vaults and the ,eird carvin's. .et after he came home for the last time Sir Wade ,ould spea! of such matters ,ith a shudderin'ly uncanny zestA mostly after his third 'lass at the 0ni'htTs 2eadB 3oastin' of ,hat he had found in the Cun'le and of ho, he had d,elt amon' terri3le ruins !no,n only to him. And finally he had spo!en of the livin' thin's in such a manner that he ,as ta!en to the madhouse. 2e had sho,n little re'ret ,hen shut into the 3arred room at 2untin'donA for his mind moved curiously. Ever since his son had commenced to 'ro, out of infancyA he had li!ed his home less and lessA till at last he had seemed to dread it. The 0ni'htTs 2ead had 3een his headDuartersA and ,hen he ,as confined he e%pressed some va'ue 'ratitude as if for protection. Three years later he died. Wade 6ermynTs son >hilip ,as a hi'hly peculiar person. $espite a stron' physical resem3lance to his fatherA his appearance and conduct ,ere in many particulars so coarse that he ,as universally shunned. Thou'h he did not inherit the madness ,hich ,as feared 3y someA he ,as densely stupid and 'iven to 3rief periods of uncontrolla3le violence. =n frame he ,as smallA 3ut intensely po,erfulA and ,as of incredi3le a'ility. T,elve years after succeedin' to his title he married the dau'hter of his 'ame!eeperA a person said to 3e of 'ypsy e%tractionA 3ut 3efore his son ,as 3orn Coined the navy as a common sailorA completin' the 'eneral dis'ust ,hich his ha3its and misalliance had 3e'un. After the close of the American ,ar he ,as heard of as sailor on a merchantman in the African tradeA havin' a !ind of reputation for feats of stren'th and clim3in'A 3ut finally disappearin' one ni'ht as his ship lay off the Con'o coast. =n the son of Sir >hilip 6ermyn the no, accepted family peculiarity too! a stran'e and fatal turn. Tall and fairly handsomeA ,ith a sort of ,eird Eastern 'race despite certain sli'ht oddities of proportionA :o3ert 6ermyn 3e'an life as a scholar and investi'ator. =t ,as he ,ho first studied scientifically the vast collection of relics ,hich his mad 'randfather had 3rou'ht from AfricaA and ,ho made the family name as cele3rated in ethnolo'y as in e%ploration. =n 181 Sir :o3ert married a dau'hter of the seventh ?iscount Bri'htholme and ,as su3seDuently 3lessed ,ith three childrenA the eldest and youn'est of ,hom ,ere never pu3licly seen on account of deformities in mind and 3ody. Saddened 3y these family misfortunesA the scientist sou'ht relief in ,or!A and made t,o lon' e%peditions in the interior of Africa. =n 18#) his second sonA ;evilA a sin'ularly repellent person ,ho seemed to com3ine the surliness of >hilip 6ermyn ,ith the hauteur of the Bri'htholmesA ran a,ay ,ith a vul'ar dancerA 3ut ,as pardoned upon his return in the follo,in' year. 2e came 3ac! to 6ermyn 2ouse a ,ido,er ,ith an infant sonA AlfredA ,ho ,as one day to 3e the father of Arthur 6ermyn.

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4riends said that it ,as this series of 'riefs ,hich unhin'ed the mind of Sir :o3ert 6ermynA yet it ,as pro3a3ly merely a 3it of African fol!lore ,hich caused the disaster. The elderly scholar had 3een collectin' le'ends of the +n'a tri3es near the field of his 'randfatherTs and his o,n e%plorationsA hopin' in some ,ay to account for Sir WadeTs ,ild tales of a lost city peopled 3y stran'e hy3rid creatures. A certain consistency in the stran'e papers of his ancestor su''ested that the madmanTs ima'ination mi'ht have 3een stimulated 3y native myths. +n +cto3er 1)A 18 "A the e%plorer Samuel Seaton called at 6ermyn 2ouse ,ith a manuscript of notes collected amon' the +n'asA 3elievin' that certain le'ends of a 'ray city of ,hite apes ruled 3y a ,hite 'od mi'ht prove valua3le to the ethnolo'ist. =n his conversation he pro3a3ly supplied many additional detailsB the nature of ,hich ,ill never 3e !no,nA since a hideous series of tra'edies suddenly 3urst into 3ein'. When Sir :o3ert 6ermyn emer'ed from his li3rary he left 3ehind the stran'led corpse of the e%plorerA and 3efore he could 3e restrainedA had put an end to all three of his childrenB the t,o ,ho ,ere never seenA and the son ,ho had run a,ay. ;evil 6ermyn died in the successful defence of his o,n t,o1year1old sonA ,ho had apparently 3een included in the old manTs madly murderous scheme. Sir :o3ert himselfA after repeated attempts at suicide and a stu33orn refusal to utter an articulate soundA died of apople%y in the second year of his confinement. Sir Alfred 6ermyn ,as a 3aronet 3efore his fourth 3irthdayA 3ut his tastes never matched his title. At t,enty he had Coined a 3and of music1hall performersA and at thirty1si% had deserted his ,ife and child to travel ,ith an itinerant American circus. 2is end ,as very revoltin'. Amon' the animals in the e%hi3ition ,ith ,hich he travelled ,as a hu'e 3ull 'orilla of li'hter colour than the avera'eB a surprisin'ly tracta3le 3east of much popularity ,ith the performers. With this 'orilla Alfred 6ermyn ,as sin'ularly fascinatedA and on many occasions the t,o ,ould eye each other for lon' periods throu'h the intervenin' 3ars. Eventually 6ermyn as!ed and o3tained permission to train the animalA astonishin' audiences and fello, performers ali!e ,ith his success. +ne mornin' in Chica'oA as the 'orilla and Alfred 6ermyn ,ere rehearsin' an e%ceedin'ly clever 3o%in' matchA the former delivered a 3lo, of more than the usual forceA hurtin' 3oth the 3ody and the di'nity of the amateur trainer. +f ,hat follo,edA mem3ers of WThe 7reatest Sho, +n EarthX do not li!e to spea!. They did not e%pect to hear Sir Alfred 6ermyn emit a shrillA inhuman screamA or to see him seize his clumsy anta'onist ,ith 3oth handsA dash it to the floor of the ca'eA and 3ite fiendishly at its hairy throat. The 'orilla ,as off its 'uardA 3ut not for lon'A and 3efore anythin' could 3e done 3y the re'ular trainerA the 3ody ,hich had 3elon'ed to a 3aronet ,as past reco'nition.

,,.
Arthur 6ermyn ,as the son of Sir Alfred 6ermyn and a music1hall sin'er of un!no,n ori'in. When the hus3and and father deserted his familyA the mother too! the child to 6ermyn 2ouseB ,here there ,as none left to o3Cect to her presence. She ,as not ,ithout notions of ,hat a no3lemanTs di'nity should 3eA and sa, to it that her son received the 3est education ,hich limited money could provide. The family resources ,ere no, sadly slenderA and 6ermyn 2ouse had fallen into ,oeful disrepairA 3ut youn' Arthur loved the old edifice and all its contents. 2e ,as not li!e any other 6ermyn ,ho had ever livedA for he ,as a poet and a dreamer. Some of the nei'h3ourin' families ,ho had heard tales of old Sir Wade 6ermynTs unseen >ortu'uese ,ife declared that her 5atin 3lood must 3e sho,in'

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itselfB 3ut most persons merely sneered at his sensitiveness to 3eautyA attri3utin' it to his music1hall motherA ,ho ,as socially unreco'nised. The poetic delicacy of Arthur 6ermyn ,as the more remar!a3le 3ecause of his uncouth personal appearance. 8ost of the 6ermyns had possessed a su3tly odd and repellent castA 3ut ArthurTs case ,as very stri!in'. =t is hard to say Cust ,hat he resem3ledA 3ut his e%pressionA his facial an'leA and the len'th of his arms 'ave a thrill of repulsion to those ,ho met him for the first time. =t ,as the mind and character of Arthur 6ermyn ,hich atoned for his aspect. 7ifted and learnedA he too! hi'hest honours at +%ford and seemed li!ely to redeem the intellectual fame of his family. Thou'h of poetic rather than scientific temperamentA he planned to continue the ,or! of his forefathers in African ethnolo'y and antiDuitiesA utilisin' the truly ,onderful thou'h stran'e collection of Sir Wade. With his fanciful mind he thou'ht often of the prehistoric civilisation in ,hich the mad e%plorer had so implicitly 3elievedA and ,ould ,eave tale after tale a3out the silent Cun'le city mentioned in the latterTs ,ilder notes and para'raphs. 4or the ne3ulous utterances concernin' a namelessA unsuspected race of Cun'le hy3rids he had a peculiar feelin' of min'led terror and attractionA speculatin' on the possi3le 3asis of such a fancyA and see!in' to o3tain li'ht amon' the more recent data 'leaned 3y his 'reat1'randfather and Samuel Seaton amon'st the +n'as. =n 1)11A after the death of his motherA Sir Arthur 6ermyn determined to pursue his investi'ations to the utmost e%tent. Sellin' a portion of his estate to o3tain the reDuisite moneyA he outfitted an e%pedition and sailed for the Con'o. Arran'in' ,ith the Bel'ian authorities for a party of 'uidesA he spent a year in the +n'a and 0ahn countryA findin' data 3eyond the hi'hest of his e%pectations. Amon' the 0aliris ,as an a'ed chief called 8,anuA ,ho possessed not only a hi'hly retentive memoryA 3ut a sin'ular de'ree of intelli'ence and interest in old le'ends. This ancient confirmed every tale ,hich 6ermyn had heardA addin' his o,n account of the stone city and the ,hite apes as it had 3een told to him. Accordin' to 8,anuA the 'ray city and the hy3rid creatures ,ere no moreA havin' 3een annihilated 3y the ,arli!e ;T3an'us many years a'o. This tri3eA after destroyin' most of the edifices and !illin' the live 3ein'sA had carried off the stuffed 'oddess ,hich had 3een the o3Cect of their DuestB the ,hite ape1'oddess ,hich the stran'e 3ein's ,orshippedA and ,hich ,as held 3y Con'o tradition to 3e the form of one ,ho had rei'ned as a princess amon' these 3ein's. 6ust ,hat the ,hite apeli!e creatures could have 3eenA 8,anu had no ideaA 3ut he thou'ht they ,ere the 3uilders of the ruined city. 6ermyn could form no conCectureA 3ut 3y close Duestionin' o3tained a very picturesDue le'end of the stuffed 'oddess. The ape1princessA it ,as saidA 3ecame the consort of a 'reat ,hite 'od ,ho had come out of the West. 4or a lon' time they had rei'ned over the city to'etherA 3ut ,hen they had a sonA all three ,ent a,ay. 5ater the 'od and princess had returnedA and upon the death of the princess her divine hus3and had mummified the 3ody and enshrined it in a vast house of stoneA ,here it ,as ,orshipped. Then he departed alone. The le'end here seemed to present three variants. Accordin' to one storyA nothin' further happened save that the stuffed 'oddess 3ecame a sym3ol of supremacy for ,hatever tri3e mi'ht possess it. =t ,as for this reason that the ;T3an'us carried it off. A second story told of a 'odTs return and death at the feet of his enshrined ,ife. A third told of the return of the sonA 'ro,n to manhoodUor apehood or 'odhoodA as the case mi'ht 3eUyet unconscious of his identity.

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Surely the ima'inative 3lac!s had made the most of ,hatever events mi'ht lie 3ehind the e%trava'ant le'endry. +f the reality of the Cun'le city descri3ed 3y old Sir WadeA Arthur 6ermyn had no further dou3tB and ,as hardly astonished ,hen early in 1)1" he came upon ,hat ,as left of it. =ts size must have 3een e%a''eratedA yet the stones lyin' a3out proved that it ,as no mere ;e'ro villa'e. (nfortunately no carvin's could 3e foundA and the small size of the e%pedition prevented operations to,ard clearin' the one visi3le passa'e,ay that seemed to lead do,n into the system of vaults ,hich Sir Wade had mentioned. The ,hite apes and the stuffed 'oddess ,ere discussed ,ith all the native chiefs of the re'ionA 3ut it remained for a European to improve on the data offered 3y old 8,anu. 8. ?erhaerenA Bel'ian a'ent at a tradin'1post on the Con'oA 3elieved that he could not only locate 3ut o3tain the stuffed 'oddessA of ,hich he had va'uely heardB since the once mi'hty ;T3an'us ,ere no, the su3missive servants of 0in' Al3ertTs 'overnmentA and ,ith 3ut little persuasion could 3e induced to part ,ith the 'ruesome deity they had carried off. When 6ermyn sailed for En'landA thereforeA it ,as ,ith the e%ultant pro3a3ility that he ,ould ,ithin a fe, months receive a priceless ethnolo'ical relic confirmin' the ,ildest of his 'reat1'reat1'reat1 'randfatherTs narrativesUthat isA the ,ildest ,hich he had ever heard. Countrymen near 6ermyn 2ouse had perhaps heard ,ilder tales handed do,n from ancestors ,ho had listened to Sir Wade around the ta3les of the 0ni'htTs 2ead. Arthur 6ermyn ,aited very patiently for the e%pected 3o% from 8. ?erhaerenA mean,hile studyin' ,ith increased dili'ence the manuscripts left 3y his mad ancestor. 2e 3e'an to feel closely a!in to Sir WadeA and to see! relics of the latterTs personal life in En'land as ,ell as of his African e%ploits. +ral accounts of the mysterious and secluded ,ife had 3een numerousA 3ut no tan'i3le relic of her stay at 6ermyn 2ouse remained. 6ermyn ,ondered ,hat circumstance had prompted or permitted such an effacementA and decided that the hus3andTs insanity ,as the prime cause. 2is 'reat1'reat1'reat1 'randmotherA he recalledA ,as said to have 3een the dau'hter of a >ortu'uese trader in Africa. ;o dou3t her practical herita'e and superficial !no,led'e of the $ar! Continent had caused her to flout Sir WadeTs tales of the interiorA a thin' ,hich such a man ,ould not 3e li!ely to for'ive. She had died in AfricaA perhaps dra''ed thither 3y a hus3and determined to prove ,hat he had told. But as 6ermyn indul'ed in these reflections he could not 3ut smile at their futilityA a century and a half after the death of 3oth his stran'e pro'enitors. =n 6uneA 1)1&A a letter arrived from 8. ?erhaerenA tellin' of the findin' of the stuffed 'oddess. =t ,asA the Bel'ian averredA a most e%traordinary o3CectB an o3Cect Duite 3eyond the po,er of a layman to classify. Whether it ,as human or simian only a scientist could determineA and the process of determination ,ould 3e 'reatly hampered 3y its imperfect condition. Time and the Con'o climate are not !ind to mummiesB especially ,hen their preparation is as amateurish as seemed to 3e the case here. Around the creatureTs nec! had 3een found a 'olden chain 3earin' an empty loc!et on ,hich ,ere armorial desi'nsB no dou3t some hapless travellerTs !eepsa!eA ta!en 3y the ;T3an'us and hun' upon the 'oddess as a charm. =n commentin' on the contour of the mummyTs faceA 8. ?erhaeren su''ested a ,himsical comparisonB or ratherA e%pressed a humorous ,onder Cust ho, it ,ould stri!e his corespondentA 3ut ,as too much interested scientifically to ,aste many ,ords in levity. The stuffed 'oddessA he ,roteA ,ould arrive duly pac!ed a3out a month after receipt of the letter.

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The 3o%ed o3Cect ,as delivered at 6ermyn 2ouse on the afternoon of Au'ust &A 1)1&A 3ein' conveyed immediately to the lar'e cham3er ,hich housed the collection of African specimens as arran'ed 3y Sir :o3ert and Arthur. What ensued can 3est 3e 'athered from the tales of servants and from thin's and papers later e%amined. +f the various talesA that of a'ed SoamesA the family 3utlerA is most ample and coherent. Accordin' to this trust,orthy manA Sir Arthur 6ermyn dismissed everyone from the room 3efore openin' the 3o%A thou'h the instant sound of hammer and chisel sho,ed that he did not delay the operation. ;othin' ,as heard for some timeB Cust ho, lon' Soames cannot e%actly estimateA 3ut it ,as certainly less than a Duarter of an hour later that the horri3le screamA undou3tedly in 6ermynTs voiceA ,as heard. =mmediately after,ard 6ermyn emer'ed from the roomA rushin' frantically to,ard the front of the house as if pursued 3y some hideous enemy. The e%pression on his faceA a face 'hastly enou'h in reposeA ,as 3eyond description. When near the front door he seemed to thin! of somethin'A and turned 3ac! in his fli'htA finally disappearin' do,n the stairs to the cellar. The servants ,ere utterly dum3foundedA and ,atched at the head of the stairsA 3ut their master did not return. A smell of oil ,as all that came up from the re'ions 3elo,. After dar! a rattlin' ,as heard at the door leadin' from the cellar into the courtyardB and a sta3le13oy sa, Arthur 6ermynA 'listenin' from head to foot ,ith oil and redolent of that fluidA steal furtively out and vanish on the 3lac! moor surroundin' the house. ThenA in an e%altation of supreme horrorA everyone sa, the end. A spar! appeared on the moorA a flame aroseA and a pillar of human fire reached to the heavens. The house of 6ermyn no lon'er e%isted. The reason ,hy Arthur 6ermynTs charred fra'ments ,ere not collected and 3uried lies in ,hat ,as found after,ardA principally the thin' in the 3o%. The stuffed 'oddess ,as a nauseous si'htA ,ithered and eaten a,ayA 3ut it ,as clearly a mummified ,hite ape of some un!no,n speciesA less hairy than any recorded varietyA and infinitely nearer man!ind UDuite shoc!in'ly so. $etailed description ,ould 3e rather unpleasantA 3ut t,o salient particulars must 3e toldA for they fit in revoltin'ly ,ith certain notes of Sir Wade 6ermynTs African e%peditions and ,ith the Con'olese le'ends of the ,hite 'od and the ape1princess. The t,o particulars in Duestion are these9 the arms on the 'olden loc!et a3out the creatureTs nec! ,ere the 6ermyn armsA and the Cocose su''estion of 8. ?erhaeren a3out certain resem3lance as connected ,ith the shrivelled face applied ,ith vividA 'hastlyA and unnatural horror to none other than the sensitive Arthur 6ermynA 'reat1'reat1'reat1'randson of Sir Wade 6ermyn and an un!no,n ,ife. 8em3ers of the :oyal Anthropolo'ical =nstitute 3urned the thin' and thre, the loc!et into a ,ellA and some of them do not admit that Arthur 6ermyn ever e%isted.

The Festiv l
fficiut #aemones& ut 0uae non sunt& sic tamen 0uasi sint& conspicienda "ominibus e@"ibeant% 1 5acantius A#e!ils so $ork t"at t"ings $"ic" are not appear to men as if t"ey $ere real%B = ,as far from homeA and the spell of the eastern sea ,as upon me. =n the t,ili'ht = heard it poundin' on the roc!sA and = !ne, it lay Cust over the hill ,here the t,istin' ,illo,s ,rithed a'ainst the clearin' s!y and the first stars of evenin'. And 3ecause my fathers had called me to the old to,n 3eyondA = pushed on throu'h the shallo,A ne,1fallen sno, alon' the road that soared lonely up to ,here Alde3aran t,in!led amon' the treesB on to,ard the very ancient to,n = had never seen 3ut often dreamed of. =t ,as the .uletideA that men call Christmas thou'h they !no, in their hearts it is older than Bethlehem and Ba3ylonA older than 8emphis and man!ind. =t ,as the .uletideA and = had come at last to the ancient sea to,n ,here my people had d,elt and !ept festival in the elder time ,hen festival ,as for3iddenB ,here also they had commanded their sons to !eep festival once every centuryA that the memory of primal secrets mi'ht not 3e for'otten. 8ine ,ere an old peopleA and ,ere old even ,hen this land ,as settled three hundred years 3efore. And they ,ere stran'eA 3ecause they had come as dar! furtive fol! from opiate southern 'ardens of orchidsA and spo!en another ton'ue 3efore they learnt the ton'ue of the 3lue1eyed fishers. And no, they ,ere scatteredA and shared only the rituals of mysteries that none livin' could understand. = ,as the only one ,ho came 3ac! that ni'ht to the old fishin' to,n as le'end 3adeA for only the poor and the lonely remem3er. Then 3eyond the hill<s crest = sa, 0in'sport outspread frostily in the 'loamin'B sno,y 0in'sport ,ith its ancient vanes and steeplesA rid'epoles and chimney1potsA ,harves and small 3rid'esA ,illo,1trees and 'raveyardsB endless la3yrinths of steepA narro,A croo!ed streetsA and dizzy church1cro,ned central pea! that time durst not touchB ceaseless mazes of colonial houses piled and scattered at all an'les and levels li!e a child<s disordered 3loc!sB antiDuity hoverin' on 'rey ,in's over ,inter1,hitened 'a3les and 'am3rel roofsB fanli'hts and small1paned ,indo,s one 3y one 'leamin' out in the cold dus! to Coin +rion and the archaic stars. And a'ainst the rottin' ,harves the sea poundedB the secretiveA immemorial sea out of ,hich the people had come in the elder time. Beside the road at its crest a still hi'her summit roseA 3lea! and ,inds,eptA and = sa, that it ,as a 3uryin'1'round ,here 3lac! 'ravestones stuc! 'houlishly throu'h the sno, li!e the decayed fin'ernails of a 'i'antic corpse. The printless road ,as very lonelyA and sometimes = thou'ht = heard a distant horri3le crea!in' as of a 'i33et in the ,ind. They had han'ed four !insmen of mine for ,itchcraft in 1-)"A 3ut = did not !no, Cust ,here. As the road ,ound do,n the sea,ard slope = listened for the merry sounds of a villa'e at evenin'A 3ut did not hear them. Then = thou'ht of the seasonA and felt that these old >uritan fol! mi'ht ,ell have Christmas customs stran'e to meA and full of silent hearthside prayer. So after that = did not listen for merriment or loo! for ,ayfarersA !ept on do,n past

H.P.Lovecr !t

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the hushed li'hted farmhouses and shado,y stone ,alls to ,here the si'ns of ancient shops and sea taverns crea!ed in the salt 3reezeA and the 'rotesDue !noc!ers of pillared door,ays 'listened alon' deserted unpaved lanes in the li'ht of littleA curtained ,indo,s. = had seen maps of the to,nA and !ne, ,here to find the home of my people. =t ,as told that = should 3e !no,n and ,elcomedA for villa'e le'end lives lon'B so = hastened throu'h Bac! Street to Circle CourtA and across the fresh sno, on the one full fla'stone pavement in the to,nA to ,here 7reen 5ane leads off 3ehind the 8ar!et 2ouse. The old maps still held 'oodA and = had no trou3leB thou'h at Ar!ham they must have lied ,hen they said the trolleys ran to this placeA since = sa, not a ,ire overhead. Sno, ,ould have hid the rails in any case. = ,as 'lad = had chosen to ,al!A for the ,hite villa'e had seemed very 3eautiful from the hillB and no, = ,as ea'er to !noc! at the door of my peopleA the seventh house on the left in 7reen 5aneA ,ith an ancient pea!ed roof and Cuttin' second storeyA all 3uilt 3efore 1- *. There ,ere li'hts inside the house ,hen = came upon itA and = sa, from the diamond ,indo,1panes that it must have 3een !ept very close to its antiDue state. The upper part overhun' the narro, 'rass1'ro,n street and nearly met the over1han'in' part of the house oppositeA so that = ,as almost in a tunnelA ,ith the lo, stone doorstep ,holly free from sno,. There ,as no side,al!A 3ut many houses had hi'h doors reached 3y dou3le fli'hts of steps ,ith iron railin's. =t ,as an odd sceneA and 3ecause = ,as stran'e to ;e, En'land = had never !no,n its li!e 3efore. Thou'h it pleased meA = ,ould have relished it 3etter if there had 3een footprints in the sno,A and people in the streetsA and a fe, ,indo,s ,ithout dra,n curtains. When = sounded the archaic iron !noc!er = ,as half afraid. Some fear had 3een 'atherin' in meA perhaps 3ecause of the stran'eness of my herita'eA and the 3lea!ness of the evenin'A and the Dueerness of the silence in that a'ed to,n of curious customs. And ,hen my !noc! ,as ans,ered = ,as fully afraidA 3ecause = had not heard any footsteps 3efore the door crea!ed open. But = ,as not afraid lon'A for the 'o,nedA slippered old man in the door,ay had a 3land face that reassured meB and thou'h he made si'ns that he ,as dum3A he ,rote a Duaint and ancient ,elcome ,ith the stylus and ,a% ta3let he carried. 2e 3ec!oned me into a lo,A candle1lit room ,ith massive e%posed rafters and dar!A stiffA sparse furniture of the seventeenth century. The past ,as vivid thereA for not an attri3ute ,as missin'. There ,as a cavernous fireplace and a spinnin'1,heel at ,hich a 3ent old ,oman in loose ,rapper and deep po!e13onnet sat 3ac! to,ard meA silently spinnin' despite the festive season. An indefinite dampness seemed upon the placeA and = marvelled that no fire should 3e 3lazin'. The hi'h13ac!ed settle faced the ro, of curtained ,indo,s at the leftA and seemed to 3e occupiedA thou'h = ,as not sure. = did not li!e everythin' a3out ,hat = sa,A and felt a'ain the fear = had had. This fear 're, stron'er from ,hat had 3efore lessened itA for the more = loo!ed at the old man<s 3land face the more its very 3landness terrified me. The eyes never movedA and the s!in ,as too much li!e ,a%. 4inally = ,as sure it ,as not a face at allA 3ut a fiendishly cunnin' mas!. But the fla33y handsA curiously 'lovedA ,rote 'enially on the ta3let and told me = must ,ait a ,hile 3efore = could 3e led to the place of the festival. >ointin' to a chairA ta3leA and pile of 3oo!sA the old man no, left the roomB and ,hen = sat do,n to read = sa, that the 3oo!s ,ere hoary and mouldyA and that they included old 8orryster<s ,ild Mar!els of ScienceA the terri3le Saducismus Triump"atus of 6oseph

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7lanvilA pu3lished in 1-81A the shoc!in' #aemonolatreFa of :emi'iusA printed in 1 ) at 5yonsA and ,orst of allA the unmentiona3le -ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul AlhazredA in +laus Wormius< for3idden 5atin translationB a 3oo! ,hich = had never seenA 3ut of ,hich = had heard monstrous thin's ,hispered. ;o one spo!e to meA 3ut = could hear the crea!in' of si'ns in the ,ind outsideA and the ,hir of the ,heel as the 3onneted old ,oman continued her silent spinnin'A spinnin'. = thou'ht the room and the 3oo!s and the people very mor3id and disDuietin'A 3ut 3ecause an old tradition of my fathers had summoned me to stran'e feastin'sA = resolved to e%pect Dueer thin's. So = tried to readA and soon 3ecame trem3lin'ly a3sor3ed 3y somethin' = found in that accursed -ecronomiconB a thou'ht and a le'end too hideous for sanity or consciousnessA 3ut = disli!ed it ,hen = fancied = heard the closin' of one of the ,indo,s that the settle facedA as if it had 3een stealthily opened. =t had seemed to follo, a ,hirrin' that ,as not of the old ,oman<s spinnin'1,heel. This ,as not muchA thou'hA for the old ,oman ,as spinnin' very hardA and the a'ed cloc! had 3een stri!in'. After that = lost the feelin' that there ,ere persons on the settleA and ,as readin' intently and shudderin'ly ,hen the old man came 3ac! 3ooted and dressed in a loose antiDue costumeA and sat do,n on that very 3enchA so that = could not see him. =t ,as certainly nervous ,aitin'A and the 3lasphemous 3oo! in my hands made it dou3ly so. When eleven struc!A ho,everA the old man stood upA 'lided to a massive carved chest in a cornerA and 'ot t,o hooded cloa!sB one of ,hich he donnedA and the other of ,hich he draped round the old ,omanA ,ho ,as ceasin' her monotonous spinnin'. Then they 3oth started for the outer doorB the ,oman lamely creepin'A and the old manA after pic!in' lip the very 3oo! = had 3een readin'A 3ec!onin' me as he dre, his hood over that unmovin' face or mas!. We ,ent out into the moonless and tortuous net,or! of that incredi3ly ancient to,nB ,ent out as the li'hts in the curtained ,indo,s disappeared one 3y oneA and the $o' Star leered at the thron' of co,ledA cloa!ed fi'ures that poured silently from every door,ay and formed monstrous processions up this street and thatA past the crea!in' si'us and antediluvian 'a3lesA the thatched roofs and diamond1paned ,indo,sB threadin' precipitous lanes ,here decayin' houses overlapped and crum3led to'etherB 'lidin' across open courts and churchyards ,here the 3o33in' lanthorns made eldritch drun!en constellations. Amid these hushed thron's = follo,ed my voiceless 'uidesB Costled 3y el3o,s that seemed preternaturally softA and pressed 3y chests and stomachs that seemed a3normally pulpyB 3ut seein' never a face and hearin' never a ,ord. (pA upA upA the eery columns slitheredA and = sa, that all the travellers ,ere conver'in' as they flo,ed near a sort of focus of crazy alleys at the top of a hi'h hill in the centre of the to,nA ,here perched a 'reat ,hite church. = had seen it from the road<s crest ,hen = loo!ed at 0in'sport in the ne, dus!A and it had made me shiver 3ecause Alde3aran had seemed to 3alance itself a moment on the 'hostly spire. There ,as an open space around the churchB partly a churchyard ,ith spectral shaftsA and partly a half1paved sDuare s,ept nearly 3are of sno, 3y the ,indA and lined ,ith un,holesomely archaic houses havin' pea!ed roofs and overhan'in' 'a3les. $eath1fires danced over the tom3sA revealin' 'ruesome vistasA thou'h Dueerly failin' to cast any shado,s. >ast the churchyardA ,here there ,ere no housesA = could see over the hill<s summit and ,atch the 'limmer of stars on the har3ourA thou'h the to,n ,as invisi3le in the dar!. +nly once in a ,hile a lanthorn 3o33ed horri3ly throu'h serpentine alleys on its ,ay to overta!e the thron' that ,as no, slippin' speechlessly into the church. = ,aited till the cro,d had oozed into the 3lac! door,ayA and till all the stra''lers had follo,ed. The

H.P.Lovecr !t

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old man ,as pullin' at my sleeveA 3ut = ,as determined to 3e the last. Crossin' the threshold into the s,armin' temple of un!no,n dar!nessA = turned once to loo! at the outside ,orld as the churchyard phosphorescence cast a sic!ly 'lo, on the hilltop pavement. And as = did so = shuddered. 4or thou'h the ,ind had not left much sno,A a fe, patches did remain on the path near the doorB and in that fleetin' 3ac!,ard loo! it seemed to my trou3led eyes that they 3ore no mar! of passin' feetA not even mine. The church ,as scarce li'hted 3y all the lanthorns that had entered itA for most of the thron' had already vanished. They had streamed up the aisle 3et,een the hi'h pe,s to the trap1door of the vaults ,hich ya,ned loathsomely open Cust 3efore the pulpitA and ,ere no, sDuinnin' noiselessly in. = follo,ed dum3ly do,n the foot1,orn steps and into the dar!A suffocatin' crypt. The tail of that sinuous line of ni'ht1marchers seemed very horri3leA and as = sa, them ,ri''lin' into a venera3le tom3 they seemed more horri3le still. Then = noticed that the tom3<s floor had an aperture do,n ,hich the thron' ,as slidin'A and in a moment ,e ,ere all descendin' an ominous staircase of rou'h1he,n stoneB a narro, spiral staircase damp and peculiarly odorousA that ,ound endlessly do,n into the 3o,els of the hill past monotonous ,alls of drippin' stone 3loc!s and crum3lin' mortar. =t ,as a silentA shoc!in' descentA and = o3served after a horri3le interval that the ,alls and steps ,ere chan'in' in natureA as if chiselled out of the solid roc!. What mainly trou3led me ,as that the myriad footfalls made no sound and set up no echoes. After more aeons of descent = sa, some side passa'es or 3urro,s leadin' from un!no,n recesses of 3lac!ness to this shaft of ni'hted mystery. Soon they 3ecame e%cessively numerousA li!e impious catacom3s of nameless menaceB and their pun'ent odour of decay 're, Duite un3eara3le. = !ne, ,e must have passed do,n throu'h the mountain and 3eneath the earth of 0in'sport itselfA and = shivered that a to,n should 3e so a'ed and ma''oty ,ith su3terraneous evil. Then = sa, the lurid shimmerin' of pale li'htA and heard the insidious lappin' of sunless ,aters. A'ain = shiveredA for = did not li!e the thin's that the ni'ht had 3rou'htA and ,ished 3itterly that no forefather had summoned me to this primal rite. As the steps and the passa'e 're, 3roaderA = heard another soundA the thinA ,hinin' moc!ery of a fee3le fluteB and suddenly there spread out 3efore me the 3oundless vista of an inner ,orld 1 a vast fun'ous shore litten 3y a 3elchin' column of sic! 'reenish flame and ,ashed 3y a ,ide oily river that flo,ed from a3ysses fri'htful and unsuspected to Coin the 3lac!est 'ulfs of immemorial ocean. 4aintin' and 'aspin'A = loo!ed at that unhallo,ed Ere3us of titan toadstoolsA leprous fire and slimy ,aterA and sa, the cloa!ed thron's formin' a semicircle around the 3lazin' pillar. =t ,as the .ule1riteA older than man and fated to survive himB the primal rite of the solstice and of sprin'<s promise 3eyond the sno,sB the rite of fire and ever'reenA li'ht and music. And in the sty'ian 'rotto = sa, them do the riteA and adore the sic! pillar of flameA and thro, into the ,ater handfuls 'ou'ed out of the viscous ve'etation ,hich 'littered 'reen in the chlorotic 'lare. = sa, thisA and = sa, somethin' amorphously sDuatted far a,ay from the li'htA pipin' noisomely on a fluteB and as the thin' piped = thou'ht = heard no%ious muffled flutterin's in the foetid dar!ness ,here = could not see. But ,hat fri'htened me most ,as that flamin' columnB spoutin' volcanically from depths profound and inconceiva3leA casfin' no shado,s as healthy flame shouldA and coatin' the nitrous stone ,ith a nastyA venomous verdi'ris. 4or in all that seethin' com3ustion no ,armth layA 3ut only the clamminess of death and corruption.

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The man ,ho had 3rou'ht me no, sDuirmed to a point directly 3eside the hideous flameA and made stiff ceremonial motions to the semi1circle he faced. At certain sta'es of the ritual they did 'rovellin' o3eisanceA especially ,hen he held a3ove his head that a3horrent -ecronomicon he had ta!en ,ith himB and = shared all the o3eisances 3ecause = had 3een summoned to this festival 3y the ,ritin's of my forefathers. Then the old man made a si'ual to the half1seen flute1player in the dar!nessA ,hich player thereupon chan'ed its fee3le drone to a scarce louder drone in another !eyB precipitatin' as it did so a horror unthin!a3le and une%pected. At this horror = san! nearly to the lichened earthA transfi%ed ,ith a dread not of this or any ,orldA 3ut only of the mad spaces 3et,een the stars. +ut of the unima'ina3le 3lac!ness 3eyond the 'an'renous 'lare of that cold flameA out of the tartarean lea'ues throu'h ,hich that oily river rolled uncannyA unheardA and unsuspectedA there flopped rhythmically a horde of tameA trainedA hy3rid ,in'ed thin's that no sound eye could ever ,holly 'raspA or sound 3rain ever ,holly remem3er. They ,ere not alto'ether cro,sA nor molesA nor 3uzzardsA nor antsA nor vampire 3atsA nor decomposed human 3ein'sB 3ut somethin' = cannot and must not recall. They flopped limply alon'A half ,ith their ,e33ed feet and half ,ith their mem3ranous ,in'sB and as they reached the thron' of cele3rants the co,led fi'ures seized and mounted themA and rode off one 3y one alon' the reaches of that unli'hted riverA into pits and 'alleries of panic ,here poison sprin's feed fri'htful and undiscovera3le cataracts. The old spinnin' ,oman had 'one ,ith the thron'A and the old man remained only 3ecause = had refused ,hen he motioned me to seize an animal and ride li!e the rest. = sa, ,hen = sta''ered to my feet that the amorphous flute1player had rolled out of si'htA 3ut that t,o of the 3easts ,ere patiently standin' 3y. As = hun' 3ac!A the old man produced his stylus and ta3let and ,rote that he ,as the true deputy of my fathers ,ho had founded the .ule ,orship in this ancient placeB that it had 3een decreed = should come 3ac!A and that the most secret mysteries ,ere yet to 3e performed. 2e ,rote this in a very ancient handA and ,hen = still hesitated he pulled from his loose ro3e a seal rin' and a ,atchA 3oth ,ith my family armsA to prove that he ,as ,hat he said. But it ,as a hideous proofA 3ecause = !ne, from old papers that that ,atch had 3een 3uried ,ith my 'reat1'reat1'reat1'reat1 'randfather in 1-)8. >resently the old man dre, 3ac! his hood and pointed to the family resem3lance in his faceA 3ut = only shudderedA 3ecause = ,as sure that the face ,as merely a devilish ,a%en mas!. The floppin' animals ,ere no, scratchin' restlessly at the lichensA and = sa, that the old man ,as nearly as restless himself. When one of the thin's 3e'an to ,addle and ed'e a,ayA he turned Duic!ly to stop itB so that the suddenness of his motion dislod'ed the ,a%en mas! from ,hat should have 3een his head. And thenA 3ecause that ni'htmare<s position 3arred me from the stone staircase do,n ,hich ,e had comeA = flun' myself into the oily under'round river that 3u33led some,here to the caves of the seaB flun' myself into that putrescent Cuice of earth<s inner horrors 3efore the madness of my screams could 3rin' do,n upon me all the charnel le'ions these pest1'ulfs mi'ht conceal. At the hospital they told me = had 3een found half1frozen in 0in'sport 2ar3our at da,nA clin'in' to the driftin' spar that accident sent to save me. They told me = had ta!en the ,ron' for! of the hill road the ni'ht 3eforeA and fallen over the cliffs at +ran'e >ointB a thin' they deduced from prints found in the sno,. There ,as nothin' = could sayA 3ecause everythin' ,as ,ron'. Everythin' ,as ,ron'A ,ith the 3road ,indo,s sho,in' a sea of roofs in ,hich only a3out one in five ,as ancientA and the sound of trolleys and motors in

H.P.Lovecr !t

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the streets 3elo,. They insisted that this ,as 0in'sportA and = could not deny it. When = ,ent delirious at hearin' that the hospital stood near the old churchyard on Central 2illA they sent me to St 8ary<s 2ospital in Ar!hamA ,here = could have 3etter care. = li!ed it thereA for the doctors ,ere 3road1mindedA and even lent me their influence in o3tainin' the carefully sheltered copy of Alhazred<s o3Cectiona3le -ecronomicon from the li3rary of 8is!atonic (niversity. They said somethin' a3out a LpsychosisL and a'reed = had 3etter 'et any harassin' o3sessions off my mind. So = read that hideous chapterA and shuddered dou3ly 3ecause it ,as indeed not ne, to me. = had seen it 3eforeA let footprints tell ,hat they mi'htB and ,here it ,as = had seen it ,ere 3est for'otten. There ,as no one 1 in ,a!in' hours 1 ,ho could remind me of itB 3ut my dreams are filled ,ith terrorA 3ecause of phrases = dare not Duote. = dare Duote only one para'raphA put into such En'lish as = can ma!e from the a,!,ard 5o, 5atin. LThe nethermost cavernsAL ,rote the mad Ara3A Lare not for the fathomin' of eyes that seeB for their marvels are stran'e and terrific. Cursed the 'round ,here dead thou'hts live ne, and oddly 3odiedA and evil the mind that is held 3y no head. Wisely did =3n Schaca3ao sayA that happy is the tom3 ,here no ,izard hath lainA and happy the to,n at ni'ht ,hose ,izards are all ashes. 4or it is of old rumour that the soul of the devil13ou'ht hastes not from his charnel clayA 3ut fats and instructs the very ,orm that 'na,sB till out of corruption horrid life sprin'sA and the dull scaven'ers of earth ,a% crafty to ve% it and s,ell monstrous to pla'ue it. 7reat holes secretly are di''ed ,here earth<s pores ou'ht to sufficeA and thin's have learnt to ,al! that ou'ht to cra,l.L

From Be&o#$
2orri3le 3eyond conception ,as the chan'e ,hich had ta!en place in my 3est friendA Cra,ford Tillin'hast. = had not seen him since that dayA t,o months and a half 3eforeA ,hen he told me to,ard ,hat 'oal his physical and metaphysical researches ,ere leadin'B ,hen he had ans,ered my a,ed and almost fri'htened remonstrances 3y drivin' me from his la3oratory and his house in a 3urst of fanatical ra'e. = had !no,n that he no, remained mostly shut in the attic la3oratory ,ith that accursed electrical machineA eatin' little and e%cludin' even the servantsA 3ut = had not thou'ht that a 3rief period of ten ,ee!s could so alter and disfi'ure any human creature. =t is not pleasant to see a stout man suddenly 'ro,n thinA and it is even ,orse ,hen the 3a''y s!in 3ecomes yello,ed or 'rayedA the eyes sun!enA circledA and uncannily 'lo,in'A the forehead veined and corru'atedA and the hands tremulous and t,itchin'. And if added to this there 3e a repellent un!emptnessA a ,ild disorder of dressA a 3ushiness of dar! hair ,hite at the rootsA and an unchec!ed 'ro,th of ,hite 3eard on a face once clean1shavenA the cumulative effect is Duite shoc!in'. But such ,as the aspect of Cra,ford Tilllin'hast on the ni'ht his half coherent messa'e 3rou'ht me to his door after my ,ee!s of e%ileB such ,as the specter that trem3led as it admitted meA candle in handA and 'lanced furtively over its shoulder as if fearful of unseen thin's in the ancientA lonely house set 3ac! from Benevolent Street. That Cra,ford Tilin'hast should ever have studied science and philosophy ,as a mista!e. These thin's should 3e left to the fri'id and impersonal investi'ator for they offer t,o eDually tra'ic alternatives to the man of feelin' and actionB despairA if he fail in his DuestA and terrors unuttera3le and unima'ina3le if he succeed. Tillin'hast had once 3een the prey of failureA solitary and melancholyB 3ut no, = !ne,A ,ith nauseatin' fears of my o,nA that he ,as the prey of success. = had indeed ,arned him ten ,ee!s 3eforeA ,hen he 3urst forth ,ith his tale of ,hat he felt himself a3out to discover. 2e had 3een flushed and e%cited thenA tal!in' in a hi'h and unnaturalA thou'h al,ays pedanticA voice. LWhat do ,e !no,AL he had saidA Lof the ,orld and the universe a3out usG +ur means of receivin' impressions are a3surdly fe,A and our notions of surroundin' o3Cects infinitely narro,. We see thin's only as ,e are constructed to see themA and can 'ain no idea of their a3solute nature. With five fee3le senses ,e pretend to comprehend the 3oundlessly comple% cosmosA yet other 3ein's ,ith ,iderA stron'erA or different ran'e of senses mi'ht not only see very differently the thin's ,e seeA 3ut mi'ht see and study ,hole ,orlds of matterA ener'yA and life ,hich lie close at hand yet can never 3e detected ,ith the senses ,e have. = have al,ays 3elieved that such stran'eA inaccessi3le ,orlds e%ist at our very el3o,sA and no$ I belie!e I "a!e found a $ay to break da$n t"e barriers . = am not Co!in'. Within t,enty1four hours that machine near the ta3le ,ill 'enerate ,aves actin' on unreco'nized sense or'ans that e%ist in us as atrophied or rudimentary vesti'es. Those ,aves ,ill open up to us many vistas un!no,n to man and several un!no,n to anythin' ,e consider or'anic life. We shall see that at ,hich do's ho,l in the dar!A and that at ,hich cats pric! up their ears after midni'ht. We shall see these thin'sA and other thin's ,hich no 3reathin' creature has yet seen. We shall overleap timeA spaceA and dimensionsA and ,ithout 3odily motion peer to the 3ottom of creation.L

H.P.Lovecr !t

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When Tillin'hast said these thin's = remonstratedA for = !ne, him ,ell enou'h to 3e fri'htened rather than amusedB 3ut he ,as a fanaticA and drove me from the house. ;o, he ,as no less a fanaticA 3ut his desire to spea! had conDuered his resentmentA and he had ,ritten me imperatively in a hand = could scarcely reco'nize. As = entered the a3ode of the friend so suddenly metamorphosed to a shiverin' 'ar'oyleA = 3ecame infected ,ith the terror ,hich seemed stal!in' in all the shado,s. The ,ords and 3eliefs e%pressed ten ,ee!s 3efore seemed 3odied forth in the dar!ness 3eyond the small circle of candle li'htA and = sic!ened at the hollo,A altered voice of my host. = ,ished the servants ,ere a3outA and did not li!e it ,hen he said they had all left three days previously. =t seemed stran'e that old 7re'oryA at leastA should desert his master ,ithout tellin' as tried a friend as =. =t ,as he ,ho had 'iven me all the information = had of Tillin'hast after = ,as repulsed in ra'e. .et = soon su3ordinated all my fears to my 'ro,in' curiosity and fascination. 6ust ,hat Cra,ford Tillin'hast no, ,ished of me = could only 'uessA 3ut that he had some stupendous secret or discovery to impartA = could not dou3t. Before = had protested at his unnatural pryin's into the unthin!a3leB no, that he had evidently succeeded to some de'ree = almost shared his spiritA terri3le thou'h the cost of victory appeared. (p throu'h the dar! emptiness of the house = follo,ed the 3o33in' candle in the hand of this sha!in' parody on man. The electricity seemed to 3e turned offA and ,hen = as!ed my 'uide he said it ,as for a definite reason. L=t ,ould he too much... = ,ould not dareAL he continued to mutter. = especially noted his ne, ha3it of mutterin'A for it ,as not li!e him to tal! to himself. We entered the la3oratory in the atticA and = o3served that detesta3le electrical machineA 'lo,in' ,ith a sic!lyA sinister violet luminosity. =t ,as connected ,ith a po,erful chemical 3atteryA 3ut seemed to 3e receivin' no currentB for = recalled that in its e%perimental sta'e it had sputtered and purred ,hen in action. =n reply to my Duestion Tillin'hast mum3led that this permanent 'lo, ,as not electrical in any sense that = could understand. 2e no, seated me near the machineA so that it ,as on my ri'htA and turned a s,itch some,here 3elo, the cro,nin' cluster of 'lass 3ul3s. The usual sputterin' 3e'anA turned to a ,hineA and terminated in a drone so soft as to su''est a return to silence. 8ean,hile the luminosity increasedA ,aned a'ainA then assumed a paleA outrM colour or 3lend of colours ,hich = could neither place nor descri3e. Tillin'hast had 3een ,atchin' meA and noted my puzzled e%pression. L$o you !no, ,hat that isGL he ,hisperedA )T"at is ultra-!iolet%) 2e chuc!led oddly at my surprise. L.ou thou'ht ultra1violet ,as invisi3leA and so it is 1 3ut you can see that and many other invisi3le thin's no$% L5isten to meF The ,aves from that thin' are ,a!in' a thousand sleepin' senses in usB senses ,hich ,e inherit from aeons of evolution from the state of detached electrons to the state of or'anic humanity. = have seen the trut"A and = intend to sho, it to you. $o you ,onder ho, it ,ill seemG = ,ill tell you.L 2ere Trnin'hast seated himself directly opposite meA 3lo,in' out his candle and starin' hideously into my eyes. L.our e%istin' sense1 or'ans 1 ears firstA = thin! 1 ,ill pic! up many of the impressionsA for they are closely connected ,ith the dormant or'ans. Then there ,ill 3e others. .ou have heard of the pineal 'landG = lau'h at the shallo, endocrinolo'istA fello,1dupe and fello,1parvenu of the 4reudian. That 'land is the 'reat sense or'an of or'ans 1 = "a!e found out. =t is li!e si'ht in

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the endA and transmits visual pictures to the 3rain. =f you are normalA that is the ,ay you ou'ht to 'et most of it... = mean 'et most of the evidence from beyond%L = loo!ed a3out the immense attic room ,ith the slopin' south ,allA dimly lit 3y rays ,hich the every day eye cannot see. The far corners ,ere all shado,s and the ,hole place too! on a hazy unreality ,hich o3scured its nature and invited the ima'ination to sym3olism and phantasm. $urin' the interval that Tillin'hast ,as lon' silent = fancied myself in some vast incredi3le temple of lon'1dead 'odsB some va'ue edifice of innumera3le 3lac! stone columns reachin' up from a floor of damp sla3s to a cloudy hei'ht 3eyond the ran'e of my vision. The picture ,as very vivid for a ,hileA 3ut 'radually 'ave ,ay to a more horri3le conceptionB that of utterA a3solute solitude in infiniteA si'htlessA soundless space. There seemed to a voidA and nothin' moreA and = felt a childish fear ,hich prompted me to dra, from my hip poc!et the revolver = carried after dar! since the ni'ht = ,as held up in East >rovidence. Then from the farthermost re'ions of remotenessA the sound softly 'lided into e%istence. =t ,as infinitely faintA su3tly vi3rantA and unmista!a3ly musicalA 3ut held a Duality of surpassin' ,ildness ,hich made its impact feel li!e a delicate torture of my ,hole 3ody. = felt sensations li!e those one feels ,hen accidentally scratchin' 'round 'lass. Simultaneously there developed somethin' li!e a cold drau'htA ,hich apparently s,ept past me from the direction of the distant sound. As = ,aited 3reathlessly = perceived that 3oth sound and ,ind ,ere increasin'B the effect 3ein' to 'ive me an odd notion of myself as tied to a pair of rails in the path of a 'i'antic approachin' locomotive. = 3e'an to spea! to Tillin'hastA and as = did so all the unusual impressions a3ruptly vanished. = sa, only the manA the 'lo,in' machinesA and the dim apartment. Tillin'hast ,as 'rinnin' repulsively at the revolver ,hich = had almost unconsciously dra,nA 3ut from his e%pression = ,as sure he had seen and heard as much as =A if not a 'reat deal more. = ,hispered ,hat = had e%perienced and he 3ade me to remain as Duiet and receptive as possi3le. L$on<t moveAL he cautionedA Lfor in these rays $e are able to be seen as $ell as to see% = told you the servants leftA 3ut = didn<t tell you "o$. =t ,as that thic!1,itted house1!eeper 1 she turned on the li'hts do,nstairs after = had ,arned her not toA and the ,ires pic!ed up sympathetic vi3rations. =t must have 3een fri'htful 1 = could hear the screams up here in spite of all = ,as seein' and hearin' from another directionA and later it ,as rather a,ful to find those empty heaps of clothes around the house. 8rs. (pdi!e<s clothes ,ere close to the front hall s,itch 1 that<s ho, = !no, she did it. =t 'ot them all. But so lon' as ,e don<t move ,e<re fairly safe. :emem3er ,e<re dealin' ,ith a hideous ,orld in ,hich ,e are practically helpless... 3eep stillCL The com3ined shoc! of the revelation and of the a3rupt command 'ave me a !ind of paralysisA and in my terror my mind a'ain opened to the impressions comin' from ,hat Tillin'hast called )beyond%) = ,as no, in a vorte% of sound and motionA ,ith confused pictures 3efore my eyes. = sa, the 3lurred outlines of the roomA 3ut from some point in space there seemed to 3e pourin' a seethin' column of unreco'niza3le shapes or cloudsA penetratin' the solid roof at a point ahead and to the ri'ht of me. Then = 'limpsed the temple 1 li!e effect a'ainA 3ut this time the pillars reached up into an aerial ocean of li'htA ,hich sent do,n one 3lindin' 3eam alon' the path of the cloudy column = had seen 3efore. After that the scene ,as almost ,holly !aleidoscopicA and in the Cum3le of si'htsA soundsA and unidentified sense1impressions = felt that = ,as a3out to dissolve or in some ,ay lose the solid form. +ne definite flash = shall al,ays remem3er. = seemed for an instant to 3ehold a patch of stran'e ni'ht s!y filled ,ith shinin'A revolvin' spheresA and as it receded

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= sa, that the 'lo,in' suns formed a constellation or 'ala%y of settled shapeB this shape 3ein' the distorted face of Cra,ford Tillin'hast. At another time = felt the hu'e animate thin's 3rushin' past me and occasionally $alking or drifting t"roug" my supposedly solid bodyA and thou'ht = sa, Tillin'hast loo! at them as thou'h his 3etter trained senses could catch them visually. = recalled ,hat he had said of the pineal 'landA and ,ondered ,hat he sa, ,ith this preternatural eye. Suddenly = myself 3ecame possessed of a !ind of au'mented si'ht. +ver and a3ove the luminous and shado,y chaos arose a picture ,hichA thou'h va'ueA held the elements of consistency and permanence. =t ,as indeed some,hat familiarA for the unusual part ,as superimposed upon the usual terrestrial scene much as a cinema vie, may 3e thro,n upon the painted curtain of a theater. = sa, the attic la3oratoryA the electrical machineA and the unsi'htly form of Tillin'hast opposite meB 3ut of all the space unoccupied 3y familiar o3Cects not one particle ,as vacant. =ndescri3a3le shapes 3oth alive and other,ise ,ere mi%ed in dis'ustin' disarrayA and close to every !no,n thin' ,ere ,hole ,orlds of alienA un!no,n entities. =t li!e,ise seemed that all the !no,n thin's entered into the composition of other un!no,n thin's and vice versa. 4oremost amon' the livin' o3Cects ,ere in!yA Cellyfish monstrosities ,hich fla33ily Duivered in harmony ,ith the vi3rations from the machine. They ,ere present in loathsome profusionA and = sa, to my horror that they o!erlappedB that they ,ere semi1fluid and capa3le of passin' throu'h one another and throu'h ,hat ,e !no, as solids. These thin's ,ere never stillA 3ut seemed ever floatin' a3out ,ith some mali'nant purpose. Sometimes they appeared to devour one anotherA the attac!er launchin' itself at its victim and instantaneously o3literatin' the latter from si'ht. Shudderin'ly = felt that = !ne, ,hat had o3literated the unfortunate servantsA and could not e%clude the thin' from my mind as = strove to o3serve other properties of the ne,ly visi3le ,orld that lies unseen around us. But Tillin'hast had 3een ,atchin' me and ,as spea!in'. L.ou see themG .ou see themG .ou see the thin's that float and flop a3out you and throu'h you every moment of your lifeG .ou see the creatures that form ,hat men call the pure air and the 3lue s!yG 2ave = not succeeded in 3rea!in' do,n the 3arrierB have = not sho,n you ,orlds that no other livin' men have seenGL = heard his scream throu'h the horri3le chaosA and loo!ed at the ,ild face thrust so offensively close to mine. 2is eyes ,ere pits of flameA and they 'lared at me ,ith ,hat = no, sa, ,as over,helmin' hatred. The machine droned detesta3ly. L.ou thin! those flounderin' thin's ,iped out the servantsG 4oolA they are harmlessF But the servants are 'oneA aren<t theyG .ou tried to stop meB you discoura'ed me ,hen = needed every drop of encoura'ement = could 'etB you ,ere afraid of the cosmic truthA you damned co,ardA 3ut no, =<ve 'ot youF What s,ept up the servantsG What made them scream so loudG... $on<t !no,A ehF .ou<ll !no, soon enou'h. 5oo! at me 1 listen to ,hat = say 1 do you suppose there are really any such thin's as time and ma'nitudeG $o you fancy there are such thin's as form or matterG = tell youA = have struc! depths that your little 3rain can<t picture. = have seen 3eyond the 3ounds of infinity and dra,n do,n daemons from the stars... = have harnessed the shado,s that stride from ,orld to ,orld to so, death and madness... Space 3elon's to meA do you hearG Thin's are huntin' me no, 1 the thin's that devour and dissolve 1 3ut = !no, ho, to elude them. =t is you they ,ill 'etA as they 'ot the servants... Stirrin'A dear sirG = told you it ,as dan'erous to moveA = have saved you so far 3y tellin' you to !eep still 1 saved you to see more si'hts and to listen to me. =f you had movedA they ,ould have 3een at you lon' a'o. $on<t ,orryA they ,on<t "urt you. They didn<t hurt the servants 1 it ,as the seeing that made the poor devils scream so. 8y pets are

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not prettyA for they come out of places ,here aesthetic standards are 1 !ery different. $isinte'ration is Duite painlessA = assure you 11 but I $ant you to see t"em. = almost sa, themA 3ut = !ne, ho, to stop. .ou are curiousG = al,ays !ne, you ,ere no scientist. Trem3lin'A eh. Trem3lin' ,ith an%iety to see the ultimate thin's = have discovered. Why don<t you moveA thenG TiredG WellA don<t ,orryA my friendA for t"ey are coming... 5oo!A loo!A curse youA loo!... it<s Cust over your left shoulder...L What remains to 3e told is very 3riefA and may 3e familiar to you from the ne,spaper accounts. The police heard a shot in the old Tillin'hast house and found us there 1 Tillin'hast dead and me unconscious. They arrested me 3ecause the revolver ,as in my handA 3ut released me in three hoursA after they found it ,as apople%y ,hich had finished Tillin'hast and sa, that my shot had 3een directed at the no%ious machine ,hich no, lay hopelessly shattered on the la3oratory floor. = did not tell very much of ,hat = had seenA for = feared the coroner ,ould 3e s!epticalB 3ut from the evasive outline = did 'iveA the doctor told me that = had undou3tedly 3een hypnotized 3y the vindictive and homicidal madman. = ,ish = could 3elieve that doctor. =t ,ould help my sha!y nerves if = could dismiss ,hat = no, have to thin! of the air and the s!y a3out and a3ove me. = never feel alone or comforta3leA and a hideous sense of pursuit sometimes comes chillin'ly on me ,hen = am ,eary. What prevents me from 3elievin' the doctor is one simple fact 1 that the police never found the 3odies of those servants ,hom they say Cra,ford Tillin'hast murdered.

The )ree# Me $o2

J=;T:+$(CT+:. ;+TE9 The follo,in' very sin'ular narrativeA or record of impressionsA ,as discovered under circumstances so e%traordinary that they deserve careful description. +n the evenin' of WednesdayA Au'ust "7A 1)1&A at a3out ei'ht1thirty o<cloc!A the population of the small seaside villa'e of >oto,on!etA 8aineA (.S.A.A ,as aroused 3y a thunderous report accompanied 3y a 3lindin' flashB and persons near the shore 3eheld a mammoth 3all of fire dart from the heavens into the sea 3ut a short distance outA sendin' up a prodi'ious column of ,ater. The follo,in' Sunday a fishin' party composed of 6ohn :ichmondA >eter B. CarrA and Simon CanfieldA cau'ht in their tra,l and dra''ed ashore a mass of metallic roc!A ,ei'hin' &-* poundsA and loo!in' Jas 8r. Canfield saidK li!e a piece of sla'. 8ost of the inha3itants a'reed that this heavy 3ody ,as none other than the fire3all ,hich had fallen from the s!y four days 3eforeB and $r. :ichard 8. 6onesA the local scientific authorityA allo,ed that it must 3e an aerolite or meteoric stone. =n chippin' off specimens to send to an e%pert Boston analystA $r. 6ones discovered im3edded in the semi1metallic mass the stran'e 3oo! containin' the ensuin' taleA ,hich is still in his possession. =n form the discovery resem3les an ordinary note13oo!A a3out R & inches in sizeA and containin' thirty leaves. =n materialA ho,ever it presents mar!ed peculiarities. The covers are apparently of some dar! stony su3stance un!no,n to 'eolo'istsA and un3rea!a3le 3y any mechanical means. ;o chemical rea'ent seems to act upon them. The leaves are much the sameA save that they are li'hter in colourA and so infinitely thin as to 3e Duite fle%i3le. The ,hole is 3ound 3y some process not very clear to those ,ho have o3served itB a process involvin' the adhesion of the leaf su3stance to the cover su3stance. These su3stances cannot no, 3e separatedA nor can the leaves 3e torn 3y any amount of force. The ,ritin' is 7ree! of the purest classical DualityA and several students of palaeo'raphy declare that the characters are in a cursive hand used a3out the second century B. C. There is little in the te%t to determine the date. The mechanical mode of ,ritin' cannot 3e deduced 3eyond the fact that it must have resem3led that of the modern slate and slate1 pencil. $urin' the course of analytical efforts made 3y the late >rofessor Cham3ers of 2arvardA several pa'esA mostly at the conclusion of the narrativeA ,ere 3lurred to the point of utter effacement 3efore 3ein' readB a circumstance formin' a ,ell1ni'h irrepara3le loss. What remains of the contents ,as done into modem 7ree! letters 3y the palaeo'rapherA :utherfordA and in this form su3mitted to the translators. >rofessor 8ayfield of the 8assachusetts =nstitute of Technolo'yA ,ho e%amined samples of the stran'e stoneA declares it a true meteoriteB an opinion in ,hich $r. von Winterfeldt of 2eidel3er' Jinterned in 1)18 as a dan'erous enemy alienK does not concur. >rofessor Bradley of Colum3ia Colle'e adopts a less do'matic 'roundB pointin' out that certain utterly un!no,n in'redients are present in lar'e DuantitiesA and ,arnin' that no classification is as yet possi3le. The presenceA natureA and messa'e of the stran'e 3oo! form so momentous a pro3lemA that no e%planation can even 3e attempted. The te%tA as far as preservedA is here rendered as literally as our lan'ua'e permitsA in the hope that some reader may eventually hit upon an interpretation and solve one of the 'reatest scientific mysteries of recent years.K

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=t ,as a narro, placeA and = ,as alone. +n one sideA 3eyond a mar'in of vivid ,avin' 'reenA ,as the seaB 3lueB 3ri'htA and 3illo,yA and send1in' up vaporous e%halations ,hich into%icated me. So profuseA indeedA ,ere these e%halationsA that they 'ave me an odd impression of a coales1cence of sea and s!yB for the heavens ,ere li!e,ise 3ri'ht and 3lue. +n the other side ,as the forestA ancient almost as the sea itselfA and stretch1in' infinitely inland. =t ,as very dar!A for the trees ,ere 'rotesDuely hu'e and lu%uriantA and incredi3ly numerous. Their 'iant trun!s ,ere of a horri3le 'reen ,hich 3lended ,eirdly ,ith the narro, 'reen tract ,hereon = stood. At some distance a,ayA on either side of meA the stran'e forest e%tended do,n to the ,ater<s ed'eA o3literatin' the shore line and completely hemmin' in the narro, tract. Some of the treesA = o3servedA stood in the ,ater itselfB as thou'h impatient of any 3arrier to their pro'ress. = sa, no livin' thin'A nor si'n that any livin' thin' save myself had ever e%isted. The sea and the s!y and the ,ood encircled meA and reached off into re'ions 3eyond my ima'ination. ;or ,as there any sound save of the ,ind1tossed ,ood and of the sea. As = stood in this silent placeA = suddenly commenced to trem3leB for thou'h = !ne, not ho, = came thereA and could scarce remem3er ,hat my name and ran! had 3eenA = felt that = should 'o mad if = could understand ,hat lur!ed a3out me. = recalled thin's = had learnedA thin's = had dreamedA thin's = had ima'ined and yearned for in some other distant life. = thou'ht of lon' ni'hts ,hen = had 'azed up at the stars of heaven and cursed the 'ods that my free soul could not traverse the vast a3ysses ,hich ,ere inaccessi3le to my 3ody. = conCured up ancient 3lasphemiesA and terri3le delvin's into the papri of $emocritusB 3ut as memories appearedA = shuddered in deeper fearA for = !ne, that = ,as alone 1 horri3ly alone. AloneA yet dose to sentient impulses of vastA va'ue !indB ,hich = prayed never to comprehend nor encounter. =n the voice of the s,ayin' 'reen 3ranches = fancied = could detect a !ind of mali'nant hatred and demoniac triumph. Sometimes they struc! me as 3ein' in horri3le colloDuy ,ith 'hastly and unthin!a3le thin's ,hich the scaly 'reen 3odies of the trees half1hidB hid from si'ht 3ut not from consciousness. The most oppressive of my sensations ,as a sinister feelin' of aliena'e. Thou'h = sa, a3out me o3Cects ,hich = could nameB treesA 'rassA seaA and s!yB = felt that their relation to me ,as not the same as that of the treesA 'rassA seaA and s!y = !ne, in another and dimly remem3ered life. The nature of the difference = could not tellA yet = shoo! in star! fri'ht as it impressed itself upon me. And thenA in a spot ,here = had 3efore discerned nothin' 3ut the misty seaA = 3eheld the 7reen 8eado,B separated from me 3y a vast e%panse of 3lue ripplin' ,ater ,ith suntipped ,aveletsA yet stran'ely near. +ften = ,ould peep fearfully over my ri'ht shoulder at the treesA 3ut = preferred to loo! at the 7reen 8eado,A ,hich affected me oddly. =t ,as ,hile my eyes ,ere fi%ed upon this sin'ular tractA that = first felt the 'round in motion 3eneath me. Be'innin' ,ith a !ind of thro33in' a'itation ,hich held a fiendish su''estion of conscious actionA the 3it of 3an! on ,hich = stood detached itself from the 'rassy shore and commenced to float a,ayB 3orne slo,ly on,ard as if 3y some current of resistless force. = did not moveA astonished and startled as = ,as 3y the unprecedented phenomenonB 3ut stood ri'idly still until a

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,ide lane of ,ater ya,ned 3et,i%t me and the land of trees. Then = sat do,n in a sort of dazeA and a'ain loo!ed at the sun1tipped ,ater and the 7reen 8eado,. Behind me the trees and the thin's they may have 3een hidin' seemed to radiate infinite menace. This = !ne, ,ithout turnin' to vie, themA for as = 're, more used to the scene = 3ecame less and less depen1dent upon the five senses that once had 3een my sole reliance. = !ne, the 'reen scaly forest hated meA yet no, = ,as safe from itA for my 3it of 3an! had drifted far from the shore. But thou'h one peril ,as pastA another loomed up 3efore me. >ieces of earth ,ere constantly crum3lin' from the floatin' isle ,hich held meA so that death could not 3e far distant in any event. .et even then = seemed to sense that death ,ould 3e death to me no moreA for = turned a'ain to ,atch the 7reen 8eado,A im3ued ,ith a curious feelin' of security in stran'e contrast to my 'eneral horror. Then it ,as that = heardA at a distance immeasura3leA the sound of fallin' ,ater. ;ot that of any trival cascade such as = had !no,nA 3ut that ,hich mi'ht 3e heard in the far Scythian lands if all the 8editerranean ,ere poured do,n an unfathoma3le a3yss. =t ,as to,ard this sound that my shrin!in' island ,as driftin'A yet = ,as content. 4ar in the rear ,ere happenin' ,eird and terri3le thin'sB thin's ,hich = turned to vie,A yet shivered to 3ehold. 4or in the s!y dar! vaporous forms hovered fantasticallyA 3roodin' over trees and seemin' to ans,er the challen'e of the ,avin' 'reen 3ranches. Then a thic! mist arose from the sea to Coin the s!y1formsA and the shore ,as erased from my si'ht. Thou'h the sun 1 ,hat sun = !ne, not 1 shone 3ri'htly on the ,ater around meA the land = had left seemed involved in a demoniac tempest ,here dashed the ,ill of the hellish trees and ,hat they hidA ,ith that of the s!y and the sea. And ,hen the mist vanishedA = sa, only the 3lue s!y and the 3lue seaA for the land and the trees ,ere no more. =t ,as at this point that my attention ,as arrested 3y the sin'in' in the 7reen 8eado,. 2ithertoA as = have saidA = had encountered no si'n of human lifeB 3ut no, there arose to my ears a dull chant ,hose ori'in and nature ,ere apparently unmista!a3le. While the ,ords ,ere utterly undistin'uisha3leA the chant a,a!ed in me a peculiar train of associationsB and = ,as reminded of some va'uely disDuietin' lines = had once translated out of an E'yptian 3oo!A ,hich in turn ,ere ta!en from a papyrus of ancient 8eroe. Throu'h my 3rain ran lines that = fear to repeatB lines tellin' of very antiDue thin's and forms of life in the days ,hen our earth ,as e%ceedin' youn'. +f thin's ,hich thou'ht and moved and ,ere aliveA yet ,hich 'ods and men ,ould not consider alive. =t ,as a stran'e 3oo!. As = listenedA = 3ecame 'radually conscious of a circumstance ,hich had 3efore puzzled me only su3consciously. At no time had my si'ht distin'uished any definite o3Cects in the 7reen 8eado,A an impression of vivid homo'eneous verdure 3ein' the sum total of my perception. ;o,A ho,everA = sa, that the current ,ould cause my island to pass the shore at 3ut a little distanceB so that = mi'ht learn more of the land and of the sin'in' thereon. 8y curiosity to 3ehold the sin'ers had mounted hi'hA thou'h it ,as min'led ,ith apprehension.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 7reen 8eado,

&7)

Bits of sod continued to 3rea! a,ay from the tiny tract ,hich carried meA 3ut = heeded not their lossB for = felt that = ,as not to die ,ith the 3ody Jor appearance of a 3odyK ,hich = seemed to possess. That everythin' a3out meA even life and deathA ,as illusoryB that = had overleaped the 3ounds of mortality and corporeal entityA 3ecomin' a freeA detached thin'B impressed me as almost certain. +f my location = !ne, nothin'A save that = felt = could not 3e on the earth1planet once so familiar to me. 8y sensationsA apart from a !ind of hauntin' terrorA ,ere those of a traveller Cust em3ar!ed upon an unendin' voya'e of discovery. 4or a moment = thou'ht of the lands and persons = had left 3ehindB and of stran'e ,ays ,here3y = mi'ht some day tell them of my adventurin'sA even thou'h = mi'ht never return. = had no, floated very near the 7reen 8eado,A so that the voices ,ere clear and distinctB 3ut thou'h = !ne, many lan'ua'es = could not Duite interpret the ,ords of the chantin'. 4amiliar they indeed ,ereA as = had su3tly felt ,hen at a 'reater distanceA 3ut 3eyond a sensation of va'ue and a,esome remem3rance = could ma!e nothin' of them. A most e%traordinary Duality in the voices1a Duality ,hich = cannot descri3e1at once fri'htened and fascinated me. 8y eyes could no, discern several thin's amidst the omnipresent verdure1roc!sA covered ,ith = 3ri'ht 'reen mossA shru3s of considera3le hei'htA and less defina3le shapes of 'reat ma'nitude ,hich seemed to move or vi3rate amidst the shru33ery in a peculiar ,ay. The chantin'A ,hose authors = ,as so an%ious to 'limpseA seemed loudestA at points ,here these shapes ,ere most numerous and most vi'orously in motion. And thenA as my island drifted closer and the sound of the distant ,aterfall 're, louderA = sa, clearly the source of the chantin'A and in one horri3le instant remem3ered everythin'. +f such thin's = cannotA dare not tellA for therein ,as revealed the hideous solution of all ,hich had puzzled meB and that solution ,ould drive you madA even as it al1most drove me.... = !ne, no, the chan'e throu'h ,hich = had passedA and throu'h ,hich certain others ,ho once ,ere men had passedF and = !ne, the endless cycle of the future ,hich none li!e me may escape... = shall live foreverA 3e conscious foreverA thou'h my soul cries out to the 'ods for the 3oon of death and o3livion... All is 3efore me9 3eyond the deafenin' torrent lies the land of StethelosA ,here youn' men are infinitely old... The 7reen 8eado,... = ,ill send a messa'e across the horri3le immeasura3le a3yss....

The H %#ter O! The / r+

I "a!e seen t"e dark uni!erse ya$ning W"ere t"e black planets roll $it"out aim& W"ere t"ey roll in t"eir "orror un"eeded& Wit"out kno$ledge or lustre or name%

Cautious investi'ators ,ill hesitate to challen'e the common 3elief that :o3ert Bla!e ,as !illed 3y li'htnin'A or 3y some profound nervous shoc! derived from an electrical dischar'e. =t is true that the ,indo, he faced ,as un3ro!enA 3ut nature has sho,n herself capa3le of many frea!ish performances. The e%pression on his face may easily have arisen from some o3scure muscular source unrelated to anythin' he sa,A ,hile the entries in his diary are clearly the result of a fantastic ima'ination aroused 3y certain local superstitions and 3y certain old matters he had uncovered. As for the anomalous conditions at the deserted church of 4ederal 2ill 1 the shre,d analyst is not slo, in attri3utin' them to some charlatanryA conscious or unconsciousA ,ith at least some of ,hich Bla!e ,as secretly connected. 4or after allA the victim ,as a ,riter and painter ,holly devoted to the field of mythA dreamA terrorA and superstitionA and avid in his Duest for scenes and effects of a 3izarreA spectral sort. 2is earlier stay in the city 1a visit to a stran'e old man as deeply 'iven to occult and for3idden lore as he 1 had ended amidst death and flameA and it must have 3een some mor3id instinct ,hich dre, him 3ac! from his home in 8il,au!ee. 2e may have !no,n of the old stories despite his statements to the contrary in the diaryA and his death may have nipped in the 3ud some stupendous hoa% destined to have a literary reflection. Amon' thoseA ho,everA ,ho have e%amined and correlated all this evidenceA there remain several ,ho clin' to less rational and commonplace theories. They are inclined to ta!e much of Bla!e<s diary at its face valueA and point si'nificantly to certain facts such as the undou3ted 'enuineness of the old church recordA the verified e%istence of the disli!ed and unorthodo% Starry Wisdom sect prior to 1877A the recorded disappearance of an inDuisitive reporter named Ed,in 8. 5illi3rid'e in 18)&A and 1 a3ove all 1 the loo! of monstrousA transfi'urin' fear on the face of the youn' ,riter ,hen he died. =t ,as one of these 3elievers ,hoA moved to fanatical e%tremesA thre, into the 3ay the curiously an'led stone and its stran'ely adorned metal 3o% found in the old church steeple 1 the 3lac! ,indo,less steepleA and not the to,er ,here Bla!e<s diary said those thin's ori'inally ,ere. Thou'h ,idely censured 3oth officially and unofficiallyA this man 1 a reputa3le physician ,ith a taste for odd fol!lore 1 averred that he had rid the earth of somethin' too dan'erous to rest upon it. Bet,een these t,o schools of opinion the reader must Cud'e for himself. The papers have 'iven the tan'i3le details from a sceptical an'leA leavin' for others the dra,in' of the picture as :o3ert Bla!e sa, it 1 or thou'ht he sa, it 1 or pretended to see it. ;o, studyin' the diary closelyA dispassionatelyA and at leisureA let us summarize the dar! chain of events from the e%pressed point of vie, of their chief actor.

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The 2aunter +f The $ar!

&81

.oun' Bla!e returned to >rovidence in the ,inter of 1)&#1 A ta!in' the upper floor of a venera3le d,ellin' in a 'rassy court off Colle'e Street 1 on the crest of the 'reat east,ard hill near the Bro,n (niversity campus and 3ehind the mar3le 6ohn 2ay 5i3rary. =t ,as a cosy and fascinatin' placeA in a little 'arden oasis of villa'e1li!e antiDuity ,here hu'eA friendly cats sunned themselves atop a convenient shed. The sDuare 7eor'ian house had a monitor roofA classic door,ay ,ith fan carvin'A small1paned ,indo,sA and all the other earmar!s of early nineteenth century ,or!manship. =nside ,ere si%1panelled doorsA ,ide floor13oardsA a curvin' colonial staircaseA ,hite Adam1period mantelsA and a rear set of rooms three steps 3elo, the 'eneral level. Bla!e<s studyA a lar'e south,est cham3erA overloo!ed the front 'arden on one sideA ,hile its ,est ,indo,s 1 3efore one of ,hich he had his des! 1faced off from the 3ro, of the hill and commanded a splendid vie, of the lo,er to,n<s outspread roofs and of the mystical sunsets that flamed 3ehind them. +n the far horizon ,ere the open countryside<s purple slopes. A'ainst theseA some t,o miles a,ayA rose the spectral hump of 4ederal 2illA 3ristlin' ,ith huddled roofs and steeples ,hose remote outlines ,avered mysteriouslyA ta!in' fantastic forms as the smo!e of the city s,irled up and enmeshed them. Bla!e had a curious sense that he ,as loo!in' upon some un!no,nA ethereal ,orld ,hich mi'ht or mi'ht not vanish in dream if ever he tried to see! it out and enter it in person. 2avin' sent home for most of his 3oo!sA Bla!e 3ou'ht some antiDue furniture suita3le for his Duarters and settled do,n to ,rite and paint 1livin' aloneA and attendin' to the simple house,or! himself. 2is studio ,as in a north attic roomA ,here the panes of the monitor roof furnished admira3le li'htin'. $urin' that first ,inter he produced five of his 3est1!no,n short stories 1 T"e Burro$er Beneat"& T"e Stairs in t"e Crypt& S"aggai& In t"e .ale of ,nat"A and T"e 7easter from t"e Stars 1 and painted seven canvasesB studies of namelessA unhuman monstersA and profoundly alienA non1terrestrial landscapes. At sunset he ,ould often sit at his des! and 'aze dreamily off at the outspread ,est 1 the dar! to,ers of 8emorial 2all Cust 3elo,A the 7eor'ian court1house 3elfryA the lofty pinnacles of the do,nto,n sectionA and that shimmerin'A spire1cro,ned mound in the distance ,hose un!no,n streets and la3yrinthine 'a3les so potently provo!ed his fancy. 4rom his fe, local aDuaintances he learned that the far1off slope ,as a vast =talian DuarterA thou'h most of the houses ,ere remnant of older .an!ee and =rish days. ;o, and then he ,ould train his field1'lasses on that spectralA unreacha3le ,orld 3eyond the curlin' smo!eB pic!in' out individual roofs and chimneys and steeplesA and speculatin' upon the 3izarre and curious mysteries they mi'ht house. Even ,ith optical aid 4ederal 2ill seemed someho, alienA half fa3ulousA and lin!ed to the unrealA intan'i3le marvels of Bla!e<s o,n tales and pictures. The feelin' ,ould persist lon' after the hill had faded into the violetA lamp1starred t,ili'htA and the court1house floodli'hts and the red =ndustrial Trust 3eacon had 3lazed up to ma!e the ni'ht 'rotesDue. +f all the distant o3Cects on 4ederal 2illA a certain hu'eA dar! church most fascinated Bla!e. =t stood out ,ith especial distinctness at certain hours of the dayA and at sunset the 'reat to,er and taperin' steeple loomed 3lac!ly a'ainst the flamin' s!y. =t seemed to rest on especially hi'h 'roundB for the 'rimy fa^adeA and the o3liDuely seen north side ,ith slopin' roof and the tops of 'reat pointed ,indo,sA rose 3oldly a3ove the tan'le of surroundin' rid'epoles and chimney1pots. >eculiarly 'rim and austereA it appeared to 3e 3uilt of stoneA stained and ,eathered ,ith the smo!e and storms of a century and more. The styleA so far as the 'lass could sho,A ,as that earliest e%perimental form of 7othic

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The 2aunter +f The $ar!

&8"

revival ,hich preceded the stately (pCohn period and held over some of the outlines and proportions of the 7eor'ian a'e. >erhaps it ,as reared around 181* or 181 . As months passedA Bla!e ,atched the far1offA for3iddin' structure ,ith an oddly mountin' interest. Since the vast ,indo,s ,ere never li'htedA he !ne, that it must 3e vacant. The lon'er he ,atchedA the more his ima'ination ,or!edA till at len'th he 3e'an to fancy curious thin's. 2e 3elieved that a va'ueA sin'ular aura of desolation hovered over the placeA so that even the pi'eons and s,allo,s shunned its smo!y eaves. Around other to,ers and 3elfries his 'lass ,ould reveal 'reat floc!s of 3irdsA 3ut here they never rested. At leastA that is ,hat he thou'ht and set do,n in his diary. 2e pointed the place out to several friendsA 3ut none of them had even 3een on 4ederal 2ill or possessed the faintest notion of ,hat the church ,as or had 3een. =n the sprin' a deep restlessness 'ripped Bla!e. 2e had 3e'un his lon'1planned novel 1 3ased on a supposed survival of the ,itch1cult in 8aine 1 3ut ,as stran'ely una3le to ma!e pro'ress ,ith it. 8ore and more he ,ould sit at his ,est,ard ,indo, and 'aze at the distant hill and the 3lac!A fro,nin' steeple shunned 3y the 3irds. When the delicate leaves came out on the 'arden 3ou'hs the ,orld ,as filled ,ith a ne, 3eautyA 3ut Bla!e<s restlessness ,as merely increased. =t ,as then that he first thou'ht of crossin' the city and clim3in' 3odily up that fa3ulous slope into the smo!e1,reathed ,orld of dream. 5ate in AprilA Cust 3efore the aeon1shado,ed Walpur'is timeA Bla!e made his first trip into the un!no,n. >loddin' throu'h the endless do,nto,n streets and the 3lea!A decayed sDuares 3eyondA he came finally upon the ascendin' avenue of century1,orn stepsA sa''in' $oric porchesA and 3lear1paned cupolas ,hich he felt must lead up to the lon'1!no,nA unreacha3le ,orld 3eyond the mists. There ,ere din'y 3lue1and1,hite street si'ns ,hich meant nothin' to himA and presently he noted the stran'eA dar! faces of the driftin' cro,dsA and the forei'n si'ns over curious shops in 3ro,nA decade1,eathered 3uildin's. ;o,here could he find any of the o3Cects he had seen from afarB so that once more he half fancied that the 4ederal 2ill of that distant vie, ,as a dream1,orld never to 3e trod 3y livin' human feet. ;o, and then a 3attered church fa^ade or crum3lin' spire came in si'htA 3ut never the 3lac!ened pile that he sou'ht. When he as!ed a shop!eeper a3out a 'reat stone church the man smiled and shoo! his headA thou'h he spo!e En'lish freely. As Bla!e clim3ed hi'herA the re'ion seemed stran'er and stran'erA ,ith 3e,ilderin' mazes of 3roodin' 3ro,n alleys leadin' eternally off to the south. 2e crossed t,o or three 3road avenuesA and once thou'ht he 'limpsed a familiar to,er. A'ain he as!ed a merchant a3out the massive church of stoneA and this time he could have s,orn that the plea of i'norance ,as fei'ned. The dar! man<s face had a loo! of fear ,hich he tried to hideA and Bla!e sa, him ma!e a curious si'n ,ith his ri'ht hand. Then suddenly a 3lac! spire stood out a'ainst the cloudy s!y on his leftA a3ove the tiers of 3ro,n roofs linin' the tan'led southerly alleys. Bla!e !ne, at once ,hat it ,asA and plun'ed to,ard it throu'h the sDualidA unpaved lanes that clim3ed from the avenue. T,ice he lost his ,ayA 3ut he someho, dared not as! any of the patriarchs or house,ives ,ho sat on their doorstepsA or any of the children ,ho shouted and played in the mud of the shado,y lanes.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2aunter +f The $ar!

&8&

At last he sa, the to,er plain a'ainst the south,estA and a hu'e stone 3ul! rose dar!ly at the end of an alley. >resently he stood in a ,ind1s,ept open sDuareA Duaintly co33lestonedA ,ith a hi'h 3an! ,all on the farther side. This ,as the end of his DuestB for upon the ,ideA iron1railedA ,eed1'ro,n plateau ,hich the ,all supported 1 a separateA lesser ,orld raised fully si% feet a3ove the surroundin' streets 1 there stood a 'rimA titan 3ul! ,hose identityA despite Bla!e<s ne, perspectiveA ,as 3eyond dispute. The vacant church ,as in a state of 'reat decrepitude. Some of the hi'h stone 3uttresses had fallenA and several delicate finials lay half lost amon' the 3ro,nA ne'lected ,eeds and 'rasses. The sooty 7othic ,indo,s ,ere lar'ely un3ro!enA thou'h many of the stone mullions ,ere missin'. Bla!e ,ondered ho, the o3scurely painted panes could have survived so ,ellA in vie, of the !no,n ha3its of small 3oys the ,orld over. The massive doors ,ere intact and ti'htly closed. Around the top of the 3an! ,allA fully enclosin' the 'roundsA ,as a rusty iron fence ,hose 'ate 1 at the head of a fli'ht of steps from the sDuare 1 ,as visi3ly padloc!ed. The path from the 'ate to the 3uildin' ,as completely over'ro,n. $esolation and decay hun' li!e a pall a3ove the placeA and in the 3irdless eaves and 3lac!A ivyless ,alls Bla!e felt a touch of the dimly sinister 3eyond his po,er to define. There ,ere very fe, people in the sDuareA 3ut Bla!e sa, a policeman at the northerly end and approached him ,ith Duestions a3out the church. 2e ,as a 'reat ,holesome =rishmanA and it seemed odd that he ,ould do little more than ma!e the si'n of the cross and mutter that people never spo!e of that 3uildin'. When Bla!e pressed him he said very hurriedly that the =talian priest ,arned every3ody a'ainst itA vo,in' that a monstrous evil had once d,elt there and left its mar!. 2e himself had heard dar! ,hispers of it from his fatherA ,ho recalled certain sounds and rumours from his 3oyhood. There had 3een a 3ad sect there in the old days 1 an outla, sect that called up a,ful thin's from some un!no,n 'ulf of ni'ht. =t had ta!en a 'ood priest to e%orcise ,hat had comeA thou'h there did 3e those ,ho said that merely the li'ht could do it. =f 4ather +<8alley ,ere alive there ,ould 3e many the thin' he could tell. But no, there ,as nothin' to do 3ut let it alone. =t hurt no3ody no,A and those that o,ned it ,ere dead or far a,ay. They had run a,ay li!e rats after the threatenin' tal! in <77A ,hen people 3e'an to mind the ,ay fol!s vanished no, and then in the nei'h3ourhood. Some day the city ,ould step in and ta!e the property for lac! of heirsA 3ut little 'ood ,ould come of any3ody<s touchin' it. Better it 3e left alone for the years to toppleA lest thin's 3e stirred that ou'ht to rest for ever in their 3lac! a3yss. After the policeman had 'one Bla!e stood starin' at the sullen steepled pile. =t e%cited him to find that the structure seemed as sinister to others as to himA and he ,ondered ,hat 'rain of truth mi'ht lie 3ehind the old tales the 3luecoat had repeated. >ro3a3ly they ,ere mere le'ends evo!ed 3y the evil loo! of the placeA 3ut even soA they ,ere li!e a stran'e comin' to life of one of his o,n stories. The afternoon sun came out from 3ehind dispersin' cloudsA 3ut seemed una3le to li'ht up the stainedA sooty ,alls of the old temple that to,ered on its hi'h plateau. =t ,as odd that the 'reen of sprin' had not touched the 3ro,nA ,ithered 'ro,ths in the raisedA iron1 fenced yard. Bla!e found himself ed'in' nearer the raised area and e%aminin' the 3an! ,all and rusted fence for possi3le avenues of in'ress. There ,as a terri3le lure a3out the 3lac!ened fane ,hich ,as not to 3e resisted. The fence had no openin' near the stepsA 3ut round on the north side ,ere some missin' 3ars. 2e could 'o up the steps and ,al! round

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2aunter +f The $ar!

&8#

on the narro, copin' outside the fence till he came to the 'ap. =f the people feared the place so ,ildlyA he ,ould encounter no interference. 2e ,as on the em3an!ment and almost inside the fence 3efore anyone noticed him. ThenA loo!in' do,nA he sa, the fe, people in the sDuare ed'in' a,ay and ma!in' the same si'n ,ith their ri'ht hands that the shop!eeper in the avenue had made. Several ,indo,s ,ere slammed do,nA and a fat ,oman darted into the street and pulled some small children inside a ric!etyA unpainted house. The 'ap in the fence ,as very easy to pass throu'hA and 3efore lon' Bla!e found himself ,adin' amidst the rottin'A tan'led 'ro,ths of the deserted yard. 2ere and there the ,orn stump of a headstone told him that there had once 3een 3urials in the fieldB 3ut thatA he sa,A must have 3een very lon' a'o. The sheer 3ul! of the church ,as oppressive no, that he ,as close to itA 3ut he conDuered his mood and approached to try the three 'reat doors in the fa^ade. All ,ere securely loc!edA so he 3e'an a circuit of the Cyclopean 3uildin' in Duest of some minor and more penetra3le openin'. Even then he could not 3e sure that he ,ished to enter that haunt of desertion and shado,A yet the pull of its stran'eness dra''ed him on automatically. A ya,nin' and unprotected cellar ,indo, in the rear furnished the needed aperture. >eerin' inA Bla!e sa, a su3terrene 'ulf of co3,e3s and dust faintly litten 3y the ,estern sun<s filtered rays. $e3risA old 3arrelsA and ruined 3o%es and furniture of numerous sorts met his eyeA thou'h over everythin' lay a shroud of dust ,hich softened all sharp outlines. The rusted remains of a hot1air furnace sho,ed that the 3uildin' had 3een used and !ept in shape as late as mid1?ictorian times. Actin' almost ,ithout conscious initiativeA Bla!e cra,led throu'h the ,indo, and let himself do,n to the dust1carpeted and de3ris1stre,n concrete floor. The vaulted cellar ,as a vast oneA ,ithout partitionsB and in a corner far to the ri'htA amid dense shado,sA he sa, a 3lac! arch,ay evidently leadin' upstairs. 2e felt a peculiar sense of oppression at 3ein' actually ,ithin the 'reat spectral 3uildin'A 3ut !ept it in chec! as he cautiously scouted a3out 1 findin' a still1intact 3arrel amid the dustA and rollin' it over to the open ,indo, to provide for his e%it. ThenA 3racin' himselfA he crossed the ,ideA co3,e31festooned space to,ard the arch. 2alf1cho!ed ,ith the omnipresent dustA and covered ,ith 'hostly 'ossamer fi3resA he reached and 3e'an to clim3 the ,orn stone steps ,hich rose into the dar!ness. 2e had no li'htA 3ut 'roped carefully ,ith his hands. After a sharp turn he felt a closed door aheadA and a little fum3lin' revealed its ancient latch. =t opened in,ardA and 3eyond it he sa, a dimly illumined corridor lined ,ith ,orm1eaten panellin'. +nce on the 'round floorA Bla!e 3e'an e%plorin' in a rapid fashion. All the inner doors ,ere unloc!edA so that he freely passed from room to room. The colossal nave ,as an almost eldritch place ,ith its driffs and mountains of dust over 3o% pe,sA altarA hour1'lass pulpitA and soundin'13oard and its titanic ropes of co3,e3 stretchin' amon' the pointed arches of the 'allery and ent,inin' the clustered 7othic columns. +ver all this hushed desolation played a hideous leaden li'ht as the declinin' afternoon sun sent its rays throu'h the stran'eA half13lac!ened panes of the 'reat apsidal ,indo,s. The paintin's on those ,indo,s ,ere so o3scured 3y soot that Bla!e could scarcely decipher ,hat they had representedA 3ut from the little he could ma!e out he did not li!e them. The desi'ns ,ere lar'ely conventionalA and his !no,led'e of o3scure sym3olism told him much concernin' some of the ancient patterns. The fe, saints depicted 3ore e%pressions distinctly open to criticismA ,hile one of the ,indo,s seemed to sho, merely

H.P.Lovecr !t

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a dar! space ,ith spirals of curious luminosity scattered a3out in it. Turnin' a,ay from the ,indo,sA Bla!e noticed that the co3,e33ed cross a3ove the altar ,as not of the ordinary !indA 3ut resem3led the primordial ank" or cru@ ansata of shado,y E'ypt. =n a rear vestry room 3eside the apse Bla!e found a rottin' des! and ceilin'1hi'h shelves of milde,edA disinte'ratin' 3oo!s. 2ere for the first time he received a positive shoc! of o3Cective horrorA for the titles of those 3oo!s told him much. They ,ere the 3lac!A for3idden thin's ,hich most sane people have never even heard ofA or have heard of only in furtiveA timorous ,hispersB the 3anned and dreaded repositories of eDuivocal secret and immemorial formulae ,hich have tric!led do,n the stream of time from the days of man<s youthA and the dimA fa3ulous days 3efore man ,as. 2e had himself read many of them 1 a 5atin version of the a3horred -ecronomiconA the sinister (iber I!onisA the infamous Cultes des Goules of Comte d<ErletteA the 5naussprec"lic"en 3ulten of von 6unztA and old 5udvi' >rinn<s hellish #e .ermis Mysteriis. But there ,ere others he had !no,n merely 3y reputation or not at all 1 the ,nakotic ManuscriptsA the Book of #2yanA and a crum3lin' volume of ,holly unidentifia3le characters yet ,ith certain sym3ols and dia'rams shudderin' reco'niza3le to the occult student. ClearlyA the lin'erin' local rumours had not lied. This place had once 3een the seat of an evil older than man!ind and ,ider than the !no,n universe. =n the ruined des! ,as a small leather3ound record13oo! filled ,ith entries in some odd crypto'raphic medium. The manuscript ,ritin' consisted of the common traditional sym3ols used today in astronomy and anciently in alchemyA astrolo'yA and other du3ious arts 1 the devices of the sunA moonA planetsA aspectsA and zodiacal si'ns 1 here massed in solid pa'es of te%tA ,ith divisions and para'raphin's su''estin' that each sym3ol ans,ered to some alpha3etical letter. =n the hope of later solvin' the crypto'ramA Bla!e 3ore off this volume in his coat poc!et. 8any of the 'reat tomes on the shelves fascinated him unuttera3lyA and he felt tempted to 3orro, them at some later time. 2e ,ondered ho, they could have remained undistur3ed so lon'. Was he the first to conDuer the clutchin'A pervasive fear ,hich had for nearly si%ty years protected this deserted place from visitorsG 2avin' no, thorou'hly e%plored the 'round floorA Bla!e plou'hed a'ain throu'h the dust of the spectral nave to the front vesti3uleA ,here he had seen a door and staircase presuma3ly leadin' up to the 3lac!ened to,er and steeple 1 o3Cects so lon' familiar to him at a distance. The ascent ,as a cho!in' e%perienceA for dust lay thic!A ,hile the spiders had done their ,orst in this constricted place. The staircase ,as a spiral ,ith hi'hA narro, ,ooden treadsA and no, and then Bla!e passed a clouded ,indo, loo!in' dizzily out over the city. Thou'h he had seen no ropes 3elo,A he e%pected to find a 3ell or peal of 3ells in the to,er ,hose narro,A louvre13oarded lancet ,indo,s his field1'lass had studied so often. 2ere he ,as doomed to disappointmentB for ,hen he attained the top of the stairs he found the to,er cham3er vacant of chimesA and clearly devoted to vastly different purposes. The roomA a3out fifteen feet sDuareA ,as faintly li'hted 3y four lancet ,indo,sA one on each sideA ,hich ,ere 'lazed ,ithin their screenin' of decayed louvre13oards. These had 3een further fitted ,ith ti'htA opaDue screensA 3ut the latter ,ere no, lar'ely rotted a,ay. =n the centre of the dust1laden floor rose a curiously an'led stone pillar home four feet in hei'ht and t,o in avera'e diameterA covered on each side ,ith 3izarreA crudely incised and

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,holly unreco'niza3le hiero'lyphs. +n this pillar rested a metal 3o% of peculiarly asymmetrical formB its hin'ed lid thro,n 3ac!A and its interior holdin' ,hat loo!ed 3eneath the decade1deep dust to 3e an e''1shaped or irre'ularly spherical o3Cect some four inches throu'h. Around the pillar in a rou'h circle ,ere seven hi'h13ac!ed 7othic chairs still lar'ely intactA ,hile 3ehind themA ran'in' alon' the dar!1panelled ,allsA ,ere seven colossal ima'es of crum3lin'A 3lac!1painted plasterA resem3lin' more than anythin' else the cryptic carven me'aliths of mysterious Easter =sland. =n one corner of the co3,e33ed cham3er a ladder ,as 3uilt into the ,allA leadin' up to the closed trap door of the ,indo,less steeple a3ove. As Bla!e 're, accustomed to the fee3le li'ht he noticed odd 3as1reliefs on the stran'e open 3o% of yello,ish metal. Approachin'A he tried to clear the dust a,ay ,ith his hands and hand!erchiefA and sa, that the fi'urin's ,ere of a monstrous and utterly alien !indB depictin' entities ,hichA thou'h seemin'ly aliveA resem3led no !no,n life1form ever evolved on this planet. The four1inch seemin' sphere turned out to 3e a nearly 3lac!A red1 striated polyhedron ,ith many irre'ular flat surfacesB either a very remar!a3le crystal of some sort or an artificial o3Cect of carved and hi'hly polished mineral matter. =t did not touch the 3ottom of the 3o%A 3ut ,as held suspended 3y means of a metal 3and around its centreA ,ith seven Dueerly1desi'ned supports e%tendin' horizontally to an'les of the 3o%<s inner ,all near the top. This stoneA once e%posedA e%erted upon Bla!e an almost alarmin' fascination. 2e could scarcely tear his eyes from itA and as he loo!ed at its 'listenin' surfaces he almost fancied it ,as transparentA ,ith half1formed ,orlds of ,onder ,ithin. =nto his mind floated pictures of alien or3s ,ith 'reat stone to,ersA and other or3s ,ith titan mountains and no mar! of lifeA and still remoter spaces ,here only a stirrin' in va'ue 3lac!nesses told of the presence of consciousness and ,ill. When he did loo! a,ayA it ,as to notice a some,hat sin'ular mound of dust in the far corner near the ladder to the steeple. 6ust ,hy it too! his attention he could not tellA 3ut somethin' in its contours carried a messa'e to his unconscious mind. >lou'hin' to,ard itA and 3rushin' aside the han'in' co3,e3s as he ,entA he 3e'an to discern somethin' 'rim a3out it. 2and and hand!erchief soon revealed the truthA and Bla!e 'asped ,ith a 3afflin' mi%ture of emotions. =t ,as a human s!eletonA and it must have 3een there for a very lon' time. The clothin' ,as in shredsA 3ut some 3uttons and fra'ments of cloth 3espo!e a man<s 'rey suit. There ,ere other 3its of evidence 1 shoesA metal claspsA hu'e 3uttons for round cuffsA a stic!pin of 3y'one patternA a reporter<s 3ad'e ,ith the name of the old ,ro!idence TelegramA and a crum3lin' leather poc!et3oo!. Bla!e e%amined the latter ,ith careA findin' ,ithin it several 3ills of antiDuated issueA a celluloid advertisin' calendar for 18)&A some cards ,ith the name LEd,in 8. 5illi3rid'eLA and a paper covered ,ith pencilled memoranda. This paper held much of a puzzlin' natureA and Bla!e read it carefully at the dim ,est,ard ,indo,. =ts disCointed te%t included such phrases as the follo,in'9 >rof. Enoch Bo,en home from E'ypt 8ay 18## 1 3uys old 4ree1Will Church in 6uly 1 his archaeolo'ical ,or! N studies in occult ,ell !no,n. $r $ro,ne of #th Baptist ,arns a'ainst Starry Wisdom in sermon ") $ec. 18##. Con're'ation )7 3y end of <# .

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18#- 1 & disappearances 1 first mention of Shinin' Trapezohedron. 7 disappearances 18#8 1 stories of 3lood sacrifice 3e'in. =nvesti'ation 18 & comes to nothin' 1 stories of sounds. 4r +<8alley tells of devil1,orship ,ith 3o% found in 'reat E'yptian ruins 1 says they call up somethin' that can<t e%ist in li'ht. 4lees a little li'htA and 3anished 3y stron' li'ht. Then has to 3e summoned a'ain. >ro3a3ly 'ot this from death3ed confession of 4rancis R. 4eeneyA ,ho had Coined Starry Wisdom in <#). These people say the Shinin' Trapezohedron sho,s them heaven N other ,orldsA N that the 2aunter of the $ar! tells them secrets in some ,ay. Story of +rrin B. Eddy 18 7. They call it up 3y 'azin' at the crystalA N have a secret lan'ua'e of their o,n. "** or more in con'. 18-&A e%clusive of men at front. =rish 3oys mo3 church in 18-) after >atric! :e'an<s disappearance. ?eiled article in 6. 1# 8arch <7"A 3ut people don<t tal! a3out it. - disappearances 187- 1 secret committee calls on 8ayor $oyle. Action promised 4e3. 1877 1 church closes in April. 7an' 1 4ederal 2ill Boys 1 threaten $r 1 and vestrymen in 8ay. 181 persons leave city 3efore end of <77 1 mention no names. 7host stories 3e'in around 188* 1 try to ascertain truth of report that no human 3ein' has entered church since 1877. As! 5ani'an for photo'raph of place ta!en 18 1... :estorin' the paper to the poc!et3oo! and placin' the latter in his coatA Bla!e turned to loo! do,n at the s!eleton in the dust. The implications of the notes ,ere clearA and there could 3e no dou3t 3ut that this man had come to the deserted edifice forty1t,o years 3efore in Duest of a ne,spaper sensation ,hich no one else had 3een 3old enou'h to attempt. >erhaps no one else had !no,n of his plan 1 ,ho could tellG But he had never returned to his paper. 2ad some 3ravely1suppressed fear risen to overcome him and 3rin' on sudden heart1failureG Bla!e stooped over the 'leamin' 3ones and noted their peculiar state. Some of them ,ere 3adly scatteredA and a fe, seemed oddly dissolved at the ends. +thers ,ere stran'ely yello,edA ,ith va'ue su''estions of charrin'. This charrin' e%tended to some of the fra'ments of clothin'. The s!ull ,as in a very peculiar state 1 stained yello,A and ,ith a charred aperture in the top as if some po,erful acid had eaten throu'h the solid 3one. What had happened to the s!eleton durin' its four decades of silent entom3ment here Bla!e could not ima'ine. Before he realized itA he ,as loo!in' at the stone a'ainA and lettin' its curious influence call up a ne3ulous pa'eantry in his mind. 2e sa, processions of ro3edA hooded fi'ures

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,hose outlines ,ere not humanA and loo!ed on endless lea'ues of desert lined ,ith carvedA s!y1reachin' monoliths. 2e sa, to,ers and ,alls in ni'hted depths under the seaA and vortices of space ,here ,isps of 3lac! mist floated 3efore thin shimmerin's of cold purple haze. And 3eyond all else he 'limpsed an infinite 'ulf of dar!nessA ,here solid and semisolid forms ,ere !no,n only 3y their ,indy stirrin'sA and cloudy patterns of force seemed to superimpose order on chaos and hold forth a !ey to all the parado%es and arcana of the ,orlds ,e !no,. Then all at once the spell ,as 3ro!en 3y an access of 'na,in'A indeterminate panic fear. Bla!e cho!ed and turned a,ay from the stoneA conscious of some formless alien presence close to him and ,atchin' him ,ith horri3le intentness. 2e felt entan'led ,ith somethin' 1 somethin' ,hich ,as not in the stoneA 3ut ,hich had loo!ed throu'h it at him 1 somethin' ,hich ,ould ceaselessly follo, him ,ith a co'nition that ,as not physical si'ht. >lainlyA the place ,as 'ettin' on his nerves 1 as ,ell it mi'ht in vie, of his 'ruesome find. The li'ht ,as ,anin'A tooA and since he had no illuininant ,ith him he !ne, he ,ould have to 3e leavin' soon. =t ,as thenA in the 'atherin' t,ili'htA that he thou'ht he sa, a faint trace of luminosity in the crazily an'led stone. 2e had tried to loo! a,ay from itA 3ut some o3scure compulsion dre, his eyes hac!. Was there a su3tle phosphorescence of radio1activity a3out the thin'G What ,as it that the dead man <s notes had said concernin' a S"ining Trape2o"edronG WhatA any,ayA ,as this a3andoned lair of cosmic evilG What had 3een done hereA and ,hat mi'ht still 3e lur!in' in the 3ird1shunned shado,sG =t seemed no, as if an elusive touch of foetor had arisen some,here close 3yA thou'h its source ,as not apparent. Bla!e seized the cover of the lon'1open 3o% and snapped it do,n. =t moved easily on its alien hin'esA and closed completely over the unmista!a3ly 'lo,in' stone. At the sharp clic! of that closin' a soft stirrin' sound seemed to come from the steeple<s eternal 3lac!ness overheadA 3eyond the trap1door. :atsA ,ithout Duestion 1 the only livin' thin's to reveal their presence in this accursed pile since he had entered it. And yet that stirrin' in the steeple fri'htened him horri3lyA so that he plun'ed almost ,ildly do,n the spiral stairsA across the 'houlish naveA into the vaulted 3asementA out amidst the 'atherin' dust of the deserted sDuareA and do,n throu'h the teemin'A fear1haunted alleys and avenues of 4ederal 2ill to,ards the sane central streets and the home1li!e 3ric! side,al!s of the colle'e district. $urin' the days ,hich follo,edA Bla!e told no one of his e%pedition. =nsteadA he read much in certain 3oo!sA e%amined lon' years of ne,spaper files do,nto,nA and ,or!ed feverishly at the crypto'ram in that leather volume from the co3,e33ed vestry room. The cipherA he soon sa,A ,as no simple oneB and after a lon' period of endeavour he felt sure that its lan'ua'e could not 3e En'lishA 5atinA 7ree!A 4renchA SpanishA =talianA or 7erman. Evidently he ,ould have to dra, upon the deepest ,ells of his stran'e erudition. Every evenin' the old impulse to 'aze ,est,ards returnedA and he sa, the 3lac! steeple as of yore amon'st the 3ristlin' roofs of a distant and half1fa3ulous ,orld. But no, it held a fresh note of terror for him. 2e !ne, the herita'e of evil lore it mas!edA and ,ith the !no,led'e his vision ran riot in Dueer ne, ,ays. The 3irds of sprin' ,ere returnin'A and as he ,atched their sunset fli'hts he fancied they avoided the 'auntA lone spire as never 3efore. When a floc! of them approached itA he thou'htA they ,ould ,heel and scatter in

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panic confusion 1 and he could 'uess at the ,ild t,itterin's ,hich failed to reach him across the intervenin' miles. =t ,as in 6une that Bla!e<s diary told of his victory over the crypto'ram. The te%t ,asA he foundA in the dar! A!lo lan'ua'e used 3y certain cults of evil antiDuityA and !no,n to him in a haltin' ,ay throu'h previous researches. The diary is stran'ely reticent a3out ,hat Bla!e decipheredA 3ut he ,as patently a,ed and disconcerted 3y his results. There are references to a 2aunter of the $ar! a,a!ed 3y 'azin' into the Shinin' TrapezohedronA and insane conCectures a3out the 3lac! 'ulfs of chaos from ,hich it ,as called. The 3ein' is spo!en of as holdin' all !no,led'eA and demandin' monstrous sacrifices. Some of Bla!e<s entries sho, fear lest the thin'A ,hich he seemed to re'ard as summonedA stal! a3roadB thou'h he adds that the streetli'hts form a 3ul,ar! ,hich cannot 3e crossed. +f the Shinin' Trapezohedron he spea!s oftenA callin' it a ,indo, on all time and spaceA and tracin' its history from the days it ,as fashioned on dar! .u''othA 3efore ever the +ld +nes 3rou'ht it to earth. =t ,as treasured and placed in its curious 3o% 3y the crinoid thin's of AntarcticaA salva'ed from their ruins 3y the serpent1men of ?alusiaA and peered at aeons later in 5emuria 3y the first human 3ein's. =t crossed stran'e lands and stran'er seasA and san! ,ith Atlantis 3efore a 8inoan fisher meshed it in his net and sold it to s,arthy merchants from ni'hted 0hem. The >haraoh ;ephren10a 3uilt around it a temple ,ith a ,indo,less cryptA and did that ,hich caused his name to 3e stric!en from all monuments and records. Then it slept in the ruins of that evil fane ,hich the priests and the ne, >haraoh destroyedA till the delver<s spade once more 3rou'ht it forth to curse man!ind. Early in 6uly the ne,spapers oddly supplement Bla!e<s entriesA thou'h in so 3rief and casual a ,ay that only the diary has called 'eneral attention to their contri3ution. =t appears that a ne, fear had 3een 'ro,in' on 4ederal 2ill since a stran'er had entered the dreaded church. The =talians ,hispered of unaccustomed stirrin's and 3umpin's and scrapin's in the dar! ,indo,less steepleA and called on their priests to 3anish an entity ,hich haunted their dreams. Somethin'A they saidA ,as constantly ,atchin' at a door to see if it ,ere dar! enou'h to venture forth. >ress items mentioned the lon'standin' local superstitionsA 3ut failed to shed much li'ht on the earlier 3ac!'round of the horror. =t ,as o3vious that the youn' reporters of today are no antiDuarians. =n ,ritin' of these thin's in his diaryA Bla!e e%presses a curious !ind of remorseA and tal!s of the duty of 3uryin' the Shinin' Trapezohedron and of 3anishin' ,hat he had evo!ed 3y lettin' dayli'ht into the hideous Cuttin' spire. At the same timeA ho,everA he displays the dan'erous e%tent of his fascinationA and admits a mor3id lon'in' 1 pervadin' even his dreams 1 to visit the accursed to,er and 'aze a'ain into the cosmic secrets of the 'lo,in' stone. Then somethin' in the Journal on the mornin' of 17 6uly thre, the diarist into a verita3le fever of horror. =t ,as only a variant of the other half1humorous items a3out the 4ederal hill restlessnessA 3ut to Bla!e it ,as someho, very terri3le indeed. =n the ni'ht a thunderstorm had put the city<s li'htin'1system out of commission for a full hourA and in that 3lac! interval the =talians had nearly 'one mad ,ith fri'ht. Those livin' near the dreaded church had s,orn that the thin' in the steeple had ta!en advanta'e of the street lamps< a3sence and 'one do,n into the 3ody of the churchA floppin' and 3umpin' around in a viscousA alto'ether dreadful ,ay. To,ards the last it had 3umped up to the to,erA ,here there ,ere sounds of the shatterin' of 'lass. =t could 'o ,herever the dar!ness reachedA 3ut li'ht ,ould al,ays send it fleein'.

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When the current 3lazed on a'ain there had 3een a shoc!in' commotion in the to,erA for even the fee3le li'lit tric!lin' throu'h the 'rime13lac!enedA louvre13oarded ,indo,s ,as too much for the thin'. =t had 3umped and slithered up into its tene3rous steeple Cust in time 1 for a lon' dose of li'ht ,ould have sent it 3ac! into the a3yss ,hence the crazy stran'er had called it. $urin' the dar! hour prayin' cro,ds had clustered round the church in the rain ,ith li'hted candles and lamps someho, shielded ,ith folded paper and um3rellas 1 a 'uard of li'ht to save the city from the ni'htmare that stal!s in dar!ness. +nceA those nearest the church declaredA the outer door had rattled hideously. But even this ,as not the ,orst. That evenin' in the Bulletin Bla!e read of ,hat the reporters had found. Aroused at last to the ,himsical ne,s value of the scareA a pair of them had defied the frantic cro,ds of =talians and cra,led into the church throu'h the cellar ,indo, after tryin' the doors in vain. They found the dust of the vesti3ule and of the spectral nave plou'hed up in a sin'ular ,ayA ,ith pits of rotted cushions and satin pe,1 linin's scattered curiously around. There ,as a 3ad odour every,hereA and here and there ,ere 3its of yello, stain and patches of ,hat loo!ed li!e charrin'. +penin' the door to the to,erA and pausin' a moment at the suspicion of a scrapin' sound a3oveA they found the narro, spiral stairs ,iped rou'hly clean. =n the to,er itself a similarly half1s,ept condition e%isted. They spo!e of the hepta'onal stone pillarA the overturned 7othic chairsA and the 3izarre plaster ima'esB thou'h stran'ely enou'h the metal 3o% and the old mutilated s!eleton ,ere not mentioned. What distur3ed Bla!e the most 1 e%cept for the hints of stains and charrin' and 3ad odours 1 ,as the final detail that e%plained the crashin' 'lass. Every one of the to,er<s lancet ,indo,s ,as 3ro!enA and t,o of them had 3een dar!ened in a crude and hurried ,ay 3y the stuffin' of satin pe,1linin's and cushion1horsehair into the spaces 3et,een the slantin' e%terior louvre13oards. 8ore satin fra'ments and 3unches of horsehair lay scattered around the ne,ly s,ept floorA as if someone had 3een interrupted in the act of restorin' the to,er to the a3solute 3lac!ness of its ti'htly curtained days. .ello,ish stains and charred patches ,ere found on the ladder to the ,indo,less spireA 3ut ,hen a reporter clim3ed upA opened the horizontally1slidin' trap1door and shot a fee3le flashli'ht 3eam into the 3lac! and stran'ely foetid spaceA he sa, nothin' 3ut dar!nessA and a hetero'eneous litter of shapeless fra'ments near the aperture. The verdictA of courseA ,as charlatanry. Some3ody had played a Co!e on the superstitious hill1d,ellersA or else some fanatic had striven to 3olster up their fears for their o,n supposed 'ood. +r perhaps some of the youn'er and more sophisticated d,ellers had sta'ed an ela3orate hoa% on the outside ,orld. There ,as an amusin' aftermath ,hen the police sent an officer to verify the reports. Three men in succession found ,ays of evadin' the assi'nmentA and the fourth ,ent very reluctantly and returned very soon ,ithout addin' to the account 'iven 3y the reporters. 4rom this point on,ards Bla!e<s diary sho,s a mountin' tide of insidious horror and nervous apprehension. 2e up3raids himself for not doin' somethin'A and speculates ,ildly on the conseDuences of another electrical 3rea!do,n. =t had 3een verified that on three occasions 1 durin' thunderstorms 1 he telephoned the electric li'ht company in a frantic vein and as!ed that desperate precautions a'ainst a lapse of po,er 3e ta!en. ;o, and then his entries sho, concern over the failure of the reporters to find the metal 3o% and stoneA and the stran'ely marred old s!eletonA ,hen they e%plored the shado,y to,er room. 2e assumed that these thin's had 3een removed 1 ,hitherA and 3y ,hom or ,hatA he could

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only 'uess. But his ,orst fears concerned himselfA and the !ind of unholy rapport he felt to e%ist 3et,een his mind and that lur!in' horror in the distant steeple 1 that monstrous thin' of ni'ht ,hich his rashness had called out of the ultimate 3lac! spaces. 2e seemed to feel a constant tu''in' at his ,illA and callers of that period remem3er ho, he ,ould sit a3stractedly at his des! and stare out of the ,est ,indo, at that far1off spire13ristlin' mound 3eyond the s,irlin' smo!e of the city. 2is entries d,ell monotonously on certain terri3le dreamsA and of a stren'thenin' of the unholy rapport in his sleep. There is mention of a ni'ht ,hen he a,a!ened to find himself fully dressedA outdoorsA and headed automatically do,n Colle'e 2ill to,ards the ,est. A'ain and a'ain he d,ells on the fact that the thin' in the steeple !no,s ,here to find him. The ,ee! follo,in' &* 6uly is recalled as the time of Bla!e<s partial 3rea!do,n. 2e did not dressA and ordered all his food 3y telephone. ?isitors remar!ed the cords he !ept near his 3edA and he said that sleep1,al!in' had forced him to 3ind his an!les every ni'ht ,ith !nots ,hich ,ould pro3a3ly hold or else ,a!en him ,ith the la3our of untyin'. =n his diary he told of the hideous e%perience ,hich had 3rou'ht the collapse. After retirin' on the ni'ht of the &*thA he had suddenly found himself 'ropin' a3out in an almost 3lac! space. All he could see ,ere shortA faintA horizontal strea!s of 3luish li'htA 3ut he could smell an overpo,erin' foetor and hear a curious Cum3le of softA furtive sounds a3ove him. Whenever he moved he stum3led over somethin'A and at each noise there ,ould come a sort of ans,erin' sound from a3ove 1 a va'ue stirrin'A mi%ed ,ith the cautious slidin' of ,ood on ,ood. +nce his 'ropin' hands encountered a pillar of stone ,ith a vacant topA ,hilst later he found himself clutchin' the run's of a ladder 3uilt into the ,allA and fum3lin' his uncertain ,ay up,ards to,ards some re'ion of intenser stench ,here a hotA searin' 3last 3eat do,n a'ainst him. Before his eyes a !aleidoscopic ran'e of phantasmal ima'es playedA all of them dissolvin' at intervals into the picture of a vastA unplum3ed a3yss of ni'ht ,herein ,hirled suns and ,orlds of an even profounder 3lac!ness. 2e thou'ht of the ancient le'ends of (ltimate ChaosA at ,hose centre spra,ls the 3lind idiot 'od AzathothA 5ord of All Thin'sA encircled 3y his floppin' horde of mindless and amorphous dancersA and lulled 3y the thin monotonous pipin' of a demoniac flute held in nameless pa,s. Then a sharp report from the outer ,orld 3ro!e throu'h his stupor and roused him to the unuttera3le horror of his position. What it ,asA he never !ne, 1 perhaps it ,as some 3elated peal from the fire,or!s heard all summer on 4ederal 2ill as the d,ellers hail their various patron saintsA or the saints of their native villa'es in =taly. =n any event he shrie!ed aloudA dropped frantically from the ladderA and stum3led 3lindly across the o3structed floor of the almost li'htless cham3er that encompassed him. 2e !ne, instantly ,here he ,asA and plun'ed rec!lessly do,n the narro, spiral staircaseA trippin' and 3ruisin' himself at every turn. There ,as a ni'htmare fli'ht throu'h a vast co3,e33ed nave ,hose 'hostly arches readied up to realms of leerin' shado,A a si'htless scram3le throu'h a littered 3asementA a clim3 to re'ions of air and street li'hts outsideA and a mad racin' do,n a spectral hill of 'i33erin' 'a3lesA across a 'rimA silent city of tall 3lac! to,ersA and up the steep east,ard precipice to his o,n ancient door. +n re'ainin' consciousness in the mornin' he found himself lyin' on his study floor fully dressed. $irt and co3,e3s covered himA and every inch of his 3ody seemed sore and 3ruised. When he faced the mirror he sa, that his hair ,as 3adly scorched ,hile a trace of

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stran'e evil odour seemed to clin' to his upper outer clothin'. =t ,as then that his nerves 3ro!e do,n. ThereafterA loun'in' e%haustedly a3out in a dressin'1'o,nA he did little 3ut stare from his ,est ,indo,A shiver at the threat of thunderA and ma!e ,ild entries in his diary. The 'reat storm 3ro!e Cust 3efore midni'ht on 8 Au'ust. 5i'htnin' struc! repeatedly in all parts of the cityA and t,o remar!a3le fire3alls ,ere reported. The rain ,as torrentialA ,hile a constant fusillade of thunder 3rou'ht sleeplessness to thousands. Bla!e ,as utterly frantic in his fear for the li'htin' systemA and tried to telephone the company around 1 A.8. thou'h 3y that time service had 3een temporarily cut off in the interests of safety. 2e recorded everythin' in his diary 1 the lar'eA nervousA and often undeciphera3leA hiero'lyplis tellin' their o,n story of 'ro,in' frenzy and despairA and of entries scra,led 3lindly in the dar!. 2e had to !eep the house dar! in order to see out of the ,indo,A and it appears that most of his time ,as spent at his des!A peerin' an%iously throu'h the rain across the 'listenin' miles of do,nto,n roofs at the constellation of distant li'hts mar!in' 4ederal 2ill. ;o, and then he ,ould fum3lin'ly ma!e an entry in his diaryA so that detached phrases such as Lthe li'hts must not 'oLB Lit !no,s ,here = amLB L= must destroy itLB and Lit is callin' to meA 3ut perhaps it means no inCury this timeLB are found scattered do,n t,o of the pa'es. Then the li'hts ,ent out all over the city. =t happened at ".1" A.8. accordin' to po,er1 house recordsA 3ut Bla!e<s diary 'ives no indication of the time. The entry is merelyA L5i'hts out 1 7od help me.L +n 4ederal 2ill there ,ere ,atchers as an%ious as heA and rain1soa!ed !nots of men paraded the sDuare and alleys around the evil church ,ith um3rella1shaded candlesA electric flashli'htsA oil lanternsA crucifi%esA and o3scure charms of the many sorts common to southern =taly. They 3lessed each flash of li'htnin'A and made cryptical si'ns of fear ,ith their ri'ht hands ,hen a turn in the storm caused the flashes to lessen and finally to cease alto'ether. A risin' ,ind 3le, out most of the candlesA so that the scene 're, threatenin' dar!. Someone roused 4ather 8erluzzo of Spirito Santo ChurchA and he hastened to the dismal sDuare to pronounce ,hatever helpful sylla3les he could. +f the restless and curious sounds in the 3lac!ened to,erA there could 3e no dou3t ,hatever. 4or ,hat happened at ".& ,e have the testimony of the priestA a youn'A intelli'entA and ,ell1educated personB of >atrolman William 6. 8onohan of the Central StationA an officer of the hi'hest relia3ility ,ho had paused at that part of his 3eat to inspect the cro,dB and of most of the seventy1ei'ht men ,ho had 'athered around the church<s hi'h 3an! ,all 1 especially those in the sDuare ,here the east,ard fa^ade ,as visi3le. +f course there ,as nothin' ,hich can 3e proved as 3ein' outside the order of ;ature. The possi3le causes of such an event are many. ;o one can spea! ,ith certainty of the o3scure chemical processes arisin' in a vastA ancientA ill1airedA and lon'1deserted 3uildin' of hetero'eneous contents. 8ephitic vapours 1spontaneous com3ustion 1 pressure of 'ases 3orn of lon' decay 1 any one of num3erless phenomena mi'ht 3e responsi3le. And thenA of courseA the factor of conscious charlatanry can 3y no means 3e e%cluded. The thin' ,as really Duite simple in itselfA and covered less than three minutes of actual time. 4ather 8erluzzoA al,ays a precise manA loo!ed at his ,atch repeatedly.

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=t started ,ith a definite s,ellin' of the dull fum3lin' sounds inside the 3lac! to,er. There had for some time 3een a va'ue e%halation of stran'eA evil odours from the churchA and this had no, 3ecome emphatic and offensive. Then at last there ,as a sound of splinterin' ,ood and a lar'eA heavy o3Cect crashed do,n in the yard 3eneath the fro,nin' easterly fa^ade. The to,er ,as invisi3le no, that the candles ,ould not 3urnA 3ut as the o3Cect neared the 'round the people !ne, that it ,as the smo!e1'rimed louvre13oardin' of that to,er<s east ,indo,. =mmediately after,ards an utterly un3eara3le foetor ,elled forth from the unseen hei'htsA cho!in' and sic!enin' the trem3lin' ,atchersA and almost prostratin' those in the sDuare. At the same time the air trem3led ,ith a vi3ration as of flappin' ,in'sA and a sudden east13lo,in' ,ind more violent than any previous 3last snatched off the hats and ,renched the drippin' um3rellas of the cro,d. ;othin' definite could 3e seen in the candleless ni'htA thou'h some up,ard1loo!in' spectators thou'ht they 'limpsed a 'reat spreadin' 3lur of denser 3lac!ness a'ainst the in!y s!y 1 somethin' li!e a formless cloud of smo!e that shot ,ith meteorli!e speed to,ards the east. That ,as all. The ,atchers ,ere half num3ed ,ith fri'htA a,eA and discomfortA and scarcely !ne, ,hat to doA or ,hether to do anythin' at all. ;ot !no,in' ,hat had happenedA they did not rela% their vi'ilB and a moment later they sent up a prayer as a sharp flash of 3elated li'htnin'A follo,ed 3y an earsplittin' crash of soundA rent the flooded heavens. 2alf an hour later the rain stoppedA and in fifteen minutes more the street li'hts spran' on a'ainA sendin' the ,earyA 3edra''led ,atchers relievedly 3ac! to their homes. The ne%t day<s papers 'ave these matters minor mention in connection ,ith the 'eneral storm reports. =t seems that the 'reat li'htnin' flash and deafenin' e%plosion ,hich follo,ed the 4ederal 2ill occurrence ,ere even more tremendous farther eastA ,here a 3urst of the sin'ular foetor ,as li!e,ise noticed. The phenomenon ,as most mar!ed over Colle'e 2illA ,here the crash a,a!ened all the sleepin' inha3itants and led to a 3e,ildered round of speculations. +f those ,ho ,ere already a,a!e only a fe, sa, the anomalous 3laze of li'ht near the top of the hillA or noticed the ine%plica3le up,ard rush of air ,hich almost stripped the leaves from the trees and 3lasted the plants in the 'ardens. =t ,as a'reed that the loneA sudden li'htnin'13olt must have struc! some,here in this nei'h3ourhoodA thou'h no trace of its stri!in' could after,ards 3e found. A youth in the Tau +me'a fraternity house thou'ht he sa, a 'rotesDue and hideous mass of smo!e in the air Cust as the preliminary flash 3urstA 3ut his o3servation has not 3een verified. All of the fe, o3serversA ho,everA a'ree as to the violent 'ust from the ,est and the flood of intolera3le stench ,hich preceded the 3elated stro!eA ,hilst evidence concernin' the momentary 3urned odour after the stro!e is eDually 'eneral. These points ,ere discussed very carefully 3ecause of their pro3a3le connection ,ith the death of :o3ert Bla!e. Students in the >si $elta houseA ,hose upper rear ,indo,s loo!ed into Bla!e<s studyA noticed the 3lurred ,hite face at the ,est,ard ,indo, on the mornin' of the ninthA and ,ondered ,hat ,as ,ron' ,ith the e%pression. When they sa, the same face in the same position that evenin'A they felt ,orriedA and ,atched for the li'hts to come up in his apartment. 5ater they ran' the 3ell of the dar!ened flatA and finally had a policeman force the door. The ri'id 3ody sat 3olt upri'ht at the des! 3y the ,indo,A and ,hen the intruders sa, the 'lassyA 3ul'in' eyesA and the mar!s of star!A convulsive fri'ht on the t,isted featuresA

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they turned a,ay in sic!ened dismay. Shortly after,ards the coroner<s physician made an e%aminationA and despite the un3ro!en ,indo, reported electrical shoc!A or nervous tension induced 3y electrical dischar'eA as the cause of death. The hideous e%pression he i'nored alto'etherA deemin' it a not impro3a3le result of the profound shoc! as e%perienced 3y a person of such a3normal ima'ination and un3alanced emotions. 2e deduced these latter Dualities from the 3oo!sA paintin'sA and manuscripts found in the apartmentA and from the 3lindly scra,led entries in the diary on the des!. Bla!e had prolon'ed his frenzied Cottin's to the lastA and the 3ro!en1pointed pencil ,as found clutched in his spasmodically contracted ri'ht hand. The entries after the failure of the li'hts ,ere hi'hly disCointedA and le'i3le only in part. 4rom them certain investi'ators have dra,n conclusions differin' 'reatly from the materialistic official verdictA 3ut such speculations have little chance for 3elief amon' the conservative. The case of these ima'inative theorists has not 3een helped 3y the action of superstitious $octor $e%terA ,ho thre, the curious 3o% and an'led stone 1 an o3Cect certainly self1luminous as seen in the 3lac! ,indo,less steeple ,here it ,as found 1 into the deepest channel of ;arra'ansett Bay. E%cessive ima'ination and neurotic un3alance on Bla!e<s partA a''ravated 3y !no,led'e of the evil 3y'one cult ,hose startlin' traces he had uncoveredA form the dominant interpretation 'iven those final frenzied Cottin's. These are the entries 1 or all that can 3e made of them9 5i'hts still out 1 must 3e five minutes no,. Everythin' depends on li'htnin'. .addith 'rant it ,ill !eep upF... Some influence seems 3eatin' throu'h it... :ain and thunder and ,ind deafen... The thin' is ta!in' hold of my mind... Trou3le ,ith memory. = see thin's = never !ne, 3efore. +ther ,orlds and other 'ala%ies... $ar!... The li'htnin' seems dar! and the dar!ness seems li'ht... =t cannot 3e the real hill and church that = see in the pitch1dar!ness. 8ust 3e retinal impression left 3y flashes. 2eaven 'rant the =talians are out ,ith their candles if the li'htnin' stopsF What am = afraid ofG =s it not an avatar of ;yarlathotepA ,ho in antiDue and shado,y 0hem even too! the form of manG = remem3er .u''othA and more distant Sha''aiA and the ultimate void of the 3lac! planets... The lon'A ,in'in' fli'ht throu'h the void... cannot cross the universe of li'ht . . . re1created 3y the thou'hts cau'ht in the Shinin' Trapezohedron... send it throu'h the horri3le a3ysses of radiance... 8y name is Bla!e 1 :o3ert 2arrison Bla!e of -"* East 0napp StreetA 8il,au!eeA Wisconsin... = am on this planet... Azathoth have mercyF 1 the li'htnin' no lon'er flashes 1 horri3le 1 = can see everythin' ,ith a monstrous sense that is not si'ht 1 li'ht is dar! and dar! is li'ht... those people on the hill... 'uard... candles and charms... their priests... Sense of distance 'one 1far is near and near is far. ;o li'ht 1 no 'lass 1 see that steeple 1 that to,er 1 ,indo, 1 can hear 1 :oderic! (sher 1 am mad or 'oin' mad 1 the thin' is stirrin' and fum3lin' in the to,er.

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= am it and it is = 1 = ,ant to 'et out... must 'et out and unify the forces... it !no,s ,here = am... = am :o3ert Bla!eA 3ut = see the to,er in the dar!. There is a monstrous odour... senses transfi'ured... 3oardin' at that to,er ,indo, crac!in' and 'ivin' ,ay... =]... n'ai... y''... = see it 1 comin' here 1 hell1,ind 1 titan 3lue 1 3lac! ,in' 1 .o' Sothoth save me 1 the three1lo3ed 3urnin' eye...

He
= sa, him on a sleepless ni'ht ,hen = ,as ,al!in' desperately to save my soul and my vision. 8y comin' to ;e, .or! had 3een a mista!eB for ,hereas = had loo!ed for poi'nant ,onder and inspiration in the teemin' la3yrinths of ancient streets that t,ist endlessly from for'otten courts and sDuares and ,aterfronts to courts and sDuares and ,aterfronts eDually for'ottenA and in the Cyclopean modern to,ers and pinnacles that rise 3lac!ly Ba3ylonian under ,anin' moonsA = had found instead only a sense of horror and oppression ,hich threatened to masterA paralyzeA and annihilate me. The disillusion had 3een 'radual. Comin' for the first time upon the to,nA = had seen it in the sunset from a 3rid'eA maCestic a3ove its ,atersA its incredi3le pea!s and pyramids risin' flo,erli!e and delicate from pools of violet mist to play ,ith the flamin' clouds and the first stars of evenin'. Then it had li'hted up ,indo, 3y ,indo, a3ove the shimmerin' tides ,here lanterns nodded and 'lided and deep horns 3ayed ,eird harmoniesA and had itself 3ecome a starry firmament of dreamA redolent of faery musicA and one ,ith the marvels of Carcassonne and Samarcand and El $orado and all 'lorious and half1fa3ulous cities. Shortly after,ard = ,as ta!en throu'h those antiDue ,ays so dear to my fancy1 narro,A curvin' alleys and passa'es ,here ro,s of red 7eor'ian 3ric! 3lin!ed ,ith small1 paned dorrners a3ove pillared door,ays that had loo!ed on 'ilded sedans and paneled coaches 1 and in the first flush of realization of these lon'1,ished thin's = thou'ht = had indeed achieved such treasures as ,ould ma!e me in time a poet. But success and happiness ,ere not to 3e. 7arish dayli'ht sho,ed only sDualor and all ena'e and the no%ious elephantiasis of clim3in'A spreadin' stone ,here the moon had hinted of loveliness and elder ma'icB and the thron's of people that seethed throu'h the flume1li!e streets ,ere sDuatA s,arthy stran'ers ,ith hardened faces and narro, eyesA shre,d stran'ers ,ithout dreams and ,ithout !inship to the scenes a3out themA ,ho could never mean au'ht to a 3lue1eyed man of the old fol!A ,ith the love of fair 'reen lanes and ,hite ;e, En'land villa'e steeples in his heart. So instead of the poems = had hoped forA there came only a shudderin' 3lac!ness and ineffa3le lonelinessB and = sa, at last a fearful truth ,hich no one had ever dared to 3reathe 3efore 1 the un,hispera3le secret of secrets 1 the fact that this city of stone and stridor is not a sentient perpetuation of +ld ;e, .or! as 5ondon is of +ld 5ondon and >aris of +ld >arisA 3ut that it is in fact Duite deadA its spra,lin' 3ody imperfectly em3almed and infested ,ith Dueer animate thin's ,hich have nothin' to do ,ith it as it ,as in lile. (pon ma!in' this discovery = ceased to sleep comforta3lyB thou'h somethin' of resi'ned tranDuillity came 3ac! as = 'radually formed the ha3it of !eepin' off the streets 3y day and venturin' a3road only at ni'htA ,hen dar!ness calls forth ,hat little of the past still hovers ,raith1li!e a3outA and old ,hite door,ays remem3er the stal,art forms that once passed throu'h them. With this mode of relief = even ,rote a fe, poemsA and still refrained from 'oin' home to my people lest = seem to cra,l 3ac! i'no3ly in defeat. ThenA on a sleepless ni'ht<s ,al!A = met the man. =t ,as in a 'rotesDue hidden courtyard of the 7reen,ich sectionA for there in my i'norance = had settledA havin' heard of the place as the natural home of poets and artists. The archaic lanes and houses and une%pected 3its of sDuare and court had indeed deli'hted meA and ,hen = found the poets and artists to 3e

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loud1voiced pretenders ,hose Duaintness is tinsel and ,hose lives are a denial of all that pure 3eauty ,hich is poetry and artA = stayed on for love of these venera3le thin's. = fancied them as they ,ere in their primeA ,hen 7reen,ich ,as a placid villa'e not yet en'ulfed 3y the to,nB and in the hours 3efere da,nA ,hen all the revellers had slun! a,ayA = used to ,ander alone amon' their cryptical ,indin's and 3rood upon the curious arcana ,hich 'enerations must have deposited there. This !ept my soul aliveA and 'ave me a fe, of those dreams and visions for ,hich the poet far ,ithin me cried out. The man came upon me at a3out t,o one cloudy Au'ust mornin'A as = ,as threadin' a series of detached courtyardsB no, accessi3le only throu'h the unli'hted hall,ays of intervenin' 3uildin'sA 3ut once formin' parts of a continuous net,or! of picturesDue alleys. = had heard of them 3y va'ue rumorA and realized that they could not 3e upon any map of todayB 3ut the fact that they ,ere for'otten only endeared them to meA so that = had sou'ht them ,ith t,ice my usual ea'erness. ;o, that = had found themA my ea'erness ,as a'ain redou3ledB for somethin' in their arran'ement dimly hinted that they mi'ht 3e only a fe, of many suchA ,ith dar!A dum3 counterparts ,ed'ed o3scurely 3et,i%t hi'h 3lan! ,alls and deserted rear tenementsA or lur!in' lamplessly 3ehind arch,ays un3etrayed 3y hordes of the forei'n1spea!in' or 'uarded 3y furtive and uncommunicative artists ,hose practises do not invite pu3licity or the li'ht of day. 2e spo!e to me ,ithout invitationA notin' my mood and 'lances as = studied certain !noc!ered door,ays a3ove iron1railed stepsA the pallid 'lo, of traceried transoms fee3ly li'htin' my face. 2is o,n face ,as in shado,A and he ,ore a ,ide13rimmed hat ,hich someho, 3lended perfectly ,ith the out1of1date cloa! he affectedB 3ut = ,as su3tly disDuieted even 3efore he addressed me. 2is form ,as very sli'htB thin almost to cadaverousnessB and his voice proved phenomenally soft and hollo,A thou'h not particularly deep. 2e hadA he saidA noticed me several times at my ,anderin'sB and inferred that = resem3led him in lovin' the vesti'es of former years. Would = not li!e the 'uidance of one lon' practised in these e%plorationsA and possessed of local information profoundly deeper than any ,hich an o3vious ne,comer could possi3ly have 'ainedG As he spo!eA = cau'ht a 'limpse of his face in the yello, 3eam from a solitary attic ,indo,. =t ,as a no3leA even a handsome elderly countenanceB and 3ore the mar!s of a linea'e and refinement unusual for the a'e and place. .et some Duality a3out it distur3ed me almost as much as its features pleased me 1 perhaps it ,as too ,hiteA or too e%pressionlessA or too much out of !eepin' ,ith the localityA to ma!e me feel easy or comforta3le. ;evertheless = follo,ed himB for in those dreary days my Duest for antiDue 3eauty and mystery ,as all that = had to !eep my soul aliveA and = rec!oned it a rare favor of 4ate to fall in ,ith one ,hose !indred see!in's seemed to have penetrated so much farther than mine. Somethin' in the ni'ht constrained the cloa!ed man to silence and for a lon' hour he led me for,ard ,ithout needless ,ordsB ma!in' only the 3riefest of comments concernin' ancient names and dates and chan'esA and directin' my pro'ress very lar'ely 3y 'estures as ,e sDueezed throu'h intersticesA tiptoed throu'h corridors clam3ered over 3ric! ,allsA and once cra,led on hands and !nees throu'h a lo,A arched passa'e of stone ,hose immense len'th and tortuous t,istin's effaced at last every hint of 'eo'raphical location = had mana'ed to preserve. The thin's ,e sa, ,ere very old and marvelousA or at least they seemed so in the fe, stra''lin' rays of li'ht 3y ,hich = vie,ed themA and = shall never for'et the totterin' =onic columns and fluted pilasters and urn1headed iron fenceposts and

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flarin'1linteled ,indo,s and decorative fanli'hts that appeared to 'ro, Duainter and stran'er the deeper ,e advanced into this ine%hausti3le maze of un!no,n antiDuity. We met no personA and as time passed the li'hted ,indo,s 3ecame fe,er and fe,er. The streetli'hts ,e first encountered had 3een of oilA and of the ancient lozen'e pattern. 5ater = noticed some ,ith candlesB and at lastA after traversin' a horri3le unli'hted court ,here my 'uide had to lead ,ith his 'loved hand throu'h total 3lac!ness to a narro, ,ooded 'ate in a hi'h ,allA ,e came upon a fra'ment of alley lit only 3y lanterns in front of every seventh house 1 un3elieva3ly Colonial tin lanterns ,ith conical tops and holes punched in the sides. This alley led steeply uphill 1 more steeply than = thou'ht possi3le in this part of ;e, .or! 1 and the upper end ,as 3loc!ed sDuarely 3y the ivy1clad ,all of a private estateA 3eyond ,hich = could see a pale cupolaA and the tops of trees ,avin' a'ainst a va'ue li'htness in the s!y. =n this ,all ,as a smallA lo,1arched 'ate of nail1studded 3lac! oa!A ,hich the man proceeded to unloc! ,ith a ponderous !ey. 5eadin' me ,ithinA he steered a course in utter 3lac!ness over ,hat seemed to 3e a 'ravel pathA and finally up a fli'ht of stone steps to the door of the houseA ,hich he unloc!ed and opened for me. We enteredA and as ,e did so = 're, faint from a ree! of infinite mustiness ,hich ,elled out to meet usA and ,hich musf have 3een the fruit of un,holesome centuries of decay. 8y host appeared not to notice thisA and in courtesy = !ept silent as he piloted me up a curvin' stair,ayA across a hallA and into a room ,hose door = heard him loc! 3ehind us. Then = sa, him pull the curtains of the three small1paned ,indo,s that 3arely sho,ed themselves a'ainst the li'htenin' s!yB after ,hich he crossed to the mantelA struc! flint and steelA li'hted t,o candles of a candela3rum of t,elve sconcesA and made a 'esture enCoinin' soft1toned speech. =n this fee3le radiance = sa, that ,e ,ere in a spaciousA ,ell1furnished and paneled li3rary datin' from the first Duarter of the Ei'hteenth CenturyA ,ith splendid door,ay pedimentsA a deli'htful $oric corniceA and a ma'nificently carved overmantel ,ith scroll1 and1urn top. A3ove the cro,ded 3oo!shelves at intervals alon' the ,alls ,ere ,ell1 ,rou'ht family portraitsB all tarnished to an eni'matical dimnessA and 3earin' an unmista!a3le li!eness to the man ,ho no, motioned me to a chair 3eside the 'raceful Chippendale ta3le. Before seatin' himself across the tahle from meA my host paused for a moment as if in em3arrassmentB thenA tardily removin' his 'lovesA ,ide13rimmed hatA and cloa!A stood theatrically revealed in full mid17eor'ian costume from Dueued hair and nec! raffles to !nee13reechesA sil! hoseA and the 3uc!led shoes = had not previously noticed. ;o, slo,ly sin!in' into a lyre13ac! chairA he commenced to eye me intently. Without his hat he too! on an aspect of e%treme a'e ,hich ,as scarcely visi3le 3eforeA and = ,ondered if this unperceived mar! of sin'ular lon'evity ,ere not one of the sources of my disDuiet. When he spo!e at len'thA his softA hollo,A and carefully muffled voice not infreDuently DuaveredB and no, and then = had 'reat difficulty in follo,in' him as = listened ,ith a thrill of amazement and half1 disavo,ed alarm ,hich 're, each instant. L.ou 3eholdA SirAL my host 3e'anA La man of very eccentrical ha3its for ,hose costume no apolo'y need 3e offered to one ,ith your ,it and inclinations. :eflectin' upon 3etter timesA = have not scrupled to ascertain their ,aysA and adopt their dress and mannersB an indul'ence ,hich offends none if practised ,ithout ostentation. =t hath 3een my 'ood fortune to retain the rural seat of my ancestorsA s,allo,ed thou'h it ,as 3y t,o to,nsA first 7reen,ichA ,hich 3uilt up hither after 18**A then ;e, .or!A ,hich Coined on near 18&*.

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There ,ere many reasons for the close !eepin' of this place in my familyA and = have not 3een remiss in dischar'in' such o3li'ations. The sDuire ,ho succeeded to it in 17-8 studied sartain arts and made sartain discoveriesA all connected ,ith influences residin' in this particular plot of 'roundA and eminently desarvin' of the stron'est 'uardin'. Some curious effects of these arts and discoveries = no, purpose to sho, youA under the strictest secrecyB and = 3elieve = may rely on my Cud'ement of men enou'h to have no distrust of either your interest or your fidelity.L 2e pausedA 3ut = could only nod my head. = have said that = ,as alarmedA yet to my soul nothin' ,as more deadly than the material dayli'ht ,orld of ;e, .or!A and ,hether this man ,ere a harmless eccentric or a ,ielder of dan'erous artsA = had no choice save to follo, him and sla!e my sense of ,onder on ,hatever he mi'ht have to offer. So = listened. LTo 1 my ancestorAL he softly continuedA Lthere appeared to reside some very remar!a3le Dualities in the ,ill of man!indB Dualities havin' a little1suspected dominance not only over the acts of one<s self and of othersA 3ut over every variety of force and su3stance in ;atureA and over many elements and dimensions deemed more universal than ;ature herself. 8ay = say that he flouted the sanctity of thin's as 'reat as space and time and that he put to stran'e uses the rites of sartain half13reed red =ndians once encamped upon this hillG These =ndians sho,ed choler ,hen the place ,as 3uiltA and ,ere pla'uey pestilent in as!in' to visit the 'rounds at the full of the moon. 4or years they stole over the ,all each month ,hen they couldA and 3y stealth performed sartain acts. ThenA in <-8A the ne, sDuire catched them at their doin'sA and stood still at ,hat he sa,. Thereafter he 3ar'ained ,ith them and e%chan'ed the free access of his 'rounds for the e%act in,ardness of ,hat they didA larnin' that their 'randfathers 'ot part of their custom from red ancestors and part from an old $utchman in the time of the States17eneral. Arid po% on himA =<m afeared the sDuire must have sarved them monstrous 3ad rum 1 ,hether or not 3y intent 1 for a ,ee! after he larnt the secret he ,as the only man livin' that !ne, it. .ouA SirA are the first outsider to 3e told there is a secretA and split me if =<d have ris!ed tamperin' that much ,ith 1 the po,ers 1 had ye not 3een so hot after 3y'one thin's.L = shuddered as the man 're, colloDuial 1 and ,ith the familiar speech of another day. 2e ,ent on. LBut you must !no,A SirA that ,hat 1 the sDuire 1 'ot from those mon'rel sava'es ,as 3ut a small part of the larnin' he came to have. 2e had not 3een at +%ford for nothin'A nor tal!ed to no account ,ith an ancient chymist and astrolo'er in >aris. 2e ,asA in fineA made sensi3le that all the ,orld is 3ut the smo!e of our intellectsB past the 3iddin' of the vul'arA 3ut 3y the ,ise to 3e puffed out and dra,n in li!e any cloud of prime ?ir'inia to3acco. What ,e ,antA ,e may ma!e a3out usB and ,hat ,e don<t ,antA ,e may s,eep a,ay. = ,on<t say that all this is ,holly true in 3odyA 3ut <tis sufficient true to furnish a very pretty spectacle no, and then. .ouA = conceiveA ,ould 3e tic!led hy a 3etter si'ht of sartain other years than your fancy affords youB so 3e pleased to hold 3ac! any fri'ht at ,hat = desi'n to sho,. Come to the ,indo, and 3e Duiet.L 8y host no, too! my hand to dra, me to one of the t,o ,indo,s on the lon' side of the malodorous roomA and at the first touch of his un'loved fin'ers = turned cold. 2is fleshA thou'h dry and firmA ,as of the Duality of iceB and = almost shran! a,ay from his pullin'. But a'ain = thou'ht of the emptiness and horror of realityA and 3oldly prepared to follo,

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,hithersoever = mi'ht 3e led. +nce at the ,indo,A the man dre, apart the yello, sil! curtains and directed my stare into the 3lac!ness outside. 4or a moment = sa, nothin' save a myriad of tiny dancin' li'htsA farA far 3efore me. ThenA as if in response to an insidious motion of my host<s handA a flash of heat1li'htnin' played over the sceneA and = loo!ed out upon a sea of lu%uriant folia'e 1 folia'e unpollutedA and not the sea of roofs to 3e e%pected 3y any normal mind. +n my ri'ht the 2udson 'littered ,ic!edlyA and in the distance ahead = sa, the unhealthy shimmer of a vast salt marsh constellated ,ith nervous fireflies. The flash diedA and an evil smile illumined the ,a%y face of the a'ed necromancer. LThat ,as 3efore my time 1 3efore the ne, sDuire<s time. >ray let us try a'ain.L = ,as faintA even fainter than the hateful modernity of that accursed city had made me. L7ood 7odFL = ,hisperedA Lcan you do that for any timeGL And as he noddedA and 3ared the 3lac! stumps of ,hat had once 3een yello, fan'sA = clutched at the curtains to prevent myself from fallin'. But he steadied me ,ith that terri3leA ice1cold cla,A and once more made his insidious 'esture. A'ain the li'htnin' flashed 1 3ut this time upon a scene not ,holly stran'e. =t ,as 7reen,ichA the 7reen,ich that used to 3eA ,ith here and there a roof or ro, of houses as ,e see it no,A yet ,ith lovely 'reen lanes and fields and 3its of 'rassy common. The marsh still 'littered 3eyondA 3ut in the farther distance = sa, the steeples of ,hat ,as then all of ;e, .or!B Trinity and St. >aul<s and the Bric! Church dominatin' their sistersA and a faint haze of ,ood smo!e hoverin' over the ,hole. = 3reathed hardA hut not so much from the si'ht itself as from the possi3ilities my ima'ination terrifiedly conCured up. LCan you 1 dare you 1 'o farGL = spo!e ,ith a,e and = thin! he shared it for a secondA 3ut the evil 'rin returned. L4arG What = have seen ,ould 3last ye to a mad statue of stoneF Bac!A 3ac! 1 for,ardA for$ard 1 loo! ye pulin' lac!,itFL And as he snarled the phrase under his 3reath he 'estured ane, 3rin'in' to the s!y a flash more 3lindin' than either ,hich had come 3efore. 4or full three seconds = could 'limpse that pandemoniac si'htA and in those seconds = sa, a vista ,hich ,ill ever after,ard torment me in dreams. = sa, the heavens verminous ,ith stran'e flyin' thin'sA and 3eneath them a hellish 3lac! city of 'iant stone terraces ,ith impious pyramids flun' sava'ely to the moonA and devil1li'hts 3urnin' from unnum3ered ,indo,s. Arid s,armin' loathsomely on aerial 'alleries = sa, the yello,A sDuint1eyed people of that cityA ro3ed horri3ly in oran'e and redA and dancin' insanely to the poundin' of fevered !ettle1drumsA the clatter of o3scene crotalaA and the maniacal moanin' of muted horns ,hose ceaseless dir'es rose and fell undulantly li!e the ,ave of an unhallo,ed ocean of 3itumen. = sa, this vistaA = sayA and heard as ,ith the mind<s ear the 3lasphemous domdaniel of cacophony ,hich companioned it. =t ,as the shrie!in' fulfilment of all the horror ,hich that corpse1city had ever stirred in my soulA and for'ettin' every inCunction to silence = screamed and screamed and screamed as my nerves 'ave ,ay and the ,alls Duivered a3out me.

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ThenA as the flash su3sidedA = sa, that my host ,as trem3lin' tooB a loo! of shoc!in' fear half13lottin' from his face the serpent distortion of ra'e ,hich my screams had e%cited. 2e totteredA clutched at the curtains as = had done 3eforeA and ,ri''led his head ,ildlyA li!e a hunted animal. 7od !no,s he had causeA for as the echoes of my screamin' died a,ay there came another sound so hellishly su''estive that only num3ed emotion !ept me sane and conscious. =t ,as the steadyA stealthy crea!in' of the stairs 3eyond the loc!ed doorA as ,ith the ascent of a 3arefoot or s!in1shod hordeB and at last the cautiousA purposeful rattlin' of the 3rass latch that 'lo,ed in the fee3le candleli'ht. The old man cla,ed and spat at me throu'h the moldy airA and 3ar!ed thin's in his throat as he s,ayed ,ith the yello, curtain he clutched. LThe full moon 1 damn ye 1 ye... ye yelpin' do' 1 ye called <emA and they<ve come for meF 8occasined feet 1 dead men 1 7ad sin! yeA ye red devilsA 3ut = poisoned no rum o< yours 1 han<t = !ept your po%1rotted ma'ic safe 1 ye s,illed yourselves sic!A curse yeA and yet must needs 3lame the sDuire 1 let 'oA youF (nhand that latch 1 =<ve nau'ht for ye here1L At this point three slo, and very deli3erate raps shoo! the panels of the doorA and a ,hite foam 'athered at the mouth of the frantic ma'ician. 2is fri'htA turnin' to steely despairA left room for a resur'ence of his ra'e a'ainst meB and he sta''ered a step to,ard the ta3le on ,hose ed'e = ,as steadyin' myself. The curtainsA still clutched in his ri'ht hand as his left cla,ed out at meA 're, taut and finally crashed do,n from their lofty fastenin'sB admittin' to the room a flood of that full moonli'ht ,hich the 3ri'htenin' of the s!y had presa'ed. =n those 'reenish 3eams the candles paledA and a ne, sem3lance of decay spread over the mus!1ree!in' room ,ith its ,ormy panelin'A sa''in' floorA 3attered mantelA ric!ety furnitureA and ra''ed draperies. =t spread over the old manA tooA ,hether from the same source or 3ecause of his fear and vehemenceA and = sa, him shrivel and 3lac!en as he lurched near and strove to rend me ,ith vulturine talons. +nly his eyes stayed ,holeA and they 'lared ,ith a propulsiveA dilated incandescence ,hich 're, as the face around them charred and d,indled. The rappin' ,as no, repeated ,ith 'reater insistenceA and this time 3ore a hint of metal. The 3lac! thin' facin' me had 3ecome only a head ,ith eyesA impotently tryin' to ,ri''le across the sin!in' floor in my directionA and occasionally emittin' fee3le little spits of immortal malice. ;o, s,ift and splinterin' 3lo,s assailed the sic!ly panelsA and = sa, the 'leam of a tomaha,! as it cleft the rendin' ,ood. = did not moveA for = could notB 3ut ,atched dazedly as the door fell in pieces to admit a colossalA shapeless influ% of in!y su3stance starred ,ith shinin'A malevolent eyes. =t poured thic!lyA li!e a flood of oil 3urstin' a rotten 3ul!headA overturned a chair as it spreadA and finally flo,ed under the ta3le and across the room to ,here the 3lac!ened head ,ith the eyes still 'lared at me. Around that head it closedA totally s,allo,in' it upA and in another moment it had 3e'un to recedeB 3earin' a,ay its invisi3le 3urden ,ithout touchin' meA and flo,in' a'ain out that 3lac! door,ay and do,n the unseen stairsA ,hich crea!ed as 3eforeA thou'h in reverse order. Then the floor 'ave ,ay at lastA and = slid 'aspin'ly do,n into the ni'hted cham3er 3elo,A cho!in' ,ith co3,e3s and half1s,oonin' ,ith terror. The 'reen moonA shinin' throu'h 3ro!en ,indo,sA sho,ed me the hall door half openB and as = rose from the plaster1stre,n floor and t,isted myself free from the sa''ed ceilin'A = sa, s,eep past it an a,ful torrent of 3lac!nessA ,ith scores of 3aleful eyes 'lo,in' in it. =t ,as see!in' the door to the cellarA and ,hen it found itA vanished therein. = no, felt the floor of this lo,er

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room 'ivin' as that of the upper cham3er had doneA and once a crashin' a3ove had 3een follo,ed 3y the fall past the ,est ,indo, of some thin' ,hich must have 3een the cupola. ;o, li3erated for the instant from the ,rec!a'eA = rushed throu'h the hall to the front door and findin' myself una3le to open itA seized a chair and 3ro!e a ,indo,A clim3in' frenziedly out upon the un!empt la,n ,here moon li'ht danced over yard1hi'h 'rass and ,eeds. The ,all ,as hi'h and all the 'ates ,ere loc!ed 3ut movin' a pile of 3o%es in a corner = mana'ed to 'ain the top and clin' to the 'reat stone urn set there. A3out me in my e%haustion = could see only stran'e ,alls and ,indo,s and old 'am3rel roofs. The steep street of my approach ,as no,here visi3leA and the little = did see succum3ed rapidly to a mist that rolled in from the river despite the 'larin' moonli'ht. Suddenly the urn to ,hich = clun' 3e'an to trem3leA as if sharin' my o,n lethal dizzinessB and in another instant my 3ody ,as plun'in' do,n,ard to = !ne, not ,hat fate. The man ,ho found me said that = must have cra,led a lon' ,ay despite my 3ro!en 3onesA for a trail of 3lood stretched off as far as he dared loo!. The 'atherin' rain soon effaced this lin! ,ith the scene of my ordealA and reports could state no more than that = had appeared from a place un!no,nA at the entrance to a little 3lac! court off >erry Street. = never sou'ht to return to those tene3rous la3yrinthsA nor ,ould = direct any sane man thither if = could. +f ,ho or ,hat that ancient creature ,asA = have no ideaB 3ut = repeat that the city is dead and full of unsuspected horrors. Whither he has 'oneA = do not !no,B 3ut = have 'one home to the pure ;e, En'land lanes up ,hich fra'rant sea1,inds s,eep at evenin'.

Her6ert West8 Re #im tor

,. From The / r+
+f 2er3ert WestA ,ho ,as my friend in colle'e and in after lifeA = can spea! only ,ith e%treme terror. This terror is not due alto'ether to the sinister manner of his recent disappearanceA 3ut ,as en'endered 3y the ,hole nature of his life1,or!A and first 'ained its acute form more than seventeen years a'oA ,hen ,e ,ere in the third year of our course at the 8is!atonic (niversity 8edical School in Ar!ham. While he ,as ,ith meA the ,onder and dia3olism of his e%periments fascinated me utterlyA and = ,as his closest companion. ;o, that he is 'one and the spell is 3ro!enA the actual fear is 'reater. 8emories and possi3ilities are ever more hideous than realities. The first horri3le incident of our acDuaintance ,as the 'reatest shoc! = ever e%periencedA and it is only ,ith reluctance that = repeat it. As = have saidA it happened ,hen ,e ,ere in the medical school ,here West had already made himself notorious throu'h his ,ild theories on the nature of death and the possi3ility of overcomin' it artificially. 2is vie,sA ,hich ,ere ,idely ridiculed 3y the faculty and 3y his fello,1studentsA hin'ed on the essentially mechanistic nature of lifeB and concerned means for operatin' the or'anic machinery of man!ind 3y calculated chemical action after the failure of natural processes. =n his e%periments ,ith various animatin' solutionsA he had !illed and treated immense num3ers of ra33itsA 'uinea1pi'sA catsA do'sA and mon!eysA till he had 3ecome the prime nuisance of the colle'e. Several times he had actually o3tained si'ns of life in animals supposedly deadB in many cases violent si'ns 3ut he soon sa, that the perfection of his processA if indeed possi3leA ,ould necessarily involve a lifetime of research. =t li!e,ise 3ecame clear thatA since the same solution never ,or!ed ali!e on different or'anic speciesA he ,ould reDuire human su3Cects for further and more specialised pro'ress. =t ,as here that he first came into conflict ,ith the colle'e authoritiesA and ,as de3arred from future e%periments 3y no less a di'nitary than the dean of the medical school himself 11 the learned and 3enevolent $r. Allan 2alseyA ,hose ,or! in 3ehalf of the stric!en is recalled 3y every old resident of Ar!ham. = had al,ays 3een e%ceptionally tolerant of WestTs pursuitsA and ,e freDuently discussed his theoriesA ,hose ramifications and corollaries ,ere almost infinite. 2oldin' ,ith 2aec!el that all life is a chemical and physical processA and that the so1called LsoulL is a mythA my friend 3elieved that artificial reanimation of the dead can depend only on the condition of the tissuesB and that unless actual decomposition has set inA a corpse fully eDuipped ,ith or'ans may ,ith suita3le measures 3e set 'oin' a'ain in the peculiar fashion !no,n as life. That the psychic or intellectual life mi'ht 3e impaired 3y the sli'ht deterioration of sensitive 3rain1cells ,hich even a short period of death ,ould 3e apt to causeA West fully realised. =t had at first 3een his hope to find a rea'ent ,hich ,ould restore vitality 3efore the actual advent of deathA and only repeated failures on animals had she,n him that the natural and artificial life1motions ,ere incompati3le. 2e then sou'ht e%treme freshness in his specimensA inCectin' his solutions into the 3lood immediately after the e%tinction of life. =t ,as this circumstance ,hich made the professors so carelessly

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scepticalA for they felt that true death had not occurred in any case. They did not stop to vie, the matter closely and reasonin'ly. =t ,as not lon' after the faculty had interdicted his ,or! that West confided to me his resolution to 'et fresh human 3odies in some mannerA and continue in secret the e%periments he could no lon'er perform openly. To hear him discussin' ,ays and means ,as rather 'hastlyA for at the colle'e ,e had never procured anatomical specimens ourselves. Whenever the mor'ue proved inadeDuateA t,o local ne'roes attended to this matterA and they ,ere seldom Duestioned. West ,as then a smallA slenderA spectacled youth ,ith delicate featuresA yello, hairA pale 3lue eyesA and a soft voiceA and it ,as uncanny to hear him d,ellin' on the relative merits of Christchurch Cemetery and the potterTs field. We finally decided on the potterTs fieldA 3ecause practically every 3ody in Christchurch ,as em3almedB a thin' of course ruinous to WestTs researches. = ,as 3y this time his active and enthralled assistantA and helped him ma!e all his decisionsA not only concernin' the source of 3odies 3ut concernin' a suita3le place for our loathsome ,or!. =t ,as = ,ho thou'ht of the deserted Chapman farmhouse 3eyond 8eado, 2illA ,here ,e fitted up on the 'round floor an operatin' room and a la3oratoryA each ,ith dar! curtains to conceal our midni'ht doin's. The place ,as far from any roadA and in si'ht of no other houseA yet precautions ,ere none the less necessaryB since rumours of stran'e li'htsA started 3y chance nocturnal roamersA ,ould soon 3rin' disaster on our enterprise. =t ,as a'reed to call the ,hole thin' a chemical la3oratory if discovery should occur. 7radually ,e eDuipped our sinister haunt of science ,ith materials either purchased in Boston or Duietly 3orro,ed from the colle'e 11 materials carefully made unreco'nisa3le save to e%pert eyes 11 and provided spades and pic!s for the many 3urials ,e should have to ma!e in the cellar. At the colle'e ,e used an incineratorA 3ut the apparatus ,as too costly for our unauthorised la3oratory. Bodies ,ere al,ays a nuisance 11 even the small 'uinea1pi' 3odies from the sli'ht clandestine e%periments in WestTs room at the 3oardin'1 house. We follo,ed the local death1notices li!e 'houlsA for our specimens demanded particular Dualities. What ,e ,anted ,ere corpses interred soon after death and ,ithout artificial preservationB prefera3ly free from malformin' diseaseA and certainly ,ith all or'ans present. Accident victims ,ere our 3est hope. ;ot for many ,ee!s did ,e hear of anythin' suita3leB thou'h ,e tal!ed ,ith mor'ue and hospital authoritiesA ostensi3ly in the colle'eTs interestA as often as ,e could ,ithout e%citin' suspicion. We found that the colle'e had first choice in every caseA so that it mi'ht 3e necessary to remain in Ar!ham durin' the summerA ,hen only the limited summer1school classes ,ere held. =n the endA thou'hA luc! favoured usB for one day ,e heard of an almost ideal case in the potterTs fieldB a 3ra,ny youn' ,or!man dro,ned only the mornin' 3efore in SummerTs >ondA and 3uried at the to,nTs e%pense ,ithout delay or em3almin'. That afternoon ,e found the ne, 'raveA and determined to 3e'in ,or! soon after midni'ht. =t ,as a repulsive tas! that ,e undertoo! in the 3lac! small hoursA even thou'h ,e lac!ed at that time the special horror of 'raveyards ,hich later e%periences 3rou'ht to us. We carried spades and oil dar! lanternsA for althou'h electric torches ,ere then manufacturedA they ,ere not as satisfactory as the tun'sten contrivances of today. The process of unearthin' ,as slo, and sordid 11 it mi'ht have 3een 'ruesomely poetical if ,e had 3een artists instead of scientists 11 and ,e ,ere 'lad ,hen our spades struc! ,ood. When the pine 3o% ,as fully uncoveredA West scram3led do,n and removed the lidA

H.P.Lovecr !t

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dra''in' out and proppin' up the contents. = reached do,n and hauled the contents out of the 'raveA and then 3oth toiled hard to restore the spot to its former appearance. The affair made us rather nervousA especially the stiff form and vacant face of our first trophyA 3ut ,e mana'ed to remove all traces of our visit. When ,e had patted do,n the last shovelful of earthA ,e put the specimen in a canvas sac! and set out for the old Chapman place 3eyond 8eado, 2ill. +n an improvised dissectin'1ta3le in the old farmhouseA 3y the li'ht of a po,erful acetylene lampA the specimen ,as not very spectral loo!in'. =t had 3een a sturdy and apparently unima'inative youth of ,holesome ple3eian type 11 lar'e1framedA 'rey1eyedA and 3ro,n1haired 11 a sound animal ,ithout psycholo'ical su3tletiesA and pro3a3ly havin' vital processes of the simplest and healthiest sort. ;o,A ,ith the eyes closedA it loo!ed more asleep than deadB thou'h the e%pert test of my friend soon left no dou3t on that score. We had at last ,hat West had al,ays lon'ed for 11 a real dead man of the ideal !indA ready for the solution as prepared accordin' to the most careful calculations and theories for human use. The tension on our part 3ecame very 'reat. We !ne, that there ,as scarcely a chance for anythin' li!e complete successA and could not avoid hideous fears at possi3le 'rotesDue results of partial animation. Especially ,ere ,e apprehensive concernin' the mind and impulses of the creatureA since in the space follo,in' death some of the more delicate cere3ral cells mi'ht ,ell have suffered deterioration. =A myselfA still held some curious notions a3out the traditional LsoulL of manA and felt an a,e at the secrets that mi'ht 3e told 3y one returnin' from the dead. = ,ondered ,hat si'hts this placid youth mi'ht have seen in inaccessi3le spheresA and ,hat he could relate if fully restored to life. But my ,onder ,as not over,helmin'A since for the most part = shared the materialism of my friend. 2e ,as calmer than = as he forced a lar'e Duantity of his fluid into a vein of the 3odyTs armA immediately 3indin' the incision securely. The ,aitin' ,as 'ruesomeA 3ut West never faltered. Every no, and then he applied his stethoscope to the specimenA and 3ore the ne'ative results philosophically. After a3out three1Duarters of an hour ,ithout the least si'n of life he disappointedly pronounced the solution inadeDuateA 3ut determined to ma!e the most of his opportunity and try one chan'e in the formula 3efore disposin' of his 'hastly prize. We had that afternoon du' a 'rave in the cellarA and ,ould have to fill it 3y da,n 11 for althou'h ,e had fi%ed a loc! on the houseA ,e ,ished to shun even the remotest ris! of a 'houlish discovery. BesidesA the 3ody ,ould not 3e even appro%imately fresh the ne%t ni'ht. So ta!in' the solitary acetylene lamp into the adCacent la3oratoryA ,e left our silent 'uest on the sla3 in the dar!A and 3ent every ener'y to the mi%in' of a ne, solutionB the ,ei'hin' and measurin' supervised 3y West ,ith an almost fanatical care. The a,ful event ,as very suddenA and ,holly une%pected. = ,as pourin' somethin' from one test1tu3e to anotherA and West ,as 3usy over the alcohol 3last1lamp ,hich had to ans,er for a Bunsen 3urner in this 'asless edificeA ,hen from the pitch13lac! room ,e had left there 3urst the most appallin' and daemoniac succession of cries that either of us had ever heard. ;ot more unuttera3le could have 3een the chaos of hellish sound if the pit itself had opened to release the a'ony of the damnedA for in one inconceiva3le cacophony ,as centered all the supernal terror and unnatural despair of animate nature. 2uman it could not have 3een 11 it is not in man to ma!e such sounds 11 and ,ithout a thou'ht of our late employment or its possi3le discoveryA 3oth West and = leaped to the nearest ,indo, li!e stric!en animalsB overturnin' tu3esA lampA and retortsA and vaultin' madly into the starred a3yss of the rural ni'ht. = thin! ,e screamed ourselves as ,e stum3led frantically to,ard

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the to,nA thou'h as ,e reached the outs!irts ,e put on a sem3lance of restraint 11 Cust enou'h to seem li!e 3elated revellers sta''erin' home from a de3auch. We did not separateA 3ut mana'ed to 'et to WestTs roomA ,here ,e ,hispered ,ith the 'as up until da,n. By then ,e had calmed ourselves a little ,ith rational theories and plans for investi'ationA so that ,e could sleep throu'h the day 11 classes 3ein' disre'arded. But that evenin' t,o items in the paperA ,holly unrelatedA made it a'ain impossi3le for us to sleep. The old deserted Chapman house had ine%plica3ly 3urned to an amorphous heap of ashesB that ,e could understand 3ecause of the upset lamp. AlsoA an attempt had 3een made to distur3 a ne, 'rave in the potterTs fieldA as if 3y futile and spadeless cla,in' at the earth. That ,e could not understandA for ,e had patted do,n the mould very carefully. And for seventeen years after that West ,ould loo! freDuently over his shoulderA and complain of fancied footsteps 3ehind him. ;o, he has disappeared.

,,. The Pl -%e4/ emo#

= shall never for'et that hideous summer si%teen years a'oA ,hen li!e a no%ious afrite from the halls of E3lis typhoid stal!ed leerin'ly throu'h Ar!ham. =t is 3y that satanic scour'e that most recall the yearA for truly terror 3rooded ,ith 3at1,in's over the piles of coffins in the tom3s of Christchurch CemeteryB yet for me there is a 'reater horror in that time 11 a horror !no,n to me alone no, that 2er3ert West has disappeared. West and = ,ere doin' post1'raduate ,or! in summer classes at the medical school of 8is!atonic (niversityA and my friend had attained a ,ide notoriety 3ecause of his e%periments leadin' to,ard the revivification of the dead. After the scientific slau'hter of uncounted small animals the frea!ish ,or! had ostensi3ly stopped 3y order of our sceptical deanA $r. Allan 2alseyB thou'h West had continued to perform certain secret tests in his din'y 3oardin'1house roomA and had on one terri3le and unfor'etta3le occasion ta!en a human 3ody from its 'rave in the potterTs field to a deserted farmhouse 3eyond 8eado, 2ill. = ,as ,ith him on that odious occasionA and sa, him inCect into the still veins the eli%ir ,hich he thou'ht ,ould to some e%tent restore lifeTs chemical and physical processes. =t had ended horri3ly 11 in a delirium of fear ,hich ,e 'radually came to attri3ute to our o,n over,rou'ht nerves 11 and West had never after,ard 3een a3le to sha!e off a maddenin' sensation of 3ein' haunted and hunted. The 3ody had not 3een Duite fresh enou'hB it is o3vious that to restore normal mental attri3utes a 3ody must 3e very fresh indeedB and the 3urnin' of the old house had prevented us from 3uryin' the thin'. =t ,ould have 3een 3etter if ,e could have !no,n it ,as under'round. After that e%perience West had dropped his researches for some timeB 3ut as the zeal of the 3orn scientist slo,ly returnedA he a'ain 3ecame importunate ,ith the colle'e facultyA pleadin' for the use of the dissectin'1room and of fresh human specimens for the ,or! he re'arded as so over,helmin'ly important. 2is pleasA ho,everA ,ere ,holly in vainB for the decision of $r. 2alsey ,as infle%i3leA and the other professors all endorsed the verdict of their leader. =n the radical theory of reanimation they sa, nothin' 3ut the immature va'aries of a youthful enthusiast ,hose sli'ht formA yello, hairA spectacled 3lue eyesA and soft voice 'ave no hint of the supernormal 11 almost dia3olical 11 po,er of the cold 3rain

H.P.Lovecr !t

2er3ert West9 :eanimator

#*7

,ithin. = can see him no, as he ,as then 11 and = shiver. 2e 're, sterner of faceA 3ut never elderly. And no, Sefton Asylum has had the mishap and West has vanished. West clashed disa'reea3ly ,ith $r. 2alsey near the end of our last under'raduate term in a ,ordy dispute that did less credit to him than to the !indiy dean in point of courtesy. 2e felt that he ,as needlessly and irrationally retarded in a supremely 'reat ,or!B a ,or! ,hich he could of course conduct to suit himself in later yearsA 3ut ,hich he ,ished to 3e'in ,hile still possessed of the e%ceptional facilities of the university. That the tradition1 3ound elders should i'nore his sin'ular results on animalsA and persist in their denial of the possi3ility of reanimationA ,as ine%pressi3ly dis'ustin' and almost incomprehensi3le to a youth of WestTs lo'ical temperament. +nly 'reater maturity could help him understand the chronic mental limitations of the Lprofessor1doctorL type 11 the product of 'enerations of pathetic >uritanismB !indlyA conscientiousA and sometimes 'entle and amia3leA yet al,ays narro,A intolerantA custom1riddenA and lac!in' in perspective. A'e has more charity for these incomplete yet hi'h1souled charactersA ,hose ,orst real vice is timidityA and ,ho are ultimately punished 3y 'eneral ridicule for their intellectual sins 11 sins li!e >tolemaismA CalvinismA anti1$ar,inismA anti1;ietzscheismA and every sort of Sa33atarianism and sumptuary le'islation. WestA youn' despite his marvellous scientific acDuirementsA had scant patience ,ith 'ood $r. 2alsey and his erudite collea'uesB and nursed an increasin' resentmentA coupled ,ith a desire to prove his theories to these o3tuse ,orthies in some stri!in' and dramatic fashion. 5i!e most youthsA he indul'ed in ela3orate daydreams of reven'eA triumphA and final ma'nanimous for'iveness. And then had come the scour'eA 'rinnin' and lethalA from the ni'htmare caverns of Tartarus. West and = had 'raduated a3out the time of its 3e'innin'A 3ut had remained for additional ,or! at the summer schoolA so that ,e ,ere in Ar!ham ,hen it 3ro!e ,ith full daemoniac fury upon the to,n. Thou'h not as yet licenced physiciansA ,e no, had our de'reesA and ,ere pressed frantically into pu3lic service as the num3ers of the stric!en 're,. The situation ,as almost past mana'ementA and deaths ensued too freDuently for the local underta!ers fully to handle. Burials ,ithout em3almin' ,ere made in rapid successionA and even the Christchurch Cemetery receivin' tom3 ,as crammed ,ith coffins of the unem3almed dead. This circumstance ,as not ,ithout effect on WestA ,ho thou'ht often of the irony of the situation 11 so many fresh specimensA yet none for his persecuted researchesF We ,ere fri'htfully over,or!edA and the terrific mental and nervous strain made my friend 3rood mor3idly. But WestTs 'entle enemies ,ere no less harassed ,ith prostratin' duties. Colle'e had all 3ut closedA and every doctor of the medical faculty ,as helpin' to fi'ht the typhoid pla'ue. $r. 2alsey in particular had distin'uished himself in sacrificin' serviceA applyin' his e%treme s!ill ,ith ,hole1hearted ener'y to cases ,hich many others shunned 3ecause of dan'er or apparent hopelessness. Before a month ,as over the fearless dean had 3ecome a popular heroA thou'h he seemed unconscious of his fame as he stru''led to !eep from collapsin' ,ith physical fati'ue and nervous e%haustion. West could not ,ithhold admiration for the fortitude of his foeA 3ut 3ecause of this ,as even more determined to prove to him the truth of his amazin' doctrines. Ta!in' advanta'e of the disor'anisation of 3oth colle'e ,or! and municipal health re'ulationsA he mana'ed to 'et a recently deceased 3ody smu''led into the university dissectin'1room one ni'htA and in my presence inCected a ne, modification of his solution. The thin' actually opened its eyesA 3ut only stared at the ceilin' ,ith a loo! of soul1petrifyin' horror 3efore collapsin' into an inertness from ,hich nothin' could rouse it. West said it ,as not fresh enou'h 11 the hot summer air does

H.P.Lovecr !t

2er3ert West9 :eanimator

#*8

not favour corpses. That time ,e ,ere almost cau'ht 3efore ,e incinerated the thin'A and West dou3ted the advisa3ility of repeatin' his darin' misuse of the colle'e la3oratory. The pea! of the epidemic ,as reached in Au'ust. West and = ,ere almost deadA and $r. 2alsey did die on the 1#th. The students all attended the hasty funeral on the 1 thA and 3ou'ht an impressive ,reathA thou'h the latter ,as Duite overshado,ed 3y the tri3utes sent 3y ,ealthy Ar!ham citizens and 3y the municipality itself. =t ,as almost a pu3lic affairA for the dean had surely 3een a pu3lic 3enefactor. After the entom3ment ,e ,ere all some,hat depressedA and spent the afternoon at the 3ar of the Commercial 2ouseB ,here WestA thou'h sha!en 3y the death of his chief opponentA chilled the rest of us ,ith references to his notorious theories. 8ost of the students ,ent homeA or to various dutiesA as the evenin' advancedB 3ut West persuaded me to aid him in Lma!in' a ni'ht of it.L WestTs landlady sa, us arrive at his room a3out t,o in the mornin'A ,ith a third man 3et,een usB and told her hus3and that ,e had all evidently dined and ,ined rather ,ell. Apparently this acidulous matron ,as ri'htB for a3out & a.m. the ,hole house ,as aroused 3y cries comin' from WestTs roomA ,here ,hen they 3ro!e do,n the doorA they found the t,o of us unconscious on the 3lood1stained carpetA 3eatenA scratchedA and mauledA and ,ith the 3ro!en remnants of WestTs 3ottles and instruments around us. +nly an open ,indo, told ,hat had 3ecome of our assailantA and many ,ondered ho, he himself had fared after the terrific leap from the second story to the la,n ,hich he must have made. There ,ere some stran'e 'arments in the roomA 3ut West upon re'ainin' consciousness said they did not 3elon' to the stran'erA 3ut ,ere specimens collected for 3acteriolo'ical analysis in the course of investi'ations on the transmission of 'erm diseases. 2e ordered them 3urnt as soon as possi3le in the capacious fireplace. To the police ,e 3oth declared i'norance of our late companionTs identity. 2e ,asA West nervously saidA a con'enial stran'er ,hom ,e had met at some do,nto,n 3ar of uncertain location. We had all 3een rather CovialA and West and = did not ,ish to have our pu'nacious companion hunted do,n. That same ni'ht sa, the 3e'innin' of the second Ar!ham horror 11 the horror that to me eclipsed the pla'ue itself. Christchurch Cemetery ,as the scene of a terri3le !illin'B a ,atchman havin' 3een cla,ed to death in a manner not only too hideous for descriptionA 3ut raisin' a dou3t as to the human a'ency of the deed. The victim had 3een seen alive considera3ly after midni'ht 11 the da,n revealed the unuttera3le thin'. The mana'er of a circus at the nei'h3ourin' to,n of Bolton ,as DuestionedA 3ut he s,ore that no 3east had at any time escaped from its ca'e. Those ,ho found the 3ody noted a trail of 3lood leadin' to the receivin' tom3A ,here a small pool of red lay on the concrete Cust outside the 'ate. A fainter trail led a,ay to,ard the ,oodsA 3ut it soon 'ave out. The ne%t ni'ht devils danced on the roofs of Ar!hamA and unnatural madness ho,led in the ,ind. Throu'h the fevered to,n had crept a curse ,hich some said ,as 'reater than the pla'ueA and ,hich some ,hispered ,as the em3odied daemon1soul of the pla'ue itself. Ei'ht houses ,ere entered 3y a nameless thin' ,hich stre,ed red death in its ,a!e 11 in allA seventeen maimed and shapeless remnants of 3odies ,ere left 3ehind 3y the voicelessA sadistic monster that crept a3road. A fe, persons had half seen it in the dar!A and said it ,as ,hite and li!e a malformed ape or anthropomorphic fiend. =t had not left 3ehind Duite all that it had attac!edA for sometimes it had 3een hun'ry. The num3er it had !illed ,as fourteenB three of the 3odies had 3een in stric!en homes and had not 3een alive.

H.P.Lovecr !t

2er3ert West9 :eanimator

#*)

+n the third ni'ht frantic 3ands of searchersA led 3y the policeA captured it in a house on Crane Street near the 8is!atonic campus. They had or'anised the Duest ,ith careA !eepin' in touch 3y means of volunteer telephone stationsA and ,hen someone in the colle'e district had reported hearin' a scratchin' at a shuttered ,indo,A the net ,as Duic!ly spread. +n account of the 'eneral alarm and precautionsA there ,ere only t,o more victimsA and the capture ,as effected ,ithout maCor casualties. The thin' ,as finally stopped 3y a 3ulletA thou'h not a fatal oneA and ,as rushed to the local hospital amidst universal e%citement and loathin'. 4or it had 3een a man. This much ,as clear despite the nauseous eyesA the voiceless simianismA and the daemoniac sava'ery. They dressed its ,ound and carted it to the asylum at SeftonA ,here it 3eat its head a'ainst the ,alls of a padded cell for si%teen years 11 until the recent mishapA ,hen it escaped under circumstances that fe, li!e to mention. What had most dis'usted the searchers of Ar!ham ,as the thin' they noticed ,hen the monsterTs face ,as cleaned 11 the moc!in'A un3elieva3le resem3lance to a learned and self1 sacrificin' martyr ,ho had 3een entom3ed 3ut three days 3efore 11 the late $r. Allan 2alseyA pu3lic 3enefactor and dean of the medical school of 8is!atonic (niversity. To the vanished 2er3ert West and to me the dis'ust and horror ,ere supreme. = shudder toni'ht as = thin! of itB shudder even more than = did that mornin' ,hen West muttered throu'h his 3anda'esA L$amn itA it ,asnTt Duite fresh enou'hFL

,,,. Si1 Shots 6& Moo#li-ht

=t is uncommon to fire all si% shots of a revolver ,ith 'reat suddenness ,hen one ,ould pro3a3ly 3e sufficientA 3ut many thin's in the life of 2er3ert West ,ere uncommon. =t isA for instanceA not often that a youn' physician leavin' colle'e is o3li'ed to conceal the principles ,hich 'uide his selection of a home and officeA yet that ,as the case ,ith 2er3ert West. When he and = o3tained our de'rees at the medical school of 8is!atonic (niversityA and sou'ht to relieve our poverty 3y settin' up as 'eneral practitionersA ,e too! 'reat care not to say that ,e chose our house 3ecause it ,as fairly ,ell isolatedA and as near as possi3le to the potterTs field. :eticence such as this is seldom ,ithout a causeA nor indeed ,as oursB for our reDuirements ,ere those resultin' from a life1,or! distinctly unpopular. +ut,ardly ,e ,ere doctors onlyA 3ut 3eneath the surface ,ere aims of far 'reater and more terri3le moment 11 for the essence of 2er3ert WestTs e%istence ,as a Duest amid 3lac! and for3idden realms of the un!no,nA in ,hich he hoped to uncover the secret of life and restore to perpetual animation the 'raveyardTs cold clay. Such a Duest demands stran'e materialsA amon' them fresh human 3odiesB and in order to !eep supplied ,ith these indispensa3le thin's one must live Duietly and not far from a place of informal interment. West and = had met in colle'eA and = had 3een the only one to sympathise ,ith his hideous e%periments. 7radually = had come to 3e his insepara3le assistantA and no, that ,e ,ere out of colle'e ,e had to !eep to'ether. =t ,as not easy to find a 'ood openin' for t,o doctors in companyA 3ut finally the influence of the university secured us a practice in Bolton 11 a factory to,n near Ar!hamA the seat of the colle'e. The Bolton Worsted 8ills are the lar'est in the 8is!atonic ?alleyA and their poly'lot employees are never popular as

H.P.Lovecr !t

2er3ert West9 :eanimator

#1*

patients ,ith the local physicians. We chose our house ,ith the 'reatest careA seizin' at last on a rather run1do,n cotta'e near the end of >ond StreetB five num3ers from the closest nei'h3ourA and separated from the local potterTs field 3y only a stretch of meado, landA 3isected 3y a narro, nec! of the rather dense forest ,hich lies to the north. The distance ,as 'reater than ,e ,ishedA 3ut ,e could 'et no nearer house ,ithout 'oin' on the other side of the fieldA ,holly out of the factory district. We ,ere not much displeasedA ho,everA since there ,ere no people 3et,een us and our sinister source of supplies. The ,al! ,as a trifle lon'A 3ut ,e could haul our silent specimens undistur3ed. +ur practice ,as surprisin'ly lar'e from the very first 11 lar'e enou'h to please most youn' doctorsA and lar'e enou'h to prove a 3ore and a 3urden to students ,hose real interest lay else,here. The mill1hands ,ere of some,hat tur3ulent inclinationsB and 3esides their many natural needsA their freDuent clashes and sta33in' affrays 'ave us plenty to do. But ,hat actually a3sor3ed our minds ,as the secret la3oratory ,e had fitted up in the cellar 11 the la3oratory ,ith the lon' ta3le under the electric li'htsA ,here in the small hours of the mornin' ,e often inCected WestTs various solutions into the veins of the thin's ,e dra''ed from the potterTs field. West ,as e%perimentin' madly to find somethin' ,hich ,ould start manTs vital motions ane, after they had 3een stopped 3y the thin' ,e call deathA 3ut had encountered the most 'hastly o3stacles. The solution had to 3e differently compounded for different types 11 ,hat ,ould serve for 'uinea1pi's ,ould not serve for human 3ein'sA and different human specimens reDuired lar'e modifications. The 3odies had to 3e e%ceedin'ly freshA or the sli'ht decomposition of 3rain tissue ,ould render perfect reanimation impossi3le. =ndeedA the 'reatest pro3lem ,as to 'et them fresh enou'h 11 West had had horri3le e%periences durin' his secret colle'e researches ,ith corpses of dou3tful vinta'e. The results of partial or imperfect animation ,ere much more hideous than ,ere the total failuresA and ,e 3oth held fearsome recollections of such thin's. Ever since our first daemoniac session in the deserted farmhouse on 8eado, 2ill in Ar!hamA ,e had felt a 3roodin' menaceB and WestA thou'h a calmA 3londA 3lue1eyed scientific automaton in most respectsA often confessed to a shudderin' sensation of stealthy pursuit. 2e half felt that he ,as follo,ed 11 a psycholo'ical delusion of sha!en nervesA enhanced 3y the undenia3ly distur3in' fact that at least one of our reanimated specimens ,as still alive 11 a fri'htful carnivorous thin' in a padded cell at Sefton. Then there ,as another 11 our first 11 ,hose e%act fate ,e had never learned. We had fair luc! ,ith specimens in Bolton 11 much 3etter than in Ar!ham. We had not 3een settled a ,ee! 3efore ,e 'ot an accident victim on the very ni'ht of 3urialA and made it open its eyes ,ith an amazin'ly rational e%pression 3efore the solution failed. =t had lost an arm 11 if it had 3een a perfect 3ody ,e mi'ht have succeeded 3etter. Bet,een then and the ne%t 6anuary ,e secured three moreB one total failureA one case of mar!ed muscular motionA and one rather shivery thin' 11 it rose of itself and uttered a sound. Then came a period ,hen luc! ,as poorB interments fell offA and those that did occur ,ere of specimens either too diseased or too maimed for use. We !ept trac! of all the deaths and their circumstances ,ith systematic care. +ne 8arch ni'htA ho,everA ,e une%pectedly o3tained a specimen ,hich did not come from the potterTs field. =n Bolton the prevailin' spirit of >uritanism had outla,ed the sport of 3o%in' 11 ,ith the usual result. Surreptitious and ill1conducted 3outs amon' the mill1 ,or!ers ,ere commonA and occasionally professional talent of lo, 'rade ,as imported. This late ,inter ni'ht there had 3een such a matchB evidently ,ith disastrous resultsA since

H.P.Lovecr !t

2er3ert West9 :eanimator

#11

t,o timorous >oles had come to us ,ith incoherently ,hispered entreaties to attend to a very secret and desperate case. We follo,ed them to an a3andoned 3arnA ,here the remnants of a cro,d of fri'htened forei'ners ,ere ,atchin' a silent 3lac! form on the floor. The match had 3een 3et,een 0id +TBrien 11 a lu33erly and no, Dua!in' youth ,ith a most un12i3ernian hoo!ed nose 11 and Buc! :o3insonA LThe 2arlem Smo!e.L The ne'ro had 3een !noc!ed outA and a momentTs e%amination she,ed us that he ,ould permanently remain so. 2e ,as a loathsomeA 'orilla1li!e thin'A ,ith a3normally lon' arms ,hich = could not help callin' fore le'sA and a face that conCured up thou'hts of unspea!a3le Con'o secrets and tom1tom poundin's under an eerie moon. The 3ody must have loo!ed even ,orse in life 11 3ut the ,orld holds many u'ly thin's. 4ear ,as upon the ,hole pitiful cro,dA for they did not !no, ,hat the la, ,ould e%act of them if the affair ,ere not hushed upB and they ,ere 'rateful ,hen WestA in spite of my involuntary shuddersA offered to 'et rid of the thin' Duietly 11 for a purpose = !ne, too ,ell. There ,as 3ri'ht moonli'ht over the sno,less landscapeA 3ut ,e dressed the thin' and carried it home 3et,een us throu'h the deserted streets and meado,sA as ,e had carried a similar thin' one horri3le ni'ht in Ar!ham. We approached the house from the field in the rearA too! the specimen in the 3ac! door and do,n the cellar stairsA and prepared it for the usual e%periment. +ur fear of the police ,as a3surdly 'reatA thou'h ,e had timed our trip to avoid the solitary patrolman of that section. The result ,as ,earily anticlimactic. 7hastly as our prize appearedA it ,as ,holly unresponsive to every solution ,e inCected in its 3lac! armB solutions prepared from e%perience ,ith ,hite specimens only. So as the hour 're, dan'erously near to da,nA ,e did as ,e had done ,ith the others 11 dra''ed the thin' across the meado,s to the nec! of the ,oods near the potterTs fieldA and 3uried it there in the 3est sort of 'rave the frozen 'round ,ould furnish. The 'rave ,as not very deepA 3ut fully as 'ood as that of the previous specimen 11 the thin' ,hich had risen of itself and uttered a sound. =n the li'ht of our dar! lanterns ,e carefully covered it ,ith leaves and dead vinesA fairly certain that the police ,ould never find it in a forest so dim and dense. The ne%t day = ,as increasin'ly apprehensive a3out the policeA for a patient 3rou'ht rumours of a suspected fi'ht and death. West had still another source of ,orryA for he had 3een called in the afternoon to a case ,hich ended very threatenin'ly. An =talian ,oman had 3ecome hysterical over her missin' child 11 a lad of five ,ho had strayed off early in the mornin' and failed to appear for dinner 11 and had developed symptoms hi'hly alarmin' in vie, of an al,ays ,ea! heart. =t ,as a very foolish hysteriaA for the 3oy had often run a,ay 3eforeB 3ut =talian peasants are e%ceedin'ly superstitiousA and this ,oman seemed as much harassed 3y omens as 3y facts. A3out seven oTcloc! in the evenin' she had diedA and her frantic hus3and had made a fri'htful scene in his efforts to !ill WestA ,hom he ,ildly 3lamed for not savin' her life. 4riends had held him ,hen he dre, a stilettoA 3ut West departed amidst his inhuman shrie!sA curses and oaths of ven'eance. =n his latest affliction the fello, seemed to have for'otten his childA ,ho ,as still missin' as the ni'ht advanced. There ,as some tal! of searchin' the ,oodsA 3ut most of the familyTs friends ,ere 3usy ,ith the dead ,oman and the screamin' man. Alto'etherA the nervous strain upon West must have 3een tremendous. Thou'hts of the police and of the mad =talian 3oth ,ei'hed heavily.

H.P.Lovecr !t

2er3ert West9 :eanimator

#1"

We retired a3out elevenA 3ut = did not sleep ,ell. Bolton had a surprisin'ly 'ood police force for so small a to,nA and = could not help fearin' the mess ,hich ,ould ensue if the affair of the ni'ht 3efore ,ere ever trac!ed do,n. =t mi'ht mean the end of all our local ,or! 11 and perhaps prison for 3oth West and me. = did not li!e those rumours of a fi'ht ,hich ,ere floatin' a3out. After the cloc! had struc! three the moon shone in my eyesA 3ut = turned over ,ithout risin' to pull do,n the shade. Then came the steady rattlin' at the 3ac! door. = lay still and some,hat dazedA 3ut 3efore lon' heard WestTs rap on my door. 2e ,as clad in dressin'1'o,n and slippersA and had in his hands a revolver and an electric flashli'ht. 4rom the revolver = !ne, that he ,as thin!in' more of the crazed =talian than of the police. LWeTd 3etter 3oth 'oAL he ,hispered. L=t ,ouldnTt do not to ans,er it any,ayA and it may 3e a patient 11 it ,ould 3e li!e one of those fools to try the 3ac! door.L So ,e 3oth ,ent do,n the stairs on tiptoeA ,ith a fear partly Custified and partly that ,hich comes only from the soul of the ,eird small hours. The rattlin' continuedA 'ro,in' some,hat louder. When ,e reached the door = cautiously un3olted it and thre, it openA and as the moon streamed revealin'ly do,n on the form silhouetted thereA West did a peculiar thin'. $espite the o3vious dan'er of attractin' notice and 3rin'in' do,n on our heads the dreaded police investi'ation 11 a thin' ,hich after all ,as mercifully averted 3y the relative isolation of our cotta'e 11 my friend suddenlyA e%citedlyA and unnecessarily emptied all si% cham3ers of his revolver into the nocturnal visitor. 4or that visitor ,as neither =talian nor policeman. 5oomin' hideously a'ainst the spectral moon ,as a 'i'antic misshapen thin' not to 3e ima'ined save in ni'htmares 11 a 'lassy1eyedA in!13lac! apparition nearly on all foursA covered ,ith 3its of mouldA leavesA and vinesA foul ,ith ca!ed 3loodA and havin' 3et,een its 'listenin' teeth a sno,1,hiteA terri3leA cylindrical o3Cect terminatin' in a tiny hand.

,V. The Scre m o! the /e $

The scream of a dead man 'ave to me that acute and added horror of $r. 2er3ert West ,hich harassed the latter years of our companionship. =t is natural that such a thin' as a dead manTs scream should 'ive horrorA for it is o3viouslyA not a pleasin' or ordinary occurrenceB 3ut = ,as used to similar e%periencesA hence suffered on this occasion only 3ecause of a particular circumstance. AndA as = have impliedA it ,as not of the dead man himself that = 3ecame afraid. 2er3ert WestA ,hose associate and assistant = ,asA possessed scientific interests far 3eyond the usual routine of a villa'e physician. That ,as ,hyA ,hen esta3lishin' his practice in BoltonA he had chosen an isolated house near the potterTs field. Briefly and 3rutally statedA WestTs sole a3sor3in' interest ,as a secret study of the phenomena of life and its cessationA leadin' to,ard the reanimation of the dead throu'h inCections of an e%citant solution. 4or this 'hastly e%perimentin' it ,as necessary to have a constant supply of very fresh human 3odiesB very fresh 3ecause even the least decay hopelessly dama'ed the 3rain structureA and human 3ecause ,e found that the solution had to 3e compounded differently for different types of or'anisms. Scores of ra33its and 'uinea1pi's had 3een

H.P.Lovecr !t

2er3ert West9 :eanimator

#1&

!illed and treatedA 3ut their trail ,as a 3lind one. West had never fully succeeded 3ecause he had never 3een a3le to secure a corpse sufficiently fresh. What he ,anted ,ere 3odies from ,hich vitality had only Cust departedB 3odies ,ith every cell intact and capa3le of receivin' a'ain the impulse to,ard that mode of motion called life. There ,as hope that this second and artificial life mi'ht 3e made perpetual 3y repetitions of the inCectionA 3ut ,e had learned that an ordinary natural life ,ould not respond to the action. To esta3lish the artificial motionA natural life must 3e e%tinct 11 the specimens must 3e very freshA 3ut 'enuinely dead. The a,esome Duest had 3e'un ,hen West and = ,ere students at the 8is!atonic (niversity 8edical School in Ar!hamA vividly conscious for the first time of the thorou'hly mechanical nature of life. That ,as seven years 3eforeA 3ut West loo!ed scarcely a day older no, 11 he ,as smallA 3londA clean1shavenA soft1voicedA and spectacledA ,ith only an occasional flash of a cold 3lue eye to tell of the hardenin' and 'ro,in' fanaticism of his character under the pressure of his terri3le investi'ations. +ur e%periences had often 3een hideous in the e%tremeB the results of defective reanimationA ,hen lumps of 'raveyard clay had 3een 'alvanised into mor3idA unnaturalA and 3rainless motion 3y various modifications of the vital solution. +ne thin' had uttered a nerve1shatterin' screamB another had risen violentlyA 3eaten us 3oth to unconsciousnessA and run amuc! in a shoc!in' ,ay 3efore it could 3e placed 3ehind asylum 3arsB still anotherA a loathsome African monstrosityA had cla,ed out of its shallo, 'rave and done a deed 11 West had had to shoot that o3Cect. We could not 'et 3odies fresh enou'h to she, any trace of reason ,hen reanimatedA so had perforce created nameless horrors. =t ,as distur3in' to thin! that oneA perhaps t,oA of our monsters still lived 11 that thou'ht haunted us shado,in'lyA till finally West disappeared under fri'htful circumstances. But at the time of the scream in the cellar la3oratory of the isolated Bolton cotta'eA our fears ,ere su3ordinate to our an%iety for e%tremely fresh specimens. West ,as more avid than =A so that it almost seemed to me that he loo!ed half1covetously at any very healthy livin' physiDue. =t ,as in 6ulyA 1)1*A that the 3ad luc! re'ardin' specimens 3e'an to turn. = had 3een on a lon' visit to my parents in =llinoisA and upon my return found West in a state of sin'ular elation. 2e hadA he told me e%citedlyA in all li!elihood solved the pro3lem of freshness throu'h an approach from an entirely ne, an'le 11 that of artificial preservation. = had !no,n that he ,as ,or!in' on a ne, and hi'hly unusual em3almin' compoundA and ,as not surprised that it had turned out ,ellB 3ut until he e%plained the details = ,as rather puzzled as to ho, such a compound could help in our ,or!A since the o3Cectiona3le staleness of the specimens ,as lar'ely due to delay occurrin' 3efore ,e secured them. ThisA = no, sa,A West had clearly reco'nisedB creatin' his em3almin' compound for future rather than immediate useA and trustin' to fate to supply a'ain some very recent and un3uried corpseA as it had years 3efore ,hen ,e o3tained the ne'ro !illed in the Bolton prize1fi'ht. At last fate had 3een !indA so that on this occasion there lay in the secret cellar la3oratory a corpse ,hose decay could not 3y any possi3ility have 3e'un. What ,ould happen on reanimationA and ,hether ,e could hope for a revival of mind and reasonA West did not venture to predict. The e%periment ,ould 3e a landmar! in our studiesA and he had saved the ne, 3ody for my returnA so that 3oth mi'ht share the spectacle in accustomed fashion.

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West told me ho, he had o3tained the specimen. =t had 3een a vi'orous manB a ,ell1 dressed stran'er Cust off the train on his ,ay to transact some 3usiness ,ith the Bolton Worsted 8ills. The ,al! throu'h the to,n had 3een lon'A and 3y the time the traveller paused at our cotta'e to as! the ,ay to the factoriesA his heart had 3ecome 'reatly overta%ed. 2e had refused a stimulantA and had suddenly dropped dead only a moment later. The 3odyA as mi'ht 3e e%pectedA seemed to West a heaven1sent 'ift. =n his 3rief conversation the stran'er had made it clear that he ,as un!no,n in BoltonA and a search of his poc!ets su3seDuently revealed him to 3e one :o3ert 5eavitt of St. 5ouisA apparently ,ithout a family to ma!e instant inDuiries a3out his disappearance. =f this man could not 3e restored to lifeA no one ,ould !no, of our e%periment. We 3uried our materials in a dense strip of ,oods 3et,een the house and the potterTs field. =fA on the other handA he could 3e restoredA our fame ,ould 3e 3rilliantly and perpetually esta3lished. So ,ithout delay West had inCected into the 3odyTs ,rist the compound ,hich ,ould hold it fresh for use after my arrival. The matter of the presuma3ly ,ea! heartA ,hich to my mind imperilled the success of our e%perimentA did not appear to trou3le West e%tensively. 2e hoped at last to o3tain ,hat he had never o3tained 3efore 11 a re!indled spar! of reason and perhaps a normalA livin' creature. So on the ni'ht of 6uly 18A 1)1*A 2er3ert West and = stood in the cellar la3oratory and 'azed at a ,hiteA silent fi'ure 3eneath the dazzlin' arc1li'ht. The em3almin' compound had ,or!ed uncannily ,ellA for as = stared fascinatedly at the sturdy frame ,hich had lain t,o ,ee!s ,ithout stiffenin'A = ,as moved to see! WestTs assurance that the thin' ,as really dead. This assurance he 'ave readily enou'hB remindin' me that the reanimatin' solution ,as never used ,ithout careful tests as to lifeA since it could have no effect if any of the ori'inal vitality ,ere present. As West proceeded to ta!e preliminary stepsA = ,as impressed 3y the vast intricacy of the ne, e%perimentB an intricacy so vast that he could trust no hand less delicate than his o,n. 4or3iddin' me to touch the 3odyA he first inCected a dru' in the ,rist Cust 3eside the place his needle had punctured ,hen inCectin' the em3almin' compound. ThisA he saidA ,as to neutralise the compound and release the system to a normal rela%ation so that the reanimatin' solution mi'ht freely ,or! ,hen inCected. Sli'htly laterA ,hen a chan'e and a 'entle tremor seemed to affect the dead lim3sB West stuffed a pillo,1li!e o3Cect violently over the t,itchin' faceA not ,ithdra,in' it until the corpse appeared Duiet and ready for our attempt at reanimation. The pale enthusiast no, applied some last perfunctory tests for a3solute lifelessnessA ,ithdre, satisfiedA and finally inCected into the left arm an accurately measured amount of the vital eli%irA prepared durin' the afternoon ,ith a 'reater care than ,e had used since colle'e daysA ,hen our feats ,ere ne, and 'ropin'. = cannot e%press the ,ildA 3reathless suspense ,ith ,hich ,e ,aited for results on this first really fresh specimen 11 the first ,e could reasona3ly e%pect to open its lips in rational speechA perhaps to tell of ,hat it had seen 3eyond the unfathoma3le a3yss. West ,as a materialistA 3elievin' in no soul and attri3utin' all the ,or!in' of consciousness to 3odily phenomenaB conseDuently he loo!ed for no revelation of hideous secrets from 'ulfs and caverns 3eyond deathTs 3arrier. = did not ,holly disa'ree ,ith him theoreticallyA yet held va'ue instinctive remnants of the primitive faith of my forefathersB so that = could not help eyein' the corpse ,ith a certain amount of a,e and terri3le e%pectation. Besides 11 = could not e%tract from my memory that hideousA inhuman shrie! ,e heard on the ni'ht ,e tried our first e%periment in the deserted farmhouse at Ar!ham.

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?ery little time had elapsed 3efore = sa, the attempt ,as not to 3e a total failure. A touch of colour came to chee!s hitherto chal!1,hiteA and spread out under the curiously ample stu33le of sandy 3eard. WestA ,ho had his hand on the pulse of the left ,ristA suddenly nodded si'nificantlyB and almost simultaneously a mist appeared on the mirror inclined a3ove the 3odyTs mouth. There follo,ed a fe, spasmodic muscular motionsA and then an audi3le 3reathin' and visi3le motion of the chest. = loo!ed at the closed eyelidsA and thou'ht = detected a Duiverin'. Then the lids openedA she,in' eyes ,hich ,ere 'reyA calmA and aliveA 3ut still unintelli'ent and not even curious. =n a moment of fantastic ,him = ,hispered Duestions to the reddenin' earsB Duestions of other ,orlds of ,hich the memory mi'ht still 3e present. Su3seDuent terror drove them from my mindA 3ut = thin! the last oneA ,hich = repeatedA ,as9 LWhere have you 3eenGL = do not yet !no, ,hether = ,as ans,ered or notA for no sound came from the ,ell1shaped mouthB 3ut = do !no, that at that moment = firmly thou'ht the thin lips moved silentlyA formin' sylla3les ,hich = ,ould have vocalised as Lonly no,L if that phrase had possessed any sense or relevancy. At that momentA as = sayA = ,as elated ,ith the conviction that the one 'reat 'oal had 3een attainedB and that for the first time a reanimated corpse had uttered distinct ,ords impelled 3y actual reason. =n the ne%t moment there ,as no dou3t a3out the triumphB no dou3t that the solution had truly accomplishedA at least temporarilyA its full mission of restorin' rational and articulate life to the dead. But in that triumph there came to me the 'reatest of all horrors 11 not horror of the thin' that spo!eA 3ut of the deed that = had ,itnessed and of the man ,ith ,hom my professional fortunes ,ere Coined. 4or that very fresh 3odyA at last ,rithin' into full and terrifyin' consciousness ,ith eyes dilated at the memory of its last scene on earthA thre, out its frantic hands in a life and death stru''le ,ith the airA and suddenly collapsin' into a second and final dissolution from ,hich there could 3e no returnA screamed out the cry that ,ill rin' eternally in my achin' 3rain9 L2elpF 0eep offA you cursed little to,1head fiend 11 !eep that damned needle a,ay from meFL

V. The Horror From the Sh $o2s

8any men have related hideous thin'sA not mentioned in printA ,hich happened on the 3attlefields of the 7reat War. Some of these thin's have made me faintA others have convulsed me ,ith devastatin' nauseaA ,hile still others have made me trem3le and loo! 3ehind me in the dar!B yet despite the ,orst of them = 3elieve = can myself relate the most hideous thin' of all 11 the shoc!in'A the unnaturalA the un3elieva3le horror from the shado,s. =n 1)1 = ,as a physician ,ith the ran! of 4irst 5ieutenant in a Canadian re'iment in 4landersA one of many Americans to precede the 'overnment itself into the 'i'antic stru''le. = had not entered the army on my o,n initiativeA 3ut rather as a natural result of the enlistment of the man ,hose indispensa3le assistant = ,as 11 the cele3rated Boston sur'ical specialistA $r. 2er3ert West. $r. West had 3een avid for a chance to serve as sur'eon in a 'reat ,arA and ,hen the chance had comeA he carried me ,ith him almost a'ainst my ,ill. There ,ere reasons ,hy = could have 3een 'lad to let the ,ar separate usB

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reasons ,hy = found the practice of medicine and the companionship of West more and more irritatin'B 3ut ,hen he had 'one to +tta,a and throu'h a collea'ueTs influence secured a medical commission as 8aCorA = could not resist the imperious persuasion of one determined that = should accompany him in my usual capacity. When = say that $r. West ,as avid to serve in 3attleA = do not mean to imply that he ,as either naturally ,arli!e or an%ious for the safety of civilisation. Al,ays an ice1cold intellectual machineB sli'htA 3londA 3lue1eyedA and spectacledB = thin! he secretly sneered at my occasional martial enthusiasms and censures of supine neutrality. There ,asA ho,everA somethin' he ,anted in em3attled 4landersB and in order to secure it had had to assume a military e%terior. What he ,anted ,as not a thin' ,hich many persons ,antA 3ut somethin' connected ,ith the peculiar 3ranch of medical science ,hich he had chosen Duite clandestinely to follo,A and in ,hich he had achieved amazin' and occasionally hideous results. =t ,asA in factA nothin' more or less than an a3undant supply of freshly !illed men in every sta'e of dismem3erment. 2er3ert West needed fresh 3odies 3ecause his life1,or! ,as the reanimation of the dead. This ,or! ,as not !no,n to the fashiona3le clientele ,ho had so s,iftly 3uilt up his fame after his arrival in BostonB 3ut ,as only too ,ell !no,n to meA ,ho had 3een his closest friend and sole assistant since the old days in 8is!atonic (niversity 8edical School at Ar!ham. =t ,as in those colle'e days that he had 3e'un his terri3le e%perimentsA first on small animals and then on human 3odies shoc!in'ly o3tained. There ,as a solution ,hich he inCected into the veins of dead thin'sA and if they ,ere fresh enou'h they responded in stran'e ,ays. 2e had had much trou3le in discoverin' the proper formulaA for each type of or'anism ,as found to need a stimulus especially adapted to it. Terror stal!ed him ,hen he reflected on his partial failuresB nameless thin's resultin' from imperfect solutions or from 3odies insufficiently fresh. A certain num3er of these failures had remained alive 11 one ,as in an asylum ,hile others had vanished 11 and as he thou'ht of conceiva3le yet virtually impossi3le eventualities he often shivered 3eneath his usual stolidity. West had soon learned that a3solute freshness ,as the prime reDuisite for useful specimensA and had accordin'ly resorted to fri'htful and unnatural e%pedients in 3ody1 snatchin'. =n colle'eA and durin' our early practice to'ether in the factory to,n of BoltonA my attitude to,ard him had 3een lar'ely one of fascinated admirationB 3ut as his 3oldness in methods 're,A = 3e'an to develop a 'na,in' fear. = did not li!e the ,ay he loo!ed at healthy livin' 3odiesB and then there came a ni'htmarish session in the cellar la3oratory ,hen = learned that a certain specimen had 3een a livin' 3ody ,hen he secured it. That ,as the first time he had ever 3een a3le to revive the Duality of rational thou'ht in a corpseB and his successA o3tained at such a loathsome costA had completely hardened him. +f his methods in the intervenin' five years = dare not spea!. = ,as held to him 3y sheer force of fearA and ,itnessed si'hts that no human ton'ue could repeat. 7radually = came to find 2er3ert West himself more horri3le than anythin' he did 11 that ,as ,hen it da,ned on me that his once normal scientific zeal for prolon'in' life had su3tly de'enerated into a mere mor3id and 'houlish curiosity and secret sense of charnel picturesDueness. 2is interest 3ecame a hellish and perverse addiction to the repellently and fiendishly a3normalB he 'loated calmly over artificial monstrosities ,hich ,ould ma!e most healthy men drop dead from fri'ht and dis'ustB he 3ecameA 3ehind his pallid intellectualityA a fastidious Baudelaire of physical e%periment 11 a lan'uid Ela'a3alus of the tom3s.

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$an'ers he met unflinchin'lyB crimes he committed unmoved. = thin! the clima% came ,hen he had proved his point that rational life can 3e restoredA and had sou'ht ne, ,orlds to conDuer 3y e%perimentin' on the reanimation of detached parts of 3odies. 2e had ,ild and ori'inal ideas on the independent vital properties of or'anic cells and nerve1tissue separated from natural physiolo'ical systemsB and achieved some hideous preliminary results in the form of never1dyin'A artificially nourished tissue o3tained from the nearly hatched e''s of an indescri3a3le tropical reptile. T,o 3iolo'ical points he ,as e%ceedin'ly an%ious to settle 11 firstA ,hether any amount of consciousness and rational action 3e possi3le ,ithout the 3rainA proceedin' from the spinal cord and various nerve1centresB and secondA ,hether any !ind of etherealA intan'i3le relation distinct from the material cells may e%ist to lin! the sur'ically separated parts of ,hat has previously 3een a sin'le livin' or'anism. All this research ,or! reDuired a prodi'ious supply of freshly slau'htered human flesh 11 and that ,as ,hy 2er3ert West had entered the 7reat War. The phantasmalA unmentiona3le thin' occurred one midni'ht late in 8archA 1)1 A in a field hospital 3ehind the lines of St. Eloi. = ,onder even no, if it could have 3een other than a daemoniac dream of delirium. West had a private la3oratory in an east room of the 3arn1li!e temporary edificeA assi'ned him on his plea that he ,as devisin' ne, and radical methods for the treatment of hitherto hopeless cases of maimin'. There he ,or!ed li!e a 3utcher in the midst of his 'ory ,ares 11 = could never 'et used to the levity ,ith ,hich he handled and classified certain thin's. At times he actually did perform marvels of sur'ery for the soldiersB 3ut his chief deli'hts ,ere of a less pu3lic and philanthropic !indA reDuirin' many e%planations of sounds ,hich seemed peculiar even amidst that 3a3el of the damned. Amon' these sounds ,ere freDuent revolver1shots 11 surely not uncommon on a 3attlefieldA 3ut distinctly uncommon in an hospital. $r. WestTs reanimated specimens ,ere not meant for lon' e%istence or a lar'e audience. Besides human tissueA West employed much of the reptile em3ryo tissue ,hich he had cultivated ,ith such sin'ular results. =t ,as 3etter than human material for maintainin' life in or'anless fra'mentsA and that ,as no, my friendTs chief activity. =n a dar! corner of the la3oratoryA over a Dueer incu3atin' 3urnerA he !ept a lar'e covered vat full of this reptilian cell1matterB ,hich multiplied and 're, puffily and hideously. +n the ni'ht of ,hich = spea! ,e had a splendid ne, specimen 11 a man at once physically po,erful and of such hi'h mentality that a sensitive nervous system ,as assured. =t ,as rather ironicA for he ,as the officer ,ho had helped West to his commissionA and ,ho ,as no, to have 3een our associate. 8oreoverA he had in the past secretly studied the theory of reanimation to some e%tent under West. 8aCor Sir Eric 8oreland Clapham15eeA $.S.+.A ,as the 'reatest sur'eon in our divisionA and had 3een hastily assi'ned to the St. Eloi sector ,hen ne,s of the heavy fi'htin' reached headDuarters. 2e had come in an aeroplane piloted 3y the intrepid 5ieut. :onald 2illA only to 3e shot do,n ,hen directly over his destination. The fall had 3een spectacular and a,fulB 2ill ,as unreco'nisa3le after,ardA 3ut the ,rec! yielded up the 'reat sur'eon in a nearly decapitated 3ut other,ise intact condition. West had 'reedily seized the lifeless thin' ,hich had once 3een his friend and fello,1scholarB and = shuddered ,hen he finished severin' the headA placed it in his hellish vat of pulpy reptile1tissue to preserve it for future e%perimentsA and proceeded to treat the decapitated 3ody on the operatin' ta3le. 2e inCected ne, 3loodA Coined certain veinsA arteriesA and nerves at the headless nec!A and closed the 'hastly aperture ,ith en'rafted s!in from an unidentified specimen ,hich had 3orne an officerTs uniform. = !ne, ,hat he ,anted 11 to see if this hi'hly or'anised 3ody

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could e%hi3itA ,ithout its headA any of the si'ns of mental life ,hich had distin'uished Sir Eric 8oreland Clapham15ee. +nce a student of reanimationA this silent trun! ,as no, 'ruesomely called upon to e%emplify it. = can still see 2er3ert West under the sinister electric li'ht as he inCected his reanimatin' solution into the arm of the headless 3ody. The scene = cannot descri3e 11 = should faint if = tried itA for there is madness in a room full of classified charnel thin'sA ,ith 3lood and lesser human de3ris almost an!le1deep on the slimy floorA and ,ith hideous reptilian a3normalities sproutin'A 3u33lin'A and 3a!in' over a ,in!in' 3luish1'reen spectre of dim flame in a far corner of 3lac! shado,s. The specimenA as West repeatedly o3servedA had a splendid nervous system. 8uch ,as e%pected of itB and as a fe, t,itchin' motions 3e'an to appearA = could see the feverish interest on WestTs face. 2e ,as readyA = thin!A to see proof of his increasin'ly stron' opinion that consciousnessA reasonA and personality can e%ist independently of the 3rain 11 that man has no central connective spiritA 3ut is merely a machine of nervous matterA each section more or less complete in itself. =n one triumphant demonstration West ,as a3out to rele'ate the mystery of life to the cate'ory of myth. The 3ody no, t,itched more vi'orouslyA and 3eneath our avid eyes commenced to heave in a fri'htful ,ay. The arms stirred disDuietin'lyA the le's dre, upA and various muscles contracted in a repulsive !ind of ,rithin'. Then the headless thin' thre, out its arms in a 'esture ,hich ,as unmista!a3ly one of desperation 11 an intelli'ent desperation apparently sufficient to prove every theory of 2er3ert West. CertainlyA the nerves ,ere recallin' the manTs last act in lifeB the stru''le to 'et free of the fallin' aeroplane. What follo,edA = shall never positively !no,. =t may have 3een ,holly an hallucination from the shoc! caused at that instant 3y the sudden and complete destruction of the 3uildin' in a cataclysm of 7erman shell1fire 11 ,ho can 'ainsay itA since West and = ,ere the only proved survivorsG West li!ed to thin! that 3efore his recent disappearanceA 3ut there ,ere times ,hen he could notB for it ,as Dueer that ,e 3oth had the same hallucination. The hideous occurrence itself ,as very simpleA nota3le only for ,hat it implied. The 3ody on the ta3le had risen ,ith a 3lind and terri3le 'ropin'A and ,e had heard a sound. = should not call that sound a voiceA for it ,as too a,ful. And yet its tim3re ,as not the most a,ful thin' a3out it. ;either ,as its messa'e 11 it had merely screamedA L6umpA :onaldA for 7odTs sa!eA CumpFL The a,ful thin' ,as its source. 4or it had come from the lar'e covered vat in that 'houlish corner of cra,lin' 3lac! shado,s.

V,. The Tom64Le-io#s

When $r. 2er3ert West disappeared a year a'oA the Boston police Duestioned me closely. They suspected that = ,as holdin' somethin' 3ac!A and perhaps suspected 'raver thin'sB 3ut = could not tell them the truth 3ecause they ,ould not have 3elieved it. They !ne,A indeedA that West had 3een connected ,ith activities 3eyond the credence of ordinary menB for his hideous e%periments in the reanimation of dead 3odies had lon' 3een

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too e%tensive to admit of perfect secrecyB 3ut the final soul1shatterin' catastrophe held elements of daemoniac phantasy ,hich ma!e even me dou3t the reality of ,hat = sa,. = ,as WestTs closest friend and only confidential assistant. We had met years 3eforeA in medical schoolA and from the first = had shared his terri3le researches. 2e had slo,ly tried to perfect a solution ,hichA inCected into the veins of the ne,ly deceasedA ,ould restore lifeB a la3our demandin' an a3undance of fresh corpses and therefore involvin' the most unnatural actions. Still more shoc!in' ,ere the products of some of the e%periments 11 'risly masses of flesh that had 3een deadA 3ut that West ,a!ed to a 3lindA 3rainlessA nauseous ammation. These ,ere the usual resultsA for in order to rea,a!en the mind it ,as necessary to have specimens so a3solutely fresh that no decay could possi3ly affect the delicate 3rain1cells. This need for very fresh corpses had 3een WestTs moral undoin'. They ,ere hard to 'etA and one a,ful day he had secured his specimen ,hile it ,as still alive and vi'orous. A stru''leA a needleA and a po,erful al!aloid had transformed it to a very fresh corpseA and the e%periment had succeeded for a 3rief and memora3le momentB 3ut West had emer'ed ,ith a soul calloused and searedA and a hardened eye ,hich sometimes 'lanced ,ith a !ind of hideous and calculatin' appraisal at men of especially sensitive 3rain and especially vi'orous physiDue. To,ard the last = 3ecame acutely afraid of WestA for he 3e'an to loo! at me that ,ay. >eople did not seem to notice his 'lancesA 3ut they noticed my fearB and after his disappearance used that as a 3asis for some a3surd suspicions. WestA in realityA ,as more afraid than =B for his a3omina3le pursuits entailed a life of furtiveness and dread of every shado,. >artly it ,as the police he fearedB 3ut sometimes his nervousness ,as deeper and more ne3ulousA touchin' on certain indescri3a3le thin's into ,hich he had inCected a mor3id lifeA and from ,hich he had not seen that life depart. 2e usually finished his e%periments ,ith a revolverA 3ut a fe, times he had not 3een Duic! enou'h. There ,as that first specimen on ,hose rifled 'rave mar!s of cla,in' ,ere later seen. There ,as also that Ar!ham professorTs 3ody ,hich had done canni3al thin's 3efore it had 3een captured and thrust unidentified into a madhouse cell at SeftonA ,here it 3eat the ,alls for si%teen years. 8ost of the other possi3ly survivin' results ,ere thin's less easy to spea! of 11 for in later years WestTs scientific zeal had de'enerated to an unhealthy and fantastic maniaA and he had spent his chief s!ill in vitalisin' not entire human 3odies 3ut isolated parts of 3odiesA or parts Coined to or'anic matter other than human. =t had 3ecome fiendishly dis'ustin' 3y the time he disappearedB many of the e%periments could not even 3e hinted at in print. The 7reat WarA throu'h ,hich 3oth of us served as sur'eonsA had intensified this side of West. =n sayin' that WestTs fear of his specimens ,as ne3ulousA = have in mind particularly its comple% nature. >art of it came merely from !no,in' of the e%istence of such nameless monstersA ,hile another part arose from apprehension of the 3odily harm they mi'ht under certain circumstances do him. Their disappearance added horror to the situation 11 of them allA West !ne, the ,herea3outs of only oneA the pitiful asylum thin'. Then there ,as a more su3tle fear 11 a very fantastic sensation resultin' from a curious e%periment in the Canadian army in 1)1 . WestA in the midst of a severe 3attleA had reanimated 8aCor Sir Eric 8oreland Clapham15eeA $.S.+.A a fello,1physician ,ho !ne, a3out his e%periments and could have duplicated them. The head had 3een removedA so that the possi3ilities of Duasi1intelli'ent life in the trun! mi'ht 3e investi'ated. 6ust as the 3uildin' ,as ,iped out 3y a 7erman shellA there had 3een a success. The trun! had moved intelli'entlyB andA

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2er3ert West9 :eanimator

#"*

un3elieva3le to relateA ,e ,ere 3oth sic!enin'ly sure that articulate sounds had come from the detached head as it lay in a shado,y corner of the la3oratory. The shell had 3een mercifulA in a ,ay 11 3ut West could never feel as certain as he ,ishedA that ,e t,o ,ere the only survivors. 2e used to ma!e shudderin' conCectures a3out the possi3le actions of a headless physician ,ith the po,er of reanimatin' the dead. WestTs last Duarters ,ere in a venera3le house of much ele'anceA overloo!in' one of the oldest 3uryin'1'rounds in Boston. 2e had chosen the place for purely sym3olic and fantastically aesthetic reasonsA since most of the interments ,ere of the colonial period and therefore of little use to a scientist see!in' very fresh 3odies. The la3oratory ,as in a su31 cellar secretly constructed 3y imported ,or!menA and contained a hu'e incinerator for the Duiet and complete disposal of such 3odiesA or fra'ments and synthetic moc!eries of 3odiesA as mi'ht remain from the mor3id e%periments and unhallo,ed amusements of the o,ner. $urin' the e%cavation of this cellar the ,or!men had struc! some e%ceedin'ly ancient masonryB undou3tedly connected ,ith the old 3uryin'1'roundA yet far too deep to correspond ,ith any !no,n sepulchre therein. After a num3er of calculations West decided that it represented some secret cham3er 3eneath the tom3 of the AverillsA ,here the last interment had 3een made in 17-8. = ,as ,ith him ,hen he studied the nitrousA drippin' ,alls laid 3are 3y the spades and mattoc!s of the menA and ,as prepared for the 'ruesome thrill ,hich ,ould attend the uncoverin' of centuried 'rave1secretsB 3ut for the first time WestTs ne, timidity conDuered his natural curiosityA and he 3etrayed his de'eneratin' fi3re 3y orderin' the masonry left intact and plastered over. Thus it remained till that final hellish ni'htB part of the ,alls of the secret la3oratory. = spea! of WestTs decadenceA 3ut must add that it ,as a purely mental and intan'i3le thin'. +ut,ardly he ,as the same to the last 11 calmA coldA sli'htA and yello,1hairedA ,ith spectacled 3lue eyes and a 'eneral aspect of youth ,hich years and fears seemed never to chan'e. 2e seemed calm even ,hen he thou'ht of that cla,ed 'rave and loo!ed over his shoulderB even ,hen he thou'ht of the carnivorous thin' that 'na,ed and pa,ed at Sefton 3ars. The end of 2er3ert West 3e'an one evenin' in our Coint study ,hen he ,as dividin' his curious 'lance 3et,een the ne,spaper and me. A stran'e headline item had struc! at him from the crumpled pa'esA and a nameless titan cla, had seemed to reach do,n throu'h si%teen years. Somethin' fearsome and incredi3le had happened at Sefton Asylum fifty miles a,ayA stunnin' the nei'h3ourhood and 3afflin' the police. =n the small hours of the mornin' a 3ody of silent men had entered the 'roundsA and their leader had aroused the attendants. 2e ,as a menacin' military fi'ure ,ho tal!ed ,ithout movin' his lips and ,hose voice seemed almost ventriloDuially connected ,ith an immense 3lac! case he carried. 2is e%pressionless face ,as handsome to the point of radiant 3eautyA 3ut had shoc!ed the superintendent ,hen the hall li'ht fell on it 11 for it ,as a ,a% face ,ith eyes of painted 'lass. Some nameless accident had 3efallen this man. A lar'er man 'uided his stepsB a repellent hul! ,hose 3luish face seemed half eaten a,ay 3y some un!no,n malady. The spea!er had as!ed for the custody of the canni3al monster committed from Ar!ham si%teen years 3eforeB and upon 3ein' refusedA 'ave a si'nal ,hich precipitated a shoc!in' riot. The fiends had 3eatenA trampledA and 3itten every attendant ,ho did not fleeB !illin' four and finally succeedin' in the li3eration of the monster. Those victims ,ho could recall the event ,ithout hysteria s,ore that the creatures had acted less li!e men than li!e unthin!a3le automata 'uided 3y the ,a%1faced leader. By the time help could 3e summonedA every trace of the men and of their mad char'e had vanished.

H.P.Lovecr !t

2er3ert West9 :eanimator

#"1

4rom the hour of readin' this item until midm'htA West sat almost paralysed. At midni'ht the door3ell ran'A startlin' him fearfully. All the servants ,ere asleep in the atticA so = ans,ered the 3ell. As = have told the policeA there ,as no ,a'on in the streetA 3ut only a 'roup of stran'e1loo!in' fi'ures 3earin' a lar'e sDuare 3o% ,hich they deposited in the hall,ay after one of them had 'runted in a hi'hly unnatural voiceA LE%press 11 prepaid.L They filed out of the house ,ith a Cer!y treadA and as = ,atched them 'o = had an odd idea that they ,ere turnin' to,ard the ancient cemetery on ,hich the 3ac! of the house a3utted. When = slammed the door after them West came do,nstairs and loo!ed at the 3o%. =t ,as a3out t,o feet sDuareA and 3ore WestTs correct name and present address. =t also 3ore the inscriptionA L4rom Eric 8oreland Clapham15eeA St. EloiA 4landers.L Si% years 3eforeA in 4landersA a shelled hospital had fallen upon the headless reanimated trun! of $r. Clapham1 5eeA and upon the detached head ,hich 11 perhaps 11 had uttered articulate sounds. West ,as not even e%cited no,. 2is condition ,as more 'hastly. /uic!ly he saidA L=tTs the finish 11 3ut letTs incinerate 11 this.L We carried the thin' do,n to the la3oratory 11 listenin'. = do not remem3er many particulars 11 you can ima'ine my state of mind 11 3ut it is a vicious lie to say it ,as 2er3ert WestTs 3ody ,hich = put into the incinerator. We 3oth inserted the ,hole unopened ,ooden 3o%A closed the doorA and started the electricity. ;or did any sound come from the 3o%A after all. =t ,as West ,ho first noticed the fallin' plaster on that part of the ,all ,here the ancient tom3 masonry had 3een covered up. = ,as 'oin' to runA 3ut he stopped me. Then = sa, a small 3lac! apertureA felt a 'houlish ,ind of iceA and smelled the charnel 3o,els of a putrescent earth. There ,as no soundA 3ut Cust then the electric li'hts ,ent out and = sa, outlined a'ainst some phosphorescence of the nether ,orld a horde of silent toilin' thin's ,hich only insanity 11 or ,orse 11 could create. Their outlines ,ere humanA semi1humanA fractionally humanA and not human at all 11 the horde ,as 'rotesDuely hetero'eneous. They ,ere removin' the stones DuietlyA one 3y oneA from the centuried ,all. And thenA as the 3reach 3ecame lar'e enou'hA they came out into the la3oratory in sin'le fileB led 3y a tal!in' thin' ,ith a 3eautiful head made of ,a%. A sort of mad1eyed monstrosity 3ehind the leader seized on 2er3ert West. West did not resist or utter a sound. Then they all spran' at him and tore him to pieces 3efore my eyesA 3earin' the fra'ments a,ay into that su3terranean vault of fa3ulous a3ominations. WestTs head ,as carried off 3y the ,a%1 headed leaderA ,ho ,ore a Canadian officerTs uniform. As it disappeared = sa, that the 3lue eyes 3ehind the spectacles ,ere hideously 3lazin' ,ith their first touch of franticA visi3le emotion. Servants found me unconscious in the mornin'. West ,as 'one. The incinerator contained only unidentifia3le ashes. $etectives have Duestioned meA 3ut ,hat can = sayG The Sefton tra'edy they ,ill not connect ,ith WestB not thatA nor the men ,ith the 3o%A ,hose e%istence they deny. = told them of the vaultA and they pointed to the un3ro!en plaster ,all and lau'hed. So = told them no more. They imply that = am either a madman or a murderer 11 pro3a3ly = am mad. But = mi'ht not 3e mad if those accursed tom31le'ions had not 3een so silent.

Histor& o! the Necro#omico#

+ri'inal title Al A2if -- a2if 3ein' the ,ord used 3y Ara3s to desi'nate that nocturnal sound Jmade 3y insectsK suppos<d to 3e the ho,lin' of daemons. Composed 3y A3dul AlhazredA a mad poet of SanaYA in .emenA ,ho is said to have flourished durin' the period of the +mmiade caliphsA circa 7** A.$. 2e visited the ruins of Ba3ylon and the su3terranean secrets of 8emphis and spent ten years alone in the 'reat southern desert of Ara3ia 11 the :o3a el 0haliyeh or LEmpty SpaceL of the ancients 11 and L$ahnaL or LCrimsonL desert of the modern Ara3sA ,hich is held to 3e inha3ited 3y protective evil spirits and monsters of death. +f this desert many stran'e and un3elieva3le marvels are told 3y those ,ho pretend to have penetrated it. =n his last years Alhazred d,elt in $amascusA ,here the -ecronomicon JAl A2ifK ,as ,rittenA and of his final death or disappearance J7&8 A.$.K many terri3le and conflictin' thin's are told. 2e is said 3y E3n 0halli!an J1"th cent. 3io'rapherK to have 3een seized 3y an invisi3le monster in 3road dayli'ht and devoured horri3ly 3efore a lar'e num3er of fri'ht1frozen ,itnesses. +f his madness many thin's are told. 2e claimed to have seen fa3ulous =remA or City of >illarsA and to have found 3eneath the ruins of a certain nameless desert to,n the shoc!in' annals and secrets of a race older than man!ind. 2e ,as only an indifferent 8oslemA ,orshippin' un!no,n entities ,hom he called .o'1Sothoth and Cthulhu. =n A.$. ) * the A2ifA ,hich had 'ained a considera3le tho< surreptitious circulation amon'st the philosophers of the a'eA ,as secretly translated into 7ree! 3y Theodorus >hiletas of Constantinople under the title -ecronomicon. 4or a century it impelled certain e%perimenters to terri3le attemptsA ,hen it ,as suppressed and 3urnt 3y the patriarch 8ichael. After this it is only heard of furtivelyA 3ut J1""8K +laus Wormius made a 5atin translation later in the 8iddle A'esA and the 5atin te%t ,as printed t,ice 11 once in the fifteenth century in 3lac!1letter Jevidently in 7ermanyK and once in the seventeenth Jpro3. SpanishK 11 3oth editions 3ein' ,ithout identifyin' mar!sA and located as to time and place 3y internal typo'raphical evidence only. The ,or! 3oth 5atin and 7ree! ,as 3anned 3y >ope 7re'ory =R in 1"&"A shortly after its 5atin translationA ,hich called attention to it. The Ara3ic ori'inal ,as lost as early as Wormius< timeA as indicated 3y his prefatory noteB and no si'ht of the 7ree! copy 11 ,hich ,as printed in =taly 3et,een 1 ** and 1 * 11 has 3een reported since the 3urnin' of a certain Salem man<s li3rary in 1-)". An En'lish translation made 3y $r. $ee ,as never printedA and e%ists only in fra'ments recovered from the ori'inal manuscript. +f the 5atin te%ts no, e%istin' one J1 th cent.K is !no,n to 3e in the British 8useum under loc! and !eyA ,hile another J17th cent.K is in the Bi3liothMDue ;ationale at >aris. A seventeenth1century edition is in the Widener 5i3rary at 2arvardA and in the li3rary of 8is!atonic (niversity at Ar!ham. Also in the li3rary of the (niversity of Buenos Ayres. ;umerous other copies pro3a3ly e%ist in secretA and a fifteenth1century one is persistently rumoured to form part of the collection of a cele3rated American millionaire. A still va'uer rumour credits the preservation of a si%teenth1century 7ree! te%t in the Salem family of >ic!manB 3ut if it ,as so preservedA it vanished ,ith the artist :. (. >ic!manA ,ho disappeared early in 1)"-. The 3oo! is ri'idly suppressed 3y the authorities of most countriesA and 3y all 3ranches of or'anised ecclesiasticism. :eadin' leads to terri3le conseDuences. =t ,as from rumours of this 3oo! Jof ,hich relatively fe,

H.P.Lovecr !t

2istory of the ;ecronomicon

#"&

of the 'eneral pu3lic !no,K that :. W. Cham3ers is said to have derived the idea of his early novel T"e 3ing in ;ello$. C"ronology Al A2if ,ritten circa 7&* A.$. at $amascus 3y A3dul Alhazred Tr. to 7ree! ) * A.$. as -ecronomicon 3y Theodorus >hiletas Burnt 3y >atriarch 8ichael 1* * Ji.e.A 7ree! te%tK. Ara3ic te%t no, lost. +laus translates 7r. to 5atin 1""8 1"&" 5atin ed. Jand 7r.K suppr. 3y >ope 7re'ory =R 1#... Blac!1letter printed edition J7ermanyK 1 ... 7r. te%t printed in =taly 1-... Spanish reprint of 5atin te%t

This should 3e supplemented ,ith a letter ,ritten to Clar! Ashton Smith on ;ovem3er "7A 1)"79 = have had no chance to produce ne, material this autumnA 3ut have 3een classifyin' notes N synopses in preparation for some monstrous tales later on. =n particular = have dra,n up some data on the cele3rated N unmentiona3le -ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul AlhazredF =t seems that this shoc!in' 3lasphemy ,as produced 3y a native of SanaYA in .emenA ,ho flourished a3out 7** A.$. N made many mysterious pil'rima'es to Ba3ylon<s ruinsA 8emphis<s catacom3sA N the devil1haunted N untrodden ,astes of the 'reat southern deserts of Ara3ia 11 the :o3a el 0haliyehA ,here he claimed to have found records of thin's older than man!indA N to have learnt the ,orship of .o'1Sothoth N Cthulhu. The 3oo! ,as a product of A3dul<s old a'eA ,hich ,as spent in $amascusA N the ori'inal title ,as Al A2if -- a2if Jcf. 2enley<s notes to .at"ekK 3ein' the name applied to those stran'e ni'ht noises Jof insectsK ,hich the Ara3s attri3ute to the ho,lin' of daemons. Alhazred died 11 or disappeared 11 under terri3le circumstances in the year 7&8. =n ) * Al A2if ,as translated into 7ree! 3y the Byzantine Theodorus >hiletas under the title -ecronomiconA N a century later it ,as 3urnt at the order of 8ichaelA >atriarch of Constantinople. =t ,as translated into 5atin 3y +laus in 1""8A 3ut placed on the Inde@ @purgatorius 3y >ope 7re'ory =R in 1"&". The ori'inal Ara3ic ,as lost 3efore +laus< timeA N the last kno$n 7ree! copy perished in Salem in 1-)". The ,or! ,as printed in the 1 thA 1-thA N 17th centuriesA 3ut fe, copies are e%tant. Wherever e%istin'A it is carefully 'uarded for the sa!e of the ,orld<s ,elfare N sanity. +nce a man read throu'h the copy in the li3rary of 8is!atonic (niversity at Ar!ham 11 read it throu'h N fled ,ild1eyed into the hills... 3ut that is another storyF

The Horror t M rti#9s Be ch

= have never heard an even appro%imately adeDuate e%planation of the horror at 8artin<s Beach. $espite the lar'e num3er of ,itnessesA no t,o accounts a'reeB and the testimony ta!en 3y local authorities contains the most amazin' discrepancies. >erhaps this haziness is natural in vie, of the unheard1of character of the horror itselfA the almost paralytic terror of all ,ho sa, itA and the efforts made 3y the fashiona3le Wavecrest =nn to hush it up after the pu3licity created 3y >rof. Ahon<s article LAre 2ypnotic >o,ers Confined to :eco'nized 2umanityGL A'ainst all these o3stacles = am strivin' to present a coherent versionB for = 3eheld the hideous occurrenceA and 3elieve it should 3e !no,n in vie, of the appallin' possi3ilities it su''ests. 8artin<s Beach is once more popular as a ,aterin'1placeA 3ut = shudder ,hen = thin! of it. =ndeedA = cannot loo! at the ocean at all no, ,ithout shudderin'. 4ate is not al,ays ,ithout a sense of drama and clima%A hence the terri3le happenin' of Au'ust 8A 1)""A s,iftly follo,ed a period of minor and a'reea3ly ,onder1frau'ht e%citement at 8artin<s Beach. +n 8ay 17 the cre, of the fishin' smac! Alma of 7loucesterA under Capt. 6ames >. +rneA !illedA after a 3attle of nearly forty hoursA a marine monster ,hose size and aspect produced the 'reatest possi3le stir in scientific circles and caused certain Boston naturalists to ta!e every precaution for its ta%idermic preservation. The o3Cect ,as some fifty feet in len'thA of rou'hly cylindrical shapeA and a3out ten feet in diameter. =t ,as unmista!a3ly a 'illed fish in its maCor affiliationsB 3ut ,ith certain curious modifications such as rudimentary forele's and si%1toed feet in place of pectoral finsA ,hich prompted the ,idest speculation. =ts e%traordinary mouthA its thic! and scaly hideA and its sin'leA deep1set eye ,ere ,onders scarcely less remar!a3le than its colossal dimensionsB and ,hen the naturalists pronounced it an infant or'anismA ,hich could not have 3een hatched more than a fe, daysA pu3lic interest mounted to e%traordinary hei'hts. Capt. +rneA ,ith typical .an!ee shre,dnessA o3tained a vessel lar'e enou'h to hold the o3Cect in its hullA and arran'ed for the e%hi3ition of his prize. With Cudicious carpentry he prepared ,hat amounted to an e%cellent marine museumA andA sailin' south to the ,ealthy resort district of 8artin<s BeachA anchored at the hotel ,harf and reaped a harvest of admission fees. The intrinsic marvelousness of the o3CectA and the importance ,hich it clearly 3ore in the minds of many scientific visitors from near and farA com3ined to ma!e it the season<s sensation. That it ,as a3solutely uniDue 1 uniDue to a scientifically revolutionary de'ree 1 ,as ,ell understood. The naturalists had sho,n plainly that it radically differed from the similarly immense fish cau'ht off the 4lorida coastB thatA ,hile it ,as o3viously an inha3itant of almost incredi3le depthsA perhaps thousands of feetA its 3rain and principal or'ans indicated a development startlin'ly vastA and out of all proportion to anythin' hitherto associated ,ith the fish tri3e. +n the mornin' of 6uly "* the sensation ,as increased 3y the loss of the vessel and its stran'e treasure. =n the storm of the precedin' ni'ht it had 3ro!en from its moorin's and

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2orror at 8artin<s Beach

#"

vanished forever from the si'ht of manA carryin' ,ith it the 'uard ,ho had slept a3oard despite the threatenin' ,eather. Capt. +rneA 3ac!ed 3y e%tensive scientific interests and aided 3y lar'e num3ers of fishin' 3oats from 7loucesterA made a thorou'h and e%haustive searchin' cruiseA 3ut ,ith no result other than the promptin' of interest and conversation. By Au'ust 7 hope ,as a3andonedA and Capt. +rne had returned to the Wavecrest =nn to ,ind up his 3usiness affairs at 8artin<s Beach and confer ,ith certain of the scientific men ,ho remained there. The horror came on Au'ust 8. =t ,as in the t,ili'htA ,hen 'rey sea13irds hovered lo, near the shore and a risin' moon 3e'an to ma!e a 'litterin' path across the ,aters. The scene is important to remem3erA for every impression counts. +n the 3each ,ere several strollers and a fe, late 3athersB stra''lers from the distant cotta'e colony that rose modestly on a 'reen hill to the northA or from the adCacent cliff1perched =nn ,hose imposin' to,ers proclaimed its alle'iance to ,ealth and 'randeur. Well ,ithin vie,in' distance ,as another set of spectatorsA the loun'ers on the =nn<s hi'h1ceiled and lantern1li'hted verandaA ,ho appeared to 3e enCoyin' the dance music from the sumptuous 3allroom inside. These spectatorsA ,ho included Capt. +rne and his 'roup of scientific confreresA Coined the 3each 'roup 3efore the horror pro'ressed farB as did many more from the =nn. Certainly there ,as no lac! of ,itnessesA confused thou'h their stories 3e ,ith fear and dou3t of ,hat they sa,. There is no e%act record of the time the thin' 3e'anA althou'h a maCority say that the fairly round moon ,as La3out a footL a3ove the lo,1lyin' vapors of the horizon. They mention the moon 3ecause ,hat they sa, seemed su3tly connected ,ith it 1 a sort of stealthyA deli3erateA menacin' ripple ,hich rolled in from the far s!yline alon' the shimmerin' lane of reflected moon3eamsA yet ,hich seemed to su3side 3efore it reached the shore. 8any did not notice this ripple until reminded 3y later eventsB 3ut it seems to have 3een very mar!edA differin' in hei'ht and motion from the normal ,aves around it. Some called it cunnin' and calculatin'. And as it died a,ay craftily 3y the 3lac! reefs afar outA there suddenly came 3elchin' up out of the 'litter1strea!ed 3rine a cry of deathB a scream of an'uish and despair that moved pity even ,hile it moc!ed it. 4irst to respond to the cry ,ere the t,o life 'uards then on dutyB sturdy fello,s in ,hite 3athin' attireA ,ith their callin' proclaimed in lar'e red letters across their chests. Accustomed as they ,ere to rescue ,or!A and to the screams of the dro,nin'A they could find nothin' familiar in the unearthly ululationB yet ,ith a trained sense of duty they i'nored the stran'eness and proceeded to follo, their usual course. 2astily seizin' an air1cushionA ,hich ,ith its attached coil of rope lay al,ays at handA one of them ran s,iftly alon' the shore to the scene of the 'atherin' cro,dB ,henceA after ,hirlin' it a3out to 'ain momentumA he flun' the hollo, disc far out in the direction from ,hich the sound had come. As the cushion disappeared in the ,avesA the cro,d curiously a,aited a si'ht of the hapless 3ein' ,hose distress had 3een so 'reatB ea'er to see the rescue made 3y the massive rope. But that rescue ,as soon ac!no,led'ed to 3e no s,ift and easy matterB forA pull as they mi'ht on the ropeA the t,o muscular 'uards could not move the o3Cect at the other end.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2orror at 8artin<s Beach

#"-

=nsteadA they found that o3Cect pullin' ,ith eDual or even 'reater force in the very opposite directionA till in a fe, seconds they ,ere dra''ed off their feet and into the ,ater 3y the stran'e po,er ,hich had seized on the proffered life1preserver. +ne of themA recoverin' himselfA called immediately for help from the cro,d on the shoreA to ,hom he flun' the remainin' coil of ropeB and in a moment the 'uards ,ere seconded 3y all the hardier menA amon' ,hom Capt. +rne ,as foremost. 8ore than a dozen stron' hands ,ere no, tu''in' desperately at the stout lineA yet ,holly ,ithout avail. 2ard as they tu''edA the stran'e force at the other end tu''ed harderB and since neither side rela%ed for an instantA the rope 3ecame ri'id as steel ,ith the enormous strain. The stru''lin' participantsA as ,ell as the spectatorsA ,ere 3y this time consumed ,ith curiosity as to the nature of the force in the sea. The idea of a dro,nin' man had lon' 3een dismissedB and hints of ,halesA su3marinesA monstersA and demons no, passed freely around. Where humanity had first led the rescuersA ,onder !ept them at their tas!B and they hauled ,ith a 'rim determination to uncover the mystery. =t 3ein' decided at last that a ,hale must have s,allo,ed the air1cushionA Capt. +rneA as a natural leaderA shouted to those on shore that a 3oat must 3e o3tained in order to approachA harpoonA and land the unseen leviathan. Several men at once prepared to scatter in Duest of a suita3le craftA ,hile others came to supplant the captain at the strainin' ropeA since his place ,as lo'ically ,ith ,hatever 3oat party mi'ht 3e formed. 2is o,n idea of the situation ,as very 3roadA and 3y no means limited to ,halesA since he had to do ,ith a monster so much stran'er. 2e ,ondered ,hat mi'ht 3e the acts and manifestations of an adult of the species of ,hich the fifty1foot creature had 3een the merest infant. And no, there developed ,ith appallin' suddenness the crucial fact ,hich chan'ed the entire scene from one of ,onder to one of horrorA and dazed ,ith fri'ht the assem3led 3and of toilers and onloo!ers. Capt. +rneA turnin' to leave his post at the ropeA found his hands held in their place ,ith unaccounta3le stren'thB and in a moment he realized that he ,as una3le to let 'o of the rope. 2is pli'ht ,as instantly divinedA and as each companion tested his o,n situation the same condition ,as encountered. The fact could not 3e denied 1 every stru''ler ,as irresisti3ly held in some mysterious 3onda'e to the hempen line ,hich ,as slo,lyA hideouslyA and relentlessly pullin' them out to sea. Speechless horror ensuedB a horror in ,hich the spectators ,ere petrified to utter inaction and mental chaos. Their complete demoralization is reflected in the conflictin' accounts they 'iveA and the sheepish e%cuses they offer for their seemin'ly callous inertia. = ,as one of themA and !no,. Even the stru''lersA after a fe, frantic screams and futile 'roansA succum3ed to the paralyzin' influence and !ept silent and fatalistic in the face of un!no,n po,ers. There they stood in the pallid moonli'htA 3lindly pullin' a'ainst a spectral doom and s,ayin' monotonously 3ac!,ard and for,ard as the ,ater rose first to their !neesA then to their hips. The moon ,ent partly under a cloudA and in the half1li'ht the line of s,ayin' men resem3led some sinister and 'i'antic centipedeA ,rithin' in the clutch of a terri3le creepin' death.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2orror at 8artin<s Beach

#"7

2arder and harder 're, the ropeA as the tu' in 3oth directions increasedA and the strands s,elled ,ith the undistur3ed soa!in' of the risin' ,aves. Slo,ly the tide advancedA till the sands so lately peopled 3y lau'hin' children and ,hisperin' lovers ,ere no, s,allo,ed 3y the ine%ora3le flo,. The herd of panic1stric!en ,atchers sur'ed 3lindly 3ac!,ard as the ,ater crept a3ove their feetA ,hile the fri'htful line of stru''lers s,ayed hideously onA half su3mer'edA and no, at a su3stantial distance from their audience. Silence ,as complete. The cro,dA havin' 'ained a huddlin'1place 3eyond reach of the tideA stared in mute fascinationB ,ithout offerin' a ,ord of advice or encoura'ementA or attemptin' any !ind of assistance. There ,as in the air a ni'htmare fear of impendin' evils such as the ,orld had never 3efore !no,n. 8inutes seemed len'thened into hoursA and still that human sna!e of s,ayin' torsos ,as seen a3ove the fast risin' tide. :hythmically it undulatedB slo,lyA horri3lyA ,ith the seal of doom upon it. Thic!er clouds no, passed over the ascendin' moonA and the 'litterin' path on the ,aters faded nearly out. ?ery dimly ,rithed the serpentine line of noddin' headsA ,ith no, and then the livid face of a 3ac!,ard1'lancin' victim 'leamin' pale in the dar!ness. 4aster and faster 'athered the cloudsA till at len'th their an'ry rifts shot do,n sharp ton'ues of fe3rile flame. Thunders rolledA softly at firstA yet soon increasin' to a deafenin'A maddenin' intensity. Then came a culminatin' crash 1 a shoc! ,hose rever3erations seemed to sha!e land and sea ali!e 1 and on its heels a cloud3urst ,hose drenchin' violence overpo,ered the dar!ened ,orld as if the heavens themselves had opened to pour forth a vindictive torrent. The spectatorsA instinctively actin' despite the a3sence of conscious and coherent thou'htA no, retreated up the cliff steps to the hotel veranda. :umors had reached the 'uests insideA so that the refu'ees found a state of terror nearly eDual to their o,n. = thin! a fe, fri'htened ,ords ,ere utteredA 3ut cannot 3e sure. SomeA ,ho ,ere stayin' at the =nnA retired in terror to their roomsB ,hile others remained to ,atch the fast sin!in' victims as the line of 3o33in' heads sho,ed a3ove the mountin' ,aves in the fitful li'htnin' flashes. = recall thin!in' of those headsA and the 3ul'in' eyes they must containB eyes that mi'ht ,ell reflect all the fri'htA panicA and delirium of a mali'nant universe 1 all the sorro,A sinA and miseryA 3lasted hopes and unfulfilled desiresA fearA loathin' and an'uish of the a'es since time<s 3e'innin'B eyes ali'ht ,ith all the soul1rac!in' pain of eternally 3lazin' infernos. And as = 'azed out 3eyond the headsA my fancy conCured up still another eyeB a sin'le eyeA eDually ali'htA yet ,ith a purpose so revoltin' to my 3rain that the vision soon passed. 2eld in the clutches of an un!no,n viseA the line of the damned dra''ed onB their silent screams and unuttered prayers !no,n only to the demons of the 3lac! ,aves and the ni'ht1 ,ind. There no, 3urst from the infuriate s!y such a mad cataclysm of satanic sound that even the former crash seemed d,arfed. Amidst a 3lindin' 'lare of descendin' fire the voice of heaven resounded ,ith the 3lasphemies of hellA and the min'led a'ony of all the lost rever3erated in one apocalypticA planet1rendin' peal of Cyclopean din. =t ,as the end of the stormA for ,ith uncanny suddenness the rain ceased and the moon once more cast her pallid 3eams on a stran'ely Duieted sea.

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The 2orror at 8artin<s Beach

#"8

There ,as no line of 3o33in' heads no,. The ,aters ,ere calm and desertedA and 3ro!en only 3y the fadin' ripples of ,hat seemed to 3e a ,hirlpool far out in the path of the moonli'ht ,hence the stran'e cry had first come. But as = loo!ed alon' that treacherous lane of silvery sheenA ,ith fancy fevered and senses over,rou'htA there tric!led upon my ears from some a3ysmal sun!en ,aste the faint and sinister echoes of a lau'h.

The Horror t Re$ Hoo+

,.
;ot many ,ee!s a'oA on a street corner in the villa'e of >ascoa'A :hode =slandA a tallA heavily 3uiltA and ,holesome1loo!in' pedestrian furnished much speculation 3y a sin'ular lapse of 3ehaviour. 2e hadA it appearsA 3een descendin' the hill 3y the road from ChepachetB and encounterin' the compact sectionA had turned to his left into the main thorou'hfare ,here several modest 3usiness 3loc!s convey a touch of the ur3an. At this pointA ,ithout visi3le provocationA he committed his astonishin' lapseB starin' Dueerly for a second at the tallest of the 3uildin's 3efore himA and thenA ,ith a series of terrifiedA hysterical shrie!sA 3rea!in' into a frantic run ,hich ended in a stum3le and fall at the ne%t crossin'. >ic!ed up and dusted off 3y ready handsA he ,as found to 3e consciousA or'anically unhurtA and evidently cured of his sudden nervous attac!. 2e muttered some shamefaced e%planations involvin' a strain he had under'oneA and ,ith do,ncast 'lance turned 3ac! up the Chepachet roadA trud'in' out of si'ht ,ithout once loo!in' 3ehind him. =t ,as a stran'e incident to 3efall so lar'eA ro3ustA normal1featuredA and capa3le1loo!in' a manA and the stran'eness ,as not lessened 3y the remar!s of a 3ystander ,ho had reco'nised him as the 3oarder of a ,ell1!no,n dairyman on the outs!irts of Chepachet. 2e ,asA it developedA a ;e, .or! police detective named Thomas 4. 8aloneA no, on a lon' leave of a3sence under medical treatment after some disproportionately arduous ,or! on a 'ruesome local case ,hich accident had made dramatic. There had 3een a collapse of several old 3ric! 3uildin's durin' a raid in ,hich he had sharedA and somethin' a3out the ,holesale loss of lifeA 3oth of prisoners and of his companionsA had peculiarly appalled him. As a resultA he had acDuired an acute and anomalous horror of any 3uildin's even remotely su''estin' the ones ,hich had fallen inA so that in the end mental specialists for3ade him the si'ht of such thin's for an indefinite period. A police sur'eon ,ith relatives in Chepachet had put for,ard that Duaint hamlet of ,ooden colonial houses as an ideal spot for the psycholo'ical convalescenceB and thither the sufferer had 'oneA promisin' never to venture amon' the 3ric!1lined streets of lar'er villa'es till duly advised 3y the Woonsoc!et specialist ,ith ,hom he ,as put in touch. This ,al! to >ascoa' for ma'azines had 3een a mista!eA and the patient had paid in fri'htA 3ruisesA and humiliation for his diso3edience. So much the 'ossips of Chepachet and >ascoa' !ne,B and so muchA alsoA the most learned specialists 3elieved. But 8alone had at first told the specialists much moreA ceasin' only ,hen he sa, that utter incredulity ,as his portion. Thereafter he held his peaceA protestin' not at all ,hen it ,as 'enerally a'reed that the collapse of certain sDualid 3ric! houses in the :ed 2oo! section of Broo!lynA and the conseDuent death of many 3rave officersA had unseated his nervous eDuili3rium. 2e had ,or!ed too hardA all saidA it tryin' to clean up those nests of disorder and violenceB certain features ,ere shoc!in' enou'hA in all conscienceA and the une%pected tra'edy ,as the last stra,. This ,as a simple e%planation ,hich everyone could understandA and 3ecause 8alone ,as not a simple person he perceived that he had 3etter let it suffice. To hint to unima'inative people of a horror 3eyond all human conception 1 a horror of houses and 3loc!s and cities leprous and

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The 2orror at :ed 2oo!

#&*

cancerous ,ith evil dra''ed from elder ,orlds 1 ,ould 3e merely to invite a padded cell instead of a restful rusticationA and 8alone ,as a man of sense despite his mysticism. 2e had the Celt<s far vision of ,eird and hidden thin'sA 3ut the lo'ician<s Duic! eye for the out,ardly unconvincin'B an amal'am ,hich had led him far afield in the forty1t,o years of his lifeA and set him in stran'e places for a $u3lin (niversity man 3orn in a 7eor'ian villa near >hoeni% >ar!. And no,A as he revie,ed the thin's he had seen and felt and apprehendedA 8alone ,as content to !eep unshared the secret of ,hat could reduce a dauntless fi'hter to a Duiverin' neuroticB ,hat could ma!e old 3ric! slums and seas of dar!A su3tle faces a thin' of ni'htmare and eldritch portent. =t ,ould not 3e the first time his sensations had 3een forced to 3ide uninterpreted 1 for ,as not his very act of plun'in' into the poly'lot a3yss of ;e, .or!<s under,orld a frea! 3eyond sensi3le e%planationG What could he tell the prosaic of the antiDue ,itcheries and 'rotesDue marvels discerni3le to sensitive eyes amidst the poison cauldron ,here all the varied dre's of un,holesome a'es mi% their venom and perpetuate their o3scene terrorsG 2e had seen the hellish 'reen flame of secret ,onder in this 3latantA evasive ,elter of out,ard 'reed and in,ard 3lasphemyA and had smiled 'ently ,hen all the ;e,1.or!ers he !ne, scoffed at his e%periment in police ,or!. They had 3een very ,itty and cynicalA deridin' his fantastic pursuit of un!no,a3le mysteries and assurin' him that in these days ;e, .or! held nothin' 3ut cheapness and vul'arity. +ne of them had ,a'ered him a heavy sum that he could not 1 despite many poi'nant thin's to his credit in the #ublin *e!ie$ 1 even ,rite a truly interestin' story of ;e, .or! lo, lifeB and no,A loo!in' 3ac!A he perceived that cosmic irony had Custified the prophet<s ,ords ,hile secretly confutin' their flippant meanin'. The horrorA as 'limpsed at lastA could not ma!e a story 1 for li!e the 3oo! cited 3y >oe<s 7ermany authorityA < es lDsst sic" nic"t lesen 1 it does not permit itself to 3e read.<

,,.
To 8alone the sense of latent mystery in e%istence ,as al,ays present. =n youth he had felt the hidden 3eauty and ecstasy of thin'sA and had 3een a poetB 3ut poverty and sorro, and e%ile had turned his 'aze in dar!er directionsA and he had thrilled at the imputations of evil in the ,orld around. $aily life had fur him come to 3e a phantasma'oria of maca3re shado,1studiesB no, 'litterin' and leerin' ,ith concealed rottenness as in Beardsley<s 3est mannerA no, hintin' terrors 3ehind the commonest shapes and o3Cects as in the su3tler and less o3vious ,or! of 7ustave $orO. 2e ,ould often re'ard it as merciful that most persons of hi'h =ntelli'ence Ceer at the inmost mysteriesB forA he ar'uedA if superior minds ,ere ever placed in fullest contact ,ith the secrets preserved 3y ancient and lo,ly cultsA the resultant a3normalities ,ould soon not only ,rec! the ,orldA 3ut threaten the very inte'rity of the universe. All this reflection ,as no dou3t mor3idA 3ut !een lo'ic and a deep sense of humour a3ly offset it. 8alone ,as satisfied to let his notions remain as half1spied and for3idden visions to 3e li'htly played ,ithB and hysteria came only ,hen duty flun' him into a hell of revelation too sudden and insidious to escape. 2e had for some time 3een detailed to the Butler Street station in Broo!lyn ,hen the :ed 2oo! matter came to his notice. :ed 2oo! is a maze of hy3rid sDualor near the ancient ,aterfront opposite 7overnor<s =slandA ,ith dirty hi'h,ays clim3in' the hill from the ,harves to that hi'her 'round ,here the decayed len'ths of Clinton and Court Streets

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2orror at :ed 2oo!

#&1

lead off to,ard the Borou'h 2all. =ts houses are mostly of 3ric!A datin' from the first Duarter to the middle of the nineteenth centuryA and some of the o3scurer alleys and 3y,ays have that allurin' antiDue flavour ,hich conventional readin' leads us to call <$ic!ensian<. The population is a hopeless tan'le and eni'maB SyrianA SpanishA =talianA and ;e'ro elements impin'in' upon one anotherA and fra'ments of Scandinavian and American 3elts lyin' not far distant.. =t is a 3a3el of sound and filthA and sends out stran'e cries to ans,er the lappin' oily ,aves at its 'rimy piers and the monstrous or'an litanies of the har3our ,histles. 2ere lon' a'o a 3ri'hter picture d,eltA ,ith clear1eyed mariners on the lo,er streets and homes of taste and su3stance ,here the lar'er houses line the hill. +ne can trace the relics of this former happiness in the trim shapes of the 3uildin'sA the occasional 'raceful churchesA and the evidences of ori'inal art and 3ac!'round in 3its of detail here and there 1 a ,orn fli'ht of stepsA a 3attered door,ayA a ,ormy pair of decorative columns or pilastersA or a fra'ment of once 'reen space ,ith 3ent and rusted iron railin'. The houses are 'enerally in solid 3loc!sA and no, and then a many1,indo,ed cupola arises to tell of days ,hen the households of captains and ship1o,ners ,atched the sea. 4rom this tan'le of material and spiritual putrescence the 3lasphemies of an hundred dialects assail the s!y. 2ordes of pro,lers reel shoutin' and sin'in' alon' the lanes and thorou'hfaresA occasional furtive hands suddenly e%tin'uish li'hts and pull do,n curtainsA and s,arthyA sin1pitted faces disappear from ,indo,s ,hen visitors pic! their ,ay throu'h. >olicemen despair of order or reformA and see! rather to erect 3arriers protectin' the outside ,orld from the conta'ion. The clan' of the patrol is ans,ered 3y a !ind of spectral silenceA and such prisoners as are ta!en are never communicative. ?isi3le offences are as varied as the local dialectsA and run the 'amut from the smu''lin' of rum and prohi3ited aliens throu'h diverse sta'es of la,lessness and o3scure vice to murder and mutilation in their most a3horrent 'uises. That these visi3le affairs are not more freDuent is not to the nei'h3ourhood<s creditA unless the po,er of concealment 3e an art demandin' credit. 8ore people enter :ed 2oo! than leave it 1 or at leastA than leave it 3y the land,ard side 1 and those ,ho are not loDuacious are the li!eliest to leave. 8alone found in this state of thin's a faint stench of secrets more terri3le than any of the sins denounced 3y citizens and 3emoaned 3y priests and philanthropists. 2e ,as consciousA as one ,ho united ima'ination ,ith scientific !no,led'eA that modern people under la,less conditions tend uncannily to repeat the dar!est instinctive patterns of primitive half1ape sava'ery in their daily life and ritual o3servancesB and he had often vie,ed ,ith an anthropolo'ist<s shudder the chantin'A cursin' processions of 3lear1eyed and poc!mar!ed youn' men ,hich ,ound their ,ay alon' in the dar! small hours of mornin'. +ne sa, 'roups of these youths incessantlyB sometimes in leerin' vi'ils on street cornersA sometimes in door,ays playin' eerily on cheap instruments of musicA sometimes in stupefied dozes or indecent dialo'ues around cafeteria ta3les near Borou'h 2allA and sometimes in ,hisperin' converse around din'y ta%ica3s dra,n up at the hi'h stoops of crum3lin' and closely shuttered old houses. They chilled and fascinated him more than he dared confess to his associates on the forceA for he seemed to see in them some monstrous thread of secret continuityB some fiendishA crypticalA and ancient pattern utterly 3eyond and 3elo, the sordid mass of facts and ha3its and haunts listed ,ith such conscientious technical care 3y the police. They must 3eA he felt in,ardlyA the heirs of some shoc!in' and primordial traditionB the sharers of de3ased and 3ro!en scraps from cults and ceremonies older than man!ind. Their coherence and definiteness su''ested itA and it she,ed in the

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2orror at :ed 2oo!

#&"

sin'ular suspicion of order ,hich lur!ed 3eneath their sDualid disorder. 2e had not read in vain such treatises as 8iss 8urray<s Witch1Cult in Western EuropeB and !ne, that up to recent years there had certainly survived amon' peasants and furtive fol! a fri'htful and clandestine system of assem3lies and or'ies descended from dar! reli'ions antedatin' the Aryan ,orldA and appearin' in popular le'ends as Blac! 8asses and Witches< Sa33aths. That these hellish vesti'es of old Turanian1Asiatic ma'ic and fertility cults ,ere even no, ,holly dead he could not for a moment supposeA and he freDuently ,ondered ho, much older and ho, much 3lac!er than the very ,orst of the muttered tales some of them mi'ht really 3e.

,,,.
=t ,as the case of :o3ert Suydam ,hich too! 8alone to the heart of thin's in :ed 2oo!. Suydam ,as a lettered recluse of ancient $utch familyA possessed ori'inally of 3arely independent meansA and inha3itin' the spacious 3ut ill1preserved mansion ,hich his 'randfather had 3uilt in 4lat3ush ,hen that villa'e ,as little more than a pleasant 'roup of colonial cotta'es surroundin' the steepled and ivy1clad :eformed Church ,ith its iron1 railed yard of ;etherlandish 'ravestones. =n his lonely houseA set 3ac! from 8artense Street amidst a yard of venera3le treesA Suydam had read and 3rooded for some si% decades e%cept for a period a 'eneration 3eforeA ,hen he had sailed for the old ,orld and remained there out of si'ht for ei'ht years. 2e could afford no servantsA and ,ould admit 3ut fe, visitors to his a3solute solitudeB esche,in' close friendships and receivin' his rare acDuaintances in one of the three 'round1floor rooms ,hich he !ept in order 1 a vastA hi'h1 ceiled li3rary ,hose ,alls ,ere solidly pac!ed ,ith tattered 3oo!s of ponderousA archaicA and va'uely repellent aspect. The 'ro,th of the to,n and its final a3sorption in the Broo!lyn district had meant nothin' to SuydamA and he had come to mean less and less to the to,n. Elderly people still pointed him out on the streetsA 3ut to most of the recent population he ,as merely a DueerA corpulent old fello, ,hose un!empt ,hite hairA stu33ly 3eardA shiny 3lac! clothesA and 'old1headed cane earned him an amused 'lance and nothin' more. 8alone did not !no, him 3y si'ht till duty called him to the caseA 3ut had heard of him indirectly as a really profound authority on mediaeval superstitionA and had once idly meant to loo! up an out1of1print pamphlet of his on the 0a33alah and the 4austus le'endA ,hich a friend had Duoted from memory. Suydam 3ecame a case ,hen his distant and only relatives sou'ht court pronouncements on his sanity. Their action seemed sudden to the outside ,orldA 3ut ,as really underta!en only after prolon'ed o3servation and sorro,ful de3ate. =t ,as 3ased on certain odd chan'es in his speech and ha3itsB ,ild references to impendin' ,ondersA and unaccounta3le hauntin's of disreputa3le Broo!lyn nei'h3ourhoods. 2e had 3een 'ro,in' sha33ier and sha33ier ,ith the yearsA and no, pro,led a3out li!e a verita3le mendicantB seen occasionally 3y humiliated friends in su3,ay stationsA or loiterin' on the 3enches around Borou'h 2all in conversation ,ith 'roups of s,arthyA evil1loo!in' stran'ers. When he spo!e it ,as to 3a33le of unlimited po,ers almost ,ithin his 'raspA and to repeat ,ith !no,in' leers such mystical ,ords or names as <Sephiroth<A <Ashmodai<A and <Sama_l<. The court action revealed that he ,as usin' up his income and ,astin' his principal in the purchase of curious tomes imported from 5ondon and >arisA and in the maintenance of a sDualid 3asement flat in the :ed 2oo! district ,here he spent nearly every ni'htA receivin' odd dele'ations of mi%ed ro,dies and forei'nersA and apparently conductin' some !ind of

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The 2orror at :ed 2oo!

#&&

ceremonial service 3ehind the 'reen 3linds of secretive ,indo,s. $etectives assi'ned to follo, him reported stran'e cries and chants and prancin' of feet filterin' out from these nocturnal ritesA and shuddered at their peculiar ecstasy and a3andon despite the commonness of ,eird or'ies in that sodden section. WhenA ho,everA the matter came to a hearin'A Suydam mana'ed to preserve his li3erty. Before the Cud'e his manner 're, ur3ane and reasona3leA and he freely admitted the Dueerness of demeanour and e%trava'ant cast of lan'ua'e into ,hich he had fallen throu'h e%cessive devotion to study and research. 2e ,asA he saidA en'a'ed in the investi'ation of certain details of European tradition ,hich reDuired the closest contact ,ith forei'n 'roups and their son's and fol! dances. The notion that any lo, secret society ,as preyin' upon himA as hinted 3y his relativesA ,as o3viously a3surdB and she,ed ho, sadly limited ,as their understandin' of him and his ,or!. Triumphin' ,ith his calm e%planationsA he ,as suffered to depart unhinderedB and the paid detectives of the SuydamsA CorlearsA and ?an Brunts ,ere ,ithdra,n in resi'ned dis'ust. =t ,as here that an alliance of 4ederal inspectors and policeA 8alone ,ith themA entered the case. The la, had ,atched the Suydam action ,ith interestA and had in many instances 3een called upon to aid the private detectives. =n this ,or! it developed that Suydam<s ne, associates ,ere amon' the 3lac!est and most vicious criminals of :ed 2oo!<s devious lanesA and that at least a third of them ,ere !no,n and repeated offenders in the matter of thieveryA disorderA and the importation of ille'al immi'rants. =ndeedA it ,ould not have 3een too much to say that the old scholar<s particular circle coincided almost perfectly ,ith the ,orst of the or'anized cliDues ,hich smu''led ashore certain nameless and unclassified Asian dre's ,isely turned 3ac! 3y Ellis =sland. =n the teemin' roo!eries of >ar!er >lace 1 since renamed 1 ,here Suydam had his 3asement flatA there had 'ro,n up a very unusual colony of unclassified slant1eyed fol! ,ho used the Ara3ic alpha3et 3ut ,ere eloDuently repudiated 3y the 'reat mass of Syrians in and around Atlantic Avenue. They could all have 3een deported for lac! of credentialsA 3ut le'alism is slo,1movin'A and one does not distur3 :ed 2oo! unless pu3licity forces one to. These creatures attended a tum3ledo,n stone churchA used Wednesdays as a dance1hallA ,hich reared its 7othic 3uttresses near the vilest part of the ,aterfront. =t ,as nominally CatholicB 3ut priests throu'hout Broo!lyn denied the place all standin' and authenticityA and policemen a'reed ,ith them ,hen they listened to the noises it emitted at ni'ht. 8alone used to fancy he heard terri3le crac!ed 3ass notes from a hidden or'an far under'round ,hen the church stood empty and unli'htedA ,hilst all o3servers dreaded the shrie!in' and drummin' ,hich accompanied the visi3le services. SuydamA ,hen DuestionedA said he thou'ht the ritual ,as some remnant of ;estorian Christianity tinctured ,ith the Shamanism of Thi3et. 8ost of the peopleA he conCecturedA ,ere of 8on'oloid stoc!A ori'inatin' some,here in or near 0urdistan 1 and 8alone could not help recallin' that 0urdistan is the land of the .ezidisA last survivors of the >ersian devil1,orshippers. 2o,ever this may have 3eenA the stir of the Suydam investi'ation made it certain that these unauthorised ne,comers ,ere floodin' :ed 2oo! in increasin' num3ersB enterin' throu'h some marine conspiracy unreached 3y revenue officers and har3our policeA overrunnin' >ar!er >lace and rapidly spreadin' up the hillA and ,elcomed ,ith curious fraternalism 3y the other assorted denizens of the re'ion. Their sDuat fi'ures and characteristic sDuintin' physio'nomiesA 'rotesDuely com3ined ,ith flashy American clothin'A appeared more and more numerously amon' the loafers and nomad 'an'sters of the Borou'h 2all sectionB till at len'th it ,as deemed necessary to compute their num3ersA ascertain their sources and

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The 2orror at :ed 2oo!

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occupationsA and find if possi3le a ,ay to round them up and deliver them to the proper immi'ration authorities. To this tas! 8alone ,as assi'ned 3y a'reement of 4ederal and city forcesA and as he commenced his canvass of :ed 2oo! he felt poised upon the 3rin! of nameless terrorsA ,ith the sha33yA un!empt fi'ure of :o3ert Suydam as arch1fiend and adversary.

,V.
>olice methods are varied and in'enious. 8aloneA throu'h unostentatious ram3lesA carefully casual conversationsA ,ell1timed offers of hip1poc!et liDuorA and Cudicious dialo'ues ,ith fri'htened prisonersA learned many isolated facts a3out the movement ,hose aspect had 3ecome so menacin'. The ne,comers ,ere indeed 0urdsA 3ut of a dialect o3scure and puzzlin' to e%act philolo'y. Such of them as ,or!ed lived mostly as doc!1hands and unlicenced pedlarsA thou'h freDuently servin' in 7ree! restaurants and tendin' corner ne,s stands. 8ost of themA ho,everA had no visi3le means of supportB and ,ere o3viously connected ,ith under,orld pursuitsA of ,hich smu''lin' and <3ootle''in'< ,ere the least indescri3a3le. They had come in steamshipsA apparently tramp frei'htersA and had 3een unloaded 3y stealth on moonless ni'hts in ro,3oats ,hich stole under a certain ,harf and follo,ed a hidden canal to a secret su3terranean pool 3eneath a house. This ,harfA canalA and house 8alone could not locateA for the memories of his informants ,ere e%ceedin'ly confusedA ,hile their speech ,as to a 'reat e%tent 3eyond even the a3lest interpretersB nor could he 'ain any real data on the reasons for their systematic importation. They ,ere reticent a3out the e%act spot from ,hich they had comeA and ,ere never sufficiently off 'uard to reveal the a'encies ,hich had sou'ht them out and directed their course. =ndeedA they developed somethin' li!e acute fri'ht ,hen as!ed the reasons for their presence. 7an'sters of other 3reeds ,ere eDually taciturnA and she most that could 3e 'athered ,as that some 'od or 'reat priesthood had promised them unheard1of po,ers and supernatural 'lories and rulerships in a stran'e land. The attendance of 3oth ne,comers and old 'an'sters at Suydam<s closely 'uarded nocturnal meetin's ,as very re'ularA and the police soon learned that the erst,hile recluse had leased additional flats to accommodate such 'uests as !ne, his pass,ordB at last occupyin' three entire houses and permanently har3ourin' many of his Dueer companions. 2e spent 3ut little time no, at his 4lat3ush homeA apparently 'oin' and comin' only to o3tain and return 3oo!sB and his face and manner had attained an appallin' pitch of ,ildness. 8alone t,ice intervie,ed himA 3ut ,as each time 3rusDuely repulsed. 2e !ne, nothin'A he saidA of any mysterious plots or movementsB and had no idea ho, the 0urds could have entered or ,hat they ,anted. 2is 3usiness ,as to study undistur3ed the fol!lore of all the immi'rants of the districtB a 3usiness ,ith ,hich policemen had no le'itimate concern. 8alone mentioned his admiration for Suydam<s old 3rochure on the 0a33alah and other mythsA 3ut the old man<s softenin' ,as only momentary. 2e sensed an intrusionA and re3uffed his visitor in no uncertain ,ayB till 8alone ,ithdre, dis'ustedA and turned to other channels of information. What 8alone ,ould have unearthed could he have ,or!ed continuously on the caseA ,e shall never !no,. As it ,asA a stupid conflict 3et,een city and 4ederal authority suspended the investi'ations for several monthsA durin' ,hich the detective ,as 3usy ,ith other assi'nments. But at no time did he lose interestA or fail to stand amazed at ,hat 3e'an to

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happen to :o3ert Suydam. 6ust at the time ,hen a ,ave of !idnappin's and disappearances spread its e%citement over ;e, .or!A the un!empt scholar em3ar!ed upon a metamorphosis as startlin' as it ,as a3surd. +ne day he ,as seen near Borou'h 2all ,ith clean1shaved faceA ,ell1trimmed hairA and tastefully immaculate attireA and on every day thereafter some o3scure improvement ,as noticed in him. 2e maintained his ne, fastidiousness ,ithout interruptionA added to it an un,onted spar!le of eye and crispness of speechA and 3e'an little 3y little to shed the corpulence ,hich had so lon' deformed him. ;o, freDuently ta!en for less than his a'eA he acDuired an elasticity of step and 3uoyancy of demeanour to match the ne, traditionA and she,ed a curious dar!enin' of the hair ,hich someho, did not su''est dye. As the months passedA he commenced to dress less and less conservativelyA and finally astonished his ne, friends 3y renovatin' and redecoratin' his 4lat3ush mansionA ,hich he thre, open in a series of receptionsA summonin' all the acDuaintances he could remem3erA and e%tendin' a special ,elcome to the fully for'iven relatives ,ho had so lately sou'ht his restraint. Some attended throu'h curiosityA others throu'h dutyB 3ut all ,ere suddenly charmed 3y the da,nin' 'race and ur3anity of the former hermit. 2e hadA he assertedA accomplished most of his allotted ,or!B and havin' Cust inherited some property from a half1for'otten European friendA ,as a3out to spend his remainin' years in a 3ri'hter second youth ,hich easeA careA and diet had made possi3le to him. 5ess and less ,as he seen at :ed 2oo!A and more and more did he move in the society to ,hich he ,as 3orn. >olicemen noted a tendency of the 'an'sters to con're'ate at the old stone church and dance1hall instead of at the 3asement flat in >ar!er >laceA thou'h the latter and its recent anne%es still overflo,ed ,ith no%ious life. Then t,o incidents occurred 1 ,ide enou'h apartA 3ut 3oth of intense interest in the case as 8alone envisa'ed it. +ne ,as a Duiet announcement in the Ea'le of :o3ert Suydam<s en'a'ement to 8iss Cornelia 7erritsen of BaysideA a youn' ,oman of e%cellent positionA and distantly related to the elderly 3ride'room1electB ,hilst the other ,as a raid on the dance1hall church 3y city policeA after a report that the face of a !idnapped child had 3een seen for a second at one of the 3asement ,indo,s. 8alone had participated in this raidA and studied the place ,ith much care ,hen inside. ;othin' ,as found 1 in factA the 3uildin' ,as entirely deserted ,hen visited 1 3ut the sensitive Celt ,as va'uely distur3ed 3y many thin's a3out the interior. There ,ere crudely painted panels he did not li!e 1 panels ,hich depicted sacred faces ,ith peculiarly ,orldly and sardonic e%pressionsA and ,hich occasionally too! li3erties that even a layman<s sense of decorum could scarcely countenance. ThenA tooA he did not relish the 7ree! inscription on the ,all a3ove the pulpitB an ancient incantation ,hich he had once stum3led upon in $u3lin colle'e daysA and ,hich readA literally translatedA +' friend and companion of nig"t& t"ou $"o reFoicest in t"e baying of dogs and spilt blood& $"o $anderest in t"e midst of s"ades among t"e tombs& $"o longest for blood and bringest terror to mortals& Gorgo& Mormo& t"ousand-faced moon& look fa!ourably on our sacrificesC+ When he read this he shudderedA and thou'ht va'uely of the crac!ed 3ass or'an notes he fancied he had heard 3eneath the church on certain ni'hts. 2e shuddered a'ain at the rust around the rim of a metal 3asin ,hich stood on the altarA and paused nervously ,hen his nostrils seemed to detect a curious and 'hastly stench from some,here in the nei'h3ourhood. That or'an memory haunted himA and he e%plored the 3asement ,ith particular assiduity 3efore he left. The place ,as very hateful to himB yet after allA ,ere the 3lasphemous panels and inscriptions more than mere crudities perpetrated 3y the i'norantG

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By the time of Suydam<s ,eddin' the !idnappin' epidemic had 3ecome a popular ne,spaper scandal. 8ost of the victims ,ere youn' children of the lo,est classesA 3ut the increasin' num3er of disappearances had ,or!ed up a sentiment of the stron'est fury. 6ournals clamoured for action from the policeA and once more the Butler Street Station sent its men over :ed 2oo! for cluesA discoveriesA and criminals. 8alone ,as 'lad to 3e on the trail a'ainA and too! pride in a raid on one of Suydam<s >ar!er >lace houses. ThereA indeedA no stolen child ,as foundA despite the tales of screams and the red sash pic!ed up in the area,ayB 3ut the paintin's and rou'h inscriptions on the peelin' ,alls of most of the roomsA and the primitive chemical la3oratory in the atticA all helped to convince the detective that he ,as on the trac! of somethin' tremendous. The paintin's ,ere appallin' 1 hideous monsters of every shape and sizeA and parodies on human outlines ,hich cannot 3e descri3ed. The ,ritin' ,as in redA and varied from Ara3ic to 7ree!A :omanA and 2e3re, letters. 8alone could not read much of itA 3ut ,hat he did decipher ,as portentous and ca33alistic enou'h. +ne freDuently repeated motto ,as in a Sort of 2e3raised 2ellenistic 7ree!A and su''ested the most terri3le daemon1evocations of the Ale%andrian decadence9 <2E5 ` 2E5+.8 ` S+T2E: ` E88A;?E5 ` SABA+T2 ` A75A ` TET:A7:A88AT+; ` A7.:+S ` +T2E+S ` =SC2.:+S ` AT2A;AT+S ` =E2+?A ` ?A ` A$+;A= ` SA$A. ` 2+8+?S=+; ` 8ESS=AS ` ESC2E:E2E.E.< Circles and penta'rams loomed on every handA and told indu3ita3ly of the stran'e 3eliefs and aspirations of those ,ho d,elt so sDualidly here. =n the cellarA ho,everA the stran'est thin' ,as found 1 a pile of 'enuine 'old in'ots covered carelessly ,ith a piece of 3urlapA and 3earin' upon their shinin' surfaces the same ,eird hiero'lyphics ,hich also adorned the ,alls. $urin' the raid the police encountered only a passive resistance from the sDuintin' +rientals that s,armed from every door. 4indin' nothin' relevantA they had to leave all as it ,asB 3ut the precinct captain ,rote Suydam a note advisin' him to loo! closely to the character of his tenants and protO'Os in vie, of the 'ro,in' pu3lic clamour.

V.
Then came the 6une ,eddin' and the 'reat sensation. 4lat3ush ,as 'ay for the hour a3out hi'h noonA and pennanted motors thron'ed the streets near the old $utch church ,here an a,nin' stretched from door to hi'h,ay. ;o local event ever surpassed the Suydam17erritsen nuptials in tone and scaleA and the party ,hich escorted 3ride and 'room to the Cunard >ier ,asA if not e%actly the smartestA at least a solid pa'e from the Social :e'ister. At five o<cloc! adieu% ,ere ,avedA and the ponderous liner ed'ed a,ay from the lon' pierA slo,ly turned its nose sea,ardA discarded its tu'A and headed for the ,idenin' ,ater spaces that led to old ,orld ,onders. By ni'ht the outer har3our ,as clearedA and late passen'ers ,atched the stars t,in!lin' a3ove an unpolluted ocean. Whether the tramp steamer or the scream ,as first to 'ain attentionA no one can say. >ro3a3ly they ,ere simultaneousA 3ut it is of no use to calculate. The scream came from the Suydam stateroomA and the sailor ,ho 3ro!e do,n the door could perhaps have told fri'htful thin's if he had not forth,ith 'one completely mad 1 as it isA he shrie!ed more loudly than the first victimsA and thereafter ran simperin' a3out the vessel till cau'ht and put in irons. The ship<s doctor ,ho entered the stateroom and turned on the li'hts a

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moment later did not 'o madA 3ut told no3ody ,hat he sa, till after,ardA ,hen he corresponded ,ith 8alone in Chepachet. =t ,as murder 1 stran'ulation 1 3ut one need not say that the cla,1mar! on 8rs. Suydam<s throat could not have come from her hus3and<s or any other human handA or that upon the ,hite ,all there flic!ered for an instant in hateful red a le'end ,hichA later copied from memoryA seems to have 3een nothin' less than the fearsome Chaldee letters of the ,ord <5=5=T2<. +ne need not mention these thin's 3ecause they vanished so Duic!ly 1 as for SuydamA one could at least 3ar others from the room until one !ne, ,hat to thin! oneself. The doctor has distinctly assured 8alone that he did not see =T. The open portholeA Cust 3efore he turned on the li'htsA ,as clouded for a second ,ith a certain phosphorescenceA and for a moment there seemed to echo in the ni'ht outside the su''estion of a faint and hellish titterin'B 3ut no real outline met the eye. As proofA the doctor points to his continued sanity. Then the tramp steamer claimed all attention. A 3oat put offA and a horde of s,artA insolent ruffians in officers< dress s,armed a3oard the temporarily halted Cunarder. They ,anted Suydam or his 3ody 1 they had !no,n of his tripA and for certain reasons ,ere sure he ,ould die. The captain<s dec! ,as almost a pandemoniumB for at the instantA 3et,een the doctor<s report from the stateroom and the demands of the men from the trampA not even the ,isest and 'ravest seaman could thin! ,hat to do. Suddenly the leader of the visitin' marinersA an Ara3 ,ith a hatefully ne'roid mouthA pulled forth a dirtyA crumpled paper and handed it to the captain. =t ,as si'ned 3y :o3ert SuydamA and 3ore the follo,in' odd messa'e. =n case of sudden or une%plained accident or death on my partA please deliver me or my 3ody unDuestionin'ly into the hands of the 3earer and his associates. Everythin'A for meA and perhaps for youA depends on a3solute compliance. E%planations can come later 1 do not fail me no,. 1 :+BE:T S(.$A8 Captain and doctor loo!ed at each otherA and the latter ,hispered somethin' to the former. 4inally they nodded rather helplessly and led the ,ay to the Suydam stateroom. The doctor directed the captain<s 'lance a,ay as he unloc!ed the door and admitted the stran'e seamenA nor did he 3reathe easily till they filed out ,ith their 3urden after an unaccounta3ly lon' period of preparation. =t ,as ,rapped in 3eddin' from the 3erthsA and the doctor ,as 'lad that the outlines ,ere not very revealin'. Someho, the men 'ot the thin' over the side and a,ay to their tramp steamer ,ithout uncoverin' it. The Cunarder started a'ainA and the doctor and a ship<s underta!er sou'ht out the Suydam stateroorn to perform ,hat last services they could. +nce more the physician ,as forced to reticence and even to mendacityA for a hellish thin' had happened. When the underta!er as!ed him ,hy he had drained off all of 8rs. Suydam<s 3loodA he ne'lected to affirm that he had not done soB nor did he point to the vacant 3ottle1spaces on the rac!A or to the odour in the sin! ,hich she,ed the hasty disposition of the 3ottles< ori'inal contents. The poc!ets of those men 1 if men they ,ere 1 had 3ul'ed damna3ly ,hen they left the ship. T,o hours laterA and the ,orld !ne, 3y radio all that it ou'ht to !no, of the horri3le affair.

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V,.
That same 6une evenin'A ,ithout havin' heard a ,ord from the seaA 8alone ,as desperately 3usy amon' the alleys of :ed 2oo!. A sudden stir seemed to permeate the placeA and as if apprised 3y <'rapevine tele'raph< of somethin' sin'ularA the denizens clustered e%pectantly around the dance1hall church and the houses in >ar!er >lace. Three children had Cust disappeared 1 3lue1eyed ;or,e'ians from the streets to,ard 7o,anus 1 and there ,ere rumours of a mo3 formin' amon' the sturdy ?i!in's of that section. 8alone had for ,ee!s 3een ur'in' his collea'ues to attempt a 'eneral cleanupB and at lastA moved 3y conditions more o3vious to their common sense than the conCectures of a $u3lin dreamerA they had a'reed upon a final stro!e. The unrest and menace of this evenin' had 3een the decidin' factorA and Cust a3out midni'ht a raidin' party recruited from three stations descended upon >ar!er >lace and its environs. $oors ,ere 3attered inA stra''lers arrestedA and candleli'hted rooms forced to dis'or'e un3elieva3le thron's of mi%ed forei'ners in fi'ured ro3esA mitresA and other ine%plica3le devices. 8uch ,as lost in the meleeA for o3Cects ,ere thro,n hastily do,n une%pected shaftsA and 3etrayin' odours deadened 3y the sudden !indlin' of pun'ent incense. But spattered 3lood ,as every,hereA and 8alone shuddered ,henever he sa, a 3razier or altar from ,hich the smo!e ,as still risin'. 2e ,anted to 3e in several places at onceA and decided on Suydam<s 3asement flat only after a messen'er had reported the complete emptiness of the dilapidated dance1hall church. The flatA he thou'htA must hold some due to a cult of ,hich the occult scholar had so o3viously 3ecome the centre and leaderB and it ,as ,ith real e%pectancy that he ransac!ed the musty roomsA noted their va'uely charnel odourA and e%amined the curious 3oo!sA instrumentsA 'old in'otsA and 'lass1stoppered 3ottles scattered carelessly here and there. +nce a leanA 3lac!1and1,hite cat ed'ed 3et,een his feet and tripped himA overturnin' at the same time a 3ea!er half full of a red liDuid. The shoc! ,as severeA and to this day 8alone is not certain of ,hat he sa,B 3ut in dreams he still pictures that cat as it scuttled a,ay ,ith certain monstrous alterations and peculiarities. Then came the loc!ed cellar doorA and the search for somethin' to 3rea! it do,n. A heavy stool stood nearA and its tou'h seat ,as more than enou'h for the antiDue panels. A crac! formed and enlar'edA and the ,hole door 'ave ,ay 1 3ut from the ot"er sideB ,hence poured a ho,lin' tumult of ice1 cold ,ind ,ith all the stenches of the 3ottomless pitA and ,hence reached a suc!in' force not of earth or heavenA ,hichA coilin' sentiently a3out the paralysed detectiveA dra''ed him throu'h the aperture and do,n unmeasured spaces filled ,ith ,hispers and ,ailsA and 'usts of moc!in' lau'hter. +f course it ,as a dream. All the specialists have told him soA and he has nothin' to prove the contrary. =ndeedA he ,ould rather have it thusB for then the si'ht of old 3ric! slums and dar! forei'n faces ,ould not eat so deeply into his soul. But at the time it ,as all horri3ly realA and nothin' can ever efface the memory of those ni'hted cryptsA those titan arcadesA and those half1formed shapes of hell that strode 'i'antically in silence holdin' half1eaten thin's ,hose still survivin' portions screamed for mercy or lau'hed ,ith madness. +dours of incense and corruption Coined in sic!enin' concertA and the 3lac! air ,as alive ,ith the cloudyA semi1visi3le 3ul! of shapeless elemental thin's ,ith eyes. Some,here dar! stic!y ,ater ,as lappin' at ony% piersA and once the shivery tin!le of raucous little 3ells pealed out to 'reet the insane titter of a na!ed phosphorescent thin'

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,hich s,am into si'htA scram3led ashoreA and clim3ed up to sDuat leerin'ly on a carved 'olden pedestal in the 3ac!'round. Avenues of limitless ni'ht seemed to radiate in every directionA till one mi'ht fancy that here lay the root of a conta'ion destined to sic!en and s,allo, citiesA and en'ulf nations in the foetor of hy3rid pestilence. 2ere cosmic sin had enteredA and festered 3y unhallo,ed rites had commenced the 'rinnin' march of death that ,as to rot us all to fun'ous a3normalities too hideous for the 'rave<s holdin'. Satan here held his Ba3ylonish courtA and in the 3lood of stainless childhood the leprous lim3s of phosphorescent 5ilith ,ere laved. =ncu3i and succu3ae ho,led praise to 2ecateA and headless moon1calves 3leated to the 8a'na 8ater. 7oats leaped to the sound of thin accursed flutesA and a'ypans chased endlessly after misshapen fauns over roc!s t,isted li!e s,ollen toads. 8oloch and Ashtaroth ,ere not a3sentB for in this Duintessence of all damnation the 3ounds of consciousness ,ere let do,nA and man<s fancy lay open to vistas of every realm of horror and every for3idden dimension that evil had po,er to mould. The ,orld and ;ature ,ere helpless a'ainst such assaults from unsealed ,ells of ni'htA nor could any si'n or prayer chec! the Walpur'is1riot of horror ,hich had come ,hen a sa'e ,ith the hateful !ey had stum3led on a horde ,ith the loc!ed and 3rimmin' coffer of transmitted daemon1lore. Suddenly a ray of physical li'ht shot throu'h these phantasmsA and 8alone heard the sound of oars amidst the 3lasphemies of thin's that should 3e dead. A 3oat ,ith a lantern in its pro, darted into si'htA made fast to an iron rin' in the slimy stone pierA and vomited forth several dar! men 3earin' a lon' 3urden s,athed in 3eddin'. They too! it to the na!ed phosphorescent thin' on the carved 'olden pedestalA and the thin' tittered and pa,ed at the 3eddin'. Then they uns,athed itA and propped upri'ht 3efore the pedestal the 'an'renous corpse of a corpulent old man ,ith stu33ly 3eard and un!empt ,hite hair. The phosphorescent thin' tittered a'ainA and the men produced 3ottles from their poc!ets and anointed its feet ,ith redA ,hilst they after,ard 'ave the 3ottles to the thin' to drin! from. All at onceA from an arcaded avenue leadin' endlessly a,ayA there came the daemoniac rattle and ,heeze of a 3lasphemous or'anA cho!in' and rum3lin' out the moc!eries of hell in a crac!edA sardonic 3ass. =n an instant every movin' entity ,as electrifiedB and formin' at once into a ceremonial processionA the ni'htmare horde slithered a,ay in Duest of the sound 1 'oatA satyrA and a'ypanA incu3usA succu3us and lemurA t,isted toad and shapeless elementalA do'1faced ho,ler and silent strutter in dar!ness 1 all led 3y the a3omina3le na!ed phosphorescent thin' that had sDuatted on the carved 'olden throneA and that no, strode insolently 3earin' in its arms the 'lassy1eyed corpse of the corpulent old man. The stran'e dar! men danced in the rearA and the ,hole column s!ipped and leaped ,ith $ionysiac fury. 8alone sta''ered after them a fe, stepsA delirious and hazyA and dou3tful of his place in this or in any ,orld. Then he turnedA falteredA and san! do,n on the cold damp stoneA 'aspin' and shiverin' as the daemon or'an croa!ed onA and the ho,lin' and drummin' and tin!lin' of the mad procession 're, fainter and fainter. ?a'uely he ,as conscious of chanted horrors and shoc!in' croa!in's afar off. ;o, and then a ,ail or ,hine of ceremonial devotion ,ould float to him throu'h the 3lac! arcadeA ,hilst eventually there rose the dreadful 7ree! incantation ,hose te%t he had read a3ove the pulpit of that dance1hall church. +' friend and companion of nig"t& t"ou $"o reFoicest in t"e baying of dogs Jhere a hideous ho,l 3ust forthK and spilt blood Jhere nameless sounds vied ,ith mor3id

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shrie!in'sK $"o $anderest in t"e midst of s"ades among t"e tombs& Jhere a ,histlin' si'h occurredK $"o longest for blood and bringest terror to mortals& JshortA sharp cries from myriad throatsK Gorgo& Jrepeated as responseK Mormo& Jrepeated ,ith ecstasyK t"ousand-faced moon& Jsi'hs and flute notesK look fa!ourably on our sacrificesC+ As the chant closedA a 'eneral shout ,ent upA and hissin' sounds nearly dro,ned the croa!in' of the crac!ed 3ass or'an. Then a 'asp as from many throatsA and a 3a3el of 3ar!ed and 3leated ,ords 1 <5ilithA 7reat 5ilithA 3ehold the Bride'roomF< 8ore criesA a clamour of riotin'A and the sharpA clic!in' footfalls of a runnin' fi'ure. The footfalls approachedA and 8alone raised himself to his el3o, to loo!. The luminosity of the cryptA lately diminishedA had no, sli'htly increasedB and in that devil1li'ht there appeared the fleein' form of that ,hich should not flee or feel or 3reathe 1 the 'lassy1eyedA 'an'renous corpse of the corpulent old manA no, needin' no supportA 3ut animated 3y some infernal sorcery of the rite Cust closed. After it raced the na!edA titterin'A phosphorescent thin' that 3elon'ed on the carven pedestalA and still farther 3ehind panted the dar! menA and all the dread cre, of sentient loathsomenesses. The corpse ,as 'ainin' on its pursuersA and seemed 3ent on a definite o3CectA strainin' ,ith every rottin' muscle to,ard the carved 'olden pedestalA ,hose necromantic importance ,as evidently so 'reat. Another moment and it had reached its 'oalA ,hilst the trailin' thron' la3oured on ,ith more frantic speed. But they ,ere too lateA for in one final spurt of stren'th ,hich ripped tendon from tendon and sent its noisome 3ul! flounderin' to the floor in a state of Cellyish dissolutionA the starin' corpse ,hich had 3een :o3ert Suydam achieved its o3Cect and its triumph. The push had 3een tremendousA 3ut the force had held outB and as the pusher collapsed to a muddy 3lotch of corruption the pedestal he had pushed totteredA tippedA and finally careened from its ony% 3ase into the thic! ,aters 3elo,A sendin' up a partin' 'leam of carven 'old as it san! heavily to undreama3le 'ulfs of lo,er Tartarus. =n that instantA tooA the ,hole scene of horror faded to nothin'ness 3efore 8alone<s eyesB and he fainted amidst a thunderous crash ,hich seemed to 3lot out all the evil universe.

V,,.
8alone<s dreamA e%perienced in full 3efore he !ne, of Suydam<s death and transfer at seaA ,as curiously supplemented 3y some odd realities of the caseB thou'h that is no reason ,hy anyone should 3elieve it. The three old houses in >ar!er >laceA dou3tless lon' rotten ,ith decay in its most insidious formA collapsed ,ithout visi3le cause ,hile half the raiders and most of the prisoners ,ere insideB and of 3oth the 'reater num3er ,ere instantly !illed. +nly in the 3asements and cellars ,as there much savin' of lifeA and 8alone ,as luc!y to have 3een deep 3elo, the house of :o3ert Suydam. 4or he really ,as thereA as no one is disposed to deny. They found him unconscious 3y the ed'e of a ni'ht13lac! poolA ,ith a 'rotesDuely horri3le Cum3le of decay and 3oneA identifia3le throu'h dental ,or! as the 3ody of SuydamA a fe, feet a,ay. The case ,as plainA for it ,as hither that the smu''lers< under'round canal ledB and the men ,ho too! Suydam from the ship had 3rou'ht him home. They themselves ,ere never foundA or at least never identifiedB and the ship<s doctor is not yet satisfied ,ith the simple certitudes of the police.

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Suydam ,as evidently a leader in e%tensive man1smu''lin' operationsA for the canal to his house ,as 3ut one of several su3terranean channels and tunnels in the nei'h3ourhood. There ,as a tunnel from this house to a crypt 3eneath the dance1hall churchB a crypt accessi3le from the church only throu'h a narro, secret passa'e in the north ,allA and in ,hose cham3ers some sin'ular and terri3le thin's ,ere discovered. The croa!in' or'an ,as thereA as ,ell as a vast arched chapel ,ith ,ooden 3enches and a stran'ely fi'ured altar. The ,alls ,ere lined ,ith small cellsA in seventeen of ,hich 1 hideous to relate 1 solitary prisoners in a state of complete idiocy ,ere found chainedA includin' four mothers ,ith infants of distur3in'ly stran'e appearance. These infants died soon after e%posure to the li'htB a circumstance ,hich the doctors thou'ht rather merciful. ;o3ody 3ut 8aloneA amon' those ,ho inspected themA remem3ered the som3re Duestion of old $elrio9 <An sint unDuam daemones incu3i et succu3aeA et an e% tali con'ressu proles nasci DueatG< Before the canals ,ere filled up they ,ere thorou'hly dred'edA and yielded forth a sensational array of sa,ed and split 3ones of all sizes. The !idnappin' epidemicA very clearlyA had 3een traced homeB thou'h only t,o of the survivin' prisoners could 3y any le'al thread 3e connected ,ith it. These men are no, in prisonA since they failed of conviction as accessories in the actual murders. The carved 'olden pedestal or throne so often mentioned 3y 8alone as of primary occult importance ,as never 3rou'ht to li'htA thou'h at one place under the Suydam house the canal ,as o3served to sin! into a ,ell too deep for dred'in'. =t ,as cho!ed up at the mouth and cemented over ,hen the cellars of the ne, houses ,ere madeA 3ut 8alone often speculates on ,hat lies 3eneath. The policeA satisfied that they had shattered a dan'erous 'an' of maniacs and man1smu''lersA turned over to the 4ederal authorities the unconvicted 0urdsA ,ho 3efure their deportation ,ere conclusively found to 3elon' to the .ezidi clan of devil1,orshippers. The tramp ship and its cre, remain an elusive mystery. thou'h cynical detectives are once more ready to com3at its smu''in' and rum1runnin' ventures. 8alone thin!s these detectives she, a sadly limited perspective in their lac! of ,onder at the myriad une%plaina3le detailsA and the su''estive o3scurity of the ,hole caseB thou'h he is Cust as critical of the ne,spapersA ,hich sa, only a mor3id sensation and 'loated over a minor sadist cult ,hich they mi'ht have proclaimed a horror from the universe<s very heart. But he is content to rest silent in ChepachetA calmin' his nervous system and prayin' that time may 'radually transfer his terri3le e%perience from the realm of present reality to that of picturesDue and semi1 mythical remoteness. :o3ert Suydam sleeps 3eside his 3ride in 7reen,ood Cemetery. ;o funeral ,as held over the stran'ely released 3onesA and relatives are 'rateful for the s,ift o3livion ,hich overtoo! the case as a ,hole. The scholar<s conne%ion ,ith the :ed 2oo! horrorsA indeedA ,as never em3lazoned 3y le'al proofB since his death forestalled the inDuiry he ,ould other,ise have faced. 2is o,n end is not much mentionedA and the Suydams hope that posterity may recall him only as a 'entle recluse ,ho da33led in harmless ma'ic and fol!lore. As for :ed 2oo! 1 it is al,ays the same. Suydam came and ,entB a terror 'athered and fadedB 3ut the evil spirit of dar!ness and sDualor 3roods on amon'st the mon'rels in the old 3ric! housesA and pro,lin' 3ands still parade on un!no,n errands past ,indo,s ,here li'hts and t,isted faces unaccounta3ly appear and disappear. A'e1old horror is a hydra ,ith a thousand headsA and the cults of dar!ness are rooted in 3lasphemies deeper than the ,ell of $emocritusA The soul of the 3east is omnipresent and triumphantA and :ed 2oo!<s le'ions of 3lear1eyedA poc!mar!ed youths still chant and curse and ho,l as they file from

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2orror at :ed 2oo!

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a3yss to a3yssA none !no,s ,hence or ,hitherA pushed on 3y 3lind la,s of 3iolo'y ,hich they may never understand. As of oldA more people enter :ed 2oo! than leave it on the land,ard sideA and there are already rumours of ne, canals runnin' under'round to certain centres of traffic in liDuor and less mentiona3le thin's. The dance1hall church is no, mostly a dance1hallA and Dueer faces have appeared at ni'ht at the ,indo,s. 5ately a policeman e%pressed the 3elief that the filled1up crypt has 3een du' out a'ainA and for no simply e%plaina3le purpose. Who are ,e to com3at poisons older than history and man!indG Apes danced in Asia to those horrorsA and the cancer lur!s secure and spreadin' ,here furtiveness hides in ro,s of decayin' 3ric!. 8alone does not shudder ,ithout cause 1 for only the other day an officer overheard a s,arthy sDuintin' ha' teachin' a small child some ,hispered patois in the shado, of an area,ay. 2e listenedA and thou'ht it very stran'e ,hen he heard her repeat over and over a'ainA +' friend and companion of nig"t& t"ou $"o reFoicest in t"e baying of dogs and spilt blood& $"o $anderest in t"e midst of s"ades among t"e tombs& $"o longest for blood and bringest terror to mortals& Gorgo& Mormo& t"ousand-faced moon& look fa!ourably on our sacrificesC+

The Horror i# the B%r&i#-4)ro%#$

When the state hi'h,ay to :utland is closedA travellers are forced to ta!e the Still,ater road past S,amp 2ollo,. The scenery is super3 in placesA yet someho, the route has 3een unpopular for years. There is somethin' depressin' a3out itA especially near Still,ater itself. 8otorists feel su3tly uncomforta3le a3out the ti'htly shuttered farmhouse on the !noll Cust north of the villa'eA and a3out the ,hite13earded half1,it ,ho haunts the old 3uryin'1'round on the southA apparently tal!in' to the occupants of some of the 'raves. ;ot much is left of Still,aterA no,. The soil is played outA and most of the people have drifted to the to,ns across the distant river or to the city 3eyond the distant hills. The steeple of the old ,hite church has fallen do,nA and half of the t,enty1odd stra''lin' houses are empty and in various sta'es of decay. ;ormal life is found only around >ec!<s 'eneral store and fillin'1stationA and it is here that the curious stop no, and then to as! a3out the shuttered house and the idiot ,ho mutters to the dead. 8ost of the Duestioners come a,ay ,ith a touch of distaste and disDuiet. They find the sha33y loun'ers oddly unpleasant and full of unnamed hints in spea!in' of the lon'1past events 3rou'ht up. There is a menacin'A portentous Duality in the tones ,hich they use to descri3e very ordinary eventsUa seemin'ly unCustified tendency to assume a furtiveA su''estiveA confidential airA and to fall into a,esome ,hispers at certain pointsU,hich insidiously distur3s the listener. +ld .an!ees often tal! li!e thatB 3ut in this case the melancholy aspect of the half1moulderin' villa'eA and the dismal nature of the story unfoldedA 'ive these 'loomyA secretive mannerisms an added si'nificance. +ne feels profoundly the Duintessential horror that lur!s 3ehind the isolated >uritan and his stran'e repressionsUfeels itA and lon's to escape precipitately into clearer air. The loun'ers ,hisper impressively that the shuttered house is that of old 8iss Spra'ue USophie Spra'ueA ,hose 3rother Tom ,as 3uried on the seventeenth of 6uneA 3ac! in <8-. Sophie ,as never the same after that funeralUthat and the other thin' ,hich happened the same dayUand in the end she too! to stayin' in all the time. Won<t even 3e seen no,A 3ut leaves notes under the 3ac!1door mat and has her thin's 3rou'ht from the store 3y ;ed >ec!<s 3oy. Afraid of somethin'Uthe old S,amp 2ollo, 3uryin'1'round most of all. ;ever could 3e dra''ed near there since her 3rotherUand the other oneU,ere laid a,ay. ;ot much ,onderA thou'hA seein' the ,ay crazy 6ohnny $o, rants. 2e han's around 3uryin'1'round all day and sometimes at ni'htA and claims he tal!s ,ith TomUand the other. Then he marches 3y Sophie<s house shouts thin's at herUthat<s ,hy she 3e'an to !eep the shutters closed. 2e says thin's are comin' from some,here to 'et her some time. +u'ht to 3e stoppedA 3ut one can<t 3e too hard on poor 6ohnny. BesidesA Steve Bar3our al,ays had his opinions. 6ohnny does his tal!in' to t,o of the 'raves. +ne of them is Tom Spra'ue<s. The otherA at the opposite end of the 'raveyardA is that of 2enry Thorndi!eA ,ho ,as 3uried on the same day. 2enry ,as the villa'e underta!erUthe only one in milesUand never li!ed around Still,ater. A city fello, from :utlandU3een to colle'e full of 3oo! learnin'. :ead Dueer thin's no3ody else ever heard and mi%ed chemicals for no 'ood purpose. Al,ays tryin' to invent somethin' ne,Usome ne,1fan'led em3almin'1fluid or some foolish !ind of medicine. Some fol!s said he had tried to 3e a doctor 3ut failed in his studies and too! to

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the ne%t 3est profession. +f courseA there ,asn<t much underta!in' to do in a place li!e Still,aterA 3ut 2enry farmed on the side. 8eanA mor3id dispositionUand a secret drin!er if you could Cud'e 3y the empty 3ottles in his ru33ish heap. ;o ,onder Tom Spra'ue hated him and 3lac!3alled him from the 8asonic lod'eA and ,arned him off ,hen he tried to ma!e up to Sophie. The ,ay he e%perimented on animals ,as a'ainst ;ature and Scripture. Who could for'et the state that collie do' ,as found inA or ,hat happened to old 8rs. A!eley<s catG Then there ,as the matter of $eacon 5eavitt<s calfA ,hen Tom had led a 3and of the villa'e 3oys to demand an accountin'. The curious thin' ,as that the calf came alive after all in the endA thou'h Tom had found it as stiff as a po!er. Some said the Co!e ,as on TomA 3ut Thorndi!e pro3a3ly thou'ht other,iseA since he had 'one do,n under his enemy<s fist 3efore the mista!e ,as discovered. TomA of courseA ,as half drun! at the time. 2e ,as a vicious 3rute at 3estA and !ept his poor sister half co,ed ,ith threats. That<s pro3a3ly ,hy she is such a fear1rac!ed creature still. There ,ere only the t,o of themA and Tom ,ould never let her leave 3ecause that meant splittin' the property. 8ost of the fello,s ,ere too afraid of him to shine up to SophieUhe stood si% feet one in his stoc!in'sU3ut 2enry Thorndi!e ,as a sly cuss ,ho had ,ays of doin' thin's 3ehind fol!<s 3ac!s. 2e ,asn<t much to loo! atA 3ut Sophie never discoura'ed him any. 8ean and u'ly as he ,asA she<d have 3een 'lad if any3ody could have freed her from her 3rother. She may not have stopped to ,onder ho, she could 'et clear of him after he 'ot her clear of Tom. WellA that ,as the ,ay thin's stood in 6une of <8-. (p to this pointA the ,hispers of the loun'ers at >ec!<s store are not so un3eara3ly portentousB 3ut as they continueA the element of secretiveness and mali'n tension 'ro,s. Tom Spra'ueA it appearsA used to 'o to :utland on periodic spreesA his a3sences 3ein' 2enry Thorndi!e<s 'reat opportunities. 2e ,as al,ays in 3ad shape ,hen he 'ot 3ac!A and old $r. >rattA deaf and half 3lind thou'h he ,asA used to ,arn him a3out his heartA and a3out the dan'er of delirium tremens. 4ol!s could al,ays tell 3y the shoutin' and cursin' ,hen he ,as home a'ain. =t ,as on the ninth of 6uneUon a WednesdayA the day after youn' 6oshua 7oodenou'h finished 3uildin' his ne,1fan'led siloUthat Tom started out on his last and lon'est spree. 2e came 3ac! the ne%t Tuesday mornin' and fol!s at the store sa, him lashin' his 3ay stallion the ,ay he did ,hen ,his!ey had a hold of him. Then there came shouts and shrie!s and oaths from the Spra'ue houseA and the first thin' any3ody !ne, Sophie ,as runnin' over to old $r. >ratt<s at top speed. The doctor found Thorndi!e at Spra'ue<s ,hen he 'ot thereA and Tom ,as on the 3ed in his roomA ,ith eyes starin' and foam around his mouth. +ld >ratt fum3led around and 'ave the usual testsA then shoo! his head solemnly and told Sophie she had suffered a 'reat 3ereavementUthat her nearest and dearest had passed throu'h the pearly 'ates to a 3etter landA Cust as every3ody !ne, he ,ould if he didn<t let up on his drin!in'. Sophie !ind of sniffledA the loun'ers ,hisperA 3ut didn<t seem to ta!e on much. Thorndi!e didn<t do anythin' 3ut smileUperhaps at the ironic fact that heA al,ays an enemyA ,as no, the only person ,ho could 3e of any use to Thomas Spra'ue. 2e shouted somethin' in old $r. >ratt<s half1'ood ear a3out the need of havin' the funeral early on account of Tom<s condition. $run!s li!e that ,ere al,ays dou3tful su3CectsA and any e%tra

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delayU,ith merely rural facilitiesU,ould entail conseDuencesA visual and other,iseA hardlyA accepta3le to the deceased<s lovin' mourners. The doctor had muttered that Tom<s alcoholic career ou'ht to have em3almed him pretty ,ell in advanceA 3ut Thorndi!e assured him to the contrary at the same time 3oastin' of his o,n s!illA and of the superior methods he had devised throu'h his e%periments. =t is here that the ,hispers of the loun'ers 'ro, acutely distur3in'. (p to this point the story is usually told 3y Ezra $avenportA or 5uther 4ryA if Ezra is laid up ,ith chil3lainsA as he is apt to 3e in ,interB 3ut from there on old Calvin Wheeler ta!es up the threadA and his voice has a damna3ly insidious ,ay of su''estin' hidden horror. =f 6ohnny $o, happens to 3e passin' 3y there is al,ays a pauseA for Still,ater does not li!e to have 6ohnny tal! too much ,ith stran'ers. Calvin ed'es close to the traveller and sometimes seizes a coat1lapel ,ith his 'narledA mottled hand ,hile he half shuts his ,atery 3lue eyes. LWellA sirAL he ,hispersA L2enry he ,ent home an< 'ot his underta!er<s fi%in<sUcrazy 6ohnny $o, lu''ed most of <emA for he ,as al,ays doin< chores for 2enryUan< says as $oc >ratt an< crazy 6ohnny should help lay out the 3ody. $oc al,ays did say as ho, thou'ht 2enry tal!ed too muchUa13oastin< ,hat a fine ,or!man he ,asA an< ho, luc!y it ,as that Still,ater had a re'<lar underta!er instead of 3uryin< fol!s Cest as they ,asA li!e they do over to Whit3y. L<SupposeA< says heA <some fello, ,as to 3e too! ,ith some them paralysin< cramps li!e you read a3out. 2o,<d a 3ody li!e ,hen they lo,ered him do,n and 3e'un shovelin< the dirt 3ac!G 2o,<d he li!e it ,hen he ,as cho!in< do,n there under the ne, headstoneA scratchin< an< tearin< if he chanced to 'et 3ac! the po,erA 3ut all the time !no,in< it ,asn<t no useG ;oA sirA = tell you it<s a 3lessin< Still,ater<s 'ot a smart doctor as !no,s ,hen a man<s dead and ,hen he ain<tA and a trained underta!er ,ho can fi% a corpse so he<ll stay put ,ithout no trou3le.< LThat ,as the ,ay 2enry ,ent on tal!in<A most li!e he ,as tal!in< to poor Tom<s remainsB and old $oc >ratt he didn<t li!e ,hat he ,as a3le to catch of itA even thou'h 2enry did call him a smart doctor. Crazy 6ohnny !ept ,atchin< of the corpseA and it didn<t ma!e it none too pleasant the ,ay he<d slo33er a3out thin's li!eA <2e ain<t coldA $ocA< or <= see his eyelids moveA< or <There<s a hole in his arm Cest li!e the ones = 'it ,hen 2enry 'ives me a syrin'e full of ,hat ma!es me feel 'ood.< Thorndi!e shut him up on thatA thou'h ,e all !no,ed he<d 3een 'ivin< poor 6ohnny dru's. =t<s a ,onder the poor fello, ever 'ot clear of the ha3it. LBut the ,orst thin'A accordin< to the doctorA ,as the ,ay the 3ody Cer!ed up ,hen 2enry 3e'un to shoot it full of em3almin<1fluid. 2e<d 3een 3oastin< a3out ,hat a fine ne, formula he<d 'ot practicin< on cats and do'sA ,hen all of a sudden Tom<s corpse 3e'an to dou3le up li!e it ,as alive and fi%in< to ,rassle. 5and of 7oshenA 3ut $oc says he ,as scared stiffA thou'h he !no,ed the ,ay corpses act ,hen the muscles 3e'in to stiffen. WellA sirA the lon' and short of it isA that the corpse sat up an< 'ra33ed a holt of Thorndi!e<s syrin'e so that it 'ot stuc! in 2enry hisselfA an< 'ive him as neat a dose of his o,n em3almin<1fluid as you<d ,ish to see. That 'ot 2enry pretty scaredA thou'h he yan!ed the point out and mana'ed to 'et the 3ody do,n a'ain and shot full of the fluid. 2e !ept measurin< more of the stuff out as thou'h he ,anted to 3e sure there ,as enou'hA and !ept

H.P.Lovecr !t

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reassurin< himself as not much had 'ot into himA 3ut crazy 6ohnny 3e'un sin'in< outA <That<s ,hat you 'ive 5i'e 2op!ins<s do' ,hen it 'ot all dead an< stiff an< then ,a!ed up a'in. ;o, you<re a1'oin' to 'et dead an< stiff li!e Tom Spra'ue 3eF :emem3er it don<t set to ,or! till after a lon' spell if you don<t 'et much.< LSophieA she ,as do,nstairs ,ith some of the nei'h3oursUmy ,ife 8atildyA she that<s dead an< 'one this thirty yearA ,as one of them. They ,ere all tryin< to find out ,hether Thorndi!e ,as over ,hen Tom came homeA and ,hether findin< him there ,as ,hat set poor Tom off. = may as ,ell say as some fol!s thou'ht it mi'hty funny that Sophie didn<t carry on moreA nor mind the ,ay Thorndi!e had smiled. ;ot as any3ody ,as hintin< that 2enry helped Tom off ,ith some of his Dueer coo!ed1up fluids and syrin'esA or that Sophie ,ould !eep still if she thou'ht soU3ut you !no, ho, fol!s ,ill 'uess 3ehind a 3ody<s 3ac!. We all !no,ed the ni'h crazy ,ay Thorndi!e had hated TomUnot ,ithout reasonA at thatUEmily Bar3our says to my 8atildy as ho, 2enry ,as luc!y to have ol< $oc >ratt ri'ht on the spot ,ith a death certificate as didn<t leave no dou3t for no3ody.L When old Calvin 'ets to this point he usually 3e'ins to mum3le indistin'uisha3ly in his stra''lin'A dirty ,hite 3eard. 8ost listeners try to ed'e a,ay from himA and he seldom appears to heed the 'esture. =t is 'enerally 4red >ec!A ,ho ,as a very small 3oy at the time of the eventsA ,ho continues the tale. Thomas Spra'ue<s funeral ,as held on ThursdayA 6une 17thA only t,o days after his death. Such haste ,as thou'ht almost indecent in remote and inaccessi3le Still,aterA ,here lon' distances had to 3e covered 3y those ,ho cameA 3ut Thorndi!e had insisted that the peculiar condition of the deceased demanded it. The underta!er had seemed rather nervous since preparin' the 3odyA and could 3e seen freDuently feelin' his pulse. +ld $r. >ratt thou'ht he must 3e ,orryin' a3out the accidental dose of em3almin'1fluid. ;aturally the story of the Llayin' outL had spreadA so that a dou3le zest animated the mourners ,ho assem3led to 'lut their curiosity and mor3id interest. Thorndi!eA thou'h he ,as o3viously upsetA seemed intent on doin' his professional duty in ma'nificent style. Sophie and others ,ho sa, the 3ody ,ere most startled 3y its utter lifeli!enessA and the mortuary virtuoso made dou3ly sure of his Co3 3y repeatin' certain inCections at stated intervals. 2e almost ,run' a sort of reluctant admiration from the to,nsfol! and visitorsA thou'h he tended to spoil that impression 3y his 3oastful and tasteless tal!. Whenever he administered to his silent char'e he ,ould repeat that eternal ram3lin' a3out the 'ood luc! of havin' a first1class underta!er. WhatUhe ,ould say as if directly addressin' the 3odyUif Tom had had one of those careless fello,s ,ho 3ury their su3Cects aliveG The ,ay he harped on the horrors of premature 3urial ,as truly 3ar3arous and sic!enin'. Services ,ere held in the stuffy 3est roomUopened for the first time since 8rs. Spra'ue died. The tuneless little parlour or'an 'roaned disconsolatelyA and the coffinA supported on trestles near the hall doorA ,as covered ,ith sic!ly1smellin' flo,ers. =t ,as o3vious that a record13rea!in' cro,d ,as assem3lin' from far and nearA and Sophie endeavoured to loo! properly 'rief1stric!en for their 3enefit. At un'uarded moments she seemed 3oth puzzled and uneasyA dividin' her scrutiny 3et,een the feverish1loo!in' underta!er and the life1li!e 3ody of her 3rother. A slo, dis'ust at Thorndi!e seemed to 3e 3re,in' ,ithin herA and nei'h3ours ,hispered freely that she ,ould soon send him a3out his 3usiness no, that Tom ,as out of the ,ayUthat isA if she couldA for such a slic!

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customer ,as sometimes hard to deal ,ith. But ,ith her money and remainin' loo!s she mi'ht 3e a3le to 'et another fello,A and he<d pro3a3ly ta!e care of 2enry ,ell enou'h. As the or'an ,heezed into Beautiful Isle of Some$"ere the 8ethodist church choir added their lu'u3rious voices to the 'ruesome cacophonyA and everyone loo!ed piously at $eacon 5eavittUeveryoneA that isA e%cept crazy 6ohnny $o,A ,ho !ept his eyes 'lued to the still form 3eneath the 'lass of the coffin. 2e ,as mutterin' softly to himself. Stephen Bar3ourUfrom the ne%t farmU,as the only one ,ho noticed 6ohnny. 2e shivered as he sa, that the idiot ,as tal!in' directly to the corpseA and even ma!in' foolish si'ns ,ith his fin'ers as if to taunt the sleeper 3eneath the plate 'lass. TomA he reflectedA had !ic!ed poor 6ohnny around on more than one occasionA thou'h pro3a3ly not ,ithout provocation. Somethin' a3out this ,hole event ,as 'ettin' on Stephen<s nerves. There ,as a suppressed tension and 3roodin' a3normality in the air for ,hich he could not account. 6ohnny ou'ht not to have 3een allo,ed in the houseUand it ,as curious ,hat an effort Thorndi!e seemed to 3e ma!in' not to loo! at the 3ody. Every no, and then the underta!er ,ould feel his pulse ,ith an odd air. The :everend Silas At,ood droned on in a plaintive monotone a3out the deceasedU a3out the stri!in' of $eath<s s,ord in the midst of this little familyA 3rea!in' the earthly tie 3et,een this lovin' 3rother and sister. Several of the nei'h3ours loo!ed furtively at one another from 3eneath lo,ered eyelidsA ,hile Sophie actually 3e'an to so3 nervously. Thorndi!e moved to her side and tried to reassure herA 3ut she seemed to shrin! curiously a,ay from him. 2is motions ,ere distinctly uneasyA and he seemed to feel acutely the a3normal tension permeatin' the air. 4inallyA conscious of his duty as master of ceremoniesA he stepped for,ard and announced in a sepulchral voice that the 3ody mi'ht 3e vie,ed for the last time. Slo,ly the friends and nei'h3ours filed past the 3ierA from ,hich Thorndi!e rou'hly dra''ed crazy 6ohnny a,ay. Tom seemed to restin' peacefully. That devil had 3een handsome in his day. A fe, 'enuine so3sUand many fei'ned onesU,ere heardA thou'h most of the cro,d ,ere content to stare curiously and ,hisper after,ard. Steve Bar3our lin'ered lon' and attentively over the still faceA and moved a,ay sha!in' his head. 2is ,ifeA EmilyA follo,in' after himA ,hispered that 2enry Thorndi!e had 3etter not 3oast so much a3out his ,or!A for Tom<s eyes had come open. They had 3een shut ,hen the services 3e'anA for she had 3een up and loo!ed. But they certainly loo!ed naturalUnot the ,ay one ,ould e%pect after t,o days. When 4red >ec! 'ets this far he usually pauses as if he did not li!e to continue. The listenerA tooA tends to feel that somethin' unpleasant is ahead. But >ec! reassures his audience ,ith the statement that ,hat happened isn<t as 3ad as fol!s li!e to hint. Even Steve never put into ,ords ,hat he may have thou'htA and crazy 6ohnnyA of courseA can<t 3e counted at all. =t ,as 5uella 8orseUthe nervous old maid ,ho san' in the choirU,ho seems to have touched thin's off. She ,as filin' past the coffin li!e the restA 3ut stopped to peer a little closer than anyone else e%cept the Bar3ours had peered. And thenA ,ithout ,arnin'A she 'ave a shrill scream and fell in a dead faint.

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;aturallyA the room ,as at once a chaos of confusion. +ld $r. >ratt el3o,ed his ,ay to 5uella and called for some ,ater to thro, in her faceA and others sur'ed up to loo! at her and at the coffin. 6ohnny $o, 3e'an chantin' to himselfA L2e !no,sA he !no,sA he !in hear all ,e<re a1sayin< and see all ,e<re a1doin<A and they<ll 3ury him that ,ayLU3ut no one stopped to decipher his mum3lin' e%cept Steve Bar3our. =n a very fe, moments 5uella 3e'an to come out of her faintA and could not tell e%actly ,hat had startled her. All she could ,hisper ,asA LThe ,ay he loo!edUthe ,ay he loo!ed.L But to other eyes the 3ody seemed e%actly the same. =t ,as a 'ruesome si'htA thou'hA ,ith those open eyes and that hi'h colourin'. And then the 3e,ildered cro,d noticed somethin' ,hich put 3oth 5uella and the 3ody out of their minds for a moment. =t ,as Thorndi!eUon ,hom the sudden e%citement and Costlin' cro,d seemed to 3e havin' a curiously 3ad effect. 2e had evidently 3een !noc!ed do,n in the 'eneral 3ustleA and ,as on the floor tryin' to dra' himself to a sittin' posture. The e%pression on his face ,as terrifyin' in the e%tremeA and his eyes ,ere 3e'innin' to ta!e on a 'lazedA fishy e%pression. 2e could scarcely spea! aloudA 3ut the hus!y rattle of his throat held an ineffa3le desperation ,hich ,as o3vious to all. L7et me homeA Duic!A and let me 3e. That fluid = 'ot in my arm 3y mista!e ... heart action ... this damned e%citement ... too much ... ,ait ... ,ait ... don<t thin! =<m dead if = seem to ... only the fluidUCust 'et me home and ,ait ... =<ll come to laterA don<t !no, ho, lon' ... all the time =<ll 3e conscious and !no, ,hat<s 'oin' on ... don<t 3e deceived....L As his ,ords trailed off into nothin'ness old $r. >ratt reached him and felt his pulseU ,atchin' a lon' time and finally sha!in' his head. L;o use doin' anythin'Uhe<s 'one. 2eart no 'oodUand that fluid he 'ot in his arm must have 3een 3ad stuff. = don<t !no, ,hat it is.L A !ind of num3ness seemed to fall on all the company. ;e, death in the cham3er of deathF +nly Steve Bar3our thou'ht to 3rin' up Thorndi!e<s last cho!in' ,ords. Was he surely deadA ,hen he himself had said he mi'ht falsely seem soG Wouldn<t it 3e 3etter to ,ait a ,hile and see ,hat ,ould happenG And for that matterA ,hat harm ,ould it do if $oc >ratt ,ere to 'ive Tom Spra'ue another loo!in' over 3efore 3urialG Crazy 6ohnny ,as moanin'A and had flun' himself on Thorndi!e<s 3ody li!e a faithful do'. L$on<t ye 3ury himA don<t ye 3ury himF 2e ain<t dead no more nor 5i'e 2op!ins<s do' nor $eacon 5eavitt<s calf ,as ,hen he shot <em full. 2e<s 'ot some stuff he puts into ye to ma!e ye seem li!e dead ,hen ye ain<tF .e seem li!e dead 3ut ye !no, everythin' ,hat<s a1 'oin< onA and the ne%t day ye come to as 'ood as ever. $on<t ye 3ury himUhe<ll come to under the earth an< he can<t scratch upF 2e<s a 'ood manA an< not li!e Tom Spra'ue. 2ope to 7a,d Tom scratches an< cho!es for hours an< hours....L But no one save Bar3our ,as payin' any attention to poor 6ohnny. =ndeedA ,hat Steve himself had said had evidently fallen on deaf ears. (ncertainty ,as every,here. +ld $oc >ratt ,as applyin' final tests and mum3lin' a3out death certificate 3lan!sA and unctuous Elder At,ood ,as su''estin' that somethin' 3e done a3out a dou3le interment. With Thorndi!e dead there ,as no underta!er this side of :utlandA and it ,ould mean a terri3le e%pense if one ,ere to 3e 3rou'ht from thereA and if Thorndi!e ,ere not em3almed in this hot 6une ,eatherU,ellA one couldn<t tell. And there ,ere no relatives or friends to 3e

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critical unless Sophie chose to 3eU3ut Sophie ,as on the other side of the roomA starin' silentlyA fi%edlyA and almost mor3idly into her 3rother<s coffin. $eacon 5eavitt tried to restore a sem3lance of decorumA and had poor Thorndi!e carried across the hall to the sittin'1roomA mean,hile sendin' @enas Wells and Walter >er!ins over to the underta!er<s house for a coffin of the ri'ht size. The !ey ,as in 2enry<s trousers poc!et. 6ohnny continued to ,hine and pa, at the 3odyA and Elder At,ood 3usied himself ,ith inDuirin' a3out Thorndi!e<s denominationUfor 2enry had not attended local services. When it ,as decided that his fol!s in :utlandUall dead no,Uhad 3een BaptistsA the :everend Silas decided that $eacon 5eavitt had 3etter offer the 3rief prayer. =t ,as a 'ala day for the funeral1fanciers of Still,ater and vicinity. Even 5uella had recovered enou'h to stay. 7ossipA murmured and ,hisperedA 3uzzed 3usily ,hile a fe, composin' touches ,ere 'iven to Thorndi!e<s coolin'A stiffenin' form. 6ohnny had 3een cuffed out of the houseA as most a'reed he should have 3een in the first placeA 3ut his distant ho,ls ,ere no, and then ,afted 'ruesomely in. When the 3ody ,as encoffined and laid out 3eside that of Thomas Spra'ueA the silentA almost fri'htenin'1loo!in' Sophie 'azed intently at it as she had 'azed at her 3rother<s. She had not uttered a ,ord for a dan'erously lon' timeA and the mi%ed e%pression on her face ,as past all descri3in' or interpretin'. As the others ,ithdre, to leave her alone ,ith the dead she mana'ed to find a sort of mechanical speechA 3ut no one could ma!e out the ,ordsA and she seemed to 3e tal!in' first to one 3ody and then the other. And no,A ,ith ,hat ,ould seem to an outsider the acme of 'ruesome unconscious comedyA the ,hole funeral mummery of the afternoon ,as listlessly repeated. A'ain the or'an ,heezedA a'ain the choir screeched and scrapedA a'ain a dronin' incantation aroseA and a'ain the mor3idly curious spectators filed past a maca3re o3CectUthis time a dual array of mortuary repose. Some of the more sensitive people shivered at the ,hole proceedin'A and a'ain Stephen Bar3our felt an underlyin' note of eldritch horror and daemoniac a3normality. 7odA ho, life1li!e 3oth of those corpses ,ere ... and ho, in earnest poor Thorndi!e had 3een a3out not ,antin' to 3e Cud'ed dead ... and ho, he hated Tom Spra'ue ... 3ut ,hat could one do in the face of common senseUa dead man ,as a dead manA and there ,as old $oc >ratt ,ith his years of e%perience ... if no3ody else 3otheredA ,hy should one 3other oneselfG... Whatever Tom had 'ot he had pro3a3ly deserved ... and if 2enry had done anythin' to himA the score ,as even no, ... ,ellA Sophie ,as free at last.... As the peerin' procession moved at last to,ard the hall and the outer doorA Sophie ,as alone ,ith the dead once more. Elder At,ood ,as out in the road tal!in' to the hearse1 driver from 5ee<s livery sta3leA and $eacon 5eavitt ,as arran'in' for a dou3le Duota of pall13earers. 5uc!ily the hearse ,ould hold t,o coffins. ;o hurryUEd >lummer and Ethan Stone ,ere 'oin' ahead ,ith shovels to di' the second 'rave. There ,ould 3e three livery hac!s and any num3er of private ri's in the cavalcadeUno use tryin' to !eep the cro,d a,ay from the 'raves. Then came that frantic scream from the parlour ,here Sophie and the 3odies ,ere. =ts suddenness almost paralysed the cro,d and 3rou'ht 3ac! the same sensation ,hich had sur'ed up ,hen 5uella had screamed and fainted. Steve Bar3our and $eacon 5eavitt

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started to 'o inA 3ut 3efore they could enter the house Sophie ,as 3urstin' forthA so33in' and 'aspin' a3out LThat face at the ,indo,F ... that face at the ,indo,F...L At the same time a ,ild1eyed fi'ure rounded the corner of the houseA removin' all mystery from Sophie<s dramatic cry. =t ,asA very o3viouslyA the face<s o,nerUpoor crazy 6ohnnyA ,ho 3e'an to leap up and do,nA pointin' at Sophie and shrie!in'A LShe !no,sF She !no,sF = seen it in her face ,hen she loo!ed at <em and tal!ed to <emF She !no,sA and she<s a1lettin< <em 'o do,n in the earth to scratch an< cla, for air.... But they<ll tal! to her so<s she !in hear <em ... they<ll tal! to herA an< appear to her ... and some day they<ll come 3ac! an< 'it herFL @enas Wells dra''ed the shrie!in' half1,it to a ,oodshed 3ehind the house and 3olted him in as 3est he could. 2is screams and poundin's could 3e heard at a distanceA 3ut no3ody paid him any further attention. The procession ,as made upA and ,ith Sophie in the first hac! it slo,ly covered the short distance past the villa'e to the S,amp 2ollo, 3uryin'1'round. Elder At,ood made appropriate remar!s as Thomas Spra'ue ,as laid to restA and 3y the time he ,as throu'hA Ed and Ethan had finished Thorndi!e<s 'rave on the other side of the cemeteryUto ,hich the cro,d presently shifted. $eacon 5eavitt then spo!e ornamentallyA and the lo,erin' process ,as repeated. >eople had 3e'un to drift off in !notsA and the clatter of recedin' 3u''ies and carry1alls ,as Duite universalA ,hen the shovels 3e'an to fly a'ain. As the earth thudded do,n on the coffin1lidsA Thorndi!e<s firstA Steve Bar3our noticed the Dueer e%pressions flittin' over Sophie Spra'ue<s face. 2e couldn<t !eep trac! of them allA 3ut 3ehind the rest there seemed to lur! a sort of ,ryA perverseA half1suppressed loo! of va'ue triumph. 2e shoo! his head. @enas had run 3ac! and let crazy 6ohnny out of the ,oodshed 3efore Sophie 'ot homeA and the poor fello, at once made frantically for the 'raveyard. 2e arrived 3efore the shovelmen ,ere throu'hA and ,hile many of the curious mourners ,ere still lin'erin' a3out. What he shouted into Tom Spra'ue<s partly filled 'raveA and ho, he cla,ed at the loose earth of Thorndi!e<s freshly finished mound across the cemeteryA survivin' spectators still shudder to recall. 6otham Bla!eA the consta3leA had to ta!e him 3ac! to the to,n farm 3y forceA and his screams ,a!ed dreadful echoes. This is ,here 4red >ec! usually leaves off the story. What moreA he as!sA is there to tellG =t ,as a 'loomy tra'edyA and one can scarcely ,onder that Sophie 're, Dueer after that. That is all one hears if the hour is so late that old Calvin Wheeler has tottered homeA 3ut ,hen he is still around he 3rea!s in a'ain ,ith that damna3ly su''estive and insidious ,hisper. Sometimes those ,ho hear him dread to pass either the shuttered house or the 'raveyard after,ardA especially after dar!. L2ehA heh ... 4red ,as only a little shaver thenA and don<t remem3er no more than half of ,hat ,as 'oin< onF .ou ,ant to !no, ,hy Sophie !eeps her house shutteredA and ,hy crazy 6ohnny still !eeps a1tal!in< to the dead and a1shoutin< at Sophie<s ,indo,sG WellA sirA = don<t !no,<s = !no, all there is to !no,A 3ut = hear ,hat = hear.L 2ere the old man eCects his cud of to3acco and leans for,ard to 3uttonhole the listener.

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L=t ,as that same ni'htA mind yeUto,ard mornin<A and Cust ei'ht hours after them 3urialsU ,hen ,e heard the first scream from Sophie<s house. Wo!e us all upUSteve and Emily Bar3our and me and 8atildy 'oes over hot1footin<A all in ni'ht 'earA and finds Sophie all dressed and dead fainted on the settin<1room floor. 5uc!y she hadn<t loc!ed the door. When ,e 'ot her to she ,as sha!in< li!e a leafA and ,ouldn<t let on 3y so much as a ,ord ,hat ,as ailin< her. 8atildy and Emily done ,hat they could to Duiet her do,nA 3ut Steve ,hispered thin's to me as didn<t ma!e me none too easy. Come a3out an hour ,hen ,e allo,ed ,e<d 3e 'oin< home soonA that Sophie she 3e'un to tip her head on one side li!e she ,as a1listenin< to somethin<. Then on a sudden she screamed a'ainA and !eeled over in another faint. LWellA sirA =<m tellin< ,hat =<m tellin<A and ,on<t do no 'uessin< li!e Steve Bar3our ,ould a done if he dared. 2e al,ays ,as the 'reatest hand for hintin< thin's ... died ten years a'o of pneumony.... LWhat ,e heard so faint1li!e ,as Cust poor crazy 6ohnnyA of course. <Taint more than a mile to the 3uryin<1'roundA and he must a 'ot out of the ,indo, ,here they<d loc!ed him up at the to,n farmUeven if Consta3le Bla!e says he didn<t 'et out that ni'ht. 4rom that day to this he han's around them 'raves a1tal!in< to the 3oth of themUcussin< and !ic!in< at Tom<s moundA and puttin< posies and thin's on 2enry<s. And ,hen he ain<t a1doin< that he<s han'in< around Sophie<s shuttered ,indo,s ho,lin< a3out ,hat<s a1comin< soon to 'it her. LShe ,ouldn<t never 'o near the 3uryin<1'roundA and no, she ,on<t come out of the house at all nor see no3ody. 7ot to sayin< there ,as a curse on Still,aterUand =<m din'ed if she ain<t half ri'htA the ,ay thin's is a1'oin< to pieces these days. There certainly ,as somethin< Dueer a3out Sophie ri'ht alon'. +nce ,hen Sally 2op!ins ,as a1callin< on herUin <)7 or <)8A = thin! it ,asUthere ,as an a,ful rattlin< at her ,indersUand 6ohnny ,as safe loc!ed up at the time Uat leastA so Consta3le $od'e s,ore up and do,n. But = ain<t ta!in< no stoc! in their stories a3out noises every seventeenth of 6uneA or a3out faint shinin< fi'ures a1tryin< Sophie<s door and ,inders every 3lac! mornin< a3out t,o o<cloc!. L.ou seeA it ,as a3out t,o o<cloc! in the mornin< that Sophie heard the sounds and !eeled over t,ice that first ni'ht after the 3uryin<. Steve and meA and 8atildy and EmilyA heard the second lotA faint as it ,asA Cust li!e = told you. And =<m a1tellin< you a'ain as ho, it must a 3een crazy 6ohnny over to the 3uryin<1'roundA let 6otham Bla!e claim ,hat he ,ill. There ain<t no tellin< the sound of a man<s voice so far offA and ,ith our heads full of nonsense it ain<t no ,onder ,e thou'ht there ,as t,o voicesUand voices that hadn<t ou'ht to 3e spea!in< at all. LSteve he claimed to have heard more than = did. = verily 3elieve he too! some stoc! in 'hosts. 8atildy and Emily ,as so scared they didn<t remem3er ,hat they heard. And curious enou'hA no3ody else in to,nUif any3ody ,as a,a!e at the un'odly hourUnever said nothin< a3out hearin< no sounds at all. LWhatever it ,asA ,as so faint it mi'ht have 3een the ,ind if there hadn<t 3een ,ords. = made out a fe,A 3ut don<t ,ant to say as =<d 3ac! up all Steve claimed to have cau'ht.... L<She1devil< ... <all the time< ... <2enry< ... and <alive< ,as plain ... and so ,as <you !no,< ... <said you<d stand 3y< ... <'et rid of him< and <3ury me< ... in a !ind of chan'ed voice.... Then there ,as that a,ful <comin< a'ain some day<Uin a death1li!e sDua,! ... 3ut you can<t tell me 6ohnny couldn<t have made those sounds.... L2eyA youF What<s ta!in< you off in such a hurryG 8e33e there<s more = could tell you if = had a mind....L

The Horror i# the M%se%m

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=T WAS lan'uid curiousity ,hich first 3rou'ht Stephen 6ones to :o'ers< 8useum. Someone had told him a3out the Dueer under'round place in South,ar! Street across the riverA ,here ,a%en thin's so much more horri3le than the ,orst effi'ies at 8adame Tussaud<s ,ere sho,nA and he had strolled in one April day to see ho, disappointin' he ,ould find it. +ddlyA he ,as not disappointed. There ,as somethin' different and distinctive hereA after all. +f courseA the usual 'ory commonplaces ,ere present115andruA $octor CrippenA 8adame $emersA :izzioA 5ady 6ane 7reyA endless maimed victims of ,ar and revolutionA and monsters li!e 7illes de :ais and 8arDuis de Sade113ut there ,ere other thin's ,hich had made him 3reathe faster and stay till the rin'in' of the closin' 3ell. The man ,ho had fashioned this collection could 3e no ordinary mounte3an!. There ,as ima'ination11even a !ind of diseased 'enius11in some of this stuff. 5ater he had learned a3out 7eor'e :o'ers. The man had 3een on the Tussaud staffA 3ut some trou3le had developed ,hich led to his dischar'e. There ,ere aspersions on his sanity and tales of his crazy forms of secret ,orship11thou'h latterly his success ,ith his o,n 3asement museum had dulled the ed'e of some criticisms ,hile sharpenin' the insidious point of others. Teratolo'y and the icono'raphy of ni'htmare ,ere his ho33iesA and even he had had the prudence to screen off some of his ,orst effi'ies in a special alcolve for adults only. =t ,as this alcolve ,hich had fascinated 6ones so much. There ,ere lumpish hy3rid thin's ,hich only fantasy could spa,nA molded ,ith devilish s!illA and colored in a horri3ly life1li!e fashion. Some ,ere the fi'ures of ,ell1!no,n myth11'or'onsA chimeras. dra'onsA cyclopsA and all their shuddersome con'eners. +thers ,ere dra,n from dar!er and more furtively ,hispered cycles of su3terranean le'end113lac!A formless Tsatho''uaA many1tentacled CthulhuA pro3oscidian Chau'nar 4au'nA and other rumored 3lasphemies from for3idden 3oo!s li!e the -ecronomiconA the Book of ibonA or the 5naussprec"lic"en 3ulten of von 6unzt. But the ,orst ,ere ,holly ori'inal ,ith :o'ersA and represented shapes ,hich no tale of antiDuity had ever dared to su''est. Several ,ere hideous parodies on forms of or'anic life ,e !no,A ,hile others seemed to 3e ta!en from feverish dreams of other planets and 'ala%ies. The ,ilder painted of Clar! Ashton Smith mi'ht su''est a fe,113ut nothin' could su''est the effect of poi'nantA loathsome terror created 3y their 'reat size and fiendishly cunnin' ,or!manshipA and 3y the dia3olically clever li'htin' conditions under ,hich they ,ere e%hi3ited. Stephen 6onesA as a leisurely connoisseur of the 3izarre in artA had sou'ht out :o'ers himself in the din'y office and ,or!room 3ehind the vaulted museum cham3er11an evil1 loo!in' crypt li'hted dimly 3y dusty ,indo,s set slit1li!e and horizontal in the 3ric! ,all on a level ,ith the ancient co33lestones of a hidden courtyard. =t ,as here that the ima'es ,ere repaired11hereA tooA ,here some of them had 3een made. Wa%en armsA le'sA heads and torsos lay in 'rotesDue array on various 3enchesA ,hile on hi'h tiers of shelves matted ,i'sA ravenous1loo!in' teethA and 'lassyA starin' eyes ,ere indiscriminately scattered.

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Costumes of all sorts hun' from hoo!sA and in one alcove ,ere 'reat piles of flesh1colored ,a%1ca!es and shelves filled ,ith paint1cans and 3rushes of every description. =n the center of the room ,as a lar'e meltin'1furnace used to prepare the ,a% for moldin'A its fire13o% topped 3y a hu'e iron container on hin'esA ,ith a spout ,hich permitted the pourin' of melted ,a% ,ith the merest touch of a fin'er. +ther thin's in the dismal crypt ,ere less descri3a3le11isolated parts of pro3lematical entities ,hose assem3led forms ,ere the phantoms of delerium. At one end ,as a door of heavy plan!A fastened 3y an unusually lar'e padloc! and ,ith a very peculiar sym3ol painted over it. 6oneA ,ho had once had access to the dreaded -ecronomiconA shivered involuntarily as he reco'nized that sym3ol. This sho,manA he reflectedA must indeed 3e a person of disconcertin'ly ,ide scholarship in dar! and du3ious fields. ;or did the conversation of :o'ers disappoint him. The man ,as tallA leanA and rather un!emptA ,ith lar'e 3lac! eyes ,hich 'azed com3ustively from a pallid and usually stu33le1covered face. 2e did not resent 6ones< intrusionA 3ut seemed to ,elcome the chance of un3urdenin' himself to an interested person. 2is voice ,as of sin'ular depth and resonanceA and har3ored a sort of repressed intensity 3orderin' on the feverish. 6ones did not ,onder that many had thou'ht him mad. With every successive call11and such calls 3ecame a ha3it as the ,ee!s ,ent 3y116ones had found :o'ers more communicative and confidential. 4rom the first there had 3een hints of stran'e faiths and practices on the sho,man<s partA and later on those hints e%panded into tales11despite a fe, odd corro3orative photo'raphs11,hose e%trava'ence ,as almost comic. =t ,as some time in 6uneA on a ni'ht ,hen 6ones had 3rou'ht a 3ottle of 'ood ,his!y and plied his host some,hat freelyA that the really demented tal! first appeared. Before that there had 3een ,ild enou'h stories11accounts of mysterious trips to Ti3etA the African interiorA the Ara3ian desertA the Amazon valleyA Alas!aA and certain little1 !no,n islands of the South >acificA plus claims of havin' read such monstrous and half1 fa3ulous 3oo!s as the prehistoric >na!otic fra'ments and the $hol chants attri3uted to mali'n and non1human 5en'113ut nothin' in all this had 3een so unmista!a3ly insane as ,hat had cropped out that 6une evenin' under the spell of the ,his!y. To 3e plainA :o'ers 3e'an ma!in' vau'e 3oasts of havin' found certain thin's in nature that no one had found 3eforeA and of havin' 3rou'ht 3ac! tan'i3le evidences of such discoveries. Accordin' to his 3i3ulous haran'ueA he had 'one farther than anyone else in interpretin' the o3scure and primal 3oo!s he studiedA and had 3een directed 3y them to certain remote places ,here stran'e survivals are hidden11survivals of bons and life1cycles earlier than man!indA and in some case connected ,ith other dimensions and other ,orldsA communication ,ith ,hich ,as freDuent in the for'otten pre1human days. 6ones marvelled at the fancy ,hich could conCure up such notionsA and ,ondered Cust ,hat :o'ers< mental history had 3een. 2ad his ,or! amidst the mor3id 'roteseDueries of 8adame Tussaud<s 3een the start of his ima'inative fli'htsA or ,as the tendency innateA so that his choice of occupation ,as merely one of its manifestationsG At any rateA the man<s ,or! ,as merelyHGI very closely lin!ed ,ith his notions. Even no, there ,as no mista!in' the trend of his 3lac!est hints a3out the ni'htmare monstrosities in the screened1 off LAdults onlyL alcove. 2eedless of ridiculeA he ,as tryin' to imply that not all of these demoniac a3normalities ,ere artificial.

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=t ,as 6ones< fran! scepticism and amusement at these irresponsi3le claims ,hich 3ro!e up the 'ro,in' cordiality. :o'ersA it ,as clearA too! himself very seriouslyB for he no, 3ecame morose and resentfulA continuin' to tolerate 6ones only throu'h a do''ed ur'e to 3rea! do,n his ,all of ur3ane and complacent incredulity. Wild tales and su''estions of rites and sacrifices to nameless elder 'ods continuedA and no, and then :o'ers ,ould lead his 'uest to one of the hideous 3lashphemies in the screen1off alcolve and point out features difficult to reconcile ,ith even the finest human craftsmanship. 6ones continued his visits throu'h sheer fascinationA thou'h he !ne, he had forfeited his host<s re'ards. At times he ,ould humor :o'ers ,ith pretended assent to some mad hint or assertionA 3ut the 'aunt sho,man ,as seldom to 3e deceived 3y such tactics. The tension came to a head later in Septem3er. 6ones had casually dropped into the museum one afternoonA and ,as ,anderin' throu'h the dim corridors ,hose horror ,ere no, so familiarA ,hen he heard a very peculiar sound from the 'eneral direction of :o'ers< ,or!room. +thers heard it tooA and started nervously as the echoes rever3erated throu'h the 'reat vaulted 3asement. The three attendants e%chan'ed odd 'lancesB and one of themA a dar!A taciturnA forei'n1loo!in' fello, ,ho al,ays served :o'ers as a repairer and assistant desi'nerA smiled in a ,ay ,hich seemed to puzzle his collea'ues and ,hich 'rated very harshly on some facet of 6ones< sensi3ilities. =t ,as the yelp or scream of a do'A and ,as such a sound as could 3e made only under conditions of the utmost fri'ht and a'ony com3ined. =ts star!A an'uised frenzy ,as appallin' to hearA and in this settin' of 'rotesDue a3normality it held a dou3le hideousness. 6ones remem3ered that no do's ,ere allo,ed in the museum. 2e ,as a3out to 'o to the door leadin' into the ,or!roomA ,hen the dar! attendant stopped him ,ith a ,ord and a 'esture. 8r. :o'ersA the man said in a softA some,hat accented voice at once apolo'etic and va'uely sardonicA ,as outA and there ,ere standin' orders to admit no one to the ,or!room durin' his a3sence. As for that yelpA it ,as undou3tedly somethin' out in the courtyard 3ehind the museum. This nei'h3orhood ,as full of stray mon'relsA and their fi'hts ,ere sometimes shoc!in'ly noisy. There ,ere no do's in any part of the museum. But if 8r. 6ones ,ished to see 8r. :o'ers he mi'ht find him Cust 3efore closin'1time. After this 6ones clim3ed the old stone steps to the street outside and e%amined the sDualid nei'h3orhood curiously. The leanin'A decrepit 3uildin's11once d,ellin's 3ut no, lar'ely shops and ,arehouses11,ere very ancient indeed. Some of them ,ere of a 'a3led type seemin' to 'o 3ac! to Tudor timesA and a faint miasmatic stench hun' su3tly a3out the ,hole re'ion. Beside the din'y house ,hose 3asement held the museum ,as a lo, arch,ay pierced 3y a dar! co33led alleyA and this 6ones entered in a va'ue ,ish to find the courtyard 3ehind the ,or!room and settle the affair of the do' comforta3ly in his mind. The courtyard ,as dim in the late afternoon li'htA hemmed in 3y rear ,alls even u'lier and more intan'i3ly menacin' than the crum3lin' facades of the evil old houses. ;ot a do' ,as in si'htA and 6ones ,ondered ho, the aftermath of such a frantic turmoil could have completely vanished so soon. $espite the assistant<s statement that no do' had 3een in the museumA 6ones 'lanced nervously at the three small ,indo,s of the 3asement ,or!room11narro,A horizontal rectan'les close to the 'rass1'ro,n pavementA ,ith 'rimy panes that stared repulsively and incuriously li!e the eyes of dead fish. To their left a ,orn fli'ht of stairs led to an opaDue and heavily 3olted door. Some impulse ur'ed him to crouch lo, on the dampA 3ro!en

H.P.Lovecr !t

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co33lestones and peer inA on the chance that the thic! 'reen shadesA ,or!ed 3y lon' cords that hun' do,n to a reacha3le levelA mi'ht not 3e dra,n. The outer surfaces ,ere thic! ,ith dirtA 3ut as he ru33ed them ,ith his hand!erchief he sa, there ,as no o3scurin' curtain in the ,ay of his vision. So shado,ed ,as the cellar from the inside that not much could 3e made outA 3ut the 'rotesDue ,or!in' paraphernalia no, and then loomed up spectrally as 6ones tried each of the ,indo,s in turn. =t seemed evident at first that no one ,as ,ithinB yet ,hen he peered throu'h the e%treme ri'ht1hand ,indo,11the one nearest the entrance alley11he sa, a 'lo, of li'ht at the farther end of the apartment ,hich made him pause in 3e,ilderment. There ,as no reason ,hy any li'ht should 3e there. =t ,as an inner side of the roomA and he could not recall any 'as or electric fi%ture near that point. Another loo! defined the 'lo, as a lar'e vertical rectan'leA and a thou'h occurred to him. =t ,as in that direction that he had al,ays noticed the heavy plan! door ,ith the a3normally lar'e padloc!11the door ,hich ,as never openedA and a3ove ,hich ,as crudely smeared that hideous cryptic sym3ol from the fra'mentary records of for3idden elder ma'ic. =t must 3e open no,11and there ,as a li'ht inside. All his former speculation as to ,here that door ledA and as to ,hat lay 3ehind itA ,ere no, rene,ed ,ith tre3ly disDuietin' force. 6ones ,andered aimlessly around the dismal locality till close to si% o<cloc!A ,hen he returned to the museum to ma!e the call on :o'ers. 2e could hardly tell ,hy he ,ished so especially to see the man Cust thenA 3ut there must have 3een some su3conscious mis'ivin's a3out that terri3ly unplacea3le canine scream of the afternnonA and a3out the 'lo, of li'ht in that distur3in' and usually unopened inner door,ay ,ith the heavy padloc!. The attendants ,ere leavin' as he arrivedA and he thou'ht that +ra3ona11the dar! forei'n1loo!in' assistant11eyed him ,ith somethin' li!e slyA repressed amusement. 2e did not relish that loo!11even thou'h he had seen the fello, turn it on his employer many times. The vaulted e%hi3ition room ,as 'houlish in its desertionA 3ut he strode Duic!ly throu'h it and rapped at the door of the office and ,or!room. :esponse ,as slo, in comin'A thou'h there ,ere footsteps inside. 4inallyA in response to a second !noc!A the loc! rattledA and the ancient si%1panelled portal crea!ed reluctantly open to reveal the slouchin'A feverish1eyed form of 7eor'e :o'ers. 4rom the first it ,as clear that the sho,man ,as in an unusual mood. There ,as a curious mi%ture of reluctance and actual 'loatin' in his ,elcomeA and his tal! at once veered to e%trava'ances of the most hideous and incredi3le sort. Survivin' elder 'ods11nameless sacrifices11the other than artificial nature of some of the alcove horrors11all the usual 3oastsA 3ut uttered in a tone of peculiarly increasin' confidence. +3viouslyA 6ones reflectedA the poor fello,<s madness ,as 'ainin' on him. 4rom time to time :o'ers ,ould send furtive 'lances to,ard the heavyA padloc!ed inner door at the end of the roomA or to,ard a piece of coarse 3urlap on the floor not far from itA 3eneath ,hich some small o3Cect appeared to 3e lyin'. 6ones 're, more nervous as the moments passedA and 3e'an to feel as hesitant a3out mentionin' the afternoon<s oddities as he had formerly 3een an%ious to do so. :o'ers< sepulchrally resonant 3ass almost crac!ed under the e%citement of his fevered ram3lin'.

H.P.Lovecr !t

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# -

L$o you remem3erAL he shoutedA L,hat = told you a3out that ruined city in =ndo1China ,here the Tcho1Tchos livedG .ou had to admit =<d 3een there ,hen you sa, the photo'raphsA even if you did thin! = made that o3lon' s,immer in dar!ness out of ,a%. =f you<d seen it ,rithin' in the under'round pools as = did. . . . LWellA this is 3i''er still. = never told you a3out thisA 3ecause = ,anted to ,or! out the later parts 3efore ma!in' any claim. When you see the snapshots you<ll !no, the 'eo'raphy couldn<t have 3een fa!edA and = fancy = have another ,ay of provin' It isn<t any ,a%ed concoction of mine. .ou<ve never seen itA for the e%periments ,ouldn<t let me !eep =t on e%hi3ition.L The sho,man 'lanced Dueerly at the padloc!ed door. L=t all comes from that lon' ritual in the ei'hth >na!otic fra'ment. When = 'ot it fi'ured out = sa, it could only have one meanin'. There ,ere thin's in the north 3efore the land of 5omar113efore man!ind e%isted11and this ,as one of them. =t too! us all the ,ay to Alas!aA and up the ;oota! from 4ort 8ortonA 3ut the thin' ,as there as ,e !ne, it ,ould 3e. 7reat cyclopean ruinsA acres of them. There ,as less left than ,e had hoped forA 3ut after three million years ,hat could one e%pectG And ,eren<t the Es!imo le'ends all in the ri'ht directionG We couldn<t 'et one of the 3e''ars to 'o ,ith usA and had to sled'e all the ,ay 3ac! to ;ome for Americans. +ra3ona ,as no 'ood up in that climate11 it made him sullen and hateful. L=<ll tell you later ho, ,e found =t. When ,e 'ot the ice 3lasted out of the pylons of the central ruin the stair,ay ,as Cust as ,e !ne, it ,ould 3e. Some carvin's still thereA and it ,as no trou3le !eepin' the .an!ees from follo,in' us in. +ra3ona shivered li!e a leaf11 you<d never thin! it from the damned insolent ,ay he struts around here. 2e !ne, enou'h of the Elder 5ore to 3e properly afraid. The eternal li'ht ,as 'oneA 3ut our torches sho,ed enou'h. We sa, the 3ones of others ,ho had 3een 3efore us1bons a'oA ,hen the climate ,as ,arm. Some of those 3ones ,ere of thin's you couldn<t even ima'ine. At the third level do,n ,e found the ivory throne the fra'ments said so much a3out11and = may as ,ell tell you it ,asn<t empty. LThe thin' on the throne didn<t move11and ,e !ne, then that =t needed the nourishment of sacrifice. But ,e didn<t ,ant to ,a!e =t then. Better to 'et =t to 5ondon first. +ra3ona and = ,ent to the surface for the 3i' 3o%A 3ut ,hen ,e had pac!ed it ,e couldn<t 'et =t up the three fli'hts of steps. These steps ,eren<t made for human 3ein'sA and their size 3othered us. Any,ayA it ,as devilish heavy. We had to have the Americans do,n to 'et =t out. They ,eren<t an%ious to 'o into the placeA 3ut of course the ,orst thin' ,as safely inside the 3o%. We told them it ,as a 3atch of ivory carvin'11archeolo'ical stuffB and after seein' the carved throne they pro3a3ly 3elieved us. =t<s a ,onder they didn<t suspect hidden treasure and demand a share. They must have told Dueer tales around ;ome later onB thou'h = dou3t if they ever ,ent 3ac! to those ruinsA even for the ivory throne.L :o'ers pausedA felt around in his des!A and produced an envelope of 'ood1sized photo'raphic prints. E%tractin' one and layin' it face do,n 3efore himA he handed the rest to 6ones. The set ,as certainly an odd one9 ice1clad hillsA do' sled'esA men in fursA and vast tum3led ruins a'ainst a 3ac!'round of sno,11ruins ,hose 3izarre outlines and enormous stone 3loc!s could hardly 3e accounted for. +ne flashli'ht vie, sho,ed an incredi3le interior cham3er ,ith ,ild carvin's and a curious throne ,hose proportions

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could not have 3een desi'ned for a human occupant. The carvin's of the 'i'antic masonry11hi'h ,alls and peculiar vaultin' overhead11,ere mainly sym3olicA and involved 3oth ,holly un!no,n desi'ns and certain hiero'lyphs dar!ly cited in o3scene le'ends. +ver the throne loomed the same dreadful sym3ol ,hich ,as no, painted on the ,or!room ,all a3ove the padloc!ed plan! door. 6ones darted a nervous 'lance at the closed portal. AssuredlyA :o'ers had 3een to stran'e places and had seen stran'e thin's. .et this mad interior picture mi'ht easily 3e a fraud11ta!en from a very clever sta'e settin'. +ne must not 3e too credulous. But :o'ers ,as continuin'9 LWellA ,e shipped the 3o% from ;ome and 'ot to 5ondon ,ithout any trou3le. That ,as the first time ,e<d ever 3rou'ht 3ac! anythin' that had a chance of comin' alive. = didn<t put =t on displayA 3ecause there ,ere more important thin's to do for =t. =t needed the nourishment of sacrificeA for =t ,as a 'od. +f course = couldn<t 'et =t the sort of sacrifices ,hich =t used to have in =ts dayA for such thin's don<t e%ist no,. But there ,ere other thin's ,hich mi'ht do. The 3lood is the lifeA you !no,. Even the lemures and elementals that are older than the earth ,ill come ,hen the 3lood of men or 3easts is offered under the ri'ht conditions.L The e%pression on the narrator<s face ,as 'ro,in' very alarmin' and repulsiveA so that 6ones fid'eted involuntarily in his chair. :o'ers seemed to notice his 'uest<s nervousnessA and continued ,ith a distinctly evil smile. L=t ,as last year that = 'ot =tA and ever since then =<ve 3een tryin' rites and sacrifices. +ra3ona hasn<t 3een much helpA for he ,as al,ays a'ainst the idea of ,a!in' =t. 2e hates =t11pro3a3ly 3ecause he<s afraid of ,hat =t ,ill come to mean. 2e carries a pistol all the time to protect himself11foolA as if there ,ere human protection a'ainst =tF =f = ever see him dra, that pistolA =<ll stran'le him. 2e ,anted me to !ill =t and ma!e an effi'y of =t. But =<ve stuc! 3y my plansA and =<m comin' out on top in spite of all the co,ards li!e +ra3ona and damned sni''erin' s!eptics li!e youA 6onesF =<ve chanted the rites and made certain sacrificesA and last $eek t"e transition came. The sacrifice ,as11received and enCoyedFL :o'ers actually lic!ed his lipsA ,hile 6ones held himsef uneasily ri'id. The sho,man paused and roseA crossin' the room to the piece of 3urlap at ,hich he had 'lanced so often. Bendin' do,nA he too! hold of one corner as he spo!e a'ain. L.ou<ve lau'hed enou'h at my ,or!11no, it<s time for you to 'et some facts. +ra3ona tells me you heard a do' screamin' around here this afternoon. #o you kno$ $"at t"at meant/) 6ones started. 4or all his curiousity he ,ould have 3een 'lad to 'et out ,ithout further li'ht on the point ,hich had so puzzled him. But :o'ers ,as ine%ora3leA and 3e'an to lift the sDuare of 3urlap. Beneath it lay a crushedA almost shapeless mass ,hich 6ones ,as slo, to classify. Was it a once1livin' thin' ,hich some a'ency had flattenedA suc!ed dry of 3loodA punctured in a thousand placesA and ,run' into a limpA 3ro!en13oned heap of 'rotesDenessG After a moment 6ones realized ,hat it must 3e. =t ,as ,hat ,as left of a do'11a do'A perhaps of considera3le size and ,hitish color. =ts 3reed ,as past reco'nitionA for distortion had come in nameless and hideous ,ays. 8ost of the hair ,as 3urned off as 3y some pun'ent acidA and the e%posedA 3loodless s!in ,as riddled 3y innumera3le circular ,ounds or incisions. The form of torture necessary to cause such results ,as past ima'inin'.

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Electrified ,ith a pure loathin' ,hich conDuered his mountin' dis'ustA 6ones spran' ,ith a cry. L.ou damned sadist11you madman11you do a thin' li!e this and dare to spea! to a decent manFL :o'ers dropped the 3urlap ,ith a mali'nant sneer and faced his oncomin' 'uest. 2is ,ords held an unnatural calm. LWhyA you foolA do you thin! I did thisG What of itG =t is not human and does not pretend to 3e. To sacrifice is merely to offer. = 'ave the do' to It. What happened is =t<s ,or!A not mine. =t needed the nourishment of the offerin'A and too! it in =ts o,n ,ay. But let me sho, you ,hat =t loo!s li!e.L As 6ones stood hesitatin'A the spea!er had returned to his des! and too! up the photo'raph he had laid face do,n ,ithout sho,in'. ;o, he e%tended it ,ith a curious loo!. 6ones too! it and 'lanced at in in an almost mechanical ,ay. After a moment the visitor<s 'lance 3ecame sharper and more a3sor3edA for the utterly satanic force of the o3Cect depicted had an almost hypnotic effect. CertainlyA :o'ers had outdone himself in modelin' the eldritch ni'htmare ,hich the camera had cau'ht. The thin' ,as a ,or! of sheerA infernal 'eniusA and 6ones ,ondered ho, the pu3lic ,ould react ,hen it ,as placed on e%hi3ition. So hideous a thin' had no ri'ht to e%ist11pro3a3ly the mere contemplation of itA after it ,as doneA had completed the unhin'in' of its ma!er<s mind and led him to ,orship it ,ith 3rutal sacrifices. +nly a stout sanity could resist the insidious su''estion that the 3lasphemy ,as11or had once 3een11some mor3id and e%otic form of actual life. The thin' in the picture sDuatted or ,as 3alanced on ,hat appeared to 3e a clever reproduction of the monstrously carved throne in the other curious photo'raph. To descri3e it ,ith any ordinary voca3ulary ,ould 3e impossi3leA for nothin' even rou'hly correspondin' to it has ever come ,ithin the ima'ination of sane man!ind. =t represented somethin' meant perhaps to 3e rou'hly connected ,ith the verte3rates of this planet11 thou'h one could not 3e too sure of that. =ts 3ul! ,as cyclopeanA for even sDuatted it to,ered to almost t,ice the hei'ht of +ra3onaA ,ho ,as sho,n 3eside it. 5oo!in' sharplyA one mi'ht trace its appro%imations to,ard the 3odily features of the hi'her verte3rates. There ,as an almost 'lo3ular torsoA ,ith si% lon'A sinuous lim3s terminatin' in cra31 li!e cla,s. 4rom the upper end a su3sidiary 'lo3e 3ul'ed forth 3u33le1li!eB its trian'le of three starin'A fishy eyesA its foot1lon' and evidently fle%i3le pro3oscisA and a distended lateral system analo'ous to 'illsA su''estin' that it ,as a head. 8ost of the 3ody ,as covered ,ith ,hat at first appeared to 3e furA 3ut ,hich on closer e%amination proved to 3e a dense 'ro,th of dar!A slender tentacles or suc!in' filamentsA each tipped ,ith a mouth su''estin' the head of an asp. +n the head and 3elo, the pro3oscis the tentacles tended to 3e lon'er and thic!erA mar!ed ,ith spiral stripes11su''estin' the traditional serpent1loc!s of 8edusa. To su''est that such a thin' could have an e@pression seems parado%icalB yet 6ones felt that that trian'le of 3ul'in' fish eyes and that o3liDuely poised pro3oscis all 3espo!e a 3lend of hateA 'reed and sheer cruelty incomprehensi3le to man!ind 3ecause it ,as mi%ed ,ith other emotions not of the ,orld or this solar system. =nto this 3estial a3normalityA he reflectedA :o'ers must have poured at once all his mali'nant insanity and all his uncanny sculptural 'enius. The thin' ,as incredi3le11and yet the photo'raph proved that it e%isted.

H.P.Lovecr !t :o'ers interrupted his reveries.

The 2orror in the 8useum

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LWell11,hat do you thin! of =tG ;o, do you ,onder ,hat crushed the do' and suc!ed it dry ,ith a million mouthsG =t needed nourishment11and =t ,ill need more. =t is a 'odA and = am the first priest of =ts latter1day hierarchy. =]F Shu31;i''urathF The 7oat ,ith a Thousand .oun'FL 6ones lo,ered the photo'raph in dis'ust and pity. LSee hereA :o'ersA this ,on<t do. There are limitsA you !no,. =t<s a 'reat piece of ,or!A and all thatA 3ut it isn<t 'ood for you. Better not see it any more11let +ra3ona 3rea! it upA and try to for'et a3out it. And let me tear this 3eastly picture upA too.L With a snarlA :o'ers snatched the photo'raph and returned it to the des!. L=diot11you11and you still thin! =t<s a fraudF .ou still thin! = made =tA and you still thin! my fi'ures are nothin' 3ut lifeless ,a%F WhyA damn youA you<re 'oin' to !no,. ;ot Cust no,A for =t is restin' after the sacrifice113ut later. +hA yes11you ,ill not dou3t the po,er of =t then.L As :o'ers 'lanced to,ard the padloc!ed inner door 6ones retrieved his hat and stic! from a near13y 3ench. L?ery ,ellA :o'ersA let it 3e later. = must 3e 'oin' no,A 3ut =<ll call round tomorro, afternoon. Thin! my advice over and see if it doesn<t sound sensi3le. As! +ra3ona ,hat he thin!sA too.L :o'ers 3ared his teeth in ,ild13east fashion. L8ust 3e 'oin' no,A ehG AfraidA after allF AfraidA for all your 3old tal!F .ou say the effi'ies are only ,a%A and yet you run a,ay ,hen = 3e'in to prove that they aren<t. .ou<re li!e the fello,s ,ho ta!e my standin' 3et that they daren<t spend the ni'ht in the museum11 they come 3oldly enou'hA 3ut after an hour they shrie! and hammer to 'et outF Want me to as! +ra3onaA ehG .ou t,o11al,ays a'ainst meF .ou ,ant to 3rea! do,n the comin' earthly rei'n of =tFL 6ones preserved his calm. L;oA :o'ers11there<s no3ody a'ainst you. And =<m not afraid of your fi'uresA eitherA much as = admire your s!ill. But ,e<re 3oth a 3it nervous toni'htA and = fancy some rest ,ill do us 'ood.L A'ain :o'ers chec!ed his 'uest<s departure. L;ot afraidA ehG11then ,hy are you so an%ious to 'oG 5oo! here11do you or don<t you dare to stay alone here in the dar!G What<s your hurry if you don<t 3elieve in =tGL Some ne, idea seemed to have struc! :o'ersA and 6ones eyed him closely.

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LWhyA =<ve no special hurry113ut ,hat ,ould 3e 'ained 3y my stayin' here aloneG What ,ould it proveG 8y only o3Cection is that it isn<t very comforta3le for sleepin'. What 'ood ,ould it do either of usGL This time it ,as 6ones ,ho ,as struc! ,ith an idea. 2e continued in a tone of conciliation. LSee hereA :o'ers11=<ve Cust as!ed you ,hat it ,ould prove if = stayedA ,hen ,e 3oth !ne,. =t ,ould prove that your effi'ies are Cust effi'iesA and that you ou'htn<t to let your ima'ination 'o the ,ay it<s 3een 'oin' lately. Suppose = do stay. =f = stic! it out till mornin'A ,ill you a'ree to ta!e a ne, vie, of thin's11'o on a vacation for three months or so and let +ra3ona destroy that ne, thin' of yoursG ComeA no,11isn<t that fairGL The e%pression on the sho,man<s face ,as hard to read. =t ,as o3vious that he ,as thin!in' Duic!lyA and that of sundry conflictin' emotionsA mali'n triumph ,as 'ettin' the upper hand. 2is voice held a cho!in' Duality as he replied. L4air enou'hF If you do stick it outA =<ll ta!e your advice. We<ll 'o out for dinner and come 3ac!. =<ll loc! you in the display room and 'o home. =n the mornin' =<ll come do,n ahead of +ra3ona11he comes half an hour 3efore the rest11and see ho, you are. But don<t try it unless you are !ery sure of your s!epticism. +thers have 3ac!ed out11you have that chance. And = suppose a poundin' on the outer door ,ould al,ays 3rin' a consta3le. .ou may not li!e it so ,ell after a ,hile11you<ll 3e in the same 3uildin'A thou'h not in the same room ,ith =t.L As they left the rear door into the din'y courtyardA :o'ers too! ,ith him the piece of 3urlap11,ei'hted ,ith a 'ruesome 3urden. ;ear the center of the court ,as a manholeA ,hose cover the sho,man lifted DuietlyA and ,ith a shuddersome su''estion of familiarity. Burlap and allA the 3urden ,ent do,n to the o3livion of a cloacal la3yrinth. 6ones shudderedA and almost shran! from the 'aunt fi'ure at his side as they emer'ed into the street. By unspo!en mutual consentA they did not dine to'etherA 3ut a'reed to meet in front of the museum at eleven. 6ones hailed a ca3A and 3reathed more freely ,hen he had crossed Waterloo Brid'e and ,as approachin' the 3rilliantly li'hted Strand. 2e dined at a Duite cafOA and su3seDuently ,ent to his home in >ortland >lace to 3athe and 'et a fe, thin's. =dly he ,ondered ,hat :o'ers ,as doin'. 2e had heard that the man had a vastA dismal house in the Wal,orth :oadA full of o3scure and for3idden 3oo!sA occult paraphernaliaA and ,a% ima'es ,hich he did not choose to place on e%hi3ition. +ra3onaA he understoodA lived in separate Duarters in the same house.
At eleven 6ones found :o'ers ,aitin' 3y the 3asement door in South,ar! Street. Their ,ords ,ere fe,A 3ut each seemed taut ,ith a menacin' tension. They a'reed that the vaulted e%hi3ition room alone should form the scene of the vi'ilA and :o'ers did not insist that the ,atcher sit in the special adult alcove of supreme horrors. The sho,manA havin' e%tin'uished all the li'hts ,ith s,itches in the ,or!roomA loc!ed the door of that crypt ,ith one of the !eys on his cro,ded rin'. Without sha!in' hands he passed out the street doorA loc!ed it after himA and passed up the ,orn steps to the side,al! outside. As his tread recededA 6ones realized that the lon'A tedious vi'il had commenced.

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,,.
5aterA in the utter 3lac!ness of the 'reat arched cellarA 6ones cursed the childish naI!etE ,hich had 3rou'ht him there. 4or the first half1hour he had !ept flashin' his poc!et1li'ht at intervalsA 3ut no, Cust sittin' in the dar! on one of the visitor<s 3enches had 3ecome a more nerve1,rac!in' thin'. Every time the 3eam shot out it li'hted up some mor3idA 'rotesDue o3Cect11a 'uillotineA a nameless hy3rid monsterA a pasty13earded face crafty ,ith evilA a 3ody ,ith red torrents streamin' from a severed throat. 6ones !ne, that no sinister reality ,as attached to these thin'sA 3ut after that first half1hour he preferred not to see them. Why he had 3othered to humor that madman he could scarcely ima'ine. =t ,ould have 3een much simpler merely to have let him aloneA or to have called in a mental specialist. >ro3a3lyA he reflectedA it ,as the fello,1feelin' of one artist for another. There ,as so much 'enius in :o'ers that he deserved every possi3le chance to 3e helped Duietly out of his 'ro,in' mania. Any man ,ho could ima'ine and construct the incredi3ly life1li!e thin's that he had produced ,as not far from actual 'reatness. 2e had the fancy of a Sime or a $orO Coined to the minuteA scientific craftsmanship of a Blatsch!a. =ndeedA he had done for the ,orld of ni'htmare ,hat the Blatsch!as ,ith their marvelously accurate plant models of finely ,rou'ht and coloured 'lass had done for the ,orld of 3otany. At midni'ht the stro!es of a distant cloc! filtered throu'h the dar!nessA and 6ones felt cheered 3y the messa'e from a still1survivin' outside ,orld. The vaulted museum cham3er ,as li!e a tom311'hastly in its utter solitude. Even a mouse ,ould 3e cheerin' companyB yet :o'ers had once 3oasted that11for Lcertain reasonsAL as he said11no mice or even insects ever came near the place. That ,as very curiousA yet it seemed to 3e true. The deadness and silence ,ere virtually complete. =f only somethin' ,ould ma!e a soundF 2e shuffled his feetA and the echoes came spectrally out of the a3solute stillness. 2e cou'hedA 3ut there ,as somethin' moc!in' in the staccato rever3erations. 2e could notA he vo,edA 3e'in tal!in' to himself. That meant nervous disinter'ration. Time seemed to pass ,ith a3normal and disconcertin' slo,ness. 2e could have s,orn that hours had elapsed since he last flashed the li'ht on his ,atchA yet here ,as only the stro!e of midni'ht. 2e ,ished that his senses ,ere not so preternaturally !een. Somethin' in the dar!ness and stillness seemed to have sharpened themA so that they responded to faint intimations hardly stron' enou'h to 3e called true impressions. 2is ears seemed at times to catch a faintA elusive susurrus ,hich could not 0uite 3e identified ,ith the nocturnal hum of the sDualid streets outsideA and he thou'ht of va'ueA irrelevant thin's li!e the music of the spheres and the un!no,nA inaccessi3le life of alien dimensions pressin' on our o,n. :o'ers often speculated a3out such thin's. The floatin' spec!s of li'ht in his 3lac!ness1dro,ned eyes seemed inclined to ta!e on curious symmetries of pattern and motion. 2e had often ,ondered a3out those stran'e rays from the unplum3ed a3yss ,hich scintillate 3efore us in the a3sence of all earthly illuminationA 3ut he had never !no,n any that 3ehaved Cust as these ,ere 3ehavin'. They lac!ed the restful aimlessness of ordinary li'ht1spec!s11su''estin' some ,ill and purpose remote from any terrestrial conception.

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Then there ,as that su''estion of odd stirrin's. ;othin' ,as openA yet in spite of the 'eneral draftlessness 6ones felt that the air ,as not uniformly Duiet. There ,ere intan'i3le variations in pressure11not Duite decided enou'h to su''est the loathsome pa,in's of unseen elementals. =t ,as a3normally chillyA too. 2e did not li!e any of this. The air tested saltyA as if it ,ere mi%ed ,ith the 3rine of dar! su3terrene ,atersA and there ,as a 3are hint of some odor of ineffa3le mustiness. =n the daytime he had never noticed that the ,a%en fi'ures had an odor. Even no, that half1received hint ,as not the ,ay ,a% fi'ures ou'ht to smell. =t ,as more li!e the faint smell of specimens in a natural1history museum. CuriousA in vie, of :o'ers< claims that his fi'ures ,ere not all artificial11indeedA it ,as pro3a3ly that claim ,hich made one<s ima'ination conCure up the olfactory suspicion. +ne must 'uard a'ainst e%cesses of ima'ination11had not such thin's driven poor :o'ers madG But the utter loneliness of this place ,as fri'htful. Even the distant chimes seemed to come from across cosmic 'ulfs. =t made 6ones thin! of that insane picture ,hich :o'ers had sho,ed him1the ,ildly carved cham3er ,ith the cryptic throne ,hich the fello, had claimed ,as part of a three1million1year1old ruin in the shunned and inaccessi3le solitudes of the Arctic. >erhaps :o'ers had 3een to Alas!aA 3ut that picture ,as certainly nothin' 3ut sta'e scenery. =t couldn<t normally 3e other,iseA ,ith all that carvin' and those terri3le sym3ols. And that monstrous shape supposed to have 3een found on that throne11,hat a fli'ht of diseased fancyF 6ones ,ondered Cust ho, far he actually ,as from the insane masterpiece in ,a%11pro3a3ly it ,as !ept 3ehind that heavyA padloc!ed plan! door leadin' some,here out of the ,or!room. But it ,ould never do to 3rood a3out a ,a%en ima'e. Was not the present room full of such thin'sA some of them scarcely less horri3le than the dreadful L=TLG And 3eyond a thin canvas screen on the left ,as the LAdults onlyL alcove ,ith its nameless phantoms of delerium. The pro%imity of the num3erless ,a%en shapes 3e'an to 'et on 6ones< nerves more and more as the Duarter1hours ,ore on. 2e !ne, the museum so ,ell that he could not 'et rid of their usual ima'es even in the total dar!ness. =ndeedA the dar!ness had the effect of addin' to the remem3ered ima'es certain very distur3in' im'inative overtones. The 'uillotine seemed to crea!A and the 3earded face of 5andru11slayer of his fifty ,ives11 t,isted itself into e%pressions of monstrous menace. 4rom the severed throat of 8adame $emers a hideous 3u33lin' sound seemed to emanateA ,hile the headlessA le'less victim of a trun! murder tried to ed'e closer and closer on its 'ory stumps. 6ones 3e'an shuttin' his eyes to see if that ,ould dim the ima'esA 3ut found it ,as useless. BesidesA ,hen he shut his eyes the stran'eA purposeful patterns of li'ht1spec!s 3ecame more distur3in'ly pronounced. Then suddenly he 3e'an tryin' to !eep the hideous ima'es he had formerly 3een tryin' to 3anish. 2e tried to !eep them 3ecause they ,ere 'ivin' place to still more hideous ones. =n spite of himself his memory 3e'an reconstructin' the utterly non1human 3lasphemies that lur!ed in the o3scurer cornersA and these lumpish hy3rid 'ro,ths oozed and ,ri''led to,ard him as thou'h hutin' him do,n in a circle. Blac! Tsatho''ua molded itself from a toad1li!e 'ar'oyle to a lon'A sinuous line ,ith hundreds of rudimentary feetA and a leanA ru33ery ni'ht1'aunt spread its ,in's as if to advance and smother the ,atcher. 6ones 3raced himself to !eep from screamin'. 2e !ne, he ,as revertin' to the traditional terrors of his childhoodA and resolved to use his adult reason to !eep the phantoms at 3ay. =t helped a 3itA he foundA to flash the li'ht a'ain. 4ri'htful as ,ere the ima'es it sho,edA these ,ere not as 3ad as ,hat his fancy called out of the utter 3lac!ness.

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But there ,ere dra,3ac!s. Even in the li'ht of his torch he could not help suspectin' a sli'htA furtive trem3lin' on the part of the canvas partition screenin' off the terri3le LAdults onlyL alcove. 2e !ne, ,hat lay 3eyondA and shivered. =ma'ination called up the shoc!in' forms of fa3ulous .o'1Sothoth11only a con'eries of iridescent 'lo3esA yet stupendous in its mali'n su''estiveness. What ,as this accursed mass slo,ly floatin' to,ard him and 3umpin' on the partition that stood in the ,ayG A small 3ul'e in the canvas far to the ri'ht su''ested the sharp horn of 7noph1!ehA the hairy myth1thin' of the 7reenland iceA that ,al!ed sometimes on t,o le'sA sometimes on fourA and sometimes on si%. To 'et this stuff out of his head 6ones ,al!ed 3oldly to,ard the hellish alcove ,ith torch 3urnin' steadily. +f courseA none of his fears ,as true. .et ,ere not the lon'A facial tentalces of 'reat Cthulhu actually s,ayin'A slo,ly and insidiouslyG 2e !ne, they ,ere fle%i3leA 3ut he had not realised that the draft caused 3y his advance ,as enou'h to set them in motion. :eturnin' to his former seat outside the alcoveA he shut his eyes and let the symmetrical li'ht1spec!s do their ,orst. The distant cloc! 3oomed a sin'le stro!e. Could it 3e only oneG 2e flashed the li'ht on his ,atch and sa, that it ,as precisely that hour. =t ,ould 3e hard indeed ,aitin' for the mornin'. :o'ers ,ould 3e do,n at a3out ei'ht o<cloc!A ahead of even +ra3ona. =t ,ould 3e li'ht outside in the main 3asement lon' 3efore thatA 3ut none of it could penetrate here. All the ,indo,s in this 3asement had 3een 3ric!ed up 3ut the three small ones facin' the court. A pretty 3ad ,aitA all told. 2is ears ,ere 'ettin' most of the hallucinations no,11for he could s,ear he heard stealthyA ploddin' footsteps in the ,or!room 3eyond the closed and loc!ed door. 2e had no 3usiness thin!in' of that une%hi3ited horror ,hich :o'ers called L=t.L The thin' ,as a contamination1it had driven its ma!er madA and no, even its picture ,as callin' up ima'inative terrors. =t ,as very o3viously 3eyond that padloc!ed door of heavy plan!in'. Those steps ,ere certainly pure ima'ination. Then he thou'ht he heard the !ey turn in the ,or!room door. 4lashin' on his torchA he sa, nothin' 3ut the ancient si%1paneled portla in its proper position. A'ain he tried dar!ness and closed his eyesA 3ut there follo,ed a harro,in' illusion of crea!in'11not the 'uillotine this timeA 3ut the slo,A furtive openin' of the ,or!room door. 2e ,ould not scream. +nce he screamedA he ,ould 3e lost. There ,as a sort of paddin' or shufflin' audi3le no,A and it ,as slo,ly advancin' to,ard him. 2e must retain command of himself. 2ad he not done so ,hen the nameless 3rain1shaped tried to close in on himG The shufflin' crept nearerA and his resolution failed. 2e did not scream 3ut merely 'ulped out a challen'e. LWho 'oes thereG Who are youG What do you ,antGL There ,as no ans,erA 3ut the shufflin' !ept on. 6ones did not !no, ,hich he feared most to do11turn on his flashli'ht or stay in the dar! ,hile the thin' crept upon him. This thin' ,as differentA he felt profoundlyA from the other terrors of the evenin'. 2is fin'ers and throat ,or!ed spasmodically. Silence ,as impossi3leA and the suspense of utter 3lac!ness ,as 3e'innin' to 3e the most intolera3le of all conditions. A'ain he cried out hysterically11L2altF Who 'oes thereGL11as he s,itched on the revealin' 3eam of his torch. ThenA paralyzed 3y ,hat he sa,A he dropped the flashli'ht and screamed11not once 3ut many times.

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Shufflin' to,ard him in the dar!ness ,as the 'i'anticA 3lasphemous form of a 3lac! thin' not ,holly ape and not ,holly insect. =ts hide hun' loosely upon its frameA and its ru'oseA dead1eyed rudiment of a head s,ayed drun!enly from side to side. =ts forepa,s ,ere e%tendedA ,ith talons spread ,ideA and its ,hole 3ody ,as taut ,ith murderous mali'nity despite its utter lac! of facial e%pression. After the screams and the final comin' of dar!ness it leapedA and in a moment had 6ones pinned to the floor. There ,as no stru''le for the ,atcher had fainted. 6ones< faintin' spell could not have lasted more than a momentA for the nameless thin' ,as apishly dra''in' him throu'h the dar!ness ,hen he 3e'an recoverin' consciousness. What started him fully a,a!e ,ere the sounds ,hich the thin' ,as ma!in'11or ratherA the voice ,ith ,hich it ,as ma!in' them. That voice ,as humanA and it ,as familiar. +nly one livin' 3ein' could 3e 3ehind the hoarseA feverish accents ,hich ,ere chantin' to an un!no,n horror. L=]F =]FL it ,as ho,lin'. L= am comin'A + :han1Te'othA comin' ,ith the nourishment. .ou have ,aited lon' and fed illA 3ut no, you shall have ,hat ,as promised. That and moreA for instead of +ra3ona it ,ill 3e one of hi'h de'ree ,ho has dou3ted you. .ou shall crush and drain himA ,ith all his dou3tsA and 'ro, stron' there3y. And ever after amon' men he shall 3e sho,n as a monument to your 'lory. :han1Te'othA infinite and invinci3leA = am your slave and hi'h1priest. .ou are hun'ryA and = shall provide. = read the si'n and have led you forth. = shall feed you ,ith 3loodA and you shall feed me ,ith po,er. =]F Shu31;i''urathF The 7oat ,ith a Thousand .oun'FL =n an instant all the terrors of the ni'ht dropped from 6ones li!e a discarded cloa!. 2e ,as a'ain master of his mindA for he !ne, the very earthly and material peril he had to deal ,ith. This ,as no monster of fa3leA 3ut a dan'erous madman. =t ,as :o'ersA dressed in some ni'htmare coverin' of his o,n insane desi'nin'A and a3out to ma!e a fri'htful sacrifice to the devil1'od he had fashioned out of ,a%. ClearlyA he must have entered the ,or!room from the read courtyardA donned his dis'uiseA and then advance to seize his neatly1trapped and fear13ro!en victim. 2is stren'th ,as prodi'iousA and if he ,as to 3e th,artedA one must act Duic!ly. Countin' on the madman<s confidence in his unconsciousness he determined to ta!e him 3y surpriseA ,hile his 'rip ,as relatively la%. The feel of a threshold told him he ,as crossin' into the pitch13lac! ,or!room. With the stren'th of mortal fear 6ones made a sudden sprin' from the half1recum3ent posture in ,hich he ,as 3ein' dra''ed. 4or an instant he ,as free of the astonished maniac<s handsA and in another instant a luc!y lun'e in the dar! had put his o,n hands at his captor<s ,eirdly concealed throat. Simultaneously :o'ers 'ripped him a'ainA and ,ithout further preliminaries the t,o ,ere loc!ed in a desperate stru''le of life and death. 6ones< athletic trainin'A ,ithout dou3tA ,as his sole salvationB for his mad assailantA freed from every inhi3ition of fair playA decencyA or even self1preservationA ,as an en'ine of sava'e destruction as formida3le as a ,olf or panther. 7uttural cries sometimes punctured the hideous tussle in the dar!. Blood spurtedA clothin' rippedA and 6ones at last felt the actual throat of the maniacA shorn of its spectral mas!. 2e spo!e not a ,ordA 3ut put every ounce of ener'y into the defence of his life. :o'ers !ic!edA 'ou'edA 3uttedA 3itA cla,edA and spat11yet found stren'th to yelp out actual sentences at times. 8ost of his speech ,as in a ritualistic Car'on full of references to L=tL or L:han1Te'othAL and to 6ones< over,rou'ht nerves it seemed as if the cries echoed from

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an infinite distance of demoniac snortics and 3ayin's. To,ard the last they ,ere rollin' on the floorA overturnin' 3enches or stri!in' a'ainst the ,alls and the 3ric! foundations of the central meltin'1furnace. (p to the very end 6ones could not 3e certain of savin' himselfA 3ut chance finally intervened in his favor. A Ca3 of his !nee a'ainst :o'ers< chest produced a 'eneral rela%ationA and a moment later he !ne, he had ,on. Thou'h hardly a3le to hold himself upA 6ones rose and stum3led a3out the ,alls see!in' the li'ht1s,itch11for his flashli'ht ,as 'oneA to'ether ,ith most of his clothin'. As he lurched alon' he dra''ed his limp opponent ,ith himA fearin' a sudden attac! ,hen the madman came to. 4indin' the s,itch13o%A he fum3led till he had the ri'ht handle. ThenA as the ,ildly disordered ,or!room 3urst into sudden radianceA he set a3out 3indin' :o'ers ,ith such cords and 3elts as he could easily find. The fello,<s dis'uise11or ,hat ,as left of it11seemed to 3e made of a puzzlin' Dueer sort of leather. 4or some reason it made 6ones< flesh cra,l to touch itA and there seemed to 3e an alienA rusty odor a3out it. =n the normal clothes 3eneath it ,as :o'ers< !ey1rin'A and this the e%hausted victor seized as his final passport to freedom. The shades at the smallA slit1li!e ,indo,s ,ere all securely dra,nA and he let them remain so. Washin' off the 3lood of 3attle at a convenient sin!A 6ones donned the most ordinary1 loo!in' and least ill1fittin' clothes he could find on the costume hoo!s. Testin' the door to the courtyardA he found it fastened ,ith a sprin'1loc! ,hich did not reDuire a !ey from the inside. 2e !ept the !ey1rin'A ho,everA to admit him on his return ,ith aid11for plainlyA the thin' to do ,as to call in an alienist. There ,as no telephone in the museumA 3ut it ,ould not ta!e lon' to find an all1ni'ht restaurant or chemist<s shop ,here one could 3e had. 2e had almost opened the door ,hen a torrent of hideous a3use from across the room told him that :o'ers11,hose visi3le inCuries ,ere confined to a lon'A deep scratch do,n the left chee!11had re'ained consciousness. L4oolF Spa,n of ;oth1.idi! and effluvium of 0<thunF Son of the do's that ho,l in the maelstrom of AzathothF .ou ,ould have 3een sacred and immortalA and no, you are 3etrayin' =t and =ts priestF Be,are11for =t is hun'ryF =t ,ould have 3een +ra3ona11that damned treacherous do' ready to turn a'ainst me and =t113ut = 'ive you the honor instead. ;o, you must 3oth 3e,areA for =t is not 'entle ,ithout =ts priest. L=]F =]F ?en'eance is at handF $o you !no, you ,ould have 3een immortalG 5oo! at the furnaceF There is a fire ready to li'htA and there is ,a% in the !ettle. = ,ould have done ,ith you as = have done ,ith other once livin' forms. 2eiF .ouA ,ho have vo,ed all my effi'ies are ,a%enA ,ould have 3ecome a ,a%en effi'y yourselfF The furnace ,as alreadyF When =t had had its fillA and you ,ere li!e that do' = sho,ed youA = ,ould have made your flattenedA punctured fra'ments immortalF Wa% ,ould have done it. 2aven<t you said =<m a 'reat artistG Wa% in every pore11,a% over every sDuare inch of you11=]F =]F And ever after the ,orld ,ould have loo!ed at your man'led carcass and ,ondered ho, = ever ima'ined and made such a thin'F 2eiF and +ra3ona ,ould have come ne%tA and others after him1and thus ,ould my ,a%en family have 'ro,nF L$o'11do you still thin' = made all my effi'iesG Why not say preser!ed/ .ou !no, 3y this time the stran'e places =<ve 3een toA and the stran'e thin's =<ve 3rou'ht 3ac!. Co,ard11you could never face the dimensional sham3ler ,hose hide = put on to scare you11 the mere si'ht of it aliveA or even the full1fled'ed thou'ht of itA ,ould !ill you instantly ,ith fri'htF =]F =]F =t ,aits hun'ry for the 3lood that is the lifeFL

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:o'ersA propped a'ainst the ,allA s,ayed to and fro in his 3onds. LSee hereA 6ones11if = let you 'o ,ill you let me 'oG =t must 3e ta!en care of 3y =ts hi'h priest. +ra3ona ,ill 3e enou'h to !eep =t alive11and ,hen he is finished = ,ill ma!e his fra'ments immortal in ,a% for the ,orld to see. =t could have 3een youA 3ut you have reCected the honor. = ,on<t 3other you a'ain. 5et me 'oA and = ,ill share ,ith you the po,er that =t ,ill 3rin' me. =]F =]F 7reat is :han1Te'othF 5et me 'oF 5et me 'oF =t is starvin' do,n there 3eyond that doorA and if =t dies the +ld +nes can never come 3ac!. 2eiF 2eiF 5et me 'oFL 6ones merely shoo! his headA thou'h the hideousness of the sho,man<s ima'inin's revolted him. :o'ersA no, starin' ,ildly at the padloc!ed plan! doorA thumped his head a'ain and a'ain a'ainst the 3ric! ,all and !ic!ed ,ith his ti'htly 3ound an!les. 6ones ,as afraid he ,ould inCure himselfA and advanced to 3ind him more firmly to some stationary o3Cect. Writhin'A :o'ers ed'ed a,ay from him and set up a series of frenetic ululations ,hose utterA monstrous unhumanness ,as appallin'A and ,hose sheer volume ,as almost incredi3le. =t seemed impossi3le that any human throat could produce noises so loud and piercin'A and 6ones felt that if this contiuned there ,ould 3e no need to telephone for aid. =t could not 3e lon' 3efore a consta3le ,ould investi'ateA even 'rantin' that there ,ere no listenin' nei'h3ors in this deserted ,arehouse district. )W2a-y+eiC W2a-y+eiC) ho,led the madman. );+kaa "aa "o-ii& *"an-Tegot"-Ct"ul"u ft"agn- iC iC iC iC-*"an-Teogt"% *"an-Tegot"& *"an-Tegot"C) The tautly trussed creatureA ,ho had started sDuirmin' his ,ay across the littered floorA no, reached the padloc!ed plan! door and commenced !noc!in' his head thunderously a'ainst it. 6ones dreaded the tas! of 3indin' him furtherA and ,ished he ,ere not so e%hausted from his previous stru''le. This violent aftermath ,as 'ettin' hideously on his nervesA and he 3e'an to feel a return of the nameless Dualms he had felt in the dar!. Everythin' a3out :o'ers and his museum ,as so hellishly mor3id and su''estive of 3lac! vistas 3eyond lifeF =t ,as loathsome to thin! of the ,a%en masterpiece of a3normal 'enius ,hich must at this very moment 3e lur!in' close at hand in the 3lac!ness 3eyond the heavyA padloc!ed door. At no, somethin' happened ,hich sent an addition chill do,n 6ones< spineA and caused every hair11even the tiny 'ro,th on the 3ac!s of his hands11to 3ristle ,ith a va'ue fri'ht 3eyond classification. :o'ers had suddenly stopped screamin' and 3eatin' his head a'ainst the stout plan! doorA and ,as strainin' up to a sittin' positionA head coc!ed on one side as if listenin' intently for somethin'. All at once a smile of devilish triumph overspread his faceA and he 3e'an spea!in' intelli'i3ly a'ain11this time in a hoarse ,hisper contrastin' oddly ,ith his former stentorian ho,lin'. L5istenA foolF 5isten hardF It has heard meA and is comin'. Can<t you hear =t splashin' out of =ts tan! do,n there at the end of the run,ayG = du' it deepA 3ecause there ,as nothin' too 'ood for =t. =t is amphi3iousA you !no,11you sa, the 'ills in the picture. =t came to the earth from lead1'ray .u''othA ,here the cities are under the ,arm deep sea. =t can<t stand up in there11too tall11has to sit do,n or crouch. 5et me 'et my !eys11,e must let =t out and !neel do,n 3efore it. Then ,e ,ill 'o out and find a do' or cat11or perhaps a drun!en man11to 'ive =t the nourishment =t needs.L

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The 2orror in the 8useum

#-7

=t ,as not ,hat the madman saidA 3ut the ,ay he said itA that disor'anized 6ones so 3adly. The utterA insane confidence and sincerity in that crazed ,hisper ,ere damna3ly conta'ious. =ma'inationA such a stimulusA could find an active menace in the devilish ,a% fi'ure that lur!ed unseen Cust 3eyond the heavy plan!in'. Eyein' the door in unholy fascinationA 6ones notices that it 3ore several distinct crac!sA thou'h no mar!s of violent treatment ,ere visi3le on this side. 2e ,ondered ho, lar'e a room or closet lay 3ehind itA and ho, the ,a%en fi'ure ,as arran'ed. The maniac<s idea of a tan! and run,ay ,as as clever as all his other ima'inin's. ThenA in one terri3le instantA 6ones completely lost the po,er to dra, a 3reath. The leather 3elt he had seized for :o'ers< further strappin' fell from his limp handsA and a spasm of shiverin' convulsed him from head to foot. 2e mi'ht have !no,n the place ,ould drive him mad as it had driven :o'ers1and no, he ,as mad. 2e ,as madA for he no, har3ored hallucinations more ,eird than any ,hich had assailed him earlier that ni'ht. The madman ,as 3iddin' him hear the splashin' of a mythical monster in a tan! 3eyond the door11and no,A 7od help himA "e did "ear itC :o'ers sa, the spasm of horror reach 6ones< face and transform it to a starin' mas! of fear. 2e cac!led. LAt lastA foolA you 3elieveF At last you !no,F .ou hear =t and =t comesF 7et me my !eysA fool11,e must do homa'e and serve =tFL But 6ones ,as past payin' attention to any human ,ordsA mad or sane. >ho3ic paralysis held him immo3ile and half consciousA ,ith ,ild ima'es racin' fantasma'orically thou'h his helpless ima'ination. There $as a splashin'. There $as paddin' or shufflin'A as of 'reat ,et pa,s on a solid surface. Somethin' $as approachin'. =nto his nostrilsA from the crac!s in that ni'htmare plan! doorA poured a noisome animal stench li!e and yet unli!e that of the mammal ca'es at the zoolo'ical 'ardens in :e'ent<s >ar!. 2e did not !no,n ,here :o'ers ,as tal!in' or not. Everythin' real had faded a,ayA and he ,as a statue o3sessed ,ith dreams and hallucinations so unnatural that they 3ecame almost o3Cective and remote from him. 2e thou'ht he heard a sniffin' or snortin' from the un!no,n 'ulf 3eyond the doorA and ,hen a sudden 3ayin'A trumpetin' noise assailed his ears he could not feel sure that it came from the ti'htly 3ound maniac ,hose ima'e s,am uncertainly in his sha!en vision. The photo'raph of that accursedA unseen ,a% thin' persisted in floatin' throu'h his consciousness. Such a thin' had no ri'ht to e%ist. 2ad it not driven him madG Even as he reflectedA a fresh evidence of madness 3eset him. Somethin'A he thou'htA ,as fum3lin' ,ith the latch of the heavy padloc!ed door. =t ,as pattin' and pa,in' and pushin' at the plan!s. There ,as a thuddin' on the stout ,oodA ,hich 're, louder and louder. The stench ,as horri3le. And no, the assault on that door from the inside ,as a mali'nA determined poundin' li!e the stro!es of a 3atterin'1ram. There ,as an ominous crac!in'11a splinterin'11a ,ellin' fetor11a fallin' plan!11a black pa$ ending in a crab-like cla$. . . . )9elpC 9elpC God "elp meC % % % AaaaaaaC % % %)

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2orror in the 8useum

#-8

With intense effort 6ones is today a3le to recall a sudden 3urstin' of his fear1paralysis into the li3eration of frenzied automatic fli'ht. What he evidently did must have paralleled curiously the ,ildA plun'in' fli'hts of maddest ni'htmaresB for he seems to have leaped across the disordered crypt at almost a sin'le 3oundA yan!ed open the outside doorA ,hich closed and loc!ed itself after him ,ith a clatterA sprun' up the ,orn stone steps three at a timeA and raced frantically and aimlessly out of that dar! co33lestoned court and throu'h the sDualid streets of South,ar!. 2ere the memory ends. 6ones does not !no, ho, he 'ot homeA and there is no evidence of his havin' hired a ca3. >ro3a3ly he raced all the ,ay 3y 3lind instinct11over Waterloo Brid'eA alon' the Strand and Charin' Cross and up 2aymar!et and :e'ent Street to his o,n nei'h3orhood. 2e still had on the Dueer melan'e of museum costumes ,hen he 're, conscious enou'h to call the doctor. A ,ee! later the nerve specialists allo,ed him to leave his 3ed and ,al! in the open air. But he had not told the specialists much. +ver his ,hole e%perience hun' a pall of madness and ni'htmareA and he felt that silence ,as the only course. When he ,as upA he scanned intently all the papers ,hich had accumulated since that hideous ni'htA 3ut found no reference to anythin' Dueer at the museum. 2o, muchA after allA had 3een realityG Where did reality end and mor3id dream 3e'inG 2ad his mind 'one ,holly to pieces in that dar! e%hi3ition cham3erA and had the ,hole fi'ht ,ith :o'ers 3een a fantasm of feverG =t ,ould help to put him on his feet if he could settle some of these maddenin' points. 2e must have seen that damna3le photo'raph of the ,a% ima'e called L=tAL for no 3rain 3ut :o'ers< could ever have conceived such a 3lasphemy. =t ,as a fortni'ht 3efore he dared to enter South,ar! Street a'ain. 2e ,ent in the middle of the mornin'A ,hen there ,as the 'reatest amount of saneA ,holesome activity around the ancientA crum3lin' shops and ,arehouses. The museum<s si'n ,as still thereA and as he approached he sa, that the place ,as still open. The 'ateman nodded in pleasant reco'nition as he summoned up the coura'e to enterA and in the vaulted cham3er 3elo, an attendant touched his cap cheerfully. >erhaps everythin' had 3een a dream. Would he dare to !noc! at the door of the ,or!room and loo! for :o'ersG Then +ra3ona advanced to 'reet him. 2is dar!A slee! face ,as a trifle sardonicA 3ut 6ones felt that he ,as not unfriendly. 2e spo!e ,ith a trace of accent. L7ood mornin'A 8r. 6ones. =t is some time since ,e have seen you here. $id you ,ish 8r. :o'ersG =<m sorryA 3ut he is a,ay. 2e had ,ord of 3usiness in AmericaA and had to 'o. .esA it ,as very sudden. = am in char'e no,11hereA and at the house. = try to maintain 8r. :o'ers< hi'h standard11till he is 3ac!.L The forei'ner smiled11perhaps from affa3ility alone. 6ones scarcely !ne, ho, to replyA 3ut mana'ed to mum3le out a fe, inDuiries a3out the day after his last visit. +ra3ona seemed 'reatly amused 3y the DuestionsA and too! considera3le care in framin' his replies. L+hA yesA 8r. 6ones11the "8th of last month. = remem3er it for many reasons. =n the mornin'113efore 8r. :o'ers 'ot hereA you understand11= found the ,or!room in Duite a mess. There ,as a 'reat deal of11cleanin' up11to do. There had 3een11late ,or!A you see.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2orror in the 8useum

#-)

=mportant ne, specimen 'iven its secondary 3a!in' process. = too! complete char'e ,hen = came. L=t ,as a hard specimen to prepare113ut of course 8r. :o'ers had tau'ht me a 'reat deal. 2e isA as you !no,A a very 'reat artist. When he came he helped me complete the specimen11helped very materiallyA = assure you113ut he left soon ,ithout even 'reetin' the men. As = tell youA he ,as called a,ay suddenly. There ,ere important chemical reactions involved. They made loud noises11in factA some teamsters in the court outside fancy they heard several pistol shots11very amusin' ideaF LAs for the ne, specimen11that matter is very unforutnate. =t is a 'reat masterpiece11 desi'ned and madeA you understandA 3y 8r. :o'ers. 2e ,ill see a3out it ,hen he 'ets 3ac!.L A'ain +ra3ona smiled. LThe policeA you !no,. We put it on display a ,ee! a'oA and there ,ere t,o or three faintin's. +ne poor fello, had an epileptic fit in front of it. .ou seeA it a trifle11stron'er11 than the rest. 5ar'erA for one thin'. +f courseA it ,as in the adult alcove. The ne%t day a couple of men from Scotland .ard loo!ed it over and said it ,as too mor3id to 3e sho,n. Said ,e<d have to remove it. =t ,as a tremendous shame11such a masterpiece of art113ut = didn<t deel Custified in appealin' to the courts in 8r. :o'ers< a3sence. 2e ,ould not li!e so much pu3licity ,ith the police no,113ut ,hen he 'ets 3ac!11,hen he 'ets 3ac!11.L 4or some reason or other 6ones felt a mountin' tide of uneasiness and repulsion. But +ra3ona ,as continuin'. L.ou are a connoisseurA 8r. 6ones. = am sure = violate no la, in offerin' you a private vie,. =t may 3e11su3Cect of courseA to 8r. :o'ers< ,ishes11that ,e shall destroy the specimen some day113ut that ,ould 3e a crime.L 6ones had a po,erful impulse to refuse the si'ht and flee precipitatelyA 3ut +ra3ona ,as leadin' him for,ard 3y the arm ,ith an artist<s enthusiasm. The adult alcoveA cro,ded ,ith nameless horrorsA held no visitors. =n the farther corner a lar'e niche had 3een curtained offA and to this the smilin' assistant advanced. L.ou must !no,A 8r. 6onesA that the title of this specimen is <The Sacrifice to :han1 Te'oth.< L 6ones started violentlyA 3ut +ra3ona appeared not to notice. LThe shapelessA colossal 'od is a feature in certain o3scure le'ends ,hich 8r. :o'ers had studied. All nonsenseA of courseA as you<ve so often assured 8r. :o'ers. =t is supposed to have come from outer spaceA and to have lived in the Arctic three million years a'o. =t trated its sacrifices rather peculiarly and horri3lyA as you shall see. 8r. :o'ers had made it fiendishly life1li!e11even to the face of the victim.L ;o, trem3lin' violentlyA 6ones clund to the 3rass railin' in front of the curtained niche. 2e almost reached out to stop +ra3ona ,hen he sa, the curtain 3e'innin' to s,in' asideA 3ut some conflictin' impulse held him 3ac!. The forei'ner smiled triumphantly.

H.P.Lovecr !t LBeholdFL

The 2orror in the 8useum

#7*

6ones reeled in spite of his 'rip on the railin'. L7odF11'reat 'odFL 4ully ten feet hi'h despite a sham3lin'A crouchin' attitude e%pressive of infinite cosmic mali'nancyA a monstrosity of un3elieva3le horror ,as sho,n startin' for,ard from a cyclopean ivory throne covered ,ith 'rotesDue carvin's. =n the central pair of its si% le's it 3ore a crushedA flattenedA distortedA 3loodless thin'A riddled ,ith a million puncturesA and in places seared as ,ith some pun'ent acid. +nly the man'led head of the victimA lollin' upside do,n at one sideA revealed that it represented somethin' once human. The monster itself needed no title for one ,ho had seen a certain hellish photo'raph. That damna3le print had 3een all too faithfulB yet it could not carry the full horror ,hich lay in the 'i'antic actuality. The 'lo3ular torso11the 3u33le1li!e su''estion of a head11the three fishy eyes11the foot1lon' pro3oscis11the 3ul'in' 'ills11the monstrous capillation of asp1li!e suc!ers11the si% sinuous lim3s ,ith their 3lac! pa,s and cra31li!e cla,s117odF the familiarity of the 3lac! pa, endin' in a cra31li!e cla,F . . . +ra3ona<s smile ,as utterly damna3le. 6ones cho!edA and stared at the hideous e%hi3it ,ith a mountin' fascination ,hich perple%ed and distur3ed him. What half1revealed horror ,as holdin' and forcin' him to loo! lon'er and search out detailsG This had driven :o'ers mad . . . :o'ersA supreme artist . . . said they ,eren<t artificial. . . . Then he localized the thin' that held him. =t ,as the crushed ,a%en victim<s lollin' headA and somethin' that it implied. This head ,as not entirely devoid of a faceA and that face ,as familiar. =t ,as li!e the mad face of poor :o'ers. 6ones peered closerA hardly !no,in' ,hy he ,as driven to do so. Wasn<t it natural for a mad e'otist to mold his o,n features into his masterpieceG Was there anythin' more that su3conscious vision had seized on and suppressed in sheer terrorG The ,a% of the man'led face had 3een handled ,ith 3oundless de%terity. Those punctures11ho, perfectly they reproduced the myriad ,ounds someho, inflicted on that poor do'F But there ,as somethin' more. +n the left chee! one could trace an irre'ularity ,hich seemed outside the 'eneral scheme11as if the sculptor had sou'ht to cover up a defect of his first modellin'. The more 6ones loo!ed at itA the more mysteriously it horrified him11and thenA suddenlyA he remem3ered a circumstance ,hich 3rou'ht his horror to a head. That ni'ht of hideousness11the tussle11the 3ound madman11and t"e long& deep scratc" do$n t"e left c"eek of t"e actual li!ing *ogers. . . . 6onesA releasin' his desperate clutch on the railin'A san! in a total faint. +ra3ona continued to smile.

The Ho%#$
=n my tortured ears there sounds unceasin'ly a ni'htmare ,hirrin' and flappin'A and a faint distant 3ayin' as of some 'i'antic hound. =t is not dream 1 it is notA = fearA even madness 1 for too much has already happened to 'ive me these merciful dou3ts. St 6ohn is a man'led corpseB = alone !no, ,hyA and such is my !no,led'e that = am a3out to 3lo, out my 3rains for fear = shall 3e man'led in the same ,ay. $o,n unlit and illimita3le corridors of eldrith phantasy s,eeps the 3lac!A shapeless ;emesis that drives me to self1annihilation. 8ay heaven for'ive the folly and mor3idity ,hich led us 3oth to so monstrous a fateF Wearied ,ith the commonplaces of a prosaic ,orldB ,here even the Coys of romance and adventure soon 'ro, staleA St 6ohn and = had follo,ed enthusiastically every aesthetic and intellectual movement ,hich promised respite from our devastatin' ennui. The eni'mas of the sym3olists and the ecstasies of the pre1:aphaelites all ,ere ours in their timeA 3ut each ne, mood ,as drained too soonA of its divertin' novelty and appeal. +nly the som3er philosophy of the decadents could help usA and this ,e found potent only 3y increasin' 'radually the depth and dia3olism of our penetrations. Baudelaire and 2uysmans ,ere soon e%hausted of thrillsA till finally there remained for us only the more direct stimuli of unnatural personal e%periences and adventures. =t ,as this fri'htful emotional need ,hich led us eventually to that detesta3le course ,hich even in my present fear = mention ,ith shame and timidity 1 that hideous e%tremity of human outra'eA the a3horred practice of 'rave1ro33in'. = cannot reveal the details of our shoc!in' e%peditionsA or catalo'ue even partly the ,orst of the trophies adornin' the nameless museum ,e prepared in the 'reat stone house ,here ,e Cointly d,eltA alone and servantless. +ur museum ,as a 3lasphemousA unthin!a3le placeA ,here ,ith the satanic taste of neurotic virtuosi ,e had assem3led an universe of terror and decay to e%cite our Caded sensi3ilities. =t ,as a secret roomA farA farA under'roundB ,here hu'e ,in'ed daemons carven of 3asalt and ony% vomited from ,ide 'rinnin' mouths ,eird 'reen and oran'e li'htA and hidden pneumatic pipes ruffled into !aleidoscopic dances of death the lines of red charnel thin's hand in hand ,oven in voluminous 3lac! han'in's. Throu'h these pipes came at ,ill the odors our moods most cravedB sometimes the scent of pale funeral liliesB sometimes the narcotic incense of ima'ined Eastern shrines of the !in'ly deadA and sometimes 1 ho, = shudder to recall itF 1 the fri'htfulA soul1upheavin' stenches of the uncovered1'rave. Around the ,alls of this repellent cham3er ,ere cases of antiDue mummies alternatin' ,ith comelyA lifeli!e 3odies perfectly stuffed and cured 3y the ta%idermist<s artA and ,ith headstones snatched from the oldest churchyards of the ,orld. ;iches here and there contained s!ulls of all shapesA and heads preserved in various sta'es of dissolution. There one mi'ht find the rottin'A 3ald pates of famous no3lemenA and the fresh and radiantly 'olden heads of ne,13uried children. Statues and paintin's there ,ereA all of fiendish su3Cects and some e%ecuted 3y St 6ohn and myself. A loc!ed portfolioA 3ound in tanned human s!inA held certain un!no,n and

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2ound

#7"

unnamea3le dra,in's ,hich it ,as rumored 7oya had perpetrated 3ut dared not ac!no,led'e. There ,ere nauseous musical instrumentsA strin'edA 3rassA and ,ood1,indA on ,hich St 6ohn and = sometimes produced dissonances of e%Duisite mor3idity and cacodaemoniacal 'hastlinessB ,hilst in a multitude of inlaid e3ony ca3inets reposed the most incredi3le and unima'ina3le variety of tom31loot ever assem3led 3y human madness and perversity. =t is of this loot in particular that = must not spea! 1 than! 7od = had the coura'e to destroy it lon' 3efore = thou'ht of destroyin' myselfF The predatory e%cursions on ,hich ,e collected our unmentiona3le treasures ,ere al,ays artistically memora3le events. We ,ere no vul'ar 'houlsA 3ut ,or!ed only under certain conditions of moodA landscapeA environmentA ,eatherA seasonA and moonli'ht. These pastimes ,ere to us the most e%Duisite form of aesthetic e%pressionA and ,e 'ave their details a fastidious technical care. An inappropriate hourA a Carrin' li'htin' effectA or a clumsy manipulation of the damp sodA ,ould almost totally destroy for us that ecstatic titillation ,hich follo,ed the e%humation of some ominousA 'rinnin' secret of the earth. +ur Duest for novel scenes and piDuant conditions ,as feverish and insatiate 1 St 6ohn ,as al,ays the leaderA and he it ,as ,ho led the ,ay at last to that moc!in'A accursed spot ,hich 3rou'ht us our hideous and inevita3le doom. By ,hat mali'n fatality ,ere ,e lured to that terri3le 2olland churchyardG = thin! it ,as the dar! rumor and le'endryA the tales of one 3uried for five centuriesA ,ho had himself 3een a 'houl in his time and had stolen a potent thin' from a mi'hty sepulchre. = can recall the scene in these final moments 1 the pale autumnal moon over the 'ravesA castin' lon' horri3le shado,sB the 'rotesDue treesA droopin' sullenly to meet the ne'lected 'rass and the crum3lin' sla3sB the vast le'ions of stran'ely colossal 3ats that fle, a'ainst the moonB the antiDue ivied church pointin' a hu'e spectral fin'er at the livid s!yB the phosphorescent insects that danced li!e death1fires under the ye,s in a distant cornerB the odors of mouldA ve'etationA and less e%plica3le thin's that min'led fee3ly ,ith the ni'ht1 ,ind from over far s,amps and seasB andA ,orst of allA the faint deep1toned 3ayin' of some 'i'antic hound ,hich ,e could neither see nor definitely place. As ,e heard this su''estion of 3ayin' ,e shudderedA remem3erin' the tales of the peasantryB for he ,hom ,e sou'ht had centuries 3efore 3een found in this self same spotA torn and man'led 3y the cla,s and teeth of some unspea!a3le 3east. = remem3er ho, ,e delved in the 'houl<s 'rave ,ith our spadesA and ho, ,e thrilled at the picture of ourselvesA the 'raveA the pale ,atchin' moonA the horri3le shado,sA the 'rotesDue treesA the titanic 3atsA the antiDue churchA the dancin' death1firesA the sic!enin' odorsA the 'ently moanin' ni'ht1,indA and the stran'eA half1heard directionless 3ayin' of ,hose o3Cective e%istence ,e could scarcely 3e sure. Then ,e struc! a su3stance harder than the damp mouldA and 3eheld a rottin' o3lon' 3o% crusted ,ith mineral deposits from the lon' undistur3ed 'round. =t ,as incredi3ly tou'h and thic!A 3ut so old that ,e finally pried it open and feasted our eyes on ,hat it held. 8uch 1 amazin'ly much 1 ,as left of the o3Cect despite the lapse of five hundred years. The s!eletonA thou'h crushed in places 3y the Ca,s of the thin' that had !illed itA held to'ether ,ith surprisin' firmnessA and ,e 'loated over the clean ,hite s!ull and its lon'A firm teeth and its eyeless soc!ets that once had 'lo,ed ,ith a charnel fever li!e our o,n. =n the coffin lay an amulet of curious and e%otic desi'nA ,hich had apparently 3een ,orn

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2ound

#7&

around the sleeper<s nec!. =t ,as the oddly conventionalised fi'ure of a crouchin' ,in'ed houndA or sphin% ,ith a semi1canine faceA and ,as e%Duisitely carved in antiDue +riental fashion from a small piece of 'reen Cade. The e%pression of its features ,as repellent in the e%tremeA savorin' at once of deathA 3estiality and malevolence. Around the 3ase ,as an inscription in characters ,hich neither St 6ohn nor = could identifyB and on the 3ottomA li!e a ma!er<s sealA ,as 'raven a 'rotesDue and formida3le s!ull. =mmediately upon 3eholdin' this amulet ,e !ne, that ,e must possess itB that this treasure alone ,as our lo'ical pelf from the centuried 'rave. Even had its outlines 3een unfamiliar ,e ,ould have desired itA 3ut as ,e loo!ed more closely ,e sa, that it ,as not ,holly unfamiliar. Alien it indeed ,as to all art and literature ,hich sane and 3alanced readers !no,A 3ut ,e reco'nized it as the thin' hinted of in the for3idden -ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul AlhazredB the 'hastly soul1sym3ol of the corpse1eatin' cult of inaccessi3le 5en'A in Central Asia. All too ,ell did ,e trace the sinister lineaments descri3ed 3y the old Ara3 daemonolo'istB lineamentsA he ,roteA dra,n from some o3scure supernatural manifestation of the souls of those ,ho ve%ed and 'na,ed at the dead. Seizin' the 'reen Cade o3CectA ,e 'ave a last 'lance at the 3leached and cavern1eyed face of its o,ner and closed up the 'rave as ,e found it. As ,e hastened from the a3horrent spotA the stolen amulet in St 6ohn<s poc!etA ,e thou'ht ,e sa, the 3ats descend in a 3ody to the earth ,e had so lately rifledA as if see!in' for some cursed and unholy nourishment. But the autumn moon shone ,ea! and paleA and ,e could not 3e sure. SoA tooA as ,e sailed the ne%t day a,ay from 2olland to our homeA ,e thou'ht ,e heard the faint distant 3ayin' of some 'i'antic hound in the 3ac!'round. But the autumn ,ind moaned sad and ,anA and ,e could not 3e sure. 5ess than a ,ee! after our return to En'landA stran'e thin's 3e'an to happen. We lived as reclusesB devoid of friendsA aloneA and ,ithout servants in a fe, rooms of an ancient manor1house on a 3lea! and unfreDuented moorB so that our doors ,ere seldom distur3ed 3y the !noc! of the visitor. ;o,A ho,everA ,e ,ere trou3led 3y ,hat seemed to 3e a freDuent fum3lin' in the ni'htA not only around the doors 3ut around the ,indo,s alsoA upper as ,ell as lo,er. +nce ,e fancied that a lar'eA opaDue 3ody dar!ened the li3rary ,indo, ,hen the moon ,as shinin' a'ainst itA and another time ,e thou'ht ,e heard a ,hirrin' or flappin' sound not far off. +n each occasion investi'ation revealed nothin'A and ,e 3e'an to ascri3e the occurrences to ima'ination ,hich still prolon'ed in our ears the faint far 3ayin' ,e thou'ht ,e had heard in the 2olland churchyard. The Cade amulet no, reposed in a niche in our museumA and sometimes ,e 3urned a stran'ely scented candle 3efore it. We read much in Alhazred<s -ecronomicon a3out its propertiesA and a3out the relation of 'hosts< souls to the o3Cects it sym3olizedB and ,ere distur3ed 3y ,hat ,e read. Then terror came. +n the ni'ht of Septem3er "#A 1)1 A = heard a !noc! at my cham3er door. 4ancyin' it St 6ohn<sA = 3ade the !noc!er enterA 3ut ,as ans,ered only 3y a shrill lau'h. There ,as no one in the corridor. When = aroused St 6ohn from his sleepA he professed entire i'norance of the eventA and 3ecame as ,orried as =. =t ,as the ni'ht that the faintA distant 3ayin' over the moor 3ecame to us a certain and dreaded reality.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2ound

#7#

4our days laterA ,hilst ,e ,ere 3oth in the hidden museumA there came a lo,A cautious scratchin' at the sin'le door ,hich led to the secret li3rary staircase. +ur alarm ,as no, dividedA forA 3esides our fear of the un!no,nA ,e had al,ays entertained a dread that our 'risly collection mi'ht 3e discovered. E%tin'uishin' all li'htsA ,e proceeded to the door and thre, it suddenly openB ,hereupon ,e felt an unaccounta3le rush of airA and heardA as if recedin' far a,ayA a Dueer com3ination of rustlin'A titterin'A and articulate chatter. Whether ,e ,ere madA dreamin'A or in our sensesA ,e did not try to determine. We only realizedA ,ith the 3lac!est of apprehensionsA that the apparently disem3odied chatter ,as 3eyond a dou3t in t"e #utc" language. After that ,e lived in 'ro,in' horror and fascination. 8ostly ,e held to the theory that ,e ,ere Cointly 'oin' mad from our life of unnatural e%citementsA 3ut sometimes it pleased us more to dramatize ourselves as the victims of some creepin' and appallin' doom. Bizarre manifestations ,ere no, too freDuent to count. +ur lonely house ,as seemin'ly alive ,ith the presence of some mali'n 3ein' ,hose nature ,e could not 'uessA and every ni'ht that daemoniac 3ayin' rolled over the ,ind1s,ept moorA al,ays louder and louder. +n +cto3er ") ,e found in the soft earth underneath the li3rary ,indo, a series of footprints utterly impossi3le to descri3e. They ,ere as 3afflin' as the hordes of 'reat 3ats ,hich haunted the old manor1house in unprecedented and increasin' num3ers. The horror reached a culmination on ;ovem3er 18A ,hen St 6ohnA ,al!in' home after dar! from the dismal rail,ay stationA ,as seized 3y some fri'htful carnivorous thin' and torn to ri33ons. 2is screams had reached the houseA and = had hastened to the terri3le scene in time to hear a ,hir of ,in's and see a va'ue 3lac! cloudy thin' silhouetted a'ainst the risin' moon. 8y friend ,as dyin' ,hen = spo!e to himA and he could not ans,er coherently. All he could do ,as to ,hisperA LThe amulet 1 that damned thin' 1L Then he collapsedA an inert mass of man'led flesh. = 3uried him the ne%t midni'ht in one of our ne'lected 'ardensA and mum3led over his 3ody one of the devilish rituals he had loved in life. And as = pronounced the last daemoniac sentence = heard afar on the moor the faint 3ayin' of some 'i'antic hound. The moon ,as upA 3ut = dared not loo! at it. And ,hen = sa, on the dim1li'hted moor a ,ide1 ne3ulous shado, s,eepin' from mound to moundA = shut my eyes and thre, myself face do,n upon the 'round. When = aroseA trem3lin'A = !no, not ho, much laterA = sta''ered into the house and made shoc!in' o3cisance 3efore the enshrined amulet of 'reen Cade. Bein' no, afraid to live alone in the ancient house on the moorA = departed on the follo,in' day for 5ondonA ta!in' ,ith me the amulet after destroyin' 3y fire and 3urial the rest of the impious collection in the museum. But after three ni'hts = heard the 3ayin' a'ainA and 3efore a ,ee! ,as over felt stran'e eyes upon me ,henever it ,as dar!. +ne evenin' as = strolled on ?ictoria Em3an!ment for some needed airA = sa, a 3lac! shape o3scure one of the reflections of the lamps in the ,ater. A ,indA stron'er than the ni'ht1 ,indA rushed 3yA and = !ne, that ,hat had 3efallen St 6ohn must soon 3efall me. The ne%t day = carefully ,rapped the 'reen Cade amulet and sailed for 2olland. What mercy = mi'ht 'ain 3y returnin' the thin' to its silentA sleepin' o,ner = !ne, notB 3ut = felt that = must try any step conceiva3ly lo'ical. What the hound ,asA and ,hy it had pursued

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 2ound

#7

meA ,ere Duestions still va'ueB 3ut = had first heard the 3ayin' in that ancient churchyardA and every su3seDuent event includin' St 6ohn<s dyin' ,hisper had served to connect the curse ,ith the stealin' of the amulet. Accordin'ly = san! into the nethermost a3ysses of despair ,henA at an inn in :otterdamA = discovered that thieves had despoiled me of this sole means of salvation. The 3ayin' ,as loud that evenin'A and in the mornin' = read of a nameless deed in the vilest Duarter of the city. The ra33le ,ere in terrorA for upon an evil tenement had fallen a red death 3eyond the foulest previous crime of the nei'h3orhood. =n a sDualid thieves< den an entire family had 3een torn to shreds 3y an un!no,n thin' ,hich left no traceA and those around had heard all ni'ht a faintA deepA insistent note as of a 'i'antic hound. So at last = stood a'ain in the un,holesome churchyard ,here a pale ,inter moon cast hideous shado,s and leafless trees drooped sullenly to meet the ,itheredA frosty 'rass and crac!in' sla3sA and the ivied church pointed a Ceerin' fin'er at the unfriendly s!yA and the ni'ht1,ind ho,led maniacally from over frozen s,amps and fri'id seas. The 3ayin' ,as very faint no,A and it ceased alto'ether as = approached the ancient 'rave = had once violatedA and fri'htened a,ay an a3normally lar'e horde of 3ats ,hich had 3een hoverin' curiously around it. = !no, not ,hy = ,ent thither unless to prayA or 'i33er out insane pleas and apolo'ies to the calm ,hite thin' that lay ,ithinB 3utA ,hatever my reasonA = attac!ed the half frozen sod ,ith a desperation partly mine and partly that of a dominatin' ,ill outside myself. E%cavation ,as much easier than = e%pectedA thou'h at one point = encountered a Dueer interruptionB ,hen a lean vulture darted do,n out of the cold s!y and pec!ed frantically at the 'rave1earth until = !illed him ,ith a 3lo, of my spade. 4inally = reached the rottin' o3lon' 3o% and removed the damp nitrous cover. This is the last rational act l ever performed. 4or crouched ,ithin that centuried coffinA em3raced 3y a closepac!ed ni'htmare retinue of hu'eA sine,yA sleepin' 3atsA ,as the 3ony thin' my friend and = had ro33edB not clean and placid as ,e had seen it thenA 3ut covered ,ith ca!ed 3lood and shreds of alien flesh and hairA and leerin' sentiently at me ,ith phosphorescent soc!ets and sharp ensan'uined fan's ya,nin' t,istedly in moc!ery of my inevita3le doom. And ,hen it 'ave from those 'rinnin' Ca,s a deepA sardonic 3ay as of some 'i'antic houndA and = sa, that it held in its 'ory filthy cla, the lost and fateful amulet of 'reen CadeA = merely screamed and ran a,ay idioticallyA my screams soon dissolvin' into peals of hysterical lau'hter. 8adness rides the star1,ind... cla,s and teeth sharpened on centuries of corpses... drippin' death astride a 3acchanale of 3ats from ni'h13lac! ruins of 3uried temples of Belial... ;o,A as the 3ayin' of that dead fleshless monstrosity 'ro,s louder and louderA and the stealthy ,hirrin' and flappin' of those accursed ,e31,in's closer and closerA = shall see! ,ith my revolver the o3livion ,hich is my only refu'e from the unnamed and unnamea3le.

H&*#os
Apropos of sleep& t"at sinister ad!enture of all our nig"ts& $e may say t"at men go to bed daily $it" an audacity t"at $ould be incompre"ensible if $e did not kno$ t"at it is t"e result of ignorance of t"e danger% 1 Baudelaire 8ay the merciful 'odsA if indeed there 3e suchA 'uard those hours ,hen no po,er of the ,illA or dru' that the cunnin' of man devisesA can !eep me from the chasm of sleep. $eath is mercifulA for there is no return therefromA 3ut ,ith him ,ho has come 3ac! out of the nethermost cham3ers of ni'htA ha''ard and !no,in'A peace rests nevermore. 4ool that = ,as to plun'e ,ith such unsanctioned phrensy into mysteries no man ,as meant to penetrateB fool or 'od that he ,as1my only friendA ,ho led me and ,ent 3efore meA and ,ho in the end passed into terrors ,hich may yet 3e mineF We metA = recallA in a rail,ay stationA ,here he ,as the center of a cro,d of the vul'arly curious. 2e ,as unconsciousA havin' fallen in a !ind of convulsion ,hich imparted to his sli'ht 3lac!1clad 3ody a stran'e ri'idity. = thin! he ,as then approachin' forty years of a'eA for there ,ere deep lines in the faceA ,an and hollo,1chee!edA 3ut oval and actually 3eautifulB and touches of 'ray in the thic!A ,avin' hair and small full 3eard ,hich had once 3een of the deepest raven 3lac!. 2is 3ro, ,as ,hite as the mar3le of >entelicusA and of a hei'ht and 3readth almost 'od1li!e. = said to myselfA ,ith all the ardor of a sculptorA that this man ,as a faun<s statue out of antiDue 2ellasA du' from a temple<s ruins and 3rou'ht someho, to life in our stiflin' a'e only to feel the chill and pressure of devastatin' years. And ,hen he opened his immenseA sun!enA and ,ildly luminous 3lac! eyes = !ne, he ,ould 3e thence1forth my only friend1 the only friend of one ,ho had never possessed a friend 3efore1for = sa, that such eyes must have loo!ed fully upon the 'randeur and the terror of realms 3eyond normal consciousness and realityB realms ,hich = had cherished in fancyA 3ut vainly sou'ht. So as = drove the cro,d a,ay = told him he must come home ,ith me and 3e my teacher and leader in unfathomed mysteriesA and he assented ,ithout spea!in' a ,ord. After,ard = found that his voice ,as music1the music of deep viols and of crystalline spheres. We tal!ed often in the ni'htA and in the dayA ,hen = chiseled 3usts of him and carved miniature heads in ivory to immortalize his different e%pressions. +f our studies it is impossi3le to spea!A since they held so sli'ht a connection ,ith anythin' of the ,orld as livin' men conceive it. They ,ere of that vaster and more appallin' universe of dim entity and consciousness ,hich lies deeper than matterA timeA and spaceA and ,hose e%istence ,e suspect only in certain forms of sleep1 those rare dreams 3eyond dreams ,hich come never to common menA and 3ut once or t,ice in the lifetime of ima'inative men. The cosmos of our ,a!in' !no,led'eA 3orn from such an universe as a 3u33le is 3orn from the pipe of a CesterA touches it only as such a 3u33le may touch its sardonic source ,hen suc!ed 3ac! 3y the Cester<s ,him. 8en of learnin' suspect it little and i'nore it mostly. Wise men have interpreted dreamsA and the 'ods have lau'hed. +ne man ,ith +riental eyes has said that all time and space are relativeA and men have lau'hed. But even that man ,ith +riental eyes has done no more than suspect. = had ,ished and

H.P.Lovecr !t

2ypnos

#77

tried to do more than suspectA and my friend had tried and partly succeeded. Then ,e 3oth tried to'etherA and ,ith e%otic dru's courted terri3le and for3idden dreams in the to,er studio cham3er of the old manor1house in hoary 0ent. Amon' the a'onies of these after days is that chief of torments1 inarticulateness. What = learned and sa, in those hours of impious e%ploration can never 3e told1for ,ant of sym3ols or su''estions in any lan'ua'e. = say this 3ecause from first to last our discoveries partoo! only of the nature of sensationsB sensations correlated ,ith no impression ,hich the nervous system of normal humanity is capa3le of receivin'. They ,ere sensationsA yet ,ithin them lay un3elieva3le elements of time and space1thin's ,hich at 3ottom possess no distinct and definite e%istence. 2uman utterance can 3est convey the 'eneral character of our e%periences 3y callin' them plun'in's or soarin'sB for in every period of revelation some part of our minds 3ro!e 3oldly a,ay from all that is real and presentA rushin' aerially alon' shoc!in'A unli'htedA and fear1haunted a3yssesA and occasionally tearin' throu'h certain ,ell1mar!ed and typical o3stacles descri3a3le only as viscousA uncouth clouds of vapors. =n these 3lac! and 3odiless fli'hts ,e ,ere sometimes alone and sometimes to'ether. When ,e ,ere to'etherA my friend ,as al,ays far aheadB = could comprehend his presence despite the a3sence of form 3y a species of pictorial memory ,here3y his face appeared to meA 'olden from a stran'e li'ht and fri'htful ,ith its ,eird 3eautyA its anomalously youthful chee!sA its 3urnin' eyesA its +lympian 3ro,A and its shado,in' hair and 'ro,th of 3eard. +f the pro'ress of time ,e !ept no recordA for time had 3ecome to us the merest illusion. = !no, only that there must have 3een somethin' very sin'ular involvedA since ,e came at len'th to marvel ,hy ,e did not 'ro, old. +ur discourse ,as unholyA and al,ays hideously am3itious1no 'od or daemon could have aspired to discoveries and conDuest li!e those ,hich ,e planned in ,hispers. = shiver as = spea! of themA and dare not 3e e%plicitB thou'h = ,ill say that my friend once ,rote on paper a ,ish ,hich he dared not utter ,ith his ton'ueA and ,hich made me 3urn the paper and loo! affri'htedly out of the ,indo, at the span'led ni'ht s!y. = ,ill hint1only hint1 that he had desi'ns ,hich involved the rulership of the visi3le universe and moreB desi'ns ,here3y the earth and the stars ,ould move at his commandA and the destinies of all livin' thin's 3e his. = affirm1= s,ear1that = had no share in these e%treme aspirations. Anythin' my friend may have said or ,ritten to the contrary must 3e erroneousA for = am no man of stren'th to ris! the unmentiona3le spheres 3y ,hich alone one mi'ht achieve success. There ,as a ni'ht ,hen ,inds from un!no,n spaces ,hirled us irresisti3ly into limitless vacua 3eyond all thou'ht and entity. >erceptions of the most maddenin'ly untransmissi3le sort thron'ed upon usB perceptions of infinity ,hich at the time convulsed us ,ith CoyA yet ,hich are no, partly lost to my memory and partly incapa3le of presentation to others. ?iscous o3stacles ,ere cla,ed throu'h in rapid successionA and at len'th = felt that ,e had 3een 3orne to realms of 'reater remoteness than any ,e had previously !no,n. 8y friend ,as vastly in advance as ,e plun'ed into this a,esome ocean of vir'in aetherA and = could see the sinister e%ultation on his floatin'A luminousA too1youthful memory1face. Suddenly that face 3ecame dim and Duic!ly disappearedA and in a 3rief space = found myself proCected a'ainst an o3stacle ,hich = could not penetrate. =t ,as li!e

H.P.Lovecr !t

2ypnos

#78

the othersA yet incalcula3ly denserB a stic!y clammy massA if such terms can 3e applied to analo'ous Dualities in a non1material sphere. = hadA = feltA 3een halted 3y a 3arrier ,hich my friend and leader had successfully passed. Stru''lin' ane,A = came to the end of the dru'1dream and opened my physical eyes to the to,er studio in ,hose opposite corner reclined the pallid and still unconscious form of my fello, dreamerA ,eirdly ha''ard and ,ildly 3eautiful as the moon shed 'old1'reen li'ht on his mar3le features. ThenA after a short intervalA the form in the corner stirredB and may pityin' heaven !eep from my si'ht and sound another thin' li!e that ,hich too! place 3efore me. = cannot tell you ho, he shrie!edA or ,hat vistas of unvisita3le hells 'leamed for a second in 3lac! eyes crazed ,ith fri'ht. = can only say that = faintedA and did not stir till he himself recovered and shoo! me in his phrensy for someone to !eep a,ay the horror and desolation. That ,as the end of our voluntary searchin's in the caverns of dream. A,edA sha!enA and portentousA my friend ,ho had 3een 3eyond the 3arrier ,arned me that ,e must never venture ,ithin those realms a'ain. What he had seenA he dared not tell meB 3ut he said from his ,isdom that ,e must sleep as little as possi3leA even if dru's ,ere necessary to !eep us a,a!e. That he ,as ri'htA = soon learned from the unuttera3le fear ,hich en'ulfed me ,henever consciousness lapsed. After each short and inevita3le sleep = seemed olderA ,hilst my friend a'ed ,ith a rapidity almost shoc!in'. =t is hideous to see ,rin!les form and hair ,hiten almost 3efore one<s eyes. +ur mode of life ,as no, totally altered. 2eretofore a recluse so far as = !no,1 his true name and ori'in never havin' passed his lips1my friend no, 3ecame frantic in his fear of solitude. At ni'ht he ,ould not 3e aloneA nor ,ould the company of a fe, persons calm him. 2is sole relief ,as o3tained in revelry of the most 'eneral and 3oisterous sortB so that fe, assem3lies of the youn' and 'ay ,ere un!no,n to us. +ur appearance and a'e seemed to e%cite in most cases a ridicule ,hich = !eenly resentedA 3ut ,hich my friend considered a lesser evil than solitude. Especially ,as he afraid to 3e out of doors alone ,hen the stars ,ere shinin'A and if forced to this condition he ,ould often 'lance furtively at the s!y as if hunted 3y some monstrous thin' therein. 2e did not al,ays 'lance at the same place in the s!y1it seemed to 3e a different place at different times. +n sprin' evenin's it ,ould 3e lo, in the northeast. =n the summer it ,ould 3e nearly overhead. =n the autumn it ,ould 3e in the north,est. =n ,inter it ,ould 3e in the eastA 3ut mostly if in the small hours of mornin'. 8id,inter evenin's seemed least dreadful to him. +nly after t,o years did = connect this fear ,ith anythin' in particularB 3ut then = 3e'an to see that he must 3e loo!in' at a special spot on the celestial vault ,hose position at different times corresponded to the direction of his 'lance1a spot rou'hly mar!ed 3y the constellation Corona Borealis. We no, had a studio in 5ondonA never separatin'A 3ut never discussin' the days ,hen ,e had sou'ht to plum3 the mysteries of the unreal ,orld. We ,ere a'ed and ,ea! from our dru'sA dissipationsA and nervous overstrainA and the thinnin' hair and 3eard of my friend had 3ecome sno,1,hite. +ur freedom from lon' sleep ,as surprisin'A for seldom did ,e succum3 more than an hour or t,o at a time to the shado, ,hich had no, 'ro,n so fri'htful a menace.

H.P.Lovecr !t

2ypnos

#7)

Then came one 6anuary of fo' and rainA ,hen money ran lo, and dru's ,ere hard to 3uy. 8y statues and ivory heads ,ere all soldA and = had no means to purchase ne, materialsA or ener'y to fashion them even had = possessed them. We suffered terri3lyA and on a certain ni'ht my friend san! into a deep13reathin' sleep from ,hich = could not a,a!en him. = can recall the scene no,1the desolateA pitch13lac! 'arret studio under the eaves ,ith the rain 3eatin' do,nB the tic!in' of our lone cloc!B the fancied tic!in' of our ,atches as they rested on the dressin'1ta3leB the crea!in' of some s,ayin' shutter in a remote part of the houseB certain distant city noises muffled 3y fo' and spaceB andA ,orst of allA the deepA steadyA sinister 3reathin' of my friend on the couch1a rhythmical 3reathin' ,hich seemed to measure moments of supernal fear and a'ony for his spirit as it ,andered in spheres for3iddenA unima'inedA and hideously remote. The tension of my vi'il 3ecame oppressiveA and a ,ild train of trivial impressions and associations thron'ed throu'h my almost unhin'ed mind. = heard a cloc! stri!e some,here1not oursA for that ,as not a stri!in' cloc!1and my mor3id fancy found in this a ne, startin'1point for idle ,anderin's. Cloc!s1time1space1infinity1 and then my fancy reverted to the locale as = reflected that even no,A 3eyond the roof and the fo' and the rain and the atmosphereA Corona Borealis ,as risin' in the northeast. Corona BorealisA ,hich my friend had appeared to dreadA and ,hose scintillant semicircle of stars must even no, 3e 'lo,in' unseen throu'h the measureless a3ysses of aether. All at once my feverishly sensitive ears seemed to detect a ne, and ,holly distinct component in the soft medley of dru'1ma'nified sounds1a lo, and damna3ly insistent ,hine from very far a,ayB dronin'A clamorin'A moc!in'A callin'A from the northeast. But it ,as not that distant ,hine ,hich ro33ed me of my faculties and set upon my soul such a seal of fri'ht as may never in life 3e removedB not that ,hich dre, the shrie!s and e%cited the convulsions ,hich caused lod'ers and police to 3rea! do,n the door. =t ,as not ,hat = heardA 3ut ,hat = sa,B for in that dar!A loc!edA shutteredA and curtained room there appeared from the 3lac! northeast corner a shaft of horri3le red1'old li'ht1a shaft ,hich 3ore ,ith it no 'lo, to disperse the dar!nessA 3ut ,hich streamed only upon the recum3ent head of the trou3led sleeperA 3rin'in' out in hideous duplication the luminous and stran'ely youthful memory1face as = had !no,n it in dreams of a3ysmal space and unshac!led timeA ,hen my friend had pushed 3ehind the 3arrier to those secretA innermost and for3idden caverns of ni'htmare. And as = loo!edA = 3eheld the head riseA the 3lac!A liDuidA and deep1sun!en eyes open in terrorA and the thinA shado,ed lips part as if for a scream too fri'htful to 3e uttered. There d,elt in that 'hastly and fle%i3le faceA as it shone 3odilessA luminousA and reCuvenated in the 3lac!nessA more of star!A teemin'A 3rain1shatterin' fear than all the rest of heaven and earth has ever revealed to me. ;o ,ord ,as spo!en amidst the distant sound that 're, nearer and nearerA 3ut as = follo,ed the memory1face<s mad stare alon' that cursed shaft of li'ht to its sourceA the source ,hence also the ,hinin' cameA =A tooA sa, for an instant ,hat it sa,A and fell ,ith rin'in' ears in that fit of shrie!in' epilepsy ,hich 3rou'ht the lod'ers and the police. ;ever could = tellA try as = mi'htA ,hat it actually ,as that = sa,B nor could the still face tellA for althou'h it must have seen more than = didA it ,ill never spea! a'ain. But al,ays = shall 'uard a'ainst the moc!in' and insatiate 2ypnosA lord of sleepA a'ainst the ni'ht s!yA and a'ainst the mad am3itions of !no,led'e and philosophy. 6ust ,hat happened is un!no,nA for not only ,as my o,n mind unseated 3y the stran'e and hideous thin'A 3ut others ,ere tainted ,ith a for'etfulness ,hich can mean nothin' if not madness. They have saidA = !no, not for ,hat reasonA that = never had a friendB 3ut that artA

H.P.Lovecr !t

2ypnos

#8*

philosophyA and insanity had filled all my tra'ic life. The lod'ers and police on that ni'ht soothed meA and the doctor administered somethin' to Duiet meA nor did anyone see ,hat a ni'htmare event had ta!en place. 8y stric!en friend moved them to no pityA 3ut ,hat they found on the couch in the studio made them 'ive me a praise ,hich sic!ened meA and no, a fame ,hich = spurn in despair as = sit for hoursA 3aldA 'ray13eardedA shriveledA palsiedA dru'1crazedA and 3ro!enA adorin' and prayin' to the o3Cect they found. 4or they deny that = sold the last of my statuaryA and point ,ith ecstasy at the thin' ,hich the shinin' shaft of li'ht left coldA petrifiedA and unvocal. =t is all that remains of my friendB the friend ,ho led me on to madness and ,rec!a'eB a 'odli!e head of such mar3le as only old 2ellas could yieldA youn' ,ith the youth that is outside timeA and ,ith 3eauteous 3earded faceA curvedA smilin' lipsA +lympian 3ro,A and dense loc!s ,avin' and poppy1cro,ned. They say that that hauntin' memory1face is modeled from my o,nA as it ,as at t,enty1fiveB 3ut upon the mar3le 3ase is carven a sin'le name in the letters of Attica12.>;+S.

,6i$
)%%%as Ibid says in "is famous (i!es of t"e ,oets%) 1 4rom a student theme.

The erroneous idea that =3id is the author of the 5ives is so freDuently met ,ithA even amon' those pretendin' to a de'ree of cultureA that it is ,orth correctin'. =t should 3e a matter of 'eneral !no,led'e that Cf. is responsi3le for this ,or!. =3id<s masterpieceA on the other handA ,as the famous 'p% Cit% ,herein all the si'nificant undercurrents of 7raeco1 :oman e%pression ,ere crystallised once for all 1 and ,ith admira3le acutenessA not,ithstandin' the surprisin'ly late date at ,hich =3id ,rote. There is a false report 1 very commonly reproduced in modern 3oo!s prior to ?on Sch,ein!opf<s monumental Gesc"ic"te der 'strogot"en in Italien 1 that =3id ,as a :omanised ?isi'oth of Ataulf<s horde ,ho settled in >lacentia a3out #1* A. $. The contrary cannot 3e too stron'ly emphasisedB for ?on Sch,ein!opfA and since his time 5ittle,it1 and BctenoirA" have she,n ,ith irrefuta3le force that this stri!in'ly isolated fi'ure ,as a 'enuine :oman 1 or at least as 'enuine a :oman as that de'enerate and mon'relised a'e could produce 1 of ,hom one mi'ht ,ell say ,hat 7i33on said of BoethiusA Lthat he ,as the last ,hom Cato or Tully could have ac!no,led'ed for their countryman.L 2e ,asA li!e Boethius and nearly all the eminent men of his a'eA of the 'reat Anician familyA and traced his 'enealo'y ,ith much e%actitude and self1satisfaction to all the heroes of the repu3lic. 2is full name 1 lon' and pompous accordin' to the custom of an a'e ,hich had lost the trinomial simplicity of classic :oman nomenclature 1 is stated 3y ?on Sch,ein!opf& to have 3een Caius Anicius 8a'nus 4urius Camillus Aemilianus Cornelius ?alerius >ompeius 6ulius =3idusB thou'h 5ittle,it# reCects Aemilianus and adds Claudius #eciusfunianusB ,hilst Bctenoir differs radicallyA 'ivin' the full name as 8a'nus 4urius Camillus Aurelius Antoninus 4lavius Anicius >etronius ?alentinianus Ae'idus =3idus. The eminent critic and 3io'rapher ,as 3orn in the year #8-A shortly after the e%tinction of the :oman rule in 7aul 3y Clovis. :ome and :avenna are rivals for the honour of his 3irthA thou'h it is certain that he received his rhetorical and philosophical trainin' in the schools of Athens 1 the e%tent of ,hose suppression 3y Theodosius a century 3efore is 'rossly e%a''erated 3y the superficial. =n 1"A under the 3eni'n rule of the +stro'oth TheodoricA ,e 3ehold him as a teacher of rhetoric at :omeA and in 1- he held the consulship to'ether ,ith >ompilius ;umantius Bom3astes 8arcellinus $eodamnatus. (pon the death of Theodoric in "-A =3idus retired from pu3lic life to compose his cele3rated ,or! J,hose pure Ciceronian style is as remar!a3le a case of classic atavism as is the verse of Claudius ClaudianusA ,ho flourished a century 3efore =3idusKB 3ut he ,as later recalled to scenes of pomp to act as court rhetorician for TheodatusA nephe, of Theodoric.
1 "

*ome and By2antium8 A Study in Sur!i!al JWau!eshaA 18-)KA ?ol. RRA p. )8. Influences *omains clans le Moyen Age J4ond du 5acA 1877KA ?ol. R?A p. 7"*. & 4ollo,in' >rocopiusA Got"% %.y.z. # 4ollo,in' 6ornandesA Code% 8urat. %%C. #1##. After >a'iA *1 *.

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(pon the usurpation of ?iti'esA =3idus fell into dis'race and ,as for a time imprisonedB 3ut the comin' of the Byzantine1:oman army under Belisarius soon restored him to li3erty and honours. Throu'hout the sie'e of :ome he served 3ravely in the army of the defendersA and after,ard follo,ed the ea'les of Belisarius to Al3aA >ortoA and Centumcellae. After the 4ran!ish sie'e of 8ilanA =3idus ,as chosen to accompany the learned Bishop $atius to 7reeceA and resided ,ith him at Corinth in the year &). A3out #1 he removed to ConstantinopolisA ,here he received every mar! of imperial favour 3oth from 6ustinianus and 6ustinus the Second. The Emperors Ti3erius and 8aurice did !indly honour to his old a'eA and contri3uted much to his immortality 1 especially 8auriceA ,hose deli'ht it ,as to trace his ancestry to old :ome not,ithstandin' his 3irth at Ara3iscusA in Cappadocia. =t ,as 8aurice ,hoA in the poet<s 1*1st yearA secured the adoption of his ,or! as a te%t3oo! in the schools of the empireA an honour ,hich proved a fatal ta% on the a'ed rhetorician<s emotionsA since he passed a,ay peacefully at his home near the church of St. Sophia on the si%th day 3efore the 0alends of Septem3erA A. $. 87A in the 1*"nd year of his a'e. 2is remainsA not,ithstandin' the trou3led state of =talyA ,ere ta!en to :avenna for intermentB 3ut 3ein' interred in the su3ur3 of ClasseA ,ere e%humed and ridiculed 3y the 5om3ard $u!e of SpoletoA ,ho too! his s!ull to 0in' Autharis for use as a ,assail13o,l. =3id<s s!ull ,as proudly handed do,n from !in' to !in' of the 5om3ard line. (pon the capture of >avia 3y Charlema'ne in 77#A the s!ull ,as seized from the totterin' $esiderius and carried in the train of the 4ran!ish conDueror. =t ,as from this vesselA indeedA that >ope 5eo administered the royal unction ,hich made of the hero1nomad a 2oly :oman Emperor. Charlema'ne too! =3id<s s!ull to his capital at Ai%A soon after1 ,ard presentin' it to his Sa%on teacher AlcuinA upon ,hose death in 8*# it ,as sent to Alcuin<s !insfol! in En'land. William the ConDuerorA findin' it in an a33ey niche ,here the pious family of Alcuin had placed it J3elievin' it to 3e the s!ull of a saint- ,ho had miraculously annihilated the 5om3ards 3y his prayersKA did reverence to its osseous antiDuityB and even the rou'h soldiers of Crom,ellA upon destroyin' Ballylou'h A33ey in =reland in 1- * Jit havin' 3een secretly transported thither 3y a devout >apist in 1 &)A upon 2enry ?==<s dissolution of the En'lish monasteriesKA declined to offer violence to a relic so venera3le. =t ,as captured 3y the private soldier :ead1<em1and1Weep 2op!insA ,ho not lon' after traded it to :est1in16ehovah Stu33s for a Duid of ne, ?ir'inia ,eed. Stu33sA upon sendin' forth his son @eru33a3el to see! his fortune in ;e, En'land in 1--1 Jfor he thou'ht ill of the :estoration atmosphere for a pious youn' yeomanKA 'ave him St. =3id<s 1 or rather Brother =3id<sA for he a3horred all that ,as >opish 1 s!ull as a talisman. (pon landin' in Salem @eru33a3el set it up in his cup3oard 3eside the chimneyA he havin' 3uilt a modest house near the to,n pump. 2o,everA he had not 3een ,holly unaffected 3y the :estoration influenceB and havin' 3ecome addicted to 'amin'A lost the s!ull to one Epenetus $e%terA a visitin' freeman of >rovidence. =t ,as in the house of $e%terA in the northern part of the to,n near the present intersection of ;orth 8ain and +lney StreetsA on the occasion of Canonchet<s raid of 8arch &*A 1-7-A durin' 0in' >hilip<s WarB and the astute sachemA reco'nisin' it at once as a thin' of sin'ular venera3leness and di'nityA sent it as a sym3ol of alliance to a faction of
-

;ot till the appearance of von Sch,ein!opf<s ,or! in 17)7 ,ere St. =3id and the rhetorician properly re1 identified.

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the >eDuots in Connecticut ,ith ,hom he ,as ne'otiatin'. +n April # he ,as captured 3y the colonists and soon after e%ecutedA 3ut the austere head of =3id continued on its ,anderin's. The >eDuotsA enfee3led 3y a previous ,arA could 'ive the no, stric!en ;arra'ansetts no assistanceB and in 1-8* a $utch furtrader of Al3anyA >etrus van Schaac!A secured the distin'uished cranium for the modest sum of t,o 'uildersA he havin' reco'nised its value from the half1effaced inscription carved in 5om3ardic minuscules Jpalaeo'raphyA it mi'ht 3e e%plainedA ,as one of the leadin' accomplishments of ;e,1;etherland fur1traders of the seventeenth centuryK. 4rom van Schaac!A sad to sayA the relic ,as stolen in 1-8& 3y a 4rench traderA 6ean 7renierA ,hose >opish zeal reco'nised the features of one ,hom he had 3een tau'ht at his mother<s !nee to revere as St. =3ide. 7renierA fired ,ith virtuous ra'e at the possession of this holy sym3ol 3y a >rotestantA crushed van Schaac!<s head one ni'ht ,ith an a%e and escaped to the north ,ith his 3ootyB soonA ho,everA 3ein' ro33ed and slain 3y the half1 3reed voya'eur 8ichel SavardA ,ho too! the s!ull 1 despite the illiteracy ,hich prevented his reco'nisin' it 1 to add to a collection of similar 3ut more recent material.
(pon his death in 17*1 his half13reed son >ierre traded it amon' other thin's to some emissaries of the Sacs and 4o%esA and it ,as found outside the chief<s tepee a 'eneration later 3y Charles de 5an'ladeA founder of the tradin' post at 7reen BayA Wisconsin. $e 5an'lade re'arded this sacred o3Cect ,ith proper veneration and ransomed it at the e%pense of many 'lass 3eadsB yet after his time it found itself in many other handsA 3ein' traded to settlements at the head of 5a!e Winne3a'oA to tri3es around 5a!e 8endotaA and finallyA early in the nineteenth centuryA to one Solomon 6uneauA a 4renchmanA at the ne, tradin' post of 8il,au!ee on the 8enominee :iver and the shore of 5a!e 8ichi'an. 5ater traded to 6acDues Ca3ocheA another settlerA it ,as in 18 * lost in a 'ame of chess or po!er to a ne,comer named 2ans @immermanB 3ein' used 3y him as a 3eer1stein until one dayA under the spell of its contentsA he suffered it to roll from his front stoop to the prairie path 3efore his home 1 ,hereA fallin' into the 3urro, of a prairie1do'A it passed 3eyond his po,er of discovery or recovery upon his a,a!in'. So for 'enerations did the sainted s!ull of Caius Anicius 8a'nus 4urius Camillus Aemilianus Cornelius ?alerius >ompeius 6ulius =3idusA consul of :omeA favourite of emperorsA and saint of the :omish churchA lie hidden 3eneath the soil of a 'ro,in' to,n. At first ,orshipped ,ith dar! rites 3y the prairie1do'sA ,ho sa, in it a deity sent from the upper ,orldA it after,ard fell into dire ne'lect as the race of simpleA artless 3urro,ers succum3ed 3efore the onslau'ht of the conDuerin' Aryan. Se,ers cameA 3ut they passed 3y it. 2ouses ,ent up 1 "&*& of themA and more 1 and at last one fateful ni'ht a titan thin' occurred. Su3tle ;atureA convulsed ,ith a spiritual ecstasyA li!e the froth of that re'ion<s Duondam 3evera'eA laid lo, the lofty and heaved hi'h the hum3le 1 and 3eholdF =n the roseal da,n the 3ur'hers of 8il,au!ee rose to find a former prairie turned to a hi'hlandF ?ast and far1reachin' ,as the 'reat upheaval. Su3terrene arcanaA hidden for yearsA came at last to the li'ht. 4or thereA full in the rifted road,ayA lay 3leached and tranDuil in 3landA saintlyA and consular pomp the dome1 li!e s!ull of =3idF

,m*riso#e$ With the Ph r os

,.
8ystery attracts mystery. Ever since the ,ide appearance of my name as a performer of une%plained featsA = have encountered stran'e narratives and events ,hich my callin' has led people to lin! ,ith my interests and activities. Some of these have 3een trivial and irrelevantA some deeply dramatic and a3sor3in'A some productive of ,eird and perilous e%periences and some involvin' me in e%tensive scientific and historical research. 8any of these matters = have told and shall continue to tell very freelyB 3ut there is one of ,hich = spea! ,ith 'reat reluctanceA and ,hich = am no, relatin' only after a session of 'rillin' persuasion from the pu3lishers of this ma'azineA ,ho had heard va'ue rumors of it from other mem3ers of my family. The hitherto 'uarded su3Cect pertains to my non1professional visit to E'ypt fourteen years a'oA and has 3een avoided 3y me for several reasons. 4or one thin'A = am averse to e%ploitin' certain unmista!a3ly actual facts and conditions o3viously un!no,n to the myriad tourists ,ho thron' a3out the pyramids and apparently secreted ,ith much dili'ence 3y the authorities at CairoA ,ho cannot 3e ,holly i'norant of them. 4or another thin'A = disli!e to recount an incident in ,hich my o,n fantastic ima'ination must have played so 'reat a part. What = sa, 1 or thou'ht = sa, 1 certainly did not ta!e placeB 3ut is rather to 3e vie,ed as a result of my then recent readin's in E'yptolo'yA and of the speculations anent this theme ,hich my environment naturally prompted. These ima'inative stimuliA ma'nified 3y the e%citement of an actual event terri3le enou'h in itselfA undou3tedly 'ave rise to the culminatin' horror of that 'rotesDue ni'ht so lon' past. =n 6anuaryA 1)1*A = had finished a professional en'a'ement in En'land and si'ned a contract for a tour of Australian theatres. A li3eral time 3ein' allo,ed for the tripA = determined to ma!e the most of it in the sort of travel ,hich chiefly interests meB so accompanied 3y my ,ife = drifted pleasantly do,n the Continent and em3ar!ed at 8arseilles on the > N + Steamer Mal$a& 3ound for >ort Said. 4rom that point = proposed to visit the principal historical localities of lo,er E'ypt 3efore leavin' finally for Australia. The voya'e ,as an a'reea3le oneA and enlivened 3y many of the amusin' incidents ,hich 3efall a ma'ical performer apart from his ,or!. = had intendedA for the sa!e of Duiet travelA to !eep my name a secretB 3ut ,as 'oaded into 3etrayin' myself 3y a fello,1 ma'ician ,hose an%iety to astound the passen'ers ,ith ordinary tric!s tempted me to duplicate and e%ceed his feats in a manner Duite destructive of my inco'nito. = mention this 3ecause of its ultimate effect 1 an effect = should have foreseen 3efore unmas!in' to a shipload of tourists a3out to scatter throu'hout the ;ile valley. What it did ,as to herald my identity ,herever = su3seDuently ,entA and deprive my ,ife and me of all the placid inconspicuousness ,e had sou'ht. Travelin' to see! curiositiesA = ,as often forced to stand inspection as a sort of curiosity myselfF We had come to E'ypt in search of the picturesDue and the mystically impressiveA 3ut found little enou'h ,hen the ship ed'ed up to >ort Said and dischar'ed its passen'ers in

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small 3oats. 5o, dunes of sandA 3o33in' 3uoys in shallo, ,aterA and a drearily European small to,n ,ith nothin' of interest save the 'reat $e 5esseps statueA made us an%ious to 'et to somethin' more ,orth our ,hile. After some discussion ,e decided to proceed at once to Cairo and the >yramidsA later 'oin' to Ale%andria for the Australian 3oat and for ,hatever 7reco1:oman si'hts that ancient metropolis mi'ht present. The rail,ay Courney ,as tolera3le enou'hA and con sumed only four hours and a half. We sa, much of the Suez CanalA ,hose route ,e follo,ed as far as =smailiya and later had a taste of +ld E'ypt in our 'limpse of the restored fresh1,ater canal of the 8iddle Empire. Then at last ,e sa, Cairo 'limmerin' throu'h the 'ro,in' dus!B a ,in!lin' constellation ,hich 3ecame a 3laze as ,e halted at the 'reat 7are Centrale. But once more disappointment a,aited usA for all that ,e 3eheld ,as European save the costumes and the cro,ds. A prosaic su3,ay led to a sDuare teemin' ,ith carria'esA ta%ica3sA and trolley1cars and 'or'eous ,ith electric li'hts shinin' on tall 3uildin'sB ,hilst the very theatre ,here = ,as vainly reDuested to play and ,hich = later attended as a spectatorA had recently 3een renamed the <American Cosmo'raph<. We stopped at Shepheard<s 2otelA reached in a ta%i that sped alon' 3roadA smartly 3uilt1up streetsB and amidst the perfect service of its restaurantA elevators and 'enerally An'lo1American lu%uries the mysterious East and immemorial past seemed very far a,ay. The ne%t dayA ho,everA precipitated us deli'htfully into the heart of the Arabian -ig"ts atmosphereB and in the ,indin' ,ays and e%otic s!yline of CairoA the Ba'dad of 2arun1al1 :ashid seemed to live a'ain. 7uided 3y our Baede!erA ,e had struc! east past the Ez3e!iyeh 7ardens alon' the 8ous!i in Duest of the native DuarterA and ,ere soon in the hands of a clamorous cicerone ,ho 1 not,ith standin' later developments 1 ,as assuredly a master at his trade. ;ot until after,ard did = see that = should have applied at the hotel for a licensed 'uide. This manA a shavenA peculiarly hollo,1voiced and relatively cleanly fello, ,ho loo!ed li!e a >haraoh and called himself <A3dul :eis el $ro'man< appeared to have much po,er over others of his !indB thou'h su3seDuently the police professed not to !no, himA and to su''est that reis is merely a name for any person in authorityA ,hilst <$ro'man< is o3viously no more than a clumsy modification of the ,ord for a leader of tourist parties 1 dragoman% A3dul led us amon' such ,onders as ,e had 3efore only read and dreamed of. +ld Cairo is itself a story13oo! and a dream 1 la3yrinths of narro, alleys redolent of aromatic secretsB Ara3esDue 3alconies and oriels nearly meetin' a3ove the co33led streetsB maelstroms of +riental traffic ,ith stran'e criesA crac!in' ,hipsA rattlin' cartsA Cin'lin' moneyA and 3rayin' don!eysB !aleidoscopes of polychrome ro3esA veilsA tur3ansA and tar3ushesB ,ater1carriers and dervishesA do's and catsA soothsayers and 3ar3ersB and over all the ,hinin' of 3lind 3e''ars crouched in alcovesA and the sonorous chantin' of muezzins from minarets limned delicately a'ainst a s!y of deepA unchan'in' 3lue. The roofedA Duieter 3azaars ,ere hardly less allurin'. SpiceA perfumeA incense 3eadsA ru'sA sil!sA and 3rass 1 old 8ahmoud Suleiman sDuats cross1le''ed amidst his 'ummy 3ottles ,hile chatterin' youths pulverize mustard in the hollo,ed1out capital of an ancient classic column 1 a :oman CorinthianA perhaps from nei'h3orin' 2eliopolisA ,here Au'ustus stationed one of his three E'yptian le'ions. AntiDuity 3e'ins to min'le ,ith

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e%oticism. And then the mosDues and the museum 1 ,e sa, them allA and tried not to let our Ara3ian revel succum3 to the dar!er charm of >haraonic E'ypt ,hich the museum<s priceless treasures offered. That ,as to 3e our clima%A and for the present ,e concentrated on the mediaeval Saracenic 'lories of the Califs ,hose ma'nificent tom31mosDues form a 'litterin' faery necropolis on the ed'e of the Ara3ian $esert. At len'th A3dul too! us alon' the Sharia 8ohammed Ali to the ancient mosDue of Sultan 2assanA and the to,er1flan!ed Ba3el1Aza3A 3eyond ,hich clim3s the steep1,alled pass to the mi'hty citadel that Saladin himself 3uilt ,ith the stones of for'otten pyramids. =t ,as sunset ,hen ,e scaled that cliffA circled the modern mosDue of 8ohammed AliA and loo!ed do,n from the dizzy parapet over mystic Cairo 1 mystic Cairo all 'olden ,ith its carven domesA its ethereal minarets and its flamin' 'ardens. 4ar over the city to,ered the 'reat :oman dome of the ne, museumB and 3eyond it 1 across the cryptic yello, ;ile that is the mother of eons and dynasties 1 lur!ed the menacin' sands of the 5i3yan $esertA undulant and iridesc ent and evil ,ith older arcana. The red sun san! lo,A 3rin'in' the relentless chill of E'yptian dus!B and as it stood poised on the ,orld<s rim li!e that ancient 'od of 2eliopolis 1 :e12ara!hteA the 2orizon1 Sun 1 ,e sa, silhouetted a'ainst its vermeil holocaust the 3lac! outlines of the >yramids of 7izeh 1 the palaeo'ean tom3s there ,ere hoary ,ith a thousand years ,hen Tut1An!h1 Amen mounted his 'olden throne in distant The3es. Then ,e !ne, that ,e ,ere done ,ith Saracen CairoA and that ,e must taste the deeper mysteries of primal E'ypt 1 the 3lac! 0em of :e and AmenA =sis and +siris. The ne%t mornin' ,e visited the >yramidsA ridin' out in a ?ictoria across the island of Chizereh ,ith its massive le33a!h treesA and the smaller En'lish 3rid'e to the ,estern shore. $o,n the shore road ,e droveA 3et,een 'reat ro,s of le33a!hs and past the vast @oolo'ical 7ardens to the su3ur3 of 7izehA ,here a ne, 3rid'e to Cairo proper has since 3een 3uilt. ThenA turnin' inland alon' the Sharia1el12aramA ,e crossed a re'ion of 'lassy canals and sha33y native villa'es till 3efore us loomed the o3Cects of our DuestA cleavin' the mists of da,n and formin' inverted replicas in the roadside pools. 4orty centuriesA as ;apoleon had told his campai'ners thereA indeed loo!ed do,n upon us. The road no, rose a3ruptlyA till ,e finally reached our place of transfer 3et,een the trolley station and the 8ena 2ouse 2otel. A3dul :eisA ,ho capa3ly purchased our >yramid tic!etsA seemed to have an understandin' ,ith the cro,din'A yellin' and offensive Bedouins ,ho inha3ited a sDualid mud villa'e some distance a,ay and pestiferously assailed every travelerB for he !ept them very decently at 3ay and secured an e%cellent pair of camels for usA himself mountin' a don!ey and assi'nin' the leadership of our animals to a 'roup of men and 3oys more e%pensive than useful. The area to 3e traversed ,as so small that camels ,ere hardly neededA 3ut ,e did not re'ret addin' to our e%perience this trou3lesome form of desert navi'ation. The pyramids stand on a hi'h roc! plateauA this 'roup formin' ne%t to the northernmost of the series of re'al and aristocratic cemeteries 3uilt in the nei'h3orhood of the e%tinct capital 8emphisA ,hich lay on the same side of the ;ileA some,hat south of 7izehA and ,hich flourished 3et,een &#** and "*** B.C. The 'reatest pyramidA ,hich lies nearest the modern roadA ,as 3uilt 3y 0in' Cheops or 0hufu a3out "8** B.C.A and stands more than # * feet in perpendicular hei'ht. =n a line south,est from this are successively the Second

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>yramidA 3uilt a 'eneration later 3y 0in' 0hephrenA and thou'h sli'htly smallerA loo!in' even lar'er 3ecause set on hi'her 'roundA and the radically smaller Third >yramid of 0in' 8ycerinusA 3uilt a3out "7** B.C. ;ear the ed'e of the plateau and due east of the Second >yramidA ,ith a face pro3a3ly altered to form a colossal portrait of 0hephrenA its royal restorerA stands the monstrous Sphin% 1 muteA sardonicA and ,ise 3eyond man!ind and memory. 8inor pyramids and the traces of ruined minor pyramids are found in several placesA and the ,hole plateau is pitted ,ith the tom3s of di'nitaries of less than royal ran!. These latter ,ere ori'inally mar!ed 3y mastabas& or stone 3ench1 li!e structures a3out the deep 3urial shaftsA as found in other 8emphian cemeteries and e%emplified 3y >erne3<s Tom3 in the 8etropolitan 8useum of ;e, .or!. At 7ize3A ho,everA all such visi3le thin's have 3een s,ept a,ay 3y time and pilla'eB and only the roc!1he,n shaftsA either sand1filled or cleared out 3y archaeolo'istsA remain to attest their former e%istence. Connected ,ith each tom3 ,as a chapel in ,hich priests and relatives offered food and prayer to the hoverin' ka or vital principle of the deceased. The small tom3s have their chapels contained in their stone mastabas or superstructuresA 3ut the mortuary chapels of the pyramidsA ,here re'al >haraohs layA ,ere separate templesA each to the east of its correspondin' pyramidA and connec ted 3y a cause,ay to a massive 'ate1chapel or propylon at the ed'e of the roc! plateau. The 'ate1chapel leadin' to the Second >yramidA nearly 3uried in the driftin' sandsA ya,ns su3terraneously south1east of the Sphin%. >ersistent tradition du3s it the <Temple of the Sphin%<B and it may perhaps 3e ri'htly called such if the Sphin% indeed represents the Second >yramid<s 3uilder 0hephren. There are unpleasant tales of the Sphin% 3efore 0hephren 1 3ut ,hatever its elder features ,ereA the monarch replaced them ,ith his o,n that men mi'ht loo! at the colossus ,ithout fear. =t ,as in the 'reat 'ate,ay1temple that the life1size diorite statue of 0hephren no, in the Cairo museum ,as foundB a statue 3efore ,hich = stood in a,e ,hen = 3eheld it. Whether the ,hole edifice is no, e%cavated = am not certainA 3ut in 1)1* most of it ,as 3elo, 'roundA ,ith the entrance heavily 3arred at ni'ht. 7ermans ,ere in char'e of the ,or!A and the ,ar or other thin's may have stopped them. = ,ould 'ive muchA in vie, of my e%perience and of certain Bedouin ,hisperin's discredited or un!no,n in CairoA to !no, ,hat has developed in connection ,ith a certain ,ell in a transverse 'allery ,here statues of the >haraoh ,ere found in curious Cu%taposition to the statues of 3a3oons. The roadA as ,e traversed it on our camels that mornin'A curved sharply past the ,ooden police DuartersA post officeA dru' store and shops on the leftA and plun'ed south and east in a complete 3end that scaled the roc! plateau and 3rou'ht us face to face ,ith the desert under the lee of the 7reat >yramid. >ast Cyclopean masonry ,e rodeA roundin' the eastern face and loo!in' do,n ahead into a valley of minor pyramids 3eyond ,hich the eternal ;ile 'listened to the eastA and the eternal desert shimmered to the ,est. ?ery close loomed the three maCor pyramidsA the 'reatest devoid of outer casin' and sho,in' its 3ul! of 'reat stonesA 3ut the others retainin' here and there the neatly fitted coverin' ,hich had made them smooth and finished in their day. >resently ,e descended to,ard the Sphin%A and sat silent 3eneath the spell of those terri3le unseein' eyes. +n the vast stone 3reast ,e faintly discerned the em3lem of :e1 2ara!hteA for ,hose ima'e the Sphin% ,as mista!en in a late dynastyB and thou'h sand

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covered the ta3let 3et,een the 'reat pa,sA ,e recalled ,hat Thutmosis =? inscri3ed thereonA and the dream he had ,hen a prince. =t ,as then that the smile of the Sphin% va'uely displeased usA and made us ,onder a3out the le'ends of su3terranean pas sa'es 3eneath the monstrous creatureA leadin' do,nA do,nA to depths none mi'ht dare hint at 1 depths connected ,ith mysteries older than the dynastic E'ypt ,e e%cavateA and havin' a sinister relation to the persistence of a3normalA animal1headed 'ods in the ancient ;ilotic pantheon. ThenA tooA it ,as = as!ed myself in idle Duestion ,hose hideous si'nificance ,as not to appear for many an hour. +ther tourists no, 3e'an to overta!e usA and ,e moved on to the sand1cho!ed Temple of the Sphin%A fifty yards to the southeastA ,hich = have previously mentioned as the 'reat 'ate of the cause,ay to the Second >yramid<s mortuary chapel on the plateau. 8ost of it ,as still under'roundA and althou'h ,e dismounted and descended throu'h a modern passa'e,ay to its ala3aster corridor and pillared hallA = felt that Adul and the local 7erman attendant had not sho,n us all there ,as to see. After this ,e made the conventional circuit of the pyramid plateauA e%aminin' the Second >yramid and the peculiar ruins of its mortuary chapel to the eastA the Third >yramid and its miniature southern satellites and ruined eastern chapelA the roc! tom3s and the honeycom3in's of the 4ourth and 4ifth dynastiesA and the famous Camp3ell<s Tom3 ,hose shado,y shaft sin!s precipitously for fifty1three feet to a sinister sarcopha'us ,hich one of our camel drivers divested of the cum3erin' sand after a verti'inous descent 3y rope. Cries no, assailed us from the 7reat >yramidA ,here Bedouins ,ere 3esie'in' a party of tourists ,ith offers of speed in the performance of solitary trips up and do,n. Seven minutes is said to 3e the record for such an ascent and descentA 3ut many lusty shei!s and sons of shei!s assured us they could cut it to five if 'iven the reDuisite impetus of li3eral baks"ees"% They did not 'et this impetusA thou'h ,e did let A3dul ta!e us upA thus o3tainin' a vie, of unprecedented ma'nificence ,hich included not only remote and 'litterin' Cairo ,ith its cro,ned citadel 3ac! 'round of 'old1violet hillsA 3ut all the pyramids of the 8emphian district as ,ellA from A3u :oash on the north to the $ashur on the south. The Sa!!ara step1pyramidA ,hich mar!s the evolution of the lo, mastaba into the true pyramidA sho,ed clearly and allurin'ly in the sandy distance. =t is close to this transition1monument that the famed 9om3 of >erne3 ,as found 1 more than four hundred miles orth of the The3an roc! valley ,here Tut1An!h1Amen sleeps. A'ain = ,as forced to silence throu'h sheer a,e. The prospect of such antiDuityA and the secrets each hoary monument seemed to hold and 3rood overA filled me ,ith a reverence and sense of immensity nothin' else ever 'ave me. 4ati'ued 3y our clim3A and dis'usted ,ith the importunate Bedouins ,hose actions seemed to defy every rule of tasteA ,e omitted the arduous detail of enterin' the cramped interior passa'es of any of the pyramidsA thou'h ,e sa, several of the hardiest tourists preparin' for the suffocatin' cra,l throu'h Cheops< mi'htiest memorial. As ,e dismissed and overpaid our local 3ody'uard and drove 3ac! to Cairo ,ith A3dul :eis under the afternoon sunA ,e half re'retted the omission ,e had made. Such fascinatin' thin's ,ere ,hispered a3out lo,er pyramid pas sa'es not in the 'uide 3oo!sB passa'es ,hose entrances had 3een hastily 3loc!ed up and concealed 3y certain uncommunicative archaeolo'ists ,ho had found and 3e'un to e%plore them.

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#8)

+f courseA this ,hisperin' ,as lar'ely 3aseless on the face of itB 3ut it ,as curious to reflect ho, persistently visitors ,ere for3idden to enter the >yramids at ni'htA or to visit the lo,est 3urro,s and crypt of the 7reat >yramid. >erhaps in the latter case it ,as the psycholo'ical effect ,hich ,as feared 1 the effect on the visitor of feelin' himself huddled do,n 3eneath a 'i'antic ,orld of solid masonryB Coined to the life he has !no,n 3y the merest tu3eA in ,hich he may only cra,lA and ,hich any accident or evil desi'n mi'ht 3loc!. The ,hole su3Cect seemed so ,eird and allurin' that ,e resolved to pay the pyramid plateau another visit at the earliest possi3le opportun ity. 4or me this opportunity came much earlier than = e%pected. That evenin'A the mem3ers of our party feelin' some ,hat tired after the strenuous pro'ram of the dayA = ,ent alone ,ith A3dul :eis for a ,al! throu'h the picturesDue Ara3 Duarter. Thou'h = had seen it 3y dayA = ,ished to study the alleys and 3azaars in the dus!A ,hen rich shado,s and mello, 'leams of li'ht ,ould add to their 'lamor and fantastic illusion. The native cro,ds ,ere thinnin'A 3ut ,ere still very noisy and numerous ,hen ,e came upon a !not of revelin' Bedouins in the Su!en1;ahhasinA or 3azaar of the coppersmiths. Their apparent leaderA an insolent youth ,ith heavy features and saucily coc!ed tar3ushA too! some notice of usA and evidently reco'nized ,ith no 'reat friendliness my competent 3ut admittedly supercilious and sneerin'ly disposed 'uide. >erhapsA = thou'htA he resented that odd reproduction of the Sphin%<s half1smile ,hich = had often remar!ed ,ith amused irritationB or perhaps he did not li!e the hollo, and sepulchral resonance of A3dul<s voice. At any rateA the e%chan'e of ancestrally oppro3rious lan'ua'e 3ecame very 3ris!B and 3efore lon' Ali @izA as = heard the stran'er called ,hen called 3y no ,orse nameA 3e'an to pull violently at A3dul<s ro3eA an action Duic!ly reciprocated and leadin' to a spirited scuffle in ,hich 3oth com3atants lost their sacredly cherished head'ear and ,ould have reached an even direr condition had = not intervened and separated them 3y main force. 8y interferenceA at first seemin'ly un,elcome on 3oth sidesA succeeded at last in effectin' a truce. Sullenly each 3elli'erent composed his ,rath and his attireA and ,ith an assumption of di'nity as profound as it ,as suddenA the t,o formed a curious pact of honor ,hich = soon learned is a custom of 'reat antiDuity in Cairo 1 a pact for the settle ment of their difference 3y means of a nocturnal fist atop the 7reat >yramidA lon' after the departure of the last moon li'ht si'htseer. Each duelist ,as to assem3le a party of secondsA and the affair ,as to 3e'in at midni'htA proceedin' 3y rounds in the most civilized possi3le fashion. =n all this plannin' there ,as much ,hich e%cited my interest. The fi'ht itself promised to 3e uniDue and spectacularA ,hile the thou'ht of the scene on that hoary pile overloo!in' the antediluvian plateau of 7izeh under the ,an moon of the pallid small hours appealed to every fi3er of ima'ination in me. A reDuest found A3dul e%ceedin'ly ,illin' to admit me to his party of secondsB so that all the rest of the early evenin' = accompanied him to various dens in the most la,less re'ions of the to,n 1 mostly northeast of the Ez3e!iyeh 1 ,here he 'athered one 3y one a select and formida3le 3and of con'enial cutthroats as his pu'ilistic 3ac!'round. Shortly after nine our partyA mounted on don!eys 3earin' such royal or tourist1 reminiscent names as <:amesesA< <8ar! T,ainA< <6. >. 8or'anA< and <8innehaha<A ed'ed throu'h street la3yrinths 3oth +riental and +ccidentalA crossed the muddy and mast1

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forested ;ile 3y the 3rid'e of the 3ronze lionsA and cantered philosophically 3et,een the le33a!hs on the road to 7izeh. Sli'htly over t,o hours ,ere consumed 3y the tripA to,ard the end of ,hich ,e passed the last of the returnin' touristsA saluted the last in3ound trolley1carA and ,ere alone ,ith the ni'ht and the past and the spectral moon. Then ,e sa, the vast pyramids at the end of the avenueA 'houlish ,ith a dim atavistical menace ,hich = had not seemed to notice in the daytime. Even the smallest of them held a hint of the 'hastly 1for ,as it not in this that they had 3uried /ueen ;itocris alive in the Si%th $ynastyB su3tle /ueen ;itocrisA ,ho once invited all her enemies to a feast in a temple 3elo, the ;ileA and dro,ned them 3y openin' the ,ater1'atesG = recalled that the Ara3s ,hisper thin's a3out ;itocrisA and shun the Third >yramid at certain phases of the moon. =t must have 3een over her that Thomas 8oore ,as 3roodin' ,hen he ,rote a thin' muttered a3out 3y 8emphian 3oatmen9 +T"e subterranean nymp" t"at d$ells +Mid sunless gems and glories "id T"e lady of t"e ,yramidC+ Early as ,e ,ereA Ali @iz and his party ,ere ahead of usB for ,e sa, their don!eys outlined a'ainst the desert plateau at 0afrel12aramB to,ard ,hich sDualid Ara3 settlementA close to the Sphin%A ,e had diver'ed instead of follo,in' the re'ular road to the 8ena 2ouseA ,here some of the sleepyA inefficient police mi'ht have o3served and halted us. 2ereA ,here filthy Bedouins sta3led camels and don!eys in the roc! tom3s of 0hephren<s courtiersA ,e ,ere led up the roc!s and over the sand to the 7reat >yramidA up ,hose time1 ,orn sides the Ara3s s,armed ea'erlyA A3dul :eis offerin' me the assistance = did not need. As most travelers !no,A the actual ape% of this structure has lon' 3een ,orn a,ayA leavin' a reasona3ly flat platform t,elve yards sDuare. +n this eery pinnacle a sDuared circle ,as formedA and in a fe, moments the sardonic desert moon leered do,n upon a 3attle ,hichA 3ut for the Duality of the rin'side criesA mi'ht ,ell have occurred at some minor athletic clu3 in America. As = ,atched itA = felt that some of our less 1desira3le institutions ,ere not lac!in'B for every 3lo,A feintA and defense 3espo!e <stallin'< to my not ine%perienced eye. =t ,as Duic!ly overA and despite my mis'ivin's as to methods = felt a sort of proprietary pride ,hen A3dul :eis ,as adCud'ed the ,inner. :econciliation ,as phenomenally rapidA and amidst the sin'in'A fraternizin' and drin!in' that follo,edA = found it difficult to realize that a Duarrel had ever occurred. +ddly enou'hA = myself seemed to 3e more a center of notice than the anta'onistsB and from my smatterin' of Ara3ic = Cud'ed that they ,ere discussin' my professional performances and escapes from every sort of manacle and confinementA in a manner ,hich indicated not only a surprisin' !no,led'e of meA 3ut a distinct hostility and s!epticism concernin' my feats of escape. =t 'radually da,ned on me that the elder ma'ic of E'ypt did not depart ,ithout leavin' tracesA and that fra'ments of a stran'e secret lore and priestly cult practises have survived surreptitiously amon'st the fella heen to such an e%tent that the pro,ess of a stran'e "a"$i or ma'ician is resented and disputed. = thou'ht of ho, much my hollo,1 voiced 'uide A3dul :eis loo!ed li!e an old E'yptian priest or >haraoh or smilin' Sphin% ... and ,ondered.

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Suddenly somethin' happened ,hich in a flash proved the correctness of my reflections and made me curse the denseness ,here3y = had accepted this ni'ht<s events as other than the empty and malicious <frame1up< they no, sho,ed themselves to 3e. Without ,arnin'A and dou3tless in ans,er to some su3tle si'n from A3dulA the entire 3and of Bedouins precipitated itself upon meB and havin' produced heavy ropesA soon had me 3ound as securely as = ,as ever 3ound in the course of my lifeA either on the sta'e or off. = stru''led at firstA 3ut soon sa, that one man could ma!e no head,ay a'ainst a 3and of over t,enty sine,y 3ar3arians. 8y hands ,ere tied 3ehind my 3ac!A my !nees 3ent to their fullest e%tentA and my ,rists and an!les stoutly lin!ed to'ether ,ith unyieldin' cords. A stiflin' 'a' ,as forced into my mouthA and a 3lindfold fastened ti'htly over my eyes. ThenA as Ara3s 3ore me aloft on their shoulders and 3e'an a Councin' descent of the pyramidA = heard the taunts of my late 'uide A3dulA ,ho moc!ed and Ceered deli'htedly in his hollo, voiceA and assured me that = ,as soon to have my <ma'ic1po,ers< put to a supreme test 1 ,hich ,ould Duic!ly remove any e'otism = mi'ht have 'ained throu'h triumphin' over all the tests offered 3y America and Europe. E'yptA he reminded meA is very oldA and full of inner mysteries and antiDue po,ers not even conceiva3le to the e%perts of todayA ,hose devices had so uniformly failed to entrap me. 2o, far or in ,hat direction = ,as carriedA = cannot tellB for the circumstances ,ere all a'ainst the formation of any accurate Cud'ment. = !no,A ho,everA that it could not have 3een a 'reat distanceB since my 3earers at no point hastened 3eyond a ,al!A yet !ept me aloft a surprisin'ly short time. =t is this perple%in' 3revity ,hich ma!es me feel almost li!e shudderin' ,henever = thin! of 7izeh and its plateau 1 for one is oppressed 3y hints of the closeness to everyday tourist routes of ,hat e%isted then and must e%ist still. The evil a3normality = spea! of did not 3ecome manifest at first. Settin' me do,n on a surface ,hich = reco'nized as sand rather than roc!A my captors passed a rope around my chest and dra''ed me a fe, feet to a ra''ed openin' in the 'roundA into ,hich they presently lo,ered me ,ith much rou'h handlin'. 4or apparent eons = 3umped a'ainst the stony irre'ular sides of a narro, he,n ,ell ,hich = too! to 3e one of the numerous 3urial1 shafts of the plateau until the prodi'iousA almost incredi3le depth of it ro33ed me of all 3ases of conCecture. The horror of the e%perience deepened ,ith every dra''in' second. That any descent throu'h the sheer solid roc! could 3e so vast ,ithout reachin' the core of the planet itselfA or that any rope made 3y man could 3e so lon' as to dan'le me in these unholy and seemin'ly fathomless pro fundities of nether earthA ,ere 3eliefs of such 'rotesDueness that it ,as easier to dou3t my a'itated senses than to accept them. Even no, = am uncertainA for = !no, ho, deceitful the sense of time 3ecomes ,hen one is removed or distorted. But = am Duite sure that = preserved a lo'ical consciousness that farB that at least = did not add any full'ro,n phantoms of ima'ination to a picture hideous enou'h in its realityA and e%plica3le 3y a type of cere3ral illusion vastly short of actual hallucination. All this ,as not the cause of my first 3it of faintin'. The shoc!in' ordeal ,as cumulativeA and the 3e'innin' of the later terrors ,as a very percepti3le increase in my rate of descent. They ,ere payin' out that infinitely lon' rope very s,iftly no,A and = scraped cruelly a'ainst the rou'h and constricted sides of the shaft as = shot madly do,n,ard. 8y clothin' ,as in tattersA and = felt the tric!le of 3lood all overA even a3ove the mountin' and e%cruciatin' pain. 8y nostrilsA tooA ,ere assailed 3y a scarcely defina3le menace9 a

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creepin' odor of damp and staleness curiously unli!e anythin' = had ever smelled 3eforeA and havin' faint overtones of spice and incense that lent an element of moc!ery. Then the mental cataclysm came. =t ,as horri3le 1 hideous 3eyond all articulate description 3ecause it ,as all of the soulA ,ith nothin' of detail to descri3e. =t ,as the ecstasy of ni'htmare and the summation of the fiendish. The suddenness of it ,as apocalyptic and demoniac 1 one moment = ,as plun'in' a'onizin'ly do,n that narro, ,ell of million1toothed tortureA yet the ne%t moment = ,as soarin' on 3at1,in's in the 'ulfs of hellB s,in'in' free and s,oopin' throu'h illimita3le miles of 3oundlessA musty spaceB risin' dizzily to measureless pinnacles of chillin' etherA then divin' 'aspin'ly to suc!in' nadirs of ravenousA nauseous lo,er vacua ... Than! 7od for the mercy that shut out in o3livion those cla,in' 4uries of consciousness ,hich half unhin'ed my facultiesA and tore harpy1li!e at my spiritF That one respiteA short as it ,asA 'ave me the stren'th and sanity to endure those still 'reater su3lima tions of cosmic panic that lur!ed and 'i33ered on the road ahead.

,,.
=t ,as very 'radually that = re'ained my senses after that eldritch fli'ht throu'h sty'ian space. The process ,as infinitely painfulA and colored 3y fantastic dreams in ,hich my 3ound and 'a''ed condition found sin'ular em3odiment. The precise nature of these dreams ,as very clear ,hile = ,as e%periencin' themA 3ut 3ecame 3lurred in my recollection almost immediately after,ardA and ,as soon reduced to the merest outline 3y the terri3le events 1 real or ima'inary 1 ,hich follo,ed. = dreamed that = ,as in the 'rasp of a 'reat and horri3le pa,B a yello,A hairyA five1 cla,ed pa, ,hich had reached out of the earth to crush and en'ulf me. And ,hen = stopped to reflect ,hat the pa, ,asA it seemed to me that it ,as E'ypt. =n the dream = loo!ed 3ac! at the events of the precedin' ,ee!sA and sa, myself lured and enmeshed little 3y littleA su3tly and insidiouslyA 3y some hellish 'houl1spirit of the elder ;ile sorceryB some spirit that ,as in E'ypt 3efore ever man ,asA and that ,ill 3e ,hen man is no more. = sa, the horror and un,holesome antiDuity of E'yptA and the 'risly alliance it has al,ays had ,ith the tom3s and temples of the dead. = sa, phantom processions of priests ,ith the heads of 3ullsA falconsA catsA and i3isesB phantom processions marchin' intermina3ly throu'h su3terraneous la3yrinths and avenues of titanic propylaea 3eside ,hich a man is as a flyA and offerin' unnama3le sacrifice to indescri3a3le 'ods. Stone colossi marched in endless ni'ht and drove herds of 'rinnin' androsphin%es do,n to the shores of illimita3le sta'nant rivers of pitch. And 3ehind it all = sa, the ineffa3le mali'nity of primordial necromancyA 3lac! and amorphousA and fum3lin' 'reedily after me in the dar!ness to cho!e out the spirit that had dared to moc! it 3y emulation. =n my sleepin' 3rain there too! shape a melodrama of sinister hatred and pursuitA and = sa, the 3lac! soul of E'ypt sin'lin' me out and callin' me in inaudi3le ,hispersB callin' and lurin' meA leadin' me on ,ith the 'litter and 'lamor of a Saracenic surfaceA 3ut ever pullin' me do,n to the a'e1mad catacom3s and horrors of its dead and a3ysmal pharaonic heart.

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#)&

Then the dream faces too! on human resem3lancesA and = sa, my 'uide A3dul :eis in the ro3es of a !in'A ,ith the sneer of the Sphin% on his features. And = !ne, that those features ,ere the features of 0hephren the 7reatA ,ho raised the Second >yramidA carved over the Sphin%<s face in the li!eness of his o,n and 3uilt that titanic 'ate,ay temple ,hose myriad corridors the archaeolo'ists thin! they have du' out of the cryptical sand and the uninformative roc!. And = loo!ed at the lon'A lean ri'id hand of 0hephrenB the lon'A leanA ri'id hand as = had seen it on the diorite statue in the Cairo 8useum 1 the statue they had found in the terri3le 'ate,ay temple 1 and ,ondered that = had not shrie!ed ,hen = sa, it on A3dul :eis... That handF =t ,as hideously coldA and it ,as crushin' meB it ,as the cold and crampin' of the sarcopha'us . . . the chill and constriction of unremem3era3le E'ypt... =t ,as ni'htedA necropolitan E'ypt itself...A that yello, pa,... and they ,hisper such thin's of 0hephren... But at this Cuncture = 3e'an to ,a!e 1 or at leastA to assume a condition less completely that of sleep than the one Cust precedin'. = recalled the fi'ht atop the pyramidA the treacherous Bedouins and their attac!A my fri'htful descent 3y rope throu'h endless roc! depthsA and my mad s,in'in' and plun'in' in a chill void redolent of aromatic putrescence. = perceived that = no, lay on a damp roc! floorA and that my 3onds ,ere still 3itin' into me ,ith unloosened force. =t ,as very coldA and = seemed to detect a faint current of noisome air s,eepin' across me. The cuts and 3ruises = had received from the Ca''ed sides of the roc! shaft ,ere painin' me ,oefullyA their soreness enhanced to a stin'in' or 3urnin' acuteness 3y some pun'ent Duality in the faint draftA and the mere act of rollin' over ,as enou'h to set my ,hole frame thro33in' ,ith untold a'ony. As = turned = felt a tu' from a3oveA and concluded that the rope ,here3y = ,as lo,ered still reached to the surface. Whether or not the Ara3s still held itA = had no ideaB nor had = any idea ho, far ,ithin the earth = ,as. = !ne, that the dar!ness around me ,as ,holly or nearly totalA since no ray of moonli'ht penetrated my 3lindfoldB 3ut = did not trust my senses enou'h to accept as evidence of e%treme depth the sensation of vast duration ,hich had characterized my descent. 0no,in' at least that = ,as in a space of considera3le e%tent reached from the a3ove surface directly 3y an openin' in the roc!A = dou3tfully conCectured that my prison ,as perhaps the 3uried 'ate,ay chapel of old 0hephren 1 the Temple of the Sphin% 1 perhaps some inner corridors ,hich the 'uides had not sho,n me durin' my mornin' visitA and from ,hich = mi'ht easily escape if = could find my ,ay to the 3arred entrance. =t ,ould 3e a la3yrinthine ,anderin'A 3ut no ,orse than others out of ,hich = had in the past found my ,ay. The first step ,as to 'et free of my 3ondsA 'a'A and 3lindfoldB and this = !ne, ,ould 3e no 'reat tas!A since su3tler e%perts than these Ara3s had tried every !no,n species of fetter upon me durin' my lon' and varied career as an e%ponent of escapeA yet had never succeeded in defeatin' my methods. Then it occurred to me that the Ara3s mi'ht 3e ready to meet and attac! me at the entrance upon any evidence of my pro3a3le escape from the 3indin' cordsA as ,ould 3e furnished 3y any decided a'itation of the rope ,hich they pro3a3ly held. ThisA of courseA ,as ta!in' for 'ranted that my place of confinement ,as indeed 0hephren<s Temple of the Sphin%. The direct openin' in the roofA ,herever it mi'ht lur!A could not 3e 3eyond easy reach of the ordinary modern entrance near the Sphin%B if in truth it ,ere any 'reat distance

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at all on the surfaceA since the total area !no,n to visitors is not at all enormous. = had not noticed any such openin' durin' my daytime pil'rima'eA 3ut !ne, that these thin's are easily overloo!ed amidst the driftin' sands. Thin!in' these matters over as = lay 3ent and 3ound on the roc! floorA = nearly for'ot the horrors of a3ysmal descent and cavernous s,in'in' ,hich had so lately reduced me to a coma. 8y present thou'ht ,as only to out,it the Ara3sA and = accordin'ly determined to ,or! myself free as Duic!ly as possi3leA avoidin' any tu' on the descendin' line ,hich mi'ht 3etray an effective or even pro3lematical attempt at freedom. ThisA ho,everA ,as more easily determined than effected. A fe, preliminary trials made it clear that little could 3e accomplished ,ithout considera3le motionB and it did not surprise me ,henA after one especially ener'etic stru''leA = 3e'an to feel the coils of fallin' rope as they piled up a3out me and upon me. +3viouslyA = thou'htA the Bedouins had felt my movements and released their end of the ropeB hastenin' no dou3t to the temple<s true entrance to lie murderously in ,ait for me. The prospect ,as not pleasin' 1 3ut = had faced ,orse in my time ,ithout flinchin'A and ,ould not flinch no,. At present = must first of all free myself of 3ondsA then trust to in'enuity to escape from the temple unharmed. =t is curious ho, implicitly = had come to 3elieve myself in the old temple of 0hephren 3eside the Sphin%A only a short dis tance 3elo, the 'round. That 3elief ,as shatteredA and every pristine apprehen sion of preternattiral depth and demoniac mystery revivedA 3y a circumstance ,hich 're, in horror and si'nificance even as = formulated my philosophical plan. = have said that the fallin' rope ,as pilin' up a3out and upon me. ;o, = sa, that it ,as continuin' to pileA as no rope of normal len'th could possi3ly do. =t 'ained in momentum and 3ecame an avalanche of hempA accumulatin' moun tainously on the floor and half 3uryin' me 3eneath its s,iftly multiplyin' coils. Soon = ,as completely en'ulfed and 'aspin' for 3reath as the increasin' convolutions su3mer'ed and stifled me. 8y senses tottered a'ainA and = va'uely tried to fi'ht off a menace desperate and inelucta3le. =t ,as not merely that = ,as tortured 3eyond human endurance 1 not merely that life and 3reath seemed to 3e crushed slo,ly out of me 1 it ,as the !no,led'e of ,hat those unnatural len'ths of rope impliedA and the consciousness of ,hat un!no,n and incalcula3le 'ulfs of inner earth must at this moment 3e surroundin' me. 8y endless descent and s,in'in' fli'ht throu'h 'o3lin spaceA thenA must have 3een realA and even no, = must 3e lyin' helpless in some nameless cavern ,orld to,ard the core of the planet. Such a sudden confirmation of ultimate horror ,as insupporta3leA and a second time = lapsed into merciful o3livion. When = say o3livionA = do not imply that = ,as free from dreams. +n the contraryA my a3sence from the conscious ,orld ,as mar!ed 3y visions of the most unuttera3le hideousness. 7odF ... =f only = had not read so much E'yptolo'y 3efore comin' to this land ,hich is the fountain of all dar!ness and terrorF This second spell of faintin' filled my sleepin' mind ane, ,ith shiverin' realization of the country and its archaic secretsA and throu'h some damna3le chance my dreams turned to the ancient notions of the dead and their soCournin's in soul and 3ody 3eyond those mysterious tom3s ,hich ,ere more houses than 'raves. = recalledA in dream1shapes ,hich it is ,ell that = do not remem3erA the

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peculiar and ela3orate construction of E'yptian sepulchersB and the e%ceedin'ly sin'ular and terrific doctrines ,hich determined this construction. All these people thou'ht of ,as death and the dead. They conceived of a literal resurrection of the 3ody ,hich made them mummify it ,ith desperate careA and preserve all the vital or'ans in canopic Cars near the corpseB ,hilst 3esides the 3ody they 3elieved in t,o other elementsA the soulA ,hich after its ,ei'hin' and approval 3y +siris d,elt in the land of the 3lestA and the o3scure and portentous ka or life1principle ,hich ,andered a3out the upper and lo,er ,orlds in a horri3le ,ayA demandin' occasional access to the preserved 3odyA consumin' the food offerin's 3rou'ht 3y priests and pious relatives to the mortuary chapelA and sometimes 1 as men ,hispered 1 ta!in' its 3ody or the ,ooden dou3le al,ays 3uried 3eside it and stal!in' no%iously a3road on errands peculiarly repellent. 4or thousands of years those 3odies rested 'or'eously encased and starin' 'lassily up,ard ,hen not visited 3y the ka& a,aitin' the day ,hen +siris should restore 3oth ka and soulA and lead forth the stiff le'ions of the dead from the sun!en houses of sleep. =t ,as to have 3een a 'lorious re3irth 1 3ut not all souls ,ere approvedA nor ,ere all tom3s inviolateA so that certain 'rotesDue mistakes and fiendish abnormalities ,ere to 3e loo!ed for. Even today the Ara3s murmur of unsanctified convocations and un,holesome ,orship in for'otten nether a3yssesA ,hich only ,in'ed invisi3le kas and soulless mummies may visit and return unscathed. >erhaps the most leerin'ly 3lood1con'ealin' le'ends are those ,hich relate to certain perverse products of decadent priestcraft 1 composite mummies made 3y the artificial union of human trun!s and lim3s ,ith the heads of animals in imitation of the elder 'ods. At all sta'es of history the sacred animals ,ere mummifiedA so that consecrated 3ullsA catsA i3isesA crocodiles and the li!e mi'ht return some day to 'reater 'lory. But only in the decadence did they mi% the human and the animal in the same mummy 1 only in the decadenceA ,hen they did not understand the ri'hts and prero'atives of the ka and the soul. What happened to those composite mummies is not told of1 at least pu3licly 1 and it is certain that no E'yptolo'ist ever found one. The ,hispers of Ara3s are very ,ildA and cannot 3e relied upon. They even hint that old 0hephren 1 he of the Sphin%A the Second >yramid and the ya,nin' 'ate,ay temple 1 lives far under'round ,edded to the 'houl1 Dueen ;itocris and rulin' over the mummies that are neither of man nor of 3east. =t ,as of these 1 of 0hephren and his consort and his stran'e armies of the hy3rid dead 1 that = dreamedA and that is ,hy = am 'lad the e%act dream1shapes have faded from my memory. 8y most horri3le vision ,as connected ,ith an idle Duestion = had as!ed myself the day 3efore ,hen loo!in' at the 'reat carven riddle of the desert and ,onderin' ,ith ,hat un!no,n depth the temple close to it mi'ht 3e secretly connected. That DuestionA so innocent and ,himsical thenA assumed in my dream a meanin' of frenetic and hysterical madness ... $"at "uge and loat"some abnormality $as t"e Sp"in@ originally car!en to represent/ 8y second a,a!enin' 1 if a,a!enin' it ,as 1 is a memory of star! hideousness ,hich nothin' else in my life 1 save one thin' ,hich came after 1 can parallelB and that life has 3een full and adventurous 3eyond most men<s. :emem3er that = had lost consciousness ,hilst 3uried 3eneath a cascade of fallin' rope ,hose immensity revealed the cataclysmic

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depth of my present position. ;o,A as perception returnedA = felt the entire ,ei'ht 'oneB and realized upon rollin' over that althou'h = ,as still tiedA 'a''ed and 3lindfoldedA some agency "ad remo!ed completely t"e suffocating "empen landslide $"ic" "ad o!er$"elmed me% The si'nificance of this conditionA of courseA came to me only 'raduallyB 3ut even so = thin! it ,ould have 3rou'ht unconsciousness a'ain had = not 3y this time reached such a state of emotional e%haustion that no ne, horror could ma!e much difference. = ,as alone... $it" $"at/ Before = could torture myself ,ith any ne, reflectionA or ma!e any fresh effort to escape from my 3ondsA an additional circumstance 3ecame manifest. >ains not formerly felt ,ere rac!in' my arms and le'sA and = seemed coated ,ith a profusion of dried 3lood 3eyond anythin' my former cuts and a3rasions could furnish. 8y chestA tooA seemed pierced 3y a hundred ,oundsA as thou'h some mali'nA titanic i3is had 3een pec!in' at it. Assuredly the a'ency ,hich had removed the rope ,as a hostile oneA and had 3e'un to ,rea! terri3le inCuries upon me ,hen someho, impelled to desist. .et at the same time my sensations ,ere distinctly the reverse of ,hat one mi'ht e%pect. =nstead of sin!in' into a 3ottomless pit of despairA = ,as stirred to a ne, coura'e and actionB for no, = felt that the evil forces ,ere physical thin's ,hich a fearless man mi'ht encounter on an even 3asis. +n the stren'th of this thou'ht = tu''ed a'ain at my 3ondsA and used all the art of a lifetime to free myself as = had so often done amidst the 'lare of li'hts and the applause of vast cro,ds. The familiar details of my escapin' process commenced to en'ross meA and no, that the lon' rope ,as 'one = half re'ained my 3elief that the supreme horrors ,ere hallucinations after allA and that there had never 3een any terri3le shaftA measureless a3yss or intermina3le rope. Was = after all in the 'ate,ay temple of 0hephren 3eside the Sphin%A and had the snea!in' Ara3s stolen in to torture me as = lay helpless thereG At any rateA = must 3e free. 5et me stand up un3oundA un'a''edA and ,ith eyes open to catch any 'limmer of li'ht ,hich mi'ht come tric!lin' from any sourceA and = could actually deli'ht in the com3at a'ainst evil and treacherous foesF 2o, lon' = too! in sha!in' off my encum3rances = cannot tell. =t must have 3een lon'er than in my e%hi3ition performancesA 3ecause = ,as ,oundedA e%haustedA and enervated 3y the e%periences = had passed throu'h. When = ,as finally freeA and ta!in' deep 3reaths of a chillA dampA evilly spiced air all the more horri3le ,hen encountered ,ithout the screen of 'a' and 3lindfold ed'esA = found that = ,as too cramped and fati'ued to move at once. There = layA tryin' to stretch a frame 3ent and man'ledA for an indefinite periodA and strainin' my eyes to catch a 'limpse of some ray of li'ht ,hich ,ould 'ive a hint as to my position. By de'rees my stren'th and fle%i3ility returnedA 3ut my eyes 3eheld nothin'. As = sta''ered to my feet = peered dili'ently in every directionA yet met only an e3ony 3lac!ness as 'reat as that = had !no,n ,hen 3lindfolded. = tried my le'sA 3lood1encrusted 3eneath my shredded trousersA and found that = could ,al!B yet could not decide in ,hat direction to 'o. +3viously = ou'ht not to ,al! at randomA and perhaps retreat directly from the entrance = sou'htB so = paused to note the difference of the coldA fetidA natron1scented air1current ,hich = had never ceased to feel. Acceptin' the point of its source as the possi3le entrance to the a3yssA = strove to !eep trac! of this landmar! and to ,al! consistently to,ard it. = had a match13o% ,ith meA and even a small electric flashli'htB 3ut of course the poc!ets of my tossed and tattered clothin' ,ere lon' since emptied of all heavy articles. As

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= ,al!ed cautiously in the 3lac!nessA the draft 're, stron'er and more offensiveA till at len'th = could re'ard it as nothin' less than a tan'i3le stream of detesta3le vapor pourin' out of some aperture li!e the smo!e of the 'enie from the fisherman<s Car in the Eastern tale. The East ... E'ypt ... trulyA this dar! cradle of civilization ,as ever the ,ellsprin' of horrors and marvels unspea!a3leF The more = reflected on the nature of this cavern ,indA the 'reater my sense of disDuiet 3ecameB for althou'h despite its odor = had sou'ht its source as at least an indirect clue to the outer ,orldA = no, sa, plainly that this foul emanation could have no admi%ture or connection ,hatsoever ,ith the clean air of the 5i3yan $esertA 3ut must 3e essentially a thin' vomited from sinister 'ulfs still lo,er do,n. = hadA thenA 3een ,al!in' in the ,ron' directionF After a moment<s reflection = decided not to retrace my steps. A,ay from the draft = ,ould have no landmar!sA for the rou'hly level roc! floor ,as devoid of distinctive confi'urations. =fA ho,everA = follo,ed up the stran'e currentA = ,ould undou3tedly arrive at an aperture of some sortA from ,hose 'ate = could perhaps ,or! round the ,alls to the opposite side of this Cyclopean and other,ise unnavi'a3le hall. That = mi'ht failA = ,ell realized. = sa, that this ,as no part of 0hephren<s 'ate,ay temple ,hich tourists !no,A and it struc! me that this particular hall mi'ht 3e un!no,n even to archaeolo'istsA and merely stum3led upon 3y the inDuisitive and mali'nant Ara3s ,ho had imprisoned me. =f soA ,as there any present 'ate of escape to the !no,n parts or to the outer airG What evidenceA indeedA did = no, possess that this ,as the 'ate,ay temple at allG 4or a moment all my ,ildest speculations rushed 3ac! upon meA <and = thou'ht of that vivid melan'e of impressions 1 descentA suspension in spaceA the ropeA my ,oundsA and the dreams that ,ere fran!ly dreams. Was this the end of life for meG +r indeedA ,ould it 3e merciful if this moment $ere the endG = could ans,er none of my o,n DuestionsA 3ut merely !ept onA till 4ate for a third time reduced me to o3livion. This time there ,ere no dreamsA for the suddenness of the incident shoc!ed me out of all thou'ht either conscious or su3conscious. Trippin' on an une%pected descendin' step at a point ,here the offensive draft 3ecame stron' enou'h to offer an actual physical resistanceA = ,as precipitated headlon' do,n a 3lac! fli'ht of hu'e stone stairs into a 'ulf of hideousness unrelieved. That = ever 3reathed a'ain is a tri3ute to the inherent vitality of the healthy human or'anism. +ften = loo! 3ac! to that ni'ht and feel a touch of actual humor in those repeated lapses of consciousnessB lapses ,hose succession reminded me at the time of nothin' more than the crude cinema melodramas of that period. +f courseA it is possi3le that the repeated lapses never occurredB and that all the features of that under'round ni'htmare ,ere merely the dreams of one lon' coma ,hich 3e'an ,ith the shoc! of my descent into that a3yss and ended ,ith the healin' 3alm of the outer air and of the risin' sun ,hich found me stretched on the sands of 7izeh 3efore the sardonic and da,n1flushed face of the 7reat Sphin%. = prefer to 3elieve this latter e%planation as much as = canA hence ,as 'lad ,hen the police told me that the 3arrier to 0rephren<s 'ate,ay temple had 3een found unfastenedA and that a sizea3le rift to the surface did actually e%ist in one corner of the still 3uried part. = ,as 'ladA tooA ,hen the doctors pronounced my ,ounds only those to 3e e%pected from my seizureA 3lindfoldin'A lo,erin'A stru''lin' ,ith 3ondsA fallin' some distance 1 perhaps

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into a depression in the temple<s inner 'allery 1 dra''in' myself to the outer 3arrier and escapin' from itA and e%periences li!e that..A a very soothin' dia'nosis. And yet = !no, that there must 3e more than appears on the surface. That e%treme descent is too vivid a memory to 3e dismissed 1 and it is odd that no one has ever 3een a3le to find a man ans,erin' the description of my 'uideA A3dul :eis el $ro'man1 the tom31throated 'uide ,ho loo!ed and smiled li!e 0in' 0hephren. = have di'ressed from my connected narrative 1 perhaps in the vain hope of evadin' the tellin' of that final incidentB that incident ,hich of all is most certainly an hallucination. But = promised to relate itA and = do not 3rea! promises. When = recovered 1 or seemed to recover 1 my senses after that fall do,n the 3lac! stone stairsA = ,as Duite as alone and in dar!ness as 3efore. The ,indy stenchA 3ad enou'h 3eforeA ,as no, fiendishB yet = had acDuired enou'h familiarity 3y this time to 3ear it stoically. $azedly = 3e'an to cra,l a,ay from the place ,hence the putrid ,ind cameA and ,ith my 3leedin' hands felt the colossal 3loc!s of a mi'hty pavement. +nce my head struc! a'ainst a hard o3CectA and ,hen = felt of it = learned that it ,as the 3ase of a column 1 a column of un3elieva3le immensity 1 ,hose surface ,as covered ,ith 'i'antic chiseled hiero'lyphics very percepti3le to my touch. Cra,lin' onA = encountered other titan columns at incomprehensi3le distances apartB ,hen suddenly my attention ,as captured 3y the realization of somethin' ,hich must have 3een impin'in' on my su3conscious hearin' lon' 3efore the conscious sense ,as a,are of it. 4rom some still lo,er chasm in earth<s 3o,els ,ere proceedin' certain sounds& measured and definiteA and li!e nothin' = had ever heard 3efore. That they ,ere very ancient and distinctly ceremonial = felt almost intuitivelyB and much readin' in E'yptolo'y led me to associate them ,ith the fluteA the sam3u!eA the sistrumA and the tympa num. =n their rhythmic pipin'A dronin'A rattlin' and 3eat in' = felt an element of terror 3eyond all the !no,n terrors of earth 1 a terror peculiarly dissociated from personal fearA and ta!in' the form of a sort of o3Cective pity for our planetA that it should hold ,ithin its depths such horrors as must lie 3eyond these ae'ipanic cacophonies. The sounds increased in volumeA and = felt that they ,ere approachin'. Then 1 and may all the 'ods of all pantheons unite to !eep the li!e from my ears a'ain 1 = 3e'an to hearA faintly and afar offA the mor3id and millennial trampin' of the marchin' thin's. =t ,as hideous that footfalls so dissimilar should move in such perfect rhythm. The trainin' of unhallo,ed thousands of years must lie 3ehind that march of earth<s inmost monstrosities ... paddin'A clic!in'A ,al!in'A stal!in'A rum3lin'A lum3erin'A cra,lin'.. . and all to the a3horrent discords of those moc!in' instruments. And then 1 7od !eep the memory of those Ara3 le'ends out of my headF 1 the mummies ,ithout souls ... the meetin'1place of the ,anderin' ..... the hordes of the devil1cursed pharaonic dead of forty centuries.. . the composite mummies led throu'h the uttermost ony% voids 3y 0in' 0hephren and his 'houl1Dueen ;itocris ... The trampin' dre, nearer 1 2eaven save me from the sound of those feet and pa,s and hooves and pads and talons as it commenced to acDuire detailF $o,n limitless reaches of sunless pavement a spar! of li'ht flic!ered in the malodorous ,ind and = dre, 3ehind the enormous circumference of a Cyclopic column that = mi'ht escape for a ,hile the horror that ,as stal!in' million1footed to,ard me throu'h 'i'antic hypostyles of inhuman dread

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and pho3ic antiDuity. The flic!ers increasedA and the trampin' and dissonant rhythm 're, sic!enin'ly loud. =n the Duiverin' oran'e li'ht there stood faintly forth a scene of such stony a,e that = 'asped from sheer ,onder that conDuered even fear and repulsion. Bases of columns ,hose middles ,ere hi'her than human si'ht. . . mere 3ases of thin's that must each d,arf the Eiffel To,er to insi'nificance ... hiero'lyphics carved 3y unthin!a3le hands in caverns ,here dayli'ht can 3e only a remote le'end... = $ould not loo! at the marchin' thin's. That = desperately resolved as = heard their crea!in' Coints and nitrous ,heezin' a3ove the dead music and the dead trampin'. =t ,as merciful that they did not spea!... 3ut 7odF t"eir cra2y torc"es began to cast s"ado$s on t"e surface of t"ose stupendous columns% 9ippopotami s"ould not "a!e "uman "ands and car2y torc"es%%% men s"ould not "a!e t"e "eads of crocodiles%%% = tried to turn a,ayA 3ut the shado,s and the sounds and the stench ,ere every,here. Then = remem3ered somethin' = used to do in half1conscious ni'htmares as a 3oyA and 3e'an to repeat to myselfA <This is a dreamF This is a dreamF< But it ,as of no useA and = could only shut my eyes and pray ... at leastA that is ,hat = thin! = didA for one is never sure in visions 1 and = !no, this can have 3een nothin' more. = ,ondered ,hether = should ever reach the ,orld a'ainA and at times ,ould furtively open my eyes to see if = could discern any feature of the place other than the ,ind of spiced putrefactionA the topless columnsA and the thaumatropically 'rotesDue shado,s of a3normal horror. The sputterin' 'lare of multiplyin' torches no, shoneA and unless this hellish place ,ere ,holly ,ithout ,allsA = could not fail to see some 3oundary or fi%ed landmar! soon. But = had to shut my eyes a'ain ,hen = realized ho, many of the thin's ,ere assem3lin' 1 and ,hen = 'limpsed a certain o3Cect ,al!in' solemnly and steadily $it"out any body abo!e t"e $aist% A fiendish and ululant corpse1'ur'le or death1rattle no, split the very atmosphere 1 the charnel atmosphere poisonous ,ith naftha and 3itumen 3lasts 1 in one concerted chorus from the 'houlish le'ion of hy3rid 3lasphemies. 8y eyesA perversely sha!en openA 'azed for an instant upon a si'ht ,hich no human creature could even ima'ine ,ithout panicA fear and physical e%haustion. The thin's had filed ceremonially in one directionA the direction of the noisome ,indA ,here the li'ht of their torches sho,ed their 3ended heads 1 or the 3ended heads of such as had heads. They ,ere ,orshippin' 3efore a 'reat 3lac! fetor13elchin' aperture ,hich reached up almost out of si'htA 1and ,hich = could see ,as flan!ed at ri'ht an'les 3y t,o 'iant staircases ,hose ends ,ere far a,ay in shado,. +ne of these ,as indu3ita3ly the staircase = had fallen do,n. The dimensions of the hole ,ere fully in proportion ,ith those of the columns 1 an ordinary house ,ould have 3een lost in itA and any avera'e pu3lic 3uildin' could easily have 3een moved in and out. =t ,as so vast a surface that only 3y movin' the eye could one trace its 3oundaries.. . so vastA so hideously 3lac!A and so aromatically stin!in' . .. $irectly in front of this ya,nin' >olyphemus1door the thin's ,ere thro,in' o3Cects 1 evidently sacrifices or reli'ious offerin'sA to Cud'e 3y their 'estures. 0hephren ,as their leaderB sneerin' 0in' 0hephren or t"e guide Abdul *eis& cro,ned ,ith a 'olden pshent and intonin' endless formulae ,ith the hollo, voice of the dead. By his side !nelt 3eautiful /ueen ;itocrisA ,hom = sa, in profile for a momentA notin' that the ri'ht half of her face ,as eaten a,ay 3y rats or other 'houls. And = shut my eyes a'ain ,hen = sa, ,hat o3Cects ,ere 3ein' thro,n as offerin's to the fetid aperture or its possi3le local deity.

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=t occurred to me thatA Cud'in' from the ela3orateness of this ,orshipA the concealed deity must 3e one of considera3le importance. Was it +siris or =sisA 2orus or Anu3isA or some vast un!no,n 7od of the $ead still more central and supremeG There is a le'end that terri3le altars and colossi ,ere reared to an (n!no,n +ne 3efore ever the !no,n 'ods ,ere ,orshipped... And no,A as = steeled myself to ,atch the rapt and sepulchral adorations of those nameless thin'sA a thou'ht of escape flashed upon me. The hall ,as dimA and the columns heavy ,ith shado,. With every creature of that ni'htmare thron' a3sor3ed in shoc!in' rapturesA it mi'ht 3e 3arely possi3le for me to creep past to the far1a,ay end of one of the staircases and ascend unseenB trustin' to 4ate and s!ill to deliver me from the upper reaches. Where = ,asA = neither !ne, nor seriously reflected upon 1 and for a moment it struc! me as amusin' to plan a serious escape from that ,hich = !ne, to 3e a dream. Was = in some hidden and unsuspected lo,er realm of 0hephren<s 'ate,ay temple 1 that temple ,hich 'enerations have persis tently called the Temple of the Sphin%G = could not conCectureA 3ut = resolved to ascend to life and consciousness if ,it and muscle could carry me. Wri''lin' flat on my stomachA = 3e'an the an%ious Courney to,ard the foot of the left1 hand staircaseA ,hich seemed the more accessi3le of the t,o. = cannot descri3e the incidents and sensations of that cra,lA 3ut they may 3e 'uessed ,hen one reflects on ,hat = had to ,atch steadily in that mali'nA ,ind13lo,n torchli'ht in order to avoid detection. The 3ottom of the staircase ,asA as = have saidA far a,ay in shado,A as it had to 3e to rise ,ithout a 3end to the dizzy parapeted landin' a3ove the titanic aperture. This placed the last sta'es of my cra,l at some distance from the noisome herdA thou'h the spectacle chilled me even ,hen Duite remote at my ri'ht. At len'th = succeeded in reachin' the steps and 3e'an to clim3B !eepin' close to the ,allA on ,hich = o3served decorations of the most hideous sortA and relyin' for safety on the a3sor3edA ecstatic interest ,ith ,hich the monstrosities ,atched the foul13reezed aperture and the impious o3Cects of nourishment they had flun' on the pavement 3efore it. Thou'h the staircase ,as hu'e and steepA fashioned of vast porphyry 3loc!s as if for the feet of a 'iantA the ascent seemed virtually intermina3le. $read of discovery and the pain ,hich rene,ed e%ercise had 3rou'ht to my ,ounds com3ined to ma!e that up,ard cra,l a thin' of a'onizin' memory. = had intendedA on reachin' the landin'A to clim3 immediately on,ard alon' ,hatever upper staircase mi'ht mount from thereB stoppin' for no last loo! at the carrion a3ominations that pa,ed and 'enuflected some seventy or ei'hty feet 3elo, 1 yet a sudden repetition of that thunderous corpse1'ur'le and death1rattle chorusA comin' as = had nearly 'ained the top of the fli'ht and sho,in' 3y its ceremonial rhythm that it ,as not an alarm of my discoveryA caused me to pause and peer cautiously over the parapet. The monstrosities ,ere hailin' somethin' ,hich had po!ed itself out of the nauseous aperture to seize the hellish fare proffered it. =t ,as somethin' Duite ponderousA even as seen from my hei'htB somethin' yello,ish and hairyA and endo,ed ,ith a sort of nervous motion. =t ,as as lar'eA perhapsA as a 'ood1sized hippopotamusA 3ut very curiously shaped. =t seemed to have no nec!A 3ut five separate sha''y heads sprin'in' in a ro, from a rou'hly cylindrical trun!B the first very smallA the second 'ood1sizedA the third and fourth eDual and lar'est of allA and the fifth rather smallA thou'h not so small as the first.

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+ut of these heads darted curious ri'id tentacles ,hich seized ravenously on the e%cessively 'reat Duantities of unmentiona3le food placed 3efore the aperture. +nce in a ,hile the thin' ,ould leap upA and occasionally it ,ould retreat into its den in a very odd manner. =ts locomotion ,as so ine%plica3le that = stared in fascinationA ,ishin' it ,ould emer'e farther from the cavernous lair 3eneath me. Then it did emerge ... it did emer'eA and at the si'ht = turned and fled into the dar!ness up the hi'her staircase that rose 3ehind meB fled un!no,in'ly up incredi3le steps and ladders and inclined planes to ,hich no human si'ht or lo'ic 'uided meA and ,hich = must ever rele'ate to the ,orld of dreams for ,ant of any confirmation. =t must have 3een a dreamA or the da,n ,ould never have found me 3reathin' on the sands of 7izeh 3efore the sardonic da,n1flushed face of the 7reat Sphin%.
The 7reat Sphin%F 7odF 1 that idle Duestion = as!ed myself on that sun13lest mornin' 3efore ... $"at "uge and loat"some abnormality $as t"e Sp"in@ originally car!en to represent/ Accursed is the si'htA 3e it in dream or notA that revealed to me the supreme horror 1 the un!no,n 7od of the $eadA ,hich lic!s its colossal chops in the unsuspected a3yssA fed hideous morsels 3y soulless a3surdities that should not e%ist. The five1headed monster that emer'ed ... that five1headed monster as lar'e as a hippopotamus ... the five headed monster 1 and t"at of $"ic" it is t"e merest forepa$%%% But = survivedA and = !no, it ,as only a dream.

In a letter to 7rank Belknap (ong dated 7ebruary <J& <KLJ& 9,( $rote8
=t seems that once 2oudini ,as in Cairo ,ith his ,ife on a non1professional pleasure tripA ,hen his Ara3 'uide 3ecame involved in a street fi'ht ,ith another Ara3. =n accordance ,ith customA the natives decided to fi'ht it out that ni'ht on the top of the 7reat >yramidB and 2oudini<s 'uideA !no,in' the ma'ician<s interest in e%otic odditiesA invited him to 'o alon' ,ith his party of seconds and supporters. 2oudini didA and sa, a tame fistic encounter follo,ed 3y an eDually mechanical reconciliation. There ,as somethin' off1colour and rehearsed a3out it allA and the ,izard ,as hardly surprised ,hen suddenly the frame1up ,as revealedA and he found himself 3ound and 'a''ed 3y the t,o Ara3s ,ho had fa!ed the com3at. =t had all 3een prearran'ed11the natives had heard of him as a mi'hty ,izard of the WestA and ,ere determined to test his po,ers in a land ,here ,izards had once ruled supreme. Without ceremony they too! him to an aperture in the roof of the Temple of the >haraoh<s JCamp3ell<s Tom3K ,here a sheer drop of fifty1three feet 3rin's one to the floor of the ni'hted crypt ,hich has 3ut one normal entrance11a ,indin' passa'e very far from this ,ell1li!e openin'. >roducin' a lon' ropeA they lo,ered him into this a3ode of dar!ness and death and left him there ,ithout means of ascent113ound and 'a''ed amidst the !in'ly deadA and i'norant of ho, to find the real e%it. 2ours later he sta''ered out of that real e%itA freeA yet sha!en to the core ,ith some hideous e%perience a3out ,hich he hesitates to tal!. =t ,ill 3e my Co3 to invent the incidentA and 'ive it my most maca3re touches. As yetA = don<t !no, ho, far = can 'oA since from a specimen 2oudini story ,hich 2enne3er'er sent me = Cud'e that the ma'ician tries to pass off these 8unchausens as real adventures. 2e<s e%tremely e'otisticalA as one can see at a 'lance. But in any caseA = 'uess = can ,eave in some pretty shoc!in' thin's ... unsuspected lo,er cavernsA a 3urnin' li'ht amidst the 3alsam<d deadA or a terri3le fate for the Ara3 'uides ,ho sou'ht to fri'hten +ur 2ero.

,# The V %lt
There is nothin' more a3surdA as = vie, itA than that conventional association of the homely and the ,holesome ,hich seems to pervade the psycholo'y of the multitude. 8ention a 3ucolic .an!ee settin'A a 3un'lin' and thic!1fi3red villa'e underta!erA and a careless mishap in a tom3A and no avera'e reader can 3e 3rou'ht to e%pect more than a hearty al3eit 'rotesDue phase of comedy. 7od !no,sA thou'hA that the prosy tale ,hich 7eor'e Birch<s death permits me to tell has in it aspects 3eside ,hich some of our dar!est tra'edies are li'ht. Birch acDuired a limitation and chan'ed his 3usiness in 1881A yet never discussed the case ,hen he could avoid it. ;either did his old physician $r. $avisA ,ho died years a'o. =t ,as 'enerally stated that the affliction and shoc! ,ere results of an unluc!y slip ,here3y Birch had loc!ed himself for nine hours in the receivin' tom3 of >ec! ?alley CemeteryA escapin' only 3y crude and disastrous mechanical meansB 3ut ,hile this much ,as undou3tedly trueA there ,ere other and 3lac!er thin's ,hich the man used to ,hisper to me in his drun!en delirium to,ard the last. 2e confided in me 3ecause = ,as his doctorA and 3ecause he pro3a3ly felt the need of confidin' in someone else after $avis died. 2e ,as a 3achelorA ,holly ,ithout relatives. BirchA 3efore 1881A had 3een the villa'e underta!er of >ec! ?alleyB and ,as a very calloused and primitive specimen even as such specimens 'o. The practices = heard attri3uted to him ,ould 3e un3elieva3le todayA at least in a cityB and even >ec! ?alley ,ould have shuddered a 3it had it !no,n the easy ethics of its mortuary artist in such de3ata3le matters as the o,nership of costly Llayin'1outL apparel invisi3le 3eneath the cas!et<s lidA and the de'ree of di'nity to 3e maintained in posin' and adaptin' the unseen mem3ers of lifeless tenants to containers not al,ays calculated ,ith su3limest accuracy. 8ost distinctly Birch ,as la%A insensitiveA and professionally undesira3leB yet = still thin! he ,as not an evil man. 2e ,as merely crass of fi3re and function1 thou'htlessA carelessA and liDuorishA as his easily avoida3le accident provesA and ,ithout that modicum of ima'ination ,hich holds the avera'e citizen ,ithin certain limits fi%ed 3y taste. 6ust ,here to 3e'in Birch<s story = can hardly decideA since = am no practiced teller of tales. = suppose one should start in the cold $ecem3er of 188*A ,hen the 'round froze and the cemetery delvers found they could di' no more 'raves till sprin'. 4ortunately the villa'e ,as small and the death rate lo,A so that it ,as possi3le to 'ive all of Birch<s inanimate char'es a temporary haven in the sin'le antiDuated receivin' tom3. The underta!er 're, dou3ly lethar'ic in the 3itter ,eatherA and seemed to outdo even himself in carelessness. ;ever did he !noc! to'ether flimsier and un'ainlier cas!etsA or disre'ard mote fla'rantly the needs of the rusty loc! on the tom3 door ,hich he slammed open and shut ,ith such nonchalant a3andon. At last the sprin' tha, cameA and 'raves ,ere la3oriously prepared for the nine silent harvests of the 'rim reaper ,hich ,aited in the tom3. BirchA thou'h dreadin' the 3other of removal and intermentA 3e'an his tas! of transference one disa'reea3le April mornin'A 3ut ceased 3efore noon 3ecause of a heavy rain that seemed to irritate his horseA after havin' laid 3ut one mortal tenement to its permanent rest. That ,as $arius >ec!A the nona'enarianA ,hose 'rave ,as not far from the tom3. Birch decided that he ,ould 3e'in

H.P.Lovecr !t

=n The ?ault

*&

the ne%t day ,ith little old 8atthe, 4ennerA ,hose 'rave ,as also near 3yB 3ut actually postponed the matter for three daysA not 'ettin' to ,or! till 7ood 4ridayA the 1 th. Bein' ,ithout superstitionA he did not heed the day at allB thou'h ever after,ard he refused to do anythin' of importance on that fateful si%th day of the ,ee!. CertainlyA the events of that evenin' 'reatly chan'ed 7eor'e Birch. +n the afternoon of 4ridayA April 1 thA thenA Birch set out for the tom3 ,ith horse and ,a'on to transfer the 3ody of 8atthe, 4enner. That he ,as not perfectly so3erA he su3seDuently admittedB thou'h he had not then ta!en to the ,holesale drin!in' 3y ,hich he later tried to for'et certain thin's. 2e ,as Cust dizzy and careless enou'h to annoy his sensitive horseA ,hich as he dre, it viciously up at the tom3 nei'hed and pa,ed and tossed its headA much as on that former occasion ,hen the rain had ve%ed it. The day ,as clearA 3ut a hi'h ,ind had sprun' upB and Birch ,as 'lad to 'et to shelter as he unloc!ed the iron door and entered the side1hill vault. Another rni'ht not have relished the dampA odorous cham3er ,ith the ei'ht carelessly placed coffinsB 3ut Birch in those days ,as insensitiveA and ,as concerned only in 'ettin' the ri'ht coffin for the ri'ht 'rave. 2e had not for'otten the criticism aroused ,hen 2annah Bi%3y<s relativesA ,ishin' to transport her 3ody to the cemetery in the city ,hither they had movedA found the cas!et of 6ud'e Cap,ell 3eneath her headstone. The li'ht ,as dimA 3ut Birch<s si'ht ,as 'oodA and he did not 'et Asaph Sa,yer<s coffin 3y mista!eA althou'h it ,as very similar. 2e hadA indeedA made that coffin for 8atthe, 4ennerB 3ut had cast it aside at last as too a,!,ard and flimsyA in a fit of curious sentimentality aroused 3y recallin' ho, !indly and 'enerous the little old man had 3een to him durin' his 3an!ruptcy five years 3efore. 2e 'ave old 8att the very 3est his s!ill could produceA 3ut ,as thrifty enou'h to save the reCected specimenA and to use it ,hen Asaph Sa,yer died of a mali'nant fever. Sa,yer ,as not a lova3le manA and many stories ,ere told of his almost inhuman vindictiveness and tenacious memory for ,ron's real or fancied. To him Birch had felt no compunction in assi'nin' the carelessly made coffin ,hich he no, pushed out of the ,ay in his Duest for the 4enner cas!et. =t ,as lust as he had reco'nised old 8att<s coffin that the door slammed to in the ,indA leavin' him in a dus! even deeper than3efore. The narro, transom admitted only the fee3lest of raysA and the overhead ventilation funnel virtually none at allB so that he ,as reduced to a profane fum3lin' as he made his haltin' ,ay amon' the lon' 3o%es to,ard the latch. =n this funereal t,ili'ht he rattled the rusty handlesA pushed at the iron panelsA and ,ondered ,hy the massive portal had 'ro,n so suddenly recalcitrant. =n this t,ili'ht tooA he 3e'an to realise the truth and to shout loudly as if his horse outside could do more than nei'h an unsympathetic reply. 4or the lon'1ne'lected latch ,as o3viously 3ro!enA leavin' the careless underta!er trapped in the vaultA a victim of his o,n oversi'ht. The thin' must have happened at a3out three1thirty in the afternoon. BirchA 3ein' 3y temperament phle'matic and practicalA did not shout lon'B 3ut proceeded to 'rope a3out for some tools ,hich he recalled seein' in a corner of the tom3. =t is dou3tful ,hether he ,as touched at all 3y the horror and e%Duisite ,eirdness of his positionA 3ut the 3ald fact of imprisonment so far from the daily paths of men ,as enou'h to e%asperate him thorou'hly. 2is day<s ,or! ,as sadly interruptedA and unless chance presently 3rou'ht some ram3ler hitherA he mi'ht have to remain all ni'ht or lon'er. The pile of tools soon reachedA and a hammer and chisel selectedA Birch returned over the coffins to the door. The air had 3e'un to 3e e%ceedin'ly un,holesomeB 3ut to this detail he paid no attention as he toiledA half 3y

H.P.Lovecr !t

=n The ?ault

*#

feelin'A at the heavy and corroded metal of the latch. 2e ,ould have 'iven much for a lantern or 3it of candleB 3ut lac!in' theseA 3un'led semi1si'htlessly as 3est he mi'ht. When he perceived that the latch ,as hopelessly unyieldin'A at least to such mea're tools and under such tene3rous conditions as theseA Birch 'lanced a3out for other possi3le points of escape. The vault had 3een du' from a hillsideA so that the narro, ventilation funnel in the top ran throu'h several feet of earthA ma!in' this direction utterly useless to consider. +ver the doorA ho,everA the hi'hA slit1li!e transom in the 3tic! facade 'ave promise of possi3le enlar'ement to a dili'ent ,or!erB hence upon this his eyes lon' rested as he rac!ed his 3rains for means to reach it. There ,as nothin' li!e a ladder in the tom3A and the coffin niches on the sides and rear1 ,hich Birch seldom too! the trou3le to use1 afforded no ascent to the space a3ove the door. +nly the coffins themselves remained as potential steppin'1stonesA and as he considered these he speculated on the 3est mode of transportin' them. Three coffin1hei'htsA he rec!onedA ,ould permit him to reach the transomB 3ut he could do 3etter ,ith four. The 3o%es ,ere fairly evenA and could 3e piled up li!e 3loc!sB so he 3e'an to compute ho, he mi'ht most sta3ly use the ei'ht to rear a scala3le platform four deep. As he plannedA he could not 3ut ,ish that the units of his contemplated staircase had 3een more securely made. Whether he had ima'ination enou'h to ,ish they ,ere emptyA is stron'ly to 3e dou3ted. 4inally he decided to lay a 3ase of three parallel ,ith the ,allA to place upon this t,o layers of t,o eachA and upon these a sin'le 3o% to serve as the platform. This arran'ement could 3e ascended ,ith a minimum of a,!,ardnessA and ,ould furnish the desired hei'ht. Better stillA thou'hA he ,ould utilise only t,o 3o%es of the 3ase to support the superstructureA leavin' one free to 3e piled on top in case the actual feat of escape reDuired an even 'reater altitude. And so the prisoner toiled in the t,ili'htA heavin' the unresponsive remnants of mortality ,ith little ceremony as his miniature To,er of Ba3el rose course 3y course. Several of the coffins 3e'an to split under the stress of handlin'A and he planned to save the stoutly 3uilt cas!et of little 8atthe, 4enner for the topA in order that his feet mi'ht have as certain a surface as possi3le. =n the semi1'loom he trusted mostly to touch to select the ri'ht oneA and indeed came upon it almost 3y accidentA since it tum3led into his hands as if throu'h some odd volition after he had un,ittin'ly placed it 3eside another on the third layer. The to,er at len'th finishedA and his achin' arms rested 3y a pause durin' ,hich he sat on the 3ottom step of his 'rim deviceA Birch cautiously ascended ,ith his tools and stood a3reast of the narro, transom. The 3orders of the space ,ere entirely of 3ric!A and there seemed little dou3t 3ut that he could shortly chisel a,ay enou'h to allo, his 3ody to pass. As his hammer 3lo,s 3e'an to fallA the horse outside ,hinnied in a tone ,hich may have 3een encoura'in' and may have 3een moc!in'. =n either case it ,ould have 3een appropriateB for the une%pected tenacity of the easy1loo!in' 3ric!,or! ,as surely a sardonic commentary on the vanity of mortal hopesA and the source of a tas! ,hose performance deserved every possi3le stimulus. $us! fell and found Birch still toilin'. 2e ,or!ed lar'ely 3y feelin' no,A since ne,ly 'athered clouds hid the moonB and thou'h pro'ress ,as still slo,A he felt heartened at the e%tent of his encroachments on the top and 3ottom of the aperture. 2e couldA he ,as sureA 'et out 3y midni'ht1 thou'h it is characteristic of him that this thou'ht ,as untin'ed ,ith eerie implications. (ndistur3ed 3y oppressive reflections on the timeA the placeA and the company 3eneath his feetA he philosophically chipped a,ay the stony 3ric!,or!B cursin'

H.P.Lovecr !t

=n The ?ault

,hen a fra'ment hit him in the faceA and lau'hin' ,hen one struc! the increasin'ly e%cited horse that pa,ed near the cypress tree. =n time the hole 're, so lar'e that he ventured to try his 3ody in it no, and thenA shiftin' a3out so that the coffins 3eneath him roc!ed and crea!ed. 2e ,ould notA he foundA have to pile another on his platform to ma!e the proper hei'htB for the hole ,as on e%actly the ri'ht level to use as soon as its size mi'ht permit. =t must have 3een midni'ht at least ,hen Birch decided he could 'et throu'h the transom. Tired and perspirin' despite many restsA he descended to the floor and sat a ,hile on the 3ottom 3o% to 'ather stren'th for the final ,ri''le and leap to the 'round outside. The hun'ry horse ,as nei'hin' repeatedly and almost uncannilyA and he va'uely ,ished it ,ould stop. 2e ,as curiously undated over his impendin' escapeA and almost dreaded the e%ertionA for his form had the indolent stoutness of early middle a'e. As he remounted the splittin' coffins he felt his ,ei'ht very poi'nantlyB especially ,henA upon reachin' the topmost oneA he heard that a''ravated crac!le ,hich 3espea!s the ,holesale rendin' of ,ood. 2e hadA it seemsA planned in vain ,hen choosin' the stoutest coffin for the platformB for no sooner ,as his full 3ul! a'ain upon it than the rottin' lid 'ave ,ayA Councin' him t,o feet do,n on a surface ,hich even he did not care to ima'ine. 8addened 3y the soundA or 3y the stench ,hich 3illo,ed forth even to the open airA the ,aitin' horse 'ave a scream that ,as too frantic for a nei'hA and plun'ed madly off throu'h the ni'htA the ,a'on rattlin' crazily 3ehind it. BirchA in his 'hastly situationA ,as no, too lo, for an easy scram3le out of the enlar'ed transomB 3ut 'athered his ener'ies for a determined try. Clutchin' the ed'es of the apertureA he sou'ht to pull himself upA ,hen he noticed a Dueer retardation in the form of an apparent dra' on 3oth his an!les. =n another moment he !ne, fear for the first time that ni'htB for stru''le as he ,ouldA he could not sha!e clear of the un!no,n 'rasp ,hich held his feet in relentless captivity. 2orri3le painsA as of sava'e ,oundsA shot throu'h his calvesB and in his mind ,as a vorte% of fri'ht mi%ed ,ith an unDuencha3le materialism that su''ested splintersA loose nailsA or some other attri3ute of a 3rea!in' ,ooden 3o%. >erhaps he screamed. At any rate he !ic!ed and sDuirmed frantically and automatically ,hilst his consciousness ,as almost eclipsed in a half1s,oon. =nstinct 'uided him in his ,ri''le throu'h the transomA and in the cra,l ,hich follo,ed his Carrin' thud on the damp 'round. 2e could not ,al!A it appearedA and the emer'in' moon must have ,itnessed a horri3le si'ht as he dra''ed his 3leedin' an!les to,ard the cemetery lod'eB his fin'ers cla,in' the 3lac! mould in 3rainless hasteA and his 3ody respondin' ,ith that maddenin' slo,ness from ,hich one suffers ,hen chased 3y the phantoms of ni'htmare. There ,as evidentlyA ho,everA no pursuerB for he ,as alone and alive ,hen Armin'tonA the lod'e1!eeperA ans,ered his fee3le cla,in' at the door. Armin'ton helped Birch to the outside of a spare 3ed and sent his little son Ed,in for $r. $avis. The afflicted man ,as fully consciousA 3ut ,ould say nothin' of any conseDuenceB merely mutterin' such thin's as LohA my an!lesFLA Llet 'oFLA or Lshut in the tom3L. Then the doctor came ,ith his medicine1case and as!ed crisp DuestionsA and removed the patient<s outer clothin'A shoesA and soc!s. The ,ounds1 for 3oth an!les ,ere fri'htfully lacerated a3out the Achilles< tendons1 seemed to puzzle the old physician 'reatlyA and finally almost to fri'hten him. 2is Duestionin' 're, more than medically tenseA and his hands shoo! as he dressed the man'led mem3ersB 3indin' them as if he ,ished to 'et the ,ounds out of si'ht as Duic!ly as possi3le.

H.P.Lovecr !t

=n The ?ault

*-

4or an impersonal doctorA $avis< ominous and a,estruc! cross1e%amination 3ecame very stran'e indeed as he sou'ht to drain from the ,ea!ened underta!er every least detail of his horri3le e%perience. 2e ,as oddly an%ious to !no, if Birch ,ere sure1 a3solutely sure1 of the identity of that top coffin of the pileB ho, he had chosen itA ho, he had 3een certain of it as the 4enner coffin in the dus!A and ho, he had distin'uished it from the inferior duplicate coffin of vicious Asaph Sa,yer. Would the firm 4enner cas!et have caved in so readilyG $avisA an old1time villa'e practitionerA had of course seen 3oth at the respective funeralsA as indeed he had attended 3oth 4enner and Sa,yer in their last illnesses. 2e had even ,onderedA at Sa,yer<s funeralA ho, the vindictive farmer had mana'ed to lie strai'ht in a 3o% so closely a!in to that of the diminutive 4enner.
After a full t,o hours $r. $avis leftA ur'in' Birch to insist at all times that his ,ounds ,ere caused entirely 3y loose nails and splinterin' ,ood. What elseA he addedA could ever in any case 3e proved or 3elievedG But it ,ould 3e ,ell to say as little as could 3e saidA and to let no other doctor treat the ,ounds. Birch heeded this advice all the rest of his life till he told me his storyB and ,hen = sa, the scars1 ancient and ,hitened as they then ,ere1 = a'reed that he ,as ,ise in so doin'. 2e al,ays remained lameA for the 'reat tendons had 3een severedB 3ut = thin! the 'reatest lameness ,as in his soul. 2is thin!in' processesA once so phle'matic and lo'icalA had 3ecome ineffacea3ly scarredB and it ,as pitiful to note his response to certain chance allusions such as L4ridayLA Ltom3LA LcoffinLA and ,ords of less o3vious concatenation. 2is fri'htened horse had 'one homeA 3ut his fri'htened ,its never Duite did that. 2e chan'ed his 3usinessA 3ut somethin' al,ays preyed upon him. =t may have 3een Cust fearA and it may have 3een fear mi%ed ,ith a Dueer 3elated sort of remorse for 3y'one crudities. 2is drin!in'A of courseA only a''ravated ,hat it ,as meant to alleviate. When $r. $avis left Birch that ni'ht he had ta!en a lantern and 'one to the old receivin' tom3. The moon ,as shinin' on the scattered 3ric! fra'ments and marred facadeA and the latch of the 'reat door yielded readily to a touch from the outside. Steeled 3y old ordeals in dissectin' roomsA the doctor entered and loo!ed a3outA stiflin' the nausea of mind and 3ody that everythin' in si'ht and smell induced. 2e cried aloud onceA and a little later 'ave a 'asp that ,as more terri3le than a cry. Then he fled 3ac! to the lod'e and 3ro!e all the rules of his callin' 3y rousin' and sha!in' his patientA and hurlin' at him a succession of shudderin' ,hispers that seared into the 3e,ildered ears li!e the hissin' of vitriol. L=t ,as Asaph<s coffinA BirchA Cust as = thou'htF = !ne, his teethA ,ith the front ones missin' on the upper Ca,1 neverA for 7od<s sa!e. she, those ,oundsF The 3ody ,as pretty 3adly 'oneA 3ut if ever sa, vindictiveness on any face1 or former face... .ou !no, ,hat a fiend he ,as for reven'e1 ho, he ruined old :aymond thirty years after their 3oundary suitA and ho, he stepped on the puppy that snapped at him a year a'o last Au'ust... 2e ,as the devil incarnateA BirchA and = 3elieve his eye1for1an1eye fury could 3eat old 4ather $eath himself. 7odA ,hat a ra'eF =<d hate to have it aimed at meF LWhy did you do itA BirchG 2e ,as a scoundrelA and = don<t 3lame you for 'ivin' him a cast1 aside coffinA 3ut you al,ays did 'o too damned farF Well enou'h to s!imp on the thin' some ,ayA 3ut you !ne, ,hat a little man old 4enner ,as. L=<ll never 'et the picture out of my head as lon' as = live. .ou !ic!ed hardA for Asaph<s coffin ,as on the floor. 2is head ,as 3ro!en inA and everythin' ,as tum3led a3out. =<ve seen si'hts 3eforeA 3ut there ,as one thin' too much here. An eye for an eyeF 7reat heavensA BirchA 3ut you 'ot ,hat you deserved. The s!ull turned my stomachA 3ut the other ,as ,orse1 those an!les cut neatly off to fit 8att 4enner<s cast1aside coffinFL

The L st Test
,.
4e, persons !no, the inside of the Clarendon storyA or even that there is an inside not reached 3y the ne,spapers. =t ,as a San 4rancisco sensation in the days 3efore the fireA 3oth 3ecause of the panic and menace that !ept it companyA and 3ecause of its close lin!a'e ,ith the 'overnor of the state. 7overnor $altonA it ,ill 3e recalledA ,as Clarendon<s 3est friendA and later married his sister. ;either $alton nor 8rs. $alton ,ould ever discuss the painful affairA 3ut someho, the facts lea!ed out to a limited circle. But for thatA and for the years ,hich have 'ive a sort of va'ueness and impersonality to the actorsA one ,ould still pause 3efore pro3in' into secrets so strictly 'uarded at the time. The appointment of $r. Alfred Clarendon as medical director of San /uentin >enitentiary in 18)1 ,as 'reeted ,ith the !eenest enthusiasm throu'hout California. San 4rancisco had at last the honour of har3ourin' one of the 'reat 3iolo'ists and physicians of the periodA and solid patholo'ical leaders from all over the ,orld mi'ht 3e e%pected to floc! thither to study his methodsA profit 3y his advice and researchesA and learn ho, to cope ,ith their o,n local pro3lems. CaliforniaA almost over ni'htA ,ould 3ecome a centre of medical scholarship ,ith earth,ide influence and reputation. 7overnor $altonA an%ious to spread the ne,s in its fullest si'nificanceA sa, to it that the press carried ample and di'nified accounts of his ne, appointee. >ictures of $r. Clarendon and his ne, home near old 7oat 2illA s!etches of his career and manifold honoursA and popular accounts of his salient scientific discoveries ,ere all presented in the principal California dailiesA till the pu3lic soon felt a sort of reflected pride in the man ,hose studies of pyemia in =ndiaA of the pest in ChinaA and of every sort of !indred disorder else,here ,ould soon enrich the ,orld of medicine ,ith an antito%in of revolutionary importance 1 a 3asic antito%in com3atin' the ,hole fe3rile principle at its very sourceA and ensurin' the ultimate conDuest and e%tirpation of fever in all its diverse forms. Bac! of the appointments stretched an e%tended and no, ,holly unromantic history of early friendshipA lon' separationA and dramatically rene,ed acDuaintance. 6ames $alton and the Clarendon family had 3een friends in ;e, .or! ten years 3efore 1 friends and more than friendsA since the doctor<s only sisterA 7eor'inaA ,as the s,eetheart of $alton<s youthA ,hile the doctor himself had 3een his closest associate and almost his protO'OA in the days of school and colle'e. The father of Alfred and 7eor'inaA a Wall Street pirate of the ruthless elder 3reedA had !no,n $alton<s father ,ellB so ,ellA indeedA that he had finally stripped him of all he possessed in a memora3le afternoon<s fi'ht on the stoc! e%chan'e. $alton SeniorA hopeless of recuperation and ,ishin' to 'ive his one adored child the 3enefit of his insuranceA had promptly 3lo,n out his 3rainsB 3ut 6ames had not sou'ht to retaliate. =t ,asA as he vie,ed itA all in the 'ameB and he ,ished no harm to the father of the 'irl he meant to marry and of the 3uddin' youn' scientist ,hose admirer and protector he had 3een throu'hout their years of fello,ship and study. =nsteadA he turned to the la,A esta3lished himself in a small ,ayA and in due course as!ed <+ld Clarendon< for 7eor'ina<s hand.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 5ast Test

*8

+ld Clarendon had refused very firmly and loudlyA vo,in' that no pauper and upstart la,yer ,as fit to 3e his son1in1la,B and a scene of considera3le violence had occurred. 6amesA tellin' the ,rin!led free3ooter at last ,hat he ou'ht to have 3een told lon' 3eforeA had left the house and the city in a hi'h temperB and ,as em3ar!ed ,ithin a month upon the California life ,hich ,as to lead him to the 'overnorship throu'h many a fi'ht ,ith rin' and politician. 2is fare,ells to Alfred and 7eor'ina had 3een 3riefA and he had never !no,n the aftermath of that scene in the Clarendon li3rary. +nly 3y a day did he miss the ne,s of +ld Clarendon<s death from apople%yA and 3y so missin' itA chan'ed the course of his ,hole career. 2e had not ,ritten 7eor'ina in the decade that follo,edB !no,in' her loyalty to her fatherA and ,aitin' till his o,n fortune and position mi'ht remove all o3stacles to the match. ;or had he sent any ,ord to AlfredA ,hose calm indifference in the face of affection and hero1,orship had al,ays savoured of conscious destiny and the self1 sufficiency of 'enius. Secure in the ties of a constancy rare even thenA he had ,or!ed and risen ,ith thou'hts only of the futureB still a 3achelorA and ,ith a perfect intuitive faith that 7eor'ina ,as also ,aitin'. =n this faith $alton ,as not deceived. Wonderin' perhaps ,hy no messa'e ever cameA 7eor'ina found no romance save in her dreams and e%pectationsB and in the course of time 3ecame 3usy ,ith the ne, responsi3ilities 3rou'ht 3y her 3rother<s rise to 'reatness. Alfred<s 'ro,th had not 3elied the promise of his youthA and the slim 3oy had darted Duietly up the steps of science ,ith a speed and permanence almost dizzyin' to contemplate. 5ean and asceticA ,ith steel1rimmed pince1nez and pointed 3ro,n 3eardA $r. Alfred Clarendon ,as an authority at t,enty1five and an international fi'ure at thirty. Careless of ,orldly affairs ,ith the ne'li'ence of 'eniusA he depended vastly on the care and mana'ement of his sisterA and ,as secretly than!ful that her memories of 6ames had !ept her from other and more tan'i3le alliances. 7eor'ina conducted the 3usiness and household of the 'reat 3acteriolo'istA and ,as proud of his strides to,ard the conDuest of fever. She 3ore patiently ,ith his eccentricismA calmed his occasional 3outs of fanaticismA and healed those 3reaches ,ith his friends ,hich no, and then resulted from his unconcealed scorn of anythin' less than a sin'le1 minded devotion to pure truth and its pro'ress. Clarendon ,as undenia3ly irritatin' at times to ordinary fol!B for he never tired of depreciatin' the service of the individual as contrasted ,ith the service of man!ind as a ,holeA and in censurin' men of learnin' ,ho min'led domestic life or outside interests ,ith their pursuit of a3stract science. 2is enemies called him a 3oreB 3ut his admirersA pausin' 3efore the ,hite heat of ecstasy into ,hich he ,ould ,or! himselfA 3ecame almost ashamed of ever havin' any standards or aspirations outside the one divine sphere of unalloyed !no,led'e. The doctor<s travels ,ere e%tensive and 7eor'ina 'enerally accompanied him on the shorter ones. Three timesA ho,everA he had ta!en lon'A lone Caunts to stran'e and distant places in his studies of e%otic fevers and half1fa3ulous pla'uesB for he !ne, that it is out of the un!no,n lands of cryptic and immemorial Asia that most of the earth<s diseases sprin'. +n each of these occasions he had 3rou'ht 3ac! curious mementoes ,hich added to the eccentricity of his homeA not least amon' ,hich ,as the needlessly lar'e staff of Thi3etan servants pic!ed up some,here in (1tsan' durin' an epidemic of ,hich the ,orld never heardA 3ut amidst ,hich Clarendon had discovered and isolated the 'erm of 3lac! fever. These menA taller than most Thi3etans and clearly 3elon'in' to a stoc! 3ut little investi'ated in the outside ,orldA ,ere of a s!eletonic leanness ,hich made one ,onder ,hether the doctor had sou'ht to sym3olise in them the anatomical models of his colle'e

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years. Their aspectA in the loose 3lac! sil! ro3es of Bonpa priests ,hich he chose to 'ive themA ,as 'rotesDue in the hi'hest de'reeB and there ,as an unsmilin' silence and stiffness in their motions ,hich enhanced their air of fantasy and 'ave 7eor'ina a DueerA a,ed feelin' of havin' stum3led into the pa'es of .at"ek or the Arabian -ig"ts% But Dueerest of all ,as the 'eneral factotum or clinic1manA ,hom Clarendon addressed as SuramaA and ,hom he had 3rou'ht 3ac! ,ith him after a lon' stay in ;orthern AfricaA durin' ,hich he had studied certain odd intermittent fevers amon' the mysterious Saharan Tuare'sA ,hose descent from the primal race of lost Atlantis is an old archaeolo'ical rumour. SuramaA a man of 'reat intelli'ence and seemin'ly ine%hausti3le eruditionA ,as as mor3idly lean as the Thi3etan servantsB ,ith s,arthyA parchment1li!e s!in dra,n so ti'htly over his 3ald pate and hairless face that every line of the s!ull stood out in 'hastly prominence 1 this death<s1head effect 3ein' hei'htened 3y lustrelessly 3urnin' 3lac! eyes set ,ith a depth ,hich left to common visi3ility only a pair of dar!A vacant soc!ets. (nli!e the ideal su3ordinateA he seemed despite his impassive features to spend no effort in concealin' such emotions as he possessed. =nsteadA he carried a3out an insidious atmosphere of irony or amusementA accompanied at certain moments 3y a deepA 'uttural chuc!le li!e that of a 'iant turtle ,hich has Cust torn to pieces some furry animal and is am3lin' a,ay to,ards the sea. 2is race appeared to 3e CaucasianA 3ut could not 3e classified more clearly than that. Some of Clarendon<s friends thou'ht he loo!ed li!e a hi'h1caste 2indoo not,ithstandin' his accentless speechA ,hile many a'reed ,ith 7eor'ina 1 ,ho disli!ed him 1 ,hen she 'ave her opinion that a >haraoh<s mummyA if miraculously 3rou'ht to lifeA ,ould form a very apt t,in for this sardonic s!eleton. $altonA a3sor3ed in his uphill political 3attles and isolated from Eastern interests throu'h the peculiar self1sufficiency of the old WestA had not follo,ed the meteoric rise of his former comradeB Clarendon had actually heard nothin' of one so far outside his chosen ,orld of science as the 'overnor. Bein' of independent and even of a3undant meansA the Clarendons had for many years stuc! to their old 8anhattan mansion in East ;ineteenth StreetA ,hose 'hosts must have loo!ed sorely as!ance at the 3izarrerie of Surama and the Thi3etans. ThenA throu'h the doctor<s ,ish to transfer his 3ase of medical o3servationA the 'reat chan'e had suddenly comeA and they had crossed the continent to ta!e up a secluded life in San 4ranciscoB 3uyin' the 'loomy old Bannister place near 7oat 2illA overloo!in' the 3ayA and esta3lishin' their stran'e household in a ram3lin'A 4rench1roofed relic of mid1 ?ictorian desi'n and 'old1rush parvenu displayA set amidst hi'h1,alled 'rounds in a re'ion still half su3ur3an. $r. ClarendonA thou'h 3etter satisfied than in ;e, .or!A still felt cramped for lac! of opportunities to apply and test his patholo'ical theories. (n,orldly as he ,asA he had never thou'ht of usin' his reputation as an influence to 'ain pu3lic appointmentB thou'h more and more he realised that only the medical directorship of a 'overnment or a charita3le institution 1 a prisonA almshouseA or hospital 1 ,ould 'ive him a field of sufficient ,idth to complete his researches and ma!e his discoveries of the 'reatest use to humanity and science at lar'e. Then he had run into 6ames $alton 3y sheer accident one afternoon in 8ar!et Street as the 'overnor ,as s,in'in' out of the :oyal 2otel. 7eor'ina had 3een ,ith himA and an almost instant reco'nition had hei'htened the drama of the reunion. 8utual i'norance of one another<s pro'ress had 3red lon' e%planation and historiesA and Clarendon ,as pleased to find that he had so important an official for a friend. $alton and 7eor'inaA e%chan'in'

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many a 'lanceA felt more than a trace of their youthful tendernessB and a friendship ,as then and there revived ,hich led to freDuent calls and a fuller and fuller e%chan'e of confidences. 6ames $alton learned of his old protO'O<s need for political appointmentA and sou'htA true to his protective role of school and colle'e daysA to devise some means of 'ivin' <5ittle Alf< the needed position and scope. 2e hadA it is trueA ,ide appointive po,ersB 3ut the le'islature<s constant attac!s and encroachments forced him to e%ercise these ,ith the utmost discretion. At len'thA ho,everA scarcely three months after the sudden reunionA the foremost institutional medical office in the state fell vacant. Wei'hin' all the elements ,ith careA and conscious that his friend<s achievements and reputation ,ould Custify the most su3stantial re,ardsA the 'overnor felt at last a3le to act. 4ormalities ,ere fe,A and on the ei'hth of ;ovem3erA 18)1A $r. Alfred Clarendon 3ecame medical director of the California State >enitentiary at San /uentin.

,,.
=n scarcely more than a month the hopes of $r. Clarendon<s admirers ,ere amply fulfilled. S,eepin' chan'es in methods 3rou'ht to the prison<s medical routine an efficiency never 3efore dreamed ofB and thou'h the su3ordinates ,ere naturally not ,ithout CealousyA they ,ere o3li'ed to admit the ma'ical results of a really 'reat man<s superintendence. Then came a time ,here mere appreciation mi'ht ,ell have 'ro,n to devour than!fulness at a providential conCunction of timeA placeA and manB for one mornin' $r 6ones came to his ne, chief ,ith a 'rave face to announce his discovery of a case ,hich he could not 3ut identify as that selfsame 3lac! fever ,hose 'erm Clarendon had found and classified. $r. Clarendon she,ed no surpriseA 3ut !ept on at the ,ritin' 3efore him. L= !no,AL he said evenlyB L= came across that case yesterday. =<m 'lad you reco'nised it. >ut the man in a separate ,ardA thou'h = don<t 3elieve this fever is conta'ious.L $r. 6onesA ,ith his o,n opinion of the malady<s conta'iousnessA ,as 'lad of this deference to cautionB and hastened to e%ecute the order. (pon his returnA Clarendon rose to leaveA declarin' that he ,ould himself ta!e char'e of the case alone. $isappointed in his ,ish to study the 'reat man<s methods and techniDueA the Cunior physician ,atched his chief stride a,ay to,ard the lone ,ard ,here he had placed the patientA more critical of the ne, re'ime than at any time since admiration had displaced his first Cealous pan's. :eachin' the ,ardA Clarendon entered hastilyA 'lancin' at the 3ed and steppin' 3ac! to see ho, far $r. 6ones<s o3vious curiosity mi'ht have led him. ThenA findin' the corridor still vacantA he shut the door and turned to e%amine the sufferer. The man ,as a convict of a peculiarly repulsive typeA and seemed to 3e rac!ed 3y the !eenest throes of a'ony. 2is features ,ere fri'htfully contractedA and his !nees dra,n sharply up in the mute desperation of the stric!en. Clarendon studied him closelyA raisin' his ti'htly shut eyelidsA too! his pulse and temperatureA and finally dissolvin' a ta3let in ,aterA forced the solution 3et,een the sufferer<s lips. Before lon' the hei'ht of the attac! a3atedA as she,n 3y the rela%in' 3ody and returnin' normality of e%pressionA and the patient 3e'an to 3reathe more easily. ThenA 3y a soft ru33in' of the earsA the doctor caused the man to open his eyes.

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There ,as life in themA for they moved from side to sideA thou'h they lac!ed the fine fire ,hich ,e are ,ont to deem the ima'e of the soul. Clarendon smiled as he surveyed the peace his help had 3rou'htA feelin' 3ehind him the po,er of an all1capa3le science. 2e had lon' !no,n of this caseA and had snatched the victim from death ,ith the ,or! of a moment. Another hour and this man ,ould have 'one 1 yet 6ones had seen the symptoms for days 3efore discoverin' themA and havin' discovered themA did not !no, ,hat to do. 8an<s conDuest of diseaseA ho,everA cannot 3e perfect. ClarendonA assurin' the du3ious trusty1nurses that the fever ,as not conta'iousA had had the patient 3athedA spon'ed in alcoholA and put to 3edB 3ut ,as told the ne%t mornin' that the case ,as lost. The man had died after midni'ht in the most intense a'onyA and ,ith such cries and distortions of face that the nurses ,ere driven almost to panic. The doctor too! this ne,s ,ith his usual calmA ,hatever his scientific feelin's may have 3eenA and ordered the 3urial of the patient in Duic!lime. ThenA ,ith a philosophic shru' of the shouldersA he made the final rounds of the penitentiary. T,o days later the prison ,as hit a'ain. Three men came do,n at once this timeA and there ,as no concealin' the fact that a 3lac! fever epidemic ,as under ,ay. ClarendonA havin' adhered so firmly to this theory of non1conta'iousnessA suffered a distinct loss of presti'eA and ,as handicapped 3y the refusal of the trusty1nurses to attend the patients. Theirs ,as not the soul1free devotion of those ,ho sacrifice themselves to science and humanity. They ,ere convictsA servin' only 3ecause of the privile'es they could not other,ise 3uyA and ,hen the price 3ecame too 'reat they preferred to resi'n the privile'es. But the doctor ,as still master of the situation. Consultin' ,ith the ,arden and sendin' ur'ent messa'es to his friend the 'overnorA he sa, to it that special re,ards in cash and in reduced terms ,ere offered to the convicts for the dan'erous nursin' serviceB and 3y this succeeded in 'ettin' a very fair Duota of volunteers. 2e ,as steeled for action no,A and nothin' could sha!e his poise and determination. Additional cases 3rou'ht only a curt nodA and he seemed a stran'er to fati'ue as he hastened from 3edside to 3edside all over the vast stone home of sadness and evil. 8ore than forty cases developed ,ithin another ,ee!A and nurses had to 3e 3rou'ht from the city. Clarendon ,ent home very seldom at this sta'eA often sleepin' on a cot in the ,arden<s DuartersA and al,ays 'ivin' himself up ,ith typical a3andon to the service of medicine and man!ind. Then came the first mutterin's of that storm ,hich ,as soon to convulse San 4rancisco. ;e,s ,ill outA and the menace of 3lac! fever spread over the to,n li!e a fo' from the 3ay. :eporters trained in the doctrine of <sensation first< used their ima'ination ,ithout restraintA and 'loried ,hen at last they ,ere a3le to produce a case in the 8e%ican Duarter ,hich a local physician 1 fonder perhaps of money than of truth or civic ,elfare 1 pronounced 3lac! fever. That ,as the last stra,. 4rantic at the thou'ht of the cra,lin' death so close upon themA the people of San 4rancisco ,ent mad en masseA and em3ar!ed upon that historic e%odus of ,hich all the country ,as soon to hear over 3usy ,ires. 4erries and ro,3oatsA e%cursion steamers and launchesA rail,ays and ca3le1carsA 3icycles and carria'esA movin'1vans and ,or! cartsA all ,ere pressed into instant and frenzied service. Sausalito and TamalpaisA as lyin' in the direction of San /uentinA shared in the fli'htB ,hile housin' space in +a!leyA Ber!eleyA and Alameda rose to fa3ulous prices. Tent colonies spran' upA and improvised villa'es lined the cro,ded south,ard hi'h,ays from 8ill3rae to San 6ose. 8any sou'ht

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refu'e ,ith friends in SacramentoA ,hile the fri'ht1sha!en residue forced 3y various causes to stay 3ehind could do little more than maintain the 3asic necessities of a nearly dead city. BusinessA save for Duac! doctors ,ith <sure cures< and <preventives< for use a'ainst the feverA fell rapidly to the vanishin'1point. At first the saloons offered <medicated drin!s<A 3ut soon found that the populace preferred to 3e duped 3y charlatans of more professional aspect. =n stran'ely noiseless streets persons peered into one another<s faces to 'limpse possi3le pla'ue symptomsA and shop!eepers 3e'an more and more to refuse admission to their clienteleA each customer seemin' to them a fresh fever menace. 5e'al and Cudicial machinery 3e'an to disinte'rate as attorneys and county cler!s succum3ed one 3y one to the ur'e for fli'ht. Even the doctors deserted in lar'e num3ersA many of them pleadin' the need of vacations amon' the mountains and the la!es in the northern part of the state. Schools and colle'esA theatres and cafeteriasA restaurants and saloonsA all 'radually closed their doorsB and in a sin'le ,ee! San 4rancisco lay prostate and inert ,ith only its li'htA po,erA and ,ater service even half normalA ,ith ne,spapers in s!eletonic formA and ,ith a crippled parody on transportation maintained 3y the horse and ca3le cars. This ,as the lo,est e33. =t could not last lon'A for coura'e and o3servation are not alto'ether dead in man!indB and sooner or later the non1e%istence of any ,idespread 3lac! fever epidemic outside San /uentin 3ecame too o3vious a fact to denyA not,ithstandin' several actual cases and the undenia3le spread of typhoid in the unsanitary su3ur3an tent colonies. The leaders and editors of the commentary conferred and too! actionA enlistin' in their service the very reporters ,hose ener'ies had done so much to 3rin' on the trou3leA 3ut no, turnin' their <sensation first< avidity into more constructive channels. Editorials and fictitious intervie,s appearedA tellin' of $r. Clarendon<s complete control of the diseaseA and of the a3solute impossi3ility of its diffusion 3eyond the prison ,alls. :eiteration and circulation slo,ly did their ,or!A and 'radually a slim 3ac!,ard tric!le of ur3anites s,elled into a vi'orous refluent stream. +ne of the first healthy symptoms ,as the start of a ne,spaper controversy of the approved acrimonious !indA attemptin' to fi% 3lame for the panic ,herever the various participants thou'ht it 3elon'ed. The returnin' doctorsA Cealously stren'thened 3y their timely vacationsA 3e'an stri!in' at ClarendonA assurin' the pu3lic that they as ,ell as he ,ould !eep the fever in leashA and censurin' him for not doin' even more to chec! its spread ,ithin San /uentin. Clarendon hadA they averredA permitted far more deaths that ,ere necessary. The veriest tyro in medicine !ne, ho, to chec! fever conta'ionB and if this reno,ned savant did not do itA it ,as clearly 3ecause he chose for scientific reasons to study the final effects of the diseaseA rather than to prescri3e properly and save the victims. This policyA they insinuatedA mi'ht 3e proper enou'h amon' convicted murderers in a penal institutionA 3ut it ,ould not do in San 4ranciscoA ,here life ,as still a precious and sacred thin'. Thus they ,ent onA the papers ,ere 'lad to pu3lish all they ,roteA since the sharpness of the campai'nA in ,hich $r. Clarendon ,ould dou3tless CoinA ,ould help to o3literate confusion and restore confidence amon' the people. But Clarendon did not reply. 2e only smiledA ,hile his sin'ular clinic1man Surama indul'ed in many a deepA testudinous chuc!le. 2e ,as at home more no,adaysA so that reporters 3e'an 3esie'in' the 'ate of the 'reat ,all the doctor had 3uilt around his houseA instead of pesterin' the ,arden<s office at San /uentin. :esultsA thou'hA ,ere eDually mea'reB for Surama formed an impassa3le 3arrier 3et,een the doctor and the outer ,orld 1

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even after the reporters had 'ot into the 'rounds. The ne,spaper men 'ettin' access to the front hall had 'limpses of Clarendon<s sin'ular entoura'e and made the 3est they could in a <,rite1up< of Surama and the Dueer s!eletonic Thi3etans. E%a''erationA of courseA occurred in every fresh articleA and the net effect of the pu3licity ,as distinctly adverse to the 'reat physician. 8ost persons hate the unusualA and hundreds ,ho could have e%cused heartlessness or incompetence stood ready to condemn the 'rotesDue taste manifested in the chuc!lin' attendant and the ei'ht 3lac!1ro3ed +rientals. Early in 6anuary an especially persistent youn' man from the 'bser!er clim3ed the moated ei'ht1foot 3ric! ,all in the rear of the Clarendon 'rounds and 3e'an a survey of the varied outdoor appearances ,hich tree concealed from the front ,al!. With Duic!A alert 3rain he too! in everythin' 1 the rose1ar3ourA the aviariesA the animal ca'es ,here all sorts of mammalia from mon!eys to 'uinea1pi's mi'ht 3e seen and heardA the stout ,ooden clinic 3uildin' ,ith 3arred ,indo,s in the north,est corner of the yard 1 and 3ent searchin' 'lances throu'hout the thousand sDuare feet of intramural privacy. A 'reat article ,as 3re,in'A and he ,ould have escaped unscathed 3ut for the 3ar!in' of $ic!A 7eor'ina Clarendon<s 'i'antic and 3eloved St. Bernard. SuramaA instant in his responseA had the youth 3y the collar 3efore a protest could 3e utteredA and ,as presently sha!in' him as a terrier sha!es a ratA and dra''in' him throu'h the trees to the front yard and the 'ate. Breathless e%planations and Duaverin' demands to see $r. Clarendon ,ere useless. Surama only chuc!led and dra''ed his victim on. Suddenly a positive fri'ht crept over the dapper scri3eA and he 3e'an to ,ish desperately that this unearthly creature ,ould spea!A if only to prove that he really ,as a 3ein' of honest flesh and 3lood 3elon'in' to this planet. 2e 3ecame deathly sic!A and strove not to 'limpse the eyes ,hich he !ne, must lie at the 3ase of those 'apin' 3lac! soc!ets. Soon he heard the 'ate open and felt himself propelled violently throu'hB in another moment ,a!in' rudely to the thin's of earth as he landed ,etly and muddily in the ditch ,hich Clarendon had had du' around the entire len'th of the ,all. 4ri'ht 'ave a place to ra'e as he heard the massive 'ate slam shutA and he rose drippin' to sha!e his fist at the for3iddin' portal. ThenA as he turned to 'oA a soft sound 'rated 3ehind himA and throu'h a small ,ic!et in the 'ate he felt the sun!en eyes of Surama and heard the echoes of a deep1voicedA 3lood1freezin' chuc!le. This youn' manA feelin' perhaps Custly that his handlin' had 3een rou'her than he deservedA resolved to reven'e himself upon the household responsi3le for his treatment. Accordin'ly he prepared a fictitious intervie, ,ith $r. ClarendonA supposed to 3e held in the clinic 3uildin'A durin' ,hich he ,as careful to descri3e the a'onies of a dozen 3lac! fever patients ,hom his ima'ination arran'ed on orderly ro,s of couches. 2is master1 stro!e ,as the picture of one especially pathetic sufferer 'aspin' for ,aterA ,hile the doctor held a 'lass of the spar!lin' fluid Cust out of his reachA in a scientific attempt to determine the effect of a tantalisin' emotion on the course of the disease. This invention ,as follo,ed 3y para'raphs of insinuatin' comment so out,ardly respectful that it 3ore a dou3le venom. $r. Clarendon ,asA the article ranA undou3tedly the 'reatest and most sin'le1minded scientist in the ,orldB 3ut science is no friend to individual ,elfareA and one ,ould not li!e to have one<s 'ravest ills dra,n out and a''ravated merely to satisfy an investi'ator on some point of a3stract truth. 5ife is too short for that. Alto'etherA the article ,as dia3olically s!ilfulA and succeeded in horrifyin' nine readers out of ten a'ainst $r. Clarendon and his supposed methods. +ther papers ,ere Duic! to copy and enlar'e upon its su3stanceA ta!in' the cue it offeredA and commencin' a series of

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<fa!ed< intervie,s ,hich fairly ran the 'amut of dero'atory fantasy. =n no caseA ho,everA did the doctor condescend to offer a contradiction. 2e had no time to ,aste on fools and liarsA and cared little for the esteem of a thou'htless ra33le he despised. When 6ames $alton tele'raphed his re'rets and offered aidA Clarendon replied ,ith an almost 3oorish curtness. 2e did not heed the 3ar!in' of do'sA and could not 3other to muzzle them. ;or ,ould he than! anyone for messin' ,ith a matter ,holly 3eneath notice. Silent and contemptuousA he continued his duties ,ith tranDuil evenness. But the youn' reporter<s spar! had done its ,or!. San 4rancisco ,as insane a'ainA and this time as much ,ith ra'e as ,ith fear. So3er Cud'ment 3ecame a lost artB and thou'h no second e%odus occurredA there ensued a rei'n of vice and rec!lessness 3orn of desperationA and su''estin' parallel phenomena in mediaeval times of pestilence. 2atred ran riot a'ainst the man ,ho had found the disease and ,as stru''lin' to restrain itA and a li'ht1 headed pu3lic for'ot his 'reat services to !no,led'e in their efforts to fan the flames of resentment. They seemedA in their 3lindnessA to hate him in personA rather than the pla'ue ,hich had come to their 3reeze1cleaned and usually healthy city. Then the youn' reporterA playin' in the ;eronic fire he had !indledA added a cro,nin' personal touch of his o,n. :emem3erin' the indi'nities he had suffered at the hands of the cadaverous clinic1manA he prepared a masterly article on the home and environment of $r. ClarendonA 'ivin' especial prominence to SuramaA ,hose very aspect he declared sufficient to scare the healthiest person into any sort of fever. 2e tried to ma!e the 'aunt chuc!ler appear eDually ridiculous and terri3leA succeedin' 3estA perhapsA in the latter half of his intentionA since a tide of horror al,ays ,elled up ,henever he thou'ht of his 3rief pro%imity to the creature. 2e collected all the rumours current a3out the manA ela3orated on the unholy depth of his reputed scholarshipA and hinted dar!ly that it could have 3een no 'odly realm of secret and aeon1,ei'hed Africa ,herein $r. Clarendon had found him. 7eor'inaA ,ho follo,ed the papers closelyA felt crushed and hurt 3y these attac!s upon her 3rotherA 3ut 6ames $altonA ,ho called often at the houseA did his 3est to comfort her. =n this he ,as ,arm and sincereB for he ,ished not only to console the ,oman he lovedA 3ut to utter some measure of the reverence he had al,ays felt for the star,ard13ound 'enius ,ho had 3een his youth<s closest comrade. 2e told 7eor'ina ho, 'reatness can never 3e e%empted from the shafts of envyA and cited the lon'A sad list of splendid 3rains crushed 3eneath vul'ar heels. The attac!sA he pointed outA formed the truest of all proofs of Alfred<s solid eminence. LBut they hurt Cust the sameAL she repliedA Land all the more 3ecause = !no, that Al really suffers from themA no matter ho, indifferent he tries to 3e.L $alton !issed her hand in a manner not then o3solete amon' ,ell13orn persona. LAnd it hurts me a thousand times moreA !no,in' that it hurts you and Alf. But never mindA 7eor'ieA ,e<ll stand to'ether and pull throu'h itFL Thus it came a3out that 7eor'ina came more and more to rely on the stren'th of the steel1firmA sDuare1Ca,ed 'overnor ,ho had 3een her youthful s,ainA and more and more to confide in him the thin's she feared. The press attac!s and the epidemic ,ere not Duite all. There ,ere aspects of the household ,hich she did not li!e. SuramaA cruel in eDual measure to man and 3eastA filled her ,ith the most unnama3le repulsionB and she could not

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help 3ut feel he meant some va'ueA indefina3le harm to Alfred. She did not li!e the Thi3etansA eitherA and thou'ht it very peculiar that Surama ,as a3le to tal! ,ith them. Alfred ,ould not tell her ,ho or ,hat Surama ,asA 3ut had once e%plained rather haltin'ly that he ,as a much older man that he ,as a much older man than ,ould 3e commonly thou'ht credi3leA and that he had mastered secrets and 3een throu'h e%periences calculated to ma!e him a collea'ue of phenomenal value for any scientist see!in' ;ature<s hidden mysteries. (r'ed 3y her uneasinessA $alton 3ecame a still more freDuent visitor at the Clarendon homeA thou'h he sa, that his presence ,as deeply resented 3y Surama. The 3ony clinic1 man formed the ha3it of 'larin' peculiarly from those spectral soc!ets ,hen admittin' himA and ,ould oftenA after closin' the 'ate ,hen he leftA chuc!le monotonously in a manner that made his flesh creep. 8ean,hile $r. Clarendon seemed o3livious of everythin' save his ,or! at San /uentinA ,hither he ,ent each day in his launch 1 alone save for SuramaA ,ho mana'ed the ,heel ,hile the doctor read or collated his notes. $alton ,elcomed these re'ular a3sencesA for they 'ave him constant opportunities to rene, his suit for 7eor'ina<s hand. When he ,ould overstay and meet AlfredA ho,everA the latter<s 'reetin' ,as al,ays friendly despite his ha3itual reserve. =n time the en'a'ement of 6ames and 7eor'ina 're, to 3e a definite thin'A and the t,o a,aited only a favoura3le time to spea! to Alfred. The 'overnorA ,hole1souled in everythin' and firm in his protective loyaltyA spared no pains in spreadin' propa'anda on his old friend<s 3ehalf. >ress and officialdom 3oth felt his influenceA and he even succeeded in interestin' scientists in the EastA many of ,hom came to California to study the pla'ue and investi'ate the anti1fever 3acillus ,hich Clarendon ,as so rapidly isolatin' and perfectin'. These doctors and 3iolo'istsA ho,everA did not o3tain the information they ,ishedB so that several of them left ,ith a very unfortunate impression. ;ot a fe, prepared articles hostile to ClarendonA accusin' him of an unscientific and fame1see!in' attitudeA and intimatin' that he concealed his methods throu'h a hi'hly unprofessional desire for ultimate personal profit. +thersA fortunatelyA ,ere more li3eral in their Cud'mentsA and ,rote enthusiastically of Clarendon and his ,or!. They had seen the patientsA and could appreciate ho, marvellously he held the dread disease in leash. 2is secrecy re'ardin' the antito%in they deemed Duite Custifia3leA since its pu3lic diffusion in unperfected form could not 3ut do more harm than 'ood. Clarendon himselfA ,hom many of their num3er had met 3eforeA impressed them more profoundly than everA and they did not hesitate to compare him ,ith 6ennerA 5isterA 0ochA >asteurA 8etchni!offA and the rest of those ,hose ,hole lives have served patholo'y and humanity. $alton ,as careful to save for Alfred all the ma'azines that spo!e ,ell of himA 3rin'in' them in person as an e%cuse to see 7eor'ina. They did notA ho,everA produce much effect save a contemptuous smileB and Clarendon ,ould 'enerally thro, them to SuramaA ,hose deepA distur3in' chuc!le upon readin' formed a close parallel to the doctor<s o,n ironic amusement. +ne 8onday evenin' early in 4e3ruary $alton called ,ith the definite impression as!in' Clarendon for his sister<s hand. 7eor'ina herself admitted him to the 'roundsA and as they ,al!ed to,ard the house he stopped to pat the 'reat do' ,hich rushed up and laid friendly fore pa,s on his 3reast. =t ,as $ic!A 7eor'ina<s cherished St. BernardA and $alton ,as 'lad to feel that he had the affection of a creature ,hich meant so much to her.

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$ic! ,as e%cited and 'ladA and turned the 'overnor nearly half a3out ,ith his vi'orous pressure as he 'ave a soft Duic! 3ar! and spran' off throu'h the trees to,ard the clinic. 2e did not vanishA thou'hA 3ut presently stopped and loo!ed 3ac!A softly 3ar!in' a'ain as if he ,ished $alton to follo,. 7eor'inaA fond of o3eyin' her hu'e pet<s playful ,himsA motioned to 6ames to see ,hat he ,antedB and they 3oth ,al!ed slo,ly after him as he trotted relievedly to the rear of the yard ,here the top of the clinic 3uildin' stood silhouetted a'ainst the stars a3ove the 'reat 3ric! ,all. The outline of li'hts ,ithin she,ed around the ed'es of the dar! ,indo,1curtainsA so they !ne, that Alfred and Surama ,ere at ,or!. Suddenly from the interior came a thinA su3dued sound li!e the cry of a child 1 a plaintive call of <8ammaF 8ammaF< at ,hich $ic! 3ar!edA ,hile 6ames and 7eor'ina started percepti3ly. Then 7eor'ina smiledA remem3erin' the parrots that Clarendon al,ays !ept for e%perimental usesA and patted $ic! on the head either to for'ive him for havin' fooled her and $altonA or to console him for havin' 3een fooled himself. As they turned to,ard the house $alton mentioned his resolve to spea! to Alfred that evenin' a3out their en'a'ementA and 7eor'ina supplied no o3Cection. She !ne, that her 3rother ,ould not relish the loss of a faithful mana'er and companionA 3ut 3elieved his affection ,ould place no 3arrier in the ,ay of her happiness. 5ater that evenin' Clarendon came into the house ,ith a sprin'y step and aspect less 'rim than usual. $altonA seein' a 'ood omen in this easy 3uoyancyA too! heart as the doctor ,run' his hand ,ith a Covial LAhA 6immyA ho,<s politics this yearGL 2e 'lanced at 7eor'inaA and she Duietly e%cused herselfA ,hile the t,o men settled do,n to a chat on 'eneral su3Cects. 5ittle 3y littleA amidst many reminders of their old youthful daysA $alton ,or!ed to,ard his pointB till at last he came out plainly ,ith the crucial inDuiry. LAlfA = ,ant to marry 7eor'ina. 2ave ,e your 3lessin'GL 0eenly ,atchin' his old friendA $alton sa, a shado, steal over his face. The dar! eyes flashed for a momentA then veiled themselves as ,onted placidity returned. So science or selfishness ,as at ,or! after allF L.ou<re as!in' an impossi3ilityA 6ames. 7eor'ina isn<t the aimless 3utterfly she ,as years a'o. She has a place in the service of truth and man!ind no,A and that place is here. She<s decided to devote her life to my ,or! 1 or the household that ma!es my ,or! possi3le 1 and there<s no room for desertion or personal caprice.L $alton ,aited to see if had finished. The same old fanaticism 1 humanity versus the individual 1 and the doctor ,as 'oin' to let it spoil his sister<s lifeF Then he tried to ans,er. LBut loo! hereA AlfA do you mean to say that 7eor'inaA in particularA is so necessary to your ,or! that you must ma!e a slave and martyr out of herG (se your sense of proportionA manF =f it ,ere a Duestion of Surama or some3ody in the utter thic! of your e%periments it mi'ht 3e differentB 3utA after allA 7eor'ina is only a house!eeper to you in the last analysis. She has promised to 3e my ,ife and says that she loves me. 2ave you the ri'ht to cut her off from the life that 3elon's to herG 2ave you the ri'ht 1 L

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LThat<ll doA 6amesFL Clarendon<s face ,as set and ,hite. LWhether or not = have the ri'ht to 'overn my o,n family is no 3usiness of an outsider.L L+utsider 1 you can say that to a man ,ho 1 L $alton almost cho!ed as the steely voice of the doctor interrupted him a'ain. LAn outsider to my familyA and from no, on an outsider to my home. $altonA your presumption 'oes Cust a little too farF 7ood evenin'A 7overnorFL And Clarendon strode from the room ,ithout e%tendin' his hand. $alton hesitated for a momentA almost at a loss ,hat to doA ,hen presently 7eor'ina entered. 2er face she,ed that she had spo!en ,ith her 3rotherA and $alton too! 3oth her hands impetuously. LWellA 7eor'ieA ,hat do you sayG =<m afraid it<s a choice 3et,een Alf and me. .ou !no, ho, = feel 1 you !no, ho, = felt 3efore ,hen it ,as your father = ,as up a'ainst. What<s your ans,er this timeGL 2e paused as she responded slo,ly. L6amesA dearA do you 3elieve that = love youGL 2e nodded and pressed her hands e%pectantly. LThenA if you love meA you<ll ,ait a ,hile. $on<t thin! of Al<s rudeness. 2e<s to 3e pitied. = can<t tell you the ,hole thin' no,A 3ut you !no, ho, ,orried = am 1 ,hat ,ith the strain of his ,or!A the criticismA and the starin' and cac!lin' of that horri3le creature SuramaF =<m afraid he<ll 3rea! do,n 1 he she,s the strain more than anyone outside the family could tell. = can see itA for =<ve ,atched him all my life. 2e<s chan'in' 1 slo,ly 3endin' under his 3urdens 1 and he puts on his e%tra 3rusDueness to hide it. .ou can see ,hat = meanA can<t youA dearGL She pausedA and $alton nodded a'ainA pressin' one of her hands to his 3reast. Then she concluded. LSo promise meA dearA to 3e patient. = must stand 3y himB = mustF = mustFL $alton did not spea! for a ,hileA 3ut his head inclined in ,hat ,as almost a 3o, of reverence. There ,as more of Christ in this devoted ,oman than he had thou'ht any human 3ein' possessedA and in the face of such love and loyalty he could do no ur'in'. Words of sadness and partin' ,ere 3riefB and 6amesA ,hose 3lue eyes ,ere mistyA scarcely sa, the 'aunt clinic1man as the 'ate to the street ,as at last opened to him. But ,hen it slammed to 3ehind him he heard that 3lood1curdlin' chuc!le he had come to reco'nize so ,ellA and !ne, that Surama ,as there 1 SuramaA ,hom 7eor'ina had called her 3rother<s evil 'enius. Wal!in' a,ay ,ith a firm stepA $alton resolved to 3e ,atchfulA and to act at the first si'n of trou3le.

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,,,.
8ean,hile San 4ranciscoA the epidemic still on the lips of allA seethed ,ith anti1 Clarendon feelin'. Actually the cases outside the penitentiary ,ere very fe,A and confined almost ,holly to the lo,er 8e%ican element ,hose lac! of sanitation ,as a standin' invitation to disease of every !indB 3ut politicians and the people needed no more than this to confirm the attac!s made 3y the doctor<s enemies. Seein' that $alton ,as immova3le in his championship of ClarendonA the malcontentsA medical do'matistsA and ,ardheelers turned their attention to the state le'islatureB linin' up the anti1Clarendonists and the 'overnor<s old enemies ,ith 'reat shre,dnessA and preparin' to launch a la, 1 ,ith a veto1 proof maCority 1 transferrin' the authority for minor institutional appointments from the chief e%ecutive to the various 3oards or commissions concerned. =n the furtherance of this measure no lo33yist ,as more active than Clarendon<s chief successorA $r. 6ones. 6ealous of his superior from the firstA he no, sa, an opportunity for turnin' matters to his li!in'B and he than!ed fate for the circumstance 1 responsi3le indeed for his present position 1 of his relationship to the chairman of the prison 3oard. The ne, la,A if passedA ,ould certainly mean the removal of Clarendon and the appointment of himself in his steadB soA mindful of his o,n interestA he ,or!ed hard for it. 6ones ,as all that Clarendon ,as not 1 a natural politician and sycophantic opportunist ,ho served his o,n advancement first and science only incidentally. 2e ,as poorA and avid for salaried positionA Duite in contrast to the ,ealthy and independent savant he sou'ht to displace. So ,ith a rat1li!e cunnin' and persistence he la3oured to undermine the 'reat 3iolo'ist a3ove himA and ,as one day re,arded 3y the ne,s that the ne, la, ,as passed. Thencefor,ard the 'overnor ,as po,erless to ma!e appointments to the state institutionsA and the medical dictatorship of San /uentin lay at the disposal of the prison 3oard. +f all this le'islative turmoil Clarendon ,as sin'ularly o3livious. Wrapped ,holly in matters of administration and researchA he ,as 3lind to the treason of <that ass 6ones< ,ho ,or!ed 3y his sideA and deaf to all the 'ossip of the ,arden<s office. 2e had never in his life read the ne,spapersA and the 3anishment of $alton from his home cut off his last real lin! ,ith the ,orld of outside events. With the naivete of a recluseA he at no time thou'ht of his position as insecure. =n vie, of $alton<s loyaltyA and of his for'iveness of even the 'reatest ,ron'sA as she,n in his dealin's ,ith the elder Clarendon ,ho had crushed his father to death on the stoc! e%chan'eA the possi3ility of a 'u3ernatorial dismissal ,asA of courseA out of the DuestionB nor could the doctor<s political i'norance envisa'e a sudden shift of po,er ,hich mi'ht place the matter of retention or dismissal in very different hands. Thereupon he merely smiled ,ith satisfaction ,hen $alton left for SacramentoB convinced that his place in San /uentin and his sister<s place in his household ,ere ali!e secure from distur3ance. 2e ,as accustomed to havin' ,hat he ,antedA and fancied his luc! ,as still holdin' out. The first ,ee! in 8archA a day or so after the enactment of the ne, la,A the chairman of the prison 3oard called at San /uentin. Clarendon ,as outA 3ut $r. 6ones ,as 'lad to she, the au'ust visitor 1 his o,n uncleA incidentally 1 throu'h the 'reat infirmaryA includin' the fever ,ard made so famous 3y press and panic. By this time converted a'ainst his ,ill to Clarendon<s 3elief in the fever<s non1conta'iousnessA 6ones smilin'ly assured his uncle that nothin' ,as to 3e fearedA and encoura'ed him to inspect the patients in detail 1 especially a

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'hastly s!eletonA once a very 'iant of 3ul! and vi'ourA ,ho ,asA he insinuatedA slo,ly and painfully dyin' 3ecause Clarendon ,ould not administer the proper medicine. L$o you mean to sayAL cried the chairmanA Lthat $r. Clarendon refuses to let the man have ,hat he needsA !no,in' his life could 3e savedGL L6ust thatAL snapped $r. 6onesA pausin' as the door opened to admit none other than Clarendon himself. Clarendon nodded coldly to 6ones and surveyed the visitorA ,hom he did not !no,A ,ith disapproval. L$r. 6onesA = thou'ht you !ne, this case ,as not to 3e distur3ed at all. And haven<t = said that visitors aren<t to 3e admitted e%cept 3y special permissionGL But the chairman interrupted 3efore his nephe, could introduce him. L>ardon meA $r. ClarendonA 3ut am = to understand that you refuse to 'ive this man the medicine that ,ould save himGL Clarendon 'lared coldlyA and reCoined ,ith steel in his voiceA LThat<s an impertinent DuestionA sir. = am in authority hereA and visitors are not allo,ed. >lease leave the room at once.L The chairmanA his sense of drama secretly tic!ledA ans,ered ,ith 'reater pomp and hauteur than ,ere necessary. L.ou mista!e meA sirF =A not youA am master here. .ou are addressin' the chairman of the prison 3oard. = must sayA ho,everA that = deem your activity a menace to the ,elfare of the prisonersA and must reDuest your resi'nation. 2enceforth $r. 6ones ,ill 3e in char'eA and if you choose to remain until your formal dismissal you ,ill ta!e your orders from him.L =t ,as Wilfred 6ones<s 'reat moment. 5ife never 'ave him another such clima%A and ,e need not 'rud'e him this one. After allA he ,as a small rather than a 3ad manA and he had only o3eyed a small man<s code of loo!in' to himself at all costs. Clarendon stood stillA 'azin' at the spea!er as if he thou'ht him madA till in another second the loo! of triumph on $r. 6ones<s face convinced him that somethin' important ,as indeed afoot. 2e ,as icily courteous as he replied. L;o dou3t you are ,hat you claim to 3eA sir. But fortunately my appointment came from the 'overnor of the stateA and can therefore 3e revo!ed only 3y him.L The chairman and his nephe, 3oth stared perple%edlyA for they had not realized to ,hat len'ths un,orldly i'norance can 'o. Then the older manA 'raspin' the situationA e%plained at some len'th. L2ad = found that the current reports did you an inCusticeAL he concludedA L= ,ould have deferred actionB 3ut the case of this poor man and your o,n arro'ant manner left me no choice. As it is 1 L But $r. Clarendon interrupted ,ith a ne, razor1sharpness in his voice.

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LAs it isA = am the director in char'e at presentA and = as! you to leave this room at once.L The chairman reddened and e%ploded. L5oo! hereA sirA ,ho do you thin! you<re tal!in' toG =<ll have you chuc!ed out of here 1 damn your impertinenceFL But he had time only to finish the sentence. Transferred 3y the insult to a sudden dynamo of hateA the slender scientist launched out ,ith 3oth fists in a 3urst of preternatural stren'th of ,hich no one ,ould have thou'ht him capa3le. And if his stren'th ,as preternaturalA his accuracy of aim ,as no less soB for not even a champion of the rin' could have ,rou'ht a neater result. Both men 1 the chairman and $r. 6ones 1 ,ere sDuarely hitB the one full in the face and the other on the point of the chin. 7oin' do,n li!e felled treesA they lay motionless and unconscious on the floorB ,hile ClarendonA no, clear and completely master of himselfA too! his hat and cane and ,ent out to Coin Surama in the launch. +nly ,hen seated in the movin' 3oat did he at last 'ive audi3le vent to the fri'htful ra'e that consumed him. ThenA ,ith face convulsedA he called do,n imprecations from the stars and the 'ulfs 3eyond the starsB so that even Surama shudderedA made an elder si'n that no 3oo! of history recordsA and for'ot to chuc!le.

,V.
7eor'ina soothed her 3rother<s hurt as 3est she could. 2e had come home mentally and physically e%hausted and thro,n himself on the li3rary loun'eB and in that 'loomy roomA little 3y littleA the faithful sister had ta!en in the almost incredi3le ne,s. 2er consolations ,ere instantaneous and tenderA and she made him realise ho, vastA thou'h unconsciousA a tri3ute to his 'reatness the attac!sA persecutionA and dismissal all ,ere. 2e had tried to cultivate the indifference she preachedA and could have done so had personal di'nity alone 3een involved. But the loss of scientific opportunity ,as more than he could calmly 3earA and he si'hed a'ain and a'ain as he repeated ho, three months more of study in the prison mi'ht have 'iven him at last the lon'1sou'ht 3acillus ,hich ,ould ma!e all fever a thin' of the past. Then 7eor'ina tried another mode of cheerin'A and told him that surely the prison 3oard ,ould send for him a'ain if the fever did not a3ateA or if it 3ro!e out ,ith increased force. But even this ,as ineffectiveA and Clarendon ans,ered only in a strin' of 3itterA ironicA and half1meanin'less little sentences ,hose tone she,ed all too clearly ho, deeply despair and resentment had 3itten. LA3ateG Brea! out a'ainG +hA it<ll a3ate all ri'htF At leastA they<ll thin! it has a3ated. They<d thin! anythin'A no matter ,hat happensF ='norant eyes see nothin'A and 3un'lers are never discovered. Science never she,s her face to that sort. And they call themselves doctorsF Best of allA fancy that ass 6ones in char'eFL Comin' ,ith a Duic! sneerA he lau'hed so daemonically that 7eor'ina shivered. The days that follo,ed ,ere dismal ones indeed at the Clarendon mansion. $epressionA star! and unrelievedA had ta!en hold of the doctor<s usually tireless mindB and he ,ould

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even have refused food had not 7eor'ina forced it upon him. 2is 'reat note3oo! of o3servations lay unopened on the li3rary ta3leA and his little 'old syrin'e of anti1fever serum 1 a clever device of his o,nA ,ith a self1contained reservoirA attached to a 3road 'old rin'A and sin'le1pressure action peculiar to itself 1 rested idly in a small leather case 3eside it. ?i'ourA am3itionA and the desire for study and o3servation seemed to have died ,ithin himB and he made no inDuiries a3out his clinicA ,here hundreds of 'erm cultures stood in their orderly phials a,aitin' his attention. The countless animals held for e%periments playedA lively and ,ell fedA in the early sprin' sunshineB and as 7eor'ina strolled out throu'h the rose1ar3our to the ca'es she felt a stran'ely incon'ruous sense of happiness a3out her. She !ne,A thou'hA ho, tra'ically transient that happiness must 3eB since the start of ne, ,or! ,ould soon ma!e all these small creatures un,illin' martyrs to science. 0no,in' thisA she 'limpsed a sort of compensatin' element in her 3rother<s inactionA and encoura'ed him to !eep on in a rest he needed so 3adly. The ei'ht Thi3etan servants moved noiselessly a3outA each as impecca3le effective as usualB and 7eor'ina sa, to it that the order of the household did not suffer 3ecause of the master<s rela%ation. Study and star,ard am3ition laid aside in slippered and dressin'1'o,ned indifferenceA Clarendon ,as content to let 7eor'ina treat him as an infant. 2e met her maternal fussiness ,ith a slo,A sad smileA and al,ays o3eyed her multitude of orders and precepts. A !ind of faintA ,istful felicity came over the lan'uid householdA amidst ,hich the only dissentin' note ,as supplied 3y Surama. 2e indeed ,as misera3leA and loo!ed often ,ith sullen and resentful eyes at the sunny serenity in 7eor'ina<s face. 2is only Coy had 3een the turmoil of e%perimentA and he missed the routine of seizin' the fated animalsA 3earin' them to the clinic in clutchin' talonsA and ,atchin' them ,ith hot 3roodin' 'aze and evil chuc!les as they 'radually fell into the final coma ,ith ,ide1openedA red1rimmed eyesA and s,ollen ton'ue lollin' from froth1covered mouth. ;o, he ,as seemin'ly driven to desperation 3y the si'ht of the carefree creatures in their ca'esA and freDuently came to as! Clarendon if there ,ere any orders. 4indin' the doctor apathetic and un,illin' to 3e'in ,or!A he ,ould 'o a,ay mutterin' under his 3reath and 'larin' curses upon everythin'B stealin' ,ith cat1li!e tread to his o,n Duarters in the 3asementA ,here his voice ,ould sometimes ascend in deepA muffled rhythms of 3lasphemous stran'eness and uncomforta3le ritualistic su''estion. All this ,ore on 7eor'ina<s nervesA 3ut not 3y any means so 'ravely as her 3rother<s continued lassitude itself. The duration of the state alarmed herA and little 3y little she lost the air of cheerfulness ,hich had so provo!ed the clinic1man. 2erself s!illed in medicineA she found the doctor<s condition hi'hly unsatisfactory from an alienist<s point of vie,B and she no, feared as much from his a3sence of interest and activity as she had formerly feared from his fanatical zeal and overstudy. Was lin'erin' melancholy a3out to turn the once 3rilliant man of intellect into an innocuous im3ecileG ThenA to,ard the end of 8ayA came the sudden chan'e. 7eor'ina al,ays recalled the smallest details connected ,ith itB details as trivial as the 3o% delivered to Surama the day 3eforeA postmar!ed Al'iersA and emittin' a most unpleasant odourB and the sharpA sudden thunderstormA rare in the e%treme for CaliforniaA ,hich spran' up that ni'ht as Surama chanted his rituals 3ehind his loc!ed 3asement door in a dronin' chest1voice louder and more intense than usual.

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=t ,as a sunny dayA and she had 3een in the 'arden 'atherin' flo,ers for the dinin'1 room. :e1enterin' the houseA she 'limpsed her 3rother in the li3raryA fully dressed and seated at the ta3leA alternately consultin' the notes in his thic! o3servation 3oo!A and ma!in' fresh entries ,ith 3ris! assured stro!es of the pen. 2e ,as alert and vitalA and there ,as a satisfyin' resilience a3out his movements as he no, and then turned a pa'eA or reached for a 3oo! from the rear of the 'reat ta3le. $eli'hted and relievedA 7eor'ina hastened to deposit her flo,ers in the dinin'1room and returnedB 3ut ,hen she reached the li3rary a'ain she found that her 3rother ,as 'one. She !ne,A of courseA that he must 3e in the clinic at ,or!A and reCoiced to thin! that his old mind and purpose had snapped 3ac! into place. :ealizin' it ,ould 3e of no use to delay the luncheon for himA she at alone and set aside a 3ite to 3e !ept ,arm in case of his return at an odd moment. But he did not come. 2e ,as ma!in' up for lost timeA and ,as still in the 'reat stout1plan!ed clinic ,hen she ,ent for a stroll throu'h the rose1ar3our. As she ,al!ed amon' the fra'rant 3lossoms she sa, Surama fetchin' animals for the test. She ,ished she could notice him lessA for he al,ays made her shudderB 3ut her very dread had sharpened her eyes and ears ,here he ,as concerned. 2e al,ays ,ent hatless around the yardA and total hairlessness of his head enhanced his s!eleton1li!e aspect horri3ly. ;o, she heard a faint chuc!le as he too! a small mon!ey from its ca'e a'ainst the ,all and carried it to the clinicA his lon'A 3ony fin'ers pressin' so cruelly into its furry sides that it cried out in fri'htened an'uish. The si'ht sic!ened herA and 3rou'ht her ,al! to an end. 2er inmost soul re3elled at the ascendancy this creature had 'ained over her 3rotherA and she reflected 3itterly that the t,o had almost chan'ed places as master and servant. ;i'ht came ,ithout Clarendon<s return to the houseA and 7eor'ina concluded that he ,as a3sor3ed in one of his very lon'est sessionsA ,hich meant total disre'ard of time. She hated to retire ,ithout a tal! ,ith him a3out his sudden recoveryB 3ut finallyA feelin' it ,ould 3e futile to ,ait upA she ,rote a cheerful note and propped it 3efore his chair on the li3rary ta3leB then started resolutely for 3ed. She ,as not Duite asleep ,hen she heard the outer door open and shut. So it had not 3een an all ni'ht session after allF $etermined to see that her 3rother had a meal 3efore retirin' she roseA slipped on a ro3eA and descended to the li3raryA haltin' only ,hen she heard voices from 3ehind the half1opened door. Clarendon and Surama ,ere tal!in'A and she ,aited till the clinic1man mi'ht 'o. SuramaA ho,everA she,ed no inclination to departB and indeedA the ,hole heated tenor of the discourse seemed to 3espea! a3sorption and promise len'th. 7eor'inaA thou'h she had not meant to listenA could not help catchin' a phrase no, and thenA and presently 3ecame a,are of a sinister undercurrent ,hich fri'htened her very much ,ithout 3ein' ,holly clear to her. 2er 3rother<s voiceA nervousA incisiveA held her notice ,ith disDuietin' persistence. LBut any,ayAL he ,as sayin'A L,e haven<t enou'h animals for another dayA and you !no, ho, hard it is to 'et a decent supply at short notice. =t seems silly to ,aste so much effort on comparative trash ,hen human specimens could 3e had ,ith Cust a little e%tra care.L

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The 5ast Test

"&

7eor'ina sic!ened at the possi3le implicationA and cau'ht at the hall rac! to steady herself. Surama ,as replyin' in that deepA hollo, tone ,hich seemed too echo ,ith the evil of a thousand a'es and a thousand planets. LSteadyA steady 1 ,hat a child you are ,ith your haste and impatienceF .ou cro,d thin's soF When you<ve lived as = haveA so that a ,hole life ,ill seem only an hourA you ,on<t 3e so fretful a3out a day or ,ee! or monthF .ou ,or! too fast. .ou<ve plenty of specimens in the ca'es for a full ,ee! if you<ll only 'o at a sensi3le rate. .ou mi'ht even 3e'in on the older material if you<d 3e sure not to overdo it.L L;ever mind my hasteFL the reply ,as snapped out sharply. L= have my o,n methods. = don<t ,ant to use our material if = can help itA for = prefer them as they are. And you<d 3etter 3e careful of them any,ay 1 you !no, the !nives some of those sly do's carry.L Surama<s deep chuc!le came. L$on<t ,orry a3out that. The 3rutes eatA don<t theyG WellA = can 'et you one any time you need it. But 'o slo, 1 ,ith the 3oy 'oneA there are only ei'htA and no, that you<ve lost San /uentin it<ll 3e hard to 'et ne, ones 3y the ,holesale. =<d advise you to start in on Tsanpo 1 he<s the least use to you as he isA and 1 L But that ,as all 7eor'ina heard. Transfi%ed 3y a hideous dread from the thou'hts this tal! e%citedA she nearly san! to the floor ,here she stoodA and ,as scarcely a3le to dra' herself up the stairs and into her room. What ,as the evil monster Surama plannin'G =nto ,hat ,as he 'uidin' her 3rotherG What monstrous circumstances lay 3ehind these cryptic sentencesG A thousand phantoms of dar!ness and menace danced 3efore her eyesA and she flun' herself upon the 3ed ,ithout hope of sleep. +ne thou'ht a3ove the rest stood out ,ith fiendish prominenceA and she almost screamed aloud as it 3eat itself into her 3rain ,ith rene,ed force. Then ;atureA !inder than she e%pectedA intervened at last. Closin' her eyes in a dead faintA she did not a,a!e till mornin'A nor did any fresh ni'htmare come to Coin the lastin' one ,hich the overheard ,ords had 3rou'ht. With the mornin' sunshine came a lessenin' of the tension. What happens in the ni'ht ,hen one is tired often reaches the consciousness in distorted formsA and 7eor'ina could see that her 3rain must have 'iven stran'e colour to scraps of common medical conversation. To suppose her 3rother 1 only son of the 'entle 4rances Schuyler Clarendon 1 'uilty of stran'e sacrifices in the name of science ,ould 3e to do an inCustice to their 3loodA and she decided to omit all mention of her trip do,nstairsA lest Alfred ridicule her fantastic notions. When she reached the 3rea!fast ta3le she found that Clarendon ,as already 'oneA and re'retted that not even this second mornin' had 'iven her a chance to con'ratulate him on his revived activity. /uietly ta!in' the 3rea!fast served 3y stone1deaf old 8ar'aritaA the 8e%ican coo!A she read the mornin' paper and seated herself ,ith some needle,or! 3y the sittin'1room ,indo, overloo!in' the 'reat yard. All ,as silent out thereA and she could see that the last of the animal ca'es had 3een emptied. Science ,as servedA and the lime1pit held all that ,as left of the once pretty and lively little creatures. This slau'hter had al,ays 'rieved herA 3ut she had never complainedA since she !ne, it ,as all for humanity. Bein' a scientist<s sisterA she used to say to herselfA ,as li!e 3ein' the sister of a soldier ,ho !ills to save his countrymen from their foes.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 5ast Test

"#

After luncheon 7eor'ina resumed her post 3y the ,indo,A and had 3een 3usy se,in' for some time ,hen the sound of a pistol shot from the yard caused her to loo! out in alarm. ThereA not far from the clinicA she sa, the 'hastly form of SuramaA a revolver in his handA and his s!ull1face t,isted into a stran'e e%pression as he chuc!led at a co,erin' fi'ure ro3ed in 3lac! sil! and carryin' a lon' Thi3etan !nife. =t ,as the servant TsanpoA and as she reco'nised the shrivelled face 7eor'ina remem3ered horri3ly ,hat she had overheard the ni'ht 3efore. The sun flashed on the polished 3ladeA and suddenly Surama<s revolver spat once more. This time the !nife fle, from the 8on'ol<s handA and Surama 'lanced 'reedily at his sha!in' and 3e,ildered prey. Then TsanpoA 'lancin' Duic!ly at his unhurt hand and at the fallen !nifeA spran' nim3ly a,ay from the stealthily approachin' clinic1man and made a dash for the house. SuramaA ho,everA ,as too s,ift for himA and cau'ht him in a sin'le leapA seizin' his shoulder and almost crushin' him. 4or a moment the Thi3etan tried to stru''leA 3ut Surama lifted him li!e an animal 3y the scruff of the nec! and 3ore him off to,ard the clinic. 7eor'ina heard him chuc!lin' and tauntin' the man in his o,n ton'ueA and sa, the yello, face of the victim t,ist and Duiver ,ith fri'ht. Suddenly realisin' a'ainst her o,n ,ill ,hat ,as ta!in' placeA a 'reat horror mastered her and she fainted for the second time ,ithin t,enty1 four hours. When consciousness returnedA the 'olden li'ht of late afternoon ,as floodin' the room. 7eor'inaA pic!in' up her fallen ,or!13as!et and scattered materialsA ,as lost in a daze of dou3tsB 3ut finally felt convinced that the scene ,hich had overcome her must have 3een all too tra'ically real. 2er first fearsA thenA ,ere horri3le truths. What to do a3out itA nothin' in her e%perience could tell herB and she ,as va'uely than!ful that her 3rother did not appear. She must tal! to himA 3ut not no,. She could not tal! to any3ody no,. AndA thin!in' shudderin'ly of the monstrous happenin' 3ehind those 3arred clinic ,indo,sA she crept into 3ed for a lon' ni'ht of an'uished sleeplessness. :isin' ha''ardly on the follo,in' dayA 7eor'ina sa, the doctor for the first time since his recovery. 2e ,as 3ustlin' a3out preoccupiedlyA circulatin' 3et,een the house and the clinicA and payin' little attention to anythin' 3esides his ,or!. There ,as no chance for the dreaded intervie,A and Clarendon did not even notice his sister<s ,orn1out aspect and hesitant manner. =n the evenin' she heard him in the li3raryA tal!in' to himself in a fashion most unusual for himA and she felt that he ,as under a 'reat strain ,hich mi'ht culminate in the return of his apathy. Enterin' the roomA she tried to clam him ,ithout referrin' to any tryin' su3CectA and forced a steadyin' cup of 3ouillon upon him. 4inally she as!ed 'ently ,hat ,as distressin' himA and ,aited an%iously for his replyA hopin' to hear that Surama<s treatment of the poor Thi3etan had horrified and outra'ed him. There ,as a note of fretfulness in his voice as he responded. LWhat<s distressin' meG 7ood 7odA 7eor'inaA ,hat isn+t/ 5oo! at the ca'es and see if you have to as! a'ainF Cleaned out 1 mil!ed dry 1 not a cursed specimen leftB and a line of the most important 3acterial cultures incu3atin' in their tu3es ,ithout a chance to do an ounce of 'oodF $ays< ,or! ,asted 1 ,hole pro'ramme set 3ac! 1 it<s enou'h to drive a man madF 2o, shall = ever 'et any,here if = can<t scrape up some decent su3CectsGL

H.P.Lovecr !t 7eor'ina stro!ed his forehead.

The 5ast Test

"

L= thin! you ou'ht to rest a ,hileA Al dear.L 2e moved a,ay. L:estG That<s 'oodF That<s damn 'oodF What else have = 3een doin' 3ut restin' and ve'etatin' and starin' 3lan!ly into space for the last fifty or a hundred or a thousand yearsG 6ust as = mana'e to sha!e off the cloudsA = have to run short of material 1 and then =<m told to lapse 3ac! a'ain into droolin' stupefactionF 7odF And all the ,hile some snea!in' thief is pro3a3ly ,or!in' ,ith my data and 'ettin' ready to come out ahead of me ,ith the credit for my o,n ,or!. =<ll lose 3y a nec! 1 some fool ,ith the proper specimens ,ill 'et the prizeA ,hen one ,ee! more ,ith even half1adeDuate facilities ,ould see me throu'h ,ith flyin' coloursFL 2is voice rose DuerulouslyA and there ,as an overtone of mental strain ,hich 7eor'ina did not li!e. She ans,ered softlyA yet not so softly as to hint at the soothin' of a psychopathic case. LBut you<re !illin' yourself ,ith this ,orry and tensionA and if you<re deadA ho, can you do your ,or!GL 2e 'ave a smile that ,as almost a sneer. L= 'uess a ,ee! or a month 1 all the time = need 1 ,ouldn<t Duite finish meA and it doesn<t much matter ,hat 3ecomes of me or any other individual in the end. Science is ,hat must 3e served 1 science 1 the austere cause of human !no,led'e. =<m li!e the mon!eys and 3irds and 'uinea pi's = use 1 Cust a co' in the machineA to 3e used to the advanta'e of the ,hole. They had to 3e !illed 1 = may have to 3e !illed 1 ,hat of itG =sn<t the cause ,e serve ,orth that and moreGL 7eor'ina si'hed. 4or a moment she ,ondered ,hetherA after allA this ceaseless round of slau'hter really ,as ,orth,hile. LBut are you a3solutely sure your discovery ,ill 3e enou'h of a 3oon to humanity to ,arrant these sacrificesGL Clarendon<s eyes flashed dan'erously. L2umanityF What the deuce is humanityG ScienceF $oltsF 6ust individuals over and over a'ainF 2umanity is made for preachers to ,hom it means the 3lindly credulous. 2umanity is made for the predatory rich to ,hom it spea!s in terms of dollars and cents. 2umanity is made for the politician to ,hom it si'nifies collective po,er to 3e used to his advanta'e. What is humanityG ;othin'F Than! 7od that crude illusion doesn<t lastF What a 'ro,n man ,orships is truth 1 !no,led'e 1 science 1 li'ht 1 the rendin' of the veil and the pushin' 3ac! of the shado,. 0no,led'eA the Cu''ernautF There is death in our o,n ritual. We must !ill 1 dissect 1 destroy 1 and all for the sa!e of discovery 1 the ,orship of the ineffa3le li'ht. The 'oddess Science demands it. We test a dou3tful poison 3y !illin'. 2o, elseG ;o thou'ht for self 1 Cust !no,led'e 1 the effect must 3e !no,n.L

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 5ast Test

"-

2is voice trailed off in a !ind of temporary e%haustionA and 7eor'ina shuddered sli'htly. LBut this is horri3leA AlF .ou shouldn<t thin! of it that ,ayFL Clarendon cac!led sardonicallyA in a manner ,hich stirred odd and repu'nant associations in his sister<s mind. L2orri3leG .ou thin! ,hat I say is horri3leG .ou ou'ht to hear SuramaF = tell youA thin's ,ere !no,n to the priests of Atlantis that ,ould have you drop dead of fri'ht if you heard a hint of them. 0no,led'e ,as !no,led'e a hundred thousand years a'oA ,hen our especial for3ears ,ere sham3lin' a3out Asia as speechless semi1apesF They !no, somethin' of it in the 2o''ar re'ion 1 there are rumours in the farther uplands of Thi3et 1 and once = heard an old man in China callin' on .o'1Sothoth 1 L 2e turned paleA and made a curious si'n in the air ,ith his e%tended forefin'er. 7eor'ina felt 'enuinely alarmedA 3ut 3ecame some,hat calmer as his speech too! a less fantastic form. L.esA it may 3e horri3leA 3ut it<s 'lorious too. The pursuit of !no,led'eA = mean. CertainlyA there<s no slovenly sentiment connected ,ith it. $oesn<t ;ature !ill 1 constantly and remorselessly 1 and are any 3ut fools horrified at the stru''leG 0illin's are necessary. They are the 'lory of science. We learn somethin' from themA and ,e can<t sacrifice learnin' to sentiment. 2ear the sentimentalities ho,l a'ainst vaccinationF They fear it ,ill !ill the child. WellA ,hat if it doesG 2o, else can ,e discover the la,s of disease concernedG As a scientist<s sister you ou'ht to !no, 3etter that to praise sentiment. .ou ou'ht to help my ,or! instead of hinderin' itFL LButA AlAL protested 7eor'inaA L= haven<t the sli'htest intention of hinderin' your ,or!. 2aven<t = al,ays tried to help as much as = couldG = am i'norantA = supposeA and can<t help very activelyB 3ut at least =<m proud of you 1 proud for my o,n sa!e and for the family<s sa!e 1 and =<ve al,ays tried to smooth the ,ay. .ou<ve 'iven me credit for that many a time.L Clarendon loo!ed at her !eenly. L.esAL he said Cer!ily as he rose and strode from the roomA Lyou<re ri'ht. .ou<ve al,ays tried to help as 3est you !no,. .ou may have yet a chance to help still more.L 7eor'inaA seein' him disappear throu'h the front doorA follo,ed him into the yard. Some distance a,ay a lantern ,as shinin' throu'h the treesA and as they approached it they sa, Surama 3endin' over a lar'e o3Cect stretched on the 'round. ClarendonA advancin'A 'ave a short 'runtB 3ut ,hen 7eor'ina sa, ,hat it ,as she rushed up ,ith a shrie!. =t ,as $ic!A the 'reat St. BernardA and he ,as lyin' still ,ith reddened eyes and protrudin' ton'ue. L2e<s sic!A AlFL she cried. L$o somethin' for himA Duic!FL The doctor loo!ed at SuramaA ,ho had uttered somethin' in a ton'ue un!no,n to 7eor'ina.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 5ast Test

"7

LTa!e him to the clinicAL he orderedB L=<m afraid $ic!<s cau'ht the fever.L Surama too! up the do' as he had ta!en poor Tsanpo the day 3eforeA and carried him silently to the 3uildin' near the mall. 2e did not chuc!le this timeA 3ut 'lanced at Clarendon ,ith ,hat appeared to 3e real an%iety. =t almost seemed to 7eor'ina that Surama ,as as!in' the doctor to save her pet. ClarendonA ho,everA made no move to follo,A 3ut stood still for a moment and then sauntered slo,ly to,ard the house. 7eor'inaA astonished at such callousnessA !ept up a runnin' fire of entreaties on $ic!<s 3ehalfA 3ut it ,as of no use. Without payin' the sli'htest attention to her pleas he made directly for the li3rary and 3e'an to read in a lar'e old 3oo! ,hich had lain face do,n on the ta3le. She put her hand on his shoulder as he sat thereA 3ut he did not spea! or turn his head. 2e only !ept on readin'A and 7eor'inaA 'lancin' curiously over his shoulderA ,ondered in ,hat stran'e alpha3et this 3rass13ound tome ,as ,ritten. =n the cavernous parlour across the hallA sittin' alone in the dar! a Duarter of an hour laterA 7eor'ina came to her decision. Somethin' ,as 'ravely ,ron' 1 Cust ,hatA and to ,hat e%tentA she scarcely dared formulate to herself 1 and it ,as time that she called in some stron'er force to help her. +f course it must 3e 6ames. 2e ,as po,erful and capa3leA and his sympathy and affection ,ould she, him the ri'ht thin' to do. 2e had !no,n Al al,aysA and ,ould understand. =t ,as 3y this time rather lateA 3ut 7eor'ina had resolved on action. Across the hall the li'ht still shone from the li3raryA and she loo!ed ,istfully at the door,ay as she Duietly donned a hat and left the house. +utside the 'loomy mansion and for3iddin' 'roundsA it ,as only a short ,ay to 6ac!son StreetA ,here 3y 'ood luc! she found a carria'e to ta!e her to the Western (nion tele'raph office. There she carefully ,rote out a messa'e to 6ames $alton in SacramentoA as!in' him to come at once to San 4rancisco on a matter of the 'reatest importance to them all.

V.
$alton ,as fran!ly perple%ed 3y 7eor'ina<s sudden messa'e. 2e had had no ,ord from the Clarendons since that stormy 4e3ruary evenin' ,hen Alfred had declared him an outsider to his homeB and he in turn had studiously refrained from communicatin'A even ,hen he had lon'ed to e%press sympathy after the doctor<s summary outin' from office. 2e had fou'ht hard to frustrate the politicians and !eep the appointee po,erA and ,as 3itterly sorry to ,atch the unseatin' of a man ,hoA despite recent estran'ementsA still represented to him the ultimate ideal of scientific competence. ;o,A ,ith this clearly fri'htened summons 3efore himA he could not ima'ine ,hat had happened. 2e !ne,A thou'hA that 7eor'ina ,as not one to lose her head or send forth a needless alarmB hence he ,asted no timeA 3ut too! the +verland ,hich left Sacramento ,ithin the hourA 'oin' at once to his clu3 and sendin' ,ord to 7eor'ina 3y a messen'er that he ,as in to,n and ,holly at her service. 8ean,hile thin's had 3een Duiescent at the Clarendon homeA not,ithstandin' the doctor<s continued taciturnity and his a3solute refusal to report on the do'<s condition.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 5ast Test

"8

Shado,s of evil seemed omnipresent and thic!enin'A 3ut for the moment there ,as a lull. 7eor'ina ,as relieved to 'et $alton<s messa'e and learn that he ,as close at handA and sent 3ac! ,ord that she ,ould call him ,hen necessity arose. Amidst all the 'atherin' tension some faint compensatin' element seemed manifestA and 7eor'ina finally decided that it ,as the a3sence of the lean Thi3etansA ,hose stealthyA sinuous ,ays and distur3in' e%otic aspect had al,ays annoyed her. They had vanished all at onceB and old 8ar'aritaA the sole visi3le servant left in the houseA told her they ,ere helpin' their master and Surama at the clinic. The follo,in' mornin' 1 the t,enty1ei'hth of 8ay 1 lon' to 3e remem3ered 1 ,as dar! and lo,erin'A and 7eor'ina felt the precarious calm ,earin' thin. She did not see her 3rother at allA 3ut !ne, he ,as in the clinic hard at ,or! at somethin' despite the lac! of specimens he had 3e,ailed. She ,ondered ho, poor Tsanpo ,as 'ettin' alon'A and ,hether he had really 3een su3Cected to any serious inoculationA 3ut it must 3e confessed that she ,ondered more a3out $ic!. She lon'ed to !no, ,hether Surama had done anythin' for the faithful do' amidst his master<s oddly callous indifference. Surama<s apparent solicitude on the ni'ht of $ic!<s seizure had impressed her 'reatlyA 'ivin' her perhaps the !indliest feelin' she had ever had for the detested clinic1man. ;o,A as the day advancedA she found herself thin!in' more and more of $ic!B till at last her harassed nervesA findin' in this one detail a sort of sym3olic summation of the ,hole horror that lay upon the householdA could stand the suspense no lon'er. (p to that time she had al,ays respected Al<s imperious ,ish that he 3e never approached or distur3ed at the clinicB 3ut as this fateful afternoon advancedA her resolution to 3rea! throu'h the 3arrier 're, stron'er and stron'er. 4inally she set out ,ith determined faceA crossin' the yard and enterin' the unloc!ed vesti3ule of the for3idden structure ,ith the fi%ed intention of discoverin' ho, the do' ,as or of !no,in' the reason for her 3rother<s secrecy. The inner doorA as usualA ,as loc!edB and 3ehind it she heard voices in heated conversation. When her !noc!in' 3rou'ht no response she rattled the !no3 as loudly as possi3leA 3ut still the voices ar'ued on unheedin'. They 3elon'edA of courseA to Surama and her 3rotherB and as she stood there tryin' to attract attention she could not help catch somethin' of their drift. 4ate had made her for the second time an eavesdropperA and once more the matter she overheard seemed li!ely to ta% her mental poise and nervous endurance to their ultimate 3ounds. Alfred and Surama ,ere plainly Duarrellin' ,ith increasin' violenceA and the purport of their speech ,as enou'h to arouse the ,ildest fears and confirm the 'ravest apprehensions. 7eor'ina shivered as her 3rother<s voice mounted shrilly to dan'erous hei'hts of fanatical tension. L.ouA damn you 1 you<re a fine one to tal! defeat and moderation to meF Who started all thisA any,ayG $id = have any idea of your cursed devil1'ods and elder ,orldG $id = ever in my life thin! of your damned spaces 3eyond the stars and your cra,lin' chaos ;yarlathotepG = ,as a normal scientific manA confound youA till = ,as fool enou'h to dra' you out of the vaults ,ith your devilish Atlantean secrets. .ou e''ed me onA and no, you ,ant to cut me offF .ou loaf around doin' nothin' and tellin' me to 'o slo, ,hen you mi'ht Cust as ,ell as not 3e 'oin' out and 'ettin' material. .ou !no, damn ,ell that = don<t !no, hot to 'o a3out such thin'sA ,hereas you must have 3een an old hand at it 3efore the earth ,as made. =t<s li!e youA you damned ,al!in' corpseA to start somethin' you ,on<t or can<t finishFL

H.P.Lovecr !t Surama<s evil chuc!le came.

The 5ast Test

")

L.ou<re insaneA Clarendon. That<s the only reason = let you rave on ,hen = could send you to hell in three minutes. Enou'h is enou'hA and you<ve certainly had enou'h material for any novice at your sta'e. .ou<ve had all =<m 'oin' to 'et youA anyho,F .ou<re only a maniac on the su3Cect no, 1 ,hat a cheapA crazy thin' to sacrifice even your poor sister<s pet do'A ,hen you could have spared him as ,ell as notF .ou can<t loo! at any livin' thin' ,ithout ,antin' to Ca3 that 'old syrin'e into it. ;o 1 $ic! had to 'o ,here the 8e%ican 3oy ,ent 1 ,here Tsanpo and the other seven ,ent 1 ,here all the animals ,entF What a pupilF .ou<re no fun any more 1 you<ve lost your nerve. .ou set out to control thin'sA and they<re controllin' you. =<m a3out done ,ith youA Clarendon. = thou'ht you had the stuff in youA 3ut you haven<t. =t<s a3out time = tried some3ody else. =<m afraid you<ll have to 'oFL =n the doctor<s shouted reply there ,as 3oth fear and frenzy. LBe carefulA you 1 1 F There are po,ers a'ainst your po,ers 1 = didn<t 'o to China for nothin'A and there are thin's in Alhazred<s A2if ,hich ,eren<t !no,n in AtlantisF We<ve 3oth meddled in dan'erous thin'sA 3ut you needn<t thin! you !no, all my resources. 2o, a3out the ;emesis of 4lameG = tal!ed in .emen ,ith an old man ,ho had come 3ac! alive from the Crimson $esert 1 he had seen =remA the City of >illarsA and had ,orshipped at the under'round shrines of ;u' and .e3 1 =aF Shu31;i''urathFL Throu'h Clarendon<s shrie!in' falsetto cut the deep chuc!le of the clinic1man. LShut upA you foolF $o you suppose your 'rotesDue nonsense has any ,ei'ht ,ith meG Words and formulae 1 ,ords and formulae 1 ,hat do they all mean to one ,ho has the su3stance 3ehind themG We<re in a material sphere no,A and su3Cect to material la,s. .ou have your feverB = have my revolver. .ou<ll 'et no specimens and =<ll 'et no fever so lon' as = have you in front of me ,ith this 'un 3et,eenFL That ,as all 7eor'ina could hear. She felt her senses reelin'A and sta''ered out of the vesti3ule for a savin' 3reath of the lo,erin' outside air. She that the crisis had come at lastA and that help must no, arrive Duic!ly if her 3rother ,as to 3e saved from the un!no,n 'ulfs of madness and mystery. Summonin' up all her reserve ener'yA she mana'ed to reach the house and 'et to the li3raryA ,here she scra,led a hasty note for 8ar'arita to ta!e to 6ames $alton. When the old ,oman had 'oneA 7eor'ina had Cust stren'th enou'h to cross to the loun'e and sin! ,ea!ly do,n into a sort of semi1stupor. There she lay for ,hat seemed li!e yearsA conscious only of the fantastic creepin' up of the t,ili'ht from the lo,er corners of the 'reatA dismal roomA and pla'ued 3y a thousand shado,y shapes of terror ,hich filed ,ith phantasmalA half1limned pa'eantry throu'h her tortured and stifled 3rain. $us! deepened into dar!nessA and still the spell held. Then a firm tread sounded in the hallA and she heard someone enter the room and fum3le at the match1safe. 2er heart almost stopped 3eatin' as the 'as1Cets of the chandelier flared up one 3y oneA 3ut then she sa, that the arrival ,as her 3rother. :elieved to the 3ottom of her heart that he ,as still aliveA she 'ave vent to an involuntary si'hA profoundA lon'1dra,nA and tremulousA and lapsed at last into !indly o3livion.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 5ast Test

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At the sound of that si'h Clarendon turned in alarm to,ard the loun'eA and ,as ine%pressi3ly shoc!ed to see the pale and unconscious form of his sister there. 2er face had a death1li!e Duality that fri'htened his inmost spiritA and he flun' himself on his !nees 3y her sideA a,a!e to a realisation of ,hat her passin' a,ay ,ould mean to him. 5on' unused to private practice amidst his ceaseless Duest for truthA he had lost the physician<s instinct of first aidA and could only call out her name and chafe her ,rists mechanically as fear and 'rief possessed him. Then he thou'ht of ,aterA and ran to the dinin'1room for a carafe. Stum3lin' a3out in a dar!ness ,hich seemed to har3our va'ue terrorsA he ,as some time in findin' ,hat he sou'htB 3ut at last he clutched it in sha!in' hand and hastened 3ac! to dash the cold fluid in 7eor'ina<s face. The method ,as crude 3ut effective. She stirredA si'hed a second timeA and finally opened her eyes. L.ou are aliveFL he criedA and put his chee! to hers as she stro!ed his head maternally. She ,as almost 'lad she faintedA for the circumstance seemed to have dispelled the stran'e Alfred and 3rou'ht her o,n 3rother 3ac! to her. She sat up slo,ly and tried to reassure him. L=<m all ri'htA Al. Cust 'ive me a 'lass of ,ater. =t<s a sin to ,aste it this ,ay 1 to say nothin' of spoilin' my ,aistF =s that the ,ay to 3ehave every time your sister drops off for a napG .ou needn<t thin! =<m 'oin' to 3e sic!A for = haven<t time for such nonsenseFL Alfred<s eyes she,ed that her coolA common1sense speech had had its effect. 2is 3rotherly panic dissolved in an instantA and instead there came into his face a va'ueA calculatin' e%pressionA as if some marvellous possi3ility had Cust da,ned upon him. As she ,atched the su3tle ,aves of cunnin' and appraisal pass fleetin'ly over his countenance she 3ecame less and less certain that her mode of reassurance had 3een a ,ise oneA and 3efore he spo!e she found herself shiverin' at somethin' she could not define. A !een medical instinct almost told her that his moment of sanity had passedA and that he ,as no, once more the unrestrained fanatic for scientific research. There ,as somethin' mor3id in the Duic! narro,in' of his eyes at her casual mention of 'ood health. What ,as he thin!in'G To ,hat unnatural e%treme ,as his passion for e%periment a3out to 3e pushedG Wherein lay the special si'nificance of her pure 3lood and a3solutely fla,less or'anic stateG ;one of these mis'ivin'sA ho,everA trou3led 7eor'ina for more than a secondA and she ,as Duite natural and unsuspicious as she felt her 3rother<s steady fin'ers at her pulse. L.ou<re a 3it feverishA 7eor'inaAL he said in a preciseA ela3orately restrained voice as he loo!ed professionally into her eyes. LWhyA nonsenseA =<m all ri'htAL she replied. L+ne ,ould thin! you ,ere on the ,atch for fever patients Cust for the sa!e of sho,in' off your discoveryF =t $ould 3e poeticA thou'hA if you could your final proof and demonstration 3y curin' your o,n sisterFL Clarendon started violently and 'uiltily. 2ad she suspected his ,ishG 2ad he muttered anythin' aloudG 2e loo!ed at her closelyA and sa, that she had no in!lin' of the truth. She smiled up s,eetly into his face and patted his hand as he stood 3y the side of the loun'e. Then he too! a small o3lon' leather case from his vest poc!etA and ta!in' out a little 'old syrin'eA he 3e'an fin'erin' it thou'htfullyA pushin' the piston speculatively in and out of the empty cylinder.

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L= ,onderAL he 3e'an ,ith suave sententiousnessA L,hether you ,ould really 3e ,illin' to help science in 1 somethin' li!e that ,ay 1 if the need aroseG Whether you ,ould have the devotion to offer yourself to the cause of medicine as a sort of 6ephthah<s dau'hter if you !ne, it meant the a3solute perfection and completion of my ,or!GL 7eor'inaA catchin' the odd and unmista!a3le 'litter in her 3rother<s eyesA !ne, at last that her ,orst fears ,ere true. There ,as nothin' to no, 3ut !eep him Duiet at all hazards and to pray that 8ar'arita had found 6ames $alton at his clu3. L.ou loo! tiredA Al dearAL she said 'ently. LWhy not ta!e a little morphia and 'et some of the sleep you need so 3adlyGL 2e replied ,ith a !ind of crafty deli3eration. L.esA you<re ri'ht. =<m ,orn outA and so are you. Each of us needs a 'ood sleep. 8orphine is Cust the thin' 1 ,ait till = 'o and fill the syrin'e and ,e<ll 3oth ta!e a proper dose.L Still fin'erin' the empty syrin'eA he ,al!ed softly out of the room. 7eor'ina loo!ed a3out her ,ith the aimlessness of desperationA ears alert for any si'n of possi3le help. She thou'ht she heard 8ar'arita a'ain in the 3asement !itchenA and rose to rin' the 3ellA in an effort to learn of the fate of her messa'e. The old servant ans,ered her summons at onceA and declared she had 'iven the messa'e at the clu3 hours a'o. 7overnor $alton had 3een outA 3ut the cler! had promised to deliver the note at the very moment of his arrival. 8ar'arita ,addled 3elo, stairs a'ainA 3ut still Clarendon did not reappear. What ,as he doin'G What ,as he plannin'G She had heard the outer door slamA so !ne, he must 3e at the clinic. 2ad he for'otten his ori'inal intention ,ith the vacillatin' mind of madnessG The suspense 're, almost un3eara3leA and 7eor'ina had to !eep her teeth clenched ti'htly to avoid screamin'. =t ,as the 'ate 3ellA ,hich ran' simultaneously in house and clinicA that 3ro!e the tension at last. She heard the cat1li!e tread of Surama on the ,al! as he left the clinic to ans,er itB and theA ,ith an almost hysterical si'hA she cau'ht the firmA familiar accents of $alton in conversation ,ith the sinister attendant. :isin'A she almost tottered to meet him as he loomed up in the li3rary door,ayB and for a moment no ,ord ,as spo!en ,hile he !issed her hand in his courtlyA old school fashion. Then 7eor'ina 3urst forth into a torrent of hurried e%planationA tellin' all that had happenedA all she had 'limpsed and overheardA and all she feared and suspected. $alton listened 'ravely and comprehendin'lyA his first 3e,ilderment 'radually 'ivin' place to astonishmentA sympathyA and resolution. The messa'eA held 3y a careless cler!A had 3een sli'htly delayedA and had found him appropriately enou'h in the midst of a ,arm loun'in'1room discussion a3out Clarendon. A fello,1mem3erA $r. 8ac;eilA had 3rou'ht in a medical Cournal ,ith an article ,ell calculated to distur3 the devoted scientistA and $alton had Cust as!ed to !eep the paper for future reference ,hen the messa'e ,as handed him at last. A3andonin' his half1formed plan to ta!e $r. 8ac;eil into his confidence re'ardin' AlfredA he called at once for his hat and stic!A and lost not a moment in 'ettin' a ca3 for the Clarendon home.

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SuramaA he thou'htA appeared alarmed at reco'nisin' himB thou'h he had chuc!led as usual ,hen stridin' off a'ain to,ard the clinic. $alton al,ays recalled Surama<s stride and chuc!le on this ominous ni'htA for he ,as never to see the unearthly creature a'ain. As the chuc!ler entered the clinic vesti3ule his deepA 'uttural 'ur'les seemed to 3lend ,ith some lo, mutterin's of thunder ,hich trou3led the far horizon. When $alton had heard all 7eor'ina had to sayA and learned that Alfred ,as e%pected 3ac! at any moment ,ith an hypodermic dose of morphineA he decided he had 3etter tal! ,ith the doctor alone. Advisin' 7eor'ina to retire to her room and a,ait developmentsA he ,al!ed a3out the 'loomy li3raryA scannin' the shelves and listenin' for Clarendon<s nervous footstep on the clinic path outside. The vast room<s corners ,ere dismal despite the chandelierA and the closer $alton loo!ed at his friend<s choice of 3oo!s the less he li!ed them. =t ,as not the 3alanced collection of a normal physicianA 3iolo'istA or man of 'eneral culture. There ,ere too many volumes on dou3tful 3orderland themesB dar! speculations and for3idden rituals of the 8iddle A'esA and stran'e e%otic mysteries in alien alpha3ets 3oth !no,n and un!no,n. The 'reat note3oo! of o3servations on the ta3le ,as un,holesomeA too. The hand,ritin' had a neurotic castA and the spirit of the entries ,as far from reassurin'. 5on' passa'es ,ere inscri3ed in cra33ed 7ree! charactersA and as $alton marshaled his lin'uistic memory for their translation he 'ave a sudden startA and ,ished his colle'e stru''les ,ith Renophon and 2omer had 3een more conscientious. There ,as somethin' ,ron' 1 somethin' hideously ,ron' 1 hereA and the 'overnor san! limply into the chair 3y the ta3le as he pored more and more closely over the doctor<s 3ar3arous 7ree!. Then a sound cameA startlin'ly nearA and he Cumped nervously at a hand laid sharply on his shoulder. LWhatA may = as!A is the cause of this intrusionG .ou mi'ht have stated your 3usiness to Surama.L Clarendon ,as standin' icily 3y the chairA the little 'old syrin'e in one hand. 2e seemed very calm and rationalA and $alton fancied for a moment that 7eor'ina must have e%a''erated his condition. 2o,A tooA could a rusty scholar 3e a3solutely sure a3out these 7ree! entriesG The 'overnor decided to 3e very cautious in his intervie,A and than!ed the luc!y chance ,hich had a specious prete%t in his coat poc!et. 2e ,as very cool and assured as he rose to reply. L= didn<t thin! you<d care to have thin's dra''ed 3efore a su3ordinateA 3ut = thou'ht you ou'ht to see this article at once.L 2e dre, forth the ma'azine 'iven him 3y $r. 8ac;eil and handed it to Clarendon. L+n pa'e #" 1 you see the headin'A <Blac! 4ever ConDuered 3y ;e, Serum.< =t<s 3y $r. 8iller of >hiladelphia 1 and he thin!s he<s 'ot ahead of you ,ith your cure. They ,ere discussin' it at the clu3A and 8ac;eil thou'ht the e%position very convincin'. =A as a laymanA couldn<t pretend to Cud'eB 3ut at all events = thou'ht you ou'htn<t to miss a chance to di'est the thin' ,hile it<s fresh. =f you<re 3usyA of courseA = ,on<t distur3 you 1 L Clarendon cut in sharply.

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L=<m 'oin' to 'ive my sister an hypodermic 1 she<s not Duite ,ell 1 3ut =<ll loo! at ,hat that Duac! has to say ,hen = 'et 3ac!. = !no, 8iller 1 a damn snea! and incompetent 1 and = don<t 3elieve he has the 3rains to steal my methods from the little he<s seen of them.L $alton suddenly felt a ,ave of intuition ,arnin' him that 7eor'ina must not receive that intended dose. There ,as somethin' sinister a3out it. 4rom ,hat she had saidA Alfred must have 3een inordinately lon' preparin' itA far lon'er than ,as needed for the dissolvin' of a morphine ta3let. 2e decided to hold his host as lon' as possi3leA mean,hile testin' his attitude in a more or less su3tle ,ay. L=<m sorry 7eor'ina isn<t ,ell. Are you sure that the inCection ,ill do her 'oodG That it ,on<t do her any harmGL Clarendon<s spasmodic start she,ed that somethin' had 3een struc! home. L$o her harmGL he cried. L$on<t 3e a3surdF .ou !no, 7eor'ina must 3e in the 3est of health 1 the very 3estA = say 1 in order to serve science as a Clarendon should serve it. SheA at leastA appreciates the fact that she is my sister. She deems no sacrifice too 'reat in my service. She is a priestess of truth and discoveryA as = am a priest.L 2e paused in his shrill tiradeA ,ild1eyedA and some,hat out of 3reath. $alton could see that his attention had 3een momentarily shifted. LBut let me see ,hat this cursed Duac! has to sayAL he continued. L=f he thin!s his pseudo1medical rhetoric can ta!e a real doctor inA he is even simpler than = thou'htFL Clarendon nervously found the ri'ht pa'e and 3e'an readin' as he stood there clutchin' his syrin'e. $alton ,ondered ,hat the real facts ,ere. 8ac;eil had assured him that the author ,as a patholo'ist of the hi'hest standin'A and that ,hatever errors the article mi'ht haveA the mind 3ehind it ,as po,erfulA eruditeA and a3solutely honoura3le and sincere. Watchin' the doctor as he readA $alton sa, the thinA 3earded face 'ro, pale. The 'reat eyes 3lazedA and the pa'es crac!led in the tenser 'rip of the lon'A lean fin'ers. A perspiration 3ro!e out on the hi'hA ivory1,hite forehead ,here the hair ,as already thinnin'A and the reader san! 'aspin'ly into the chair his visitor had vacated as he !ept on ,ith his devourin' of the tract. Then came a ,ild scream as from a haunted 3eastA and Clarendon lurched for,ard on the ta3leA his outflun' arms s,eepin' 3oo!s and paper 3efore them as consciousness ,ent out li!e a ,ind1Duenched candle1flame. $altonA sprin'in' to help his stric!en friendA raised the slim form and tilted it 3ac! in the chair. Seein' the carafe on the floor near the loun'eA he dashed some ,ater into the t,isted faceA and ,as re,arded 3y seein' the lar'e eyes slo,ly open. They ,ere sane eyes no, 1 deep and sad and unmista!a3ly sane 1 and $alton felt a,ed in the presence of a tra'edy ,hose ultimate depth he could never hope or dare to plum3. The 'olden hypodermic ,as still clutched in the lean left handA and as Clarendon dre, a deepA shudderin' 3reath he unclosed his fin'ers and studied the 'litterin' thin' that rolled a3out on his palm. Then he spo!e 1 slo,lyA and ,ith the ineffa3le sadness of utterA a3solute despair.

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LThan!sA 6immyA =<m Duite all ri'ht. But there<s much to 3e done. .ou as!ed me a ,hile 3ac! if this shot of morphia ,ould do 7eor'ie any harm. =<m in a position no, to tell you that it ,on<t.L 2e turned a small scre, in the syrin'e and laid a fin'er on the pistonA at the same time pullin' ,ith his left hand at the s!in of his o,n nec!. $alton cried out in alarm as a li'htnin' motion of his ri'ht hand inCected the contents of the cylinder into the rid'e of distended flesh. L7ood 5ordA AlA ,hat have you doneGL Clarendon smiled 'ently 1 a smile almost of peace and resi'nationA different indeed from the sardonic sneer of the past fe, ,ee!s. L.ou ou'ht to !no,A 6immyA if you<ve still the Cud'ment that made you a 'overnor. .ou must have pieced to'ether enou'h from my notes to realise that there<s nothin' else to do. With your mar!s in 7ree! 3ac! at Colum3ia = 'uess you couldn<t have missed much. All = can say is that it<s true. L6amesA = don<t li!e to pass 3lame alon'A 3ut it<s only ri'ht to tell you that Surama 'ot me into this. = can<t tell you ,ho or ,hat he isA for = don<t fully !no, myselfA and ,hat = do !no, is stuff that no sane person ou'ht to !no,B 3ut = ,ill say that = don<t consider him a human 3ein' in the fullest senseA and that =<m not sure ,hether or not he<s alive as ,e !no, life. L.ou thin! =<m tal!in' nonsense. = ,ish = ,ereA 3ut the ,hole hideous mess is damna3ly real. = started out in life ,ith a clean mind and purpose. = ,anted to rid the ,orld of fever. = tried and failed 1 and = ,ish to 7od = had 3een honest enou'h to say that =<d failed. $on<t let my old tal! of science deceive youA 6ames 1 I found no antito@in and $as ne!er e!en "alf on t"e track of oneC L$on<t loo! so sha!en upA old fello,F A veteran politician1fi'hter li!e you must have seen plenty of unmas!in's 3efore. = tell youA = never even had the start of a fever cure. But my studies had ta!en me into some Dueer placesA and it ,as Cust my damned luc! to listen to the stories of some still Dueerer people. 6amesA if you ever ,ish any man ,ellA tell him to !eep clear of the ancientA hidden places of the earth. +ld 3ac!,aters are dan'erous 1 thin's are handed do,n there that don<t do healthy people any 'ood. = tal!ed too much ,ith old priests and mysticsA and 'ot to hopin' = mi'ht achieve thin's in dar! ,ays that = couldn<t achieve in la,ful ,ays. L= shan<t tell you Cust ,hat = meanA for if = did =<d 3e as 3ad as the old priests that ,ere the ruin of me. All = need say is that after ,hat =<ve learned = shudder at the thou'ht of the ,orld and ,hat it<s 3een throu'h. The ,orld is cursed oldA 6amesA and there have 3een ,hole chapters lived and closed 3efore the da,n of our or'anic life and the 'eolo'ic eras connected ,ith it. =t<s an a,ful thou'ht 1 ,hole for'otten cycles of evolution ,ith 3ein's and races and ,isdom and diseases 1 all lived throu'h and 'one 3efore the first amoe3a ever stirred in the tropic seas 'eolo'y tells us a3out. L= said 'oneA 3ut = didn<t Duite mean that. =t ,ould have 3een 3etter that ,ayA 3ut it ,asn<t Duite so. =n places traditions have !ept on 1 = can<t tell you ho, 1 and certain archaic

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life1forms have mana'ed to stru''le thinly do,n the aeons in hidden spots. There ,ere cultsA you !no, 1 3ands of evil priests in lands no, 3uried under the sea. Atlantis ,as the hot3ed. That ,as a terri3le place. =f heaven is mercifulA no one ,ill ever dra' up that horror from the deep. L=t had a colonyA thou'hA that didn<t sin!B and ,hen you 'et too confidential ,ith one of the Tuare' priests in AfricaA he<s li!ely to tell you ,ild tales a3out it 1 tales that connect up ,ith ,hispers you<ll hear amon' the mad lamas and fli'hty ya!1drivers on the secret ta3le1 lands of Asia. =<d heard all the common tales and ,hispers ,hen = came on the 3i' one. What that ,asA you<ll never !no, 1 3ut it pertained to some3ody or somethin' that had come do,n from a 3lasphemously lon' time a'oA and could 3e made to live a'ain 1 or seem alive a'ain 1 throu'h certain processes that ,eren<t very clear to the man ,ho told me. L;o,A 6amesA in spite of my confessions a3out the feverA you !no, =<m not 3ad as a doctor. = plu''ed hard at medicineA and soa!ed up a3out as much as the ne%t man 1 may3e a little moreA 3ecause do,n there in the 2o''ar country = did somethin' no priest had ever 3een a3le to do. They led me 3lindfolded to a place that had 3een sealed up for 'enerations 1 and = came 3ac! ,ith Surama. LEasyA 6amesF = !no, ,hat you ,ant to say. 2o, does he !no, all he !no,sG 1 ,hy does he spea! En'lish 1 or any other lan'ua'eA for that matter 1 ,ithout an accentG 1 ,hy did he come a,ay ,ith meG 1 and all that. = can<t tell you alto'etherA 3ut = can say that he ta!es in ideas and ima'es and impressions ,ith somethin' 3esides his 3rains and senses. 2e had a use for me and my science. 2e told me thin'sA and opened up vistas. 2e tau'ht me to ,orship ancientA primordialA and unholy 'odsA and mapped out a road to a terri3le 'oal ,hich = can<t even hint to you. $on<t press meA 6ames 1 it<s for the sa!e of your sanity and the ,orld<s sanityF LThe creature is 3eyond all 3ounds. 2e<s in lea'ue ,ith the stars and all the forces of ;ature. $on<t thin! =<m still crazyA 6ames 1 = s,ear to you =<m notF =<ve had too many 'limpses to dou3t. 2e 'ave me ne, pleasures that ,ere forms of his palaeo'ean ,orshipA and the 'reatest of those ,as the 3lac! fever. L7odA 6amesF 2aven<t you seen throu'h the 3usiness 3y this timeG $o you still 3elieve the 3lac! fever came out of Thi3etA and that = learned a3out it thereG (se your 3rainsA manF 5oo! at 8iller<s article hereF 2e<s found a 3asic antito%in that ,ill end all fever ,ithin half a centuryA ,hen other men learn ho, to modify it for the different forms. 2e<s cut the 'round of my youth from under me 1 done ,hat =<d have 'iven my life to do 1 ta!en the ,ind out of all the honest sails = ever flun' to the 3reeze of scienceF $o you ,onder his article 'ave me a turnG $o you ,onder it shoc!s me out of my madness 3ac! to the old dreams of my youthG Too lateF Too lateF But not too late to save othersF L= 'uess =<m ram3lin' a 3it no,A old man. .ou !no, 1 the hypodermic. = as!ed you ,hy you didn<t tum3le to the facts a3out 3lac! fever. 2o, could youA thou'hG $oesn<t 8iller say he<s cured seven cases ,ith his serumG A matter of dia'nosisA 6ames. 2e only thin!s it is 3lac! fever. = can read 3et,een his lines. 2ereA old chapA on pa'e 1A is the !ey to the ,hole thin'. :ead it a'ain.

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L.ou seeA don<t youG The fever cases from t"e ,acific Coast didn<t respond to his serum. They puzzled him. They didn<t even seem li!e any true fever he !ne,. WellA those ,ere my casesF Those ,ere the real 3lac! fever casesF And there can<t ever 3e an antito%in on earth that<ll cure 3lac! feverF L2o, do = !no,G Because black fe!er isn+t of t"is eart"C =t<s from some$"ere else& 6ames 1 and Surama alone !no,s ,hereA 3ecause he 3rou'ht it here. 2e broug"t it and I spread itC That<s the secretA 6amesF That<s all = ,anted the appointment for 1 t"at+s all I e!er did - Fust spread t"e fe!er t"at I carried in t"e gold syringe and in t"e deadlier finger-ringpump-syringe you see on my inde@ fingerC ScienceG A 3lindF = ,anted to !illA and !illA and !illF A sin'le pressure on my fin'erA and the 3lac! fever ,as inoculated. = ,anted to see livin' thin's ,rithe and sDuirmA scream and froth at the mouth. A sin'le pressure of the pump1syrin'e and = could ,atch them as they diedA and = couldn<t live or thin! unless = had plenty to ,atch. That<s ,hy = Ca33ed everythin' in si'ht ,ith the accursed hollo, needle. AnimalsA criminalsA childrenA servants 1 and the ne%t ,ould have 3een 1 L Clarendon<s voice 3ro!eA and he crumpled up percepti3ly in his chair. LThat 1 thatA 6ames 1 ,as 1 my life. Surama made it so 1 he tau'ht meA and !ept me at it till = couldn<t stop. Then 1 then it 'ot too much e!en for "im% 2e tried to chec! me. 4ancy 1 "e tryin' to chec! any3ody in that lineF But no, =<ve 'ot my last specimen. That is my last test. 7ood su3CectA 6ames 1 =<m healthy 1 devilish healthy. $euced ironicA thou'h 1 the madness has 'one no,A so there ,on<t 3e any fun ,atchin' the a'onyF Can<t he 1 can<t 1 L A violent shiver of fever rac!ed the doctorA and $alton mourned amidst his horror1 stupefaction that he could 'ive no 'rief. 2o, much of Alfred<s story ,as sheer nonsenseA and ho, much ni'htmare truth he could not sayB 3ut in any case he felt that the man ,as a victim rather than a criminalA and a3ove allA he ,as a 3oyhood comrade and 7eor'ina<s 3rother. Thou'hts of the old days came 3ac! !aleidoscopically. <5ittle Alf< 1 the yard at >hillips E%eter 1 the Duadran'le at Colum3ia 1 the fi'ht ,ith Tom Cortland ,hen he saved Alf from a pommelin'... 2e helped Clarendon to the loun'e and as!ed 'ently ,hat he could do. There ,as nothin'. Alfred could only ,hisper no,A 3ut he as!ed for'iveness for all his offencesA and commended his sister to the care of his friend. L.ou 1 you<ll 1 ma!e her happyAL he 'asped. LShe deserves it. 8artyr 1 to 1 a mythF 8a!e it up to herA 6ames. $on<t 1 let 1 her 1 !no, 1 more 1 than she has toFL 2is voice trailed off in a mum3leA and he fell into a stupor. $alton ran' the 3ellA 3ut 8ar'arita had 'one to 3edA so he called up the stairs for 7eor'ina. She ,as firm of stepA 3ut very pale. Alfred<s scream had tried her sorelyA 3ut she trusted 6ames. She trusted him still as he she,ed her the unconscious form on the loun'e and as!ed to her 'o 3ac! to her room and restA no matter ,hat sounds she mi'ht hear. 2e did not ,ish her to ,itness the spectacle of delirium certain to comeA 3ut 3ade her !iss her 3rother a final fare,ell as he lay there calm and stillA very li!e the delicate 3oy he had once 3een. So she left him 1 the stran'eA moonstruc!A star1readin' 'enius she had mothered so lon' 1 and the picture she carried a,ay ,as a very merciful one.

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$alton must 3ear to his 'rave a sterner picture. 2is fears of delirium ,ere not vainA and all throu'h the 3lac! midni'ht hours his 'iant stren'th restrained the fearful contortion of the mad sufferer. What he heard from those s,ollenA 3lac!enin' lips he ,ill never repeat. 2e has never 3een Duite the same man sinceA and he !no,s that no one ,ho hears such thin's can ever 3e ,holly as he ,as 3efore. SoA for the ,orld<s 'oodA he dares not spea!A and he than!s 7od that his layman<s i'norance of certain su3Cects ma!es many of the revelations cryptic and meanin'less to him. To,ard mornin' Clarendon suddenly ,o!e to a sane consciousness and 3e'an to spea! in a firm voice. L6amesA = didn<t tell you ,hat must 3e done 1 a3out everythin'. Blot out those entries in 7ree! and send my note3oo! to $r. 8iller. All my other notesA tooA that you<ll find in the files. 2e<s the 3i' authority today 1 his article proves it. .our friend at the clu3 ,as ri'ht. LBut everythin' in the clinic must 'o. !eryt"ing $it"out e@ception& dead or ali!e or ot"er$ise% All the pla'ues of hell are in those 3ottles on the shelves. Burn them 1 3urn it all 1 if one thin' escapesA Surama ,ill spread 3lac! death throu'hout the ,orld. And abo!e all burn SuramaC That 1 that t"ing 1 must not 3reathe the ,holesome air of heaven. .ou !no, no, 1 ,hat = told you 1 ,hy such an entity can<t 3e allo,ed on earth. =t ,on<t 3e murder 1 Surama isn<t human 1 if you<re as pious as you used to 3eA 6amesA = shan<t have to ur'e you. :emem3er the old te%t 1 <Thou shalt not suffer a ,itch to live< 1 or somethin' of the sort. )Burn "im& JamesC $on<t let him chuc!le a'ain over the torture of mortal fleshF = sayA burn "im 1 the ;emesis of 4lame 1 that<s all that can reach himA 6amesA unless you catch him asleep and drive a ,ooden sta!e throu'h his heart... 3ill "im - e@tirpate "im - cleanse t"e decent uni!erse of its primal taint - t"e taint I recalled from its age-long sleep%%% ) The doctor had risen on his el3o,A and his voice ,as a piercin' shrie! to,ard the last. The effort ,as too muchA ho,everA and he lapsed very suddenly into a deepA tranDuil coma. $altonA himself fearless of feverA since he !ne, the dread 'erm to 3e non1conta'iousA composed Alfred<s arms and le's on the loun'e and thre, a li'ht af'han over the fra'ile form. After allA mi'htn<t much of this horror 3e e%a''eration and deliriumG 8i'htn<t old $oc 8ac;eil pull him throu'h on a lon' chanceG The 'overnor strove to !eep a,a!eA and ,al!ed 3ris!ly up and do,n the roomA 3ut his ener'ies had 3een ta%ed too deeply for such measures. A second<s rest in the chair 3y the ta3le too! matters out of his handsA and he ,as presently sleepin' soundly despite his 3est intentions. $alton started up as a fierce li'ht shone in his eyesA and for a moment he thou'ht the da,n had come. But it ,as not the da,nA and as he ru33ed his heavy lids he sa, that it ,as the 'lare of the 3urnin' clinic in the yardA ,hose stout plan!s flamed and roared and crac!led heaven,ard in the most stupendous holocaust he had ever seen. =t ,as indeed the L;emesis of 4lameL that Clarendon had ,ishedA and $alton felt that some stran'e com3usti3les must 3e involved in a 3laze so much ,ilder than anythin' normal pine of red,ood could afford. 2e 'lanced alarmedly at the loun'eA 3ut Alfred ,as not there. Startin' upA he ,ent to call 7eor'inaA 3ut met her in the hallA roused as he ,as 3y the mountain of livin' fire. LThe clinic<s 3urnin' do,nFL she cried. L2o, is Al no,GL

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 5ast Test

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L2e<s disappeared 1 disappeared ,hile = dropped asleepFL replied $altonA reachin' out a steadyin' arm to the form ,hich faintness had 3e'un to s,ay. 7ently leadin' her upstairs to,ard her roomA he promised to search at once for AlfredA 3ut 7eor'ina slo,ly shoo! her head as the flames from outside cast a ,eird 'lo, throu'h the ,indo, on the landin'. L2e must 3e deadA 6ames 1 he could never liveA sane and !no,in' ,hat he did. = heard him Duarrellin' ,ith SuramaA and !no, that a,ful thin's ,ere 'oin' on. 2e is my 3rotherA 3ut 1 it is 3est as it is.L 2er voice had sun! to a ,hisper. Suddenly throu'h the open ,indo, came the sound of a deepA hideous chuc!leA and the flames of the 3urnin' clinic too! fresh contours till they half resem3led some namelessA Cyclopean creatures of ni'htmare. 6ames and 7eor'ina paused hesitantA and peered out 3reathlessly throu'h the landin' ,indo,. Then from the s!y came a thunderous pealA as a for!ed 3olt of li'htnin' shot do,n ,ith terri3le directness into the very midst of the 3lazin' ruin. The deep chuc!le ceasedA and in its place came a franticA ululant yelp of a thousand 'houls and ,ere,olves in torment. =t died a,ay ,ith lon'A rever3erant echoesA and slo,ly the flames resumed their normal shape. The ,atchers did not moveA 3ut ,aited till the pillar of fire had shrun! to a smoulderin' 'lo,. They ,ere 'lad of a half1rusticity ,hich had !ept the firemen from troopin' outA and of the ,all that e%cluded the curious. What had happened ,as not for vul'ar eyes 1 it involved too much of the universe<s inner secrets for that. =n the pale da,nA 6ames spo!e softly to 7eor'inaA ,ho could do no more than put her head on his 3reast and so3. LS,eetheartA = thin! he has atoned. 2e must have set the fireA you !no,A ,hile = ,as asleep. 2e told me it ou'ht to 3e 3urned 1 the clinicA and everythin' in itA SuramaA too. =t ,as the only ,ay to save the ,orld from the un!no,n horrors he had loosed upon it. 2e !ne,A and he did ,hat ,as 3est. L2e ,as a 'reat manA 7eor'ie. 5et<s never for'et that. We must al,ays 3e proud of himA for he started out to help man!indA and ,as titanic even in his sins. =<ll tell you more sometime. What he didA 3e it 'ood or evilA ,as ,hat no man ever did 3efore. 2e ,as the first and last to 3rea! throu'h certain veilsA and even Apollonius of Tyana ta!es second place 3eside him. But ,e mustn<t tal! a3out that. We must remem3er him only as the 5ittle Alf ,e !ne, 1 as the 3oy ,ho ,anted to master medicine and conDuer fever.L =n the afternoon the leisurely firemen overhauled the ruins and found t,o s!eletons ,ith 3its of 3lac!ened flesh adherin' 1 only t,oA than!s to the undistur3ed lime1pits. +ne ,as of a manB the other is still a su3Cect of de3ate amon' the 3iolo'ists of the coast. =t ,as not e%actly an ape<s or a saurian<s s!eletonA 3ut it had distur3in' su''estions of lines of evolution of ,hich palaeontolo'y has revealed no trace. The charred s!ullA oddly enou'hA ,as humanA and reminded people of SuramaA 3ut the rest of the 3ones ,ere 3eyond conCecture. +nly ,ell1cut clothin' could have made such a 3ody loo! li!e a man.

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But the human 3ones ,ere Clarendon<s. ;o one disputed thisA and the ,orld at lar'e still mourns the untimely death of the 'reatest doctor of his a'eB the 3acteriolo'ist ,hose universal fever serum ,ould have far eclipsed $r. 8iller<s !indred antito%in had he lived to 3rin' it to perfection. 8uch of 8iller<s late successA indeedA is credited to the notes 3eDueathed him 3y the hapless victim of the flames. +f the old rivalry and hatred almost none survivedA and even $r. Wilfred 6ones has 3een !no,n to 3oast of his association ,ith the vanished leader. 6ames $alton and his ,ife 7eor'ina have al,ays preserved a reticence ,hich modesty and family 'rief mi'ht ,ell account for. They pu3lished certain notes as a tri3ute to the 'reat man<s memoryA 3ut have never confirmed or contradicted either the popular estimate or the rare hints of marvels that a very fe, !een thin!ers have 3een to ,hisper. =t ,as very su3tly and slo,ly that the facts filtered out. $alton pro3a3ly 'ave $r. 8ac;eil an in!lin' of the truthA and that 'ood soul had not many secrets from his son. The $altons have ledA on the ,holeA a very happy lifeA for their cloud of terror lies far in the 3ac!'roundA and a stron' mutual love has !ept the ,orld fresh for them. But there are thin's ,hich distur3 them oddly 1 little thin'sA of ,hich one ,ould scarcely ever thin! of complainin'. They cannot 3ear persons ,ho are lean or deep1voiced 3eyond certain limitsA and 7eor'ina turns pale at the sound of any 'uttural chuc!lin'. Senator $alton has a mi%ed horror of occultismA travelA hypodermicsA and stran'e alpha3ets ,hich most find hard to unifyA and there are still those ,ho 3lame him for the vast proportion of the doctor<s li3rary that he destroyed ,ith such painsta!in' completeness. 8ac;eilA thou'hA seemed to realise. 2e ,as a simple manA and he said a prayer as the last of Alfred Clarendon<s stran'e 3oo!s crum3led to ashes. ;or ,ould anyone ,ho had peered understandin'ly ,ithin those 3oo!s ,ish a ,ord of that prayer unsaid.

The L%r+i#- Fe r
,. The Sh $o2 O# The Chim#e&
There ,as thunder in the air on the ni'ht = ,ent to the deserted mansion atop Tempest 8ountain to find the lur!in' fear. = ,as not aloneA for foolhardiness ,as not then mi%ed ,ith that love of the 'rotesDue and the terri3le ,hich has made my career a series of Duests for stran'e horrors in literature and in life. With me ,ere t,o faithful and muscular men for ,hom = had sent ,hen the time cameB men lon' associated ,ith me in my 'hastly e%plorations 3ecause of their peculiar fitness. We had started Duietly from the villa'e 3ecause of the reporters ,ho still lin'ered a3out after the eldritch panic of a month 3efore 1 the ni'htmare creepin' death. 5aterA = thou'htA they mi'ht aid meB 3ut = did not ,ant them then. Would to 7od = had let them share the searchA that = mi'ht not have had to 3ear the secret alone so lon'B to 3ear it alone for fear the ,orld ,ould call me mad or 'o mad itself at the demon implications of the thin'. ;o, that = am tellin' it any,ayA lest the 3roodin' ma!e me a maniacA = ,ish = had never concealed it. 4or =A and = onlyA !no, ,hat manner of fear lur!ed on that spectral and desolate mountain. =n a small motor1car ,e covered the miles of primeval forest and hill until the ,ooded ascent chec!ed it. The country 3ore an aspect more than usually sinister as ,e vie,ed it 3y ni'ht and ,ithout the accustomed cro,ds of investi'atorsA so that ,e ,ere often tempted to use the acetylene headli'ht despite the attention it mi'ht attract. =t ,as not a ,holesome landscape after dar!A and = 3elieve = ,ould have noticed its mor3idity even had = 3een i'norant of the terror that stal!ed there. +f ,ild creatures there ,ere none1they are ,ise ,hen death leers close. The ancient li'htnin'1scarred trees seemed unnaturally lar'e and t,istedA and the other ve'etation unnaturally thic! and feverishA ,hile curious mounds and hummoc!s in the ,eedyA ful'urite1pitted earth reminded me of sna!es and dead men<s s!ulls s,elled to 'i'antic proportions. 4ear had lur!ed on Tempest 8ountain for more than a century. This = learned at once from ne,spaper accounts of the catastrophe ,hich first 3rou'ht the re'ion to the ,orld<s notice. The place is a remoteA lonely elevation in that part of the Cats!ills ,here $utch civilization once fee3ly and transiently penetratedA leavin' 3ehind as it receded only a fe, mined mansions and a de'enerate sDuatter population inha3itin' pitiful hamlets on isolated slopes. ;ormal 3ein's seldom visited the locality till the state police ,ere formedA and even no, only infreDuent troopers patrol it. The fearA ho,everA is an old tradition throu'hout the nei'h3orin' villa'esB since it is a prime topic in the simple discourse of the poor mon'rels ,ho sometimes leave their valleys to trade hand,oven 3as!ets for such primitive necessities as theyA cannot shootA raiseA or ma!e. The lur!in' fear d,elt in the shunned and deserted 8artense mansionA ,hich cro,ned the hi'h 3ut 'radual eminence ,hose lia3ility to freDuent thunderstorms 'ave it the name of Tempest 8ountain. 4or over a hundred years the antiDueA 'rove1circled stone house had 3een the su3Cect of stories incredi3ly ,ild and monstrously hideousB stories of a silent

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colossal creepin' death ,hich stal!ed a3road in summer. With ,himperin' insistence the sDuatters told tales of a demon ,hich seized lone ,ayfarers after dar!A either carryin' them off or leavin' them in a fri'htful state of 'na,ed dismem3ermentB ,hile sometimes they ,hispered of 3lood trails to,ard the distant mansion. Some said the thunder called the lur!in' fear out of its ha3itationA ,hile others said the thunder ,as its voice. ;o one outside the 3ac!,oods had 3elieved these varyin' and conflictin' storiesA ,ith their incoherentA e%trava'ant descriptions of the hall1'limpsed fiendB yet not a farmer or villa'er dou3ted that the 8artense mansion ,as 'houlishly haunted. 5ocal history for3ade such a dou3tA althou'h no 'hostly evidence ,as ever found 3y such investi'ators as had visited the 3uildin' after some especially vivid tale of the sDuatters. 7randmothers told stran'e myths of the 8artense spectreB myths concernin' the 8artense family itselfA its Dueer hereditary dissimilarity of eyesA its lon'A unnatural annalsA and the murder ,hich had cursed it. The terror ,hich 3rou'ht me to the scene ,as a sudden and portentous confirmation of the mountaineers< ,ildest le'ends. +ne summer ni'htA after a thunderstorm of unprecedented violenceA the countryside ,as aroused 3y a sDuatter stampede ,hich no mere delusion could create. The pitiful thron's of natives shrie!ed and ,hined of the unnama3le horror ,hich had descended upon themA and they ,ere not dou3ted. They had not seen itA 3ut had heard such cries from one of their hamlets that they !ne, a creepin' death had come. =n the mornin' citizens and state troopers follo,ed the shudderin' mountaineers to the place ,here they said the death had come. $eath ,as indeed there. The 'round under one of the sDuatter<s villa'es had caved in after a li'htnin' stro!eA destroyin' several of the malodorous shantiesB 3ut upon this property dama'e ,as superimposed an or'anic devastation ,hich paled it to insi'nificance. +f a possi3le seventy1five natives ,ho had inha3ited this spotA not one livin' specimen ,as visi3le. The disordered earth ,as covered ,ith 3lood and human de3ris 3espea!in' too vividly the rava'es of demon teeth and talonsB yet no visi3le trail led a,ay from the carna'e. That some hideous animal must 3e the causeA everyone Duic!ly a'reedB nor did any ton'ue no, revive the char'e that such cryptic deaths formed merely the sordid murders common in decadent communities. That char'e ,as revived only ,hen a3out t,enty1five of the estimated population ,ere found missin' from the deadB and even then it ,as hard to e%plain the murder of fifty 3y half that num3er. But the fact remained that on a summer ni'ht a 3olt had come out of the heavens and left a dead villa'e ,hose corpses ,ere horri3ly man'ledA che,edA and cla,ed. The e%cited countryside immediately connected the horror ,ith the haunted 8artense mansionA thou'h the localities ,ere over three miles apart. The troopers ,ere more s!epticalB includin' the mansion only casually in their investi'ationsA and droppin' it alto'ether ,hen they found it thorou'hly deserted. Country and vrna'e peopleA ho,ever = canvassed the place ,ith infinite careB overturnin' everythin' in the houseA soundin' ponds and 3roo!sA 3eatin' do,n 3ushesA and ransac!in' the near3y forests. All ,as in vainB the death that had come had left no trace save destruction itself. By the second day of the search the affair ,as fully treated 3y the ne,spapersA ,hose reporters overran Tempest 8ountain. They descri3ed it in much detailA and ,ith many intervie,s to elucidate the horror<s history as told 3y local 'randams. = follo,ed the accounts lan'uidly at firstA for = am a connoisseur in horrorsB 3ut after a ,ee! = detected an

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atmosphere ,hich stirred me oddlyA so that on Au'ust thA 1)"1A = re'istered amon' the reporters ,ho cro,ded the hotel at 5efferts CornersA nearest villa'e to Tempest 8ountain and ac!no,led'ed headDuarters of the searchers. Three ,ee!s moreA and the dispersal of the reporters left me free to 3e'in a terri3le e%ploration 3ased on the minute inDuiries and surveyin' ,ith ,hich = had mean,hile 3usied myself. So on this summer ni'htA ,hile distant thunder rum3ledA = left a silent motor1car and tramped ,ith t,o armed companions up the last mound1covered reaches of Tempest 8ountainA castin' the 3eams of an electric torch on the spectral 'rey ,alls that 3e'an to appear throu'h 'iant oa!s ahead. =n this mor3id ni'ht solitude and fee3le shiftin' illuminationA the vast 3o%li!e pile displayed o3scure hints of terror ,hich day could not uncoverB yet = did not hesitateA since = had come ,ith fierce resolution to test an idea. = 3elieved that the thunder called the death1demon out of some fearsome secret placeB and 3e that demon solid entity or vaporous pestilenceA = meant to see it = had thorou'hly searched the ruin 3eforeA hence !ne, my plan ,ellB choosin' as the seat of my vi'il the old room of 6an 8artenseA ,hose murder looms so 'reat in the rural le'ends. = felt su3tly that the apartment of this ancient victim ,as 3est for my purposes. The cham3erA measurin' a3out t,enty feet sDuareA contained li!e the other rooms some ru33ish ,hich had once 3een furniture. =t lay on the second storyA on the southeast corner of the houseA and had an immense east ,indo, and narro, south ,indo,A 3oth devoid of panes or shutters. +pposite the lar'e ,indo, ,as <an enormous $utch fireplace ,ith scriptural tiles representin' the prodi'al sonA and opposite the narro, ,indo, ,as a spacious 3ed 3uilt into the ,all. As the tree1muffled thunder 're, louderA = arran'ed my plan<s details. 4irst = fastened side 3y side to the led'e of the lar'e ,indo, three rope ladders ,hich = had 3rou'ht ,ith me. = !ne, they reached a suita3le spot on the 'rass outsideA for = had tested them. Then the three of us dra''ed from another room a ,ide four1poster 3edsteadA cro,din' it laterally a'ainst the ,indo,. 2avin' stre,n it ,ith fir 3ou'hsA all no, rested on it ,ith dra,n automaticsA t,o rela%in' ,hile the third ,atched. 4rom ,hatever direction the demon mi'ht comeA our potential escape ,as provided. =f it came from ,ithin the houseA ,e had the ,indo, laddersB if from outside the door and the stairs. We did not thin!A Cud'in' from precedentA that it ,ould pursue us far even at ,orst. = ,atched from midni'ht to one o<cloc!A ,hen in spite of the sinister houseA the unprotected ,indo,A and the approachin' thunder and li'htnin'A = felt sin'ularly dro,sy. = ,as 3et,een my t,o companionsA 7eor'e Bennett 3ein' to,ard the ,indo, and William To3ey to,ard the fireplace. Bennett ,as asleepA havin' apparently felt the same anomalous dro,siness ,hich affected meA so = desi'nated To3ey for the ne%t ,atch althou'h even he ,as noddin'. =t is curious ho, intently = had 3een ,atchin' the fireplace. The increasin' thunder must have affected my dreamsA for in the 3rief time = slept there came to me apocalyptic visions. +nce = partly a,a!edA pro3a3ly 3ecause the sleeper to,ard the ,indo, had restlessly flun' an arm across my chest. = ,as not sufficiently a,a!e to see ,hether To3ey ,as attendin' to his duties as sentinelA 3ut felt a distinct an%iety on that score. ;ever 3efore had the presence of evil so poi'nantly oppressed me. 5ater = must have dropped asleep a'ainA for it ,as out of a phantasmal chaos that my mind leaped ,hen the ni'ht 're, hideous ,ith shrie!s 3eyond anythin' in my former e%perience or ima'ination.

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=n that shrie!in' the inmost soul of human fear and a'ony cla,ed hopelessly and insanely at the e3ony 'ates of o3livion. = a,o!e to red madness and the moc!ery of dia3olismA as farther and farther do,n inconceiva3le vistas that pho3ic and crystalline an'uish retreated and rever3erated. There ,asA no li'htA 3ut = !ne, from the empty space at my ri'ht that To3ey ,as 'oneA 7od alone !ne, ,hither. Across my chest still lay the heavy arm of the sleeper at my left. Then came the devastatin' stro!e of li'htnin' ,hich shoo! the ,hole mountainA lit the dar!est crypts of the hoary 'roveA and splintered the patriarch of the t,isted trees. =n the demon flash of a monstrous fire3all the sleeper started up suddenly ,hile the 'lare from 3eyond the ,indo, thre, his shado, vividly upon the chimney a3ove the fireplace from ,hich my eyes had never strayed. That = am still alive and saneA is a marvel = cannot fathom. = cannot fathom itA for the shado, on that chimney ,as not that of 7eor'e Bennett or of any other human creatureA 3ut a 3lasphemous a3normality from hell<s nethermost cratersB a namelessA shapeless a3omination ,hich no mind could fully 'rasp and no pen even partly descri3e. =n another second = ,as alone in the accursed mansionA shiverin' and 'i33erin'. 7eor'e Bennett and William To3ey had left no traceA not even of a stru''le. They ,ere never heard of a'ain.

,,. A P sser ,# The Storm

4or days after that hideous e%perience in the forest1s,athed mansion = lay nervously e%hausted in my hotel room at 5efferts Corners. = do not remem3er e%actly ho, = mana'ed to reach the motor1carA start itA and slip uno3served 3ac! to the villa'eB for = retain no distinct impression save of ,ild1armed titan treesA demoniac mutterin's of thunderA and Charonian shado,s ath,art the lo, mounds that dotted and strea!ed the re'ion. As = shivered and 3rooded on the castin' of that 3rain13lastin' shado,A = !ne, that = had at last pried out one of earth<s supreme horrors 1 one of those nameless 3li'hts of outer voids ,hose faint demon scratchin's ,e sometimes hear on the farthest rim of spaceA yet from ,hich our o,n finite vision has 'iven us a merciful immunity. The shado, = had seenA = hardly dared to analyse or identify. Somethin' had lain 3et,een me and the ,indo, that ni'htA 3ut = shuddered ,henever = could not cast off the instinct to classify it. =f it had only snarledA or 3ayedA or lau'hed titterin'ly1even that ,ould have relieved the a3ysmal hideousness. But it ,as so silent. =t had rested a heavy arm or forele' on my chest... +3viously it ,as or'anicA or had once 3een or'anic... 6an 8artenseA ,hose room = had invadedA ,as 3uried in the 'rave1yard near the mansion... = must find Bennett and To3eyA if they lived... ,hy had it pic!ed themA and left me for the lastG... $ro,siness is so stiflin'A and dreams are so horri3le... =n a short time = realised that = must tell my story to someone or 3rea! do,n completely. = had already decided not to a3andon the Duest for the lur!in' fearA for in my rash i'norance it seemed to me that uncertainty ,as ,orse than enli'htenmentA ho,ever terri3le the latter mi'ht prove to 3e. Accordin'ly = resolved in my mind the 3est course to pursueB ,hom to select for my confidencesA and ho, to trac! do,n the thin' ,hich had o3literated t,o men and cast a ni'htmare shado,.

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8y chief acDuaintances at 5efferts Corners had 3een the affa3le reportersA of ,hom several had still remained to collect final echoes of the tra'edy. =t ,as from these that = determined to choose a collea'ueA and the more = reflected the more my preference inclined to,ard one Arthur 8unroeA a <dar!A lean man of a3out thirty1fiveA ,hose educationA tasteA intelli'enceA and temperament all seemed to mar! him as one not 3ound to conventional ideas and e%periences. +n an afternoon in early Septem3erA Arthur 8unroe listened to my story. = sa, from the 3e'innin' that he ,as 3oth interested and sympatheticA and ,hen = had finished he analysed and discussed the thin' ,ith the 'reatest shre,dness and Cud'ement. 2is adviceA moreoverA ,as eminently practicalB for he recommended a postponement of operations at the 8artense mansion until ,e mi'ht 3ecome fortified ,ith more detailed historical and 'eo'raphical data. +n his initiative ,e com3ed the countryside for information re'ardin' the terri3le 8artense familyA and discovered a man ,ho possessed a marvelously illuminatin' ancestral diary. We also tal!ed at len'th ,ith such of the mountain mon'rels as had not fled from the terror and confusion to remoter slopesA and slope a'ain scanned for dens and cavesA 3ut all ,ithout result. And yetA as = have saidA va'ue ne, fears hovered menacin'ly overA usB as if 'iant 3at1,in'ed 'ryphons loo!ed on transcosmic 'ulfs. As the afternoon advancedA it 3ecame increasin'ly difficult to seeB and ,e heard the rum3le of a thunderstorm 'atherin' over Tempest 8ountain. This sound in such a locality naturally stirred usA thou'h less than it ,ould have done at ni'ht. As it ,asA ,e hoped desperately that the storm ,ould last until ,ell after dar!B and ,ith that hope turned from our aimless hillside searchin' to,ard the nearest inha3ited hamlet to 'ather a 3ody of sDuatters as helpers in the investi'ation. Timid as they ,ereA a fe, of the youn'er men ,ere sufficiently inspired 3y our protective leadership to promise such help. We had hardly more than turnedA ho,everA ,hen there descended such a 3lindin' sheet of torrential rain that shelter 3ecame imperative. The e%tremeA almost nocturnal dar!ness of the s!y caused us to stum3le 3adlyA 3ut 'uided 3y the freDuent flashes of li'htnin' and 3y our minute !no,led'e of the hamlet ,e soon reached the least porous ca3in of the lotB an hetero'eneous com3ination of lo's and 3oards ,hose still e%istin' door and sin'le tiny ,indo, 3oth faced 8aple 2ill. Barrin' the door after us a'ainst the fury of the ,ind and rainA ,e put in place the crude ,indo, shutter ,hich our freDuent searches had tau'ht us ,here to find. =t ,as dismal sittin' there on ric!ety 3o%es in the pitchy dar!nessA 3ut ,e smo!ed pipes and occasionally flashed our poc!et lamps a3out. ;o, and then ,e could see the li'htnin' throu'h crac!s in the ,allB the afternoon ,as so incredi3ly dar! that each flash ,as e%tremely vivid. The stormy vi'il reminded me shudderin'ly of my 'hastly ni'ht on Tempest 8ountain. 8y mind turned to that odd Duestion ,hich had !ept recurrin' ever since the ni'htmare thin' had happenedB and a'ain = ,ondered ,hy the demonA approachin' the three ,atchers either from the ,indo, or the interiorA had 3e'un ,ith the men on each side and left the middle man till the lastA ,hen the titan fire3all had scared it a,ay. Why had it not ta!en its victims in natural orderA ,ith myself secondA from ,hichever direction it had approachedG With ,hat manner of far1reachin' tentacles did it preyG +r did it !no, that = ,as the leaderA and saved me for a fate ,orse than that of my companionsG =n the midst of these reflectionsA as if dramatically arran'ed to intensify themA there fell near3y a terrific 3olt of li'htnin' follo,ed 3y the sound of slidin' earth. At the same time

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the ,olfish ,ind rose to demoniac crescendos of ululation. We ,ere sure that the one tree on 8aple 2ill had 3een struc! a'ainA and 8unroe rose from his 3o% and ,ent to the tiny ,indo, to ascertain the dama'e. When he too! do,n the shutter the ,indA and rain ho,led deafenin'ly inA so that = could not hear ,hat he saidB 3ut = ,aited ,hile he leaned out and tried to fathom ;ature<s pandemonium. 7radually a calmin' of the ,ind and dispersal of the unusual dar!ness told of the storm<s passin'. = had hoped it ,ould last into the ni'ht to help our DuestA 3ut a furtive sun3eam from a !nothole 3ehind me removed the li!elihood of such a thin'. Su''estin' to 8unroe that ,e had 3etter 'et some li'ht even if more sho,ers cameA = un3arred and opened the crude door. The 'round outside ,as a sin'ular mass of mud and poolsA ,ith fresh heaps of earth from the sli'ht landslideB 3ut = sa, nothin' to Custify the interest ,hich !ept my companion silently leanin' out the ,indo,. Crossin' to ,here he leanedA = touched his shoulderB 3ut he did not move. ThenA as = playfully shoo! him and turned him aroundA = felt the stran'lin' tendrils of a cancerous horror ,hose roots reached into illimita3le pasts and fathomless a3ysms of the ni'ht that 3roods 3eyond time. 4or Arthur 8unroe ,as dead. And on ,hat remained of his che,ed and 'ou'ed head there ,as no lon'er a face.

,,,. Wh t The Re$ )l re Me #t

+n the tempest1rac!ed ni'ht of ;ovem3er 8A 1)"1A ,ith a lantern ,hich cast charnel shado,sA = stood di''in' alone and idiotically in the 'rave of 6an 8artense. = had 3e'un to di' in the afternoonA 3ecause a thunderstorm ,as 3re,in'A and no, that it ,as dar! and the storm had 3urst a3ove the maniacally thic! folia'e = ,as 'lad. = 3elieve that my mind ,as partly unhin'ed 3y events since Au'ust thB the demon shado, in the mansion the 'eneral strain and disappointmentA and the thin' that occurred at the hamlet in an +cto3er storm. After that thin' = had du' a 'rave for one ,hose death = could not understand. = !ne, that others could not understand eitherA so let them thin! Arthur 8unroe had ,andered a,ay. They searchedA 3ut found nothin'. The sDuatters mi'ht have understoodA hut = dared not fri'hten them more. = myself seemed stran'ely callous. That shoc! at the mansion had done somethin' to my 3rainA and = could thin! only of the Duest for a horror no, 'ro,n to cataclysmic stature in my ima'inationB a Duest ,hich the fate of Arthur 8unroe made me vo, to !eep silent and solitary. The scene of my e%cavations ,ould alone have 3een enou'h to unnerve any ordinary man. Baleful primal trees of unholy sizeA a'eA and 'rotesDueness leered a3ove me li!e the pillars of some hellish $ruidic templeB mufflin' the thunderA hushin' the cla,in' ,indA and admittin' 3ut little rain. Beyond the scarred trun!s in the 3ac!'roundA illumined 3y faint flashes of filtered li'htnin'A rose the damp ivied stones of the deserted mansionA ,hile some,hat nearer ,as the a3andoned $utch 'arden ,hose ,al!s and 3eds ,ere polluted 3y a ,hiteA fun'ousA foetidA over1nourished ve'etation that never sa, full dayli'ht. And nearest of all ,as the 'raveyardA ,here deformed trees tossed insane 3ranches as their roots displaced unhallo,ed sla3s and suc!ed venom from ,hat lay 3elo,. ;o, and thenA 3eneath the 3ro,n pall of leaves that rotted and festered in the antediluvian forest

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dar!nessA = could trace the sinister outlines of some of those lo, mounds ,hich characterized the li'htnin'1pierced re'ion. 2istory had led me to this archaic 'rave. 2istoryA indeedA ,as all = had after everythin' else ended in moc!in' Satanism.. = no, 3elieved that the lur!in' fear ,as no material 3ein'A 3ut a ,olf1fan'ed 'host that rode the midni'ht li'htnin'. And = 3elievedA 3ecause of the masses of local tradition = had unearthed in search ,ith Arthur 8unroeA that the 'host ,as that of 6an 8artenseA ,ho died in 17-". This is ,hy = ,as di''in' idiotically in his 'rave. The 8artense mansion ,as 3uilt in 1-7* 3y 7errit 8artenseA a ,ealthy ;e,1 Amsterdam merchant ,ho disli!ed the chan'in' order under British ruleA and had constructed this ma'nificent domicile on a remote ,oodland summit ,hose untrodden solitude and unusual scenery pleased him. The only su3stantial disappointment encountered in this site ,as that ,hich concerned the prevalence of violent thunderstorms in summer. When selectin' the hill and 3uildin' his mansionA 8ynheer 8artense had laid these freDuent natural out3ursts to some peculiarity of the yearB 3ut in time he perceived that the locality ,as especially lia3le to such phenomena. At len'thA havin' found these storms inCurious to his headA he fitted up a cellar into ,hich he could retreat from their ,ildest pandemonium. +f 7errit 8artense<s descendants less is !no,n than of himselfB since they ,ere all reared in hatred of the En'lish civilisationA and trained to shun such of the colonists as accepted it. Their life ,as e%ceedin'ly secludedA and people declared that their isolation had made them heavy of speech and comprehension. =n appearance all ,ere mar!ed 3y a peculiar inherited dissimilarity of eyesB one 'enerally 3ein' 3lue and the other 3ro,n. Their social contacts 're, fe,er and fe,erA till at last they too! to intermarryin' ,ith the numerous menial class a3out the estate. 8any of the cro,ded family de'eneratedA moved across the valleyA and mer'ed ,ith the mon'rel population ,hich ,as later to produce the pitiful sDuatters. The rest had stuc! sullenly to their ancestral mansionA 3ecomin' more and more clannish and taciturnA yet developin' a nervous responsiveness to the freDuent thunderstorms. 8ost of this information reached the outside ,orld throu'h youn' 6an 8artenseA ,ho from some !ind of restlessness Coined the colonial army ,hen ne,s of the Al3any Convention reached Tempest 8ountain. 2e ,as the first of 7errit<s descendants to see much of the ,orldB and ,hen he returned in 17-* after si% years of campai'nin'A he ,as hated as an outsider 3y his fatherA unclesA and 3rothersA in spite of his dissimilar 8artense eyes. ;o lon'er could he share the peculiarities and preCudices of the 8artensesA ,hile the very mountain thunderstorms failed to into%icate him as they had 3efore. =nsteadA his surroundin's depressed himB and he freDuently ,rote to a friend in Al3any of plans to leave the paternal roof. =n the sprin' of 17-& 6onathan 7iffordA the Al3any friend of 6an 8artenseA 3ecame ,orried 3y his correspondent<s silenceB especially in vie, of the conditions and Duarrels at the 8artense mansion. $etermined to visit 6an in personA he ,ent into the mountains on horse3ac!. 2is diary states that he reached Tempest 8ountain on Septem3er "*A findin' the mansion in 'reat decrepitude. The sullenA odd1eyed 8artensesA ,hose unclean animal aspect shoc!ed himA told him in 3ro!en 'utterals that 6an ,as dead. 2e hadA they insistedA 3een struc! 3y li'htnin' the autumn 3eforeB and no, lay 3uried 3ehind the ne'lected

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sun!en 'ardens. They sho,ed the visitor the 'raveA 3arren and devoid of mar!ers. Somethin' in the 8artenses< manner 'ave 7ifford a feelin' of repulsion and suspicionA and a ,ee! later he returned< ,ith spade and mattoc! to e%plore the sepulchral spot. 2e found ,hat he e%pected 1 a s!ull crushed cruelly as if 3y sava'e 3lo,s 1 so returnin' to Al3any he openly char'ed the 8artenses ,ith the murder of their !insman. 5e'al evidence ,as lac!in'A 3ut the story spread rapidly round the countrysideB and from that time the 8artenses ,ere ostracised 3y the ,orld. ;o one ,ould deal ,ith themA and their distant manor ,as shunned as an accursed place. Some ho, they mana'ed to live on independently 3y the product of their estateA for occasional li'hts 'limpsed from far1 a,ay hills attested their continued presence. These li'hts ,ere seen as late as 181*A 3ut to,ard the last they 3ecame very infreDuent. 8ean,hile there 're, up a3out the mansion and the mountain a 3ody of dia3olic le'endry. The place ,as avoided ,ith dou3led assiduousnessA and invested ,ith every ,hispered myth tradition could supply. =t remained unvisited till 181-A ,hen the continued a3sence of li'hts ,as noticed 3y the sDuatters. At that time a party made investi'ationsA findin' the house deserted and partly m ruins. There ,ere no s!eletons a3outA so that departure rather than death ,as inferred. The clan seemed to have left several years 3eforeA and improvised penthouses sho,ed ho, numerous it had 'ro,n prior to its mi'ration. =ts cultural level had fallen very lo,A as proved 3y decayin' furniture and scattered silver,are ,hich must have 3een lon' a3andoned ,hen its o,ners left. But thou'h the dreaded 8artenses ,ere 'oneA the fear of the haunted house continuedB and 're, very acute ,hen ne, and stran'e stories arose amon' the mountain decadents. There it stoodB desertedA fearedA and lin!ed ,ith the ven'eful 'host of 6an 8artense. There it still stood on the ni'ht = du' in 6an 8artense<s 'rave. = have descri3ed my protracted di''in' as idioticA and such =t indeed ,as in o3Cect and method. The coffin of 6an 8artense had soon 3een unearthed1it no, held only dust and nitre 1 3ut in my fury to e%hume his 'host = delved irrationally and clumsily do,n 3eneath ,here he had lain. 7od !no,s ,hat = e%pected to find1= only felt that = ,as di''in' in the 'rave of a man ,hose 'host stal!ed 3y ni'ht. =t is impossi3le to say ,hat monstrous depth = had attained ,hen my spadeA and soon my feetA 3ro!e throu'h the 'round 3eneath. The eventA under the circumstancesA ,as tremendousB for in the e%istence of a su3terranean space hereA my mad theories had terri3le confirmation. 8y sli'ht fall had e%tin'uished the lanternA 3ut = produced an electric poc!et lamp and vie,ed the small horizontal tunnel ,hich led a,ay indefinitely in 3oth directions. =t ,as amply lar'e enou'h for a man to ,ri''le throu'hB and thou'h no sane person ,ould have tried at that timeA = for'ot dan'erA reasonA and cleanliness in my sin'le1 minded fever to unearth the lur!in' fear. Choosin' the direction to,ard the houseA = scram3led rec!lessly into the narro, 3urro,B sDuirmin' ahead 3lindly and rapidlyA and flashin' 3ut seldom the lamp = !ept 3efore me. What lan'ua'e can descri3e the spectacle of a man lost in infinitely a3ysmal earthB pa,in'A t,istin'A ,heezin'B scram3lin' madly throu'h sun!en 1convolutions of immemorial 3lac!ness ,ithout an idea of timeA safetyA directionA or definite o3CectG There is somethin' hideous in itA 3ut that is ,hat = did. = did it for so lon' that life faded to a far

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memoryA and = 3ecame one ,ith the moles and 'ru3s of ni'hted depths. =ndeedA it ,as only 3y accident that after intermina3le ,rithin's = Carred my for'otten electric lamp ali'htA so that it shone eerily alon' the 3urro, of ca!ed loam that stretched and curved ahead. = had 3een scram3lin' in this ,ay for some timeA so that my 3attery had 3urned very lo,A ,hen the passa'e suddenly inclined sharply up,ardA alterin' my mode of pro'ress. And as = raised my 'lance it ,as ,ithout preparation that = sa, 'listenin' in the distance t,o demoniac reflections of my e%pirin' lampB t,o reflections 'lo,in' ,ith a 3aneful and unmista!a3le efful'enceA and provo!in' maddenin'ly ne3ulous memories. = stopped automaticallyA thou'h lac!in' the 3rain to retreat. The eyes approachedA yet of the thin' that 3ore them = could distin'uish only a cla,. But ,hat a cla,F Then far overhead = heard a faint crashin' ,hich = reco'nized. =t ,as the ,ild thunder of the mountainA raised to hysteric fury 1 = must have 3een cra,lin' up,ard for some timeA so that the surface ,as no, Duite near. And as the muffled thunder clatteredA those eyes still stared ,ith vacuous viciousness. Than! 7od = did not then !no, ,hat it ,asA else = should have died. But = ,as saved 3y the very thunder that had summoned itA for after a hideous ,ait there 3urst from the unseen outside s!y one of those freDuent mountain,ard 3olts ,hose aftermath = had noticed here and there as 'ashes of distur3ed earth and ful'urites of various sizes. With Cyclopean ra'e it tore throu'h the soil a3ove that damna3le pitA 3lindin' and deafenin' meA yet not ,holly reducin' me to a coma. =n the chaos of slidin'A shiftin' earth = cla,ed and floundered helplessly till the rain on my head steadied me and = sa, that = had come to the surface in a familiar spotB a steep unforested place on the south,est slope of the mountain. :ecurrent sheet li'htnin's illumed the tum3led 'round and the remains of the curious lo, hummoc! ,hich had stretched do,n from the ,ooded hi'her slopeA 3ut there ,as nothin' in the chaos to sho, my place of e'ress from the lethal catacom3. 8y 3rain ,as as 'reat a chaos as the earthA and as a distant red 'lare 3urst on the landscape from the south = hardly realised the horror = had 3een throu'h. But ,hen t,o days later the sDuatters told me ,hat the red 'lare meantA = felt more horror than that ,hich the mould13urro, and the cla, and eyes had 'ivenB more horror 3ecause of the over,helmin' implications. =n a hamlet t,enty miles a,ay an or'y of fear had follo,ed the 3olt ,hich 3rou'ht me a3ove 'roundA and a nameless thin' had dropped from an overhan'in' tree into a ,ea!1roofed ca3in. =t had done a deedA 3ut the sDuatters had fired the ca3in in frenzy 3efore it could escape. =t had 3een doin' that deed at the very moment the earth caved in on the thin' ,ith the cla, and eyes.

,V. The Horror ,# The E&es

There can 3e nothin' normal in the mind of one ,hoA !no,in' ,hat = !ne, of the horrors of Tempest 8ountainA ,ould see! alone for the fear that lur!ed there. That at least t,o of the fear<s em3odiments ,ere destroyedA formed 3ut a sli'ht 'uarantee of mental and physical safety in this Acheron of multiform dia3olismB yet = continued my Duest ,ith even 'reater zeal as events and revelations 3ecame more monstrous. WhenA t,o days after my fri'htful cra,l throu'h that crypt of the eyes and cla,A = learned that a thin' had mali'nly hovered t,enty miles a,ay at the same instant the eyes ,ere 'larin' at meA = e%perienced virtual convulsions of fri'ht. But that fri'ht ,as so mi%ed ,ith ,onder and allurin'

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#)

'rotesDuenessA that it ,as almost a pleasant sensation. SometimesA in the throes of a ni'htmare ,hen unseen po,ers ,hirl one over the roofs of stran'e dead cities to,ard the 'rinnin' chasm of ;isA it is a relief and even a deli'ht to shrie! ,ildly and thro, oneself voluntarily alon' ,ith the hideous vorte% of dream1doom into ,hatever 3ottomless 'ulf may ya,n. And so it ,as ,ith the ,al!in' ni'htmare of Tempest 8ountainB the discovery that t,o monsters had haunted the spot 'ave me ultimately a mad cravin' to plun'e into the very earth of the accursed re'ionA and ,ith 3are hands di' out the death that leered from every inch of the poisonous soil. As soon as possi3le = visited the 'rave of 6an 8artense and du' vainly ,here = had du' 3efore. Some e%tensive cave1in had o3literated all trace of the under'round passa'eA ,hile the rain had ,ashed so much earth 3ac! into the e%cavation that = could not tell ho, deeply = had du' that other day. = li!e,ise made a difficult trip to the distant hamlet ,here the death1creature had 3een 3urntA and ,as little repaid for my trou3le. =n the ashes of the fateful ca3in = found several 3onesA 3ut apparently none of the monster<s. The sDuatters said the thin' had had only one victimB 3ut in this = Cud'ed them inaccurateA since 3esides the complete s!ull of a human 3ein'A there ,as another 3ony fra'ment ,hich seemed certainly to have 3elon'ed to a human s!ull at some time. Thou'h the rapid drop of the monster had 3een seenA no one could say Cust ,hat the creature ,as li!eB those ,ho had 'limpsed it called it simply a devil. E%aminin' the 'reat tree ,here it had lur!edA = could discern no distinctive mar!s. = tried to find some trail into the 3lac! forestA 3ut on this occasion could not stand the si'ht of those mor3idly lar'e 3olesA or of those vast serpent1li!e roots that t,isted so malevolently 3efore they san! into the earth. 8y ne%t step ,as to ree%amine ,ith microscopic care the deserted hamlet ,here death had come most a3undantlyA and ,here Arthur 18unroe had seen somethin' he never lived to descri3e. Thou'h my vain previous searches had 3een e%ceedin'ly minuteA = no, had ne, data to testB for my horri3le 'rave1cra,l convinced me that at least one of the phases of the monstrosity had 3een an under'round creature. This timeA on the 1#th of ;ovem3erA my Duest concerned itself mostly ,ith the slopes of Cone 8ountain and 8aple 2ill ,here they overloo! the unfortunate hamletA and = 'ave particular attention to the loose earth of the landslide re'ion on the latter eminence. The afternoon of my search 3rou'ht nothin' to li'htA and dus! came as = stood on 8aple 2ill loo!in' do,n at the hamlet and across the valley to Tempest 8ountain. There had 3een a 'or'eous sunsetA and no, the moon came upA nearly full and sheddin' a silver flood over the plainA the distant mountainsideA and the curious lo, mounds that rose here and there. =t ,as a peaceful Arcadian sceneA 3ut !no,in' ,hat it hid = hated it. = hated the moc!in' moonA the hypocritical plainA the festerin' mountainA and those sinister mounds. Everythin' seemed to me tainted ,ith a loathsome conta'ionA and inspired 3y a no%ious alliance ,ith distorted hidden po,ers. >resentlyA as = 'azed a3stractedly at the moonlit panoramaA my eye 3ecame attracted 3y somethin' sin'ular in the nature and arran'ement of a certain topo'raphical element. Without havin' any e%act !no,led'e of 'eolo'yA = had from the first 3een interested in the odd mounds and hummoc!s of the re'ion. = had noticed that they ,ere pretty ,idely distri3uted around Tempest 8ountainA thou'h less numerous on the plain than near the hilltop itselfA ,here prehistoric 'laciation had dou3tless found fee3ler opposition to its stri!in' and fantastic caprices. ;o,A in the li'ht of that lo, moon ,hich cast lon' ,eird shado,sA it struc! me forci3ly that the various points and lines of the mound system had a

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peculiar relation to the summit of Tempest 8ountain. That summit ,as undenia3ly a centre from ,hich the lines or ro,s of points radiated indefinitely and irre'ularlyA as if the un,holesome 8artense mansion had thro,n visi3le tentacles of terror. The idea of such tentacles 'ave me an une%plained thrillA and = stopped to analyse my reason for 3elievin' these mounds 'lacial phenomena. The more = analysed the less = 3elievedA and a'ainst my ne,ly opened mind there 3e'an to 3eat 'rotesDue and horri3le analo'ies 3ased on superficial aspects and upon my e%perience 3eneath the earth. Before = !ne, it = ,as utterin' frenzied and disCointed ,ords to myselfB L8y 7odF... 8olehills... the damned place must 3e honeycom3ed... ho, many... that ni'ht at the mansion... they too! Bennett and To3ey first... on each side of us...L Then = ,as di''in' frantically into the mound ,hich had stretched nearest meB di''in' desperatelyA shiverin'lyA 3ut almost Cu3ilantlyB di''in' and at last shrie!in' aloud ,ith some unplaced emotion as = came upon a tunnel or 3urro, Cust li!e the one throu'h ,hich = had cra,led on the other demoniac ni'ht. After that = recall runnin'A spade in handB a hideous run across moon1littenA mound1 mar!ed meado,s and throu'h diseasedA precipitous a3ysses of haunted hillside forestB leapin' screamin'A pantin'A 3oundin' to,ard the terri3le 8artense mansion. = recall di''in' unreasona3ly in all parts of the 3rier1cho!ed cellarB di''in' to find the core and centre of that mali'nant universe of mounds. And then = recall ho, = lau'hed ,hen = stum3led on the passa'e,ayB the hole at the 3ase of the old chimneyA ,here the thic! ,eeds 're, and cast Dueer shado,s in the li'ht of the lone candle = had happened to have ,ith me. What still remained do,n in that hell1hiveA lur!in' and ,aitin' for the thunder to arouse itA = did not !no,. T,o had 3een !illedB perhaps that had finished it. But still there remained that 3urnin' determination to reach the innermost secret of the fearA ,hich = had once more come to deem definiteA materialA and or'anic. 8y indecisive speculation ,hether to e%plore the passa'e alone and immediately ,ith my poc!et1li'ht or to try to assem3le a 3and of sDuatters for the DuestA ,as interrupted after a time 3y a sudden rush of ,ind from the outside ,hich 3le, out the candle and left me in star! 3lac!ness. The moon no lon'er shone throu'h the chin!s and apertures a3ove meA and ,ith a sense of fateful alarm = heard the sinister and si'nificant rum3le of approachin' thunder. A confusion of associated ideas possessed my 3rainA leadin' me to 'rope 3ac! to,ard the farthest corner of the cellar. 8y eyesA ho,everA never turned a,ay from the horri3le openin' at the 3ase of the chimneyB and = 3e'an to 'et 'limpses of the crum3lin' 3ric!s and unhealthy ,eeds as faint 'lo,s of li'htnin' penetrated the ,eeds outside and illumined the chin!s in the upper ,all. Every second = ,as consumed ,ith a mi%ture of fear and curiosity. What ,ould the storm call forth1or ,as there anythin' left for it to callG 7uided 3y a li'htnin' flash = settled myself do,n 3ehind a dense clump of ve'etationA throu'h ,hich = could see the openin' ,ithout 3ein' seen. =f heaven is mercifulA it ,ill some day efface from my consciousness the si'ht that = sa,A and let me live my last years in peace. = cannot sleep at ni'ht no,A and have to ta!e opiates ,hen it thunders. The thin' came a3ruptly and unannouncedB a demonA ratli!e scurryin' from pits remote and unima'ina3leA a hellish pantin' and stifled 'runtin'A and then from that openin' 3eneath the chimney a 3urst of multitudinous and leprous life 1 a loathsome ni'ht1spa,ned flood of or'anic corruption more devastatin'ly hideous than the 3lac!est conCurations of mortal madness and mor3idity. Seethin'A ste,in'A sur'in'A 3u33lin' li!e serpents< slime it rolled up and out of that ya,nin' holeA spreadin' li!e a

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septic conta'ion and streamin' from the cellar at every point of e'ress 1 streamin' out to scatter throu'h the accursed midni'ht forests and stre, fearA madnessA and death. 7od !no,s ho, many there ,ere 1 there must have 3een thousands. To see the stream of them in that faint intermittent li'htnin' ,as shoc!in'. When they had thinned out enou'h to 3e 'limpsed as separate or'anismsA = sa, that they ,ere d,arfedA deformed hairy devils or apes1monstrous and dia3olic caricatures of the mon!ey tri3e. They ,ere so hideously silentB there ,as hardly a sDueal ,hen one of the last stra''lers turned ,ith the s!ill of lon' practice to ma!e a meal in accustomed fashion on a ,ea!er companion. *thers snapped up ,hat it left and ate ,ith slaverin' relish. ThenA in spite of my daze of fri'ht and dis'ustA my mor3id curiosity triumphedB and as the last of the monstrosities oozed up alone from that nether ,orld of un!no,n ni'htmareA = dre, my automatic pistol and shot it under cover of the thunder. Shrie!in'A slitherin'A torrential shado,s of red viscous madness chasin' one another throu'h endlessA ensan'uined condors of purple ful'urous s!y... formless phantasms and !aleidoscopic mutations of a 'houlishA remem3ered sceneB forests of monstrous over1 nourished oa!s ,ith serpent roots t,istin' and suc!in' unnama3le Cuices from an earth verminous ,ith millions of canni3al devilsB mound1li!e tentacles 'ropin' from under'round nuclei of polypous perversion... insane li'htnin' over mali'nant ivied ,alls and demon arcades cho!ed ,ith fun'ous ve'etation... 2eaven 3e than!ed for the instinct ,hich led me unconscious to places ,here men d,ellB to the peaceful villa'e that slept under the calm stars of clearin' s!ies. = had recovered enou'h in a ,ee! to send to Al3any for a 'an' of men to 3lo, up the 8artense mansion and the entire top of Tempest 8ountain ,ith dynamiteA stop up all the discovera3le mound13urro,sA and destroy certain over1nourished trees ,hose very e%istence seemed an insult to sanity. = could sleep a little after they had done thisA 3ut true rest ,ill never come as lon' as = remem3er that nameless secret of the lur!in' fear. The thin' ,ill haunt meA for ,ho can say the e%termination is completeA and that analo'ous phenomena do not e%ist all over the ,orldG Who canA ,ith my !no,led'eA thin! of the earth<s un!no,n caverns ,ithout a ni'htmare dread of future possi3ilitiesG = cannot see a ,ell or a su3,ay entrance ,ithout shudderin'... ,hy cannot the doctors 'ive me somethin' to ma!e me sleepA or truly calm my 3rain ,hen it thundersG What = sa, in the 'lo, of flashli'ht after = shot the unspea!a3le stra''lin' o3Cect ,as so simple that almost a minute elapsed 3efore = understood and ,ent delirious. The o3Cect ,as nauseousB a filthy ,hitish 'orilla thin' ,ith sharp yello, fan's and matted fur. =t ,as the ultimate product of mammalian de'enerationB the fri'htful outcome of isolated spa,nin'A multiplicationA and canni3al nutrition a3ove and 3elo, the 'roundB the em3odiment of all the snarlin' and chaos and 'rinnin' fear that lur! 3ehind life. =t had loo!ed at me as it diedA and its eyes had the same odd Duality that mar!ed those other eyes ,hich had stared at me under'round and e%cited cloudy recollections. +ne eye ,as 3lueA the other 3ro,n. They ,ere the dissimilar 8artense eyes of the old le'endsA and = !ne, in one inundatin' cataclysm of voiceless horror ,hat had 3ecome of that vanished familyB the terri3le and thunder1crazed house of 8artense.

The M # o! Sto#e
Ben 2ayden ,as al,ays a stu33orn chapA and once he had heard a3out those stran'e statues in the upper Adirondac!sA nothin' could !eep him from 'oin' to see them. = had 3een his closest acDuaintance for yearsA and our $amon and >ythias friendship made us insepara3le at all times. So ,hen Ben finally decided to 'o 1 ,ellA = had to trot alon' tooA li!e a faithful collie. L6ac!AL he saidA Lyou !no, 2enry 6ac!sonA ,ho ,as up in a shac! 3eyond 5a!e >lacid for that 3eastly spot in his lun'G WellA he came 3ac! the other day nearly curedA 3ut had a lot to say a3out some devilish Dueer conditions up there. 2e ran into the 3usiness all of a sudden and can<t 3e sure yet that it<s anythin' more than a case of 3izarre sculptureB 3ut Cust the same his uneasy impression stic!s. L=t seems he ,as out huntin' one dayA and came across a cave ,ith ,hat loo!ed li!e a do' in front of it. 6ust as he ,as e%pectin' the do' to 3ar! he loo!ed a'ainA and sa, the thin' ,asn<t alive at all. =t ,as a stone do' 1 such a perfect ima'eA do,n to the smallest ,his!erA that he couldn<t decide ,hether it ,as a supernaturally clever statue or a petrified animal. 2e ,as almost afraid to touch itA 3ut ,hen he did he realized it ,as surely made of stone. LAfter a ,hile he nerved himself up to 'o into the cave 1 and there he 'ot a still 3i''er Colt. +nly a little ,ay in there ,as another stone fi'ure 1 or ,hat loo!ed li!e it 1 3ut this time it ,as a man<s. =t lay on the floorA on its sideA ,ore clothesA and had a peculiar smile on its face. This time 2enry didn<t stop to do any touchin'A 3ut 3eat it strai'ht to the villa'eA 8ountain TopA you !no,. +f course he as!ed Duestions 1 3ut they did not 'et him very far. 2e found he ,as on a tic!lish su3CectA for the natives only shoo! their headsA crossed their fin'ersA and muttered somethin' a3out a <8ad $an< 1 ,hoever he ,as. L=t ,as too much for 6ac!sonA so he came home ,ee!s ahead of his planned time. 2e told me all a3out it 3ecause he !no,s ho, fond = am of stran'e thin's 1 and oddly enou'hA = ,as a3le to fish up a recollection that dovetailed pretty neatly ,ith his yarn. $o you remem3er Arthur WheelerA the sculptor ,ho ,as such a realist that people 3e'an callin' him nothin' 3ut a solid photo'rapherG = thin! you !ne, him sli'htly. WellA as a matter of factA he ended up in that part of the Adirondac!s himself. Spent a lot of time thereA and then dropped out of si'ht. ;ever heard from a'ain. ;o, if stone statues that loo! li!e men and do's are turnin' up around thereA it loo!s to me as if they mi'ht 3e his ,or! 1 no matter ,hat the rustics sayA or refuse to sayA a3out them. +f course a fello, ,ith 6ac!son<s nerves mi'ht easily 'et fli'hty and distur3ed over thin's li!e thatB 3ut =<d have done a lot of e%aminin' 3efore runnin' a,ay. L=n factA 6ac!A =<m 'oin' up there no, to loo! thin's over 1 and you<re comin' alon' ,ith me. =t ,ould mean a lot to find Wheeler 1 or any of his ,or!. Anyho,A the mountain air ,ill 3race us 3oth up.L So less then a ,ee! laterA after a lon' train ride and a Coltin' 3us trip throu'h 3reathlessly e%Duisite sceneryA ,e arrived at 8ountain Top in the lateA 'olden sunli'ht of a 6une evenin'. The villa'e comprised only a fe, small housesA a hotelA and the 'eneral store

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The 8an of Stone

&

at ,hich our 3us dre, upB 3ut ,e !ne, that the latter ,ould pro3a3ly prove a focus for such information. Surely enou'hA the usual 'roup of idlers ,as 'athered around the stepsB and ,hen ,e represented ourselves as health1see!ers in search of lod'in's they had many recommendations to offer. Thou'h ,e had not planned to do any investi'atin' till the ne%t dayA Ben could not resist venturin' some va'ueA cautious Duestions ,hen he noticed the senile 'arrulousness of one of the ill1clad loafers. 2e feltA from 6ac!son<s previous e%perienceA that it ,ould 3e useless to 3e'in ,ith references to the Dueer statuesB 3ut decided to mention Wheeler as one ,hom ,e had !no,nA and in ,hose fate ,e conseDuently had a ri'ht to 3e interested. The cro,d seemed uneasy ,hen Sam stopped his ,hittlin' and started tal!in'A 3ut they had sli'ht occasion for alarm. Even this 3arefoot old mountain decadent ti'htened up ,hen he heard Wheeler<s nameA and only ,ith difficulty could Ben 'et anythin' coherent out of him. LWheelerGL he had finally ,heezed. L+hA yeh 1 that feller as ,as all the time 3lastin< roc!s and cuttin< <em up into statues. So ye, !no,ed himA heyG WalA they ain<t much ,e !in tell yeA and me33e that<s too much. 2e stayed out to 8ad $an<s ca3in in the hills 1 3ut not so very lon'. 7ot so he ,a<nt ,anted around no more...3y $anA that is. 0inder soft1 spo!en and 'ot around $an<s ,ife till the old devil too! notice. >retty s,eet on herA = 'uess. But he too! the trail suddenA and no3ody<s seen hide nor hair of him since. $an must a told him sumthin< pretty plain 1 3ad feller to 'et a'in yeA $an isF Better !eep a,ay from tharA 3oysA for they ain<t no 'ood in that part of the hills. $an<s 3en ,or!in< up a ,orse and ,orse moodA and ain<t seen a3out no more. ;or his ,ifeA neither. 7uess he<s penned her up so<s no3ody else !in ma!e eyes at herFL As Sam resumed his ,hittlin' after a fe, more o3servationsA Ben and = e%chan'ed 'lances. 2ereA surelyA ,as a ne, lead ,hich deserved intensive follo,in' up. $ecidin' to lod'e at the hotelA ,e settled ourselves as Duic!ly as possi3leB plannin' for a plun'e into the ,ild hilly country on the ne%t day. At sunrise ,e made our startA each 3earin' a !napsac! laden ,ith provisions and such tools as ,e thou'ht ,e mi'ht need. The day 3efore us had an almost stimulatin' air of invitation 1 throu'h ,hich only a faint undercurrent of the sinister ran. +ur rou'h mountain road Duic!ly 3ecame steep and ,indin'A so that 3efore lon' our feet ached considera3ly. After a3out t,o miles ,e left the road 1 crossin' a stone ,all on our ri'ht near a 'reat elm and stri!in' off dia'onally to,ard a steeper slope accordin' to the chart and directions ,hich 6ac!son had prepared for us. =t ,as rou'h and 3riery travellin'A 3ut ,e !ne, that the cave could not 3e far off. =n the end ,e came upon the aperture Duite suddenly 1 a 3lac!A 3ush1'ro,n crevice ,here the 'round shot a3ruptly up,ardA and 3eside itA near a shallo, roc! poolA a smallA still fi'ure stood ri'id 1 as if rivallin' its o,n uncanny petrification. =t ,as a 'rey do' 1 or a do'<s statue 1 and as our simultaneous 'asp died a,ay ,e scarcely !ne, ,hat to thin!. 6ac!son had e%a''erated nothin'A and ,e could not 3elieve that any sculptor<s hand had succeeded in producin' such perfection. Every hair of the animal<s ma'nificent coat seemed distinctA and those on the 3ac! ,ere 3ristled up as if some un!no,n thin' had ta!en his una,are. BenA at last half1!indly touchin' the delicate stony furA 'ave vent to an e%clamation.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8an of Stone

L7ood 7odA 6ac!A 3ut this can<t 3e any statueF 5oo! at it 1 all the little detailsA and the ,ay the hair liesF ;one of Wheeler<s techniDue hereF This is a real do' 1 thou'h heaven only !no,s ho, he ever 'ot in this state. 6ust li!e stone 1 feel for yourself. $o you suppose there<s any stran'e 'as that sometimes comes out of the cave and does this to animal lifeG We ou'ht to have loo!ed more into the local le'ends. And if this is a real do' 1 or ,as a real do' 1 then that man inside must 3e the real thin' too.L =t ,as ,ith a 'ood deal of 'enuine solemnity 1 almost dread 1 that ,e finally cra,led on hands and !nees throu'h the cave1mouthA Ben leadin'. The narro,ness loo!ed hardly three feetA after ,hich the 'rotto e%panded in every direction to form a dampA t,ili'ht cham3er floored ,ith ru33le and detritus. 4or a time ,e could ma!e out very littleA 3ut as ,e rose to our feet and strained our eyes ,e 3e'an slo,ly to descry a recum3ent fi'ure amidst the 'reater dar!ness ahead. Ben fum3led ,ith his flashli'htA 3ut hesitated for a moment 3efore turnin' it on the prostate fi'ure. We had little dou3t that the stony thin' ,as ,hat had once 3een a manA and somethin' in the thou'ht unnerved us 3oth. When Ben at last sent forth the electric 3eam ,e sa, that the o3Cect lay on its sideA 3ac! to,ard us. =t ,as clearly of the same material as the do' outsideA 3ut ,as dressed in the moulderin' and unpetrified remains of rou'h sport clothin'. Braced as ,e ,ere for a shoc!A ,e approached Duite calmly to e%amine the thin'B Ben 'oin' around to the other side to 'limpse the averted face. ;either could possi3ly have 3een prepared for ,hat Ben sa, ,hen he flashed the li'ht on those stony features. 2is cry ,as ,holly e%cusa3leA and = could not help echoin' it as = leaped to his side and shared the si'ht. .et it ,as nothin' hideous or intrinsically terrifyin'. =t ,as merely a matter of reco'nitionA for 3eyond the least shado, of a dou3t this chilly roc! fi'ure ,ith its half1fri'htenedA half13itter e%pression had at one time 3een our old acDuaintanceA Arthur Wheeler. Some instinct sent us sta''erin' and cra,lin' out of the caveA and do,n the tan'led slope to a point ,hence ,e could not see the ominous stone do'. We hardly !ne, ,hat to thin!A for our 3rains ,ere churnin' ,ith conCectures and apprehensions. BenA ,ho had !no,n Wheeler ,ellA ,as especially upsetB and seemed to 3e piecin' to'ether some threads = had overloo!ed. A'ain and a'ain as ,e passed on the 'reen slope he repeated L>oor ArthurA poor ArthurFL 3ut not till he muttered the name L8ad $anL did = recall the trou3le into ,hichA Cust 3efore his disappearance. 8ad $anA Ben impliedA ,ould dou3tless 3e 'lad to see ,hat had happened. 4or a moment it flashed over 3oth of us that the Cealous host mi'ht have 3een responsi3le for the sculptor<s presence in this evil caveA 3ut the thou'ht ,ent as Duic!ly as it came. The thin' that puzzled us most ,as to account for the phenomenon itself. What 'aseous emanation or mineral vapour could have ,rou'ht this chan'e in so relatively short a time ,as utterly 3eyond us. ;ormal petrificationA ,e !no,A is a slo, chemical replacement process reDuirin' vast a'es for completionB yet here ,ere t,o stone ima'es ,hich had 3een livin' thin's 1 or at least Wheeler had 1 only a fe, ,ee!s 3efore. ConCecture ,as useless. ClearlyA nothin' remained 3ut to notify the authorities and let them 'uess ,hat they mi'htB and yet at the 3ac! of Ben<s head that notion a3out 8ad $an still persisted. Anyho,A ,e cla,ed our ,ay 3ac! to the roadA 3ut Ben did not turn to,ard the villa'eA 3ut loo!ed alon' up,ard to,ard ,here old Sam had said $an<s ca3in lay. =t ,as the second house from the villa'eA the ancient loafer had ,heezedA and lay on the left far 3ac! from the road in a thic!

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8an of Stone

copse of scru3 oa!s. Before = !ne, it Ben ,as dra''in' me up the sandy hi'h,ay past a din'y farmstead and into a re'ion of increasin' ,ildness. =t did not occur to me to protestA 3ut = felt a certain sense of mountin' menace as the familiar mar!s of a'riculture and civilization 're, fe,er and fe,er. At last the 3e'innin' of a narro,A ne'lected path opened up on our leftA ,hile the pea!ed roof of a sDualidA unpainted 3uildin' she,ed itself 3eyond a sic!ly 'ro,th of half1dead trees. ThisA = !ne,A must 3e 8ad $an<s ca3inB and = ,ondered that ,heeler had ever chosen so unprepossessin' a place for his headDuarters. = dreaded to ,al! up that ,eedyA uninvitin' pathA 3ut could not la' 3ehindA ,hen Ben strode determinedly alon' and 3e'an a vi'orous rappin' at the ric!etyA musty1smellin' door. There ,as no response to the !noc!A and somethin' in its echoes sent a series of shivers throu'h one. BenA ho,everA ,as Duite unpertur3edB and at once 3e'an to circle the house in Duest of unloc!ed ,indo,s. The third that he tried 1 in the rear of the dismal ca3in 1 proved capa3le of openin'A and after a 3oost and a vi'orous sprin' he ,as safely inside and helpin' me after him. The room in ,hich ,e landed ,as full of limestone and 'ranite 3loc!sA chisellin' tools and clay modelsA and ,e realised at once that it ,as Wheeler<s erst,hile studio. So far ,e had not met ,ith any si'n of lifeA 3ut over everythin' hovered a damna3ly ominous dusty odour. +n our left ,as an open door evidently leadin' to a !itchen on the chimney side of the houseA and throu'h this Ben startedA intent on findin' anythin' he could concernin' his friend<s last ha3itat. 2e ,as considera3ly ahead of me ,hen he crossed the thresholdA so that = could not see at first ,hat 3rou'ht him up short and ,run' a lo, cry of horror from his lips. =n another momentA thou'hA = did see 1 and repeated his cry as instinctively as = had done in the cave. 4or here in this ca3in 1 far from any su3terranean depths ,hich could 3reed stran'e 'ases and ,or! stran'e mutations 1 ,ere t,o stony fi'ures ,hich = !ne, at once ,ere no products of Arthur Wheeler<s chisel. =n a rude armchair 3efore the fireplaceA 3ound in position 3y the lash of a lon' ra,hide ,hipA ,as the form of a man 1 un!emptA elderlyA and ,ith a loo! of fathomless horror on its evilA petrified face. +n the floor 3eside it lay a ,oman<s fi'ureB 'racefulA and ,ith a face 3eto!enin' considera3le youth and 3eauty. =ts e%pression seemed to 3e one of sardonic satisfactionA and near its outflun' ri'ht hand ,as a lar'e tin pailA some,hat stained on the insideA as ,ith a dar!ish sediment. We made no move to approach those ine%plica3ly petrified 3odiesA nor did ,e e%chan'e any 3ut the simplest conCectures. That this stony couple hand 3een 8ad $an and his ,ife ,e could not ,ell dou3tA 3ut ho, to account for their present condition ,as another matter. As ,e loo!ed horrifiedly around ,e sa, the suddenness ,ith ,hich the final development must have come 1 for everythin' a3out us seemedA despite a heavy coatin' of dustA to have 3een left in the midst of commonplace household activities. The only e%ception to this rule of casualness ,as on the !itchen ta3leB in ,hose cleared centreA as if to attract attentionA lay a thinA 3atteredA 3lan!13oo! ,ei'hed do,n 3y a sizea3le tin funnel. Crossin' to read the thin'A Ben sa, that it ,as a !ind of diary or set of dated entriesA ,ritten in a some,hat cramped and none too practiced hand. The very first

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The 8an of Stone

,ords riveted my attentionA and 3efore ten seconds had elapsed he ,as 3reathlessly devourin' the haltin' te%t 1 = avidly follo,in' as = peered over his shoulder. As ,e read on 1 movin' as ,e did so into the less loathsome atmosphere of the adCoinin' room 1 many o3scure thin's 3ecame terri3ly clear to usA and ,e trem3led ,ith a mi%ture of comple% emotions. This is ,hat ,e read 1 and ,hat the coroner read later on. The pu3lic has seen a hi'hly t,isted and sensationalised version in the cheap ne,spapersA 3ut not even that has more than a fraction of the 'enuine terror ,hich the ori'inal held for us as ,e puzzled it out alone in that musty ca3in amon' the ,ild hillsA ,ith t,o monstrous stone a3normalities lur!in' in the death1li!e silence of the ne%t room. When ,e had finished Ben poc!eted the 3oo! ,ith a 'esture half of repulsionA and his first ,ords ,ere L5et<s 'et out of here.L Silently and nervously ,e stum3led to the front of the houseA unloc!ed the doorA and 3e'an the lon' tramp 3ac! to the villa'e. There ,ere many statements to ma!e and Duestions to ans,er in the days that follo,edA and = do not thin! that either Ben or = can ever sha!e off the effects of the ,hole harro,in' e%perience. ;either can some of the local authorities and city reporters ,ho floc!ed around 1 even thou'h they 3urned a certain 3oo! and many papers found in attic 3o%esA and destroyed considera3le apparatus in the deepest part of that sinister hillside cave. But here is the te%t itself9 L;ov. 1 8y name is $aniel 8orris. Around here they call me <8ad $an< 3ecause = 3elieve in po,ers that no3ody else 3elieves in no,adays. When = 'o up on Thunder 2ill to !eep the 4east of the 4o%es they thin! = am crazy 1 all e%cept the 3ac! country fol!s that are afraid of me. They try to stop me from sacrificin' the Blac! 7oat at 2allo, EveA and al,ays prevent my doin' the 7reat :ite that ,ould open the 'ate. They ou'ht to !no, 3etterA for they !no, that = am a ?an 0auran on my mother<s sideA and any3ody this side of the 2udson can tell ,hat the ?an 0aurans have handed do,n. We come from ;icholas ?an 0auranA the ,izardA ,ho ,as han'ed in WiCt'aart in 1 87A and every3ody !no,s he had made the 3ar'ain ,ith the Blac! 8an. LThe soldiers never 'ot his Book of ibon ,hen they 3urned his houseA and his 'randsonA William ?an 0auranA 3rou'ht it over ,hen he came to :ensselaer,yc! and later crossed the river to Esopus. As! any3ody in 0in'ston or 2urley a3out ,hat the William ?an 0auran line could do to people that 'ot in their ,ay. AlsoA as! them if my (ncle 2endri! didn<t mana'e to !eep hold of the Book of ibon ,hen they ran him out of to,n and he ,ent up the river to this place ,ith his family. L= am ,ritin' this 1 and am 'oin' to !eep ,ritin' this 1 3ecause = ,ant people to !no, the truth after = am 'one. AlsoA = am afraid = shall really 'o mad if = don<t set thin's do,n in plain 3lac! and ,hite. Everythin' is 'oin' a'ainst meA and if it !eeps up = shall have to use the secrets in the Book and call in certain >o,ers. Three months a'o that sculptor Arthur Wheeler came to 8ountain TopA and they sent him up to me 3ecause = am the only man in the place ,ho !no,s anythin' e%cept farmin'A huntin'A and fleecin' summer 3oarders. The fello, seemed to 3e interested in ,hat = had to sayA and made a deal to stop in here for d1&.** a ,ee! ,ith meals. = 'ave him the 3ac! room 3eside the !itchen for his lumps of stone and his chisellin'A and arran'ed ,ith ;ate Williams to tend to his roc! 3lastin' and haul his 3i' pieces ,ith a dra' and yo!e of o%en.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8an of Stone

LThat ,as three months a'o. ;o, = !no, ,hy that cursed son of hell too! so Duic! to the place. =t ,asn<t my tal! at allA 3ut the loo!s of my ,ife :oseA that is +s3orne Chandler<s oldest 'irl. She is si%teen years youn'er than = amA and is al,ays castin' sheep<s eyes at the fello,s in to,n. But ,e al,ays mana'ed to 'et alon' fine enou'h till this dirty rat she,ed upA even if she did 3al! at helpin' me ,ith the :ites on :oodmas and 2allo,mass. = can see no, that Wheeler is ,or!in' on her feelin's and 'ettin' her so fond of him that she hardly loo!s at meA and = suppose he<ll try to elope ,ith her sooner or later. LBut he ,or!s slo, li!e all slyA polished do'sA and =<ve 'ot plenty of time to thin! up ,hat to do a3out it. They don<t either of them !no, = suspect anythin'A 3ut 3efore lon' they<ll 3oth realise it doesn<t pay to 3rea! up a ?an 0auran<s home. = promise them plenty of novelty in ,hat =<ll do. L;ov. " 1 Than!s'ivin' $ayF That<s a pretty 'ood Co!eF But at that =<ll have somethin' to 3e than!ful for ,hen = finish ,hat =<ve started. ;o Duestion 3ut that Wheeler is tryin' to steal my ,ife. 4or the time 3ein'A thou'hA =<ll let him !eep on 3ein' a star 3oarder. 7ot the Book of ibon do,n from (ncle 2endri!<s old trun! in the attic last ,ee!A and am loo!in' up somethin' 'ood ,hich ,on<t reDuire sacrifices that = can<t ma!e around here. = ,ant somethin' that<ll finish these t,o snea!in' traitorsA and at the same time 'et me into no trou3le. =f it has a t,ist of drama in itA so much the 3etter. =<ve thou'ht of callin' in the emanation of .othA 3ut that needs a child<s 3lood and = must 3e careful a3out the nei'h3ours. The 7reen $ecay loo!s promisin'A 3ut that ,ould 3e a 3it unpleasant for me as ,ell as for them. = don<t li!e certain si'hts and smells. L$ec. 1* 1 urekaC =<ve 'ot the very thin' at lastF :even'e is s,eet 1 and this is the perfect clima%F WheelerA the sculptor 1 this is too 'oodF .esA indeedA that damned snea! is 'oin' to produce a statue that ,ill sell Duic!er than any of the thin's he<s 3een carvin' these past ,ee!sF A realistA ehG Well 1 the ne, statuary ,on<t lac! any realismF = found the formula in a manuscript insert opposite pa'e -7) of the Book% 4rom the hand,ritin' = Cud'e it ,as put there 3y my 'reat1'randfather Bareut >icterse ?an 0auran 1 the one ,ho disappeared from ;e, >altz in 18&). IDC S"ub--iggurat"C The 7oat ,ith a Thousand .oun'F LTo 3e plainA =<ve found a ,ay to turn those ,retched rats into stone statues. =t<s a3surdly simpleA and really depends more on plain chemistry than on the +uter >o,ers. =f = can 'et hold of the ri'ht stuff = can 3re, a drin! that<ll pass for home1made ,ineA and one s,i' ou'ht to finish any ordinary 3ein' short of an elephant. What it amounts to is a !ind of petrification infinitely speeded up. Shoots the ,hole system full of calcium and 3arium salts and replaces livin' cells ,ith mineral matter so fast that nothin' can stop it. =t must have 3een one of those thin's 'reat1'randfather 'ot at the 7reat Sa33at on Su'ar15oaf in the Cats!ills. /ueer thin's used to 'o on there. Seems to me = heard of a man in ;e, >altz 1 SDuire 2as3ruc! 1 turned to stone or somethin' li!e that in 18&#. 2e ,as an enemy of the ?an 0aurans. 4irst thin' = must do is order the five chemicals = need from Al3any and 8ontreal. >lenty of time later to e%periment. When everythin' is over =<ll round up all the statues and sell them as Wheeler<s ,or! to pay for his overdue 3oard 3illF 2e al,ays ,as a realist and an e'oist 1 ,ouldn<t it 3e natural for him to ma!e a self1portrait in stoneA and to use my ,ife for another model 1 as indeed he<s really 3een doin' for the past fortni'htG Trust the dull pu3lic not to as! $"at 0uarry the Dueer stone came fromF L$ec. " 1 Christmas. >eace on earthA and so forthF These t,o s,ine are 'o''lin' at each other as if = didn<t e%ist. They must thin! =<m deafA dum3A and 3lindF WellA the 3arium

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8an of Stone

sulphate and calcium chloride came from Al3any last ThursdayA and the acidsA catalyticsA and instruments are due from 8ontreal any day no,. The mills of the 'ods 1 and all thatF =<ll do the ,or! in Allen<s Cave near the lo,er ,ood lotA and at the same time ,ill 3e openly ma!in' some ,ine in the cellar here. There ou'ht to 3e some e%cuse for offerin' a ne, drin! 1 thou'h it ,on<t ta!e much plannin' to fool those t,o moonstruc! nincompoops. The trou3le ,ill 3e to ma!e :ose ta!e ,ineA for she pretends not to li!e it. Any e%periments that = ma!e on animals ,ill 3e do,n at the caveA and no3ody ever thin!s of 'oin' there in ,inter. =<ll do some ,ood1cuttin' to account for my time a,ay. A small load or t,o 3rou'ht in ,ill !eep him off the trac!. L6an. "* 1 =t<s harder ,or! than = thou'ht. a lot depends on the e%act proportions. The stuff came from 8ontrealA 3ut = had to send a'ain for some 3etter scales and an acetylene lamp. They<re 'ettin' curious do,n at the villa'e. Wish the e%press office ,eren<t in Steen,yc!<s store. Am tryin' various mi%tures on the sparro,s that drin! and 3athe in the pool in front of the cave 1 ,hen it<s melted. Sometimes it !ills themA 3ut sometimes they fly a,ay. ClearlyA =<ve missed some important reaction. = suppose :ose and that upstart are ma!in' the most of my a3sence 1 3ut = can afford to let them. there can 3e no dou3t of my success in the end. L4e3. 11 1 2ave 'ot it at lastF >ut a fresh lot in the little pond 1 ,hich is ,ell melted today 1 and the first 3ird that dran! toppled over as if he ,ere shot. = pic!ed him up a second laterA and he ,as a perfect piece of stoneA do,n to the smallest cla,s and feather. ;ot a muscle chan'ed since he ,as poised for drin!in'A so he must have died the instant any of the stuff 'ot to his stomach. = didn<t e%pect the petrification to come so soon. But a sparro, isn<t a fair test of the ,ay the thin' ,ould act ,ith a lar'e animal. = must 'et somethin' 3i''er to try it onA for it must 3e the ri'ht stren'th ,hen = 'ive it to those s,ine. = 'uess :ose<s do' :e% ,ill do. =<ll ta!e him alon' the ne%t time and say a tim3er ,olf 'ot him. she thin!s a lot of himA and = shan<t 3e sorry to 'ive her somethin' to sniffle over 3efore the 3i' rec!onin'. = must 3e careful ,here = !eep this 3oo!. :ose sometimes pries around in the Dueerest places. L4e3. 1 1 7ettin' ,armF Tried it on :e% and it ,or!ed li!e a charm ,ith only dou3le the stren'th. = fi%ed the roc! pool and 'ot him to drin!. 2e seemed to !no, somethin' Dueer had hit himA for he 3ristled and 'ro,ledA 3ut he ,as a piece of stone 3efore he could turn his head. the solution ou'ht to have 3een stron'erA and for a human 3ein' ou'ht to 3e very much stron'er. = thin! =<m 'ettin' the han' of it no,A and am a3out ready for that cur Wheeler. The stuff seems to 3e tastelessA 3ut to ma!e sure =<ll flavour it ,ith the ne, ,ine =<m ma!in' up at the house. Wish = ,ere surer a3out the tastelessnessA so = could 'ive it to :ose in ,ater ,ithout tryin' to ur'e ,ine on her. =<ll 'et the t,o separately 1 Wheeler out here and :ose at home. 2ave Cust fi%ed a stron' solution and cleared a,ay all stran'e o3Cects in front of the cave. :ose ,himpered li!e a puppy ,hen = told her a ,olf had 'ot :e%A and Wheeler 'ur'led a lot of sympathy. L8arch 1 1 =] :<lyehF >raise the 5ord Tsatho''uaF =<ve 'ot the son of hell at lastF Told him =<d found a ne, led'e of fria3le limestone do,n this ,ayA and he trotted after me li!e the yello, cur he isF = had the ,ine1flavoured stuff in a 3ottle on my hipA and he ,as 'lad of a s,i' ,hen ,e 'ot here. 7ulped it do,n ,ithout a ,in! 1 and dropped in his trac!s 3efore you could count three. But he !no,s =<ve had my ven'eanceA for = made a face at him that he couldn<t miss. = sa, the loo! of understandin' come into his face as he !eeled over. =n t,o minutes he ,as solid stone.

H.P.Lovecr !t

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L= dra''ed him into the cave and put :e%<s fi'ure outside a'ain. that 3ristlin' do' shape ,ill help to scare people off. =t<s 'ettin' time for the sprin' huntersA and 3esidesA there<s a damned <lun'er< named 6ac!son in a ca3in over the hill ,ho does a lot of snoopin' around in the sno,. = ,ouldn<t ,ant my la3oratory and storeroom to 3e found Cust yetF ,hen = 'ot home = told :ose that Wheeler had found a tele'ram at the villa'e summonin' him suddenly home. = don<t !no, ,hether she 3elieved me or not 3ut = doesn<t matter. 4or form<s sa!eA = pac!ed Wheeler<s thin's and too! them do,n the hillA tellin' her = ,as 'oin' to ship them after him. = put them in the dry ,ell at the a3andoned :apelye place. ;o, for :oseF L8arch & 1 Can<t 'et :ose to drin! any ,ine. = hope that stuff is tasteless enou'h to 'o unnoticed in ,ater. = tried it in tea and coffeeA 3ut it forms a precipitate and can<t 3e used that ,ay. =f = use it in ,ater =<ll have to cut do,n the dose and trust to a more 'radual action. 8r. and 8rs. 2oo' dropped in this noonA and = had hard ,or! !eepin' the conversation a,ay from Wheeler<s departure. =t mustn<t 'et around that ,e say he ,as called 3ac! to ;e, .or! ,hen every3ody at the villa'e !no,s that no tele'ram cameA and that he didn<t leave on the 3us. :ose is actin' damned Dueer a3out the ,hole thin'. =<ll have to pic! a Duarrel ,ith her and !eep her loc!ed in the attic. The 3est ,ay is to try to ma!e her drin! that doctored ,ine 1 and if she does 'ive inA so much 3etter. L8arch 7 1 2ave started in on :ose. She ,ouldn<t drin! the ,ine so = too! a ,hip to her and drove her up to the attic. She<ll never come do,n alive. = pass her a platter of salty 3read and salt meatA and a pail of sli'htly doctored ,aterA t,ice a day. The salt food ou'ht to ma!e her drin! a lotA and it can<t 3e lon' 3efore the action sets in. = don<t li!e the ,ay she shouts a3out Wheeler ,hen =<m at the door. The rest of the time she is a3solutely silent. L8arch ) 1 =t<s damned peculiar ho, slo, that stuff is in 'ettin' hold of :ose. =<ll have to ma!e it stron'er 1 pro3a3ly she<ll never taste it ,ith all the salt =<ve 3een feedin' her. ,ellA if it doesn<t 'et there are plenty of other ,ays to fall 3ac! on. 3ut = ,ould li!e to carry this neat statue plan throu'hF Went to the cave this mornin' and all is ,ell there. = sometimes hear :ose<s footsteps on the ceilin' overheadA and = thin! they<re 'ettin' more and more dra''in'. The stuff is certainly ,or!in'A 3ut it<s too slo,. ;ot stron' enou'h. 4rom no, on =<ll rapidly stiffen up the dose. L8arch 11 1 =t is very Dueer. She is still alive and movin'. Tuesday ni'ht = heard her pi''lin' ,ith a ,indo,A so ,ent up and 'ave her a ra,hidin'. She acts more sullen than fri'htenedA and her eyes loo! s,ollen. But she could never drop to the 'round from that hei'ht and there<s no,here she could clim3 do,n. = have had dreams at ni'htA for her slo,A dra''in' pacin' on the floor a3ove 'ets on my nerves. Sometimes = thin! she ,or!s at the loc! on the door. L8arch 1 1 Still aliveA despite all the stren'thenin' of the dose. There<s somethin' Dueer a3out it. she cra,ls no,A and doesn<t pace very often. But the sound of her cra,lin' is horri3le. She rattles the ,indo,sA tooA and fum3les ,ith the door. = shall have to finish her off ,ith the ra,hide if this !eeps up. =<m 'ettin' very sleepy. Wonder if :ose has 'ot on her 'uard someho,. But she must 3e drin!in' the stuff. This sleepiness is a3normal 1 = thin! the strain is tellin' on me. =<m sleepy...L J2ere the cramped hand,ritin' trails out in a va'ue scra,lA 'ivin' place to a note in a firmerA evidently feminine hand,ritin'A indicative of 'reat emotional tension.K

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L8arch 1- 1 # a.m. 1 This is added 3y :ose C. 8orrisA a3out to die. >lease notify my fatherA +s3orne E. ChandlerA :oute "A 8ountain TopA ;... = have Cust read ,hat the 3east has ,ritten. = felt sure he had !illed Arthur WheelerA 3ut did not !no, till = read this terri3le note3oo!. ;o, = !no, ,hat = escaped. = noticed the ,ater tasted DueerA so too! none of it after the first sip. = thre, it all out of the ,indo,. That one sip has half paralysed meA 3ut = can still 'et a3out. The thirst ,as terri3leA 3ut = ate as little as possi3le of the salty food and ,as a3le to 'et a little ,ater up here under places ,here the roof lea!ed. LThere ,ere t,o 'reat rains. = thou'ht he ,as tryin' to poison meA thou'h = didn<t !no, ,hat the poison ,as li!e. What he has ,ritten a3out himself and me is a lie. We ,ere never happy to'ether and = thin! = married him only under one of those spells that he ,as a3le to lay on people. = 'uess he hypnotised 3oth my father and meA for he ,as al,ays hated and feared and suspected of dar! dealin's ,ith the devil. 8y father once called him The $evil<s 0inA and he ,as ri'ht. L;o one ,ill ever !no, ,hat = ,ent throu'h as his ,ife. =t ,as not simply common cruelty 1 thou'h 7od !no,s he ,as cruel enou'hA and 3eat me often ,ith a leather ,hip. =t ,as more 1 more than anyone in this a'e can ever understand. 2e ,as a monstrous creatureA and practiced all sorts of hellish ceremonies handed do,n 3y his mother<s people. 2e tried to ma!e me help in the rites 1 and = don<t dare even hint ,hat they ,ere. = ,ould notA so he 3eat me. =t ,ould 3e 3lasphemy to tell ,hat he tried to ma!e me do. = can say he ,as a murderer even thenA for = !no, ,hat he sacrificed one ni'ht on Thunder 2ill. 2e ,as surely the $evil<s 0in. = tried four times to run a,ayA 3ut he al,ays cau'ht and 3eat me. AlsoA he had a sort of hold over my mindA and even over my father<s mind. LA3out Arthur Wheeler = have nothin' to 3e ashamed of. We did come to love each otherA 3ut only in an honora3le ,ay. 2e 'ave me the first !ind treatment = had ever had since leavin' my father<sA and meant to help me 'et out of the clutches of that fiend. 2e had several tal!s ,ith my fatherA and ,as 'oin' to help me 'et out ,est. After my divorce ,e ,ould have 3een married. LEver since that 3rute loc!ed me in the attic = have planned to 'et out and finish him. = al,ays !ept the poison overni'ht in case = could escape and find him asleep and 'ive it to him someho,. At first he ,a!ed easily ,hen = ,or!ed on the loc! of the door and tested the conditions at the ,indo,sA 3ut later he 3e'an to 'et more tired and sleep sounder. = could al,ays tell 3y his snorin' ,hen he asleep. LToni'ht he ,as so fast asleep = forced the loc! ,ithout ,a!in' him. it ,as hard ,or! 'ettin' do,nstairs ,ith my partial paralysisA 3ut = did. = found him here ,ith the lamp 3urnin' 1 asleep at the ta3leA ,here he had 3een ,ritin' in this 3oo!. =n the corner ,as the lon' ra,hide ,hip he had so often 3eaten me ,ith. = used it to tie him to the chair so he could not move a muscle. = lashed his nec! so that = could pour anythin' do,n his throat ,ithout his resistin'. L2e ,a!ed up Cust as = ,as finishin' and = 'uess he sa, ri'ht off that he ,as done for. he shouted fri'htful thin's and tried to chant mystical formulasA 3ut = cho!ed him off a dish to,el from the sin!. Then = sa, this 3oo! he had 3een ,ritin' inA and stopped to read it. the shoc! ,as terri3leA and = almost fainted four or five time. 8y mind ,as not ready for such thin's. After that = tal!ed to that fiend for t,o or three hours steady. = told everythin'

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= had ,anted to tell him throu'h all the years = had 3een his slaveA and lot of other thin's that had to ,ith ,hat = read in this a,ful 3oo!. L2e loo!ed almost purple ,hen = ,as throu'hA and = thin! he ,as half delirious. Then = 'ot a funnel from the cup3oard and Cammed it into his mouth after ta!in' out the 'a'. 2e !ne, ,hat = ,as 'oin' to doA 3ut ,as helpless. = had 3rou'ht do,n the pail of poisoned ,aterA and ,ithout a DualmA = poured a 'ood half of it into the funnel. L=t must have 3een a very stron' doseA for almost at once = sa, that 3rute 3e'in to stiffen and turn a dull stony 'rey. =n ten minutes = !ne, he ,as solid stone. = could 3ear to touch himA 3ut the tin funnel clinked horri3ly ,hen = pulled it out of his mouth. = ,ish = could have 'iven that 0in of the $evil a more painfulA lin'erin' deathA 3ut surely this ,as the most appropriate he could have had. LThere is not much more to say. = am half1paralysedA and ,ith Arthur murdered = have nothin' to live for. = shall ma!e thin's complete 3y drin!in' the rest of the poison after placin' this 3oo! ,here it ,ill 3e found. =n a Duarter of an hour = shall 3e a stone statue. 8y only ,ish is to 3e 3uried 3eside the statue that ,as Arthur 1 ,hen it is found in that cave ,here the fiend left it. >oor trustin' :e% ou'ht to lie at our feet. = do not care ,hat 3ecomes of the stone devil tied in the chair....L

Me$%s 9s Coil
,.
The drive to,ard Cape 7irardeau had 3een throu'h unfamiliar countryB and as the late afternoon li'ht 're, 'olden and half1dreamli!e = realized that = must have directions if = e%pected to reach the to,n 3efore ni'ht. = did not care to 3e ,anderin' a3out these 3lea! southern 8issouri lo,lands after dar!A for roads ,ere poor and the ;ovem3er cold rather formida3le in an open roadster. Blac! cloudsA tooA ,ere massin' on the horizonB so = loo!ed a3out amon' the lon'A 'rey and 3lue shado,s that strea!ed the flatA 3ro,nish fieldsA hopin' to 'limpse some house ,here = mi'ht 'et the needed information. =t ,as a lonely and deserted countryA 3ut at last = spied a roof amon' a clump of trees near the small river on my ri'htB perhaps a full half1mile from the roadA and pro3a3ly reacha3le 3y some path or drive ,hich = ,ould presently come upon. =n the a3sence of any nearer d,ellin'A = resolved to try my luc! thereB and ,as 'lad ,hen the 3ushes 3y the roadside revealed the ruin of a carved stone 'ate,ayA covered ,ith dryA dead vines and cho!ed ,ith under'ro,th ,hich e%plained ,hy = had not 3een a3le to trace the path across the fields in my first distant vie,. = sa, that = could not drive the car inA so = par!ed it very carefully near the 'ate 1 ,here a thic! ever'reen ,ould shield it in case of rain 1 and 'ot out for the lon' ,al! to the house. Traversin' that 3rush1'ro,th path in the 'atherin' t,ili'ht = ,as conscious of a distinct sense of fore3odin'A pro3a3ly induced 3y the air of sinister decay hoverin' a3out the 'ate and the former drive,ay. 4rom the carvin's on the old stone pillars = inferred that this place ,as once an estate of manorial di'nityB and = could clearly see that the drive,ay had ori'inally 3oasted 'uardian lines of linden treesA some of ,hich had diedA ,hile others had lost their special identity amon' the ,ild scru3 'ro,ths of the re'ion. As = plou'hed on,ardA coc!le3urs and stic!ers clun' to my clothesA and = 3e'an to ,onder ,hether the place could 3e inha3ited after all. Was = trampin' on a vain errandG 4or a moment = ,as tempted to 'o 3ac! and try some farm farther alon' the roadA ,hen a vie, of the house ahead aroused my curiosity and stimulated my venturesome spirit. There ,as somethin' provocatively fascinatin' in the tree1'irtA decrepit pile 3efore meA for it spo!e of the 'races and spaciousness of a 3y'one era and a far more southerly environment. =t ,as a typical ,ooden plantation house of the classicA early nineteenth1 century patternA ,ith t,o and a half stories and a 'reat =onic portico ,hose pillars reached up as far as the attic and supported a trian'ular pediment. =ts state of decay ,as e%treme and o3viousB one of the vast columns havin' rotted and fallen to the 'roundA ,hile the upper piazza or 3alcony had sa''ed dan'erously lo,. +ther 3uildin'sA = Cud'edA had formerly stood near it. As = mounted the 3road stone steps to the lo, porch and the carved and fanli'hted door,ay = felt distinctly nervousA and started to li'ht a ci'arette 1 desistin' ,hen = sa, ho, dry and inflamma3le everythin' a3out me ,as. Thou'h no, convinced that the house ,as

H.P.Lovecr !t

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desertedA = nevertheless hesitated to violate its di'nity ,ithout !noc!in'B so tu''ed at the rusty iron !noc!er until = could 'et it to moveA and finally set up a cautious rappin' ,hich seemed to ma!e the ,hole place sha!e and rattle. There ,as no responseA yet once more = plied the cum3rousA crea!in' device 1 as much to dispel the sense of unholy silence and solitude as to arouse any possi3le occupant of the ruin. Some,here near the river = heard the mournful not of a doveA and it seemed as if the coursin' ,ater itself ,ere faintly audi3le. 2alf in a dreamA = seized and rattled the ancient latchA and finally 'ave the 'reat si%1panelled door a fran! tryin'. =t ,as unloc!edA as = could see in a momentB and thou'h it stuc! and 'rated on its hin'es = 3e'an to push it openA steppin' throu'h it into a vast shado,y hall as = did so. But the moment = too! this step = re'retted it. =t ,as not that a le'ion of specters confronted me in that dim and dusty hall ,ith the 'hostly Empire furnitureB 3ut that = !ne, all at once that the place ,as not deserted at all. There ,as a crea!in' on the 'reat curved staircaseA and the sound of falterin' footsteps slo,ly descendin'. Then = sa, a tallA 3ent fi'ure silhouetted for an instant a'ainst the 'reat >alladian ,indo, on the landin'. 8y first start of terror ,as soon overA and as the fi'ure descended the final fli'ht = ,as ready to 'reet the householder ,hose privacy = had invaded. =n the semi1dar!ness = could see him reach in his poc!et for a match. There came a flare as he li'hted a small !erosene lamp ,hich stood on a ric!ety console ta3le near the foot of the stairs. =n the fee3le 'lo, ,as revealed the stoopin' fi'ure of a very tallA emaciated old manB disordered as to dress and unshaved as to faceA yet for all that ,ith the 3earin' and e%pression of a 'entleman. = did not ,ait for him to spea!A 3ut at once 3e'an to e%plain my presence. L.ou<ll pardon my comin' in li!e thisA 3ut ,hen my !noc!in' didn<t raise any3ody = concluded that no one lived here. What = ,anted ori'inally ,as to !no, the ri'ht road to Cape 7irardeau 1 the shortest roadA that is. = ,anted to 'et there 3efore dar!A 3ut no,A of course 1 L As = pausedA the man spo!eB in e%actly the cultivated tone = had e%pectedA and ,ith a mello, accent as unmista!a3ly Southern as the house he inha3ited. L:atherA you must pardon me for not ans,erin' your !noc! more promptly. = live in a very retired ,ayA and am not usually e%pectin' visitors. At first = thou'ht you ,ere a mere curiosity1see!er. Then ,hen you !noc!ed a'ain = started to ans,erA 3ut = am not ,ell and have to move very slo,ly. Spinal neuritis 1 very trou3lesome case. LBut as for your 'ettin' to to,n 3efore dar! 1 it<s plain you can<t do that. The road you are one 1 for = suppose you came from the 'ate 1 isn<t the 3est or shortest ,ay. What you must do is to ta!e your first left after you leave the 'ate 1 that isA the first real road to your left. There are three or four cart paths you can i'noreA 3ut you can<t mista!e the real road 3ecause of the e%tra lar'e ,illo, tree on the ri'ht Cust opposite it. Then ,hen you<ve turnedA !eep on past t,o roads and turn to the ri'ht alon' the third. After that 1 L L>lease ,ait a momentF 2o, can = follo, all these clues in pitch dar!nessA ,ithout ever havin' 3een near here 3eforeA and ,ith only an indifferent pair of headli'hts to tell me ,hat is and ,hat isn<t a roadG BesidesA = thin! it<s 'oin' to storm pretty soonA and my car is

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an open one. =t loo!s as if = ,ere in a 3ad fi% if = ,ant to 'et to Cape 7irardeau toni'ht. The fact isA = don<t thin! =<d 3etter try to ma!e it. = don<t li!e to impose 3urdensA or anythin' li!e that 1 3ut in vie, of the circumstancesA do you suppose you could put me up for the ni'htG = ,on<t 3e any trou3le 1 no meals or anythin'. 6ust let me have a corner to sleep in till dayli'htA and =<m all ri'ht. = can leave the car in the road ,here it is 1 a 3it of ,et ,eather ,on<t hurt it if ,orst comes to ,orst.L As = made my sudden reDuest = could see the old man<s face lose its former e%pression of Duiet resi'nation and ta!e on an oddA surprised loo!. LSleep 1 hereGL 2e seemed so astonished at my reDuest that = repeated it. L.esA ,hy notG = assure you = ,on<t 3e any trou3le. What else can = doG =<m a stran'er herea3outsA these roads are a la3yrinth in the dar!A and =<ll ,a'er it<ll 3e rainin' torrents outside of an hour 1 L This time it my host<s turn to interruptA and as he did so = could feel a peculiar Duality in his deepA musical voice. LA stran'er 1 of course you must 3eA else you ,ouldn<t thin! of sleepin' hereA ,ouldn<t thin! of comin' here at all. >eople don<t come here no,adays.L 2e pausedA and my desire to stay ,as increased a thousandfold 3y the sense of mystery his laconic ,ords seemed to evo!e. There ,as surely somethin' allurin'ly Dueer a3out this placeA and the pervasive musty smell seemed to cloa! a thousand secrets. A'ain = noticed the e%treme decrepitude of everythin' a3out meB manifest even in the fee3le rays of the sin'le small lamp. = felt ,oefully chillyA and sa, ,ith re'ret that no heatin' ,as providedA and yet so 'reat ,as my curiosity that = still ,ished most ardently to stay and learn somethin' of the recluse and his dismal a3ode. L5et that 3e as it mayAL = replied. L= can<t help a3out other people. But = surely ,ould li!e to have a spot to stop till dayli'ht. Still 1 if people don<t relish this placeA mayn<t it 3e 3ecause it<s 'ettin' so run1do,nG +f course = suppose it a ta!e a fortune to !eep such an estate upA 3ut if the 3urden<s too 'reat ,hy don<t you loo! for smaller DuartersG Why try to stic! it out here in this ,ay 1 ,ith all the hardships and discomfortsGL The man did not seem offendedA 3ut ans,ered me very 'ravely.
LSurely you may stay if you really ,ish to 1 you can come to no harm that = !no, of. But others claim there are certain peculiarly undesira3le influences here. As for me 1 = stay here 3ecause = have to. There is somethin' = feel it a duty to 'uard 1 somethin' that holds me. = ,ish = had the money and health and am3ition to ta!e decent care of the house and 'rounds.L With my curiosity still more hei'htenedA = prepared to ta!e my host at his ,ordB and follo,ed him slo,ly upstairs ,hen he motioned me to do so. =t ,as very dar! no,A and a faint patterin' outside told me that the threatened rain had come. = ,ould have 3een 'lad of any shelterA 3ut this ,as dou3ly ,elcome 3ecause of the hints of mystery a3out the place and its master. 4or an incura3le lover of the 'rotesDueA no more fittin' haven could have 3een provided.

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There ,as a second1floor corner room in less un!empt shape than the rest of the houseA and into this my host led meA settin' do,n his small lamp and li'htin' a some,hat lar'er one. 4rom the cleanliness and contents of the roomA and from the 3oo!s ran'ed alon' the ,allsA = could see that = had not 'uessed amiss in thin!in' the man a 'entleman of taste of 3reedin'. 2e ,as a hermit and eccentricA no dou3tA 3ut he still had standards and intellectual interests. As he ,aved me to a seat = 3e'an a conversation on 'eneral topicsA and ,as pleased to find him not at all taciturn. =f anythin'A he seemed 'lad of someone to tal!A and did not even attempt to s,erve the discussion from personal topics. 2e ,asA = learnedA one Antoine de :ussyA of an ancientA po,erfulA and cultivated line of 5ouisiana planters. 8ore than a century a'o his 'randfatherA a youn'er soA had mi'rated to southern 8issouri and founded a ne, estate in the lavish ancestral mannerB 3uildin' this pillared mansion and surroundin' it ,ith all the accessories of a 'reat plantation. There had 3eenA at one timeA as many as "** ne'roes in the ca3ins ,hich stood on the flat 'round in the rear 1 'round that the river had no, invaded 1 and to hear them sin'in' and lau'hin' and playin' the 3anCo at ni'ht ,as to !no, the fullest charm of a civilization and social order no, sadly e%tinct. =n front of the houseA ,here the 'reat 'uardian oa!s and ,illo,s stoodA there had 3een a la,n li!e a 3road 'reen carpetA al,ays ,atered and trimmed and ,ith fla'stonedA flo,er13ordered ,al!s curvin' throu'h it. L:iversideL 1 for such the place ,as called 1 had 3een a lovely and idyllic homestead in its dayB and my host could recall it ,hen many traces of its 3est period. =t ,as rainin' hard no,A ,ith dense sheets of ,ater 3eatin' a'ainst the insecure roofA ,allsA and ,indo,sA and sendin' in drops throu'h a thousand chin!s and crevices. 8oisture tric!led do,n to the floor from unsuspected placesA and the mountin' ,ind rattled the rottin'A loose1hin'ed shutters outside. But = minded none of thisA for = sa, that a story ,as comin'. =ncited to reminiscenceA my host made a move to she, me to sleepin'1 DuartersB 3ut !ept on recallin' the olderA 3etter days. SoonA = sa,A = ,ould receive an in!lin' of ,hy he lived alone in that ancient placeA and ,hy his nei'h3ours thou'ht it full of undesira3le influences. 2is voice ,as very musical as he spo!e onA and his tale soon too! a turn ,hich left me no chance to 'ro, dro,sy. L.es 1 :iverside ,as 3uilt in 181-A and my father ,as 3orn in 18"8. 2e<d 3e over a century old no, if he ,ere aliveA 3ut he died youn' 1 so youn' = can Cust 3arely remem3er him. =n <-# that ,as 1 he ,as !illed in the ,arA Seventh 5ouisiana =nfantry C.S.A.A for he ,ent 3ac! to the old home to enlist. 8y 'randfather ,as too old to fi'htA yet he lived on to 3e ninety1fiveA and helped my mother 3rin' me up. A 'ood 3rin'in'1upA too 1 =<ll 'ive them credit. We al,ays had stron' traditions 1 hi'h notions of honor 1 and my 'randfather sa, to it that = 're, up the ,ay de :ussys have 'ro,n upA 'eneration after 'enerationA ever since the Crusades. We ,eren<t Duite ,iped out financiallyA 3ut mana'ed to 'et on very comforta3le after the ,ar. = ,ent to a 'ood school in 5ouisianaA and later to >rinceton. 5ater on = ,as a3le to 'et the plantation on a fairly profita3le 3asis 1 thou'h you see ,hat it<s come to no,. L8y mother died ,hen = ,as t,entyA and my 'randfather t,o years later. =t ,as rather lonely after thatB and in <8 = married a distant cousin in ;e, +rleans. Thin's mi'ht have 3ee different if she<d livedA 3ut she died ,hen my son $enis ,as 3orn. Then = had only

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$enis. = didn<t try marria'e a'ainA 3ut 'ave all my time to the 3oy. 2e ,as li!e me 1 li!e all the de :ussys 1 dar!ish and tall and thinA and ,ith the devil of a temper. = 'ave him the same trainin' my 'randfather had 'ive meA 3ut he didn<t need much trainin' ,hen it came to points of honor. =t ,as in himA = rec!on. ;ever sa, such hi'h spirit 1 all = could do to !eep him from runnin' a,ay to the Spanish War ,hen he ,as elevenF :omantic youn' devilA too 1 full of hi'h notions 1 you<d call <em ?ictorianA no, 1 no trou3le at all to ma!e him let the ni''er ,enches alone. = sent him to the same school =<d 'one toA and to >rincetonA too. 2e ,as Class of 1)*). L=n the end he decided to 3e a doctorA and ,ent a year to the 2arvard 8edical School. Then he hit on the idea of !eepin' to the old 4rench tradition of the familyA and ar'ued me into sendin' him across to the Sor3onne. = did 1 and proudly enou'hA thou'h = !ne, =<d 3e ho, lonely =<d 3e ,ith him so far off. Would to 7od = hadn<tF = thou'ht he ,as the safest !ind of 3oy to 3e in >aris. 2e had a room in the :ue St. 6acDues 1 that<s near the (niversity in the <5atin /uarter< 1 3ut accordin' to his letters and his friends he didn<t cut up ,ith the 'ayer do's at all. The people he !ne, ,ere mostly youn' fello,s from home 1 serious students and artists ,ho thou'ht more of their ,or! than of stri!in' attitudes and paintin' the to,n red. LBut of course there ,ere lots of fello,s ,ho ,ere on a sort of dividin' line 3et,een serious studies and the devil. The aesthetes 1 the decadentsA you !no,. E%periments in life and sensation 1 the Baudelaire !ind of a chap. ;aturally $enis ran up a'ainst a 'ood many of theseA and sa, a 'ood deal of their life. They had all sorts of crazy circles and cults 1 imitation devil1,orshipA fa!e Blac! 8assesA and the li!e. $ou3t if it did them much harm on the ,hole 1 pro3a3ly most of <em for'ot all a3out it in a year or t,o. +ne of the deepest in this Dueer stuff ,as a fello, $enis had !no,n at school 1 for that matterA ,hose father =<d !no,n myself. 4ran! 8arshA of ;e, +rleans. $isciple of 5afcadio 2earn and 7au'uin and ?an 7o'h 1 re'ular epitome of the yello, <nineties. >oor devil 1 he had the ma!in's of a 'reat artistA at that. L8arsh ,as the oldest friend $enis had in >arisA so as a matter of course they sa, a 'ood deal of each other 1 to tal! over old times at St. Clair academyA and all that. The 3oy ,rote me a 'ood deal a3out himA and = didn<t see any especial harm ,hen he spo!e of the 'roup of mystics 8arsh ran ,ith. =t seems there ,as some cult of prehistoric E'yptian and Cartha'inian ma'ic havin' a ra'e amon' the Bohemian element on the left 3an! 1 some nonsensical thin' that pretended to reach 3ac! to for'otten sources of hidden truth in lost African civilisations 1 the 'reat @im3a3,eA the dead Atlantean cities in the 2a''ar re'ion of the Sahara 1 and they had a lot of 'i33erish concerned ,ith sna!es and human hair. At leastA = called it 'i33erishA then. $enis used to Duote 8arsh as sayin' odd thin's a3out the veiled facts 3ehind the le'end of 8edusa<s sna!y loc!s 1 and 3ehind the later >tolemaic myth of BereniceA ,ho offered up her hair to save her hus3and13rotherA and had it set in the s!y as the constellation Coma Berenices. L= don<t thin! this 3usiness made much impression on $enis until the ni'ht of the Dueer ritual at 8arsh<s rooms ,hen he met the priestess. 8ost of the devotees of the cult ,ere youn' fello,sA 3ut the head of it ,as a youn' ,oman ,ho called herself <Tanit1=sis< 1 lettin' it 3e !no,n that her real name 1 her name in this latest incarnationA as she put it 1 ,as 8arceline Bedard. She claimed to 3e the left1handed dau'hter of 8arDuis de Chameau%A and seemed to have 3een 3oth a petty artist and an artist<s model 3efore adoptin' this more lucrative ma'ical 'ame. Someone said she had lived for a time in the

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West =ndies 1 8artiniDueA = thin! 1 3ut she ,as very reticent a3out herself. >art of her pose ,as a 'reat sho, of austerity and holinessA 3ut = don<t thin! the more e%perienced students too! that very seriously. L$enisA thou'hA ,as far from e%periencedA and ,rote me fully ten pa'es of slush a3out the 'oddess he had discovered. =f =<d only realised his simplicity = mi'ht have done somethin'A 3ut = never thou'ht a puppy infatuation li!e could mean much. = felt a3surdly sure that $enis< touchy personal honour and family pride ,ould al,ays !eep him out of the most serious complications. LAs time ,entA thou'hA his letters 3e'an to ma!e me nervous. 2e mentioned this 8arceline more and moreA and his friends less and lesA and 3e'an tal!in' a3out the <cruel and silly ,ay< they declined to introduce her to their mothers and sisters. 2e seems to have as!ed her no Duestions a3out herselfA and = don<t dou3t 3ut that she filled him full of romantic le'endry concernin' her ori'in and divine revelations and the ,ay people sli'hted her. At len'th = could see that $enis ,as alto'ether cuttin' his o,n cro,d and spendin' the 3ul! of his time ,ith his allurin' priestess. At her especial reDuest he never told the old cro,d of their continual meetin'sB so no3ody over there tried to 3rea! the affair up. L= suppose she thou'ht he ,as fa3ulously richB for he had the air of a patricianA and people of a certain class thin! all aristocratic Americans are ,ealthy. =n any caseA she pro3a3ly thou'ht this a rare chance to contract a 'enuine ri'ht1handed alliance ,ith a really eli'i3le youn' man. By the time my nervousness 3urst into open adviceA it ,as too late. The 3oy had la,fully married herA and ,rote that he ,as droppin' his studies and 3rin'in' the ,oman home to :iverside. 2e said she had made a 'reat sacrifice and resi'ned her leadership of the ma'ical cultA and that hencefor,ard she ,ould 3e merely a private 'entle,oman 1 the future mistress of :iversideA and mother of de :ussys to come. LWellA sirA = too! it the 3est ,ay = could. = !ne, that sophisticated Continentals have different standards from our old American ones 1 and any,ayA = really !ne, nothin' a'ainst the ,oman. A charlatanA perhapsA 3ut ,hy necessarily any ,orseG = suppose = tried to !eep as na\ve as possi3le a3out such thin's in those daysA for the 3oy<s sa!e. ClearlyA there ,as nothin' for a man of sense to do 3ut let $enis alone so lon' as his ne, ,ife conformed to de :ussy ,ays. 5et her have a chance to prove herself 1 perhaps she ,ouldn<t hurt the family as much as some mi'ht fear. So = didn<t raise any o3Cections or as! any penitence. The thin' ,as doneA and = stood ready to ,elcome the 3oy 3ac!A ,hatever he 3rou'ht ,ith him. LThey 'ot here three ,ee!s after the tele'ram tellin' of marria'e. 8arceline ,as 3eautiful 1 there ,as no denyin' that 1 and = could see ho, the 3oy mi'ht very ,ell 'et foolish a3out her. She did have an air of 3reedin'A and = thin! to this day she must have had some strains of 'ood 3lood in her. She ,as apparently not much over t,entyB of medium sizeA fairly slimA and as 'raceful as a ti'ress in posture and motion. 2er comple%ion ,as a deep olive 1 li!e old ivory 1 and her eyes ,ere lar'e and very dar!. She had smallA classically re'ular features 1 thou'h not Duite clean1cut enou'h to suit my taste 1 and the most sin'ular 3raid of Cet 3lac! hair that = ever sa,. L= didn<t ,onder that she had dra''ed the su3Cect of hair into her ma'ical cultA for ,ith that heavy profusion of it the idea must have occurred to her naturally. Coiled upA it made

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her loo! li!e some +riental princess in a dra,in' of Au3rey Beardsley<s. 2an'in' do,n her 3ac!A it came ,ell 3elo, her !nees and shone in the li'ht as if it had possessed some separateA unholy vitality of its o,n. = ,ould almost have thou'ht of 8edusa or Berenice myself 1 ,ithout havin' such thin's su''ested to me 1 upon seein' and studyin' that hair. LSometimes = thou'ht it moved sli'htly of itselfA and tended to arran'e itself in distinct ropes or strandsA 3ut this may have 3een sheer illusion. She 3raided it incessantlyA and seemed to use some sort of preparation on it. = 'ot the notion once 1 a curiousA ,himsical notion 1 that it ,as a livin' 3ein' ,hich she had to feed in some stran'e ,ay. All nonsense 1 3ut it added to my feelin' of constraint a3out her and her hair. L4or = can<t deny that = failed to li!e her ,hollyA no matter ho, hard = tried. = couldn<t tell ,hat the trou3le ,asA 3ut it ,as there. Somethin' a3out her repelled me very su3tlyA and = could not help ,eavin' mor3id and maca3re associations a3out everythin' connected ,ith her. 2er comple%ion called up thou'hts of Ba3ylonA AtlantisA 5emuriaA and the terri3le for'otten dominations of an elder ,orldB her eyes struc! me sometimes as the eyes of some unholy forest creature or animal 'oddess too immeasura3ly ancient to 3e fully humanB and her hair 1 that denseA e%oticA overnourished 'ro,th of oily in!iness 1 made one shiver as a 'reat 3lac! python mi'ht have done. There ,as no dou3t 3ut that she realised my involuntary attitude 1 thou'h = tried to hide itA and she tried to hide the fact that she noticed it. L.et the 3oy<s infatuation lasted. 2e positively fa,ned on herA and overdid all the little 'allantries of daily life to a sic!enin' de'ree. She appeared to return the feelin'A thou'h = could see it too! a conscious effort to ma!e her duplicate his enthusiasms and e%trava'ances. 4or one thin'A = thin! she ,as piDued to learn ,e ,eren<t as ,ealthy as she had e%pected. L=t ,as a 3ad 3usiness all told. = could see that sad undercurrents ,ere arisin'. $enis ,as half1hypnotised ,ith puppy1loveA and 3e'an to 'ro, a,ay from as he felt my shrin!in' from his ,ife. This !ind of thin' ,ent on for monthsA and = sa, that = ,as losin' my only son 1 the 3oy ,ho had formed the centre of all my thou'hts and acts for the past Duarter century. =<ll o,n that = felt 3itter a3out it 1 ,hat father ,ouldn<tG And yet = could do nothin'. L8arceline seemed to 3e a 'ood ,ife enou'h in those early monthsA and our friends received her ,ithout any Dui33lin' or Duestionin'. = ,as al,ays nervousA thou'hA a3out ,hat some of the youn' fello,s in >aris mi'ht ,rite home to their relatives after the ne,s of the marria'e spread around. $espite the ,oman<s love of secrecyA it couldn<t remain hidden forever 1 indeedA $enis had ,ritten a fe, of his closest friendsA in strict confidenceA as soon as he ,as settled ,ith her at :iverside. L= 'ot to stayin' alone in my room more and moreA ,ith my failin' health as an e%cuse. =t ,as 3out that time that my present spinal neuritis 3e'an to develop 1 ,hich made the e%cuse a pretty 'ood one. $enis didn<t seem to notice the trou3leA or ta!e any interest in me and my ha3its and affairsB and it hurt me to see ho, callous he ,as 'ettin'. = 3e'an to 'et sleeplessA and often rac!ed my 3rain in the ni'ht to try to find out ,hat made my ne, dau'hter1in1la, so repulsive and even dimly horri3le to me. =t surely ,asn<t her old mystical nonsenseA for she had left all the past 3ehind her and never mentioned it once. She didn<t even do any paintin'A althou'h = understood that she had once da33led in art.

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L+ddlyA the only ones ,ho seemed to share my uneasiness ,ere the servants. The dar!ies around the house seemed very sullen in their attitude to,ard herA and in a fe, ,ee!s all save the fe, ,ho ,ere stron'ly attached to our family had left. These fe, 1 old Scipio and his ,ife SarahA the coo! $elilahA and 8aryA Scipio<s dau'hter 1 ,ere as civil as possi3leB 3ut plainly revealed that their ne, mistress commanded their duty rather than their affection. They stayed in their o,n remote part of the house as much as possi3le. 8cCa3eA our ,hite chauffeurA ,as insolently admirin' rather than hostileB and another e%ception ,as a very old @ulu ,omanA said to have 3een a sort of leader in her small ca3in as a !ind of family pensioner. +ld Sophonis3a al,ays she,ed reverence ,henever 8arceline came near herA and one time = sa, her !iss the 'round ,here her mistress had ,al!ed. Blac!s are superstitious animalsA and = ,ondered ,hether 8arceline had 3een tal!in' any of her mystical nonsense to our hands in order to overcome their evident disli!e.L

,,,.
LWellA that<s ho, ,e ,ent on for nearly half a year. ThenA in the summer of 1)1-A thin's 3e'an to happen. To,ard the middle of 6une $enis 'ot a note from his old friend 4ran! 8arshA tellin' of a sort of nervous 3rea!do,n ,hich made him ,ant to ta!e a rest in the country. =t ,as postmar!ed ;e, +rleans 1 for 8arsh had 'one home from >aris ,hen he felt the collapse comin' on 1 and seemed a very plain thou'h polite 3id for an invitation from us. 8arshA of courseA !ne, that 8arceline ,as hereB and as!ed very courteously after her. $enis ,as sorry to hear of his trou3le and told him at once to come alon' for an indefinite visit. L8arsh came 1 and = ,as shoc!ed to notice ho, he had chan'ed since = had seen him in his earlier days. 2e ,as a smallishA li'htish fello,A ,ith 3lue eyes and an undecided chinB and no, = could see the effects of drin! and = don<t !no, ,hat else in his puffy eyelidsA enlar'ed nose1poresA and heavy lines around the mouth. = rec!on he had ta!en his dose of decadence pretty seriouslyA and set out to 3e as much of a :im3audA BaudelaireA or 5autreamont as he could. And yet he ,as deli'htful to tal! to 1 for li!e all decadents he ,as e%Duisitely sensitive to the color and atmosphere and names of thin'sB admira3lyA thorou'hly aliveA and ,ith ,hole records of conscious e%perience in o3scureA shado,y fields of livin' and feelin' ,hich most of us pass over ,ithout !no,in' they e%ist. >oor youn' devil 1 if only his father had lived lon'er and ta!en him in handF There ,as 'reat stuff in the 3oyF L= ,as 'lad of the visitA for = felt it ,ould help to set up a normal atmosphere in the house a'ain. And that<s ,hat it really seemed to do at firstB for as = saidA 8arsh ,as a deli'ht to have around. 2e ,as as sincere and profound an artist as = ever sa, in my lifeA and = certainly 3elieve that nothin' on earth mattered to him e%cept the perception and e%pression of 3eauty. When he sa, an e%Duisite thin'A or ,as creatin' oneA his eyes ,ould dilate until the li'ht irises ,ere nearly out of si'ht 1 leavin' t,o mystical 3lac! pits in that ,ea!A delicateA chal!1li!e faceB 3lac! pits openin' on stran'e ,orlds ,hich none of us could 'uess a3out. LWhen he reached hereA thou'hA he didn<t have many chances to she, this tendencyB for he hadA as he told $enisA 'one Duite stale. =t seems he had 3een very successful as an artist

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of a 3izarre !ind 1 li!e 4useli or 7oya or Sime or Clar! Ashton Smith 1 3ut had suddenly 3ecome played out. The ,orld of ordinary thin's around him had ceased to hold anythin' he could reco'nize as 3eauty 1 3eautyA that isA of enou'h force and poi'nancy to arouse his creative faculty. 2e had often 3een this ,ay 3efore 1 all decadents are 1 3ut this time he could not invent any ne,A stran'eA or outrO sensation or e%perience ,hich ,ould supply the needed illusion of fresh 3eauty or stimulatin'ly adventurous e%pectancy. 2e ,as li!e a $urtal or a des Esseintes at the most Caded point of his curious or3it. L8arceline ,as a,ay ,hen 8arsh arrived. She hadn<t 3een enthusiastic a3out his comin'A and had refused to decline an invitation from some of our friends in St. 5ouis ,hich came a3out that time for her and $enis. $enisA of courseA stayed to receive his 'uestB 3ut 8arceline had 'one on alone. =t ,as the first time they had ever 3een separatedA and = hoped the interval ,ould help to dispel the daze that ,as ma!in' such a fool of the 3oy. 8arceline she,ed no hurry to 'et 3ac!A 3ut seemed to me to prolon' her a3sence as much as she could. $enis stood it 3etter than one ,ould have e%pected from such a dotin' hus3andA and seemed more li!e his old self as he tal!ed over other days ,ith 8arsh and tried to cheer the listless aesthete up. L=t ,as 8arsh ,ho seemed most impatient to see the ,omanB perhaps 3ecause he thou'ht her stran'e 3eautyA or some phase of the mysticism ,hich had 'one into her one1 time ma'ical cultA mi'ht help to rea,a!en his interest in thin's and 'ive him another start to,ard artistic creation. That there ,as no 3aser reasonA = ,as a3solutely certain from ,hat = !ne, of 8arsh<s character. With all his ,ea!nessesA he ,as a 'entleman 1 and it had indeed relieved me ,hen = first learned that he ,anted to come here 3ecause his ,illin'ness to accept $enis< hospitality proved that there ,as no reason ,hy he shouldn<t. LWhenA at lastA 8arceline did returnA = could see that 8arsh ,as tremendously affected. 2e did not attempt to ma!e her tal! of the 3izarre thin' ,hich she had so definitely a3andonedA 3ut ,as una3le to hide a po,erful admiration ,hich !ept his eyes 1 no, dilated in that curious ,ay for the first time durin' his visit 1 riveted to her every moment she ,as in the room. SheA ho,everA seemed uneasy rather than pleased 3y his steady scrutiny 1 that isA she seemed so at firstA thou'h this feelin' of hers ,ore a,ay in a fe, daysA and left the t,o on a 3asis of the most cordial and volu3le con'eniality. = could see 8arsh studyin' her constantly ,hen he thou'ht no one ,as ,atchin'B and = ,ondered ho, lon' it ,ould 3e that only the artistA and not the primitive manA ,ould 3e aroused 3y her mysterious 'races. L$enis naturally felt some irritation at this turn of affairsB thou'h he realised that his 'uest ,as a man of honour and thatA as !indred mystics and aesthetesA 8arceline and 8arsh ,ould naturally have thin's and interests to discuss in ,hich a more or less conventional person could have no part. 2e didn<t hold anythin' a'ainst any3odyA 3ut merely re'retted that his o,n ima'ination ,as too limited and traditional to let him tal! ,ith 8arceline as 8arsh tal!ed. At this sta'e of thin's = 3e'an to see more of the 3oy. With his ,ife other,ise 3usyA he had time to remem3er that he had a father 1 and a father ,ho ,as ready to help him in any sort of perple%ity or difficulty. LWe often sat to'ether on the veranda ,atchin' 8arsh and 8arceline as they rode up or do,n the drive on horse3ac!A or played tennis on the court that used to stretch south of the house. They tal!ed mostly in 4renchA ,hich 8arshA thou'h he hadn<t more than a Duarter1 portion of 4rench 3loodA handled more 'li3ly than either $enis or = could spea! it. 8arceline<s En'lishA al,ays academically correctA ,as rapidly improvin' in accentB 3ut it

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,as plain that she relished droppin' 3ac! into her mother1ton'ue. As ,e loo!ed at the con'enial couple they madeA = could see the 3oy<s chee! and throat muscles ti'hten 1 thou'h he ,asn<t a ,hit less ideal a host to 8arshA or a ,hit less considerate hus3and to 8arceline. LAll this ,as 'enerally in the afternoonB for 8arceline rose very lateA had 3rea!fast in 3edA and too! an immense amount of time preparin' to come do,nstairs. = never !ne, of anyone so ,rapped up in cosmeticsA 3eauty e%ercisesA hair1oilsA un'uentsA and everythin' of that !ind. =t ,as in these mornin' hours that $enis and 8arsh did their real visitin'A and e%chan'ed the close confidences ,hich !ept their friendship up despite the strain that Cealousy imposed. LWellA it ,as in one of those mornin' tal!s on the veranda that marsh made the proposition ,hich 3rou'ht on the end. = ,as laid up ,ith some of my neuritisA 3ut had mana'ed to 'et do,nstairs and stretch out on the front parlour sofa near the lon' ,indo,. $enis and 8arsh ,ere Cust outsideB so = couldn<t help hearin' all they said. They had 3een tal!in' a3out artA and the curiousA capricious elements needed to Colt an artist into producin' the real articleA ,hen 8arsh suddenly s,erved from a3stractions to the personal application he must have had in mind from the start. L<= supposeA< he ,as sayin'A <that no3ody can tell Cust ,hat it is in some scenes or o3Cects that ma!es them aesthetic stimuli for certain individuals. BasicallyA of courseA it must have some reference to each man<s 3ac!'round of stored1up mental associationsA for no t,o people have the same scale of sensitiveness and responses. We decadents are artists for ,hom all ordinary thin's have ceased to have any emotional or ima'inative si'nificanceA 3ut no one of us responds in the same ,ay to e%actly the same e%traordinary. ;o, ta!e meA for instance...<L L2e paused and resumed. L<= !no,A $ennyA that = can say these thin's to you 3ecause you such a preternaturally unspoiled mind 1 cleanA fineA directA o3CectiveA and all that. .ou ,on<t misunderstand as an oversu3tilisedA effete man of the ,orld mi'ht.<L L2e paused once more. L<The fact isA = thin! = !no, ,hat<s needed to set my ima'ination ,or!in' a'ain. =<ve had a dim idea of it ever since ,e ,ere in >arisA 3ut =<m sure no,. =t<s 8arcelineA old chap 1 that face and that hairA and the train of shado,y ima'es they 3rin' up. ;ot merely visi3le 3eauty 1 thou'h 7od !no,s there<s enou'h of that 1 3ut somethin' peculiar and individualisedA that can<t e%actly 3e e%plained. $o you !no,A in the last fe, days =<ve felt the e%istence of such a stimulus so !eenly that = honestly thin! = could outdo myself 1 3rea! into the real masterpiece class if = could 'et ahold of paint and canvas at Cust the time ,hen her face and hair set my fancy stirrin' and ,eavin'. There<s somethin' ,eird and other1,orldly a3out it 1 somethin' Coined up ,ith the dim ancient thin' 8arceline represents. = don<t !no, ho, much she<s told you a3out that side of herA 3ut = can assure you there<s plenty of it. She has some marvellous lin!s ,ith the outside...< LSome chan'e in $enis< e%pression must have halted the spea!er hereA for there ,as a considera3le spell of silence 3efore the ,ords ,ent on. = ,as utterly ta!en a3ac!A for =<d

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e%pected no such overt development li!e thisB and = ,ondered ,hat my son could 3e thin!in'. 8y heart 3e'an to pound violentlyA and = strained my ears in the fran!est of intentional eavesdroppin'. Then 8arsh resumed. L<+f course you<re Cealous 1 = !no, ho, a speech li!e mine must sound 1 3ut = can s,ear to you that you needn<t 3e.< L$enis did not ans,erA and 8arsh ,ent on. LTo tell the truthA = could never 3e in love ,ith 8arceline 1 = couldn<t even 3e a cordial friend of hers in the ,armest sense. WhyA damn it allA = felt li!e a hypocrite tal!in' ,ith her these days as =<ve 3een doin'. L<The case simply isA that one of her phase of her half hyponotises me in a certain ,ay 1 a very stran'eA fantasticA and dimly terri3le ,ay 1 Cust as another phase half hypnotises you in a much more normal ,ay. = see somethin' in her 1 or to 3e psycholo'ically e%actA somethin' throu'h her or 3eyond her 1 that you didn<t see at all. Somethin' that 3rin's up a vast pa'eantry of shapes from for'otten a3yssesA and ma!es me ,ant to paint incredi3le thin's ,hose outlines vanish the instant = try to envisa'e them clearly. $on<t mista!eA $ennyA your ,ife is a ma'nificent 3ein'A a splendid focus of cosmic forces ,ho has a ri'ht to 3e called divine if anythin' on earth hasF< L= felt a clearin' of the situation at this pointA for the a3stract stran'eness of 8arsh<s statementA plus the flattery he ,as no, heapin' on 8arcelineA could not fail to disarm and mollify one as fondly proud of his consort as $enis al,ays ,as. 8arsh evidently cau'ht the chan'e himselfA for there ,as more confidence in his tone as he continued. L<= must paint herA $enny 1 must paint that hair 1 and you ,on<t re'ret. There<s somethin' more than mortal a3out that hair 1 somethin' more than 3eautiful 1 < L2e pausedA and = ,ondered ,hat $enis could 3e thin!in'. = ,onderedA indeedA ,hat = ,as really thin!in' myself. Was 8arsh<s interest actually that of the artist aloneA or ,as he merely infatuated as $enis had 3eenG = had thou'htA in their schooldaysA that he had envied my 3oyB and = dimly felt that it mi'ht 3e the same no,. +n the other handA somethin' in that tal! of artistic stimulus had run' amazin'ly trueB so that the more = ponderedA the more = ,as inclined to ta!e the stuff at face value. $enis seemed to do soA tooA for althou'h = could not catch his lo,1spo!en replyA = could tell 3y the effect it produced that it must have 3een affirmative. LThere ,as a sound of someone slappin' another on the 3ac!A and then a 'rateful speech from 8arsh that = ,as lon' to remem3er. L<That<s 'reatA $ennyA and Cust as = told youA you<ll never re'ret it. =n a senseA =<m half doin' it for you. .ou<ll 3e a different man ,hen you see it. =<ll put you 3ac! ,here you used to 3e 1 'ive you a ,a!in'1up and a sort of salvation 1 3ut you can<t see ,hat = mean as yet. 6ust remem3er old friendshipA and don<t 'et the idea that =<m not the same old 3irdF< L= rose perple%edly as = sa, the t,o stroll off across the la,nA arm in armA and smo!in' in unison. What could 8arsh have meant 3y his stran'e and almost ominous reassuranceG

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The more my fears ,ere Duieted in one directionA the more they ,ere aroused in another. 5oo! at it any ,ay = couldA it seemed to 3e a rather 3ad 3usiness. LBut matters 'ot started Cust the same. $enis fi%ed up an attic room ,ith s!yli'htsA and 8arsh sent for all sorts of paintin' eDuipment. Everyone ,as rather e%cited a3out the ne, ventureA and = ,as at least 'lad that somethin' ,as on foot to 3rea! the 3roodin' tension. Soon the sittin's 3e'anA and ,e all too! them Duite seriously 1 for ,e could see that 8arsh re'arded them as important artistic events. $enny and = used to 'o Duietly a3out the house as thou'h somethin' sacred ,ere occurrin'A and ,e !ne, that it ,as sacred as far as marsh ,as concerned. LWith 8arcelineA thou'hA it ,as a different matterA as = 3e'an to see at once. Whatever 8arsh<s reactions to the sittin's may have 3eenA hers ,ere painfully o3vious. Every possi3le ,ay she 3etrayed a fran! and commonplace infatuation for the artistA and ,ould repulse $enis< mar!s of affection ,henever she dared. +ddlyA = noticed this more vividly than $enis himselfA and tried to devise some plan for !eepin' the 3oy<s mind easy until the matter could 3e strai'htened out. There ,as no use in havin' him e%cited a3out it if it could 3e helped. L=n the end = decided that $enis had 3etter 3e a,ay ,hile the disa'reea3le situation e%isted. = could represent his interests ,ell enou'h at this endA and sooner or later 8arsh ,ould finish the picture and 'o. 8y vie, of 8arsh<s honour ,as such that = did not loo! for any ,orse developments. When the matter had 3lo,n overA and 8arceline had for'otten a3out her ne, infatuationA it ,ould 3e time enou'h to have $enis on hand a'ain. LSo = ,rote a lon' letter to my mar!etin' and financial a'ent in ;e, .or!A and coo!ed up a plan to have the 3oy summoned there for an indefinite time. = had the a'ent ,rite him that our affairs a3solutely reDuired one of us to 'o EastA and of course my illness made it clear that = could not 3e the one. =t ,as arran'ed that ,hen $enis 'ot to ;e, .or! he ,ould find enou'h plausi3le matters to !eep him 3usy as lon' as = thou'ht he ou'ht to 3e a,ay. LThe plan ,or!ed perfectlyA and $enis started for ;e, .or! ,ithout the least suspicionB 8arceline and 8arsh 'oin' ,ith him in the car to Cape 7irardeauA ,here he cau'ht the afternoon train to St. 5ouis. They returned after dar!A and as 8cCa3e drove the car 3ac! to the sta3les = could hear them tal!in' on the veranda 1 in those same chairs near the lon' parlour ,indo, ,here 8arsh and $enis had sat ,hen = overheard them tal! a3out the portrait. This time = resolved to do some intentional eavesdroppin'A so Duietly ,ent do,n to the front parlour and stretched out on the sofa near the ,indo,. LAt first = could not hear anythin' 3ut very shortly there came the sound of a chair 3ein' shiftedA follo,ed 3y a shortA sharp 3reath and a sort of inarticulately hurt e%clamation from 8arceline. Then = heard 8arsh spea!in' in a strainedA almost formal voice. L<=<d enCoy ,or!in' toni'ht if you aren<t too tired.< L8arceline<s reply ,as in the same hurt tone ,hich had mar!ed her e%clamation. She used En'lish as he had done.

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L<+hA 4ran!A is that really all you care a3outG 4orever ,or!in'F Can<t ,e Cust sit out here in this 'lorious moonli'htG< L2e ans,ered impatientlyA his voice she,in' a certain contempt 3eneath the dominant Duality of artistic enthusiasm. L<8oonli'htF 7ood 7odA ,hat cheap sentimentalityF 4or a supposedly sophisticated person you surely do han' on to some of the crudest claptrap that ever escaped from the dime novelsF With art at your el3o,A you have to thin! of the moon 1 cheap as a spotli'ht at the varietiesF +r perhaps it ma!es you thin! of the :oodmas dance around the stone pillars at Auteiul. 2ellA ho, you used to ma!e those 'o''le1eyed yaps stareF But not 1 = suppose you<ve dropped all that no,. ;o more Atlantean ma'ic or hair1sna!e rites for 8adame de :ussyF =<m the only one to remem3er the old thin's 1 the thin's that came do,n throu'h the temples of Tanit and echoed on the ramparts of @im3a3,e. But = ,on<t 3e cheated of that remem3rance 1 all that is ,eavin' itself into the thin' on my canvas 1 the thin' that is 'oin' to capture ,onder and crystallise the secrets of 7 A*** years...< L8arceline interrupted in a voice full of mi%ed emotions. L<=t<s you ,ho are cheaply sentimental no,F .ou !no, ,ell that the old thin's had 3etter 3e let alone. All of you had 3etter ,atch out if ever = chant the old rites or try to call up ,hat lies hidden in .u''othA @im3a3,eA and :<lyeh. = thou'ht you had more senseF< L<.ou lac! lo'ic. .ou ,ant me to 3e interested in this precious paintin' of yoursA yet you never let me see ,hat you<re doin'. Al,ays that 3lac! cloth over itF =t<s of me 1 = shouldn<t thin! it ,ould matter if = sa, it...< L8arsh ,as interruptin' this timeA his voice curiously hard and strained. L<;o. ;ot no,. .ou<ll see it in due course of time. .ou say it<s of you 1 yesA it<s thatA 3ut it<s more. =f you !ne,A you mi'htn<t 3e so impatient. >oor $enisF 8y 7odA it<s a shameF< L<8y throat ,as suddenly dry as the ,ords rose to an almost fe3rile pitch. What could 8arsh meanG Suddenly = sa, that he had stopped and ,as enterin' the house alone. = heard the front door slamA and listened as his footsteps ascended the stairs. +utside on the veranda = could still hear 8arceline<s heavyA an'ry 3reathin'. = crept a,ay sic! at heartA feelin' that there ,ere 'rave thin's to ferret out 3efore = could safely let $enis come 3ac!. LAfter that evenin' the tension around the place ,as even ,orse than 3efore. 8arceline had al,ays lived on flattery and fa,nin' and the shoc! of those fe, 3lunt ,ords from 8arsh ,as too much for her temperament. There ,as no livin' in the house ,ith her anymoreA for ,ith poor $enis 'one she too! out her a3usiveness on every3ody. When she could find no one indoors to Duarrel ,ith she ,ould 'o out to Sophonis3a<s ca3in and spend hours tal!in' ,ith the Dueer old @ulu ,oman. Aunt Sophy ,as the only person ,ho ,ould fa,n a3Cectly enou'h to suit herA and ,hen = tried once to overhear their conversation = found 8arceline ,hisperin' a3out <elder secrets< and <un!no,n 0adath< ,hile the ne'ress roc!ed to and fro in her chairA ma!in' inarticulate sounds of reverence and admiration every no, and then.

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LBut nothin' could 3rea! her do'1li!e infatuation for 8arsh. She ,ould tal! 3itterly and sullenly to himA yet ,as 'ettin' more and more o3edient to his ,ishes. =t ,as very convenient for himA since he no, 3ecame a3le to ma!e her pose for the picture ,henever he felt li!e paintin'. 2e tried to she, 'ratitude for this ,illin'nessA 3ut = thou'ht = could detect a !ind of contempt or even loathin' 3eneath his careful politeness. 4or my partA = fran!ly hated 8arcelineF There ,as no use in callin' my attitude anythin' as mild as disli!e these days. CertainlyA = ,as 'lad $enis ,as a,ay. 2is lettersA not nearly so freDuent as = ,ishedA she,ed si'ns of strain and ,orry. LAs the middle of Au'ust ,ent 3y = 'athered from 8arsh<s remar!s that the portrait ,as nearly done. 2is mood seemed increasin'ly sardonicA thou'h 8arceline<s temper improved a 3it as the prospect of seein' the thin' tic!led her vanity. = can still recall the day ,hen 8arsh said he<d have everythin' finished ,ithin a ,ee!. 8arceline 3ri'htened up percepti3lyA thou'h not ,ithout a venomous loo! at me. =t seemed as if her coiled hair visi3ly ti'htened around her head. L<=<m to 3e the first to see itF< she snapped. ThenA smilin' at 8arshA she saidA <And if = don<t li!e it = shall slash it to piecesF< L8arsh<s face too! on the most curious loo! = have ever seen it ,ear as he ans,ered her. L<= can<t vouch for your tasteA 8arcelineA 3ut = s,ear it ,ill 3e ma'nificentF ;ot that = ,ant to ta!e much credit 1 art creates itself 1 and this thin' had to 3e done. 6ust ,aitF< L$urin' the ne%t fe, days = felt a Dueer sense of fore3odin'A as if the completion of the picture meant a !ind of catastrophe instead of a relief. $enisA tooA had not ,ritten meA and my a'ent in ;e, .or! said he ,as plannin' some trip to the country. = ,ondered ,hat the outcome of the ,hole thin' ,ould 3e. What a Dueer mi%ture of elements 1 8arsh and 8arcelineA $enis and =F 2o, ,ould all these ultimately react on one anotherG When my fears 're, too 'reat = tried to lay them all to my infirmityA 3ut that e%planation never Duite satisfied me.L

,V.
LWellA the thin' e%ploded on TuesdayA the t,enty1si%th of Au'ust. = had risen at my usual time and had 3rea!fastA 3ut ,as not 'ood for much 3ecause of the pain in my spine. =t had 3een trou3lin' me 3adly of lateA and forcin' me to ta!e opiates ,hen it 'ot too un3eara3leB no3ody else ,as do,nstairs e%cept the servantsA thou'h = could hear 8arceline movin' a3out in her room. 8arsh slept in the attic ne%t his studioA and had 3e'un to !eep such late hours that he ,as seldom up till noon. A3out ten o<cloc! the pain 'ot the 3etter of meA so that = too! a dou3le dose of my opiate and lay do,n on the parlour sofa. The last = heard ,as 8arceline<s pacin' overhead. >oor creature 1 if = had !no,nF She must have 3een ,al!in' 3efore the lon' mirror admirin' herself. That ,as li!e her. ?ain from start to finish 1 revellin' in her o,n 3eautyA Cust as she revelled in all the little lu%uries $enis ,as a3le to 'ive her. L= didn<t ,a!e up till near sunsetA and !ne, instantly ho, lon' = had slept from the 'olden li'ht and lon' shado,s outside the lon' ,indo,. ;o3ody ,as a3outA and a sort of unnatural stillness seemed to 3e hoverin' over everythin'. 4rom afarA thou'hA = thou'ht =

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could sense a faint ho,lin'A ,ild and intermittentA ,hose Duality had a sli'ht 3ut 3afflin' familiarity a3out it. =<m not much for psychic premonitionsA 3ut = ,as fri'htfully uneasy from the start. There had 3een dreams 1 even ,orse than the ones = had 3een dreamin' in the ,ee!s 3efore 1 and this time they seemed hideously lin!ed to some 3lac! and festerin' reality. The ,hole place had a poisonous air. After,ard = reflected that certain sounds must have filtered throu'h into my unconscious 3rain durin' those hours of dru''ed sleep. 8y painA thou'hA ,as very much easedB and = rose and ,al!ed ,ithout difficulty. LSoon enou'h = 3e'an to see that somethin' ,as ,ron'. 8arsh and 8arceline mi'ht have 3een ridin'A 3ut someone ou'ht to have 3een 'ettin' dinner in the !itchen. =nsteadA there ,as only silenceA e%cept for that faintA distant ho,l or ,ailB and no3ody ans,ered ,hen = pulled the old1fashioned 3ell1cord to summon Scipio. ThenA chancin' to loo! upA = sa, the spreadin' stain on the ceilin' 1 the 3ri'ht re stainA that must have come throu'h the floor of 8arceline<s room. L=n an instant = for'ot my crippled 3ac! and hurried upstairs to find out the ,orst. Everythin' under the sun raced throu'h my mind as = stru''led ,ith the dampness1,arped door of that silent cham3erA and most hideous of all ,as a terri3le sense of mali'n fulfilment and fatal e%pectedness. = hadA it struc! meA !no,n all alon' that nameless horrors ,ere 'atherin'B that somethin' profoundly and cosmically evil had 'ained a foot1 hold under my roof from ,hich only 3lood and tra'edy could result. LThe door 'ave at lastA and = stum3led into the lar'e room 3eyond 1 all dim from the 3ranches of the 'reat trees outside the ,indo,s. 4or a moment = could do nothin' 3ut flinch at the faint evil odour that immediately struc! my nostrils. ThenA turnin' on the electric li'ht and 'lancin' aroundA = 'limpsed a nameless 3lasphemy on the yello, and 3lue ru'. L=t lay face do,n in a 'reat pool of dar!A thic!ened 3loodA and had the 'ory print of a shod human foot in the middle of its na!ed 3ac!. Blood ,as spattered every,here 1 on the ,allsA furnitureA and floor. 8y !nees 'ave ,ay as = too! in the si'htA so that = had to stum3le to a chair and slump do,n. The thin' had o3viously 3een a human 3ein'A thou'h its identity ,as not easy to esta3lish at firstB since it ,as ,ithout clothesA and had most of its hair hac!ed and torn from the scalp in a very crude ,ay. =t ,as of a deep ivory colourA and = !ne, that it must have 3een 8arceline. The shoe1print on the 3ac! made the thin' seem all the more hellish. = could not even picture the stran'eA loathsome tra'edy ,hich must have ta!en place ,hile = slept in the room 3elo,. When = raised my hand to ,ipe my drippin' forehead = sa, that my fin'ers ,ere stic!y ,ith 3lood. = shudderedA then realised that it must have come from the !no3 of the door ,hich the un!no,n murderer had forced shut 3ehind him as he left. 2e had ta!en his ,eapon ,ith himA it seemedA for no instrument of death ,as visi3le here. LAs = studied the floor = sa, that a line of stic!y footprints li!e the one on the 3ody led a,ay from the horror to the door. There ,as another 3lood1trailA tooA and of a less easily e%plaina3le !indB a 3roadishA continuous lineA as if mar!in' the path of some hu'e sna!e. At first = concluded it must 3e due to somethin' the murderer had dra''ed after him. ThenA notin' the ,ay some of the footprints seemed to 3e superimposed on itA = ,as forced to 3elieve that it could have 3een there ,hen the murderer left. But ,hat cra,lin' entity could have 3een in that room ,ith the victim and her assassinA leavin' 3efore the !iller

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,hen the deed ,as doneG As = as!ed myself this Duestion = thou'ht = heard fresh 3ursts of that faintA distant ,ailin'. L4inallyA rousin' myself from a lethar'y of horrorA = 'ot on my feet a'ain and 3e'an follo,in' the footprints. Who the murderer ,asA = could not even faintly 'uessA nor could = try to e%plain the a3sence of the servants. = va'uely felt that = ou'ht to 'o up to 8arsh<s attic DuartersA 3ut 3efore = had fully formulated the idea = sa, that the 3loody trail ,as indeed ta!in' me there. Was he himself the murdererG 2ad he 'one mad under the strain of the mor3id situation and suddenly run amo!G L=n the attic corridor the trail 3ecame faintA the prints almost ceasin' as they mer'ed ,ith the dar! carpet. = could stillA ho,everA discern the stran'e sin'le path of the entity ,ho had 'one firstB and this led strai'ht to the closed door of 8arsh<s studioA disappearin' 3eneath it at a point a3out half ,ay from side to side. Evidently it had crossed the threshold at a time ,hen the door ,as ,ide open. LSic! at heartA = tried the !no3 and found the door unloc!ed. +penin' itA = paused in the ,anin' north li'ht to see ,hat fresh ni'htmare mi'ht 3e a,aitin' me. There ,as certainly somethin' human on the floorA and = reached for the s,itch to turn on the chandelier. LBut as the li'ht flashed up my 'aze left the floor and its horror 1 that ,as 8arshA poor devil 1 to fi% itself frantically and incredulously upon the livin' thin' that co,ered and stared in the open door,ay leadin' to 8arsh<s 3edroom. =t ,as a tousledA ,ild1eyed thin'A crusted ,ith dried 3lood and carryin' in its hand a ,ic!ed machete ,hich had 3een one of the ornaments of the studio ,all. .et even in that a,ful moment = reco'nised it as one ,hom = had thou'ht more than a thousand miles a,ay. =t ,as my o,n 3oy $enis 1 or the maddened ,rec! ,hich had once 3een $enis. LThe si'ht of me seemed to 3rin' 3ac! a trifle of sanity 1 or at least of memory 1 in the poor 3oy. 2e strai'htened up and 3e'an to toss his head a3out as if tryin' to sha!e free from some envelopin' influence. = could not spea! a ,ordA 3ut moved my lips in an effort to 'et 3ac! my voice. 8y eyes ,andered for a moment to the fi'ure on the floor in front of the heavily draped easel 1 the fi'ure to,ard ,hich the stran'e 3lood1trail ledA and ,hich seemed to 3e tan'led in the coils of some dar!A ropy o3Cect. The shiftin' of my 'lance apparently produced some impression in the t,isted 3rain of the 3oyA for suddenly he 3e'an to mutter in a hoarse ,hisper ,hose purport = ,as soon a3le to catch. L<= had to e%terminate her 1 she ,as the devil 1 the summit and hi'h1priestess of all evil 1 the spa,n of the pit 1 8arsh !ne,A and tried to ,arn me. 7ood old 4ran! 1 = didn<t !ill himA thou'h = ,as ready to 3efore = realised. But = ,ent do,n there and !illed her 1 then that cursed hair 1 < L= listened in horror as $enis cho!edA pausedA and 3e'an a'ain. L<.ou didn<t !no, 1 her letters 'ot Dueer and = !ne, she ,as in love ,ith 8arsh. Then she nearly stopped ,ritin'. 2e never mentioned her 1 = felt somethin' ,as ,ron'A and thou'ht = ou'ht to come 3ac! and find out. Couldn<t tell you 1 your manner ,ould have 'iven it a,ay. Wanted to surprise them. 7ot here a3out noon today 1 came in a ca3 and sent the house1servants all off 1 let the field hands aloneA for their ca3ins are all out of earshot. Told 8cCa3e to 'et me some thin's in Cape 7irardeau and not 3other to come 3ac! until

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tomorro,. 2ad all the ni''ers ta!e the old car and let 8ary drive them to Bend ?illa'e for a vacation 1 told <em ,e ,ere all 'oin' on some sort of outin' and ,ouldn<t need help. Said they<d 3etter stay all ni'ht ,ith (ncle Scip<s cousinA ,ho !eeps that ni''er 3oardin' house.< L$enis ,as 'ettin' very incoherent no,A and = strained my ears to 'rasp every ,ord. A'ain = thou'ht = heard that ,ildA far1off ,ailA 3ut the story had first place for the present. L<Sa, you sleepin' in the parlourA and too! a chance you ,ouldn<t ,a!e up. Then ,ent upstairs on the Duiet to hunt up 8arsh and...that ,omanF< LThe 3oy shuddered as he avoided pronouncin' 8arceline<s name. At the same time = sa, his eyes dilate in unison ,ith a 3urstin' of the distant cryin'A ,hose va'ue familiarity had no, 3ecome very 'reat. L<She ,as not in her roomA so = ,ent up to the studio. $oor ,as shutA and = could hear voices inside. $idn<t !noc! 1 Cust 3urst in and found her posin' for the picture. ;udeA 3ut ,ith the hellish hair all draped around her. And ma!in' all sorts of sheep<s eyes at 8arsh. 2e had the easel turned half a,ay from the doorA so = couldn<t see the picture. Both of them ,ere pretty ,ell Colted ,hen = she,ed upA and 8arsh dropped his 3rush. = ,as in a ra'e and told him he<d have to she, me the portraitA 3ut he 'ot calmer every minute. Told me it ,asn<t Duite doneA 3ut ,ould 3e in a day or t,o 1 said = could see it then 1 she 1 hadn<t seen it. L<But that didn<t 'o ,ith me. = stepped upA and he dropped a velvet curtain over the thin' 3efore = could see it. 2e ,as ready to fi'ht 3efore lettin' me see itA 3ut that 1 that 1 she 1 stepped up and sided ,ith me. Said ,e ou'ht to see it. 4ran! 'ot horri3le ,or!ed upA and 'ave me a punch ,hen = tried to 'et at the punch ,hen = tried to 'et at the curtain. = punched 3ac! and seemed to have !noc!ed him out. Then = ,as almost !noc!ed out myself 3y the shrie! that 1 that creature 1 'ave. She<d dra,n aside the han'in's herselfA and cau'ht a loo! at ,hat 8arsh had 3een paintin'. = ,heeled around and sa, her rushin' li!e mad out of the room 1 then = sa, the picture.< L8adness flared up in the 3oy<s eyes a'ain as he 'ot to this placeA and = thou'ht for a minute he ,as 'oin' to sprin' at me ,ith his machete. But after a pause he partly steadied himself. L<+hA 7od 1 that thin'F $on<t ever loo! at itF Burn it ,ith the han'in's around it and thro, the ashes into the riverF 8arsh !ne, 1 and ,as ,arnin' me. 2e !ne, ,hat it ,as 1 ,hat that ,oman 1 that leopardessA or 'or'onA or lamiaA or ,hatever she ,as 1 actually represented. 2e<d tried to hint to me ever since = met her in his >aris studioA 3ut it couldn<t 3e told in ,ords. = thou'ht they all ,ron'ed her ,hen they ,hispered horrors a3out her 1 she had me hypnotised so that = couldn<t 3elieve the plain facts 1 3ut this picture has cau'ht the ,hole secret 1 the ,hole monstrous 3ac!'roundF L<7odA 3ut 4ran! is an artistF That thin' is the 'reatest piece any livin' soul has produced since :em3randtF =t<s a crime to 3urn it 1 3ut it ,ould 3e a 'reater crime to let it e%ist 1 Cust as it ,ould have 3een an a3horrent sin to let 1 that she1daemon 1 e%ist any lon'er. The minute = sa, it = understood ,hat 1 she 1 ,asA and ,hat part she played in the fri'htful secret that has come do,n from the days of Cthulhu and the Elder +nes 1 the secret that ,as nearly ,iped out ,hen Atlantis san!A 3ut that !ept half alive in hidden

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traditions and alle'orical myths and furtiveA midni'ht cult1practices. 4or you !no, she ,as the real thin'. =t ,asn<t any fa!e. =t ,ould have 3een merciful if it had 3een a fa!e. =t ,as the oldA hideous shado, that philosophers never dared mention 1 the thin' hinted at in the -ecronomicon and sym3olised in the Easter =sland colossi. L<She thou'ht ,e couldn<t see throu'h 1 that the false front ,ould hold till ,e had 3artered a,ay our immortal souls. And she ,as half ri'ht 1 she<d have 'ot me in the end. She ,as only 1 ,aitin'. But 4ran! 1 'ood old 4ran! 1 ,as too much for me. 9e kne$ $"at it all meant& and painted it% = don<t ,onder she shrie!ed and ran off ,hen she sa, it. =t ,asn<t Duite doneA 3ut 7od !no,s enoug" $as t"ere% L<Then = !ne, =<d 'ot to !ill her 1 !ill herA and everythin' connected ,ith her. =t ,as a taint that ,holesome human 3lood couldn<t 3ear. There ,as somethin' elseA too 1 3ut you<ll never !no, that if you 3urn the picture ,ithout loo!in'. = sta''ered do,n to her room ,ith this machete that = 'ot off the ,all hereA leavin' 4ran! still !noc!ed out. 2e ,as 3reathin'A thou'hA and = !ne, and than!ed heaven = hadn<t !illed him. L<= found her in front of the mirror 3raidin' that accursed hair. She turned on me li!e a ,ild 3eastA and 3e'an spittin' out her hatred of 8arsh. The fact that she<d 3een in love ,ith him 1 and = !ne, she had 1 only made it ,orse. 4or a minute = couldn<t moveA and she came ,ithin an ace of completely hypnotisin' me. Then = thou'ht of the pictureA and the spell 3ro!e. She sa, the 3rea!in' in my eyesA and must have noticed the macheteA too. = never sa, anythin' 'ive such a ,ild Cun'le 3east loo! as she did then. She spran' for me ,ith cla,s out li!e a leopard<sA 3ut = ,as too Duic!. = s,un' the macheteA and it ,as all over.< L$enis had to stop a'ainA and = sa, the perspiration runnin' do,n his forehead throu'h the spattered 3lood. But in a moment he hoarsely resumed. L<= said it ,as all over 1 3ut 7odF some of it had only Cust 3e'unF = felt = had fou'ht the le'ions of SatanA and put my foot on the 3ac! of the thin' = had annihilated. T"en I sa$ t"at blasp"emous braid of coarse black "air begin to t$ist and s0uirm of itself% L<= mi'ht have !no,n it. =t ,as all in the old tales. That damna3le hair had a life of its o,nA that couldn<t 3e ended 3y !illin' the creature itself. = !ne, =<d have to 3urn itA so = started to hac! it off ,ith the machete. 7odA 3ut it ,as devilish ,or!F Tou'h 1 li!e iron ,ires 1 3ut = mana'ed to do it. And it ,as loathsome the ,ay the 3i' 3raid ,rithed and stru''led in my 'rasp. L<A3out the time = had the last strand cut or pulled off = heard that eldritch ,ailin' from 3ehind the house. .ou !no, 1 it<s still 'oin' off and on. = don<t !no, ,hat it isA 3ut it must 3e somethin' sprin'in' from this hellish 3usiness. =t half seems li!e somethin' = ou'ht to !no, 3ut can<t Duite place. =t 'ot my nerves the first time = heard itA and = dropped the severed 3raid in my fri'ht. ThenA = 'ot a ,orse fri'ht 1 for in another second the 3raid had turned on me and 3e'an to stri!e venomously ,ith one of its ends ,hich had !notted itself up li!e a sort of 'rotesDue head. = struc! out ,ith the macheteA and it turned a,ay. ThenA ,hen = had my 3reath a'ainA = sa, that the monstrous thin' ,as cra,lin' alon' the floor 3y itself li!e a 'reat 3lac! sna!e. = couldn<t do anythin' for a ,hileA 3ut ,hen it vanished throu'h the door = mana'ed to pull myself to'ether and stum3le after it. = could follo, the 3roadA 3loody trailA and = sa, it led upstairs. =t 3rou'ht me here 1 and may heaven curse me if = didn<t see it throu'h the door,ayA stri!in' at poor dazed 8arsh li!e a maddened rattler

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as it had struc! at meA finally coilin' around him as a python ,ould. 2e had 3e'un to come toA 3ut that a3omina3le serpent 'ot him 3efore he ,as on his feet. = !ne, that all of the ,oman<s hatred ,as 3ehind itA 3ut = hadn<t the po,er to pull it off. = triedA 3ut it ,as too much for me. Even the machete ,as no 'ood 1 = couldn<t s,in' it freely or it ,ould have slashed 4ran! to pieces. So = sa, those monstrous coils ti'hten 1 sa, poor 4ran! crushed to death 3efore my eyes 1 and all the time that a,ful faint ho,lin' came from some,here 3eyond the fields. L<That<s all. = pulled the velvet cloth over the picture and hope it<ll never 3e lifted. The thin' must 3e 3urnt. = couldn<t pry the coils off poorA dead 4ran! 1 they clin' to him li!e a leachA and seem to have lost their motion alto'ether. =t<s as if that sna!y rope of hair has a !ind of perverse fondness for the man it !illed 1 it<s clin'in' to him 1 em3racin' him. .ou<ll have to 3urn poor 4ran! ,ith it 1 3ut for 7od<s sa!e don<t for'et to see it in ashes. That and the picture. They must 3oth 'o. The safety of the ,orld demands that they 'o. L$enis mi'ht have ,hispered moreA 3ut a fresh 3urst of distant ,ailin' cut us short. 4or the first time ,e !ne, ,hat it ,asA for a ,esterly veerin' ,ind 3rou'ht articulate ,ords at last. We ou'ht to have !no,n lon' 3eforeA since sounds much li!e it had often come from the same source. =t ,as ,rin!led Sophonis3aA the ancient @ulu ,itch1,oman ,ho had fa,ned on 8arcelineA !eenin' from her ca3in in a ,ay ,hich cro,ned the horrors of this ni'htmare tra'edy. We could 3oth hear some of the thin's she ho,ledA and !ne, that secret and primordial 3onds lin!ed this sava'e sorceress ,ith that other inheritor of elder secrets ,ho had Cust 3een e%tirpated. Some of the ,ords she used 3etrayed her closeness to daemonic and palaeo'ean traditions. L+IDC IDC S"ub--iggurat"C ;a-*+lye"C -+gagi n+bulu b$ana n+loloC .aA yoA poor 8issy TanitA poor 8issy =sisF 8arse CloolooA come up outen de ,ater an< 'it yo chile 1 she done daidF She done daidF $e hair ain< 'ot no missus no mo<A 8arse Clooloo. +l< SophyA she !no,F +l< SophyA she done 'ot de 3lac! stone outen Bi' @im3a3,e in ol< Affri!yF +l< SophyA she done dance in de moonshine roun< de crocodile1stone 3efo< de ;<3an'us cotch her and sell her to de ship fol!sF ;o mo< TanitF ;o mo< =sisF ;o mo< ,itch1,oman to !eep de fire a1'oin< in de 3i' stone placeF .aA yoF eif;<'a'i n<3ulu 3,ana n<loloF =]F Shu31 ;i''urathFeZif She daidF +l< Sophy !no,F< LThat ,asn<t the end of the ,ailin'A 3ut it ,as all = could pay attention to. The e%pression on my 3oy<s face she,ed that it had reminded him of somethin' fri'htfulA and the ti'htenin' of his hand on the machete 3oded no 'ood. = !ne, he ,as desperateA and spran' to disarm him 3efore he could do anythin' more. LBut = ,as too late. An old man ,ith a 3ad spine doesn<t count for much physically. There ,as a terri3le stru''leA 3ut he had done for himself 3efore many seconds ,ere over. =<m not sure yet 3ut that he tried to !ill meA too. 2is last pantin' ,ords ,ere somethin' a3out the need of ,ipin' out everythin' that had 3een connected ,ith 8arcelineA either 3y 3lood or marria'e.L

V.
L= ,onder to this day that = didn<t 'o star! mad in that instant 1 or in the moments and hours after,ard. =n front of me ,as the slain 3ody of my 3oy 1 the only human 3ein' = had

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to cherish 1 and ten feet a,ayA in front of that shrouded easelA ,as the 3ody of his 3est friendA ,ith a nameless coil of horror ,ound around it. Belo, ,as the scalped corpse of that she1monsterA a3out ,hom = ,as half1ready to 3elieve anythin'. = ,as too dazed to analyse the pro3a3ility of the hair story 1 and even if = had not 3eenA that dismal ho,lin' comin' from Aunt Sophy<s ca3in ,ould have 3een enou'h to Duiet dou3t for the nonce. L=f =<d 3een ,iseA =<d have done Cust ,hat poor $enis told me to 1 3urned the picture and the 3ody1'raspin' hair at once and ,ithout curiosity 1 3ut = ,as too sha!en to 3e ,ise. = suppose = muttered foolish thin's over my 3oy 1 and then = remem3ered that the ni'ht ,as ,earin' on and that the servants ,ould 3e 3ac! in the mornin'. =t ,as plain that a matter li!e this could never 3e e%plainedA and = !ne, that = must cover thin's up and invent a story. LThat coil of hair around 8arsh ,as a monstrous thin'. As = po!ed at it ,ith a s,ord ,hich = too! from the ,all = almost thou'ht = felt it ti'hten its 'rip on the dead man. = didn<t dare touch it 1 and the lon'er = loo!ed at it the more horri3le thin's = noticed a3out it. +ne thin' 'ave me a start. = ,on<t mention it 1 3ut it partly e%plained the need for feedin' the hair ,ith Dueer oils as 8arceline had al,ays done. L=n the end = decided to 3ury all three 3odies in the cellar 1 ,ith Duic!limeA ,hich = !ne, ,e had in the storehouse. =t ,as a ni'ht of hellish ,or!. = du' three 'raves 1 my 3oy<s a lon' ,ay from the other t,oA for = didn<t ,ant him to 3e near either the ,oman<s 3ody or her hair. = ,as sorry = couldn<t 'et the coil from around poor marsh. =t ,as terri3le ,or! 'ettin' them all do,n to the cellar. = used 3lan!ets in cartin' the ,oman and the poor devil ,ith the coil around him. Then = had to 'et t,o 3arrels of lime from the storehouse. 7od must have 'iven me stren'thA for = not only moved them 3ut filled all three 'raves ,ithout a hitch. LSome of the lime = made into ,hite,ash. = had to ta!e a stepladder and fi% over the parlour ceilin' ,here the 3lood had oozed throu'h. And = 3urned nearly everythin' in 8arceline<s roomA scru33in' the ,alls and floor and heavy furniture. = ,ashed up the attic studioA tooA and the trail and footprints that led there. And all the time = could hear old Sophy<s ,ailin' in the distance. The devil must have 3een in that creature to let her voice 'o on li!e that. But she al,ays ,as ho,lin' Dueer thin's. That<s ,hy the field ni''ers didn<t 'et scared or curious that ni'ht. = loc!ed the studio door and too! the !ey to my room. Then = 3urned all my stained clothes in the fireplace. By da,n the ,hole house loo!ed Duite normal so far as any casual eye could tell. = hadn<t dared touch the covered easelA 3ut meant to attend to that later. LWellA the servants came 3ac! the ne%t dayA and = told them all the youn' fol!s had 'one to St. 5ouis. ;one of the field hands seemed to have seen or heard anythin'A and old Sophonis3a<s ,ailin' had stopped at the instant of sunrise. She ,as li!e a sphin% after thatA and never let out a ,ord of ,hat had 3een on her 3roodin' 3rain the day and ni'ht 3efore. L5ater on = pretended that $enis and 8arsh and 8arceline had 'one 3ac! to >aris and had a certain discreet a'ency mail me letters from there 1 letters = had fi%ed up in for'ed hand,ritin'. =t too! a 'ood deal of deceit and reticence in several thin's to various friendsA and = !ne, people have secretly suspected me of holdin' somethin' 3ac!. = had the deaths of 8arsh and $enis reported durin' the ,arA and later said 8arceline had entered a convent. 4ortunately 8arsh ,as an orphan ,hose eccentric ,ays had alienated him from

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his people in 5ouisiana. Thin's mi'ht have 3een patched up a 'ood deal 3etter for me if = had had the sense to 3urn the pictureA sell the plantationA and 'ive up tryin' to mana'e thin's ,ith a sha!en and overstrained mind. .ou see ,hat my folly has 3rou'ht me to. 4ailin' crops 1 hands dischar'ed one 3y one 1 place fallin' apart to ruin 1 and myself a hermit and a tar'et for dozens of Dueer countryside stories. ;o3ody ,ill come around here after dar! anymore 1 or any other time if it can 3e helped. That<s ,hy = !ne, you must 3e a stran'er. LAnd ,hy do = stay hereG = can<t ,holly tell you that. =t<s 3ound up too closely ,ith thin's at the very rim of sane reality. =t ,ouldn<t have 3een soA perhapsA if = hadn<t loo!ed at the picture. = ou'ht to have done as poor $enis told me. = honestly meant to 3urn it ,hen = ,ent up to that loc!ed studio a ,ee! after the horrorA 3ut = loo!ed first 1 and that chan'ed everythin'. L;o 1 there<s no use tellin' ,hat = sa,. .ou canA in a ,ayA see for yourself presentlyB thou'h time and dampness have done their ,or!. = don<t thin! it can hurt you if you ,ant to ta!e a loo!A 3ut it ,as different ,ith me. = !ne, too much of ,hat it all meant. L$enis had 3een ri'ht 1 it ,as the 'reatest triumph of human art since :em3randtA even thou'h still unfinished. = 'rasped that at the startA and !ne, that poor 8arsh had Custified his decadent philosophy. 2e ,as to paintin' ,hat Baudelaire ,as to poetry 1 and 8arceline ,as the !ey that had unloc!ed his inmost stron'hold of 'enius. LThe thin' almost stunned me ,hen = pulled aside the han'in's 1 stunned me 3efore = half !ne, ,hat the ,hole thin' ,as. .ou !no,A it<s only partly a portrait. 8arsh had 3een pretty literal ,hen he hinted that he ,asn<t paintin' 8arceline aloneA 3ut ,hat he sa, throu'h her and 3eyond her. L+f course she ,as in it 1 ,as the !ey to itA in a sense 1 3ut her fi'ure only formed one point in a vast composition. She ,as nude e%cept for that hideous ,e3 of hair spun around herA and ,as half1seatedA half1reclinin' on a sort of 3ench or divanA carved in patterns unli!e those of any !no,n decorative tradition. There ,as a monstrously shaped 'o3let in one handA from ,hich ,as spillin' fluid ,hose colour = haven<t 3een a3le to place or classify to this day 1 = don<t !no, ,here 8arsh even 'ot the pi'ments. LThe fi'ure and the divan ,ere in the left1hand fore'round of the stran'est sort of scene = ever sa, in my life. = thin! there ,as a faint su''estion of its all 3ein' a !ind of emanation from the ,oman<s 3rainA yet there ,as also a directly opposite su''estion 1 as if she ,ere Cust an evil ima'e or hallucination conCured up 3y the scene itself. L= can<t tell you !no, ,hether it<s an e%terior or an interior 1 ,hether those hellish Cyclopean vaultin's are seen from the outside or the insideA or ,hether they are indeed carven stone and not merely a mor3id fun'ous ar3orescence. The 'eometry of the ,hole thin' is crazy 1 one 'ets the acute and o3tuse an'les all mi%ed up. LAnd 7odF The shapes of ni'htmare that float around in that perpetual daemon t,ili'htF The 3lasphemies that lur! and leer and hold a Witches< Sa33at ,ith that ,oman as a hi'h1 priestessF The 3lac! sha''y entities that are not Duite 'oats 1 the crocodile1headed 3east ,ith three le's and a dorsal ro, of tentacles 1 and the flat1nosed ae'ipans dancin' in a pattern that E'ypt<s priests !ne, and called accursedF

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LBut the scene ,asn<t E'ypt 1 it ,as 3ehind E'yptB 3ehind even AtlantisB 3ehind fa3led 8uA and myth1,hispered 5emuria. =t ,as the ultimate fountainhead of all horror on this earthA and the sym3olism she,ed only too clearly ho, inte'ral a part of it 8arceline ,as. = thin! it must 3e the unmentiona3le :<lyehA that ,as not 3uilt 3y any creatures of this planet 1 the thin' 8arsh and $enis used to tal! a3out in the shado,s ,ith hushed voices. =n the picture it appears that the ,hole scene is deep under ,ater 1 thou'h every3ody seems to 3e 3reathin' freely. LWell 1 = couldn<t do anythin' 3ut loo! and shudderA and finally = sa, that 8arceline ,as ,atchin' me craftily out of those monstrousA dilated eyes on the canvas. =t ,as no mere superstition 1 8arsh had actually cau'ht somethin' of her horri3le vitality in his symphonies of line and colorA so that she still 3rooded and hatedA Cust as if most of her ,eren<t do,n in the cellar under Duic!lime. And it $as $orst of al $"en some of t"ose 9ecate-born snaky strands of "air began to lift t"emsel!es up from t"e surface and grope out into t"e room to$ard me% LThen it ,as that = !ne, the last final horrorA and realised = ,as a 'uardian and a prisoner forever. she ,as the thin' from ,hich the first dim le'ends of 8edusa and the 7or'ons had sprun'A and somethin' in my sha!en ,ill had 3een captured and turned to stone at last. ;ever a'ain ,ould = 3e safe from those coilin' sna!y strands 1 the strands in the pictureA and those that lay 3roodin' under the lime near the ,ine cas!s. All too late = recalled the tales of the virtual indestructi3ilityA even throu'h centuries of 3urialA of the hair of the dead. L8y life since has 3een nothin' 3ut horror and slavery. Al,ays there had lur!ed the fear of ,hat 3roods do,n in the cellar. =n less than a month the ni''ers 3e'an ,hisperin' a3out the 'reat 3lac! sna!e that cra,led around near the ,ine cas!s after dar!A and a3out the curious ,ay its trail ,ould lead to another spot si% feet a,ay. 4inally = had to move everythin' to another part of the cellarA for not a dar!y could 3e induced to 'o near the place ,here the sna!e ,as seen. LThen the field hands 3e'an tal!in' a3out the 3lac! sna!e that visited old Sophonis3a<s ca3in every ni'ht after midni'ht. +ne of them she,ed me its trail 1 and not lon' after,ard = found out that Aunt Sophy herself had 3e'un to pay stran'e visits to the cellar of the 3i' houseA lin'erin' and mutterin' for hours in the very spot ,here none of the other 3lac!s ,ould 'o near. 7odA 3ut = ,as 'lad ,hen that old ,itch diedF = honestly 3elieve she had 3een a priestess of some ancient and terri3le tradition 3ac! in Africa. She must have lived to 3e almost a hundred and fifty years old. LSometimes = thin! = hear somethin' 'lidin' around the house at ni'ht. There ,ill 3e a Dueer noise on the stairsA ,here the 3oards are looseA and the latch of my room ,ill rattle as if ,ith an in,ard pressure. = al,ays !eep my door loc!edA of course. Then there are certain mornin's ,hen = seem to catch a sic!ish musty odour in the corridorsA and notice a faintA ropy trail throu'h the dust of the floors. = !no, = must 'uard the hair in the pictureA for if anythin' ,ere to happen to itA there are entities in this house ,hich ,ould ta!e a sure and terri3le reven'e. = don<t even dare to die 1 for life and death are all one to those in the clutch of ,hat came out of :<lyeh. Somethin' ,ould 3e on hand to punish my ne'lect. 8edusa<s coil has 'ot meA and it ,ill al,ays 3e the same. ;ever mi% up ,ith secret and ultimate horrorA youn' manA if you value your immortal soul.L

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8#

V,.
As the old man finished his story = sa, that the small lamp had lon' since 3urned dryA and that the lar'e one ,as nearly empty. =t mustA = !ne,A 3e near da,nA and my ears told me that the storm ,as over. The tale had held me in a half1dazeA and = almost feared to 'lance at the door lest it reveal an in,ard pressure from some unnama3le source. =t ,ould 3e hard to say ,hich had the 'reatest hold on me 1 star! horrorA incredulityA or a !ind of mor3id fantastic curiosity. = ,as ,holly 3eyond speech and had to ,ait for my stran'e host to 3rea! the spell. L$o you ,ant to see 1 the thin'GL 2is voice ,as lo, and hesitantA and = sa, he ,as tremendously in earnest. +f my various emotionsA curiosity 'ained the upper handB and = nodded silently. 2e roseA li'htin' a candle on a near3y ta3le and holdin' it hi'h 3efore him as he opened the door. LCome ,ith me 1 upstairs.L = dreaded to 3rave those musty corridors a'ainA 3ut fascination do,ned all my Dualms. The 3oards crea!ed 3eneath our feetA and = trem3led once ,hen = thou'ht = sa, a faintA rope1li!e line trace in the dust near the staircase. The steps of the attic ,ere noisy and ric!etyA ,ith several of the treads missin'. = ,as Cust 'lad of the need of loo!in' sharply to my footin'A for it 'ave me an e%cuse not to 'lance a3out. The attic corridor ,as pitch13lac! and heavily co3,e33edA and inch1deep ,ith dust e%cept ,here a 3eaten trail led to a door on the left at the farther end. As = noticed the rottin' remains of a thic! carpet = thou'ht of the other feet ,hich had pressed it in 3y'one decades 1 of theseA and of one thin' ,hich did not have feet. The old man too! me strai'ht to the door at the end of the 3eaten pathA and fum3led a second ,ith the rusty latch. = ,as acutely fri'htened !no, that = !ne, the picture ,as so closeA yet dared not retreat at this sta'e. =n another moment my host ,as usherin' me into the deserted studio. The candle li'ht ,as very faintA yet served to she, most of the principal features. = noticed the lo,A slantin' roofA the hu'e enlar'ed dormerA the curios and trophies hun' on the ,all 1 and most of allA the 'reat shrouded easel in the centre of the floor. To that easel de :ussy no, ,al!edA dra,in' aside the dusty velvet han'in's on the side turned a,ay from meA and motionin' me silently to approach. =t too! a 'ood deal of coura'e to ma!e me o3eyA especially ,hen = sa, ho, my 'uide<s eyes dilated in the ,averin' candle li'ht as he loo!ed at the unveiled canvas. But a'ain curiosity conDuered everythin'A and = ,al!ed around to ,here de :ussy stood. Then = sa, the damna3le thin'. = did not faint 1 thou'h no reader can possi3ly realise the effort it too! to !eep me from doin' so. = did cry outA 3ut stopped short ,hen = sa, the fri'htened loo! on the old man<s face. as = had e%pectedA the canvas ,as ,arpedA mouldyA and sca3rous from dampness and ne'lectB 3ut for all that = could trace the monstrous hints of evil cosmic outsideness that lur!ed all throu'h the nameless scene<s mor3id content and perverted 'eometry.

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=t ,as as the old man had said 1 a vaultedA columned hell of mun'led Blac! 8asses and Witches< Sa33aths 1 and ,hat perfect completion could have added to it ,as 3eyond my po,er to 'uess. $ecay had only increased the utter hideousness of its ,ic!ed sym3olism and diseased su''estionA for the parts most affected 3y time ,ere Cust those parts of the picture ,hich in ;ature 1 or in the e%tra1cosmic realm that moc!ed ;ature 1 ,ould 3e apt to decay and disinte'rate. The utmost horror of allA of courseA ,as 8arceline 1 and as = sa, the 3loatedA discoloured flesh = formed the odd fancy that perhaps the fi'ure on the canvas had some o3scureA occult lin!a'e ,ith the fi'ure ,hich lay in Duic!lime under the cellar floor. >erhaps the lime had preserved the corpse instead of destroyin' it 1 3ut could it have preserved those 3lac!A mali'n eyes that 'lared and moc!ed at me from their painted hellG And there ,as somethin' else a3out the creature ,hich = could not fail to notice 1 somethin' ,hich de :ussy had not 3een a3le to put into ,ordsA 3ut ,hich perhaps had somethin' to do ,ith $enis< ,ish to !ill all those of his 3lood ,ho had d,elt under the same roof ,ith her. Whether 8arsh !ne,A or ,hether the 'enius in him painted it ,ithout his !no,in'A none could say. But $enis and his father could not have !no,n till they sa, the picture. Surpassin' all in horror ,as the streamin' 3lac! hair 1 ,hich covered the rottin' 3odyA 3ut ,hich ,as itself not even sli'htly decayed. All = had heard of it ,as amply verified. =t ,as nothin' humanA this ropyA sinuousA half1oilyA half1crin!ly flood of serpent dar!ness. ?ileA independent life proclaimed itself at every unnatural t,ist and convolutionA and the su''estion of num3erless reptilian "eads at the out1turned ends ,as far too mar!ed to 3e illusory or accidental. The 3lasphemous thin' held me li!e a ma'net. = ,as helplessA and did not ,onder at the myth of the 'or'on<s 'lance ,hich turned all 3eholders to stone. Then = thou'ht = sa, a chan'e come over the thin'. The leerin' features percepti3ly movedA so that the rottin' Ca, fellA allo,in' the thic!A 3east1li!e lips to disclose a ro, of pointed yello, fan's. The pupils of the fiendish eyes dilatedA and the eyes themselves seemed to 3ul'e out,ard. And the hair 1 that accursed hairF It "ad begun to rustle and $a!e perceptibly& t"e snake-"eads all turning to$ard de *ussy and !ibrating as if to strikeC :eason deserted me alto'etherA and 3efore = !ne, ,hat = ,as doin' = dre, my automatic and sent a sho,er of t,elve steel1Cac!eted 3ullets throu'h the shoc!in' canvas. The ,hole thin' at once fell to piecesA even the frame topplin' from the easel and clatterin' to the dust1covered floor. But thou'h this horror ,as shatteredA another had risen 3efore me in the form of de :ussy himselfA ,hose maddened shrie!s as he sa, the picture vanish ,ere almost as terri3le as the picture itself had 3een. With a half1articulate scream of L7odA no, you<ve done itFL the frantic old man seized me violently 3y the arm and commenced to dra' me out of the room and do,n the ric!ety stairs. 2e had dropped the candle in his panicB 3ut da,n ,as nearA and some faint 'rey li'ht ,as filterin' in throu'h the dust1covered ,indo,s. = tripped and stum3led repeatedlyA 3ut never for a moment ,ould my 'uide slac!en his pace. L:unFL he shrie!edA Lrun for your lifeF .ou don<t !no, ,hat you<ve doneF = never told you the ,hole thin'F There ,ere thin's = had to do 1 t"e picture talked to me and told me% =

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had to 'uard and !eep it 1 no, the ,orst ,ill happenF S"e and t"at "air $ill come up out of t"eir gra!es& for God kno$s $"at purposeC L2urryA manF 4or 7od<s sa!e let<s 'et out of here ,hile there<s time. =f you have a car ta!e me alon' to Cape 7irardeau ,ith you. =t may ,ell 'et me in the endA any,hereA 3ut =<ll 'ive it a run for its money. +ut of here 1 Duic!FL As ,e reached the 'round floor = 3ecame a,are of a slo,A curious thumpin' from the rear of the houseA follo,ed 3y a sound of a door shuttin'. $e :ussy had not heard the thumpin'A 3ut the other noise cau'ht his ear and dre, from him the most terri3le shrie! that ever sounded in human throat. )'"& God - great God - t"at $as t"e cellar door - s"e+s coming - ) By this time = ,as desperately ,restlin' ,ith the rusty latch and sa''in' hin'es of the 'reat front door 1 almost as frantic as my host no, that = heard the slo,A thumpin' tread approachin' from the un!no,n rear rooms of the accursed mansion. The ni'ht<s rain had ,arped the oa!en plan!sA and the heavy door stuc! and resisted even more stron'ly than it had ,hen = forced an entrance the evenin' 3efore. Some,here a plan! crea!ed 3eneath the foot of ,hatever ,as ,al!in'A and the sound seemed to snap the last cord of sanity in the poor old man. With a roar li!e that of a maddened 3ull he released his 'rip on me and made a plun'e to the ri'htA throu'h the open door of a room ,hich = Cud'ed had 3een a parlour. A second laterA Cust as = 'ot the front door open and ,as ma!in' my o,n escapeA = heard the tin!lin' clatter of 3ro!en 'lass and !ne, he had leapt throu'h a ,indo,. And as = 3ounded off the sa''in' porch to commence my mad race do,n the lon'A ,eed1'ro,n drive = thou'ht = could catch the thud of deadA do''ed footsteps ,hich did not follo, meA 3ut ,hich !ept leadenly on throu'h the door of the co3,e33ed parlour. = loo!ed 3ac!,ard only t,ice as = plun'ed heedlessly throu'h the 3urrs and 3riers of that a3andoned driveA past the dyin' lindens and 'rotesDue scru31oa!sA in the 'rey pallor of a cloudy ;ovem3er da,n. The first time ,as ,hen an acrid smell overtoo! meA and = thou'ht of the candle de :ussy had dropped in the attic studio. By then = ,as comforta3ly near the roadA on the hi'h place from ,hich the roof of the distant house ,as clearly visi3le a3ove its encirclin' treesB and Cust as = e%pectedA thic! clouds of smo!e ,ere 3illo,in' out of the attic dormers and curlin' up,ard into the leaden heavens. = than!ed the po,ers of creation that an immemorial curse ,as a3out to 3e pur'ed 3y fire and 3lotted from the earth. But in the ne%t instant came that second 3ac!,ard loo! in ,hich = 'limpsed t,o other thin's 1 thin's that cancelled most of the relief and 'ave me a supreme shoc! from ,hich = shall never recover. = have said that = ,as on a hi'h part of the driveA from ,hich much of the plantation 3ehind me ,as visi3le. This vista included not only the house and its trees 3ut some of the a3andoned and partly flooded land 3eside the riverA and several 3ends of the ,eed1cho!ed drive = had 3een so hastily traversin'. =n 3oth of these latter places = = no, 3eheld si'hts 1 or suspicions of si'hts 1 ,hich = ,ish devoutly = could deny. =t ,as a faintA distant scream ,hich made me turn 3ac! a'ainA and as = did so = cau'ht a trace of motion on the dull 'rey marshy plain 3ehind the house. At that human fi'ures are

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very smallA yet = thou'ht the motion resolved itself into t,o of these 1 pursuer and pursued. = even thou'ht = sa, the dar!1clothed leadin' fi'ure overta!enA seizedA and dra''ed violently in the direction of the no, 3urnin' house. But = could not ,atch the outcomeA for at once a nearer si'ht o3truded itself 1 a su''estion of motion amon' the under3rush at a point some distance 3ac! alon' the deserted drive. 5nmistakably& t"e $eeds and bus"es and briers $ere s$aying as no $ind could s$ay t"em1 s$aying as if some large& s$ift serpent $ere $riggling purposefully along on t"e ground in pursuit of me That ,as all = could stand. = scram3led alon' madly for the 'ateA heedless of torn clothin' and 3leedin' scratchesA and Cumped into the roadster par!ed under the 'reat ever'reen tree. =t ,as a 3edra''ledA rain1drenched si'htB 3ut the ,or!s ,ere unharmed and = had no trou3le in startin' the thin'. = ,ent on 3lindly in the direction the car ,as headed forB nothin' ,as in my mind 3ut to 'et a,ay from that fri'htful re'ion of ni'htmares and cacodaemons 1 to 'et a,ay as Duic!ly and as far as 'asoline could ta!e me. A3out three or four miles alon' the road a farmer hailed me 1 a !indlyA dra,lin' fello, of middle a'e and considera3le native intelli'ence. = ,as 'lad to slo, do,n and as! directionsA thou'h = !ne, = must present a stran'e enou'h aspect. The man readily told me the ,ay to Cape 7irardeauA and inDuired ,here = had come from in such a state at such an early hour. Thin!in' it 3est to say littleA = merely mentioned that = had 3een cau'ht in the ni'ht<s rain and had ta!en shelter at a near3y farmhouseA after,ard losin' my ,ay in the under3rush tryin' to find my car. LAt a farmhouseA ehG Wonder ,hose it could<a 3een. Ain<t nothin< standin< this side o< 6im 4erris< place acrost Bar!er<s Cric!A an< that<s all o< t,enty miles 3y the rud.L = 'ave a startA and ,ondered ,hat fresh mystery this portended. Then = as!ed my informant if he had overloo!ed the lar'e ruined plantation house ,hose ancient 'ate 3ordered the road not far 3ac!. L4unny ye sh<d recollec! thatA stran'erF 8ust a 3en here afore some time. But that house ain<t here no,. Burnt do,n five or si% years a'o 1 and they did tell some Dueer stories a3out it.L = shuddered. L.ou mean :iverside 1 ol< man de :ussy<s place. /ueer 'oin<s on there fifteen or t,enty years a'o. +l< man<s 3oy married a 'al from a3roadA and some fol!s thou'ht she ,as a mi'hty odd sort. $idn<t li!e the loo!s of her. then she and the 3oy ,ent off suddenA and later on the ol< man said he ,as !ilt in the ,ar. But some o< the ni''ers hinted Dueer thin's. 7ot around at last that the ol< fello, fell in love ,ith the 'al himself and !ilt her and the 3oy. That place ,as sure enou'h haunted 3y a 3lac! sna!eA mean that ,hat it may. LThen five or si% years a'o the ol< man disappeared and the house 3urned do,n. Some do say he ,as 3urnt up in it. =t ,as a mornin< after a rainy ni'ht Cust li!e thisA ,hen lots o< fol!s heard an a,ful yellin< across the fields in old de :ussy<s voice. When they stopped and loo!edA they see the house 'oin< up in smo!e Duic! as a ,in! 1 that place ,as all li!e

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tinder anyho,A rain or no rain. ;o3ody never seen the ol< man a'ainA 3ut onct in a ,hile they tell of the 'host of that 3i' 3lac! sna!e 'lidin< aroun<. LWhat d<ye ma!e of itA anyho,G .ou seem to hev !no,ed the place. $idn<t ye ever hear tell of the de :ussysG What d<ye rec!on ,as the trou3le ,ith that 'al youn' $enis marriedG She !inder made every3ody shiver and feel hatefulA thou'h ye< couldn<t never tell ,hy.L = ,as tryin' to thin!A 3ut that process ,as almost 3eyond me no,. The house 3urned do,n years a'oG Then ,hereA and under ,hat conditionsA had = passed the ni'htG And ,hy did = !no, ,hat = !ne, of these thin'sG Even as = pondered = sa, a hair on my coat sleeve 1 the shortA 'rey hair of an old man. =n the end = drove on ,ithout tellin' anythin'. But did = hint that 'ossip ,as ,ron'in' the poor old planter ,ho had suffered so much. = made it clear 1 as if from distant 3ut authentic reports ,afted amon' friends 1 that if anyone ,as to 3lame for the trou3le at :iverside it ,as the ,omanA 8arceline. She ,as not suited to 8issouri ,aysA = saidA and it ,as too 3ad that $enis had ever married her. 8ore = did not intimateA for = felt that the de :ussysA ,ith their proudly cherished honour and hi'hA sensitive spiritsA ,ould not ,ish me to say more. They had 3orne enou'hA 7od !no,sA ,ithout the countryside 'uessin' ,hat a daemon of the pit 1 ,hat a 'or'on of the elder 3lasphemies 1 had come to flaunt their ancient and stainless name. ;or ,as it ri'ht that the nei'h3ours should !no, that other horror ,hich my stran'e host of the ni'ht could not 3rin' himself to tell me 1 that horror ,hich he must have learnedA as = learned itA from details in the lost masterpiece of poor 4ran! 8arsh. =t ,ould 3e too hideous if they !ne, that the one1time heiress of :iverside 1 the accursed 'or'on or lamia ,hose hateful crin!ly coil of serpent1hair must even no, 3e 3roodin' and t,inin' vampirically around an artist<s s!eleton in a lime1pac!ed 'rave 3eneath a charred foundation 1 ,as faintlyA su3tlyA yet to the eyes of 'enius unmista!a3ly the scion of @im3a3,e<s most primal 'rovellers. ;o ,onder she o,ned a lin! ,ith that old ,itch1,oman 1 forA thou'h in deceitfully sli'ht proportionA 8arceline ,as a ne'ress.

Memor&
=n the valley of ;is the accursed ,anin' moon shines thinlyA tearin' a path for its li'ht ,ith fee3le horns throu'h the lethal folia'e of a 'reat upas1tree. And ,ithin the depths of the valleyA ,here the li'ht reaches notA move forms not meant to 3e 3eheld. :an! is the her3a'e on each slopeA ,here evil vines and creepin' plants cra,l amidst the stones of ruined palacesA t,inin' ti'htly a3out 3ro!en columns and stran'e monolithsA and heavin' up mar3le pavements laid 3y for'otten hands. And in trees that 'ro, 'i'antic in crum3lin' courtyards leap little apesA ,hile in and out of deep treasure1vaults ,rithe poison serpents and scaly thin's ,ithout a name. ?ast are the stones ,hich sleep 3eneath coverlets of dan! mossA and mi'hty ,ere the ,alls from ,hich they fell. 4or all time did their 3uilders erect themA and in sooth they yet serve no3lyA for 3eneath them the 'rey toad ma!es his ha3itation. At the very 3ottom of the valley lies the river ThanA ,hose ,aters are slimy and filled ,ith ,eeds. 4rom hidden sprin's it risesA and to su3terranean 'rottoes it flo,sA so that the $aemon of the ?alley !no,s not ,hy its ,aters are redA nor ,hither they are 3ound. The 7enie that haunts the moon3eams spa!e to the $aemon of the ?alleyA sayin'A L= am oldA and for'et much. Tell me the deeds and aspect and name of them ,ho 3uilt these thin's of Stone.L And the $aemon repliedA L= am 8emoryA and am ,ise in lore of the pastA 3ut = too am old. These 3ein's ,ere li!e the ,aters of the river ThanA not to 3e understood. Their deeds = recall notA for they ,ere 3ut of the moment. Their aspect = recall dimlyA it ,as li!e to that of the little apes in the trees. Their name = recall clearlyA for it rhymed ,ith that of the river. These 3ein's of yesterday ,ere called 8an.L So the 7enie fle, 3ac! to the thin horned moonA and the $aemon loo!ed intently at a little ape in a tree that 're, in a crum3lin' courtyard.

The Moo#4BoSome,hereA to ,hat remote and fearsome re'ion = !no, notA $enys Barry has 'one. = ,as ,ith him the last ni'ht he lived amon' menA and heard his screams ,hen the thin' came to himB 3ut all the peasants and police in County 8eath could never find himA or the othersA thou'h they searched lon' and far. And no, = shudder ,hen = hear the fro's pipin' in s,ampsA or see the moon in lonely places. = had !no,n $enys Barry ,ell in AmericaA ,here he had 'ro,n richA and had con'ratulated him ,hen he 3ou'ht 3ac! the old castle 3y the 3o' at sleepy 0ilderry. =t ,as from 0ilderry that his father had comeA and it ,as there that he ,ished to enCoy his ,ealth amon' ancestral scenes. 8en of his 3lood had once ruled over 0ilderry and 3uilt and d,elt in the castleA 3ut those days ,ere very remoteA so that for 'enerations the castle had 3een empty and decayin'. After he ,ent to =relandA Barry ,rote me oftenA and told me ho, under his care the 'ray castle ,as risin' to,er 3y to,er to its ancient splendorA ho, the ivy ,as clim3in' slo,ly over the restored ,alls as it had clim3ed so many centuries a'oA and ho, the peasants 3lessed him for 3rin'in' 3ac! the old days ,ith his 'old from over the sea. But in time there came trou3lesA and the peasants ceased to 3less himA and fled a,ay instead as from a doom. And then he sent a letter and as!ed me to visit himA for he ,as lonely in the castle ,ith no one to spea! to save the ne, servants and la3orers he had 3rou'ht from the ;orth. The 3o' ,as the cause of all these trou3lesA as Barry told me the ni'ht = came to the castle. = had reached 0ilderry in the summer sunsetA as the 'old of the s!y li'hted the 'reen of the hills and 'roves and the 3lue of the 3o'A ,here on a far islet a stran'e olden ruin 'listened spectrally. That sunset ,as very 3eautifulA 3ut the peasants at Ballylou'h had ,arned me a'ainst it and said that 0ilderry had 3ecome accursedA so that = almost shuddered to see the hi'h turrets of the castle 'ilded ,ith fire. BarryTs motor had met me at the Ballylou'h stationA for 0ilderry is off the rail,ay. The villa'ers had shunned the car and the driver from the ;orthA 3ut had ,hispered to me ,ith pale faces ,hen they sa, = ,as 'oin' to 0ilderry. And that ni'htA after our reunionA Barry told me ,hy. The peasants had 'one from 0ilderry 3ecause $enys Barry ,as to drain the 'reat 3o'. 4or all his love of =relandA America had not left him untouchedA and he hated the 3eautiful ,asted space ,here peat mi'ht 3e cut and land opened up. The le'ends and superstitions of 0ilderry did not move himA and he lau'hed ,hen the peasants first refused to helpA and then cursed him and ,ent a,ay to Ballylou'h ,ith their fe, 3elon'in's as they sa, his determination. =n their place he sent for la3orers from the ;orthA and ,hen the servants left he replaced them li!e,ise. But it ,as lonely amon' stran'ersA so Barry had as!ed me to come. When = heard the fears ,hich had driven the people from 0ilderryA = lau'hed as loudly as my friend had lau'hedA for these fears ,ere of the va'uestA ,ildestA and most a3surd character. They had to do ,ith some preposterous le'end of the 3o'A and a 'rim 'uardian spirit that d,elt in the stran'e olden ruin on the far islet = had seen in the sunset. There ,ere tales of dancin' li'hts in the dar! of the moonA and of chill ,inds ,hen the ni'ht ,as ,armB of ,raiths in ,hite hoverin' over the ,atersA and of an ima'ined city of stone deep do,n 3elo, the s,ampy surface. But foremost amon' the ,eird fanciesA and alone in its

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a3solute unanimityA ,as that of the curse a,aitin' him ,ho should dare to touch or drain the vast reddish morass. There ,ere secretsA said the peasantsA ,hich must not 3e uncoveredB secrets that had lain hidden since the pla'ue came to the children of >artholan in the fa3ulous years 3eyond history. =n the Boo! of =nvaders it is told that these sons of the 7ree!s ,ere all 3uried at Talla'htA 3ut old men in 0ilderry said that one city ,as overloo!ed save 3y its patron moon1'oddessB so that only the ,ooded hills 3uried it ,hen the men of ;emed s,ept do,n from Scythia in their thirty ships. Such ,ere the idle tales ,hich had made the villa'ers leave 0ilderryA and ,hen = heard them = did not ,onder that $enys Barry had refused to listen. 2e hadA ho,everA a 'reat interest in antiDuitiesA and proposed to e%plore the 3o' thorou'hly ,hen it ,as drained. The ,hite ruins on the islet he had often visitedA 3ut thou'h their a'e ,as plainly 'reatA and their contour very little li!e that of most ruins in =relandA they ,ere too dilapidated to tell the days of their 'lory. ;o, the ,or! of draina'e ,as ready to 3e'inA and the la3orers from the ;orth ,ere soon to strip the for3idden 3o' of its 'reen moss and red heatherA and !ill the tiny shell1paved streamlets and Duiet 3lue pools frin'ed ,ith rushes. After Barry had told me these thin's = ,as very dro,syA for the travels of the day had 3een ,earyin' and my host had tal!ed late into the ni'ht. A man1servant sho,ed me to my roomA ,hich ,as in a remote to,er overloo!in' the villa'e and the plain at the ed'e of the 3o'A and the 3o' itselfB so that = could see from my ,indo,s in the moonli'ht the silent roofs from ,hich the peasants had fled and ,hich no, sheltered the la3orers from the ;orthA and tooA the parish church ,ith its antiDue spireA and far out across the 3roodin' 3o' the remote olden ruin on the islet 'leamin' ,hite and spectral. 6ust as = dropped to sleep = fancied = heard faint sounds from the distanceB sounds that ,ere ,ild and half musicalA and stirred me ,ith a ,eird e%citement ,hich colored my dreams. But ,hen = a,a!ed ne%t mornin' = felt it had all 3een a dreamA for the visions = had seen ,ere more ,onderful than any sound of ,ild pipes in the ni'ht. =nfluenced 3y the le'ends that Barry had relatedA my mind had in slum3er hovered around a stately city in a 'reen valleyA ,here mar3le streets and statuesA villas and templesA carvin's and inscriptionsA all spo!e in certain tones the 'lory that ,as 7reece. When = told this dream to Barry ,e had 3oth lau'hedB 3ut = lau'hed the louderA 3ecause he ,as perple%ed a3out his la3orers from the ;orth. 4or the si%th time they had all oversleptA ,a!in' very slo,ly and dazedlyA and actin' as if they had not restedA althou'h they ,ere !no,n to have 'one early to 3ed the ni'ht 3efore. That mornin' and afternoon = ,andered alone throu'h the sun1'ilded villa'e and tal!ed no, and then ,ith idle la3orersA for Barry ,as 3usy ,ith the final plans for 3e'innin' his ,or! of draina'e. The la3orers ,ere not as happy as they mi'ht have 3eenA for most of them seemed uneasy over some dream ,hich they had hadA yet ,hich they tried in vain to remem3er. = told them of my dreamA 3ut they ,ere not interested till = spo!e of the ,eird sounds = thou'ht = had heard. Then they loo!ed oddly at meA and said that they seemed to remem3er ,eird soundsA too. =n the evenin' Barry dined ,ith me and announced that he ,ould 3e'in the draina'e in t,o days. = ,as 'ladA for althou'h = disli!ed to see the moss and the heather and the little streams and la!es departA = had a 'ro,in' ,ish to discern the ancient secrets the deep1 matted peat mi'ht hide. And that ni'ht my dreams of pipin' flutes and mar3le peristyles came to a sudden and disDuietin' endB for upon the city in the valley = sa, a pestilence descendA and then a fri'htful avalanche of ,ooded slopes that covered the dead 3odies in

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the streets and left un3uried only the temple of Artemis on the hi'h pea!A ,here the a'ed moon1priestess Cleis lay cold and silent ,ith a cro,n of ivory on her silver head. = have said that = a,a!ed suddenly and in alarm. 4or some time = could not tell ,hether = ,as ,a!in' or sleepin'A for the sound of flutes still ran' shrilly in my earsB 3ut ,hen = sa, on the floor the icy moon3eams and the outlines of a latticed 'othic ,indo,A = decided = must 3e a,a!e and in the castle of 0ilderry. Then = heard a cloc! from some remote landin' 3elo, stri!e the hour of t,oA and !ne, = ,as a,a!e. .et still there came that monstrous pipin' from afarB ,ildA ,eird airs that made me thin! of some dance of fauns on distant 8aenalus. =t ,ould not let me sleepA and in impatience = spran' up and paced the floor. +nly 3y chance did = 'o to the north ,indo, and loo! out upon the silent villa'e and the plain at the ed'e of the 3o'. = had no ,ish to 'aze a3roadA for = ,anted to sleepB 3ut the flutes tormented meA and = had to do or see somethin'. 2o, could = have suspected the thin' = ,as to 3eholdG There in the moonli'ht that flooded the spacious plain ,as a spectacle ,hich no mortalA havin' seen itA could ever for'et. To the sound of reedy pipes that echoed over the 3o' there 'lided silently and eerily a mi%ed thron' of s,ayin' fi'uresA reelin' throu'h such a revel as the Sicilians may have danced to $emeter in the old days under the harvest moon 3eside the Cyane. The ,ide plainA the 'olden moonli'htA the shado,y movin' formsA and a3ove all the shrill monotonous pipin'A produced an effect ,hich almost paralyzed meB yet = noted amidst my fear that half of these tireless mechanical dancers ,ere the la3orers ,hom = had thou'ht asleepA ,hilst the other half ,ere stran'e airy 3ein's in ,hiteA half1 indeterminate in natureA 3ut su''estin' pale ,istful naiads from the haunted fountains of the 3o'. = do not !no, ho, lon' = 'azed at this si'ht from the lonely turret ,indo, 3efore = dropped suddenly in a dreamless s,oonA out of ,hich the hi'h sun of mornin' aroused me. 8y first impulse on a,a!in' ,as to communicate all my fears and o3servations to $enys BarryA 3ut as = sa, the sunli'ht 'lo,in' throu'h the latticed east ,indo, = 3ecame sure that there ,as no reality in ,hat = thou'ht = had seen. = am 'iven to stran'e fantasmsA yet am never ,ea! enou'h to 3elieve in themB so on this occasion contented myself ,ith Duestionin' the la3orersA ,ho slept very late and recalled nothin' of the previous ni'ht save misty dreams of shrill sounds. This matter of the spectral pipin' harassed me 'reatlyA and = ,ondered if the cric!ets of autumn had come 3efore their time to ve% the ni'ht and haunt the visions of men. 5ater in the day = ,atched Barry in the li3rary porin' over his plans for the 'reat ,or! ,hich ,as to 3e'in on the morro,A and for the first time felt a touch of the same !ind of fear that had driven the peasants a,ay. 4or some un!no,n reason = dreaded the thou'ht of distur3in' the ancient 3o' and its sunless secretsA and pictured terri3le si'hts lyin' 3lac! under the unmeasured depth of a'e1old peat. That these secrets should 3e 3rou'ht to li'ht seemed inCudiciousA and = 3e'an to ,ish for an e%cuse to leave the castle and the villa'e. = ,ent so far as to tal! casually to Barry on the su3CectA 3ut did not dare continue after he 'ave his resoundin' lau'h. So = ,as silent ,hen the sun set ful'ently over the far hillsA and 0ilderry 3lazed all red and 'old in a flame that seemed a portent. Whether the events of that ni'ht ,ere of reality or illusion = shall never ascertain. Certainly they transcend anythin' ,e dream of in nature and the universeB yet in no normal fashion can = e%plain those disappearances ,hich ,ere !no,n to all men after it ,as over. = retired early and full of dreadA and for a lon' time could not sleep in the uncanny silence

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of the to,er. =t ,as very dar!A for althou'h the s!y ,as clear the moon ,as no, ,ell in the ,aneA and ,ould not rise till the small hours. = thou'ht as = lay there of $enys BarryA and of ,hat ,ould 3efall that 3o' ,hen the day cameA and found myself almost frantic ,ith an impulse to rush out into the ni'htA ta!e BarryTs carA and drive madly to Ballylou'h out of the menaced lands. But 3efore my fears could crystallize into action = had fallen asleepA and 'azed in dreams upon the city in the valleyA cold and dead under a shroud of hideous shado,. >ro3a3ly it ,as the shrill pipin' that a,a!ed meA yet that pipin' ,as not ,hat = noticed first ,hen = opened my eyes. = ,as lyin' ,ith my 3ac! to the east ,indo, overloo!in' the 3o'A ,here the ,anin' moon ,ould riseA and therefore e%pected to see li'ht cast on the opposite ,all 3efore meB 3ut = had not loo!ed for such a si'ht as no, appeared. 5i'ht indeed 'lo,ed on the panels aheadA 3ut it ,as not any li'ht that the moon 'ives. Terri3le and piercin' ,as the shaft of ruddy reful'ence that streamed throu'h the 'othic ,indo,A and the ,hole cham3er ,as 3rilliant ,ith a splendor intense and unearthly. 8y immediate actions ,ere peculiar for such a situationA 3ut it is only in tales that a man does the dramatic and foreseen thin'. =nstead of loo!in' out across the 3o' to,ard the source of the ne, li'htA = !ept my eyes from the ,indo, in panic fearA and clumsily dre, on my clothin' ,ith some dazed idea of escape. = remem3er seizin' my revolver and hatA 3ut 3efore it ,as over = had lost them 3oth ,ithout firin' the one or donnin' the other. After a time the fascination of the red radiance overcame my fri'htA and = crept to the east ,indo, and loo!ed out ,hilst the maddenin'A incessant pipin' ,hined and rever3erated throu'h the castle and over all the villa'e. +ver the 3o' ,as a delu'e of flarin' li'htA scarlet and sinisterA and pourin' from the stran'e olden ruin on the far islet. The aspect of that ruin = can not descri3e 1 = must have 3een madA for it seemed to rise maCestic and undecayedA splendid and column1cincturedA the flame1reflectin' mar3le of its enta3lature piercin' the s!y li!e the ape% of a temple on a mountain1top. 4lutes shrie!ed and drums 3e'an to 3eatA and as = ,atched in a,e and terror = thou'ht = sa, dar! saltant forms silhouetted 'rotesDuely a'ainst the vision of mar3le and efful'ence. The effect ,as titanic 1 alto'ether unthin!a3le 1 and = mi'ht have stared indefinitely had not the sound of the pipin' seemed to 'ro, stron'er at my left. Trem3lin' ,ith a terror oddly mi%ed ,ith ecstasyA = crossed the circular room to the north ,indo, from ,hich = could see the villa'e and the plain at the ed'e of the 3o'. There my eyes dilated a'ain ,ith a ,ild ,onder as 'reat as if = had not Cust turned from a scene 3eyond the pale of natureA for on the 'hastly red1litten plain ,as movin' a procession of 3ein's in such a manner as none ever sa, 3efore save in ni'htmares. 2alf 'lidin'A half floatin' in the airA the ,hite1clad 3o'1,raiths ,ere slo,ly retreatin' to,ard the still ,aters and the island ruin in fantastic formations su''estin' some ancient and solemn ceremonial dance. Their ,avin' translucent armsA 'uided 3y the detesta3le pipin' of those unseen flutesA 3ec!oned in uncanny rhythm to a thron' of lurchin' la3orers ,ho follo,ed do'li!e ,ith 3lindA 3rainlessA flounderin' steps as if dra''ed 3y a clumsy 3ut resistless demon1,ill. As the naiads neared the 3o'A ,ithout alterin' their courseA a ne, line of stum3lin' stra''lers zi'za''ed drun!enly out of the castle from some door far 3elo, my ,indo,A 'roped si'htiessly across the courtyard and throu'h the intervenin' 3it of villa'eA and Coined the flounderin' column of la3orers on the plain. $espite their distance 3elo, me = at once !ne, they ,ere the servants 3rou'ht from the ;orthA for = reco'nized the u'ly and un,ieldy form of the coo!A ,hose very a3surdness had no, 3ecome unuttera3ly tra'ic. The flutes piped horri3lyA and a'ain = heard the 3eatin' of the

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drums from the direction of the island ruin. Then silently and 'racefully the naiads reached the ,ater and melted one 3y one into the ancient 3o'B ,hile the line of follo,ersA never chec!in' their speedA splashed a,!,ardly after them and vanished amidst a tiny vorte% of un,holesome 3u33les ,hich = could 3arely see in the scarlet li'ht. And as the last pathetic stra''lerA the fat coo!A san! heavily out of si'ht in that sullen poolA the flutes and the drums 're, silentA and the 3indin' red rays from the ruins snapped instantaneously outA leavin' the villa'e of doom lone and desolate in the ,an 3eams of a ne,1risen moon. 8y condition ,as no, one of indescri3a3le chaos. ;ot !no,in' ,hether = ,as mad or saneA sleepin' or ,a!in'A = ,as saved only 3y a merciful num3ness. = 3elieve = did ridiculous thin's such as offerin' prayers to ArtemisA 5atonaA $emeterA >ersephoneA and >louton. All that = recalled of a classic youth came to my lips as the horrors of the situation roused my deepest superstitions. = felt that = had ,itnessed the death of a ,hole villa'eA and !ne, = ,as alone in the castle ,ith $enys BarryA ,hose 3oldness had 3rou'ht do,n a doom. As = thou'ht of himA ne, terrors convulsed meA and = fell to the floorB not faintin'A 3ut physically helpless. Then = felt the icy 3last from the east ,indo, ,here the moon had risenA and 3e'an to hear the shrie!s in the castle far 3elo, me. Soon those shrie!s had attained a ma'nitude and Duality ,hich can not 3e ,ritten ofA and ,hich ma!es me faint as = thin! of them. All = can say is that they came from somethin' = had !no,n as a friend. At some time durin' this shoc!in' period the cold ,ind and the screamin' must have roused meA for my ne%t impression is of racin' madly throu'h in!y rooms and corridors and out across the courtyard into the hideous ni'ht. They found me at da,n ,anderin' mindless near Ballylou'hA 3ut ,hat unhin'ed me utterly ,as not any of the horrors = had seen or heard 3efore. What = muttered a3out as = came slo,ly out of the shado,s ,as a pair of fantastic incidents ,hich occurred in my fli'ht9 incidents of no si'nificanceA yet ,hich haunt .me unceasin'ly ,hen = am alone in certain marshy places or in the moonli'ht. As = fled from that accursed castle alon' the 3o'Ts ed'e = heard a ne, sound9 commonA yet unli!e any = had heard 3efore at 0ilderry. The sta'nant ,atersA lately Duite devoid of animal lifeA no, teemed ,ith a horde of slimy enormous fro's ,hich piped shrilly and incessantly in tones stran'ely out of !eepin' ,ith their size. They 'listened 3loated and 'reen in the moon3eamsA and seemed to 'aze up at the fount of li'ht. = follo,ed the 'aze of one very fat and u'ly fro'A and sa, the second of the thin's ,hich drove my senses a,ay. Stretchin' directly from the stran'e olden ruin on the far islet to the ,anin' moonA my eyes seemed to trace a 3eam of faint Duiverin' radiance havin' no reflection in the ,aters of the 3o'. And up,ard alon' that pallid path my fevered fancy pictured a thin shado, slo,ly ,rithin'B a va'ue contorted shado, stru''lin' as if dra,n 3y unseen demons. Crazed as = ,asA = sa, in that a,ful shado, a monstrous resem3lance 1 a nauseousA un3elieva3le caricature 1 a 3lasphemous effi'y of him ,ho had 3een $enys Barry.

The Mo%#$
,.
=t is only ,ithin the last fe, years that most people have stopped thin!in' of the West as a ne, land. = suppose the idea 'ained 'round 3ecause our o,n especial civilisation happens to 3e ne, thereB 3ut no,adays e%plorers are di''in' 3eneath the surface and 3rin'in' up ,hole chapters of life that rose and fell amon' these plains and mountains 3efore recorded history 3e'an. We thin! nothin' of a >ue3lo villa'e "A ** years oldA and it hardly Colts us ,hen archaeolo'ists put the su31pedre'al culture of 8e%ico 3ac! to 17A*** or 18A*** B.C. We hear rumours of still older thin'sA tooUof primitive man contemporaneous ,ith e%tinct animals and !no,n today only throu'h a fe, fra'mentary 3ones and artifactsUso that the idea of ne,ness is fadin' out pretty rapidly. Europeans usually catch the sense of immemorial ancientness and deep deposits from successive life1 streams 3etter than ,e do. +nly a couple of years a'o a British author spo!e of Arizona as a Lmoon1dim re'ionA very lovely in its ,ayA and star! and oldUan ancientA lonely landL. .et = 3elieve = have a deeper sense of the stupefyin'Ualmost horri3leUancientness of the West than any European. =t all comes from an incident that happened in 1)"8B an incident ,hich =<d 'reatly li!e to dismiss as three1Duarters hallucinationA 3ut ,hich has left such a fri'htfully firm impression on my memory that = can<t put it off very easily. =t ,as in +!lahomaA ,here my ,or! as an American =ndian ethnolo'ist constantly ta!es me and ,here = had come upon some devilishly stran'e and disconcertin' matters 3efore. 8a!e no mista!eU+!lahoma is a lot more than a mere pioneers< and promoters< frontier. There are oldA old tri3es ,ith oldA old memories thereB and ,hen the tom1toms 3eat ceaselessly over 3roodin' plains in the autumn the spirits of men are 3rou'ht dan'erously close to primalA ,hispered thin's. = am ,hite and Eastern enou'h myselfA 3ut any3ody is ,elcome to !no, that the rites of .i'A 4ather of Sna!esA can 'et a real shudder out of me any day. = have heard and seen too much to 3e LsophisticatedL in such matters. And so it is ,ith this incident of 1)"8. =<d li!e to lau'h it offU3ut = can<t. = had 'one into +!lahoma to trac! do,n and correlate one of the many 'host tales ,hich ,ere current amon' the ,hite settlersA 3ut ,hich had stron' =ndian corro3orationA andU= felt sureUan ultimate =ndian source. They ,ere very curiousA these open1air 'host talesB and thou'h they sounded flat and prosaic in the mouths of the ,hite peopleA they had earmar!s of lin!a'e ,ith some of the richest and o3scurest phases of native mytholo'y. All of them ,ere ,oven around the vastA lonelyA artificial1loo!in' mounds in the ,estern part of the stateA and all of them involved apparitions of e%ceedin'ly stran'e aspect and eDuipment. The commonestA and amon' the oldestA 3ecame Duite famous in 18)"A ,hen a 'overnment marshal named 6ohn Willis ,ent into the mound re'ion after horse1thieves and came out ,ith a ,ild yarn of nocturnal cavalry horses in the air 3et,een 'reat armies of invisi3le spectresU3attles that involved the rush of hooves and feetA the thud of 3lo,sA the clan! of metal on metalA the muffled cries of ,arriorsA and the fall of human and eDuine 3odies. These thin's happened 3y moonli'htA and fri'htened his horse as ,ell as himself.

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The sounds persisted an hour at a timeB vividA 3ut su3dued as if 3rou'ht from a distance 3y a ,indA and unaccompanied 3y any 'limpse of the armies themselves. 5ater on Willis learned that the seat of the sounds ,as a notoriously haunted spotA shunned 3y settlers and =ndians ali!e. 8any had seenA or half seenA the ,arrin' horsemen in the s!yA and had furnished dimA am3i'uous descriptions. The settlers descri3ed the 'hostly fi'hters as =ndiansA thou'h of no familiar tri3eA and havin' the most sin'ular costumes and ,eapons. They even ,ent so far as to say that they could not 3e sure the horses ,ere really horses. The =ndiansA on the other handA did not seem to claim the spectres as !insfol!. They referred to them as Lthose peopleLA Lthe old peopleLA or Lthey ,ho d,ell 3elo,LA and appeared to hold them in too 'reat a fri'htened veneration to tal! much a3out them. ;o ethnolo'ist had 3een a3le to pin anyA tale1teller do,n to a specific description of the 3ein'sA and apparently no3ody had ever had a very clear loo! at them. The =ndians had one or t,o old prover3s a3out these phenomenaA sayin' that Lmen very oldA ma!e very 3i' spiritB not so oldA not so 3i'B older than all timeA then spirit he so 3i' he near fleshB those old people and spirits they mi% upU'et all the sameL. ;o, all of thisA of courseA is Lold stuffL to an ethnolo'istUof a piece ,ith the persistent le'ends of rich hidden cities and 3uried races ,hich a3ound amon' the >ue3lo and plains =ndiansA and ,hich lured Coronado centuries a'o on his vain search for the fa3led /uivira. What too! me into ,estern +!lahoma ,as somethin' far more definite and tan'i3leUa local and distinctive tale ,hichA thou'h really oldA ,as ,holly ne, to the outside ,orld of researchA and ,hich involved the first clear descriptions of the 'hosts ,hich it treated of. There ,as an added thrill in the fact that it came from the remote to,n of Bin'erA in Caddo CountyA a place = had lon' !no,n as the scene of a very terri3le and partly ine%plica3le occurrence connected ,ith the sna!e1'od myth. The taleA out,ardlyA ,as an e%tremely naive and simple oneA and centred in a hu'eA lone mound or small hill that rose a3ove the plain a3out a third of a mile ,est of the villa'eUa mound ,hich some thou'ht a product of ;atureA 3ut ,hich others 3elieved to 3e a 3urial1 place or ceremonial dais constructed 3y prehistoric tri3es. This moundA the villa'ers saidA ,as constantly haunted 3yA t,o =ndian fi'ures ,hich appeared in alternationB an old man ,ho paced 3ac! and forth alon' the top from da,n till dus!A re'ardless of the ,eather and ,ith only 3rief intervals of disappearanceA and a sDua, ,ho too! his place at ni'ht ,ith a 3lue1flamed torch that 'limmered Duite continuously till mornin'. When the moon ,as 3ri'ht the sDua,<s peculiar fi'ure could 3e seen fairly plainlyA and over half the villa'ers a'reed that the apparition ,as headless. 5ocal opinion ,as divided as to the motives and relative 'hostliness of the t,o visions. Some held that the man ,as not a 'host allA 3ut a livin' =ndian ,ho had !illed and 3eheaded a sDua, for 'old and 3uried her some,here on the mound. Accordin' to these theorists he ,as pacin' the eminence throu'h sheer remorseA 3ound 3y the spirit of his victim ,hich too! visi3le shape after dar!. But other theoristsA more uniform in their spectral 3eliefsA held that 3oth man and ,oman ,ere 'hostsB the man havin' !illed the sDua, and himself as ,ell at some very distant period. These and minor variant versions seemed to have 3een current ever since the settlement of the Wichita country in 188)A and ,ereA = ,as toldA sustained to an astonishin' de'ree 3y still1e%istin' phenomena ,hich anyone mi'ht o3serve for himself. ;ot many 'host tales offer such free and open proofA and = ,as very ea'er to see ,hat 3izarre ,onders mi'ht 3e lur!in' in this smallA o3scure villa'e so far from the 3eaten path of cro,ds and from the ruthless searchli'ht of scientific

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

)7

!no,led'e. SoA in the late summer of 1)"8 = too! a train for Bin'er and 3rooded on stran'e mysteries as the cars rattled timidly alon' their sin'le trac! throu'h a lonelier and lonlier landscape. Bin'er is a modest cluster of frame houses and stores in the midst of a flat ,indy re'ion full of clouds of red dust. There are a3out ** inha3itants 3esides the =ndians on a nei'h3ourin' reservationB the principal occupation seemin' to 3e a'riculture. The soil is decently fertileA and the oil 3oom has not reached this part of the state. 8y train dre, in at t,ili'htA and 1 felt rather lost and uneasyUcut off from ,holesome and every1day thin's Uas it puffed a,ay to the south,ard ,ithout me. The station platform ,as filled ,ith curious loafersA all of ,hom seemed ea'er to direct me ,hen = as!ed for the man to ,hom = had letters of introduction. = ,as ushered alon' a commonplace main street ,hose ruled surface ,as red ,ith the sandstone soil of the countryA and finally delivered at the door of my prospective host. Those ,ho had arran'ed thin's for me had done ,ellB for 8r. Compton ,as a man of hi'h intelli'ence and local responsi3ilityA ,hile his motherU,ho lived ,ith him and ,as familiarly !no,n as L7randma ComptonLU,as one of the first pioneer 'enerationA and a verita3le mine of anecdote and fol!lore. That evenin' the Comptons summed up for me all the le'ends current amon' the villa'ersA provin' that the phenomenon = had come to study ,as indeed a 3afflin' and important one. The 'hostsA it seemsA ,ere accepted almost as a matter of course 3y everyone in Bin'er. T,o 'enerations had 3een 3orn and 'ro,n up ,ithin si'ht of that DueerA lone tumulus and its restless fi'ures. The nei'h3ourhood of the mound ,as naturally feared and shunnedA so that the villa'e and the farms had not spread to,ard it in all four decades of settlementB yet venturesome individuals had several times visited it. Some had come 3ac! to report that they sa, no 'hosts at all ,hen they neared the dreaded hillB that someho, the lone sentinel had stepped out of si'ht 3efore they reached the spotA leavin' them free to clim3 the steep slope and e%plore the flat summit. There ,as nothin' up thereA they saidUmerely a rou'h e%panse of under3rush. Where the =ndian ,atcher could have vanished toA they had no idea. 2e mustA they reflectedA have descended the slope and someho, mana'ed to escape unseen alon' the plainB althou'h there ,as no convenient cover ,ithin si'ht. At any rateA there did not appear to 3e any openin' into the moundB a conclusion ,hich ,as reached after considera3le e%ploration of the shru33ery and tall 'rass on all sides. =n a fe, cases some of the more sensitive searchers declared that they felt a sort of invisi3le restrainin' presenceB 3ut they could descri3e nothin' more definite than that. =t ,as simply as if the air thic!ened a'ainst them in the direction they ,ished to move. =t is heedless to mention that all these darin' surveys ,ere conducted 3y day. ;othin' in the universe could have induced any human 3ein'A ,hite or redA to approach that sinister elevation after dar!B and indeedA no =ndian ,ould have thou'ht of 'oin' near it even in the 3ri'htest sunli'ht. But it ,as not from the tales of these saneA o3servant see!ers that the chief terror of the 'host1mound spran'B indeedA had their e%perience 3een typicalA the phenomenon ,ould have 3ul!ed far less prominently in the local le'endry. The most evil thin' ,as the fact that many other see!ers had come 3ac! stran'ely impaired in mind and 3odyA or had not come 3ac! at all. The first of these cases had occurred in 18)1A ,hen a youn' man named 2eaton had 'one ,ith a shovel to see ,hat hidden secrets he could unearth. 2e had heard curious tales from the =ndiansA and had lau'hed at the 3arren report of another youth ,ho had 3een

H.P.Lovecr !t

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)8

out to the mound and had found nothin'. 2eaton had ,atched the mound ,ith a spy 'lass from the villa'e ,hile the other youth made his tripB and as the e%plorer neared the spotA he sa, the sentinel =ndian ,al! deli3erately do,n into the tumulus as if a trap1door and staircase e%isted on the top. The other youth had not noticed ho, the =ndian disappearedA 3ut had merely found him 'one upon arrivin' at the mound. When 2eaton made his o,n trip he resolved to 'et to the 3ottom of the mysteryA and ,atchers from the villa'e sa, him hac!in' dili'ently at the shru33ery atop the mound. Then they sa, his fi'ure melt slo,ly into invisi3ilityB not to reappear for lon' hoursA till after the dus! dre, onA and the torch of the headless sDua, 'limmered 'houlishly on the distant elevation. A3out t,o hours after ni'htfall he sta''ered into the villa'e minus his spade and other 3elon'in'sA and 3urst into a shrie!in' monolo'ue of disconnected ravin's. 2e ho,led of shoc!in' a3ysses and monstersA of terri3le carvin's and statuesA of inhuman captors and 'rotesDue torturesA and of other fantastic a3normalities too comple% and chimerical even to remem3er. L+ldF +ldF +ldFL he ,ould moan over and over a'ainA L'reat 7odA they are older than the earthA and came here from some,here elseUthey !no, ,hat you thin!A and ma!e you !no, ,hat they thin!Uthey<re half1manA half1'hostUcrossed the lineUmelt and ta!e shape a'ainU'ettin' more and more soA yet ,e<re all descended from them in the 3e'innin'Uchildren of TuluUeverythin' made of 'oldUmonstrous animalsA half1humanUdead slavesUmadnessU=]F Shu31;i''urathFUt"at $"ite manMo"& my God& W"at t"ey did to "imC...L 2eaton ,as the villa'e idiot for a3out ei'ht yearsA after ,hich he died in an epileptic fit. Since his ordeal there had 3een t,o more cases of mound1madnessA and ei'ht of total disappearance. =mmediately after 2eaton<s mad returnA three desperate and determined men had 'one out to the lone hill to'etherB heavily armedA and ,ith spades and pic!a%es. Watchin' villa'ers sa, the =ndian 'host melt a,ay as the e%plorers dre, nearA and after,ard sa, the men clim3 the mound and 3e'in scoutin' around throu'h the under3rush. All at once they faded into nothin'nessA and ,ere never seen a'ain. +ne ,atcherA ,ith an especially po,erful telescopeA thou'ht he sa, other forms dimly materialise 3eside the hapless men and dra' them do,n into the moundB 3ut this account remained uncorro3orated. =t is needless to say that no searchin'1party ,ent out after the lost onesA and that for many years the mound ,as ,holly unvisited. +nly ,hen the incidents of 18)1 ,ere lar'ely for'otten did any3ody dare to thin! of further e%plorations. ThenA a3out 1)1*A a fello, too youn' to recall the old horrors made a trip to the shunned spot and found nothin' at all. By 1)1 the acute dread and ,ild le'endry of <)1 had lar'ely faded into the commonplace and unima'inative 'host1tales at present survivin'Uthat isA had so faded amon' the ,hite people. +n the near3y reservation ,ere old =ndians ,ho thou'ht much and !ept their o,n counsel. A3out this time a second ,ave of active curiosity and adventurin' developedA and several 3old searchers made the trip to the mound and returned. Then came a trip of t,o Eastern visitors ,ith spades and other apparatusUa pair of amateur archaeolo'ists connected ,ith a small colle'eA ,ho had 3een ma!in' studies amon' the =ndians. ;o one ,atched this trip from the villa'eA 3ut they never came 3ac!. The searchin'1party that ,ent out after themUamon' ,hom ,as my host Clyde Compton Ufound nothin' ,hatsoever amiss at the mound. The ne%t trip ,as the solitary venture of old Capt. 5a,tonA a 'rizzled pioneer ,ho had helped to open up the re'ion in 188)A 3ut ,ho had never 3een there since. 2e had recalled

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

))

the mound and its fascination all throu'h the yearsB and 3ein' no, in comforta3le retirementA resolved to have a try at solvin' the ancient riddle. 5on' familiarity ,ith =ndian myth had 'iven him ideas rather stran'er than those of the simple villa'ersA and he had made preparations for some e%tensive delvin'. 2e ascended the mound on the mornin' of ThursdayA 8ay 11A 1)1-A ,atched throu'h spy 'lasses 3y more than t,enty people in the villa'e and on the adCacent plain. 2is disappearance ,as very suddenA and occurred as he ,as hac!in' at the shru33ery ,ith a 3rush1cutter. ;o one could say more than that he ,as there one moment and a3sent the ne%t. 4or over a ,ee! no tidin's of him reached Bin'erA and thenUin the middle of the ni'htUthere dra''ed itself into the villa'e the o3Cect a3out ,hich dispute still ra'es. =t said it ,asUor had 3eenUCapt. 5a,tonA 3ut it ,as definitely younger 3y as much as forty years than the old man ,ho had clim3ed the mound. =ts hair ,as Cet 3lac!A and its faceUno, distorted ,ith nameless fri'htUfree from ,rin!les. But it did remind 7randma Compton most uncannily of the captain as he had loo!ed 3ac! in <8). =ts feet ,ere cut off neatly at the an!lesA and the stumps ,ere smoothly healed to an e%tent almost incredi3le if the 3ein' really ,ere the man ,ho had ,al!ed upri'ht a ,ee! 3efore. =t 3a33led of incomprehensi3le thin'sA and !ept repeatin' the name L7eor'e 5a,tonA 7eor'e E. 5a,tonL as if tryin' to reassure itself of its o,n identity. The thin's it 3a33led ofA 7randma Compton thou'htA ,ere curiously li!e the hallucinations of poor youn' 2eaton in <)1B thou'h there ,ere minor differences. LThe 3lue li'htFUthe 3lue li'htF...L muttered the o3CectA Lal,ays do,n thereA 3efore there ,ere any livin' thin'sUolder than the dinosaurs Ual,ays the sameA only ,ea!erUnever deathU3roodin' and 3roodin' and 3roodin'U t"e same people& "alf-man and "alf-gasUthe dead that ,al! and ,or!UohA those 3eastsA those half1human unicornsUhouses and cities of 'oldUoldA oldA oldA older than timeU came do,n from the starsU7reat TuluUAzathothU;yarlathotepU,aitin'A ,aitin'....L The o3Cect died 3efore da,n. +f course there ,as an investi'ationA and the =ndians at the reservation ,ere 'rilled unmercifully. But they !ne, nothin'A and had nothin' to say. At leastA none of them had anythin' to say e%cept old 7rey Ea'leA a Wichita chieftain ,hose more than a century of a'e put him a3ove common fears. 2e alone dei'ned to 'runt some advice. L.ou let um <loneA ,hite man. ;o 'oodUthose people. All under hereA all under thereA them old ones. .i'A 3i' father of sna!esA he there. .i' is .i'. TirY,aA 3i' father of menA he there. TirY,a is TirY,a. ;o die. ;o 'et old. 6ust same li!e air. 6ust live and ,ait. +ne time they come out hereA live and fi'ht. Build um dirt tepee. Brin' up 'oldUthey 'ot plenty. 7o off and ma!e ne, lod'es. 8e them. .ou them. Then 3i' ,aters come. All chan'e. ;o3ody come outA let no3ody in. 7et inA no 'et out. .ou let um <loneA you have no 3ad medicine. :ed man !no,A he no 'et catch. White man meddleA he no come 3ac!. 0eep <,ay little hills. ;o 'ood. 7rey Ea'le say this.L =f 6oe ;orton and :ance Wheeloc! had ta!en the old chief<s adviceA they ,ould pro3a3ly 3e here todayB 3ut they didn<t. They ,ere 'reat readers and materialistsA and feared nothin' in heaven or earthB and they thou'ht that some =ndian fiends had a secret headDuarters inside the mound. They had 3een to the mound 3eforeA and no, they ,ent a'ain to aven'e old Capt. 5a,tonU3oastin' that they<d do it if they had to tear the mound do,n alto'ether. Clyde Compton ,atched them ,ith a pair of prism 3inoculars and sa, them round the 3ase of the sinister hill. Evidently they meant to survey their territory very

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

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'radually and minutely. 8inutes passedA and they did not reappear. ;or ,ere they ever seen a'ain. +nce more the mound ,as a thin' of panic fri'htA and only the e%citement of the 7reat War served to restore it to the farther 3ac!'round of Bin'er fol!lore. =t ,as unvisited from 1)1- to 1)1)A and ,ould have remained so 3ut for the daredeviltry of some of the youths 3ac! from service in 4rance. 4rom 1)1) to 1)"*A ho,everA there ,as a verita3le epidemic of mound1visitin' amon' the prematurely hardened youn' veteransUan epidemic that ,a%ed as one youth after another returned unhurt and contemptuous. By 1)"*Uso short is human memoryUthe mound ,as almost a Co!eB and the tame story of the murdered sDua, 3e'an to displace dar!er ,hispers on every3ody<s ton'ues. Then t,o rec!less youn' 3rothersUthe especially unima'inative and hard13oiled Clay 3oysUdecided to 'o and di' up the 3uried sDua, and the 'old for ,hich the old =ndian had murdered her. They ,ent out on a Septem3er afternoonUa3out the time the =ndian tom1toms 3e'in their incessant annual 3eatin' over the flatA red1dusty plains. ;o3ody ,atched themA and their parents did not 3ecome ,orried at their non1return for several hours. Then came an alarm and a searchin'1partyA and another resi'nation to the mystery of silence and dou3t. But one of them came 3ac! after all. =t ,as EdA the elderA and his stra,1coloured hair and 3eard had turned an al3ino ,hite for t,o inches from the roots. +n his forehead ,as a Dueer scar li!e a 3randed hiero'lyph. Three months after he and his 3rother Wal!er had vanished he s!ul!ed into his house at ni'htA ,earin' nothin' 3ut a Dueerly patterned 3lan!et ,hich he thrust into the fire as soon as he had 'ot into a suit of his o,n clothes. 2e told his parents that he and Wal!er had 3een captured 3y some stran'e =ndiansUnot Wichitas or CaddosUand held prisoners some,here to,ard the ,est. Wal!er had died under tortureA 3ut he himself had mana'ed to escape at a hi'h cost. The e%perience had 3een particularly terri3leA and he could not tal! a3out it Cust then. 2e must restUand any,ayA it ,ould do no 'ood to 'ive an alarm and try to find and punish the =ndians. They ,ere not of a sort that could 3e cau'ht or punishedA and it ,as especially important for the 'ood of Bin'erUfor the 'ood of the ,orldUthat they 3e not pursued into their secret lair. As a matter of factA they ,ere not alto'ether ,hat one could call real =ndiansUhe ,ould e%plain a3out that later. 8ean,hile he must rest. Better not to rouse the villa'e ,ith the ne,s of his returnUhe ,ould 'o upstairs and sleep. Before he clim3ed the ric!ety fli'ht to his room he too! a pad and pencil from the livin'1room ta3leA and an automatic pistol from his father<s des! dra,er. Three hours later the shot ran' out. Ed Clay had put a 3ullet neatly throu'h his temples ,ith a pistol clutched in his left handA leavin' a sparsely ,ritten sheet of paper on the ric!ety ta3le near his 3ed. 2e hadA it later appeared from the ,hittled pencil1stu3 and stove full of charred paperA ori'inally ,ritten much moreB 3ut had finally decided not to tell ,hat he !ne, 3eyond va'ue hints. The survivin' fra'ment ,as only a mad ,arnin' scra,led in a curiously 3ac!handed scriptUthe ravin's of a mind o3viously deran'ed 3y hardshipsU and it read thusB rather surprisin'ly for the utterance of one ,ho had al,ays 3een stolid and matter1of1fact9 4or 'ods sa!e never 'o nere that mound it is part of some !ind of a ,orld so devilish and old it cannot 3e spo!e a3out me and Wal!er ,ent and ,as too! into the thin' Cust melted at times and made up a'en and the ,hole ,orld outside is helpless alon'side of ,hat they can doUthey ,hat live forever youn' as they li!e and you cant tell if they are

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really men or Cust 'ostesUand ,hat they do cant 3e spo!e a3out and this is only 1 entrance Uyou cant tell ho, 3i' the ,hole thin' isUafter ,hat ,e seen = dont ,ant to live aney more 4rance ,as nothin' 3esides thisUand see that people al,ays !eep a,ay o 'od they ,ood if they see poor ,al!er li!e he ,as in the end. .rs truely Ed Clay At the autopsy it ,as found that all of youn' Clay<s or'ans ,ere transposed from ri'ht to left ,ithin his 3odyA as if he had 3een turned inside out. Whether they had al,ays 3een soA no one could say at the timeA 3ut it ,as later learned from army records that Ed had 3een perfectly normal ,hen mustered out of the service in 8ayA 1)1). Whether there ,as a mista!e some,hereA or ,hether some unprecedented metamorphosis had indeed occurredA is still an unsettled DuestionA as is also the ori'in of the hiero'lyph1li!e scar on the forehead. That ,as the end of the e%plorations of the mound. =n the ei'ht intervenin' years no one had 3een near the placeA and fe, indeed had even cared to level a spy 'lass at it. 4rom time to time people continued to 'lance nervously at the lone hill as it rose star!ly from the plain a'ainst the ,estern s!yA and to shudder at the small dar! spec! that paraded 3y day and the 'limmerin' ,ill1o<1the1,isp that danced 3y ni'ht. The thin' ,as accepted at face value as a mystery not to 3e pro3edA and 3y common consent the villa'e shunned the su3Cect. =t ,asA after allA Duite easy to avoid the hillB for space ,as unlimited in every directionA and community life al,ays follo,s 3eaten trails. The mound side of the villa'e ,as simply !ept traillessA as if it had 3een ,ater or s,ampland or desert. And it is a curious commentary on the stolidity and ima'inative sterility of the human animal that the ,hispers ,ith ,hich children and stran'ers ,ere ,arned a,ay from the mound Duic!ly san! once more into the flat tale of a murderous =ndian 'host and his sDua, victim. +nly the tri3esmen on the reservationA and thou'htful old1timers li!e 7randma ComptonA remem3ered the overtones of unholy vistas and deep cosmic menace ,hich clustered around the ravin's of those ,ho had come 3ac! chan'ed and shattered. =t ,as very lateA and 7randma Compton had lon' since 'one upstairs to 3edA ,hen Clyde finished tellin' me this. = hardly !ne, ,hat to thin! of the fri'htful puzzleA yet re3elled at any notion to conflict ,ith sane materialism. What influence had 3rou'ht madnessA or the impulse of fli'ht and ,anderin'A to so many ,ho had visited the moundG Thou'h vastly impressedA = ,as spurred on rather than deterred. Surely = must 'et to the 3ottom of this matterA as ,ell = mi'ht if = !ept a cool head and an un3ro!en determination. Compton sa, my mood and shoo! his head ,orriedly. Then he motioned me to follo, him outdoors. We stepped from the frame house to the Duiet side street or laneA and ,al!ed a fe, paces in the li'ht of a ,anin' Au'ust moon to ,here the houses ,ere thinner. The half1 moon ,as still lo,A and had not 3lotted many stars from the s!yB so that = could see not only the ,elterin' 'leams of Altair and ?e'aA 3ut the mystic shimmerin' of the 8il!y WayA as = loo!ed out over the vast e%panse of earth and s!y in the direction that Compton pointed. Then all at once = sa, a spar! that ,as not a starUa 3luish spar! that moved and 'limmered a'ainst the 8il!y Way near the horizonA and that seemed in a va'ue ,ay more evil and malevolent than anythin' in the vault a3ove. =n another moment it ,as clear that

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this spar! came from the top of a lon' distant rise in the outspread and faintly litten plainB and = turned to Compton ,ith a Duestion. L.esAL he ans,eredA Lit<s the 3lue 'host1li'htUand that is the mound. There<s not a ni'ht in history that ,e haven<t seen itUand not a livin' soul in Bin'er that ,ould ,al! out over that plain to,ard it. =t<s a 3ad 3usinessA youn' manA and if you<re ,ise you<ll let it rest ,here it is. Better call your search offA sonA and tac!le some of the other =nCun le'ends around here. We<ve plenty to !eep you 3usyA heaven !no,sFL

,,.
But = ,as in no mood for adviceB and thou'h Compton 'ave me a pleasant roomA = could not sleep a ,in! throu'h ea'erness for the ne%t mornin' ,ith its chances to see the daytime 'host and to Duestion the =ndians at the reservation. = meant to 'o a3out the ,hole thin' slo,ly and thorou'hlyA eDuippin' myself ,ith all availa3le data 3oth ,hite and red 3efore = commenced any actual archaeolo'ical investi'ations. = rose and dressed at da,nA and ,hen = heard others stirrin' = ,ent do,nstairs. Compton ,as 3uildin' the !itchen fire ,hile his mother ,as 3usy in the pantry. When he sa, me he noddedA and after a moment invited me out into the 'lamorous youn' sunli'ht. = !ne, ,here ,e ,ere 'oin'A and as ,e ,al!ed alon' the lane = strained my eyes ,est,ard over the plains. There ,as the moundUfar a,ay and very curious in its aspect of artificial re'ularity. =t must have 3een from thirty to forty feet hi'hA and all of a hundred yards from north to south as = loo!ed at it. =t ,as not as ,ide as that from east to ,estA Compton saidA 3ut had the contour of a rather thinnish ellipse. 2eA = !ne,A had 3een safely out to it and 3ac! several times. As = loo!ed at the rim silhouetted a'ainst the deep 3lue of the ,est = tried to follo, its minor irre'ularitiesA and 3ecame impressed ,ith a sense of somethin' movin' upon it. 8y pulse mounted a 3it feverishlyA and = seized Duic!ly on the hi'h1po,ered 3inoculars ,hich Compton had Duietly offered me. 4ocussin' them hastilyA = sa, at first only a tan'le of under3rush on the distant mound<s rimUand then somethin' stal!ed into the field. =t ,as unmista!a3ly a human shapeA and = !ne, at once that = ,as seein' the daytime L=ndian 'hostL. = did not ,onder at the descriptionA for surely the tallA leanA dar!ly ro3ed 3ein' ,ith the filleted 3lac! hair and seamedA copperyA e%pressionlessA aDuiline face loo!ed more li!e an =ndian than anythin' else in my previous e%perience. And yet my trained ethnolo'ist<s eye told me at once that this ,as no reds!in of any sort hitherto !no,n to historyA 3ut a creature of vast racial variation and of a ,holly different culture1stream. 8odern =ndians are 3rachycephalicUround1headedUand you can<t find any dolichocephalic or lon'1headed s!ulls e%cept in ancient >ue3lo deposits datin' 3ac! " ** years or moreB yet this man<s lon'1headedness ,as so pronounced that = reco'nised it at onceA even at his vast distance and in the uncertain field of the 3inoculars. = sa,A tooA that the pattern of his ro3e represented a decorative tradition utterly remote from anythin' ,e reco'nise in south,estern native art. There ,ere shinin' metal trappin'sA li!e,iseA and a short s,ord or !indred ,eapon at his sideA all ,rou'ht in a fashion ,holly alien to anythin' = had ever heard of.

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As he paced 3ac! and forth alon' the top of the mound = follo,ed him for several minutes ,ith the 'lassA notin' the !inaesthetic Duality of his stride and the poised ,ay he carried his headB and there ,as 3orne in upon me the stron'A persistent conviction that this manA ,hoever or ,hatever he mi'ht 3eA ,as certainly not a sa!age. 2e ,as the product of a ci!ilisationA = felt instinctivelyA thou'h of ,hat civilisation = could not 'uess. At len'th he disappeared 3eyond the farther ed'e of the moundA as if descendin' the opposite and unseen slopeB and = lo,ered the 'lass ,ith a curious mi%ture of puzzled feelin's. Compton ,as loo!in' Duizzically at meA and = nodded non1committally. LWhat do you ma!e of thatGL he ventured. LThis is ,hat ,e<ve seen here in Bin'er every day of our lives.L That noon found me at the =ndian reservation tal!in' ,ith old 7rey Ea'leU,hoA throu'h some miracleA ,as still aliveB thou'h he must have 3een close to a hundred and fifty years old. 2e ,as a stran'eA impressive fi'ureUthis sternA fearless leader of his !ind ,ho had tal!ed ,ith outla,s and traders in frin'ed 3uc!s!in and 4rench officials in !nee1 3reeches and three1cornered hatsUand = ,as 'lad to see thatA 3ecause of my air of deference to,ard himA he appeared to li!e me. 2is li!in'A ho,everA too! an unfortunately o3structive form as soon as he learned ,hat = ,antedB for all he ,ould do ,as to ,arn me a'ainst the search = ,as a3out to ma!e. L.ou 'ood 3oyUyou no 3other that hill. Bad medicine. >lenty devil under thereU catchum ,hen you di'. ;o di'A no hurt. 7o and di'A no come 3ac!. 6ust same ,hen me 3oyA Cust same ,hen my father and he father 3oy. All time 3uc! he ,al! in dayA sDua, ,ith no head she ,al! in ni'ht. All time since ,hite man ,ith tin coats they come from sunset and 3elo, 3i' riverUlon' ,ay 3ac!UthreeA four times more 3ac! than 7rey Ea'leUt,o times more 3ac! than 4renchmenUall same after then. 8ore 3ac! than thatA no3ody 'o near little hills nor deep valleys ,ith stone caves. Still more 3ac!A those old ones no hideA come out and ma!e villa'es. Brin' plenty 'old. 8e them. .ou them. Then 3i' ,aters come. All chan'e. ;o3ody come outA let no3ody in. 7et inA no 'et out. They no dieUno 'et old li!e 7rey Ea'le ,ith valleys in face and sno, on head. 6ust same li!e airUsome manA some spirit. Bad medicine. Sometimes at ni'ht spirit come out on half1manghalf1 horse1,ith1horn and fi'ht ,here men once fi'ht. 0eep <,ay them place. ;o 'ood. .ou 'ood 3oyU'o <,ay and let them old ones <lone.L That ,as all = could 'et out of the ancient chiefA and the rest of the =ndians ,ould say nothin' at all. But if = ,as trou3ledA 7rey Ea'le ,as clearly more soB for he o3viously felt a real re'ret at the thou'ht of my invadin' the re'ion he feared so a3Cectly. As = turned to leave the reservation he stopped me for a final ceremonial fare,ellA and once more tried to 'et my promise to a3andon my search. When he sa, that he could notA he produced somethin' half1timidly from a 3uc!s!in pouch he ,oreA and e%tended it to,ard me very solemnly. =t ,as a ,orn 3ut finely minted metal disc a3out t,o inches in diameterA oddly fi'ured and perforatedA and suspended from a leathern cord. L.ou no promiseA then 7rey Ea'le no can tell ,hat 'et you. But if anythin' help umA this 'ood medicine. Come from my fatherUhe 'et from he fatherUhe 'et from he fatherU all ,ay 3ac!A close to TirY,aA all men<s father. 8y father sayA <.ou !eep <,ay from those old onesA !eep <,ay from little hills and valleys ,ith stone caves. But if old ones they come out to 'et youA then you she, um this medicine. They !no,. They ma!e him lon' ,ay 3ac!. They loo!A then they no do such 3ad medicine may3e. But no can tell. .ou !eep <,ayA Cust same. Them no 'ood. ;o tell ,hat they do.<L

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As he spo!eA 7rey Ea'le ,as han'in' the thin' around my nec!A and = sa, it ,as a very curious o3Cect indeed. The more = loo!ed at itA the more = marvelledB for not only ,as its heavyA dar!ishA lustrousA and richly mottled su3stance an a3solutely stran'e metal to meA 3ut ,hat ,as left of its desi'n seemed to 3e of a marvellously artistic and utterly un!no,n ,or!manship. +ne sideA so far as = could seeA had 3orne an e%Duisitely modelled serpent desi'nB ,hilst the other side had depicted a !ind of octopus or other tentacled monster. There ,ere some half1effaced hiero'lyphsA tooA of a !ind ,hich no archaeolo'ist could identify or even place conCecturally. With 7rey Ea'le<s permission = later had e%pert historiansA anthropolo'istsA 'eolo'istsA and chemists pass carefully upon the discA 3ut from them = o3tained only a chorus of 3afflement. =t defied either classification or analysis. The chemists called it an amal'am of un!no,n metallic elements of heavy atomic ,ei'htA and one 'eolo'ist su''ested that the su3stance must 3e of meteoric ori'inA shot from un!no,n 'ulfs of interstellar space. Whether it really saved my life or sanity or e%istence as a human 3ein' = cannot attempt to sayA 3ut 7rey Ea'le is sure of it. 2e has it a'ainA no,A and = ,onder if it has any conne%ion ,ith his inordinate a'e. All his fathers ,ho had it lived far 3eyond the century mar!A perishin' only in 3attle. =s it possi3le that 7rey Ea'leA if !ept from accidentsA ,ill ne!er die/ But = am ahead of my story. When = returned to the villa'e = tried to secure more mound1loreA 3ut found only e%cited 'ossip and opposition. =t ,as really flatterin' to see ho, solicitous the people ,ere a3out my safetyA 3ut = had to set their almost frantic remonstrances aside. = she,ed them 7rey Ea'le<s charmA 3ut none of them had ever heard of it 3eforeA or seen anythin' even remotely li!e it. They a'reed that it could not 3e an =ndian relicA and ima'ined that the old chief<s ancestors must have o3tained it from some trader. When they sa, they could not deter me from my tripA the Bin'er citizens sadly did ,hat they could to aid my outfittin'. 2avin' !no,n 3efore my arrival the sort of ,or! to 3e doneA = had most of my supplies already ,ith meUmachete and trench1!nife for shru31 clearin' and e%cavatin'A electric torches for any under'round phase ,hich mi'ht developA ropeA field1'lassesA tape1measureA microscopeA and incidentals for emer'enciesUas muchA in factA as mi'ht 3e comforta3ly sto,ed in a convenient hand3a'. To this eDuipment = added only the heavy revolver ,hich the sheriff forced upon meA and the pic! and shovel ,hich = thou'ht mi'ht e%pedite my ,or!. = decided to carry these latter thin's slun' over my shoulder ,ith a stout cordUfor = soon sa, that = could not hope for any helpers or fello,1e%plorers. The villa'e ,ould ,atch meA no dou3tA ,ith all its availa3le telescopes and field1'lassesB 3ut it ,ould not send any citizen so much as a yard over the flat plain to,ard the lone hilloc!. 8y start ,as timed for early the ne%t mornin'A and all the rest of that day = ,as treated ,ith the a,ed and uneasy respect ,hich people 'ive to a man a3out to set out for certain doom. When mornin' cameUa cloudy thou'h not a threatenin' mornin'Uthe ,hole villa'e turned out to see me start across the dust3lo,n plain. Binoculars she,ed the lone man at his usual pacin' on the moundA and = resolved to !eep him in si'ht as steadily as possi3le durin' my approach. At the last moment a va'ue sense of dread oppressed meA and = ,as Cust ,ea! and ,himsical enou'h to let 7rey Ea'le<s talisman s,in' on my chest in full vie, of any 3ein's or 'hosts ,ho mi'ht 3e inclined to heed it. Biddin' au revoir to Compton and his motherA = started off at a 3ris! stride despite the 3a' in my left hand and the clan!in' pic! and shovel strapped to my 3ac!B holdin' my field1'lass in my ri'ht hand and ta!in' a 'lance at the silent pacer from time to time. As = neared the mound = sa, the

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man very clearlyA and fancied = could trace an e%pression of infinite evil and decadence on his seamedA hairless features. = ,as startledA tooA to see that his 'oldenly 'leamin' ,eapon1 case 3ore hiero'lyphs very similar to those on the un!no,n talisman = ,ore. All the creature<s costume and trappin's 3espo!e e%Duisite ,or!manship and cultivation. ThenA all too a3ruptlyA = sa, him startdo,n the farther side of the mound and out of si'ht. When = reached the placeA a3out ten minutes after = set outA there ,as no one there. There is no need of relatin' ho, = spent the early part of my search in surveyin' and circumnavi'atin' the moundA ta!in' measurementsA and steppin' 3ac! to vie, the thin' from different an'les. =t had impressed me tremendously as = approached itA and there seemed to 3e a !ind of latent menace in its too re'ular outlines. =t ,as the only elevation of any sort on the ,ideA level plainB and = could not dou3t for a moment that it ,as an artificial tumulus. The steep sides seemed ,holly un3ro!enA and ,ithout mar!s of human tenancy or passa'e. There ,ere no si'ns of a path to,ard the topB andA 3urdened as = ,asA = mana'ed to scram3le up only ,ith considera3le difficulty. When = reached the summit = found a rou'hly level elliptical plateau a3out &** 3y * feet in dimensionsB uniformly covered ,ith ran! 'rass and dense under3rushA and utterly incompati3le ,ith the constant presence of a pacin' sentinel. This condition 'ave me a real shoc!A for it she,ed 3eyond Duestion that the L+ld =ndianLA vivid thou'h he seemedA could not 3e other than a collective hallucination. = loo!ed a3out ,ith considera3le perple%ity and alarmA 'lancin' ,istfully 3ac! at the villa'e and the mass of 3lac! dots ,hich = !ne, ,as the ,atchin' cro,d. Trainin' my 'lass upon themA = sa, that they ,ere studyin' me avidly ,ith their 'lassesB so to reassure them = ,aved my cap in the air ,ith a sho, of Cauntiness ,hich = ,as far from feelin'. ThenA settlin' to my ,or! = flun' do,n pic!A shovelA and 3a'B ta!in' my machete from the latter and commencin' to clear a,ay under3rush. =t ,as a ,eary tas!A and no, and then = felt a curious shiver as some perverse 'ust of ,ind arose to hamper my motion ,ith a s!ill approachin' deli3erateness. At times it seemed as if a half1tan'i3le force ,ere pushin' me 3ac! as = ,or!edUalmost as if the air thic!ened in front of meA or as if formless hands tu''ed at my ,rists. 8y ener'y seemed used up ,ithout producin' adeDuate resultsA yet for all that = made some pro'ress. By afternoon = had clearly perceived thatA to,ard the northern end of the moundA there ,as a sli'ht 3o,l1li!e depression in the root1tan'led earth. While this mi'ht mean nothin'A it ,ould 3e a 'ood place to 3e'in ,hen = reached the di''in' sta'eA and = made a mental note of it. At the same time = noticed another and very peculiar thin'UnamelyA that the =ndian talisman s,in'in' from my nec! seemed to 3ehave oddly at a point a3out seventeen feet southeast of the su''ested 3o,l. =ts 'yrations ,ere altered ,henever = happened to stoop around that pointA and it tu''ed do,n,ard as if attracted 3y some ma'netism in the soil. The more = noticed thisA the more it struc! meA till at len'th = decided to do a little preliminary di''in' there ,ithout further delay. As = turned up the soil ,ith my trench1!nife = could not help ,onderin' at the relative thinness of the reddish re'ional layer. The country as a ,hole ,as all red sandstone earthA 3ut here = found a stran'e 3lac! loam less than a foot do,n. =t ,as such soil as one finds in the stran'eA deep valleys farther ,est and southA and must surely have 3een 3rou'ht from a considera3le distance in the prehistoric a'e ,hen the mound ,as reared. 0neelin' and di''in'A = felt the leathern cord around my nec! tu''ed harder and harderA as somethin' in the soil seemed to dra, the heavy metal talisman more and more. Then = felt my

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implements stri!e a hard surfaceA and ,ondered if a roc! layer rested 3eneath. >ryin' a3out ,ith the trench1!nifeA = found that such ,as not the case. =nsteadA to my intense surprise and feverish interestA = 3rou'ht up a mould1clo''edA heavy o3Cect of cylindrical shapeU a3out a foot lon' and four inches in diameterUto ,hich my han'in' talisman clove ,ith 'lue1li!e tenacity. As = cleared off the 3lac! loam my ,onder and tension increased at the 3as1reliefs revealed 3y that process. The ,hole cylinderA ends and allA ,as covered ,ith fi'ures and hiero'lyphsB and = sa, ,ith 'ro,in' e%citement that these thin's ,ere in the same un!no,n tradition as those on 7rey Ea'le<s charm and on the yello, metal trappin's of the 'host = had seen throu'h my 3inoculars. Sittin' do,nA = further cleaned the ma'netic cylinder a'ainst the rou'h corduroy of my !nic!er3oc!ersA and o3served that it ,as made of the same heavyA lustrous un!no,n metal as the charmUhenceA no dou3tA the sin'ular attraction. The carvin's and chasin's ,ere very stran'e and very horri3leUnameless monsters and desi'ns frau'ht ,ith insidious evil Uand all ,ere of the hi'hest finish and craftsmanship. = could not at first ma!e head or tail of the thin'A and handled it aimlessly until = spied a cleava'e near one end. Then = sou'ht ea'erly for some mode of openin'A discoverin' at last that the end simply unscre,ed. The cap yielded ,ith difficultyA 3ut at last it came offA li3eratin' a curious aromatic odour. The sole contents ,as a 3ul!y roll of a yello,ishA paper1li!e su3stance inscri3ed in 'reenish charactersA and for a second = had the supreme thrill of fancyin' that = held a ,ritten !ey to un!no,n elder ,orlds and a3ysses 3eyond time. Almost immediatelyA ho,everA the unrollin' of one end she,ed that the manuscript ,as in SpanishUal3eit the formalA pompous Spanish of a lon'1departed day. =n the 'olden sunset li'ht = loo!ed at the headin' and the openin' para'raphA tryin' to decipher the ,retched and ill1punctuated script of the vanished ,riter. What manner of relic ,as thisG (pon ,hat sort of a discovery had = stum3ledG The first ,ords set me in a ne, fury of e%citement and curiosityA for instead of divertin' me from my ori'inal Duest they startlin'ly confirmed me in that very effort. The yello, scroll ,ith the 'reen script 3e'an ,ith a 3oldA identifyin' caption and a ceremoniously desperate appeal for 3elief in incredi3le revelations to follo,9 :E5AC=h; $E >i;4=5+ $E @A8AC+;A . ;(jE@A 2=$A57+ $E 5(A:CA E; AST(:=ASA T+CA;TE A5 8(;$+ S+TE::i;E+ $E R=;A=i;A A. $. 8$R5? En el nom3re de la santksima TrinidadA >adreA 2iCoA y Espkritu1SantoA tres personas distintas y un solo. $ios verdaderoA y de la santksima ?ir'en muestra SeVoraA .+A >i;4=5+ $E @A8AC+;AA 2=6+ $E >E$:+ 7(@8A; . @A8AC+;AA 2=$A57+A . $E 5A $+jA .;lS A5?A:A$+ . ;(jE@A $E 5(A:CA E; AST(:=ASA Curo para Due todo Due deco estY verdadero como sacramento.... = paused to reflect on the portentous si'nificance of ,hat = ,as readin'. LThe ;arrative of >Ynfilo de @amacona y ;uVezA 'entlemanA of 5uarca in AsturiasA Concerning t"e Subterranean World of NinaiOn& A% #% <GJGL ... 2ereA surelyA ,as too much for any mind to a3sor3 all at once. A su3terranean ,orldUa'ain that persistent idea ,hich filtered throu'h all the =ndian tales and throu'h all the utterances of those ,ho had come 3ac! from the mound. And the dateU1 # m8"1"B,hat could this meanG =n 1 #* Coronado and his men had 'one north from 8e%ico into the ,ildernessA 3ut had they not turned 3ac! in 1 #"G 8y eye ran Duestin'ly do,n the opened part of the scrollA and almost at once seized on the

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name 7rancisco .as0ue2 de Coronado. The ,riter of this thin'A clearlyA ,as one of Coronado<s menU3ut ,hat had he 3een doin' in this remote realm three years after his party had 'one 3ac!G = must read furtherA for another 'lance told me that ,hat ,as no, unrolled ,as merely a summary of Coronado<s north,ard marchA differin' in no essential ,ay from the account !no,n to history. =t ,as only the ,anin' li'ht ,hich chec!ed me 3efore = could unroll and read moreA and in my impatient 3afflement = almost for'ot to 3e fri'htened at the onrush of ni'ht in this sinister place. +thersA ho,everA had not for'otten the lur!in' terrorA for = heard a loud distant hallooin' from a !not of men ,ho had 'athered at the ed'e of the to,n. Ans,erin' the an%ious hailA = restored the manuscript to its stran'e cylinderUto ,hich the disc around my nec! still clun' until = pried it off and pac!ed it and my smaller implements for departure. 5eavin' the pic! and shovel for the ne%t day<s ,or!A = too! up my hand3a'A scram3led do,n the steep side of the moundA and in another Duarter1hour ,as 3ac! in the villa'e e%plainin' and e%hi3itin' my curious find. As dar!ness dre, onA = 'lanced 3ac! at the mound = had so lately leftA and sa, ,ith a shudder that the faint 3luish torch of the nocturnal sDua,1'host had 3e'un to 'limmer. =t ,as hard ,or! ,aitin' to 'et at the 3y'one Spaniard<s narrativeB 3ut = !ne, = must have Duiet and leisure for a 'ood translationA so reluctantly saved the tas! for the later hours of ni'ht. >romisin' the to,nsfol! a clear account of my findin's in the mornin'A and 'ivin' them an ample opportunity to e%amine the 3izarre and provocative cylinderA = accompanied Clyde Compton home and ascended to my room for the translatin' process as soon as = possi3ly could. 8y host and his mother ,ere intensely ea'er to hear the taleA 3ut = thou'ht they had 3etter ,ait till = could thorou'hly a3sor3 the te%t myself and 'ive them the 'ist concisely and unerrin'ly. +penin' my hand3a' in the li'ht of a sin'le electric 3ul3A = a'ain too! out the cylinder and noted the instant ma'netism ,hich pulled the =ndian talisman to its carven surface. The desi'ns 'limmered evilly on the richly lustrous and un!no,n metalA and = could not help shiverin' as = studied the a3normal and 3lasphemous forms that leered at me ,ith such e%Duisite ,or!manship. = ,ish no, that = had carefully photo'raphed all these desi'nsU thou'h perhaps it is Cust as ,ell that = did not. +f one thin' = am really 'ladA and that is that = could not then identify the sDuattin' octopus1headed thin' ,hich dominated most of the ornate cartouchesA and ,hich the manuscript called LTuluL. :ecently = have associated itA and the le'ends in the manuscript connected ,ith itA ,ith some ne,1found fol!lore of monstrous and unmentioned CthulhuA a horror ,hich seeped do,n from the stars ,hile the youn' earth ,as still half1formedB and had = !no,n of the conne%ion thenA = could not have stayed in the same room ,ith the thin'. The secondary motifA a semi1anthropomorphic serpentA = did Duite readily place as a prototype of the .i'A /uetzalcoatlA and 0u!ulcan conceptions. Before openin' the cylinder = tested its ma'netic po,ers on metals other than that of 7rey Ea'le<s discA 3ut found that no attraction e%isted. =t ,as no common ma'netism ,hich pervaded this mor3id fra'ment of un!no,n ,orlds and lin!ed it to its !ind. At last = too! out the manuscript and 3e'an translatin'UCottin' do,n a synoptic outline in En'lish as = ,entA and no, and then re'rettin' the a3sence of a Spanish dictionary ,hen = came upon some especially o3scure or archaic ,ord or construction. There ,as a sense of ineffa3le stran'eness in thus 3ein' thro,n 3ac! nearly four centuries in the midst of my continuous DuestUthro,n 3ac! to a year ,hen my o,n for3ears ,ere settledA

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home!eepin' 'entlemen of Somerset and $evon under 2enry the Ei'hthA ,ith never a thou'ht of the adventure that ,as to ta!e their 3lood to ?ir'inia and the ;e, WorldB yet ,hen that ne, ,orld possessedA even as no,A the same 3roodin' mystery of the mound ,hich formed my present sphere and horizon. The sense of a thro,3ac! ,as all the stron'er 3ecause = felt instinctively that the common pro3lem of the Spaniard and myself ,as one of such a3ysmal timelessnessUof such unholy and unearthly eternityUthat the scant four hundred years 3et,een us 3ul!ed as nothin' in comparison. =t too! no more than a sin'le loo! at that monstrous and insidious cylinder to ma!e me realise the dizzyin' 'ulfs that ya,ned 3et,een all men of the !no,n earth and the primal mysteries it represented. Before that 'ulf >Ynfilo de @amacona and = stood side 3y sideB Cust as Aristotle and =A or Cheops and =A mi'ht have stood.

,,,.
+f his youth in 5uarcaA a smallA placid port on the Bay of BiscayA @amacona told little. 2e had 3een ,ildA and a youn'er sonA and had come to ;e, Spain in 1 &"A ,hen only t,enty years old. Sensitively ima'inativeA he had listened spell3ound to the floatin' rumours of rich cities and un!no,n ,orlds to the northUand especially to the tale of the 4ranciscan friar 8arcos de ;izaA ,ho came 3ac! from a trip in 1 &) ,ith 'lo,in' accounts of fa3ulous Ck3ola and its 'reat ,alled to,ns ,ith terraced stone houses. 2earin' of Coronado<s contemplated e%pedition in search of these ,ondersUand of the 'reater ,onders ,hispered to lie 3eyond them in the land of 3uffaloesUyoun' @amacona mana'ed to Coin the pic!ed party of &**A and started north ,ith the rest in 1 #*. 2istory !no,s the story of that e%peditionUho, Ck3ola ,as found to 3e merely the sDualid >ue3lo villa'e of @uViA and ho, de ;iza ,as sent 3ac! to 8e%ico in dis'race for his florid e%a''erationsB ho, Coronado first sa, the 7rand CanyonA and ho, at CicuyOA on the >ecosA he heard from the =ndian called El Turco of the rich and mysterious land of /uiviraA far to the northeastA ,here 'oldA silverA and 3uffaloes a3oundedA and ,here there flo,ed a river t,o lea'ues ,ide. @amacona told 3riefly of the ,inter camp at Ti'ue% on the >ecosA and of the north,ard start in AprilA ,hen the native 'uide proved false and led the party astray amidst a land of prairie1do'sA salt poolsA and rovin'A 3ison1huntin' tri3es. When Coronado dismissed his lar'er force and made his final forty1t,o1day march ,ith a very small and select detachmentA @amacona mana'ed to 3e included in the advancin' party. 2e spo!e of the fertile country and of the 'reat ravines ,ith trees visi3le only from the ed'e of their steep 3an!sB and of ho, all the men lived solely on 3uffalo1meat. And then came mention of the e%pedition<s farthest limitUof the presuma3le 3ut disappointin' land of /uivira ,ith its villa'es of 'rass housesA its 3roo!s and riversA its 'ood 3lac! soilA its plumsA nutsA 'rapesA and mul3erriesA and its maize1'ro,in' and copper1usin' =ndians. The e%ecution of El TurcoA the false native 'uideA ,as casually touched uponA and there ,as a mention of the cross ,hich Coronado raised on the 3an! of a 'reat river in the autumn of 1 #1Ua cross 3earin' the inscriptionA LThus far came the 'reat 'eneralA 4rancisco ?YsDuez de CoronadoL. This supposed /uivira lay at a3out the fortieth parallel of north latitudeA and = see that Duite lately the ;e, .or! archaeolo'ist $r. 2od'e has identified it ,ith the course of the Ar!ansas :iver throu'h Barton and :ice CountiesA 0ansas. =t is the old home of the

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WichitasA 3efore the Siou% drove them south into ,hat is no, +!lahomaA and some of the 'rass1house villa'e sites have 3een found and e%cavated for artifacts. Coronado did considera3le e%plorin' herea3outsA led hither and thither 3y the persistent rumours of rich cities and hidden ,orlds ,hich floated fearfully around on the =ndians< ton'ues. These northerly natives seemed more afraid and reluctant to tal! a3out the rumoured cities and ,orlds than the 8e%ican =ndians had 3eenB yet at the same time seemed as if they could reveal a 'ood deal more than the 8e%icans had they 3een ,illin' or dared to do so. Their va'ueness e%asperated the Spanish leaderA and after many disappointin' searches he 3e'an to 3e very severe to,ard those ,ho 3rou'ht him stories. @amaconaA more patient than CoronadoA found the tales especially interestin'B and learned enou'h of the local speech to hold lon' conversations ,ith a youn' 3uc! named Char'in' BuffaloA ,hose curiosity had led him into much stran'er places than any of his fello,1tri3esmen had dared to penetrate. =t ,as Char'in' Buffalo ,ho told @amacona of the Dueer stone door,aysA 'atesA or cave1mouths at the 3ottom of some of those deepA steepA ,ooded ravines ,hich the party had noticed on the north,ard march. These openin'sA he saidA ,ere mostly concealed 3y shru33eryB and fe, had entered them for untold aeons. Those ,ho ,ent to ,here they ledA never returnedUor in a fe, cases returned mad or curiously maimed. But all this ,as le'endA for no3ody ,as !no,n to have 'one more than a limited distance inside any of them ,ithin the memory of the 'randfathers of the oldest livin' men. Char'in' Buffalo himself had pro3a3ly 3een farther than anyone elseA and he had seen enou'h to cur3 3oth his curiosity and his 'reed for the rumoured 'old 3elo,. Beyond the aperture he had entered there ,as a lon' passa'e runnin' crazily up and do,n and round a3outA and covered ,ith fri'htful carvin's of monsters and horrors that no man had ever seen. At lastA after untold miles of ,indin's and descentsA there ,as a 'lo, of terri3le 3lue li'htB and the passa'e opened upon a shoc!in' nether ,orld. A3out this the =ndian ,ould say no moreA for he had seen somethin' that had sent him 3ac! in haste. But the 'olden cities must 3e some,here do,n thereA he addedA and perhaps a ,hite man ,ith the ma'ic of the thunder1stic! mi'ht succeed in 'ettin' to them. 2e ,ould not tell the 3i' chief Coronado ,hat he !ne,A for Coronado ,ould not listen to =ndian tal! any more. .es Uhe could she, @amacona the ,ay if the ,hite man ,ould leave the party and accept his 'uidance. But he ,ould not 'o inside the openin' ,ith the ,hite man. =t ,as 3ad in there. The place ,as a3out a five days< march to the southA near the re'ion of 'reat mounds. These mounds had somethin' to do ,ith the evil ,orld do,n thereUthey ,ere pro3a3ly ancient closed1up passa'es to itA for once the +ld +nes 3elo, had had colonies on the surface and had traded ,ith men every,hereA even in the lands that had sun! under the 3i' ,aters. =t ,as ,hen those lands had sun! that the +ld +nes closed themselves up 3elo, and refused to deal ,ith surface people. The refu'ees from the sin!in' places had told them that the 'ods of outer earth ,ere a'ainst menA and that no men could survive on the outer earth unless they ,ere daemons in lea'ue ,ith the evil 'ods. That is ,hy they shut out all surface fol!A and did fearful thin's to any ,ho ventured do,n ,here they d,elt. There had 3een sentries once at the various openin'sA 3ut after a'es they ,ere no lon'er needed. ;ot many people cared to tal! a3out the hidden +ld +nesA and the le'ends a3out them ,ould pro3a3ly have died out 3ut for certain 'hostly reminders of their presence no, and then. =t seemed that the infinite ancientness of these creatures had 3rou'ht them stran'ely near to the 3orderline of spiritA so that their 'hostly emanations ,ere more commonly freDuent and vivid. Accordin'ly the re'ion of the 'reat mounds ,as often

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convulsed ,ith spectral nocturnal 3attles reflectin' those ,hich had 3een fou'ht in the days 3efore the openin's ,ere closed. The +ld +nes themselves ,ere half1'hostUindeedA it ,as said that they no lon'er 're, old or reproduced their !indA 3ut flic!ered eternally in a state 3et,een flesh and spirit. The chan'e ,as not completeA thou'hA for they had to 3reathe. =t ,as 3ecause the under'round ,orld needed air that the openin's in the deep valleys ,ere not 3loc!ed up as the mound1 openin's on the plains had 3een. These openin'sA Char'in' Buffalo addedA ,ere pro3a3ly 3ased on natural fissures in the earth. =t ,as ,hispered that the +ld +nes had come do,n from the stars to the ,orld ,hen it ,as very youn'A and had 'one inside to 3uild their cities of solid 'old 3ecause the surface ,as not then fit to live on. They ,ere the ancestors of all menA yet none could 'uess from ,hat starUor ,hat place 3eyond the starsUthey came. Their hidden cities ,ere still full of 'old and silverA 3ut men had 3etter let them alone unless protected 3y very stron' ma'ic. They had fri'htful 3easts ,ith a faint strain of human 3loodA on ,hich they rodeA and ,hich they employed for other purposes. The thin'sA so people hintedA ,ere carnivorousA and li!e their mastersA preferred human fleshB so that althou'h the +ld +nes themselves did not 3reedA they had a sort of half1human slave1class ,hich also served to nourish the human and animal population. This had 3een very oddly recruitedA and ,as supplemented 3y a second slave1class of reanimated corpses. The +ld +nes !ne, ho, to ma!e a corpse into an automaton ,hich ,ould last almost indefinitely and perform any sort of ,or! ,hen directed 3y streams of thou'ht. Char'in' Buffalo said that the people had all come to tal! 3y means of thou'ht onlyB speech havin' 3een found crude and needlessA e%cept for reli'ious devotions and emotional e%pressionA as aeons of discovery and study rolled 3y. They ,orshipped .i'A the 'reat father of serpentsA and TuluA the octopus1headed entity that had 3rou'ht them do,n from the starsB appeasin' 3oth of these hideous monstrosities 3y means of human sacrifices offered up in a very curious manner ,hich Char'in' Buffalo did not care to descri3e. @amacona ,as held spell3ound 3y the =ndian<s taleA and at once resolved to accept his 'uidance to the cryptic door,ay in the ravine. 2e did not 3elieve the accounts of stran'e ,ays attri3uted 3y le'end to the hidden peopleA for the e%periences of the party had 3een such as to disillusion one re'ardin' native myths of un!no,n landsB 3ut he did feel that some sufficiently marvellous field of riches and adventure must indeed lie 3eyond the ,eirdly carved passa'es in the earth. At first he thou'ht of persuadin' Char'in' Buffalo to tell his story to CoronadoUofferin' to shield him a'ainst any effects of the leader<s testy scepticismU3ut later he decided that a lone adventure ,ould 3e 3etter. =f he had no aidA he ,ould not have to share anythin' he foundB 3ut mi'ht perhaps 3ecome a 'reat discoverer and o,ner of fa3ulous riches. Success ,ould ma!e him a 'reater fi'ure than Coronado himselfUperhaps a 'reater fi'ure than anyone else in ;e, SpainA includin' even the mi'hty viceroy $on Antonio de 8endoza. +n +cto3er 7A 1 #1A at an hour close to midni'htA @amacona stole out of the Spanish camp near the 'rass1house villa'e and met Char'in' Buffalo for the lon' south,ard Courney. 2e travelled as li'htly as possi3leA and did not ,ear his heavy helmet and 3reastplate. +f the details of the trip the manuscript told very littleA 3ut @amacona records his arrival at the 'reat ravine on +cto3er 1&th. The descent of the thic!ly ,ooded slope too! no 'reat timeB and thou'h the =ndian had trou3le in locatin' the shru33ery1hidden stone door a'ain amidst the t,ili'ht of that deep 'or'eA the place ,as finally found. =t ,as

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a very small aperture as door,ays 'oA formed of monolithic sandstone Cam3s and lintelA and 3earin' si'ns of nearly effaced and no, undeciphera3le carvin's. =ts hei'ht ,as perhaps seven feetA and its ,idth not more than four. There ,ere drilled places in the Cam3s ,hich ar'ued the 3y'one presence of a hin'ed door or 'ateA 3ut all other traces of such a thin' had lon' since vanished. At si'ht of this 3lac! 'ulf Char'in' Buffalo displayed considera3le fearA and thre, do,n his pac! of supplies ,ith si'ns of haste. 2e had provided @amacona ,ith a 'ood stoc! of resinous torches and provisionsA and had 'uided him honestly and ,ellB 3ut refused to share in the venture that lay ahead. @amacona 'ave him the trin!ets he had !ept for such an occasionA and o3tained his promise to return to the re'ion in a monthB after,ard she,in' the ,ay south,ard to the >ecos >ue3lo villa'es. A prominent roc! on the plain a3ove them ,as chosen as a meetin'1placeB the one arrivin' first to pitch camp until the other should arrive. =n the manuscript @amacona e%pressed a ,istful ,onder as to the =ndian<s len'th of ,aitin' at the rendezvousUfor he himself could never !eep that tryst. At the last moment Char'in' Buffalo tried to dissuade him from his plun'e into the dar!nessA 3ut soon sa, it ,as futileA and 'estured a stoical fare,ell. Before li'htin' his first torch and enterin' the openin' ,ith his ponderous pac!A the Spaniard ,atched the lean form of the =ndian scram3lin' hastily and rather relievedly up,ard amon' the trees. =t ,as the cuttin' of his last lin! ,ith the ,orldB thou'h he did not !no, that he ,as never to see a human 3ein'U in the accepted sense of that termUa'ain. @amacona felt no immediate premonition of evil upon enterin' that ominous door,ayA thou'h from the first he ,as surrounded 3y a 3izarre and un,holesome atmosphere. The passa'eA sli'htly taller and ,ider than the apertureA ,as for many yards a level tunnel of Cyclopean masonryA ,ith heavily ,orn fla'stones under footA and 'rotesDuely carved 'ranite and sandstone 3loc!s in sides and ceilin'. The carvin's must have 3een loathsome and terri3le indeedA to Cud'e from @amacona<s descriptionB accordin' to ,hich most of them revolved around the monstrous 3ein's .i' and Tulu. They ,ere unli!e anythin' the adventurer had ever seen 3eforeA thou'h he added that the native architecture of 8e%ico came closest to them of all thin's in the outer ,orld. After some distance the tunnel 3e'an to dip a3ruptlyA and irre'ular natural roc! appeared on all sides. The passa'e seemed only partly artificialA and decorations ,ere limited to occasional cartouches ,ith shoc!in' 3as1 reliefs. 4ollo,in' an enormous descentA ,hose steepness at times produced an acute dan'er of slippin' and to3o''anin'A the passa'e 3ecame e%ceedin'ly uncertain in its direction and varia3le in its contour. At times it narro,ed almost to a slit or 're, so lo, that stoopin' and even cra,lin' ,ere necessaryA ,hile at other times it 3roadened out into sizea3le caves or chains of caves. ?ery little human constructionA it ,as plainA had 'one into this part of the tunnelB thou'h occasionally a sinister cartouche or hiero'lyphic on the ,allA or a 3loc!ed1up lateral passa'e,ayA ,ould remind @amacona that this ,as in truth the aeon1 for'otten hi'h1road to a primal and un3elieva3le ,orld of livin' thin's. 4or three daysA as 3est he could rec!onA >Ynfilo de @amacona scram3led do,nA upA alon'A and aroundA 3ut al,ays predominately do,n,ardA throu'h this dar! re'ion of palaeo'ean ni'ht. +nce in a ,hile he heard some secret 3ein' of dar!ness patter or flap out of his ,ayA and on Cust one occasion he half 'limpsed a 'reatA 3leached thin' that set him

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

-1"

trem3lin'. The Duality of the air ,as mostly very tolera3leB thou'h foetid zones ,ere no, and then met ,ithA ,hile one 'reat cavern of stalactites and stala'mites afforded a depressin' dampness. This latterA ,hen Char'in' Buffalo had come upon itA had Duite seriously 3arred the ,ayB since the limestone deposits of a'es had 3uilt fresh pillars in the path of the primordial a3yss1denizens. The =ndianA ho,everA had 3ro!en throu'h theseB so that @amacona did not find his course impeded. =t ,as an unconscious comfort to him to reflect that someone else from the outside ,orld had 3een there 3eforeUand the =ndian<s careful descriptions had removed the element of surprise and une%pectedness. 8oreU Char'in' Buffalo<s !no,led'e of the tunnel had led him to provide so 'ood a torch supply for the Courney in and outA that there ,ould 3e no dan'er of 3ecomin' stranded in dar!ness. @amacona camped t,iceA 3uildin' a fire ,hose smo!e seemed ,ell ta!en care of 3y the natural ventilation. At ,hat he considered the end of the third dayUthou'h his coc!sure 'uess,or! chronolo'y is not at any time to 3e 'iven the easy faith that he 'ave itU@amacona encountered the prodi'ious descent and su3seDuent prodi'ious clim3 ,hich Char'in' Buffalo had descri3ed as the tunnel<s last phase. As at certain earlier pointsA mar!s of artificial improvement ,ere here discerni3leB and several times the steep 'radient ,as eased 3y a fli'ht of rou'h1he,n steps. The torch she,ed more and more of the monstrous carvin's on the ,allsA and finally the resinous flare seemed mi%ed ,ith a fainter and more diffusive li'ht as @amacona clim3ed up and up after the last do,n,ard stair,ay. At len'th the ascent ceasedA and a level passa'e of artificial masonry ,ith dar!A 3asaltic 3loc!s led strai'ht ahead. There ,as no need for a torch no,A for all the air ,as 'lo,in' ,ith a 3luishA Duasi1electric radiance that flic!ered li!e an aurora. =t ,as the stran'e li'ht of the inner ,orld that the =ndian had descri3edUand in another moment @amacona emer'ed from the tunnel upon a 3lea!A roc!y hillside ,hich clim3ed a3ove him to a seethin'A impenetra3le s!y of 3luish coruscationsA and descended dizzily 3elo, him to an apparently illimita3le plain shrouded in 3luish mist. 2e had come to the un!no,n ,orld at lastA and from his manuscript it is clear that he vie,ed the formless landscape as proudly and e%altedly as ever his fello,1countryman Bal3oa vie,ed the ne,1found >acific from that unfor'etta3le pea! in $arien. Char'in' Buffalo had turned 3ac! at this pointA driven 3y fear of somethin' ,hich he ,ould only descri3e va'uely and evasively as a herd of 3ad cattleA neither horse nor 3uffaloA 3ut li!e the thin's the mound1spirits rode at ni'htU3ut @amacona could not 3e deterred 3y any such trifle. =nstead of fearA a stran'e sense of 'lory filled himB for he had ima'ination enou'h to !no, ,hat it meant to stand alone in an ine%plica3le nether ,orld ,hose e%istence no other ,hite man suspected. The soil of the 'reat hill that sur'ed up,ard 3ehind him and spread steeply do,n,ard 3elo, him ,as dar! 'reyA roc!1stro,nA ,ithout ve'etationA and pro3a3ly 3asaltic in ori'inB ,ith an unearthly cast ,hich made him feel li!e an intruder on an alien planet. The vast distant plainA thousands of feet 3elo,A had no features he could distin'uishB especially since it appeared to 3e lar'ely veiled in a curlin'A 3luish vapour. But more than hill or plain or cloudA the 3luely luminousA coruscatin' s!y impressed the adventurer ,ith a sense of supreme ,onder and mystery. What created this s!y ,ithin a ,orld he could not tellB thou'h he !ne, of the northern li'htsA and had even seen them once or t,ice. 2e concluded that this su3terraneous li'ht ,as somethin' va'uely a!in to the auroraB a vie, ,hich moderns may ,ell endorseA thou'h it seems li!ely that certain phenomena of radio1 activity may also enter in.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

-1&

At @amacona<s 3ac! the mouth of the tunnel he had traversed ya,ned dar!lyB defined 3y a stone door,ay very li!e the one he had entered in the ,orld a3oveA save that it ,as of 'reyish13lac! 3asalt instead of red sandstone. There ,ere hideous sculpturesA still in 'ood preservation and perhaps correspondin' to those on the outer portal ,hich time had lar'ely ,eathered a,ay. The a3sence of ,eatherin' here ar'ued a dryA temperate climateB indeedA the Spaniard already 3e'an to note the deli'htfully sprin'1li!e sta3ility of temperature ,hich mar!s the air of the north<s interior. +n the stone Cam3s ,ere ,or!s proclaimin' the 3y'one presence of hin'esA 3ut of any actual door or 'ate no trace remained. Seatin' himself for rest and thou'htA @amacona li'htened his pac! 3y removin' an amount of food and torches sufficient to ta!e him 3ac! throu'h the tunnel. These he proceeded to cache at the openin'A under a cairn hastily formed of the roc! fra'ments ,hich every,here lay around. ThenA readCustin' his li'htened pac!A he commenced his descent to,ard the distant plainB preparin' to invade a re'ion ,hich no livin' thin' of outer earth had penetrated in a century or moreA ,hich no ,hite man had ever penetratedA and from ,hichA if le'end ,ere to 3e 3elievedA no or'anic creature had ever returned sane. @amacona strode 3ris!ly alon' do,n the steepA intermina3le slopeB his pro'ress chec!ed at times 3y the 3ad ,al!in' that came from loose roc! fra'mentsA or 3y the e%cessive precipitousness of the 'rade. The distance of the mist1shrouded plain must have 3een enormousA for many hours< ,al!in' 3rou'ht him apparently no closer to it than he had 3een 3efore. Behind him ,as al,ays the 'reat hill stretchin' up,ard into a 3ri'ht aerial sea of 3luish coruscations. Silence ,as universalB so that his o,n footstepsA and the fall of stones that he dislod'edA struc! on his ears ,ith startlin' distinctness. =t ,as at ,hat he re'arded as a3out noon that he first sa, the a3normal footprints ,hich set him to thin!in' of Char'in' Buffalo<s terri3le hintsA precipitate fli'htA and stran'ely a3idin' terror. The roc!1stro,n nature of the soil 'ave fe, opportunities for trac!s of any !indA 3ut at one point a rather level interval had caused the loose detritus to accumulate in a rid'eA leavin' a considera3le area of dar!1'rey loam a3solutely 3are. 2ereA in a ram3lin' confusion indicatin' a lar'e herd aimlessly ,anderin'A @amacona found the a3normal prints. =t is to 3e re'retted that he could not descri3e them more e%actlyA 3ut the manuscript displayed far more va'ue fear than accurate o3servation. 6ust ,hat it ,as that so fri'htened the Spaniard can only 3e inferred from his later hints re'ardin' the 3easts. 2e referred to the prints as Lnot hoovesA nor handsA nor feetA nor precisely pa,sUnor so lar'e as to cause alarm on that accountL. 6ust ,hy or ho, lon' a'o the thin's had 3een thereA ,as not easy to 'uess. There ,as no ve'etation visi3leA hence 'razin' ,as out of the DuestionB 3ut of course if the 3easts ,ere carnivorous they mi'ht ,ell have 3een huntin' smaller animalsA ,hose trac!s their o,n ,ould tend to o3literate. 7lancin' 3ac!,ard from this plateau to the hei'hts a3oveA @amacona thou'ht he detected traces of a 'reat ,indin' road ,hich had once led from the tunnel do,n,ard to the plain. +ne could 'et the impression of this former hi'h,ay only from a 3road panoramic vie,A since a tric!le of loose roc! fra'ments had lon' a'o o3scured itB 3ut the adventurer felt none the less certain that it had e%isted. =t had notA pro3a3lyA 3een an ela3orately paved trun! routeB for the small tunnel it reached seemed scarcely li!e a main avenue to the outer ,orld. =n choosin' a strai'ht path of descent @amacona had not follo,ed its curvin' courseA thou'h he must have crossed it once or t,ice. With his attention no, called to itA he loo!ed ahead to see if he could trace it do,n,ard to,ard the plainB and this he finally thou'ht he could do. 2e resolved to investi'ate its surface ,hen

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

-1#

ne%t he crossed itA and perhaps to pursue its line for the rest of the ,ay if he could distin'uish it. 2avin' resumed his CourneyA @amacona came some time later upon ,hat he thou'ht ,as a 3end of the ancient road. There ,ere si'ns of 'radin' and of some primal attempt at roc!1surfacin'A 3ut not enou'h ,as left to ma!e the route ,orth follo,in'. While rumma'in' a3out in the soil ,ith his s,ordA the Spaniard turned up somethin' that 'littered in the eternal 3lue dayli'htA and ,as thrilled at 3eholdin' a !ind of coin or medal of a dar!A un!no,nA lustrous metalA ,ith hideous desi'ns on each side. =t ,as utterly and 3afflin'ly alien to himA and from his description = have no dou3t 3ut that it ,as a duplicate of the talisman 'iven me 3y 7rey Ea'le almost four centuries after,ard. >oc!etin' it after a lon' and curious e%aminationA he strode on,ardB finally pitchin' camp at an hour ,hich he 'uessed to 3e the evenin' of the outer ,orld. The ne%t day @amacona rose early and resumed his descent throu'h this 3lue1litten ,orld of mist and desolation and preternatural silence. As he advancedA he at last 3ecame a3le to distin'uish a fe, o3Cects on the distant plain 3elo,UtreesA 3ushesA roc!sA and a small river that came into vie, from the ri'ht and curved for,ard at a point to the left of his contemplated course. This river seemed to 3e spanned 3y a 3rid'e connected ,ith the descendin' road,ayA and ,ith care the e%plorer could trace the route of the road 3eyond it in a strai'ht line over the plain. 4inally he even thou'ht he could detect to,ns scattered alon' the rectilinear ri33onB to,ns ,hose left1hand ed'es reached the river and sometimes crossed it. Where such crossin's occurredA he sa, as he descendedA there ,ere al,ays si'ns of 3rid'es either ruined or survivin'. 2e ,as no, in the midst of a sparse 'rassy ve'etationA and sa, that 3elo, him the 'ro,th 3ecame thic!er and thic!er. The road ,as easier to define no,A since its surface discoura'ed the 'rass ,hich the looser soil supported. :oc! fra'ments ,ere less freDuentA and the 3arren up,ard vista 3ehind him loo!ed 3lea! and for3iddin' in contrast to his present milieu. =t ,as on this day that he sa, the 3lurred mass movin' over the distant plain. Since his first si'ht of the sinister footprints he had met ,ith no more of theseA 3ut somethin' a3out that slo,ly and deli3erately movin' mass peculiarly sic!ened him. ;othin' 3ut a herd of 'razin' animals could move Cust li!e thatA and after seein' the footprints he did not ,ish to meet the thin's ,hich had made them. StillA the movin' mass ,as not near the roadUand his curiosity and 'reed for fa3led 'old ,ere 'reat. BesidesA ,ho could really Cud'e thin's from va'ueA Cum3led footprints or from the panic1t,isted hints of an i'norant =ndianG =n strainin' his eyes to vie, the movin' mass @amacona 3ecame a,are of several other interestin' thin's. +ne ,as that certain parts of the no, unmista!a3le to,ns 'littered oddly in the misty 3lue li'ht. Another ,as thatA 3esides the to,nsA several similarly 'litterin' structures of a more isolated sort ,ere scattered here and there alon' the road and over the plain. They seemed to 3e em3o,ered in clumps of ve'etationA and those off the road had small avenues leadin' to the hi'h,ay. ;o smo!e or other si'ns of life could 3e discerned a3out any of the to,ns or 3uildin's. 4inally @amacona sa, that the plain ,as not infinite in e%tentA thou'h the half1concealin' 3lue mists had hitherto made it seem so. =t ,as 3ounded in the remote distance 3y a ran'e of lo, hillsA to,ard a 'ap in ,hich the river and road,ay seemed to lead. All thisUespecially the 'litterin' of certain pinnacles in the to,nsUhad 3ecome very vivid ,hen @amacona pitched his second camp amidst the endless 3lue day. 2e li!e,ise noticed the floc!s of hi'h1soarin' 3irdsA ,hose nature he could not clearly ma!e out.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

-1

The ne%t afternoonUto use the lan'ua'e of the outer ,orld as the manuscript did at all timesU@amacona reached the silent plain and crossed the soundlessA slo,1runnin' river on a curiously carved and fairly ,ell1preserved 3rid'e of 3lac! 3asalt. The ,ater ,as clearA and contained lar'e fishes of a ,holly stran'e aspect. The road,ay ,as no, paved and some,hat over'ro,n ,ith ,eeds and creepin' vinesA and its course ,as occasionally outlined 3y small pillars 3earin' o3scure sym3ols. +n every side the 'rassy level e%tendedA ,ith here and there a clump of trees or shru33eryA and ,ith unidentifia3le 3luish flo,ers 'ro,in' irre'ularly over the ,hole area. ;o, and then some spasmodic motion of the 'rass indicated the presence of serpents. =n the course of several hours the traveller reached a 'rove of old and alien1loo!in' ever'reen1trees ,hich he !ne,A from distant vie,in'A protected one of the 'litterin'1roofed isolated structures. Amidst the encroachin' ve'etation he sa, the hideously sculptured pylons of a stone 'ate,ay leadin' off the roadA and ,as presently forcin' his ,ay throu'h 3riers a3ove a moss1crusted tessellated ,al! lined ,ith hu'e trees and lo, monolithic pillars. At lastA in this hushed 'reen t,ili'htA he sa, the crum3lin' and ineffa3ly ancient facade of the 3uildin'Ua templeA he had no dou3t. =t ,as a mass of nauseous 3as1reliefsB depictin' scenes and 3ein'sA o3Cects and ceremoniesA ,hich could certainly have no place on this or any sane planet. =n hintin' of these thin's @amacona displays for the first time that shoc!ed and pious hesitancy ,hich impairs the informative value of the rest of his manuscript. We cannot help re'rettin' that the Catholic ardour of :enaissance Spain had so thorou'hly permeated his thou'ht and feelin'. The door of the place stood ,ide openA and a3solute dar!ness filled the ,indo,less interior. ConDuerin' the repulsion ,hich the mural sculptures had e%citedA @amacona too! out flint and steelA li'hted a resinous torchA pushed aside curtainin' vinesA and sallied 3oldly across the ominous threshold. 4or a moment he ,as Duite stupefied 3y ,hat he sa,. =t ,as not the all1coverin' dust and co3,e3s of immemorial aeonsA the flutterin' ,in'ed thin'sA the shrie!in'ly loathsome sculptures on the ,allsA the 3izarre form of the many 3asins and 3raziersA the sinister pyramidal altar ,ith the hollo, topA or the monstrousA octopus1headed a3normality in some stran'eA dar! metal leerin' and sDuattin' 3roodin'ly on its hiero'lyphed pedestalA ,hich ro33ed him of even the po,er to 'ive a startled cry. =t ,as nothin' so unearthly as thisU 3ut merely the fact thatA ,ith the e%ception of the dustA the co3,e3sA the ,in'ed thin'sA and the 'i'antic emerald1eyed idolA every particle of su3stance in si'ht ,as composed of pure and evidently solid 'old. Even the manuscriptA ,ritten in retrospect after @amacona !ne, that 'old is the most common structural metal of a nether ,orld containin' limitless lodes and veins of itA reflects the frenzied e%citement ,hich the traveller felt upon suddenly findin' the real source of all the =ndian le'ends of 'olden cities. 4or a time the po,er of detailed o3servation left himA 3ut in the end his faculties ,ere recalled 3y a peculiar tu''in' sensation in the poc!et of his dou3let. Tracin' the feelin'A he realised that the disc of stran'e metal he had found in the a3andoned road ,as 3ein' attracted stron'ly 3y the vast octopus1headedA emerald1eyed idol on the pedestalA ,hich he no, sa, to 3e composed of the same un!no,n e%otic metal. 2e ,as later to learn that this stran'e ma'netic su3stance Uas alien to the inner ,orld as to the outer ,orld of menUis the one precious metal of the 3lue1li'hted a3yss. ;one !no,s ,hat it is or ,here it occurs in ;atureA and the amount of it on this planet came do,n from the stars ,ith the people ,hen 'reat TuluA the octopus1 headed 'odA 3rou'ht them for the first time to this earth. CertainlyA its only !no,n source ,as a stoc! of pre1e%istin' artifactsA includin' multitudes of Cyclopean idols. =t could

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The 8ound

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never 3e placed or analysedA and even its ma'netism ,as e%erted only on its o,n !ind. =t ,as the supreme ceremonial metal of the hidden peopleA its use 3ein' re'ulated 3y custom in such a ,ay that its ma'netic properties mi'ht cause no inconvenience. A very ,ea!ly ma'netic alloy of it ,ith such 3ase metals as ironA 'oldA silverA copperA or zincA had formed the sole monetary standard of the hidden people at one period of their history. @amacona<s reflections on the stran'e idol and its ma'netism ,ere distur3ed 3y a tremendous ,ave of fear asA for the first time in this silent ,orldA he heard a rum3le of very definite and o3viously approachin' sound. There ,as no mista!in' its nature. =t ,as a thunderously char'in' herd of lar'e animalsB andA remem3erin' the =ndian<s panicA the footprintsA and the movin' mass distantly seenA the Spaniard shuddered in terrified anticipation. 2e did not analyse his positionA or the si'nificance of this onrush of 'reat lum3erin' 3ein'sA 3ut merely responded to an elemental ur'e to,ard self1protection. Char'in' herds do not stop to find victims in o3scure placesA and on the outer earth @amacona ,ould have felt little or no alarm in such a massiveA 'rove1'irt edifice. Some instinctA ho,everA no, 3red a deep and peculiar terror in his soulB and he loo!ed a3out frantically for any means of safety. There 3ein' no availa3le refu'e in the 'reatA 'old1patined interiorA he felt that he must close the lon'1disused doorB ,hich still hun' on its ancient hin'esA dou3led 3ac! a'ainst the inner ,all. SoilA vinesA and moss had entered the openin' from outsideA so that he had to di' a path for the 'reat 'old portal ,ith his s,ordB 3ut he mana'ed to perform this ,or! very s,iftly under the fri'htful stimulus of the approachin' noise. The hoof3eats had 'ro,n still louder and more menacin' 3y the time he 3e'an tu''in' at the heavy door itselfB and for a ,hile his fears reached a frantic hei'htA as hope of startin' the a'e1clo''ed metal 're, faint. ThenA ,ith a crea!A the thin' responded to his youthful stren'thA and a frenzied sie'e of pullin' and pushin' ensued. Amidst the roar of unseen stampedin' feet success came at lastA and the ponderous 'olden door clan'ed shutA leavin' @amacona in dar!ness 3ut for the sin'le li'hted torch he had ,ed'ed 3et,een the pillars of a 3asin1 tripod. There ,as a latchA and the fri'htened man 3lessed his patron saint that it ,as still effective. Sound alone told the fu'itive the seDuel. When the roar 're, very near it resolved itself into separate footfallsA as if the ever'reen 'rove had made it necessary for the herd to slac!en speed and disperse. But feet continued to approachA and it 3ecame evident that the 3easts ,ere advancin' amon' the trees and circlin' the hideously carven temple ,alls. =n the curious deli3eration of their tread @amacona found somethin' very alarmin' and repulsiveA nor did he li!e the scufflin' sounds ,hich ,ere audi3le even throu'h the thic! stone ,alls and heavy 'olden door. +nce the door rattled ominously on its archaic hin'esA as if under a heavy impactA 3ut fortunately it still held. ThenA after a seemin'ly endless intervalA he heard retreatin' steps and realised that his un!no,n visitors ,ere leavin'. Since the herds did not seem to 3e very numerousA it ,ould have perhaps 3een safe to venture out ,ithin a half1hour or lessB 3ut @amacona too! no chances. +penin' his pac!A he prepared his camp on the 'olden tiles of the temple<s floorA ,ith the 'reat door still securely latched a'ainst all comersB driftin' eventually into a sounder sleep than he could have !no,n in the 3lue1litten spaces outside. 2e did not even mind the hellishA octopus1 headed 3ul! of 'reat TuluA fashioned of un!no,n metal and leerin' ,ith fishyA sea1'reen eyesA ,hich sDuatted in the 3lac!ness a3ove him on its monstrously hiero'lyphed pedestal.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

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Surrounded 3y dar!ness for the first time since leavin' the tunnelA @amacona slept profoundly and lon'. 2e must have more than made up the sleep he had lost at his t,o previous campsA ,hen the ceaseless 'lare of the s!y had !ept him a,a!e despite his fati'ueA for much distance ,as covered 3y other livin' feet ,hile he lay in his healthily dreamless rest. =t is ,ell that he rested deeplyA for there ,ere many stran'e thin's to 3e encountered in his ne%t period of consciousness.

,V.
What finally roused @amacona ,as a thunderous rappin' at the door. =t 3eat throu'h his dreams and dissolved all the lin'erin' mists of dro,siness as soon as he !ne, ,hat it ,as. There could 3e no mista!e a3out itUit ,as a definiteA humanA and peremptory rappin'B performed apparently ,ith some metallic o3CectA and ,ith all the measured Duality of conscious thou'ht or ,ill 3ehind it. As the a,a!enin' man rose clumsily to his feetA a sharp vocal note ,as added to the summonsUsomeone callin' outA in a not unmusical voiceA a formula ,hich the manuscript tries to represent as Lo@i& o@i& giat"cOn ycO rele@L. 4eelin' sure that his visitors ,ere men and not daemonsA and ar'uin' that they could have no reason for considerin' him an enemyA @amacona decided to face them openly and at onceB and accordin'ly fum3led ,ith the ancient latch till the 'olden door crea!ed open from the pressure of those outside. As the 'reat portal s,un' 3ac!A @amacona stood facin' a 'roup of a3out t,enty individuals of an aspect not calculated to 'ive him alarm. They seemed to 3e =ndiansB thou'h their tasteful ro3es and trappin's and s,ords ,ere not such as he had seen amon' any of the tri3es of the outer ,orldA ,hile their faces had many su3tle differences from the =ndian type. That they did not mean to 3e irresponsi3ly hostileA ,as very clearB for instead of menacin' him in any ,ay they merely pro3ed him attentively and si'nificantly ,ith their eyesA as if they e%pected their 'aze to open up some sort of communication. The lon'er they 'azedA the more he seemed to !no, a3out them and their missionB for althou'h no one had spo!en since the vocal summons 3efore the openin' of the doorA he found himself slo,ly realisin' that they had come from the 'reat city 3eyond the lo, hillsA mounted on animalsA and that they had 3een summoned 3y animals ,ho had reported his presenceB that they ,ere not sure ,hat !ind of person he ,as or Cust ,here he had come from 3ut that they !ne, he must 3e associated ,ith that dimly remem3ered outer ,orld ,hich they sometimes visited in curious dreams. 2o, he read all this in the 'aze of the t,o or three leaders he could not possi3ly e%plainB thou'h he learned ,hy a moment later. As it ,asA he attempted to address his visitors in the Wichita dialect he had pic!ed up from Char'in' BuffaloB and after this failed to dra, a vocal reply he successively tried the AztecA SpanishA 4renchA and 5atin ton'uesUaddin' as many scraps of lame 7ree!A 7alicianA and >ortu'ueseA and of the Ba3le peasant patois of his native AsturiasA as his memory could recall. But not even this poly'lot arrayUhis entire lin'uistic stoc!Ucould 3rin' a reply in !ind. WhenA ho,everA he paused in perple%ityA one of the visitors 3e'an spea!in' in an utterly stran'e and rather fascinatin' lan'ua'e ,hose sounds the Spaniard later had much difficulty in representin' on paper. (pon his failure to understand thisA the spea!er pointed first to his o,n eyesA then to his foreheadA and then to his eyes a'ainA as if commandin' the other to 'aze at him in order to a3sor3 ,hat he ,anted to transmit.

H.P.Lovecr !t

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-18

@amaconaA o3eyin'A found himself rapidly in possession of certain information. The peopleA he learnedA conversed no,adays 3y means of unvocal radiations of thou'htB althou'h they had formerly used a spo!en lan'ua'e ,hich still survived as the ,ritten ton'ueA and into ,hich they still dropped orally for tradition<s sa!eA or ,hen stron' feelin' demanded a spontaneous outlet. 2e could understand them merely 3y concentratin' his attention upon their eyesB and could reply 3y summonin' up a mental ima'e of ,hat he ,ished to sayA and thro,in' the su3stance of this into his 'lance. When the thou'ht1 spea!er pausedA apparently invitin' a responseA @amacona tried his 3est to follo, the prescri3ed patternA 3ut did not appear to succeed very ,ell. So he noddedA and tried to descri3e himself and his Courney 3y si'ns. 2e pointed up,ardA as if to the outer ,orldA then closed his eyes and made si'ns as of a mole 3urro,in'. Then he opened his eyes a'ain and pointed do,n,ardA in order to indicate his descent of the 'reat slope. E%perimentally he 3lended a spo!en ,ord or t,o ,ith his 'esturesUfor e%ampleA pointin' successively to himself and to all of his visitors and sayin' Lun "ombreLA and then pointin' to himself alone and very carefully pronouncin' his individual nameA ,Onfilo de 4amacona. Before the stran'e conversation ,as overA a 'ood deal of data had passed in 3oth directions. @amacona had 3e'un to learn ho, to thro, his thou'htsA and had li!e,ise pic!ed up several ,ords of the re'ion<s archaic spo!en lan'ua'e. 2is visitorsA moreoverA had a3sor3ed many 3e'innin's of an elementary Spanish voca3ulary. Their o,n old lan'ua'e ,as utterly unli!e anythin' the Spaniard had ever heardA thou'h there ,ere times later on ,hen he ,as to fancy an infinitely remote lin!a'e ,ith the AztecA as if the latter represented some far sta'e of corruptionA or some very thin infiltration of loan1,ords. The under'round ,orldA @amacona learnedA 3ore an ancient name ,hich the manuscript records as LNinaiOnLB 3ut ,hichA from the ,riter<s supplementary e%planations and diacritical mar!sA could pro3a3ly 3e 3est represented to An'lo1Sa%on ears 3y the phonetic arran'ement 3+n-yan. =t is not surprisin' that this preliminary discourse did not 'o 3eyond the merest essentialsA 3ut those essentials ,ere hi'hly important. @amacona learned that the people of 0<n1yan ,ere almost infinitely ancientA and that they had come from a distant part of space ,here physical conditions are much li!e those of the earth. All thisA of courseA ,as le'end no,B and one could not say ho, much truth ,as in itA or ho, much ,orship ,as really due to the octopus1headed 3ein' Tulu ,ho had traditionally 3rou'ht them hither and ,hom they still reverenced for aesthetic reasons. But they !ne, of the outer ,orldA and ,ere indeed the ori'inal stoc! ,ho had peopled it as soon as its crust ,as fit to live on. Bet,een 'lacial a'es they had had some remar!a3le surface civilisationsA especially one at the South >ole near the mountain 0adath. At some time infinitely in the past most of the outer ,orld had sun! 3eneath the oceanA so that only a fe, refu'ees remained to 3ear the ne,s to 0<n1yan. This ,as undou3tedly due to the ,rath of space1devils hostile ali!e to men and to men<s 'odsUfor it 3ore out rumours of a primordially earlier sin!in' ,hich had su3mer'ed the 'ods themselvesA includin' 'reat TuluA ,ho still lay prisoned and dreamin' in the ,atery vaults of the half1 cosmic city :ele%. ;o man not a slave of the space1devilsA it ,as ar'uedA could live lon' on the outer earthB and it ,as decided that all 3ein's ,ho remained there must 3e evilly connected. Accordin'ly traffic ,ith the lands of sun and starli'ht a3ruptly ceased. The su3terraneous approaches to 0<n1yanA or such as could 3e remem3eredA ,ere either 3loc!ed up or carefully 'uardedB and all encroachers ,ere treated as dan'erous spies and enemies.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

-1)

But this ,as lon' a'o. With the passin' of a'es fe,er and fe,er visitors came to 0<n1 yanA and eventually sentries ceased to 3e maintained at the un3loc!ed approaches. The mass of the people for'otA e%cept throu'h distorted memories and myths and some very sin'ular dreamsA that an outer ,orld e%istedB thou'h educated fol! never ceased to recall the essential facts. The last visitors ever recordedUcenturies in the pastUhad not even 3een treated as devil1spiesB faith in the old le'endry havin' lon' 3efore died out. They had 3een Duestioned ea'erly a3out the fa3ulous outer re'ionsB for scientific curiosity in 0<n1 yan ,as !eenA and the mythsA memoriesA dreamsA and historical fra'ments relatin' to the earth<s surface had often tempted scholars to the 3rin! of an e%ternal e%pedition ,hich they had not Duite dared to attempt. The only thin' demanded of such visitors ,as that they refrain from 'oin' 3ac! and informin' the outer ,orld of 0<n1yan<s positive e%istenceB for after allA one could not 3e sure a3out these outer lands. They coveted 'old and silverA and mi'ht prove hi'hly trou3lesome intruders. Those ,ho had o3eyed the inCunction had lived happilyA thou'h re'retta3ly 3rieflyA and had told all they could a3out their ,orldUlittle enou'hA ho,everA since their accounts ,ere all so fra'mentary and conflictin' that one could hardly tell ,hat to 3elieve and ,hat to dou3t. +ne ,ished that more of them ,ould come. As for those ,ho diso3eyed and tried to escapeUit ,as very unfortunate a3out them. @amacona himself ,as very ,elcomeA for he appeared to 3e a hi'her1'rade manA and to !no, much more a3out the outer ,orldA than anyone else ,ho had come do,n ,ithin memory. 2e could tell them muchUand they hoped he ,ould 3e reconciled to his lifelon' stay. 8any thin's ,hich @amacona learned a3out 0<n1yan in that first colloDuy left him Duite 3reathless. 2e learnedA for instanceA that durin' the past fe, thousand years the phenomena of old a'e and death had 3een conDueredB so that men no lon'er 're, fee3le or died e%cept throu'h violence or ,ill. By re'ulatin' the systemA one mi'ht 3e as physiolo'ically youn' and immortal as he ,ishedB and the only reason ,hy any allo,ed themselves to a'eA ,as that they enCoyed the sensation in a ,orld ,here sta'nation and commonplaceness rei'ned. They could easily 3ecome youn' a'ain ,hen they felt li!e it. Births had ceasedA e%cept for e%perimental purposesA since a lar'e population had 3een found needless 3y a master1race ,hich controlled ;ature and or'anic rivals ali!e. 8anyA ho,everA chose to die after a ,hileB since despite the cleverest efforts to invent ne, pleasuresA the ordeal of consciousness 3ecame too dull for sensitive soulsUespecially those in ,hom time and satiation had 3linded the primal instincts and emotions of self1preservation. All the mem3ers of the 'roup 3efore @amacona ,ere from ** to 1 ** years oldB and several had seen surface visitors 3eforeA thou'h time had 3lurred the recollection. These visitorsA 3y the ,ayA had often tried to duplicate the lon'evity of the under'round raceB 3ut had 3een a3le to do so only fractionallyA o,in' to evolutionary differences developin' durin' the million or t,o years of cleava'e. These evolutionary differences ,ere even more stri!in'ly she,n in another particularU one far stran'er than the ,onder of immortality itself. This ,as the a3ility of the people of 0<n1yan to re'ulate the 3alance 3et,een matter and a3stract ener'yA even ,here the 3odies of livin' or'anic 3ein's ,ere concernedA 3y the sheer force of the technically trained ,ill. =n other ,ordsA ,ith suita3le effort a learned man of 0<n1yan could dematerialise and rematerialise himselfUorA ,ith some,hat 'reater effort and su3tler techniDueA any other o3Cect he choseB reducin' solid matter to free e%ternal particles and recom3inin' the particles a'ain ,ithout dama'e. 2ad not @amacona ans,ered his visitors< !noc! ,hen he didA he ,ould have discovered this accomplishment in a hi'hly puzzlin' ,ayB for only the

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

-"*

strain and 3other of the process prevented the t,enty men from passin' 3odily throu'h the 'olden door ,ithout pausin' for a summons. This art ,as much older than the art of perpetual lifeB and it could 3e tau'ht to some e%tentA thou'h never perfectlyA to any intelli'ent person. :umours of it had reached the outer ,orld in past aeonsB survivin' in secret traditions and 'hostly le'endry. The men of 0<n1yan had 3een amused 3y the primitive and imperfect spirit tales 3rou'ht do,n 3y outer1,orld stra''lers. =n practical life this principle had certain industrial applicationsA 3ut ,as 'enerally suffered to remain ne'lected throu'h lac! of any particular incentive to its use. =ts chief survivin' form ,as in conne%ion ,ith sleepA ,hen for e%citement<s sa!e many dream1connoisseurs resorted to it to enhance the vividness of their visionary ,anderin's. By the aid of this method certain dreamers even paid half1material visits to a stran'eA ne3ulous realm of mounds and valleys and varyin' li'ht ,hich some 3elieved to 3e the for'otten outer ,orld. They ,ould 'o thither on their 3eastsA and in an a'e of peace live over the oldA 'lorious 3attles of their forefathers. Some philosophers thou'ht that in such cases they actually coalesced ,ith immaterial forces left 3ehind 3y these ,arli!e ancestors themselves. The people of 0<n1yan all d,elt in the 'reatA tall city of Tsath 3eyond the mountains. 4ormerly several races of them had inha3ited the entire under'round ,orldA ,hich stretched do,n to unfathoma3le a3ysses and ,hich included 3esides the 3lue1litten re'ion a red1litten re'ion called .othA ,here relics of a still older and non1human race ,ere found 3y archaeolo'ists. =n the course of timeA ho,everA the men of Tsath had conDuered and enslaved the restB inter3reedin' them ,ith certain horned and four1footed animals of the red1litten re'ionA ,hose semi1human leanin's ,ere very peculiarA and ,hichA thou'h containin' a certain artificially created elementA may have 3een in part the de'enerate descendants of those peculiar entities ,ho had left the relics. As aeons passedA and mechanical discoveries made the 3usiness of life e%tremely easyA a concentration of the people of Tsath too! placeB so that all the rest of 0<n1yan 3ecame relatively deserted. =t ,as easier to live in one placeA and there ,as no o3Cect in maintainin' a population of overflo,in' proportions. 8any of the old mechanical devices ,ere still in useA thou'h others had 3een a3andoned ,hen it ,as seen that they failed to 'ive pleasureA or that they ,ere not necessary for a race of reduced num3ers ,hose mental force could 'overn an e%tensive array of inferior and semihuman industrial or'anisms. This e%tensive slave1class ,as hi'hly compositeA 3ein' 3red from ancient conDuered enemiesA from outer1,orld stra''lersA from dead 3odies curiously 'alvanised into effectivenessA and from the naturally inferior mem3ers of the rulin' race of Tsath. The rulin' type itself had 3ecome hi'hly superior throu'h selective 3reedin' and social evolutionUthe nation havin' passed throu'h a period of idealistic industrial democracy ,hich 'ave eDual opportunities to allA and thusA 3y raisin' the naturally intelli'ent to po,erA drained the masses of all their 3rains and stamina. =ndustryA 3ein' found fundamentally futile e%cept for the supplyin' of 3asic needs and the 'ratification of inescapa3le yearnin'sA had 3ecome very simple. >hysical comfort ,as ensured 3y an ur3an mechanisation of standardised and easily maintained patternA and other elemental needs ,ere supplied 3y scientific a'riculture and stoc!1 raisin'. 5on' travel ,as a3andonedA and people ,ent 3ac! to usin' the hornedA half1human 3easts instead of maintainin' the profusion of 'oldA silverA and steel transportation machines ,hich had once threaded landA ,aterA and air. @amacona could scarcely 3elieve that such thin's had ever e%isted outside dreamsA 3ut ,as told he could see specimens of them in museums. 2e could also see the ruins of other vast ma'ical devices 3y travellin' a day<s Courney to the valley of $o12naA to ,hich the race had spread durin' its period of

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

-"1

'reatest num3ers. The cities and temples of this present plain ,ere of a far more archaic periodA and had never 3een other than reli'ious and antiDuarian shrines durin' the supremacy of the men of Tsath. =n 'overnmentA Tsath ,as a !ind of communistic or semi1anarchical stateB ha3it rather than la, determinin' the daily order of thin's. This ,as made possi3le 3y the a'e1old e%perience and paralysin' ennui of the raceA ,hose ,ants and needs ,ere limited to physical fundamentals and to ne, sensations. An aeon1lon' tolerance not yet undermined 3y 'ro,in' reaction had a3olished all illusions of values and principlesA and nothin' 3ut an appro%imation to custom ,as ever sou'ht or e%pected. To see that the mutual encroachments of pleasure1see!in' never crippled the mass life of the communityUthis ,as all that ,as desired. 4amily or'anisation had lon' a'o perishedA and the civil and social distinction of the se%es had disappeared. $aily life ,as or'anised in ceremonial patternsB ,ith 'amesA into%icationA torture of slavesA day1dreamin'A 'astronomic and emotional or'iesA reli'ious e%ercisesA e%otic e%perimentsA artistic and philosophical discussionsA and the li!eA as the principal occupations. >ropertyUchiefly landA slavesA animalsA shares in the common city enterprise of TsathA and in'ots of ma'netic Tulu1metalA the former universal money standardU,as allocated on a very comple% 3asis ,hich included a certain amount eDually divided amon' all the freemen. >overty ,as un!no,nA and la3our consisted only of certain administrative duties imposed 3y an intricate system of testin' and selection. @amacona found difficulty in descri3in' conditions so unli!e anythin' he had previously !no,nB and the te%t of his manuscript proved unusually puzzlin' at this point. Art and intellectA it appearedA had reached very hi'h levels in TsathB 3ut had 3ecome listless and decadent. The dominance of machinery had at one time 3ro!en up the 'ro,th of normal aestheticsA introducin' a lifelessly 'eometrical tradition fatal to sound e%pression. This had soon 3een out'ro,nA 3ut had left its mar! upon all pictorial and decorative attemptsB so that e%cept for conventionalised reli'ious desi'nsA there ,as little depth or feelin' in any later ,or!. Archaistic reproductions of earlier ,or! had 3een found much prefera3le for 'eneral enCoyment. 5iterature ,as all hi'hly individual and analyticalA so much so as to 3e ,holly incomprehensi3le to @amacona. Science had 3een profound and accurateA and all1em3racin' save in the one direction of astronomy. +f lateA ho,everA it ,as fallin' into decayA as people found it increasin'ly useless to ta% their minds 3y recallin' its maddenin' infinitude of details and ramifications. =t ,as thou'ht more sensi3le to a3andon the deepest speculations and to confine philosophy to conventional forms. Technolo'yA of courseA could 3e carried on 3y rule of thum3. 2istory ,as more and more ne'lectedA 3ut e%act and copious chronicles of the past e%isted in the li3raries. =t ,as still an interestin' su3CectA and there ,ould 3e a vast num3er to reCoice at the fresh outer1 ,orld !no,led'e 3rou'ht in 3y @amacona. =n 'eneralA thou'hA the modern tendency ,as to feel rather than to thin!B so that men ,ere no, more hi'hly esteemed for inventin' ne, diversions than for preservin' old facts or pushin' 3ac! the frontier of cosmic mystery. :eli'ion ,as a leadin' interest in TsathA thou'h very fe, actually 3elieved in the supernatural. What ,as desired ,as the aesthetic and emotional e%altation 3red 3y the mystical moods and sensuous rites ,hich attended the colourful ancestral faith. Temples to 7reat TuluA a spirit of universal harmony anciently sym3olised as the octopus1headed 'od ,ho had 3rou'ht all men do,n from the starsA ,ere the most richly constructed o3Cects in all 0<n1yanB ,hile the cryptic shrines of .i'A the principle of life sym3olised as the 4ather of all SerpentsA ,ere almost as lavish and remar!a3le. =n time @amacona learned much of

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

-""

the or'ies and sacrifices connected ,ith this reli'ionA 3ut seemed piously reluctant to descri3e them in his manuscript. 2e himself never participated in any of the rites save those ,hich he mistoo! for perversions of his o,n faithB nor did he ever lose an opportunity to try to convert the people to that faith of the Cross ,hich the Spaniards hoped to ma!e universal. >rominent in the contemporary reli'ion of Tsath ,as a revived and almost 'enuine veneration for the rareA sacred metal of TuluUthat dar!A lustrousA ma'netic stuff ,hich ,as no,here found in ;atureA 3ut ,hich had al,ays 3een ,ith men in the form of idols and hieratic implements. 4rom the earliest times any si'ht of it in its unalloyed form had impelled respectA ,hile all the sacred archives and litanies ,ere !ept in cylinders ,rou'ht of its purest su3stance. ;o,A as the ne'lect of science and intellect ,as dullin' the critically analytical spiritA people ,ere 3e'innin' to ,eave around the metal once more that same fa3ric of a,estruc! superstition ,hich had e%isted in primitive times. Another function of reli'ion ,as the re'ulation of the calendarA 3orn of a period ,hen time and speed ,ere re'arded as prime fetiches in man<s emotional life. >eriods of alternate ,a!in' and sleepin'A prolon'edA a3rid'edA and inverted as mood and convenience dictatedA and timed 3y the tail13eats of 7reat .i'A the SerpentA corresponded very rou'hly to terrestrial days and ni'htsB thou'h @amacona<s sensations told him they must actually 3e almost t,ice as lon'. The year1unitA measured 3y .i'<s annual sheddin' of his s!inA ,as eDual to a3out a year and a half of the outer ,orld. @amacona thou'ht he had mastered this calendar very ,ell ,hen he ,rote his manuscriptA ,hence the confidently 'iven date of 1 # B 3ut the document failed to su''est that his assurance in this matter ,as fully Custified. As the spo!esman of the Tsath party proceeded ,ith his informationA @amacona felt a 'ro,in' repulsion and alarm. =t ,as not only ,hat ,as toldA 3ut the stran'eA telepathic manner of tellin'A and the plain inference that return to the outer ,orld ,ould 3e impossi3leA that made the Spaniard ,ish he had never descended to this re'ion of ma'icA a3normalityA and decadence. But he !ne, that nothin' 3ut friendly acDuiescence ,ould do as a policyA hence decided to cooperate in all his visitors< plans and furnish all the information they mi'ht desire. TheyA on their partA ,ere fascinated 3y the outer1,orld data ,hich he mana'ed haltin'ly to convey. =t ,as really the first drau'ht of relia3le surface information they had had since the refu'ees stra''led 3ac! from Atlantis and 5emuria aeons 3eforeA for all their su3seDuent emissaries from outside had 3een mem3ers of narro, and local 'roups ,ithout any !no,led'e of the ,orld at lar'eU8ayasA ToltecsA and Aztecs at 3estA and mostly i'norant tri3es of the plains. @amacona ,as the first European they had ever seenA and the fact that he ,as a youth of education and 3rilliancy made him of still more emphatic value as a source of !no,led'e. The visitin' party she,ed their 3reathless interest in all he contrived to conveyA and it ,as plain that his comin' ,ould do much to relieve the fla''in' interest of ,eary Tsath in matters of 'eo'raphy and history. The only thin' ,hich seemed to displease the men of Tsath ,as the fact that curious and adventurous stran'ers ,ere 3e'innin' to pour into those parts of the upper ,orld ,here the passa'es to 0<n1yan lay. @amacona told them of the foundin' of 4lorida and ;e, SpainA and made it clear that a 'reat part of the ,orld ,as stirrin' ,ith the zest of adventureU SpanishA >ortu'ueseA 4renchA and En'lish. Sooner or later 8e%ico and 4lorida must meet

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

-"&

in one 'reat colonial empireUand then it ,ould 3e hard to !eep outsiders from the rumoured 'old and silver of the a3yss. Char'in' Buffalo !ne, of @amacona<s Courney into the earth. Would he tell CoronadoA or someho, let a report 'et to the 'reat viceroyA ,hen he failed to find the traveller at the promised meetin'1placeG Alarm for the continued secrecy and safety of 0<n1yan she,ed in the faces of the visitorsA and @amacona a3sor3ed from their minds the fact that from no, on sentries ,ould undou3tedly 3e posted once more at all the un3loc!ed passa'es to the outside ,orld ,hich the men of Tsath could remem3er.

V.
The lon' conversation of @amacona and his visitors too! place in the 'reen13lue t,ili'ht of the 'rove Cust outside the temple door. Some of the men reclined on the ,eeds and moss 3eside the half1vanished ,al!A ,hile othersA includin' the Spaniard and the chief spo!esman of the Tsath partyA sat on the occasional lo, monolithic pillars that lined the temple approach. Almost a ,hole terrestrial day must have 3een consumed in the colloDuyA for @amacona felt the need of food several timesA and ate from his ,ell1stoc!ed pac! ,hile some of the Tsath party ,ent 3ac! for provisions to the road,ayA ,here they had left the animals on ,hich they had ridden. At len'th the prime leader of the party 3rou'ht the discourse to a closeA and indicated that the time had come to proceed to the city. There ,ereA he affirmedA several e%tra 3easts in the cavalcadeA upon one of ,hich @amacona could ride. The prospect of mountin' one of those ominous hy3rid entities ,hose fa3led nourishment ,as so alarmin'A and a sin'le si'ht of ,hich had set Char'in' Buffalo into such a frenzy of fli'htA ,as 3y no means reassurin' to the traveller. There ,asA moreoverA another point a3out the thin's ,hich distur3ed him 'reatlyUthe apparently preternatural intelli'ence ,ith ,hich some mem3ers of the previous day<s rovin' pac! had reported his presence to the men of Tsath and 3rou'ht out the present e%pedition. But @amacona ,as not a co,ardA hence follo,ed the men 3oldly do,n the ,eed1'ro,n ,al! to,ard the road ,here the thin's ,ere stationed. And yet he could not refrain from cryin' out in terror at ,hat he sa, ,hen he passed throu'h the 'reat vine1draped pylons and emer'ed upon the ancient road. 2e did not ,onder that the curious Wichita had fled in panicA and had to close his eyes a moment to retain his sanity. =t is unfortunate that some sense of pious reticence prevented him from descri3in' fully in his manuscript the nameless si'ht he sa,. As it isA he merely hinted at the shoc!in' mor3idity of these 'reat flounderin' ,hite thin'sA ,ith 3lac! fur on their 3ac!sA a rudimentary horn in the centre of their foreheadsA and an unmista!a3le trace of human or anthropoid 3lood in their flat1nosedA 3ul'in'1lipped faces. They ,ereA he declared later in his manuscriptA the most terri3le o3Cective entities he ever sa, in his lifeA either in 0<n1yan or in the outer ,orld. And the specific Duality of their supreme terror ,as somethin' apart from any easily reco'nisa3le or descri3a3le feature. The main trou3le ,as that they ,ere not ,holly products of ;ature. The party o3served @amacona<s fri'htA and hastened to reassure him as much as possi3le. The 3easts or gyaa-yot"nA they e%plainedA surely ,ere curious thin'sB 3ut ,ere really very harmless. The flesh they ate ,as not that of intelli'ent people of the master1 raceA 3ut merely that of a special slave1class ,hich had for the most part ceased to 3e

H.P.Lovecr !t

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thorou'hly humanA and ,hich indeed ,as the principal meat stoc! of 0<n1yan. TheyUor their principal ancestral elementUhad first 3een found in a ,ild state amidst the Cyclopean ruins of the deserted red1litten ,orld of .oth ,hich lay 3elo, the 3lue1litten ,orld of 0<n1yan. That part of them ,as humanA seemed Duite clearB 3ut men of science could never decide ,hether they ,ere actually the descendants of the 3y'one entities ,ho had lived and rei'ned in the stran'e ruins. The chief 'round for such a supposition ,as the ,ell1!no,n fact that the vanished inha3itants of .oth had 3een Duadrupedal. This much ,as !no,n from the very fe, manuscripts and carvin's found in the vaults of @inA 3eneath the lar'est ruined city of .oth. But it ,as also !no,n from these manuscripts that the 3ein's of .oth had possessed the art of synthetically creatin' lifeA and had made and destroyed several efficiently desi'ned races of industrial and transportational animals in the course of their historyUto say nothin' of concoctin' all manner of fantastic livin' shapes for the sa!e of amusement and ne, sensations durin' the lon' period of decadence. The 3ein's of .oth had undou3tedly 3een reptilian in affiliationsA and most physiolo'ists of Tsath a'reed that the present 3easts had 3een very much inclined to,ard reptilianism 3efore they had 3een crossed ,ith the mammal slave1class of 0<n1yan. =t ar'ues ,ell for the intrepid fire of those :enaissance Spaniards ,ho conDuered half the un!no,n ,orldA that >Ynfilo de @amacona y ;uVez actually mounted one of the mor3id 3easts of Tsath and fell into place 3eside the leader of the cavalcadeUthe man named 7ll<12thaa1.nnA ,ho had 3een most active in the previous e%chan'e of information. =t ,as a repulsive 3usinessB 3ut after allA the seat ,as very easyA and the 'ait of the clumsy gyaa-yot" surprisin'ly even and re'ular. ;o saddle ,as necessaryA and the animal appeared to reDuire no 'uidance ,hatever. The procession moved for,ard at a 3ris! 'aitA stoppin' only at certain a3andoned cities and temples a3out ,hich @amacona ,as curiousA and ,hich 7ll<2thaa1.nn ,as o3li'in'ly ready to display and e%plain. The lar'est of these to,nsA B<'raaA ,as a marvel of finely ,rou'ht 'oldA and @amacona studied the curiously ornate architecture ,ith avid interest. Buildin's tended to,ard hei'ht and slendernessA ,ith roofs 3urstin' into a multitude of pinnacles. The streets ,ere narro,A curvin'A and occasionally picturesDuely hillyA 3ut 7ll<12thaa1.nn said that the later cities of 0<n1yan ,ere far more spacious and re'ular in desi'n. All these old cities of the plain she,ed traces of levelled ,allsUreminders of the archaic days ,hen they had 3een successively conDuered 3y the no, dispersed armies of Tsath. There ,as one o3Cect alon' the route ,hich 7ll<12thaa1.nn e%hi3ited on his o,n initiativeA even thou'h it involved a detour of a3out a mile alon' a vine1tan'led side path. This ,as a sDuatA plain temple of 3lac! 3asalt 3loc!s ,ithout a sin'le carvin'A and containin' only a vacant ony% pedestal. The remar!a3le thin' a3out it ,as its storyA for it ,as a lin! ,ith a fa3led elder ,orld compared to ,hich even cryptic .oth ,as a thin' of yesterday. =t had 3een 3uilt in imitation of certain temples depicted in the vaults of @inA to house a very terri3le 3lac! toad1idol found in the red1litten ,orld and called Tsatho''ua in the .othic manuscripts. =t had 3een a potent and ,idely ,orshipped 'odA and after its adoption 3y the people of 0<n1yan had lent its name to the city ,hich ,as later to 3ecome dominant in that re'ion. .othic le'end said that it had come from a mysterious inner realm 3eneath the red1litten ,orldUa 3lac! realm of peculiar1sensed 3ein's ,hich had no li'ht at allA 3ut ,hich had had 'reat civilisations and mi'hty 'ods 3efore ever the reptilian Duadrupeds of .oth had come into 3ein'. 8any ima'es of Tsatho''ua e%isted in .othA all of ,hich ,ere alle'ed to have come from the 3lac! inner realmA and ,hich ,ere supposed 3y .othic archaeolo'ists to represent the aeon1e%tinct race of that realm. The 3lac! realm

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called ;<!ai in the .othic manuscripts had 3een e%plored as thorou'hly as possi3le 3y these archaeolo'istsA and sin'ular stone trou'hs or 3urro,s had e%cited infinite speculation. When the men of 0<n1yan discovered the red1litten ,orld and deciphered its stran'e manuscriptsA they too! over the Tsatho''ua cult and 3rou'ht all the fri'htful toad ima'es up to the land of 3lue li'htUhousin' them in shrines of .oth1Duarried 3asalt li!e the one @amacona no, sa,. The cult flourished until it almost rivalled the ancient cults of .i' and TuluA and one 3ranch of the race even too! it to the outer ,orldA ,here the smallest of the ima'es eventually found a shrine at +latho_A in the land of 5omar near the earth<s north pole. =t ,as rumoured that this outer1,orld cult survived even after the 'reat ice1sheet and the hairy 7noph!ehs destroyed 5omarA 3ut of such matters not much ,as definitely !no,n in 0<n1yan.. =n that ,orld of 3lue li'ht the cult came to an a3rupt endA even thou'h the name of Tsath ,as suffered to remain. What ended the cult ,as the partial e%ploration of the 3lac! realm of ;<!ai 3eneath the red1litten ,orld of .oth. Accordin' to the .othic manuscriptsA there ,as no survivin' life in ;<!aiA 3ut somethin' must have happened in the aeons 3et,een the days of .oth and the comin' of men to the earthB somethin' perhaps not unconnected ,ith the end of .oth. >ro3a3ly it had 3een an earthDua!eA openin' up lo,er cham3ers of the li'htless ,orld ,hich had 3een closed a'ainst the .othic archaeolo'istsB or perhaps some more fri'htful Cu%taposition of ener'y and electronsA ,holly inconceiva3le to any sort of verte3rate mindsA had ta!en place. At any rateA ,hen the men of 0<n1yan ,ent do,n into ;<!ai<s 3lac! a3yss ,ith their 'reat atom1po,er searchli'hts they found livin' thin'sUlivin' thin's that oozed alon' stone channels and ,orshipped ony% and 3asalt ima'es of Tsatho''ua. But they ,ere not toads li!e Tsatho''ua himself. 4ar ,orseUthey ,ere amorphous lumps of viscous 3lac! slime that too! temporary shapes for various purposes. The e%plorers of 0<n1 yan did not pause for detailed o3servationsA and those ,ho escaped alive sealed the passa'e leadin' from red1litten .oth do,n into the 'ulfs of nether horror. Then all the ima'es of Tsatho''ua in the land of 0<n1yan ,ere dissolved into the ether 3y disinte'ratin' raysA and the cult ,as a3olished forever. Aeons laterA ,hen naive fears ,ere out'ro,n and supplanted 3y scientific curiosityA the old le'ends of Tsatho''ua and ;<!ai ,ere recalled and a suita3ly armed and eDuipped e%plorin' party ,ent do,n to .oth to find the closed 'ate of the 3lac! a3yss and see ,hat mi'ht still lie 3eneath. But they could not find the 'ateA nor could any man ever do so in all the a'es that follo,ed. ;o,adays there ,ere those ,ho dou3ted that any a3yss had ever e%istedA 3ut the fe, scholars ,ho could still decipher the .othic manuscripts 3elieved that the evidence for such a thin' ,as adeDuateA even thou'h the middle records of 0<n1yanA ,ith accounts of the one fri'htful e%pedition into ;<!aiA ,ere more open to Duestion. Some of the later reli'ious cults tried to suppress remem3rance of ;<!ai<s e%istenceA and attached severe penalties to its mentionB 3ut these had not 3e'un to 3e ta!en seriously at the time of @amacona<s advent to 0<n1yan. As the cavalcade returned to the old hi'h,ay and approached the lo, ran'e of mountainsA @amacona sa, that the river ,as very close on the left. Some,hat laterA as the terrain roseA the stream entered a 'or'e and passed throu'h the hillsA ,hile the road traversed the 'ap at a rather hi'her level close to the 3rin!. =t ,as a3out this time that li'ht rainfall came. @amacona noticed the occasional drops and drizzleA and loo!ed up at the coruscatin' 3lue airA 3ut there ,as no diminution of the stran'e radiance. 7ll<12thaa1.nn

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then told him that such condensations and precipitations of ,ater1vapour ,ere not uncommonA and that they never dimmed the 'lare of the vault a3ove. A !ind of mistA indeedA al,ays hun' a3out the lo,lands of 0<n1yanA and compensated for the complete a3sence of true clouds. The sli'ht rise of the mountain pass ena3led @amaconaA 3y loo!in' 3ehindA to see the ancient and deserted plain in panorama as he had seen it from the other side. 2e seems to have appreciated its stran'e 3eautyA and to have va'uely re'retted leavin' itB for he spea!s of 3ein' ur'ed 3y 7ll<12thaa1.nn to drive his 3east more rapidly. When he faced front,ard a'ain he sa, that the crest of the road ,as very nearB the ,eed1'ro,n ,ay leadin' star!ly up and endin' a'ainst a 3lan! void of 3lue li'ht. The scene ,as undou3tedly hi'hly impressiveUa steep 'reen mountain ,all on the ri'htA a deep river1chasm on the left ,ith another 'reen mountain ,all 3eyond itA and aheadA the churnin' sea of 3luish coruscations into ,hich the up,ard path dissolved. Then came the crest itselfA and ,ith it the ,orld of Tsath outspread in a stupendous for,ard vista. @amacona cau'ht his 3reath at the 'reat s,eep of peopled landscapeA for it ,as a hive of settlement and activity 3eyond anythin' he had ever seen or dreamed of. The do,n,ard slope of the hill itself ,as relatively thinly stro,n ,ith small farms and occasional templesB 3ut 3eyond it lay an enormous plain covered li!e a chess 3oard ,ith planted treesA irri'ated 3y narro, canals cut from the riverA and threaded 3y ,ideA 'eometrically precise roads of 'old or 3asalt 3loc!s. 7reat silver ca3les 3orne aloft on 'olden pillars lin!ed the lo,A spreadin' 3uildin's and clusters of 3uildin's ,hich rose here and thereA and in some places one could see lines of partly ruinous pillars ,ithout ca3les. 8ovin' o3Cects s!e,ed the fields to 3e under tilla'eA and in some cases @amacona sa, that men ,ere plou'hin' ,ith the aid of the repulsiveA half1human Duadrupeds. But most impressive of all ,as the 3e,ilderin' vision of clustered spires and pinnacles ,hich rose afar off across the plain and shimmered flo,er1li!e and spectral in the coruscatin' 3lue li'ht. At first @amacona thou'ht it ,as a mountain covered ,ith houses and templesA li!e some of the picturesDue hill cities of his o,n SpainA 3ut a second 'lance she,ed him that it ,as not indeed such. =t ,as a city of the plainA 3ut fashioned of such heaven1reachin' to,ers that its outline ,as truly that of a mountain. A3ove it hun' a curious 'reyish hazeA throu'h ,hich the 3lue li'ht 'listened and too! added overtones of radiance from the million 'olden minarets. 7lancin' at 7ll<12thaa1.nnA @amacona !ne, that this ,as the monstrousA 'i'anticA and omnipotent city of Tsath. As the road turned do,n,ard to,ard the plainA @amacona felt a !ind of uneasiness and sense of evil. 2e did not li!e the 3east he rodeA or the ,orld that could provide such a 3eastA and he did not li!e the atmosphere that 3rooded over the distant city of Tsath. When the cavalcade 3e'an to pass occasional farmsA the Spaniard noticed the forms that ,or!ed in the fieldsB and did not li!e their motions and proportionsA or the mutilations he sa, on most of them. 8oreoverA he did not li!e the ,ay that some of these forms ,ere herded in corralsA or the ,ay they 'razed on the heavy verdure. 7ll<12thaa1.nn indicated that these 3ein's ,ere mem3ers of the slave1classA and that their acts ,ere controlled 3y the master of the farmA ,ho 'ave them hypnotic impressions in the mornin' of all they ,ere to do durin' the day. As semi1conscious machinesA their industrial efficiency ,as nearly perfect. Those in the corrals ,ere inferior specimensA classified merely as livestoc!.

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(pon reachin' the plainA @amacona sa, the lar'er farms and noted the almost human ,or! performed 3y the repulsive horned gyaa-yot"n. 2e li!e,ise o3served the more manli!e shapes that toiled alon' the furro,sA and felt a curious fri'ht and dis'ust to,ard certain of them ,hose motions ,ere more mechanical than those of the rest. TheseA 7ll<12thaa1.nn e%plainedA ,ere ,hat men called the y+m-b"iUor'anisms ,hich had diedA 3ut ,hich had 3een mechanically reanimated for industrial purposes 3y means of atomic ener'y and thou'ht1po,er. The slave1class did not share the immortality of the freemen of TsathA so that ,ith time the num3er of yPm-b"i had 3ecome very lar'e. They ,ere do'1li!e and faithfulA 3ut not so readily amena3le to thou'ht1commands as ,ere livin' slaves. Those ,hich most repelled @amacona ,ere those ,hose mutilations ,ere 'reatestB for some ,ere ,holly headlessA ,hile others had suffered sin'ular and seemin'ly capricious su3tractionsA distortionsA transpositionsA and 'raftin's in various places. The Spaniard could not account for this conditionA 3ut 7ll<12thaa1.nn made it clear that these ,ere slaves ,ho had 3een used for the amusement of the people in some of the vast arenasB for the men of Tsath ,ere connoisseurs of delicate sensationA and reDuired a constant supply of fresh and novel stimuli for their Caded impulses. @amaconaA thou'h 3y no means sDueamishA ,as not favoura3ly impressed 3y ,hat he sa, and heard. Approached more closelyA the vast metropolis 3ecame dimly horri3le in its monstrous e%tent and inhuman hei'ht. 7ll<12thaa1.nn e%plained that the upper parts of the 'reat to,ers ,ere no lon'er usedA and that many had 3een ta!en do,n to avoid the 3other of maintenance. The plain around the ori'inal ur3an area ,as covered ,ith ne,er and smaller d,ellin'sA ,hich in many cases ,ere preferred to the ancient to,ers. 4rom the ,hole mass of 'old and stone a monotonous roar of activity droned out,ard over the plainA ,hile cavalcades and streams of ,a'ons ,ere constantly enterin' and leavin' over the 'reat 'old1 or stone1paved roads. Several times 7ll<12thaa1.nn paused to she, @amacona some particular o3Cect of interestA especially the temples of .i'A TuluA ;u'A .e3A and the ;ot1to1Be1;amed +ne ,hich lined the road at infreDuent intervalsA each in its em3o,erin' 'rove accordin' to the custom of 0<n1yan. These templesA unli!e those of the deserted plain 3eyond the mountainsA ,ere still in active useB lar'e parties of mounted ,orshippers comin' and 'oin' in constant streams. 7ll<2thaa1.nn too! @amacona into each of themA and the Spaniard ,atched the su3tle or'iastic rites ,ith fascination and repulsion. The ceremonies of ;u' and .e3 sic!ened him especiallyUso muchA indeedA that he refrained from descri3in' them in his manuscript. +ne sDuatA 3lac! temple of Tsatho''ua ,as encounteredA 3ut it had 3een turned into a shrine of Shu31;i''urathA the All18other and ,ife of the ;ot1to1Be1;amed +ne. This deity ,as a !ind of sophisticated AstarteA and her ,orship struc! the pious Catholic as supremely o3no%ious. What he li!ed least of all ,ere the emotional sounds emitted 3y the cele3rantsUCarrin' sounds in a race that had ceased to use vocal speech for ordinary purposes. Close to the compact outs!irts of TsathA and ,ell ,ithin the shado, of its terrifyin' to,ersA 7ll<12thaa1.nn pointed out a monstrous circular 3uildin' 3efore ,hich enormous cro,ds ,ere lined up. ThisA he indicatedA ,as one of the many amphitheatres ,here curious sports and sensations ,ere provided for the ,eary people of 0<n1yan. 2e ,as a3out to pause and usher @amacona inside the vast curved facadeA ,hen the SpaniardA recallin' the mutilated forms he had seen in the fieldsA violently demurred. This ,as the first of those friendly clashes of taste ,hich ,ere to convince the people of Tsath that their 'uest follo,ed stran'e and narro, standards.

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Tsath itself ,as a net,or! of stran'e and ancient streetsB and despite a 'ro,in' sense of horror and aliena'eA @amacona ,as enthralled 3y its intimations of mystery and cosmic ,onder. The dizzy 'i'anticism of its overa,in' to,ersA the monstrous sur'e of teemin' life throu'h its ornate avenuesA the curious carvin's on its door,ays and ,indo,sA the odd vistas 'limpsed from 3alustraded plazas and tiers of titan terracesA and the envelopin' 'rey haze ,hich seemed to press do,n on the 'or'e1li!e streets in lo, ceilin'1fashionA all com3ined to produce such a sense of adventurous e%pectancy as he had never !no,n 3efore. 2e ,as ta!en at once to a council of e%ecutives ,hich held forth in a 'old1and1 copper palace 3ehind a 'ardened and fountained par!A and ,as for some time su3Cected to closeA friendly Duestionin' in a vaulted hall frescoed ,ith verti'inous ara3esDues. 8uch ,as e%pected of himA he could seeA in the ,ay of historical information a3out the outside earthB 3ut in return all the mysteries of 0<n1yan ,ould 3e unveiled to him. The one 'reat dra,3ac! ,as the ine%ora3le rulin' that he mi'ht never return to the ,orld of sun and stars and Spain ,hich ,as his. A daily pro'ramme ,as laid do,n for the visitorA ,ith time apportioned Cudiciously amon' several !inds of activities. There ,ere to 3e conversations ,ith persons of learnin' in various placesA and lessons in many 3ranches of Tsathic lore. 5i3eral periods of research ,ere allo,ed forA and all the li3raries of 0<n1yan 3oth secular and sacred ,ere to 3e thro,n open to him as soon as he mi'ht master the ,ritten lan'ua'es. :ites and spectacles ,ere to 3e attendedUe%cept ,hen he mi'ht especially o3CectUand much time ,ould 3e left for the enli'htened pleasure1see!in' and emotional titillation ,hich formed the 'oal and nucleus of daily life. A house in the su3ur3s or an apartment in the city ,ould 3e assi'ned himA and he ,ould 3e initiated into one of the lar'e affection1'roupsA includin' many no3le,omen of the most e%treme and art1enhanced 3eautyA ,hich in latter1day 0<n1yan too! the place of family units. Several horned gyaa-yot"n ,ould 3e provided for his transportation and errand1runnin'A and ten livin' slaves of intact 3ody ,ould serve to conduct his esta3lishment and protect him from thieves and sadists and reli'ious or'iasts on the pu3lic hi'h,ays. There ,ere many mechanical devices ,hich he must learn to useA 3ut 7ll<12thaa1.nn ,ould instruct him immediately re'ardin' the principal ones. (pon his choosin' an apartment in preference to a su3ur3an villaA @amacona ,as dismissed 3y the e%ecutives ,ith 'reat courtesy and ceremonyA and ,as led throu'h several 'or'eous streets to a cliff1li!e carven structure of some seventy or ei'hty floors. >reparations for his arrival had already 3een institutedA and in a spacious 'round1floor suite of vaulted rooms slaves ,ere 3usy adCustin' han'in's and furniture. There ,ere lacDuered and inlaid ta3ouretsA velvet and sil! reclinin'1corners and sDuattin'1cushionsA and infinite ro,s of tea!,ood and e3ony pi'eon1holes ,ith metal cylinders containin' some of the manuscripts he ,as soon to readUstandard classics ,hich all ur3an apartments possessed. $es!s ,ith 'reat stac!s of mem3rane1paper and pots of the prevailin' 'reen pi'ment ,ere in every roomUeach ,ith 'raded sets of pi'ment 3rushes and other odd 3its of stationery. 8echanical ,ritin' devices stood on ornate 'olden tripodsA ,hile over all ,as shed a 3rilliant 3lue li'ht from ener'y1'lo3es set in the ceilin'. There ,ere ,indo,sA 3ut at this shado,y 'round1level they ,ere of scant illuminatin' value. =n some of the rooms ,ere ela3orate 3athsA ,hile the !itchen ,as a maze of technical contrivances. Supplies ,ere 3rou'htA @amacona ,as toldA throu'h the net,or! of under'round passa'es ,hich lay 3eneath TsathA and ,hich had once accommodated curious mechanical transports. There ,as a sta3le on that under'round level for the 3eastsA and @amacona ,ould presently 3e she,n ho, to find the nearest run,ay to the street. Before his inspection ,as finishedA the

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permanent staff of slaves arrived and ,ere introducedB and shortly after,ard there came some halfdozen freemen and no3le,omen of his future affection1'roupA ,ho ,ere to 3e his companions for several daysA contri3utin' ,hat they could to his instruction and amusement. (pon their departureA another party ,ould ta!e their placeA and so on,ard in rotation throu'h a 'roup of a3out fifty mem3ers.

V,.
Thus ,as >Ynfilo de @amacona y ;uVez a3sor3ed for four years into the life of the sinister city of Tsath in the 3lue1litten nether ,orld of 0<n1yan. All that he learned and sa, and did is clearly not told in his manuscriptB for a pious reticence overcame him ,hen he 3e'an to ,rite in his native Spanish ton'ueA and he dared not set do,n everythin'. 8uch he consistently vie,ed ,ith repulsionA and many thin's he steadfastly refrained from seein' or doin' or eatin'. 4or other thin's he atoned 3y freDuent countin's of the 3eads of his rosary. 2e e%plored the entire ,orld of 0<n1yanA includin' the deserted machine1cities of the middle period on the 'orse1'ro,n plain of ;ithA and made one descent into the red1 litten ,orld of .oth to see the Cyclopean ruins. 2e ,itnessed prodi'ies of craft and machinery ,hich left him 3reathlessA and 3eheld human metamorphosesA dematerialisationsA rematerialisationsA and reanimations ,hich made him cross himself a'ain and a'ain. 2is very capacity for astonishment ,as 3lunted 3y the plethora of ne, marvels ,hich every day 3rou'ht him. But the lon'er he stayedA the more he ,ished to leaveA for the inner life of 0<n1yan ,as 3ased on impulses very plainly outside his radius. As he pro'ressed in historical !no,led'eA he understood moreB 3ut understandin' only hei'htened his distaste. 2e felt that the people of Tsath ,ere a lost and dan'erous raceUmore dan'erous to themselves than they !ne,Uand that their 'ro,in' frenzy of monotony1,arfare and novelty1Duest ,as leadin' them rapidly to,ard a precipice of disinte'ration and utter horror. 2is o,n visitA he could seeA had accelerated their unrestB not only 3y introducin' fears of outside invasionA 3ut 3y e%citin' in many a ,ish to sally forth and taste the diverse e%ternal ,orld he descri3ed. As time pro'ressedA he noticed an increasin' tendency of the people to resort to dematerialisation as an amusementB so that the apartments and amphitheatres of Tsath 3ecame a verita3le Witches< Sa33ath of transmutationsA a'e1adCustmentsA death1 e%perimentsA and proCections. With the 'ro,th of 3oredom and restlessnessA he sa,A cruelty and su3tlety and revolt ,ere 'ro,in' apace. There ,as more and more cosmic a3normalityA more and more curious sadismA more and more i'norance and superstitionA and more and more desire to escape out of physical life into a half1spectral state of electronic dispersal. All his efforts to leaveA ho,everA came to nothin'. >ersuasion ,as uselessA as repeated trials provedB thou'h the mature disillusion of the upper classes at first prevented them from resentin' their 'uest<s open ,ish for departure. =n a year ,hich he rec!oned as 1 #& @amacona made an actual attempt to escape throu'h the tunnel 3y ,hich he had entered 0<n1yanA 3ut after a ,eary Courney across the deserted plain he encountered forces in the dar! passa'e ,hich discoura'ed him from future attempts in that direction. As a means of sustainin' hope and !eepin' the ima'e of home in mindA he 3e'an a3out this time to ma!e rou'h drau'hts of the manuscript relatin' his adventuresB deli'htin' in the lovedA old Spanish ,ords and the familiar letters of the :oman alpha3et. Someho, he fancied he

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mi'ht 'et the manuscript to the outer ,orldB and to ma!e it convincin' to his fello,s he resolved to enclose it in one of the Tulu1metal cylinders used for sacred archives. That alienA ma'netic su3stance could not 3ut support the incredi3le story he had to tell. But even as he plannedA he had little real hope of ever esta3lishin' contact ,ith the earth<s surface. Every !no,n 'ateA he !ne,A ,as 'uarded 3y persons or forces that it ,ere 3etter not to oppose. 2is attempt at escape had not helped mattersA for he could no, see a 'ro,in' hostility to the outer ,orld he represented. 2e hoped that no other European ,ould find his ,ay inB for it ,as possi3le that later comers mi'ht not fare as ,ell as he. 2e himself had 3een a cherished fountain of dataA and as such had enCoyed a privile'ed status. +thersA deemed less necessaryA mi'ht receive rather different treatment. 2e even ,ondered ,hat ,ould happen to him ,hen the sa'es of Tsath considered him drained dry of fresh factsB and in self1defence 3e'an to 3e more 'radual in his tal!s on earth1loreA conveyin' ,henever he could the impression of vast !no,led'e held in reserve. +ne other thin' ,hich endan'ered @amacona<s status in Tsath ,as his persistent curiosity re'ardin' the ultimate a3yss of ;<!aiA 3eneath red1litten .othA ,hose e%istence the dominant reli'ious cults of 0<n1yan ,ere more and more inclined to deny. When e%plorin' .oth he had vainly tried to find the 3loc!ed1up entranceB and later on he e%perimented in the arts of dematerialisation and proCectionA hopin' that he mi'ht there3y 3e a3le to thro, his consciousness do,n,ard into the 'ulfs ,hich his physical eyes could not discover. Thou'h never 3ecomin' truly proficient in these processesA he did mana'e to achieve a series of monstrous and portentous dreams ,hich he 3elieved included some elements of actual proCection into ;<!aiB dreams ,hich 'reatly shoc!ed and pertur3ed the leaders of .i' and Tulu1,orship ,hen he related themA and ,hich he ,as advised 3y friends to conceal rather than e%ploit. =n time those dreams 3ecame very freDuent and maddenin'B containin' thin's ,hich he dared not record in his main manuscriptA 3ut of ,hich he prepared a special record for the 3enefit of certain learned men in Tsath. =t may have 3een unfortunateUor it may have 3een mercifully fortunateUthat @amacona practiced so many reticences and reserved so many themes and descriptions for su3sidiary manuscripts. The main document leaves one to 'uess much a3out the detailed mannersA customsA thou'htsA lan'ua'eA and history of 0<n1yanA as ,ell as to form any adeDuate picture of the visual aspect and daily life of Tsath. +ne is left puzzledA tooA a3out the real motivations of the peopleB their stran'e passivity and craven un,arli!enessA and their almost crin'in' fear of the outer ,orld despite their possession of atomic and dematerialisin' po,ers ,hich ,ould have made them unconDuera3le had they ta!en the trou3le to or'anise armies as in the old days. =t is evident that 0<n1yan ,as far alon' in its decadenceUreactin' ,ith mi%ed apathy and hysteria a'ainst the standardised and time1 ta3led life of stultifyin' re'ularity ,hich machinery had 3rou'ht it durin' its middle period. Even the 'rotesDue and repulsive customs and modes of thou'ht and feelin' can 3e traced to this sourceB for in his historical research @amacona found evidence of 3y'one eras in ,hich 0<n1yan had held ideas much li!e those of the classic and renaissance outer ,orldA and had possessed a national character and art full of ,hat Europeans re'ard as di'nityA !indnessA and no3ility. The more @amacona studied these thin'sA the more apprehensive a3out the future he 3ecameB 3ecause he sa, that the omnipresent moral and intellectual disinte'ration ,as a tremendously deep1seated and ominously acceleratin' movement. Even durin' his stay the si'ns of decay multiplied. :ationalism de'enerated more and more into fanatical and

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or'iastic superstitionA centrin' in a lavish adoration of the ma'netic Tulu1metalA and tolerance steadily dissolved into a series of frenzied hatredsA especially to,ard the outer ,orld of ,hich the scholars ,ere learnin' so much from him. At times he almost feared that the people mi'ht some day lose their a'e1lon' apathy and 3ro!enness and turn li!e desperate rats a'ainst the un!no,n lands a3ove themA s,eepin' all 3efore them 3y virtue of their sin'ular and still1remem3ered scientific po,ers. But for the present they fou'ht their 3oredom and sense of emptiness in other ,aysB multiplyin' their hideous emotional outlets and increasin' the mad 'rotesDueness and a3normality of their diversions. The arenas of Tsath must have 3een accursed and unthin!a3le placesU@amacona never ,ent near them. And ,hat they ,ould 3e in another centuryA or even in another decadeA he did not dare to thin!. The pious Spaniard crossed himself and counted his 3eads more often than usual in those days. =n the year 1 # A as he rec!oned itA @amacona 3e'an ,hat may ,ell 3e accepted as his final series of attempts to leave 0<n1yan. 2is fresh opportunity came from an une%pected sourceUa female of his affection1'roup ,ho conceived for him a curious individual infatuation 3ased on some hereditary memory of the days of mono'amous ,edloc! in Tsath. +ver this femaleUa no3le,oman of moderate 3eauty and of at least avera'e intelli'ence named T<la1yu3U@amacona acDuired the most e%traordinary influenceB finally inducin' her to help him in an escapeA under the promise that he ,ould let her accompany him. Chance proved a 'reat factor in the course of eventsA for T<la1yu3 came of a primordial family of 'atelords ,ho had retained oral traditions of at least one passa'e to the outer ,orld ,hich the mass of people had for'otten even at the time of the 'reat closin'B a passa'e to a mound on the level plains of earth ,hich hadA in conseDuenceA never 3een sealed up or 'uarded. She e%plained that the primordial 'ate1lords ,ere not 'uards or sentriesA 3ut merely ceremonial and economic proprietorsA half1feudal and 3aronial in statusA of an era precedin' the severance of surface1relations. 2er o,n family had 3een so reduced at the time of the closin' that their 'ate had 3een ,holly overloo!edB and they had ever after,ard preserved the secret of its e%istence as a sort of hereditary secretUa source of prideA and of a sense of reserve po,erA to offset the feelin' of vanished ,ealth and influence ,hich so constantly irritated them. @amaconaA no, ,or!in' feverishly to 'et his manuscript into final form in case anythin' should happen to himA decided to ta!e ,ith him on his out,ard Courney only five 3east1loads of unalloyed 'old in the form of the small in'ots used for minor decorationsU enou'hA he calculatedA to ma!e him a persona'e of unlimited po,er in his o,n ,orld. 2e had 3ecome some,hat hardened to the si'ht of the monstrous gyaa-yot"n durin' his four years of residence in TsathA hence did not shrin! from usin' the creaturesB yet he resolved to !ill and 3ury themA and cache the 'oldA as soon as he reached the outer ,orldA since he !ne, that even a 'limpse of one of the thin's ,ould drive any ordinary =ndian mad. 5ater he could arran'e for a suita3le e%pedition to transport the treasure to 8e%ico. T<la1yu3 he ,ould perhaps allo, to share his fortunesA for she ,as 3y no means unattractiveB thou'h possi3ly he ,ould arran'e for her soCourn amon'st the plains =ndiansA since he ,as not overan%ious to preserve lin!s ,ith the manner of life in Tsath. 4or a ,ifeA of courseA he ,ould choose a lady of SpainUor at ,orstA an =ndian princess of normal outer1,orld descent and a re'ular and approved past. But for the present T<la1yu3 must 3e used as a 'uide. The manuscript he ,ould carry on his o,n personA encased in a 3oo!1cylinder of the sacred and ma'netic Tulu1metal.

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The e%pedition itself is descri3ed in the addendum to @amacona<s manuscriptA ,ritten laterA and in a hand she,in' si'ns of nervous strain. =t set out amidst the most careful precautionsA choosin' a rest1period and proceedin' as far as possi3le alon' the faintly li'hted passa'es 3eneath the city. @amacona and T<la1yu3A dis'uised in slaves< 'armentsA 3earin' provision1!napsac!sA and leadin' the five laden 3easts on footA ,ere readily ta!en for commonplace ,or!ersB and they clun' as lon' as possi3le to the su3terranean ,ayU usin' a lon' and little1freDuented 3ranch ,hich had formerly conducted the mechanical transports to the no, ruined su3ur3 of 5<thaa. Amidst the ruins of 5<thaa they came to the surfaceA thereafter passin' as rapidly as possi3le over the desertedA 3lue1litten plain of ;ith to,ard the 7rh1yan ran'e of lo, hills. ThereA amidst the tan'led under3rushA T<la1yu3 found the lon' disused and half1fa3ulous entrance to the for'otten tunnelB a thin' she had seen 3ut once 3eforeUaeons in the pastA ,hen her father had ta!en her thither to she, her this monument to their family pride. =t ,as hard ,or! 'ettin' the laden gyaa-yot"n to scrape throu'h the o3structin' vines and 3riersA and one of them displayed a re3elliousness destined to 3ear dire conseDuencesU3oltin' a,ay from the party and lopin' 3ac! to,ard Tsath on its detesta3le padsA 'olden 3urden and all. =t ,as ni'htmare ,or! 3urro,in' 3y the li'ht of 3lue1ray torches up,ardA do,n,ardA for,ardA and up,ard a'ain throu'h a dan!A cho!ed tunnel that no foot had trodden since a'es 3efore the sin!in' of AtlantisB and at one point T<la1yu3 had to practice the fearsome art of dematerialisation on herselfA @amaconaA and the laden 3easts in order to pass a point ,holly clo''ed 3y shiftin' earth1strata. =t ,as a terri3le e%perience for @amaconaB for althou'h he had often ,itnessed dematerialisation in othersA and even practiced it himself to the e%tent of dream1proCectionA he had never 3een fully su3Cected to it 3efore. But T<la1 yu3 ,as s!illed in the arts of 0<n1yanA and accomplished the dou3le metamorphosis in perfect safety. Thereafter they resumed the hideous 3urro,in' throu'h stalactited crypts of horror ,here monstrous carvin's leered at every turnB alternately campin' and advancin' for a period ,hich @amacona rec!oned as a3out three daysA 3ut ,hich ,as pro3a3ly less. At last they came to a very narro, place ,here the natural or only sli'htly he,n cave1,alls 'ave place to ,alls of ,holly artificial masonryA carved into terri3le 3as1reliefs. These ,allsA after a3out a mile of steep ascentA ended ,ith a pair of vast nichesA one on each sideA in ,hich monstrousA nitre1encrusted ima'es of .i' and Tulu sDuattedA 'larin' at each other across the passa'e as they had 'lared since the earliest youth of the human ,orld. At this point the passa'e opened into a prodi'ious vaulted and circular cham3er of human constructionB ,holly covered ,ith horri3le carvin'sA and revealin' at the farther end an arched passa'e,ay ,ith the foot of a fli'ht of steps. T<la1yu3 !ne, from family tales that this must 3e very near the earth<s surfaceA 3ut she could not tell Cust ho, near. 2ere the party camped for ,hat they meant to 3e their last rest1period in the su3terraneous ,orld. =t must have 3een hours later that the clan! of metal and the paddin' of 3easts< feet a,a!ened @amacona and T<la1yu3. A 3luish 'lare ,as spreadin' from the narro, passa'e 3et,een the ima'es of .i' and TuluA and in an instant the truth ,as o3vious. An alarm had 3een 'iven at TsathUas ,as later revealedA 3y the returnin' gyaa-yot" ,hich had re3elled at the 3rier1cho!ed tunnel1entranceUand a s,ift party of pursuers had come to arrest the fu'itives. :esistance ,as clearly uselessA and none ,as offered. The party of t,elve 3east1 riders proved studiously politeA and the return commenced almost ,ithout a ,ord or thou'ht1messa'e on either side.

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=t ,as an ominous and depressin' CourneyA and the ordeal of dematerialisation and rematerialisation at the cho!ed place ,as all the more terri3le 3ecause of the lac! of that hope and e%pectancy ,hich had palliated the process on the out,ard trip. @amacona heard his captors discussin' the imminent clearin' of this cho!ed place 3y intensive radiationsA since hencefor,ard sentries must 3e maintained at the hitherto un!no,n outer portal. =t ,ould not do to let outsiders 'et ,ithin the passa'eA for then any ,ho mi'ht escape ,ithout due treatment ,ould have a hint of the vastness of the inner ,orld and ,ould perhaps 3e curious enou'h to return in 'reater stren'th. As ,ith the other passa'es since @amacona<s comin'A sentries must 3e stationed all alon'A as far as the very outermost 'ateB sentries dra,n from amon'st all the slavesA the dead1alive y+m-b"iA or the class of discredited freemen. With the overrunnin' of the American plains 3y thousands of EuropeansA as the Spaniard had predictedA every passa'e ,as a potential source of dan'erB and must 3e ri'orously 'uarded until the technolo'ists of Tsath could spare the ener'y to prepare an ultimate and entrance1hidin' o3literation as they had done for many passa'es in earlier and more vi'orous times. @amacona and T<la1yu3 ,ere tried 3efore three gn+agn of the supreme tri3unal in the 'old1and1copper palace 3ehind the 'ardened and fountained par!A and the Spaniard ,as 'iven his li3erty 3ecause of the vital outer1,orld information he still had to impart. 2e ,as told to return to his apartment and to his affection1'roupB ta!in' up his life as 3eforeA and continuin' to meet deputations of scholars accordin' to the latest schedule he had 3een follo,in'. ;o restrictions ,ould 3e imposed upon him so lon' as he mi'ht remain peacefully in 0<n1yanU3ut it ,as intimated that such leniency ,ould not 3e repeated after another attempt at escape. @amacona had felt that there ,as an element of irony in the partin' ,ords of the chief gn+agUan assurance that all of his gyaa-yot"nA includin' the one ,hich had re3elledA ,ould 3e returned to him. The fate of T<la1yu3 ,as less happy. There 3ein' no o3Cect in retainin' herA and her ancient Tsathic linea'e 'ivin' her act a 'reater aspect of treason than @amacona<s had possessedA she ,as ordered to 3e delivered to the curious diversions of the amphitheatreB and after,ardA in a some,hat mutilated and half1dematerialised formA to 3e 'iven the functions of a y+m-b"i or animated corpse1slave and stationed amon' the sentries 'uardin' the passa'e ,hose e%istence she had 3etrayed. @amacona soon heardA not ,ithout many pan's of re'ret he could scarcely have anticipatedA that poor T<la1yu3 had emer'ed from the arena in a headless and other,ise incomplete stateA and had 3een set as an outermost 'uard upon the mound in ,hich the passa'e had 3een found to terminate. She ,asA he ,as toldA a ni'ht1sentinelA ,hose automatic duty ,as to ,arn off all comers ,ith a torchB sendin' do,n reports to a small 'arrison of t,elve dead slave y+m-b"i and si% livin' 3ut partly dematerialised freemen in the vaultedA circular cham3er if the approachers did not heed her ,arnin'. She ,or!edA he ,as toldA in conCunction ,ith a day1sentinelUa livin' freeman ,ho chose this post in preference to other forms of discipline for other offences a'ainst the state. @amaconaA of courseA had lon' !no,n that most of the chief 'ate1sentries ,ere such discredited freemen. =t ,as no, made plain to himA thou'h indirectlyA that his o,n penalty for another escape1attempt ,ould 3e service as a 'ate1sentryU3ut in the form of a dead1alive y+m-b"i slaveA and after amphitheatre1treatment even more picturesDue than that ,hich T<la1yu3 ,as reported to have under'one. =t ,as intimated that heUor parts of himU,ould 3e reanimated to 'uard some inner section of the passa'eB ,ithin si'ht of othersA ,here his a3rid'ed person mi'ht serve as a permanent sym3ol of the re,ards of treason. ButA his

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informants al,ays addedA it ,as of course inconceiva3le that he ,ould ever court such a fate. So lon' as he remained peacea3ly in 0<n1yanA he ,ould continue to 3e a freeA privile'edA and respected persona'e. .et in the end >Ynfilo de @amacona did court the fate so direfully hinted to him. TrueA he did not really e%pect to encounter itB 3ut the nervous latter part of his manuscript ma!es it clear that he ,as prepared to face its possi3ility. What 'ave him a final hope of scatheless escape from 0<n1yan ,as his 'ro,in' mastery of the art of dematerialisation. 2avin' studied it for yearsA and havin' learned still more from the t,o instances in ,hich he had 3een su3Cected to itA he no, felt increasin'ly a3le to use it independently and effectively. The manuscript records several nota3le e%periments in this artUminor successes accomplished in his apartmentUand reflects @amacona<s hope that he mi'ht soon 3e a3le to assume the spectral form in fullA attainin' complete invisi3ility and preservin' that condition as lon' as he ,ished. +nce he reached this sta'eA he ar'uedA the out,ard ,ay lay open to him. +f course he could not 3ear a,ay any 'oldA 3ut mere escape ,as enou'h. 2e ,ouldA thou'hA dematerialise and carry a,ay ,ith him his manuscript in the Tulu1metal cylinderA even thou'h it cost additional effortB for this record and proof must reach the outer ,orld at all hazards. 2e no, !ne, the passa'e to follo,B and if he could thread it in an atom1scattered stateA he did not see ho, any person or force could detect or stop him. The only trou3le ,ould 3e if he failed to maintain his spectral condition at all times. That ,as the one ever1 present perilA as he had learned from his e%periments. But must one not al,ays ris! death and ,orse in a life of adventureG @amacona ,as a 'entleman of +ld SpainB of the 3lood that faced the un!no,n and carved out half the civilisation of the ;e, World. 4or many ni'hts after his ultimate resolution @amacona prayed to St. >amphilus and other 'uardian saintsA and counted the 3eads of his rosary. The last entry in the manuscriptA ,hich to,ard the end too! the form of a diary more and moreA ,as merely a sin'le sentenceUL s mOs tarde de lo 0ue pensabaMtengo 0ue marc"armeL.... L=t is later than = thou'htB = must 'o.L After thatA only silence and conCectureUand such evidence as the presence of the manuscript itselfA and ,hat that manuscript could lead toA mi'ht provide.

V,,.
When = loo!ed up from my half1stupefied readin' and noteta!in' the mornin' sun ,as hi'h in the heavens. The electric 3ul3 ,as still 3urnin'A 3ut such thin's of the real ,orldU the modern outer ,orldU,ere far from my ,hirlin' 3rain. = !ne, = ,as in my room at Clyde Compton<s at Bin'erU3ut upon ,hat monstrous vista had = stum3ledG Was this thin' a hoa% or a chronicle of madnessG =f a hoa%A ,as it a Cest of the si%teenth century or of todayG The manuscript<s a'e loo!ed appallin'ly 'enuine to my not ,holly unpracticed eyesA and the pro3lem presented 3y the stran'e metal cylinder = dared not even thin! a3out. 8oreoverA ,hat a monstrously e%act e%planation it 'ave of all the 3afflin' phenomena of the mound1of the seemin'ly meanin'less and parado%ical actions of diurnal and nocturnal 'hostsA and of the Dueer cases of madness and disappearanceF =t ,as even an accursedly plausi3le e%planationUevilly consistentUif one could adopt the incredi3le. =t must 3e a shoc!in' hoa% devised 3y someone ,ho !ne, all the lore of the mound. There

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,as even a hint of social satire in the account of that un3elieva3le nether ,orld of horror and decay. Surely this ,as the clever for'ery of some learned cynicUsomethin' li!e the leaden crosses in ;e, 8e%icoA ,hich a Cester once planted and pretended to discover as a reliDue of some for'otten $ar! A'e colony from Europe. (pon 'oin' do,n to 3rea!fast = hardly !ne, ,hat to tell Compton and his motherA as ,ell as the curious callers ,ho had already 3e'un to arrive. Still in a dazeA = cut the 7ordian 0not 3y 'ivin' a fe, points from the notes = had madeA and mum3lin' my 3elief that the thin' ,as a su3tle and in'enious fraud left there 3y some previous e%plorer of the moundUa 3elief in ,hich every3ody seemed to concur ,hen told of the su3stance of the manuscript. =t is curious ho, all that 3rea!fast 'roupUand all the others in Bin'er to ,hom the discussion ,as repeatedUseemed to find a 'reat clearin' of the atmosphere in the notion that some3ody ,as playin' a Co!e on some3ody. 4or the time ,e all for'ot that the !no,nA recent history of the mound presented mysteries as stran'e as any in the manuscriptA and as far from accepta3le solution as ever. The fears and dou3ts 3e'an to return ,hen = as!ed for volunteers to visit the mound ,ith me. = ,anted a lar'er e%cavatin' partyU3ut the idea of 'oin' to that uncomforta3le place seemed no more attractive to the people of Bin'er than it had seemed on the previous day. = myself felt a mountin' horror upon loo!in' to,ard the mound and 'limpsin' the movin' spec! ,hich = !ne, ,as the dayli'ht sentinelB for in spite of all my scepticism the mor3idities of that manuscript stuc! 3y me and 'ave everythin' connected ,ith the place a ne, and monstrous si'nificance. = a3solutely lac!ed the resolution to loo! at the movin' spec! ,ith my 3inoculars. =nsteadA = set out ,ith the !ind of 3ravado ,e display in ni'htmaresU,henA !no,in' ,e are dreamin'A ,e plun'e desperately into still thic!er horrorsA for the sa!e of havin' the ,hole thin' over the sooner. 8y pic! and shovel ,ere already out thereA so = had only my hand3a' of smaller paraphernalia to ta!e. =nto this = put the stran'e cylinder and its contentsA feelin' va'uely that = mi'ht possi3ly find somethin' ,orth chec!in' up ,ith some part of the 'reen1lettered Spanish te%t. Even a clever hoa% mi'ht 3e founded on some actual attri3ute of the mound ,hich a former e%plorer had discoveredUand that ma'netic metal ,as damna3ly oddF 7rey Ea'le<s cryptic talisman still hun' from its leathern cord around my nec!. = did not loo! very sharply at the mound as = ,al!ed to,ard itA 3ut ,hen = reached it there ,as no3ody in si'ht. :epeatin' my up,ard scram3le of the previous dayA = ,as trou3led 3y thou'hts of ,hat mig"t lie close at hand ifA 3y any miracleA any part of the manuscript $ere actually half1true. =n such a caseA = could not help reflectin'A the hypothetical Spaniard @amacona must have 3arely reached the outer ,orld ,hen overta!en 3y some disasterUperhaps an involuntary rematerialisation. 2e ,ould naturallyA in that eventA have 3een seized 3y ,hichever sentry happened to 3e on duty at the timeUeither the discredited freemanA orA as a matter of supreme ironyA the very T<la1yu3 ,ho had planned and aided his first attempt at escapeUand in the ensuin' stru''le the cylinder ,ith the manuscript mi'ht ,ell have 3een dropped on the mound<s summitA to 3e ne'lected and 'radually 3uried for nearly four centuries. ButA = addedA as = clim3ed over the crestA one must not thin! of e%trava'ant thin's li!e that. StillA if there $ere anythin' in the taleA it must have 3een a monstrous fate to ,hich @amacona had 3een dra''ed 3ac! ... the amphitheatre ... mutilation ... duty some,here in the dan!A nitrous tunnel as a dead1alive slave ... a maimed corpse1fra'ment as an automatic interior sentry....

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=t ,as a very real shoc! ,hich chased this mor3id speculation from my headA for upon 'lancin' around the elliptical summit = sa, at once that my pic! and shovel had 3een stolen. This ,as a hi'hly provo!in' and disconcertin' developmentB 3afflin'A tooA in vie, of the seemin' reluctance of all the Bin'er fol! to visit the mound. Was this reluctance a pretended thin'A and had the Co!ers of the villa'e 3een chuc!lin' over my comin' discomfiture as they solemnly sa, me off ten minutes 3eforeG = too! out my 3inoculars and scanned the 'apin' cro,d at the ed'e of the villa'e. ;oUthey did not seem to 3e loo!in' for any comic clima%B yet ,as not the ,hole affair at 3ottom a colossal Co!e in ,hich all the villa'ers and reservation people ,ere concernedUle'endsA manuscriptA cylinderA and allG = thou'ht of ho, = had seen the sentry from a distanceA and then found him unaccounta3ly vanishedB thou'ht also of the conduct of old 7rey Ea'leA of the speech and e%pressions of Compton and his motherA and of the unmista!a3le fri'ht of most of the Bin'er people. +n the ,holeA it could not very ,ell 3e a villa'e1,ide Co!e. The fear and the pro3lem ,ere surely realA thou'h o3viously there ,ere one or t,o Cestin' daredevils in Bin'er ,ho had stolen out to the mound and made off ,ith the tools = had left. Everythin' else on the mound ,as as = had left itU3rush cut 3y my macheteA sli'htA 3o,l1li!e depression to,ard the north endA and the hole = had made ,ith my trench1!nife in di''in' up the ma'netism1revealed cylinder. $eemin' it too 'reat a concession to the un!no,n Co!ers to return to Bin'er for another pic! and shovelA = resolved to carry out my pro'ramme as 3est = could ,ith the machete and trench1!nife in my hand3a'B so e%tractin' theseA = set to ,or! e%cavatin' the 3o,l1li!e depression ,hich my eye had pic!ed as the possi3le site of a former entrance to the mound. As = proceededA = felt a'ain the su''estion of a sudden ,ind 3lo,in' a'ainst me ,hich = had noticed the day 3eforeUa su''estion ,hich seemed stron'erA and still more reminiscent of unseenA formlessA opposin' hands laid on my ,ristsA as = cut deeper and deeper throu'h the root1tan'led red soil and reached the e%otic 3lac! loam 3eneath. The talisman around my nec! appeared to t,itch oddly in the 3reezeUnot in any one directionA as ,hen attracted 3y the 3uried cylinderA 3ut va'uely and diffuselyA in a manner ,holly unaccounta3le. ThenA Duite ,ithout ,arnin'A the 3lac!A root1,oven earth 3eneath my feet 3e'an to sin! crac!lin'lyA ,hile = heard a faint sound of siftin'A fallin' matter far 3elo, me. The o3structin' ,indA or forcesA or hands no, seemed to 3e operatin' from the very seat of the sin!in'A and = felt that they aided me 3y pushin' as = leaped 3ac! out of the hole to avoid 3ein' involved in any cave1in. Bendin' do,n over the 3rin! and hac!in' at the mould1 ca!ed root1tan'le ,ith my macheteA = felt that they ,ere a'ainst me a'ainU3ut at no time ,ere they stron' enou'h to stop my ,or!. The more roots = severedA the more fallin' matter = heard 3elo,. 4inally the hole 3e'an to deepen of itself to,ard the centreA and = sa, that the earth ,as siftin' do,n into some lar'e cavity 3eneathA so as to leave a 'ood1 sized aperture ,hen the roots that had 3ound it ,ere 'one. A fe, more hac!s of the machete did the tric!A and ,ith a partin' cave1in and uprush of curiously chill and alien air the last 3arrier 'ave ,ay. (nder the mornin' sun ya,ned a hu'e openin' at least three feet sDuareA and she,in' the top of a fli'ht of stone steps do,n ,hich the loose earth of the collapse ,as still slidin'. 8y Duest had come to somethin' at lastF With an elation of accomplishment almost over3alancin' fear for the nonceA = replaced the trench1!nife and machete in my hand3a'A too! out my po,erful electric torchA and prepared for a triumphantA loneA and utterly rash invasion of the fa3ulous nether ,orld = had uncovered. =t ,as rather hard 'ettin' do,n the first fe, stepsA 3oth 3ecause of the fallen earth ,hich had cho!ed them and 3ecause of a sinister up1pushin' of a cold ,ind from 3elo,.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

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The talisman around my nec! s,ayed curiouslyA and = 3e'an to re'ret the disappearin' sDuare of dayli'ht a3ove me. The electric torch she,ed dan!A ,ater1stainedA and salt1 encrusted ,alls fashioned of hu'e 3asalt 3loc!sA and no, and then = thou'ht = descried some trace of carvin' 3eneath the nitrous deposits. = 'ripped my hand3a' more ti'htlyA and ,as 'lad of the comfortin' ,ei'ht of the sheriff<s heavy revolver in my ri'ht1hand coat poc!et. After a time the passa'e 3e'an to ,ind this ,ay and thatA and the staircase 3ecame free from o3structions. Carvin's on the ,alls ,ere no, definitely tracea3leA and = shuddered ,hen = sa, ho, clearly the 'rotesDue fi'ures resem3led the monstrous 3as1 reliefs on the cylinder = had found. Winds and forces continued to 3lo, malevolently a'ainst meA and at one or t,o 3ends = half fancied the torch 'ave 'limpses of thinA transparent shapes not unli!e the sentinel on the mound as my 3inoculars had she,ed him. When = reached this sta'e of visual chaos = stopped for a moment to 'et a 'rip on myself. =t ,ould not do to let my nerves 'et the 3etter of me at the very outset of ,hat ,ould surely 3e a tryin' e%perienceA and the most important archaeolo'ical feat of my career. But = ,ished = had not stopped at Cust that placeA for the act fi%ed my attention on somethin' profoundly distur3in'. =t ,as only a small o3Cect lyin' close to the ,all on one of the steps 3elo, meA 3ut that o3Cect ,as such as to put my reason to a severe testA and 3rin' up a line of the most alarmin' speculations. That the openin' a3ove me had 3een closed a'ainst all material forms for 'enerations ,as utterly o3vious from the 'ro,th of shru31roots and accumulation of driftin' soilB yet the o3Cect 3efore me ,as most distinctly not many 'enerations old. 4or it ,as an electric torch much li!e the one = no, carriedU ,arped and encrusted in the tom31li!e dampnessA 3ut none the less perfectly unmista!a3le. = descended a fe, steps and pic!ed it upA ,ipin' off the evil deposits on my rou'h coat. +ne of the nic!el 3ands 3ore an en'raved name and addressA and = reco'nised it ,ith a start the moment = made it out. =t read L6as. C. WilliamsA 17 Tro,3rid'e St.A Cam3rid'eA 8ass.LUand = !ne, that it had 3elon'ed to one of the t,o darin' colle'e instructors ,ho had disappeared on 6une "8A 1)1 . +nly thirteen years a'oA and yet = had Cust 3ro!en throu'h the sod of centuriesF 2o, had the thin' 'ot thereG Another entranceUor ,as there somethin' after all in this mad idea of dematerialisation and rematerialisationG $ou3t and horror 're, upon me as = ,ound still farther do,n the seemin'ly endless staircase. Would the thin' never stopG The carvin's 're, more and more distinctA and assumed a narrative pictorial Duality ,hich 3rou'ht me close to panic as = reco'nised many unmista!a3le correspondences ,ith the history of 0<n1yan as s!etched in the manuscript no, restin' in my hand3a'. 4or the first time = 3e'an seriously to Duestion the ,isdom of my descentA and to ,onder ,hether = had not 3etter return to the upper air 3efore = came upon somethin' ,hich ,ould never let me return as a sane man. But = did not hesitate lon'A for as a ?ir'inian = felt the 3lood of ancestral fi'hters and 'entlemen1adventurers poundin' a protest a'ainst retreat from any peril !no,n or un!no,n. 8y descent 3ecame s,ifter rather than slo,erA and = avoided studyin' the terri3le 3as1 reliefs and inta'lios that had unnerved me. All at once = sa, an arched openin' aheadA and realised that the prodi'ious staircase had ended at last. But ,ith that realisation came horror in mountin' ma'nitudeA for 3efore me there ya,ned a vast vaulted crypt of all1too1 familiar outlineUa 'reat circular space ans,erin' in every least particular to the carvin'1 lined cham3er descri3ed in the @amacona manuscript. =t ,as indeed the place. There could 3e no mista!e. And if any room for dou3t yet remainedA that room ,as a3olished 3y ,hat = sa, directly across the 'reat vault. =t ,as a

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

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second arched openin'A commencin' a lon'A narro, passa'e and havin' at its mouth t,o hu'e opposite niches 3earin' loathsome and titanic ima'es of shoc!in'ly familiar pattern. There in the dar! unclean .i' and hideous Tulu sDuatted eternallyA 'larin' at each other across the passa'e as they had 'lared since the earliest youth of the human ,orld. 4rom this point on,ard = as! no credence for ,hat = tellUfor ,hat = t"ink = sa,. =t is too utterly unnaturalA too utterly monstrous and incredi3leA to 3e any part of sane human e%perience or o3Cective reality. 8y torchA thou'h castin' a po,erful 3eam aheadA naturally could not furnish any 'eneral illumination of the Cyclopean cryptB so = no, 3e'an movin' it a3out to e%plore the 'iant ,alls little 3y little. As = did soA = sa, to my horror that the space ,as 3y no means vacantA 3ut ,as instead littered ,ith odd furniture and utensils and heaps of pac!a'es ,hich 3espo!e a populous recent occupancyUno nitrous reliDues of the pastA 3ut Dueerly shaped o3Cects and supplies in modernA every1day use. As my torch rested on each article or 'roup of articlesA ho,everA the distinctness of the outlines soon 3e'an to 'ro, 3lurredB until in the end = could scarcely tell ,hether the thin's 3elon'ed to the realm of matter or to the realm of spirit. All this ,hile the adverse ,inds 3le, a'ainst me ,ith increasin' furyA and the unseen hands pluc!ed malevolently at me and snatched at the stran'e ma'netic talisman = ,ore. Wild conceits sur'ed throu'h my mind. = thou'ht of the manuscript and ,hat it said a3out the 'arrison stationed in this placeUt,elve dead slave y+m-b"i and si% livin' 3ut partly dematerialised freemenUthat ,as in 1 # Uthree hundred and ei'hty1three years a'o.... What since thenG @amacona had predicted chan'e ... su3tle disinte'ration ... more dematerialisation ... ,ea!er and ,ea!er ... ,as it 7rey Ea'le<s talisman that held them at 3ayUtheir sacred Tulu1metalUand ,ere they fee3ly tryin' to pluc! it off so that they mi'ht do to me ,hat they had done to those ,ho had come 3eforeG... =t occurred to me ,ith shudderin' force that = ,as 3uildin' my speculations out of a full 3elief in the @amacona manuscriptUthis must not 3eU= must 'et a 'rip on myselfU ButA curse itA every time = tried to 'et a 'rip = sa, some fresh si'ht to shatter my poise still further. This timeA Cust as my ,ill po,er ,as drivin' the half1seen paraphernalia into o3scurityA my 'lance and torch13eam had to li'ht on t,o thin's of very different natureB t,o thin's of the eminently real and sane ,orldB yet they did more to unseat my sha!y reason than anythin' = had seen 3eforeU3ecause = !ne, ,hat they ,ereA and !ne, ho, profoundlyA in the course of ;atureA they ou'ht not to 3e there. T"ey $ere my o$n missing pick and s"o!el& side by side& and leaning neatly against t"e blasp"emously car!ed $all of t"at "ellis" crypt. 7od in heavenUand = had 3a33led to myself a3out darin' Co!ers from Bin'erF That ,as the last stra,. After that the cursed hypnotism of the manuscript 'ot at meA and = actually sa$ the half1transparent shapes of the thin's that ,ere pushin' and pluc!in'B pushin' and pluc!in'Uthose leprous palaeo'ean thin's ,ith somethin' of humanity still clin'in' to themUthe complete formsA and the forms that ,ere mor3idly and perversely incomplete ... all theseA and hideous ot"er entitiesUthe four1footed 3lasphemies ,ith ape1 li!e face and proCectin' horn ... and not a sound so far in all that nitrous hell of inner earth.... Then there $as a soundUa floppin'B a paddin'B a dullA advancin' sound ,hich heralded 3eyond Duestion a 3ein' as structurally material as the pic!a%e and the shovelUsomethin' ,holly unli!e the shado,1shapes that rin'ed me inA yet eDually remote from any sort of life

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

-&)

as life is understood on the earth<s ,holesome surface. 8y shattered 3rain tried to prepare me for ,hat ,as comin'A 3ut could not frame any adeDuate ima'e. = could only say over and over a'ain to myselfA L=t is of the a3yssA 3ut it is not dematerialised.L The paddin' 're, more distinctA and from the mechanical cast of the tread = !ne, it ,as a dead thin' that stal!ed in the dar!ness. ThenUohA 7odA I sa$ it in t"e full beam of my torc"1 sa$ it framed like a sentinel in t"e narro$ passage bet$een t"e nig"tmare idols of t"e serpent ;ig and t"e octopus Tulu.... 5et me collect myself enou'h to hint at ,hat = sa,B to e%plain ,hy = dropped torch and hand3a' and fled empty1handed in the utter 3lac!nessA ,rapped in a merciful unconsciousness ,hich did not ,ear off until the sun and the distant yellin' and the shoutin' from the villa'e roused me as = lay 'aspin' on the top of the accursed moundA = do not yet !no, ,hat 'uided me a'ain to the earth<s surface. = only !no, that the ,atchers in Bin'er sa, me sta''er up into si'ht three hours after = had vanishedB sa, me lurch up and fall flat on the 'round as if struc! 3y a 3ullet. ;one of them dared to come out and help meB 3ut they !ne, = must 3e in a 3ad stateA so tried to rouse me as 3est they could 3y yellin' in chorus and firin' off revolvers. =t ,or!ed in the endA and ,hen = came to = almost rolled do,n the side of the mound in my ea'erness to 'et a,ay from that 3lac! aperture ,hich still ya,ned open. 8y torch and toolsA and the hand3a' ,ith the manuscriptA ,ere all do,n thereB 3ut it is easy to see ,hy neither = nor anyone else ever ,ent after them. When = sta''ered across the plain and into the villa'e = dared not tell ,hat = had seen. = only muttered va'ue thin's a3out carvin's and statues and sna!es and sha!en nerves. And = did not faint a'ain until some3ody mentioned that the 'host1sentinel had reappeared a3out the time = had sta''ered half ,ay 3ac! to to,n. = left Bin'er that evenin'A and have never 3een there sinceA thou'h they tell me the 'hosts still appear on the mound as usual. But = have resolved to hint here at last ,hat = dared not hint to the people of Bin'er on that terri3le Au'ust afternoon. = don<t !no, yet Cust ho, = can 'o a3out itUand if in the end you thin! my reticence stran'eA Cust remem3er that to ima'ine such a horror is one thin'A but to see it is anot"er t"ing. = sa, it. = thin! you<ll recall my citin' early in this tale the case of a 3ri'ht youn' man named 2eaton ,ho ,ent out to that mound one day in 18)1 and came 3ac! at ni'ht as the villa'e idiotA 3a33lin' for ei'ht years a3out horrors and then dyin' in an epileptic fit. What he used to !eep moanin' ,as L T"at $"ite manMo"& my God& $"at t"ey did to "im....L WellA = sa, the same thin' that poor 2eaton sa,Uand = sa, it after readin' the manuscriptA so = !no, more of its history than he did. That ma!es it ,orseUfor = !no, all that it impliesB all that must 3e still 3roodin' and festerin' and ,aitin' do,n there. = told you it had padded mechanically to,ard me out of the narro, passa'e and had stood sentry1 li!e at the entrance 3et,een the fri'htful eidola of .i' and Tulu. That ,as very natural and inevita3leU3ecause the thin' $as a sentry. =t had 3een made a sentry for punishmentA and it ,as Duite deadU3esides lac!in' headA armsA lo,er le'sA and other customary parts of a human 3ein'. .esUit had 3een a very human 3ein' onceB and ,hat is moreA it had 3een $"ite. ?ery o3viouslyA if that manuscript ,as as true as = thin! it ,asA this 3ein' had 3een used for the di!ersions of t"e amp"it"eatre 3efore its life had 3ecome ,holly e%tinct and supplanted 3y automatic impulses controlled from outside.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8ound

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+n its ,hite and only sli'htly hairy chest some letters had 3een 'ashed or 3randedU= had not stopped to investi'ateA 3ut had merely noted that they ,ere in an a,!,ard and fum3lin' SpanishB an a,!,ard Spanish implyin' a !ind of ironic use of the lan'ua'e 3y an alien inscri3er familiar neither ,ith the idiom nor the :oman letters used to record it. The inscription had read LSecuestrado a la !oluntad de NinaiOn en el cuerpo decapitado de TlayQbLULSei2ed by t"e $ill of 3+n-yan in t"e "eadless body of T+la-yub.L

At the Mo%#t i#s o! M $#ess

,.
= am forced into speech 3ecause men of science have refused to follo, my advice ,ithout !no,in' ,hy. =t is alto'ether a'ainst my ,ill that = tell my reasons for opposin' this contemplated invasion of the antarctic 1 ,ith its vast fossil hunt and its ,holesale 3orin' and meltin' of the ancient ice caps. And = am the more reluctant 3ecause my ,arnin' may 3e in vain. $ou3t of the real factsA as = must reveal themA is inevita3leB yetA if = suppressed ,hat ,ill seem e%trava'ant and incredi3leA there ,ould 3e nothin' left. The hitherto ,ithheld photo'raphsA 3oth ordinary and aerialA ,ill count in my favorA for they are damna3ly vivid and 'raphic. StillA they ,ill 3e dou3ted 3ecause of the 'reat len'ths to ,hich clever fa!ery can 3e carried. The in! dra,in'sA of courseA ,ill 3e Ceered at as o3vious imposturesA not,ithstandin' a stran'eness of techniDue ,hich art e%perts ou'ht to remar! and puzzle over. =n the end = must rely on the Cud'ment and standin' of the fe, scientific leaders ,ho haveA on the one handA sufficient independence of thou'ht to ,ei'h my data on its o,n hideously convincin' merits or in the li'ht of certain primordial and hi'hly 3afflin' myth cyclesB and on the other handA sufficient influence to deter the e%plorin' ,orld in 'eneral from any rash and over1am3itious pro'ram in the re'ion of those mountains of madness. =t is an unfortunate fact that relatively o3scure men li!e myself and my associatesA connected only ,ith a small universityA have little chance of ma!in' an impression ,here matters of a ,ildly 3izarre or hi'hly controversial nature are concerned. =t is further a'ainst us that ,e are notA in the strictest senseA specialists in the fields ,hich came primarily to 3e concerned. As a 'eolo'istA my o3Cect in leadin' the 8is!atonic (niversity E%pedition ,as ,holly that of securin' deep1level specimens of roc! and soil from various parts of the antarctic continentA aided 3y the remar!a3le drill devised 3y >rofessor 4ran! 2. >a3odie of our en'ineerin' department. = had no ,ish to 3e a pioneer in any other field than thisA 3ut = did hope that the use of this ne, mechanical appliance at different points alon' previously e%plored paths ,ould 3rin' to li'ht materials of a sort hitherto unreached 3y the ordinary methods of collection. >a3odieTs drillin' apparatusA as the pu3lic already !no,s from our reportsA ,as uniDue and radical in its li'htnessA porta3ilityA and capacity to com3ine the ordinary artesian drill principle ,ith the principle of the small circular roc! drill in such a ,ay as to cope Duic!ly ,ith strata of varyin' hardness. Steel headA Cointed rodsA 'asoline motorA collapsi3le ,ooden derric!A dynamitin' paraphernaliaA cordin'A ru33ish1removal au'erA and sectional pipin' for 3ores five inches ,ide and up to one thousand feet deep all formedA ,ith needed accessoriesA no 'reater load than three seven1do' sled'es could carry. This ,as made possi3le 3y the clever aluminum alloy of ,hich most of the metal o3Cects ,ere fashioned. 4our lar'e $ornier aeroplanesA desi'ned especially for the tremendous altitude flyin' necessary on the antarctic plateau and ,ith added fuel1,armin' and Duic!1startin' devices

H.P.Lovecr !t

At the 8ountains of 8adness

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,or!ed out 3y >a3odieA could transport our entire e%pedition from a 3ase at the ed'e of the 'reat ice 3arrier to various suita3le inland pointsA and from these points a sufficient Duota of do's ,ould serve us. We planned to cover as 'reat an area as one antarctic season 1 or lon'erA if a3solutely necessary 1 ,ould permitA operatin' mostly in the mountain ran'es and on the plateau south of :oss SeaB re'ions e%plored in varyin' de'ree 3y Shac!letonA AmundsenA ScottA and Byrd. With freDuent chan'es of campA made 3y aeroplane and involvin' distances 'reat enou'h to 3e of 'eolo'ical si'nificanceA ,e e%pected to unearth a Duite unprecedented amount of material 1 especially in the pre1Cam3rian strata of ,hich so narro, a ran'e of antarctic specimens had previously 3een secured. We ,ished also to o3tain as 'reat as possi3le a variety of the upper fossiliferous roc!sA since the primal life history of this 3lea! realm of ice and death is of the hi'hest importance to our !no,led'e of the earthTs past. That the antarctic continent ,as once temperate and even tropicalA ,ith a teemin' ve'eta3le and animal life of ,hich the lichensA marine faunaA arachnidaA and pen'uins of the northern ed'e are the only survivalsA is a matter of common informationB and ,e hoped to e%pand that information in varietyA accuracyA and detail. When a simple 3orin' revealed fossiliferous si'nsA ,e ,ould enlar'e the aperture 3y 3lastin'A in order to 'et specimens of suita3le size and condition. +ur 3orin'sA of varyin' depth accordin' to the promise held out 3y the upper soil or roc!A ,ere to 3e confined to e%posedA or nearly e%posedA land surfaces 1 these inevita3ly 3ein' slopes and rid'es 3ecause of the mile or t,o1mile thic!ness of solid ice overlyin' the lo,er levels. We could not afford to ,aste drillin' the depth of any considera3le amount of mere 'laciationA thou'h >a3odie had ,or!ed out a plan for sin!in' copper electrodes in thic! clusters of 3orin's and meltin' off limited areas of ice ,ith current from a 'asoline1 driven dynamo. =t is this plan 1 ,hich ,e could not put into effect e%cept e%perimentally on an e%pedition such as ours 1 that the comin' Star!,eather18oore E%pedition proposes to follo,A despite the ,arnin's = have issued since our return from the antarctic. The pu3lic !no,s of the 8is!atonic E%pedition throu'h our freDuent ,ireless reports to the Ark"am Ad!ertiser and Associated >ressA and throu'h the later articles of >a3odie and myself. We consisted of four men from the (niversity 1 >a3odieA 5a!e of the 3iolo'y departmentA At,ood of the physics department 1 also a meteorolo'ist 1 and myselfA representin' 'eolo'y and havin' nominal command 1 3esides si%teen assistants9 seven 'raduate students from 8is!atonic and nine s!illed mechanics. +f these si%teenA t,elve ,ere Dualified aeroplane pilotsA all 3ut t,o of ,hom ,ere competent ,ireless operators. Ei'ht of them understood navi'ation ,ith compass and se%tantA as did >a3odieA At,oodA and =. =n additionA of courseA our t,o ships 1 ,ooden e%1,halersA reinforced for ice conditions and havin' au%iliary steam 1 ,ere fully manned. The ;athaniel $er3y >ic!man 4oundationA aided 3y a fe, special contri3utionsA financed the e%peditionB hence our preparations ,ere e%tremely thorou'hA despite the a3sence of 'reat pu3licity. The do'sA sled'esA machinesA camp materialsA and unassem3led parts of our five planes ,ere delivered in BostonA and there our ships ,ere loaded. We ,ere marvelously ,ell1eDuipped for our specific purposesA and in all matters pertainin' to suppliesA re'imenA transportationA and camp construction ,e profited 3y the e%cellent e%ample of our many recent and e%ceptionally 3rilliant predecessors. =t ,as the unusual num3er and fame of these predecessors ,hich made our o,n e%pedition 1 ample thou'h it ,as 1 so little noticed 3y the ,orld at lar'e.

H.P.Lovecr !t

At the 8ountains of 8adness

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As the ne,spapers toldA ,e sailed from Boston 2ar3or on Septem3er "ndA 1)&*A ta!in' a leisurely course do,n the coast and throu'h the >anama CanalA and stoppin' at Samoa and 2o3artA TasmaniaA at ,hich latter place ,e too! on final supplies. ;one of our e%plorin' party had ever 3een in the polar re'ions 3eforeA hence ,e all relied 'reatly on our ship captains 1 6. B. $ou'lasA commandin' the 3ri' Ark"amA and servin' as commander of the sea partyA and 7eor' ThorfinnssenA commandin' the 3arDue Miskatonic 1 3oth veteran ,halers in antarctic ,aters. As ,e left the inha3ited ,orld 3ehindA the sun san! lo,er and lo,er in the northA and stayed lon'er and lon'er a3ove the horizon each day. At a3out -"P South 5atitude ,e si'hted our first ice3er's 1 ta3le1li!e o3Cects ,ith vertical sides 1 and Cust 3efore reachin' the antarctic circleA ,hich ,e crossed on +cto3er "*th ,ith appropriately Duaint ceremoniesA ,e ,ere considera3ly trou3led ,ith field ice. The fallin' temperature 3othered me considera3ly after our lon' voya'e throu'h the tropicsA 3ut = tried to 3race up for the ,orse ri'ors to come. +n many occasions the curious atmospheric effects enchanted me vastlyB these includin' a stri!in'ly vivid mira'e 1 the first = had ever seen 1 in ,hich distant 3er's 3ecame the 3attlements of unima'ina3le cosmic castles. >ushin' throu'h the iceA ,hich ,as fortunately neither e%tensive nor thic!ly pac!edA ,e re'ained open ,ater at South 5atitude -7PA East 5on'itude 17 P +n the mornin' of +cto3er "-th a stron' land 3lin! appeared on the southA and 3efore noon ,e all felt a thrill of e%citement at 3eholdin' a vastA loftyA and sno,1clad mountain chain ,hich opened out and covered the ,hole vista ahead. At last ,e had encountered an outpost of the 'reat un!no,n continent and its cryptic ,orld of frozen death. These pea!s ,ere o3viously the Admiralty :an'e discovered 3y :ossA and it ,ould no, 3e our tas! to round Cape Adare and sail do,n the east coast of ?ictoria 5and to our contemplated 3ase on the shore of 8c8urdo SoundA at the foot of the volcano Ere3us in South 5atitude 77P )<. The last lap of the voya'e ,as vivid and fancy1stirrin'. 7reat 3arren pea!s of mystery loomed up constantly a'ainst the ,est as the lo, northern sun of noon or the still lo,er horizon1'razin' southern sun of midni'ht poured its hazy reddish rays over the ,hite sno,A 3luish ice and ,ater lanesA and 3lac! 3its of e%posed 'ranite slope. Throu'h the desolate summits s,ept ran'in'A intermittent 'usts of the terri3le antarctic ,indB ,hose cadences sometimes held va'ue su''estions of a ,ild and half1sentient musical pipin'A ,ith notes e%tendin' over a ,ide ran'eA and ,hich for some su3conscious mnemonic reason seemed to me disDuietin' and even dimly terri3le. Somethin' a3out the scene reminded me of the stran'e and distur3in' Asian paintin's of ;icholas :oerichA and of the still stran'er and more distur3in' descriptions of the evilly fa3led plateau of 5en' ,hich occur in the dreaded -ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul Alhazred. = ,as rather sorryA later onA that = had ever loo!ed into that monstrous 3oo! at the colle'e li3rary. +n the 7th of ;ovem3erA si'ht of the ,est,ard ran'e havin' 3een temporarily lostA ,e passed 4ran!lin =slandB and the ne%t day descried the cones of 8ts. Ere3us and Terror on :oss =sland aheadA ,ith the lon' line of the >arry 8ountains 3eyond. There no, stretched off to the east the lo,A ,hite line of the 'reat ice 3arrierA risin' perpendicularly to a hei'ht of t,o hundred feet li!e the roc!y cliffs of /ue3ecA and mar!in' the end of south,ard navi'ation. =n the afternoon ,e entered 8c8urdo Sound and stood off the coast in the lee of smo!in' 8t. Ere3us. The scoriac pea! to,ered up some t,elve thousandA seven hundred feet a'ainst the eastern s!yA li!e a 6apanese print of the sacred 4uCiyamaA ,hile

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3eyond it rose the ,hiteA 'hostli!e hei'ht of 8t. TerrorA ten thousandA nine hundred feet in altitudeA and no, e%tinct as a volcano. >uffs of smo!e from Ere3us came intermittentlyA and one of the 'raduate assistants 1 a 3rilliant youn' fello, named $anforth 1 pointed out ,hat loo!ed li!e lava on the sno,y slopeA remar!in' that this mountainA discovered in 18#*A had undou3tedly 3een the source of >oeTs ima'e ,hen he ,rote seven years later9 - t"e la!as t"at restlessly roll T"eir sulp"urous currents do$n ;aanek In t"e ultimate climes of t"e pole T"at groan as t"ey roll do$n Mount ;aanek In t"e realms of t"e boreal pole% $anforth ,as a 'reat reader of 3izarre materialA and had tal!ed a 'ood deal of >oe. = ,as interested myself 3ecause of the antarctic scene of >oeTs only lon' story 1 the distur3in' and eni'matical Art"ur Gordon ,ym% +n the 3arren shoreA and on the lofty ice 3arrier in the 3ac!'roundA myriads of 'rotesDue pen'uins sDua,!ed and flapped their finsA ,hile many fat seals ,ere visi3le on the ,aterA s,immin' or spra,lin' across lar'e ca!es of slo,ly driftin' ice. (sin' small 3oatsA ,e effected a difficult landin' on :oss =sland shortly after midni'ht on the mornin' of the )thA carryin' a line of ca3le from each of the ships and preparin' to unload supplies 3y means of a 3reeches13uoy arran'ement. +ur sensations on first treadin' Antarctic soil ,ere poi'uant and comple%A even thou'h at this particular point the Scott and Shac!leton e%peditions had preceded us. +ur camp on the frozen shore 3elo, the volcanoTs slope ,as only a provisional oneA headDuarters 3ein' !ept a3oard the Ar!ham. We landed all our drillin' apparatusA do'sA sled'esA tentsA provisionsA 'asoline tan!sA e%perimental ice1meltin' outfitA camerasA 3oth ordinary and aerialA aeroplane partsA and other accessoriesA includin' three small porta3le ,ireless outfits 1 3esides those in the planes 1 capa3le of communicatin' ,ith the Ark"amHs lar'e outfit from any part of the antarctic continent that ,e ,ould 3e li!ely to visit. The shipTs outfitA communicatin' ,ith the outside ,orldA ,as to convey press reports to the Ark"am Ad!ertiser+s po,erful ,ireless station on 0in'sport 2eadA 8assachusetts. We hoped to complete our ,or! durin' a sin'le antarctic summerB 3ut if this proved impossi3leA ,e ,ould ,inter on the Ark"am& sendin' the Miskatonic north 3efore the freezin' of the ice for another summerTs supplies. = need not repeat ,hat the ne,spapers have already pu3lished a3out our early ,or!9 of our ascent of 8t. Ere3usB our successful mineral 3orin's at several points on :oss =sland and the sin'ular speed ,ith ,hich >a3odieTs apparatus accomplished themA even throu'h solid roc! layersB our provisional test of the small ice1meltin' eDuipmentB our perilous ascent of the 'reat 3arrier ,ith sled'es and suppliesB and our final assem3lin' of five hu'e aeroplanes at the camp atop the 3arrier. The health of our land party 1 t,enty men and fifty1five Alas!an sled'e do's 1 ,as remar!a3leA thou'h of course ,e had so far encountered no really destructive temperatures or ,indstorms. 4or the most partA the thermometer varied 3et,een zero and "*P or " P a3oveA and our e%perience ,ith ;e, En'land ,inters had accustomed us to ri'ors of this sort. The 3arrier camp ,as semi1 permanentA and destined to 3e a stora'e cache for 'asolineA provisionsA dynamiteA and other supplies.

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+nly four of our planes ,ere needed to carry the actual e%plorin' materialA the fifth 3ein' left ,ith a pilot and t,o men from the ships at the stora'e cache to form a means of reachin' us from the Ark"am in case all our e%plorin' planes ,ere lost. 5aterA ,hen not usin' all the other planes for movin' apparatusA ,e ,ould employ one or t,o in a shuttle transportation service 3et,een this cache and another permanent 3ase on the 'reat plateau from si% hundred to seven hundred miles south,ardA 3eyond Beardmore 7lacier. $espite the almost unanimous accounts of appallin' ,inds and tempests that pour do,n from the plateauA ,e determined to dispense ,ith intermediate 3asesA ta!in' our chances in the interest of economy and pro3a3le efficiency. Wireless reports have spo!en of the 3reathta!in'A four1hourA nonstop fli'ht of our sDuadron on ;ovem3er "1st over the lofty shelf iceA ,ith vast pea!s risin' on the ,estA and the unfathomed silences echoin' to the sound of our en'ines. Wind trou3led us only moderatelyA and our radio compasses helped us throu'h the one opaDue fo' ,e encountered. When the vast rise loomed aheadA 3et,een 5atitudes 8&P and 8#PA ,e !ne, ,e had reached Beardmore 7lacierA the lar'est valley 'lacier in the ,orldA and that the frozen sea ,as no, 'ivin' place to a fro,nin' and mountainous coast line. At last ,e ,ere truly enterin' the ,hiteA aeon1dead ,orld of the ultimate south. Even as ,e realized it ,e sa, the pea! of 8t. ;ansen in the eastern distanceA to,erin' up to its hei'ht of almost fifteen thousand feet. The successful esta3lishment of the southern 3ase a3ove the 'lacier in 5atitude 8-P 7TA East 5on'itude 17#P "&TA and the phenomenally rapid and effective 3orin's and 3lastin's made at various points reached 3y our sled'e trips and short aeroplane fli'htsA are matters of historyB as is the arduous and triumphant ascent of 8t. ;ansen 3y >a3odie and t,o of the 'raduate students 1 7edney and Carroll 1 on $ecem3er 1& 1 1 . We ,ere some ei'ht thousandA five hundred feet a3ove sea1levelA and ,hen e%perimental drillin's revealed solid 'round only t,elve feet do,n throu'h the sno, and ice at certain pointsA ,e made considera3le use of the small meltin' apparatus and sun! 3ores and performed dynamitin' at many places ,here no previous e%plorer had ever thou'ht of securin' mineral specimens. The pre1Cam3rian 'ranites and 3eacon sandstones thus o3tained confirmed our 3elief that this plateau ,as homo'eneousA ,ith the 'reat 3ul! of the continent to the ,estA 3ut some,hat different from the parts lyin' east,ard 3elo, South America 1 ,hich ,e then thou'ht to form a separate and smaller continent divided from the lar'er one 3y a frozen Cunction of :oss and Weddell SeasA thou'h Byrd has since disproved the hypothesis. =n certain of the sandstonesA dynamited and chiseled after 3orin' revealed their natureA ,e found some hi'hly interestin' fossil mar!in's and fra'mentsB nota3ly fernsA sea,eedsA trilo3itesA crinoidsA and such mollus!s as lin'uellae and 'astropods 1 all of ,hich seemed of real si'nificance in connection ,ith the re'ionTs primordial history. There ,as also a Dueer trian'ularA striated mar!in'A a3out a foot in 'reatest diameterA ,hich 5a!e pieced to'ether from three fra'ments of slate 3rou'ht up from a deep13lasted aperture. These fra'ments came from a point to the ,est,ardA near the /ueen Ale%andra :an'eB and 5a!eA as a 3iolo'istA seemed to find their curious mar!in' unusually puzzlin' and provocativeA thou'h to my 'eolo'ical eye it loo!ed not unli!e some of the ripple effects reasona3ly common in the sedimentary roc!s. Since slate is no more than a metamorphic formation into ,hich a sedimentary stratum is pressedA and since the pressure itself produces odd distortin' effects on any mar!in's ,hich may e%istA = sa, no reason for e%treme ,onder over the striated depression.

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+n 6anuary -thA 1)&1A 5a!eA >a3odieA $anforthA the other si% studentsA and myself fle, directly over the south pole in t,o of the 'reat planesA 3ein' forced do,n once 3y a sudden hi'h ,indA ,hichA fortunatelyA did not develop into a typical storm. This ,asA as the papers have statedA one of several o3servation fli'htsA durin' others of ,hich ,e tried to discern ne, topo'raphical features in areas unreached 3y previous e%plorers. +ur early fli'hts ,ere disappointin' in this latter respectA thou'h they afforded us some ma'nificent e%amples of the richly fantastic and deceptive mira'es of the polar re'ionsA of ,hich our sea voya'e had 'iven us some 3rief foretastes. $istant mountains floated in the s!y as enchanted citiesA and often the ,hole ,hite ,orld ,ould dissolve into a 'oldA silverA and scarlet land of $unsanian dreams and adventurous e%pectancy under the ma'ic of the lo, midni'ht sun. +n cloudy days ,e had considera3le trou3le in flyin' o,in' to the tendency of sno,y earth and s!y to mer'e into one mystical opalescent void ,ith no visi3le horizon to mar! the Cunction of the t,o. At len'th ,e resolved to carry out our ori'inal plan of flyin' five hundred miles east,ard ,ith all four e%plorin' planes and esta3lishin' a fresh su313ase at a point ,hich ,ould pro3a3ly 3e on the smaller continental divisionA as ,e mista!enly conceived it. 7eolo'ical specimens o3tained there ,ould 3e desira3le for purposes of comparison. +ur health so far had remained e%cellent 1 lime Cuice ,ell offsettin' the steady diet of tinned and salted foodA and temperatures 'enerally a3ove zero ena3lin' us to do ,ithout our thic!est furs. =t ,as no, midsummerA and ,ith haste and care ,e mi'ht 3e a3le to conclude ,or! 3y 8arch and avoid a tedious ,interin' throu'h the lon' antarctic ni'ht. Several sava'e ,indstorms had 3urst upon us from the ,estA 3ut ,e had escaped dama'e throu'h the s!ill of At,ood in devisin' rudimentary aeroplane shelters and ,ind3rea!s of heavy sno, 3loc!sA and reinforcin' the principal camp 3uildin's ,ith sno,. +ur 'ood luc! and efficiency had indeed 3een almost uncanny. The outside ,orld !ne,A of courseA of our pro'ramA and ,as told also of 5a!eTs stran'e and do''ed insistence on a ,est,ard 1 or ratherA north,est,ard 1 prospectin' trip 3efore our radical shift to the ne, 3ase. =t seems that he had pondered a 'reat dealA and ,ith alarmin'ly radical darin'A over that trian'ular striated mar!in' in the slateB readin' into it certain contradictions in nature and 'eolo'ical period ,hich ,hetted his curiosity to the utmostA and made him avid to sin! more 3orin's and 3lastin's in the ,est1stretchin' formation to ,hich the e%humed fra'ments evidently 3elon'ed. 2e ,as stran'ely convinced that the mar!in' ,as the print of some 3ul!yA un!no,nA and radically unclassifia3le or'anism of considera3ly advanced evolutionA not,ithstandin' that the roc! ,hich 3ore it ,as of so vastly ancient a date 1 Cam3rian if not actually pre1Cam3rian 1 as to preclude the pro3a3le e%istence not only of all hi'hly evolved lifeA 3ut of any life at all a3ove the unicellular or at most the trilo3ite sta'e. These fra'mentsA ,ith their odd mar!in'A must have 3een five hundred million to a thousand million years old.

,,.
>opular ima'inationA = Cud'eA responded actively to our ,ireless 3ulletins of 5a!eTs start north,est,ard into re'ions never trodden 3y human foot or penetrated 3y human ima'inationA thou'h ,e did not mention his ,ild hopes of revolutionizin' the entire sciences of 3iolo'y and 'eolo'y. 2is preliminary sled'in' and 3orin' Courney of 6anuary 11th to 18th ,ith >a3odie and five others 1 marred 3y the loss of t,o do's in an upset

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,hen crossin' one of the 'reat pressure rid'es in the ice 1 had 3rou'ht up more and more of the Archaean slateB and even = ,as interested 3y the sin'ular profusion of evident fossil mar!in's in that un3elieva3ly ancient stratum. These mar!in'sA ho,everA ,ere of very primitive life forms involvin' no 'reat parado% e%cept that any life forms should occur in roc! as definitely pre1Cam3rian as this seemed to 3eB hence = still failed to see the 'ood sense of 5a!eTs demand for an interlude in our time1savin' pro'ram 1 an interlude reDuirin' the use of all four planesA many menA and the ,hole of the e%peditionTs mechanical apparatus. = did notA in the endA veto the planA thou'h = decided not to accompany the north,est,ard party despite 5a!eTs plea for my 'eolo'ical advice. While they ,ere 'oneA = ,ould remain at the 3ase ,ith >a3odie and five men and ,or! out final plans for the east,ard shift. =n preparation for this transferA one of the planes had 3e'un to move up a 'ood 'asoline supply from 8c8urdo SoundB 3ut this could ,ait temporarily. = !ept ,ith me one sled'e and nine do'sA since it is un,ise to 3e at any time ,ithout possi3le transportation in an utterly tenantless ,orld of aeon1lon' death. 5a!eTs su31e%pedition into the un!no,nA as everyone ,ill recallA sent out its o,n reports from the short,ave transmitters on the planesB these 3ein' simultaneously pic!ed up 3y our apparatus at the southern 3ase and 3y the Ark"am at 8c8urdo SoundA ,hence they ,ere relayed to the outside ,orld on ,ave len'ths up to fifty meters. The start ,as made 6anuary ""nd at # A.8.A and the first ,ireless messa'e ,e received came only t,o hours laterA ,hen 5a!e spo!e of descendin' and startin' a small1scale ice1meltin' and 3ore at a point some three hundred miles a,ay from us. Si% hours after that a second and very e%cited messa'e told of the franticA 3eaver1li!e ,or! ,here3y a shallo, shaft had 3een sun! and 3lastedA culminatin' in the discovery of slate fra'ments ,ith several mar!in's appro%imately li!e the one ,hich had caused the ori'inal puzzlement. Three hours later a 3rief 3ulletin announced the resumption of the fli'ht in the teeth of a ra, and piercin' 'aleB and ,hen = dispatched a messa'e of protest a'ainst further hazardsA 5a!e replied curtly that his ne, specimens made any hazard ,orth ta!in'. = sa, that his e%citement had reached the point of mutinyA and that = could do nothin' to chec! this headlon' ris! of the ,hole e%peditionTs successB 3ut it ,as appallin' to thin! of his plun'in' deeper and deeper into that treacherous and sinister ,hite immensity of tempests and unfathomed mysteries ,hich stretched off for some fifteen hundred miles to the half1 !no,nA half1suspected coast line of /ueen 8ary and 0no% 5ands. ThenA in a3out an hour and a half moreA came that dou3ly e%cited messa'e from 5a!eTs movin' planeA ,hich almost reversed my sentiments and made me ,ish = had accompanied the party9 )<R8RG ,%M% 'n t"e $ing% After sno$storm& "a!e spied mountain range a"ead "ig"er t"an any "it"erto seen% May e0ual 9imalayas& allo$ing for "eig"t of plateau% ,robable (atitude >=P <GH& (ongitude <<SP <RH % *eac"es far as can see to rig"t and left% Suspicion of t$o smoking cones% All peaks black and bare of sno$% Gale blo$ing off t"em impedes na!igation%) After that >a3odieA the men and = hun' 3reathlessly over the receiver. Thou'ht of this titanic mountain rampart seven hundred miles a,ay inflamed our deepest sense of adventureB and ,e reCoiced that our e%peditionA if not ourselves personallyA had 3een its discoverers. =n half an hour 5a!e called us a'ain9

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)Moulton+s plane forced do$n on plateau in foot"ills& but nobody "urt and per"aps can repair% S"all transfer essentials to ot"er t"ree for return or furt"er mo!es if necessary& but no more "ea!y plane tra!el needed Fust no$% Mountains surpass anyt"ing in imagination% Am going up scouting in CarrollHs plane& $it" all $eig"t out% );ou canHt imagine anyt"ing like t"is% 9ig"est peaks must go o!er t"irty-fi!e t"ousand feet% !erest out of t"e running% At$ood to $ork out "eig"t $it" t"eodolite $"ile Carroll and I go up% ,robably $rong about cones& for formations look stratified% ,ossibly pre-Cambrian slate $it" ot"er strata mi@ed in% 6ueer skyline effects - regular sections of cubes clinging to "ig"est peaks% W"ole t"ing mar!elous in red-gold lig"t of lo$ sun% (ike land of mystery in a dream or gate$ay to forbidden $orld of untrodden $onder% Wis" you $ere "ere to study%) Thou'h it ,as technically sleepin' timeA not one of us listeners thou'ht for a moment of retirin'. =t must have 3een a 'ood deal the same at 8c8urdo SoundA ,here the supply cache and the Ark"am ,ere also 'ettin' the messa'esB for Captain $ou'las 'ave out a call con'ratulatin' every3ody on the important findA and ShermanA the cache operatorA seconded his sentiments. We ,ere sorryA of courseA a3out the dama'ed aeroplaneA 3ut hoped it could 3e easily mended. ThenA at 11 >.8.A came another call from 5a!e9 )5p $it" Carroll o!er "ig"est foot"ills% #onHt dare try really tall peaks in present $eat"er& but s"all later% 7rig"tful $ork climbing& and "ard going at t"is altitude& but $ort" it% Great range fairly solid& "ence canHt get any glimpses beyond% Main summits e@ceed 9imalayas& and !ery 0ueer% *ange looks like pre-Cambrian slate& $it" plain signs of many ot"er up"ea!ed strata% Was $rong about !olcanism% Goes fart"er in eit"er direction t"an $e can see% S$ept clear of sno$ abo!e about t$enty-one t"ousand feet% )'dd formations on slopes of "ig"est mountains% Great lo$ s0uare blocks $it" e@actly !ertical sides& and rectangular lines of lo$& !ertical ramparts& like t"e old Asian castles clinging to steep mountains in *oeric"Hs paintings% Impressi!e from distance% 7le$ close to some& and Carroll t"oug"t t"ey $ere formed of smaller separate pieces& but t"at is probably $eat"ering% Most edges crumbled and rounded off as if e@posed to storms and climate c"anges for millions of years% ),arts& especially upper parts& seem to be of lig"ter-colored rock t"an any !isible strata on slopes proper& "ence of e!idently crystalline origin% Close flying s"o$s many ca!e mout"s& some unusually regular in outline& s0uare or semicircular% ;ou must come and in!estigate% T"ink I sa$ rampart s0uarely on top of one peak% 9eig"t seems about t"irty t"ousand to t"irty-fi!e t"ousand feet% Am up t$enty-one t"ousand& fi!e "undred myself& in de!ilis"& gna$ing cold% Wind $"istles and pipes t"roug" passes and in and out of ca!es& but no flying danger so far%) 4rom then on for another half hour 5a!e !ept up a runnin' fire of commentA and e%pressed his intention of clim3in' some of the pea!s on foot. = replied that = ,ould Coin him as soon as he could send a planeA and that >a3odie and = ,ould ,or! out the 3est 'asoline plan 1 Cust ,here and ho, to concentrate our supply in vie, of the e%peditionTs altered character. +3viouslyA 5a!eTs 3orin' operationsA as ,ell as his aeroplane activitiesA ,ould reDuire a 'reat deal for the ne, 3ase ,hich he planned to esta3lish at the foot of the

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mountainsB and it ,as possi3le that the east,ard fli'ht mi'ht not 3e madeA after allA this season. =n connection ,ith this 3usiness = called Captain $ou'las and as!ed him to 'et as much as possi3le out of the ships and up the 3arrier ,ith the sin'le do' team ,e had left there. A direct route across the un!no,n re'ion 3et,een 5a!e and 8c8urdo Sound ,as ,hat ,e really ou'ht to esta3lish. 5a!e called me later to say that he had decided to let the camp stay ,here 8oultonTs plane had 3een forced do,nA and ,here repairs had already pro'ressed some,hat. The ice sheet ,as very thinA ,ith dar! 'round here and there visi3leA and he ,ould sin! some 3orin's and 3lasts at that very point 3efore ma!in' any sled'e trips or clim3in' e%peditions. 2e spo!e of the ineffa3le maCesty of the ,hole sceneA and the Dueer state of his sensations at 3ein' in the lee of vastA silent pinnacles ,hose ran!s shot up li!e a ,all reachin' the s!y at the ,orldTs rim. At,oodTs theodolite o3servations had placed the hei'ht of the five tallest pea!s at from thirty thousand to thirty1four thousand feet. The ,inds,ept nature of the terrain clearly distur3ed 5a!eA for it ar'ued the occasional e%istence of prodi'ious 'alesA violent 3eyond anythin' ,e had so far encountered. 2is camp lay a little more than five miles from ,here the hi'her foothills rose a3ruptly. = could almost trace a note of su3conscious alarm in his ,ords1flashed across a 'lacial void of seven hundred miles 1 as he ur'ed that ,e all hasten ,ith the matter and 'et the stran'eA ne, re'ion disposed of as soon as possi3le. 2e ,as a3out to rest no,A after a continuous dayTs ,or! of almost unparalleled speedA strenuousnessA and results. =n the mornin' = had a three1cornered ,ireless tal! ,ith 5a!e and Captain $ou'las at their ,idely separated 3ases. =t ,as a'reed that one of 5a!eTs planes ,ould come to my 3ase for >a3odieA the five menA and myselfA as ,ell as for all the fuel it could carry. The rest of the fuel DuestionA dependin' on our decision a3out an easterly tripA could ,ait for a fe, daysA since 5a!e had enou'h for immediate camp heat and 3orin's. Eventually the old southern 3ase ou'ht to 3e restoc!edA 3ut if ,e postponed the easterly trip ,e ,ould not use it till the ne%t summerA andA mean,hileA 5a!e must send a plane to e%plore a direct route 3et,een his ne, mountains and 8c8urdo Sound. >a3odie and = prepared to close our 3ase for a short or lon' periodA as the case mi'ht 3e. =f ,e ,intered in the antarctic ,e ,ould pro3a3ly fly strai'ht from 5a!eTs 3ase to the Ark"am ,ithout returnin' to this spot. Some of our conical tents had already 3een reinforced 3y 3loc!s of hard sno,A and no, ,e decided to complete the Co3 of ma!in' a permanent villa'e. +,in' to a very li3eral tent supplyA 5a!e had ,ith him all that his 3ase ,ould needA even after our arrival. = ,irelessed that >a3odie and = ,ould 3e ready for the north,est,ard move after one dayTs ,or! and one ni'htTs rest. +ur la3orsA ho,everA ,ere not very steady after # >.8.A for a3out that time 5a!e 3e'an sendin' in the most e%traordinary and e%cited messa'es. 2is ,or!in' day had started unpropitiouslyA since an aeroplane survey of the nearly1e%posed roc! surfaces sho,ed an entire a3sence of those Archaean and primordial strata for ,hich he ,as loo!in'A and ,hich formed so 'reat a part of the colossal pea!s that loomed up at a tantalizin' distance from the camp. 8ost of the roc!s 'limpsed ,ere apparently 6urassic and Comanchian sandstones and >ermian and Triassic schistsA ,ith no, and then a 'lossy 3lac! outcroppin' su''estin' a hard and slaty coal. This rather discoura'ed 5a!eA ,hose plans all hin'ed on unearthin' specimens more than five hundred million years older. =t ,as clear to him that in order to recover the Archaean slate vein in ,hich he had found the odd mar!in'sA he

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,ould have to ma!e a lon' sled'e trip from these foothills to the steep slopes of the 'i'antic mountains themselves. 2e had resolvedA neverthelessA to do some local 3orin' as part of the e%peditionTs 'eneral pro'ramB hence he set up the drill and put five men to ,or! ,ith it ,hile the rest finished settlin' the camp and repairin' the dama'ed aeroplane. The softest visi3le roc! 1 a sandstone a3out a Duarter of a mile from the camp 1 had 3een chosen for the first samplin'B and the drill made e%cellent pro'ress ,ithout much supplementary 3lastin'. =t ,as a3out three hours after,ardA follo,in' the first really heavy 3last of the operationA that the shoutin' of the drill cre, ,as heardB and that youn' 7edney 1 the actin' foreman 1 rushed into the camp ,ith the startlin' ne,s. They had struc! a cave. Early in the 3orin' the sandstone had 'iven place to a vein of Comanchian limestoneA full of minute fossil cephalopodsA coralsA echiniA and spiriferaA and ,ith occasional su''estions of siliceous spon'es and marine verte3rate 3ones 1 the latter pro3a3ly of teleostsA shar!sA and 'anoids. ThisA in itselfA ,as important enou'hA as affordin' the first verte3rate fossils the e%pedition had yet securedB 3ut ,hen shortly after,ard the drill head dropped throu'h the stratum into apparent vacancyA a ,holly ne, and dou3ly intense ,ave of e%citement spread amon' the e%cavators. A 'ood1sized 3last had laid open the su3terrene secretB and no,A throu'h a Ca''ed aperture perhaps five feet across and three feet thic!A there ya,ned 3efore the avid searchers a section of shallo, limestone hollo,in' ,orn more than fifty million years a'o 3y the tric!lin' 'round ,aters of a 3y'one tropic ,orld. The hollo,ed layer ,as not more than seven or ei'ht feet deep 3ut e%tended off indefinitely in all directions and had a freshA sli'htly movin' air ,hich su''ested its mem3ership in an e%tensive su3terranean system. =ts roof and floor ,ere a3undantly eDuipped ,ith lar'e stalactites and stala'mitesA some of ,hich met in columnar form9 3ut important a3ove all else ,as the vast deposit of shells and 3onesA ,hich in places nearly cho!ed the passa'e. Washed do,n from un!no,n Cun'les of 8esozoic tree ferns and fun'iA and forests of Tertiary cycadsA fan palmsA and primitive an'iospermsA this osseous medley contained representatives of more CretaceousA EoceneA and other animal species than the 'reatest paleontolo'ist could have counted or classified in a year. 8ollus!sA crustacean armorA fishesA amphi3iansA reptilesA 3irdsA and early mammals 1 'reat and smallA !no,n and un!no,n. ;o ,onder 7edney ran 3ac! to the camp shoutin'A and no ,onder everyone else dropped ,or! and rushed headlon' throu'h the 3itin' cold to ,here the tall derric! mar!ed a ne,1found 'ate,ay to secrets of inner earth and vanished aeons. When 5a!e had satisfied the first !een ed'e of his curiosityA he scri33led a messa'e in his note3oo! and had youn' 8oulton run 3ac! to the camp to dispatch it 3y ,ireless. This ,as my first ,ord of the discoveryA and it told of the identification of early shellsA 3ones of 'anoids and placodermsA remnants of la3yrinthodonts and thecodontsA 'reat mosasaur s!ull fra'mentsA dinosaur verte3rae and armor platesA pterodactyl teeth and ,in' 3onesA Archaeoptery% de3risA 8iocene shar!sT teethA primitive 3ird s!ullsA and other 3ones of archaic mammals such as palaeotheresA RiphodonsA EohippiA +reodonsA and titanotheres. There ,as nothin' as recent as a mastodonA elephantA true camelA deerA or 3ovine animalB hence 5a!e concluded that the last deposits had occurred durin' the +li'ocene A'eA and that the hollo,ed stratum had lain in its present driedA deadA and inaccessi3le state for at least thirty million years.

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+n the other handA the prevalence of very early life forms ,as sin'ular in the hi'hest de'ree. Thou'h the limestone formation ,asA on the evidence of such typical im3edded fossils as ventriculitesA positively and unmista!a3ly Comanchian and not a particle earlierA the free fra'ments in the hollo, space included a surprisin' proportion from or'anisms hitherto considered as peculiar to far older periods 1 even rudimentary fishesA mollus!sA and corals as remote as the Silunan or +rdovician. The inevita3le inference ,as that in this part of the ,orld there had 3een a remar!a3le and uniDue de'ree of continuity 3et,een the life of over three hundred million years a'o and that of only thirty million years a'o. 2o, far this continuity had e%tended 3eyond the +li'ocene A'e ,hen the cavern ,as closed ,as of course past all speculation. =n any eventA the comin' of the fri'htful ice in the >leistocene some five hundred thousand years a'o 1 a mere yesterday as compared ,ith the a'e of this cavity 1 must have put an end to any of the primal forms ,hich had locally mana'ed to outlive their common terms. 5a!e ,as not content to let his first messa'e standA 3ut had another 3ulletin ,ritten and dispatched across the sno, to the camp 3efore 8oulton could 'et 3ac!. After that 8oulton stayed at the ,ireless in one of the planesA transmittin' to me 1 and to the Ark"am for relayin' to the outside ,orld 1 the freDuent postscripts ,hich 5a!e sent him 3y a succession of messen'ers. Those ,ho follo,ed the ne,spapers ,ill remem3er the e%citement created amon' men of science 3y that afternoonTs reports 1 reports ,hich have finally ledA after all these yearsA to the or'anization of that very Star!,eather18oore E%pedition ,hich = am so an%ious to dissuade from its purposes. = had 3etter 'ive the messa'es literally as 5a!e sent themA and as our 3ase operator 8cTi'he translated them from the pencil shorthand9 )7o$ler makes disco!ery of "ig"est importance in sandstone and limestone fragments from blasts% Se!eral distinct triangular striated prints like t"ose in Arc"aean slate& pro!ing t"at source sur!i!ed from o!er si@ "undred million years ago to Comanc"ian times $it"out more t"an moderate morp"ological c"anges and decrease in a!erage si2e% Comanc"ian prints apparently more primiti!e or decadent& if anyt"ing& t"an older ones% mp"asi2e importance of disco!ery in press% Will mean to biology $"at instein "as meant to mat"ematics and p"ysics% Joins up $it" my pre!ious $ork and amplifies conclusions% )Appears to indicate& as I suspected& t"at eart" "as seen $"ole cycle or cycles of organic life before kno$n one t"at begins $it" Arc"aeo2oic cells% Was e!ol!ed and speciali2ed not later t"an a t"ousand million years ago& $"en planet $as young and recently unin"abitable for any life forms or normal protoplasmic structure% 6uestion arises $"en& $"ere& and "o$ de!elopment took place%) )(ater% @amining certain skeletal fragments of large land and marine saurians and primiti!e mammals& find singular local $ounds or inFuries to bony structure not attributable to any kno$n predatory or carni!orous animal of any period& of t$o sorts - straig"t& penetrant bores& and apparently "acking incisions% 'ne or t$o cases of cleanly se!ered bones% -ot many specimens affected% Am sending to camp for electric torc"es% Will e@tend searc" area underground by "acking a$ay stalactites%) )Still later% 9a!e found peculiar soapstone fragment about si@ inc"es across and an inc" and a "alf t"ick& $"olly unlike any !isible local formation - greenis"& but no

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e!idences to place its period% 9as curious smoot"ness and regularity% S"aped like fi!e-pointed star $it" tips broken off& and signs of ot"er clea!age at in$ard angles and in center of surface% Small& smoot" depression in center of unbroken surface% Arouses muc" curiosity as to source and $eat"ering% ,robably some freak of $ater action% Carroll& $it" magnifier& t"inks "e can make out additional markings of geologic significance% Groups of tiny dots in regular patterns% #ogs gro$ing uneasy as $e $ork& and seem to "ate t"is soapstone% Must see if it "as any peculiar odor% Will report again $"en Mills gets back $it" lig"t and $e start on underground area%) )<R8<G ,%M% Important disco!ery% 'rrendorf and Watkins& $orking underground at K8JG $it" lig"t& found monstrous barrel-s"aped fossil of $"olly unkno$n nature1 probably !egetable unless o!ergro$n specimen of unkno$n marine radiata% Tissue e!idently preser!ed by mineral salts% Toug" as leat"er& but astonis"ing fle@ibility retained in places% Marks of broken-off parts at ends and around sides% Si@ feet end to end& t"ree and fi!e-tent"s feet central diameter& tapering to one foot at eac" end% (ike a barrel $it" fi!e bulging ridges in place of sta!es% (ateral breakages& as of t"innis" stalks& are at e0uator in middle of t"ese ridges% In furro$s bet$een ridges are curious gro$t"s - combs or $ings t"at fold up and spread out like fans% All greatly damaged but one& $"ic" gi!es almost se!en-foot $ing spread% Arrangement reminds one of certain monsters of primal myt"& especially fabled lder T"ings in ;ecronomicon. )T"eir $ings seem to be membranous& stretc"ed on frame $ork of glandular tubing% Apparent minute orifices in frame tubing at $ing tips% nds of body s"ri!eled& gi!ing no clue to interior or to $"at "as been broken off t"ere% Must dissect $"en $e get back to camp% CanHt decide $"et"er !egetable or animal% Many features ob!iously of almost incredible primiti!eness% 9a!e set all "ands cutting stalactites and looking for furt"er specimens% Additional scarred bones found& but t"ese must $ait% 9a!ing trouble $it" dogs% T"ey canHt endure t"e ne$ specimen& and $ould probably tear it to pieces if $e didnHt keep it at a distance from t"em%) )<<8SR ,%M% Attention& #yer& ,abodie& #ouglas% Matter of "ig"est - I mig"t say transcendent - importance% Ark"am must relay to 3ingsport 9ead Station at once% Strange barrel gro$t" is t"e Arc"aean t"ing t"at left prints in rocks% Mills& Boudreau& and 7o$ler disco!er cluster of t"irteen more at underground point forty feet from aperture% Mi@ed $it" curiously rounded and configured soapstone fragments smaller t"an one pre!iously found - star-s"aped& but no marks of breakage e@cept at some of t"e points% )'f organic specimens& eig"t apparently perfect& $it" all appendages% 9a!e broug"t all to surface& leading off dogs to distance% T"ey cannot stand t"e t"ings% Gi!e close attention to description and repeat back for accuracy ,apers must get t"is rig"t% )'bFects are eig"t feet long all o!er% Si@-foot& fi!e-ridged barrel torso t"ree and fi!e-tent"s feet central diameter& one foot end diameters% #ark gray& fle@ible& and infinitely toug"% Se!en-foot membranous $ings of same color& found folded& spread out of furro$s bet$een ridges% Wing frame$ork tubular or glandular& of lig"ter

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gray& $it" orifices at $ing tips% Spread $ings "a!e serrated edge% Around e0uator& one at central ape@ of eac" of t"e fi!e !ertical& sta!e-like ridges are fi!e systems of lig"t gray fle@ible arms or tentacles found tig"tly folded to torso but e@pansible to ma@imum lengt" of o!er t"ree feet% (ike arms of primiti!e crinoid% Single stalks t"ree inc"es diameter branc" after si@ inc"es into fi!e substalks& eac" of $"ic" branc"es after eig"t inc"es into small& tapering tentacles or tendrils& gi!ing eac" stalk a total of t$enty-fi!e tentacles% )At top of torso blunt& bulbous neck of lig"ter gray& $it" gill-like suggestions& "olds yello$is" fi!e-pointed starfis"-s"aped apparent "ead co!ered $it" t"ree-inc" $iry cilia of !arious prismatic colors% )9ead t"ick and puffy& about t$o feet point to point& $it" t"ree-inc" fle@ible yello$is" tubes proFecting from eac" point% Slit in e@act center of top probably breat"ing aperture% At end of eac" tube is sp"erical e@pansion $"ere yello$is" membrane rolls back on "andling to re!eal glassy& red-irised globe& e!idently an eye% )7i!e slig"tly longer reddis" tubes start from inner angles of starfis"-s"aped "ead and end in saclike s$ellings of same color $"ic"& upon pressure& open to bells"aped orifices t$o inc"es ma@imum diameter and lined $it" s"arp& $"ite toot" like proFections - probably mout"s% All t"ese tubes& cilia& and points of starfis" "ead& found folded tig"tly do$n1 tubes and points clinging to bulbous neck and torso% 7le@ibility surprising despite !ast toug"ness% )At bottom of torso& roug" but dissimilarly functioning counterparts of "ead arrangements e@ist% Bulbous lig"t-gray pseudo-neck& $it"out gill suggestions& "olds greenis" fi!e-pointed starfis" arrangement% )Toug"& muscular arms four feet long and tapering from se!en inc"es diameter at base to about t$o and fi!e-tent"s at point% To eac" point is attac"ed small end of a greenis" fi!e-!eined membranous triangle eig"t inc"es long and si@ $ide at fart"er end% T"is is t"e paddle& fin& or pseudofoot $"ic" "as made prints in rocks from a t"ousand million to fifty or si@ty million years old% )7rom inner angles of starfis" arrangement proFect t$o-foot reddis" tubes tapering from t"ree inc"es diameter at base to one at tip% 'rifices at tips% All t"ese parts infinitely toug" and leat"ery& but e@tremely fle@ible% 7our-foot arms $it" paddles undoubtedly used for locomotion of some sort& marine or ot"er$ise% W"en mo!ed& display suggestions of e@aggerated muscularity% As found& all t"ese proFections tig"tly folded o!er pseudoneck and end of torso& corresponding to proFections at ot"er end% )Cannot yet assign positi!ely to animal or !egetable kingdom& but odds no$ fa!or animal% ,robably represents incredibly ad!anced e!olution of radiata $it"out loss of certain primiti!e features% c"inoderm resemblances unmistakable despite local contradictory e!idences% )Wing structure pu22les in !ie$ of probable marine "abitat& but may "a!e use in $ater na!igation% Symmetry is curiously !egetablelike& suggesting !egetable +s

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essential up-and-do$n structure rat"er t"an animalHs fore-and-aft structure% 7abulously early date of e!olution& preceding e!en simplest Arc"aean proto2oa "it"erto kno$n& baffles all conFecture as to origin% )Complete specimens "a!e suc" uncanny resemblance to certain creatures of primal myt" t"at suggestion of ancient e@istence outside antarctic becomes ine!itable% #yer and ,abodie "a!e read -ecronomicon and seen Clark As"ton Smit"Hs nig"tmare paintings based on te@t& and $ill understand $"en I speak of lder T"ings supposed to "a!e created all eart" life as Fest or mistake% Students "a!e al$ays t"oug"t conception formed from morbid imaginati!e treatment of !ery ancient tropical radiata% Also like pre"istoric folklore t"ings Wilmart" "as spoken of - Ct"ul"u cult appendages& etc% ).ast field of study opened% #eposits probably of late Cretaceous or early ocene period& Fudging from associated specimens% Massi!e stalagmites deposited abo!e t"em% 9ard $ork "e$ing out& but toug"ness pre!ented damage% State of preser!ation miraculous& e!idently o$ing to limestone action% -o more found so far& but $ill resume searc" later% Job no$ to get fourteen "uge specimens to camp $it"out dogs& $"ic" bark furiously and canHt be trusted near t"em% )Wit" nine men - t"ree left to guard t"e dogs - $e oug"t to manage t"e t"ree sledges fairly $ell& t"oug" $ind is bad% Must establis" plane communication $it" McMurdo Sound and begin s"ipping material% But IH!e got to dissect one of t"ese t"ings before $e take any rest% Wis" I "ad a real laboratory "ere% #yer better kick "imself for "a!ing tried to stop my $est$ard trip% 7irst t"e $orldHs greatest mountains& and t"en t"is% If t"is last isnHt t"e "ig" spot of t"e e@pedition& I donHt kno$ $"at is% WeHre made scientifically% Congrats& ,abodie& on t"e drill t"at opened up t"e ca!e% -o$ $ill Ark"am please repeat description/) The sensations of >a3odie and myself at receipt of this report ,ere almost 3eyond descriptionA nor ,ere our companions much 3ehind us in enthusiasm. 8cTi'heA ,ho had hastily translated a fe, hi'h spots as they came from the dronin' receivin' setA ,rote out the entire messa'e from his shorthand version as soon as 5a!eTs operator si'ned off. All appreciated the epoch1ma!in' si'nificance of the discoveryA and = sent 5a!e con'ratulations as soon as the Ark"amHs operator had repeated 3ac! the descriptive parts as reDuestedB and my e%ample ,as follo,ed 3y Sherman from his station at the 8c8urdo Sound supply cacheA as ,ell as 3y Captain $ou'las of the Ark"am. 5aterA as head of the e%peditionA = added some remar!s to 3e relayed throu'h the Ark"am to the outside ,orld. +f courseA rest ,as an a3surd thou'ht amidst this e%citementB and my only ,ish ,as to 'et to 5a!eTs camp as Duic!ly as = could. =t disappointed me ,hen he sent ,ord that a risin' mountain 'ale made early aerial travel impossi3le. But ,ithin an hour and a half interest a'ain rose to 3anish disappointment. 5a!eA sendin' more messa'esA told of the completely successful transportation of the fourteen 'reat specimens to the camp. =t had 3een a hard pullA for the thin's ,ere surprisin'ly heavyB 3ut nine men had accomplished it very neatly. ;o, some of the party ,ere hurriedly 3uildin' a sno, corral at a safe distance from the campA to ,hich the do's could 3e 3rou'ht for 'reater convenience in feedin'. The specimens ,ere laid out on the hard sno, near the campA save for one on ,hich 5a!e ,as ma!in' crude attempts at dissection.

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This dissection seemed to 3e a 'reater tas! than had 3een e%pectedA forA despite the heat of a 'asoline stove in the ne,ly raised la3oratory tentA the deceptively fle%i3le tissues of the chosen specimen 1 a po,erful and intact one 1 lost nothin' of their more than leathery tou'hness. 5a!e ,as puzzled as to ho, he mi'ht ma!e the reDuisite incisions ,ithout violence destructive enou'h to upset all the structural niceties he ,as loo!in' for. 2e hadA it is trueA seven more perfect specimensB 3ut these ,ere too fe, to use up rec!lessly unless the cave mi'ht later yield an unlimited supply. Accordin'ly he removed the specimen and dra''ed in one ,hichA thou'h havin' remnants of the starfish arran'ements at 3oth endsA ,as 3adly crushed and partly disrupted alon' one of the 'reat torso furro,s. :esultsA Duic!ly reported over the ,irelessA ,ere 3afflin' and provocative indeed. ;othin' li!e delicacy or accuracy ,as possi3le ,ith instruments hardly a3le to cut the anomalous tissueA 3ut the little that ,as achieved left us all a,ed and 3e,ildered. E%istin' 3iolo'y ,ould have to 3e ,holly revisedA for this thin' ,as no product of any cell 'ro,th science !no,s a3out. There had 3een scarcely any mineral replacementA and despite an a'e of perhaps forty million yearsA the internal or'ans ,ere ,holly intact. The leatheryA undeteriorativeA and almost indestructi3le Duality ,as an inherent attri3ute of the thin'Ts form of or'anizationA and pertained to some paleo'ean cycle of inverte3rate evolution utterly 3eyond our po,ers of speculation. At first all that 5a!e found ,as dryA 3ut as the heated tent produced its tha,in' effectA or'anic moisture of pun'ent and offensive odor ,as encountered to,ard the thin'Ts uninCured side. =t ,as not 3loodA 3ut a thic!A dar!1 'reen fluid apparently ans,erin' the same purpose. By the time 5a!e reached this sta'eA all thirty1seven do's had 3een 3rou'ht to the still uncompleted corral near the campA and even at that distance set up a sava'e 3ar!in' and sho, of restlessness at the acridA diffusive smell. 4ar from helpin' to place the stran'e entityA this provisional dissection merely deepened its mystery. All 'uesses a3out its e%ternal mem3ers had 3een correctA and on the evidence of these one could hardly hesitate to call the thin' animalB 3ut internal inspection 3rou'ht up so many ve'eta3le evidences that 5a!e ,as left hopelessly at sea. =t had di'estion and circulationA and eliminated ,aste matter throu'h the reddish tu3es of its starfish1shaped 3ase. CursorilyA one ,ould say that its respiration apparatus handled o%y'en rather than car3on dio%ideA and there ,ere odd evidences of air1stora'e cham3ers and methods of shiftin' respiration from the e%ternal orifice to at least t,o other fully developed 3reathin' systems 1 'ills and pores. ClearlyA it ,as amphi3ianA and pro3a3ly adapted to lon' airless hi3ernation periods as ,ell. ?ocal or'ans seemed present in connection ,ith the main respiratory systemA 3ut they presented anomalies 3eyond immediate solution. Articulate speechA in the sense of sylla3le utteranceA seemed 3arely conceiva3leA 3ut musical pipin' notes coverin' a ,ide ran'e ,ere hi'hly pro3a3le. The muscular system ,as almost prematurely developed. The nervous system ,as so comple% and hi'hly developed as to leave 5a!e a'hast. Thou'h e%cessively primitive and archaic in some respectsA the thin' had a set of 'an'lial centers and connectives ar'uin' the very e%tremes of specialized development. =ts five1 lo3ed 3rain ,as surprisin'ly advancedA and there ,ere si'ns of a sensory eDuipmentA served in part throu'h the ,iry cilia of the headA involvin' factors alien to any other terrestrial or'anism. >ro3a3ly it has more than five sensesA so that its ha3its could not 3e predicted from any e%istin' analo'y. =t mustA 5a!e thou'htA have 3een a creature of !een sensitiveness and delicately differentiated functions in its primal ,orld 1 much li!e the ants and 3ees of today. =t reproduced li!e the ve'eta3le crypto'amsA especially the

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>teridophytaA havin' spore cases at the tips of the ,in's and evidently developin' from a thallus or prothallus. But to 'ive it a name at this sta'e ,as mere folly. =t loo!ed li!e a radiateA 3ut ,as clearly somethin' more. =t ,as partly ve'eta3leA 3ut had three1fourths of the essentials of animal structure. That it ,as marine in ori'inA its symmetrical contour and certain other attri3utes clearly indicatedB yet one could not 3e e%act as to the limit of its later adaptations. The ,in'sA after allA held a persistent su''estion of the aerial. 2o, it could have under'one its tremendously comple% evolution on a ne,13orn earth in time to leave prints in Archaean roc!s ,as so far 3eyond conception as to ma!e 5a!e ,himsically recall the primal myths a3out 7reat +ld +nes ,ho filtered do,n from the stars and concocted earth life as a Co!e or mista!eB and the ,ild tales of cosmic hill thin's from outside told 3y a fol!lorist collea'ue in 8is!atonicTs En'lish department. ;aturallyA he considered the possi3ility of the pre1Cam3rian prints havin' 3een made 3y a less evolved ancestor of the present specimensA 3ut Duic!ly reCected this too1facile theory upon considerin' the advanced structural Dualities of the older fossils. =f anythin'A the later contours sho,ed decadence rather than hi'her evolution. The size of the pseudofeet had decreasedA and the ,hole morpholo'y seemed coarsened and simplified. 8oreoverA the nerves and or'ans Cust e%amined held sin'ular su''estions of retro'ression from forms still more comple%. Atrophied and vesti'ial parts ,ere surprisin'ly prevalent. Alto'etherA little could 3e said to have 3een solvedB and 5a!e fell 3ac! on mytholo'y for a provisional name 1 Cocosely du33in' his finds LThe Elder +nes.L
At a3out "9&* A.8.A havin' decided to postpone further ,or! and 'et a little restA he covered the dissected or'anism ,ith a tarpaulinA emer'ed from the la3oratory tentA and studied the intact specimens ,ith rene,ed interest. The ceaseless antarctic sun had 3e'un to lim3er up their tissues a trifleA so that the head points and tu3es of t,o or three sho,ed si'ns of unfoldin'B 3ut 5a!e did not 3elieve there ,as any dan'er of immediate decomposition in the almost su3zero air. 2e didA ho,everA move all the undissected specimens close to'ether and thro, a spare tent over them in order to !eep off the direct solar rays. That ,ould also help to !eep their possi3le scent a,ay from the do'sA ,hose hostile unrest ,as really 3ecomin' a pro3lemA even at their su3stantial distance and 3ehind the hi'her and hi'her sno, ,alls ,hich an increased Duota of the men ,ere hastenin' to raise around their Duarters. 2e had to ,ei'ht do,n the corners of the tent cloth ,ith heavy 3loc!s of sno, to hold it in place amidst the risin' 'aleA for the titan mountains seemed a3out to deliver some 'ravely severe 3lasts. Early apprehensions a3out sudden antarctic ,inds ,ere revivedA and under At,oodTs supervision precautions ,ere ta!en to 3an! the tentsA ne, do' corralA and crude aeroplane shelters ,ith sno, on the mountain,ard side. These latter sheltersA 3e'un ,ith hard sno, 3loc!s durin' odd momentsA ,ere 3y no means as hi'h as they should have 3eenB and 5a!e finally detached all hands from other tas!s to ,or! on them. =t ,as after four ,hen 5a!e at last prepared to si'n off and advised us all to share the rest period his outfit ,ould ta!e ,hen the shelter ,alls ,ere a little hi'her. 2e held some friendly chat ,ith >a3odie over the etherA and repeated his praise of the really marvelous drills that had helped him ma!e his discovery. At,ood also sent 'reetin's and praises. = 'ave 5a!e a ,arm ,ord of con'ratulationsA o,nin' up that he ,as ri'ht a3out the ,estern tripA and ,e all a'reed to 'et in touch 3y ,ireless at ten in the mornin'. =f the 'ale ,as then overA 5a!e ,ould send a plane for the party at my 3ase. 6ust 3efore retirin' = dispatched a final messa'e to the Ark"am ,ith instructions a3out tonin' do,n the dayTs ne,s for the outside ,orldA since the full details seemed radical enou'h to rouse a ,ave of incredulity until further su3stantiated.

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,,,.
;one of usA = ima'ineA slept very heavily or continuously that mornin'. Both the e%citement of 5a!eTs discovery and the mountin' fury of the ,ind ,ere a'ainst such a thin'. So sava'e ,as the 3lastA even ,here ,e ,ereA that ,e could not help ,onderin' ho, much ,orse it ,as at 5a!eTs campA directly under the vast un!no,n pea!s that 3red and delivered it. 8cTi'he ,as a,a!e at ten oTcloc! and tried to 'et 5a!e on the ,irelessA as a'reedA 3ut some electrical condition in the distur3ed air to the ,est,ard seemed to prevent communication. We didA ho,everA 'et the Ark"amA and $ou'las told me that he had li!e,ise 3een vainly tryin' to reach 5a!e. 2e had not !no,n a3out the ,indA for very little ,as 3lo,in' at 8c8urdo SoundA despite its persistent ra'e ,here ,e ,ere. Throu'hout the day ,e all listened an%iously and tried to 'et 5a!e at intervalsA 3ut invaria3ly ,ithout results. A3out noon a positive frenzy of ,ind stampeded out of the ,estA causin' us to fear for the safety of our campB 3ut it eventually died do,nA ,ith only a moderate relapse at " >.8. After three oTcloc! it ,as very DuietA and ,e redou3led our efforts to 'et 5a!e. :eflectin' that he had four planesA each provided ,ith an e%cellent short1,ave outfitA ,e could not ima'ine any ordinary accident capa3le of cripplin' all his ,ireless eDuipment at once. ;evertheless the stony silence continuedA and ,hen ,e thou'ht of the delirious force the ,ind must have had in his locality ,e could not help ma!in' the more direful conCectures. By si% oTcloc! our fears had 3ecome intense and definiteA and after a ,ireless consultation ,ith $ou'las and Thorfinnssen = resolved to ta!e steps to,ard investi'ation. The fifth aeroplaneA ,hich ,e had left at the 8c8urdo Sound supply cache ,ith Sherman and t,o sailorsA ,as in 'ood shape and ready for instant useA and it seemed that the very emer'ency for ,hich it had 3een saved ,as no, upon us. = 'ot Sherman 3y ,ireless and ordered him to Coin me ,ith the plane and the t,o sailors at the southern 3ase as Duic!ly as possi3leA the air conditions 3ein' apparently hi'hly favora3le. We then tal!ed over the personnel of the comin' investi'ation partyA and decided that ,e ,ould include all handsA to'ether ,ith the sled'e and do's ,hich = had !ept ,ith me. Even so 'reat a load ,ould not 3e too much for one of the hu'e planes 3uilt to our special orders for heavy machinery transportation. At intervals = still tried to reach 5a!e ,ith the ,irelessA 3ut all to no purpose. ShermanA ,ith the sailors 7unnarsson and 5arsenA too! off at 79&*A and reported a Duiet fli'ht from several points on the ,in'. They arrived at our 3ase at midni'htA and all hands at once discussed the ne%t move. =t ,as ris!y 3usiness sailin' over the antarctic in a sin'le aeroplane ,ithout any line of 3asesA 3ut no one dre, 3ac! from ,hat seemed li!e the plainest necessity. We turned in at t,o oTcloc! for a 3rief rest after some preliminary loadin' of the planeA 3ut ,ere up a'ain in four hours to finish the loadin' and pac!in'. At 791 A.8.A 6anuary " thA ,e started flyin' north,est,ard under 8cTi'heTs pilota'e ,ith ten menA seven do'sA a sled'eA a fuel and food supplyA and other items includin' the planeTs ,ireless outfit. The atmosphere ,as clearA fairly DuietA and relatively mild in temperatureA and ,e anticipated very little trou3le in reachin' the latitude and lon'itude desi'nated 3y 5a!e as the site of his camp. +ur apprehensions ,ere over ,hat ,e mi'ht findA or fail to findA at the end of our CourneyA for silence continued to ans,er all calls dispatched to the camp.

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Every incident of that four1and1a1half1hour fli'ht is 3urned into my recollection 3ecause of its crucial position in my life. =t mar!ed my lossA at the a'e of fifty1fourA of all that peace and 3alance ,hich the normal mind possesses throu'h its accustomed conception of e%ternal nature and natureTs la,s. Thencefor,ard the ten of us 1 3ut the student $anforth and myself a3ove all others 1 ,ere to face a hideously amplified ,orld of lur!in' horrors ,hich nothin' can erase from our emotionsA and ,hich ,e ,ould refrain from sharin' ,ith man!ind in 'eneral if ,e could. The ne,spapers have printed the 3ulletins ,e sent from the movin' planeA tellin' of our nonstop courseA our t,o 3attles ,ith treacherous upper1air 'alesA our 'limpse of the 3ro!en surface ,here 5a!e had sun! his mid1Courney shaft three days 3eforeA and our si'ht of a 'roup of those stran'e fluffy sno, cylinders noted 3y Amundsen and Byrd as rollin' in the ,ind across the endless lea'ues of frozen plateau. There came a pointA thou'hA ,hen our sensations could not 3e conveyed in any ,ords the press ,ould understandA and a latter point ,hen ,e had to adopt an actual rule of strict censorship. The sailor 5arsen ,as first to spy the Ca''ed line of ,itchli!e cones and pinnacles aheadA and his shouts sent everyone to the ,indo,s of the 'reat ca3ined plane. $espite our speedA they ,ere very slo, in 'ainin' prominenceB hence ,e !ne, that they must 3e infinitely far offA and visi3le only 3ecause of their a3normal hei'ht. 5ittle 3y littleA ho,everA they rose 'rimly into the ,estern s!yB allo,in' us to distin'uish various 3areA 3lea!A 3lac!ish summitsA and to catch the curious sense of fantasy ,hich they inspired as seen in the reddish antarctic li'ht a'ainst the provocative 3ac!'round of iridescent ice1dust clouds. =n the ,hole spectacle there ,as a persistentA pervasive hint of stupendous secrecy and potential revelation. =t ,as as if these star!A ni'htmare spires mar!ed the pylons of a fri'htful 'ate,ay into for3idden spheres of dreamA and comple% 'ulfs of remote timeA spaceA and ultra1dimensionality. = could not help feelin' that they ,ere evil thin's 1 mountains of madness ,hose farther slopes loo!ed out over some accursed ultimate a3yss. That seethin'A half1luminous cloud 3ac!'round held ineffa3le su''estions of a va'ueA ethereal 3eyondness far more than terrestrially spatialA and 'ave appallin' reminders of the utter remotenessA separatenessA desolationA and aeon1lon' death of this untrodden and unfathomed austral ,orld. =t ,as youn' $anforth ,ho dre, our notice to the curious re'ularities of the hi'her mountain s!yline 1 re'ularities li!e clin'in' fra'ments of perfect cu3esA ,hich 5a!e had mentioned in his messa'esA and ,hich indeed Custified his comparison ,ith the dreamli!e su''estions of primordial temple ruinsA on cloudy Asian mountaintops so su3tly and stran'ely painted 3y :oerich. There ,as indeed somethin' hauntin'ly :oerich1li!e a3out this ,hole unearthly continent of mountainous mystery. = had felt it in +cto3er ,hen ,e first cau'ht si'ht of ?ictoria 5andA and = felt it afresh no,. = feltA tooA another ,ave of uneasy consciousness of Archaean mythical resem3lancesB of ho, distur3in'ly this lethal realm corresponded to the evilly famed plateau of 5en' in the primal ,ritin's. 8ytholo'ists have placed 5en' in Central AsiaB 3ut the racial memory of man 1 or of his predecessors 1 is lon'A and it may ,ell 3e that certain tales have come do,n from lands and mountains and temples of horror earlier than Asia and earlier than any human ,orld ,e !no,. A fe, darin' mystics have hinted at a pre1>leistocene ori'in for the fra'mentary >na!otic 8anuscriptsA and have su''ested that the devotees of Tsatho''ua ,ere as alien to man!ind as Tsatho''ua itself. 5en'A ,herever in space or time it mi'ht 3roodA ,as not a re'ion = ,ould care to 3e in or nearA nor did = relish the pro%imity of a ,orld that had ever 3red such am3i'uous and Archaean monstrosities as those 5a!e had Cust mentioned. At the

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moment = felt sorry that = had ever read the a3horred -ecronomiconA or tal!ed so much ,ith that unpleasantly erudite fol!lorist Wilmarth at the university. This mood undou3tedly served to a''ravate my reaction to the 3izarre mira'e ,hich 3urst upon us from the increasin'ly opalescent zenith as ,e dre, near the mountains and 3e'an to ma!e out the cumulative undulations of the foothills. = had seen dozens of polar mira'es durin' the precedin' ,ee!sA some of them Duite as uncanny and fantastically vivid as the present e%ampleB 3ut this one had a ,holly novel and o3scure Duality of menacin' sym3olismA and = shuddered as the seethin' la3yrinth of fa3ulous ,alls and to,ers and minarets loomed out of the trou3led ice vapors a3ove our heads. The effect ,as that of a Cyclopean city of no architecture !no,n to man or to human ima'inationA ,ith vast a''re'ations of ni'ht13lac! masonry em3odyin' monstrous perversions of 'eometrical la,s. There ,ere truncated conesA sometimes terraced or flutedA surmounted 3y tall cylindrical shafts here and there 3ul3ously enlar'ed and often capped ,ith tiers of thinnish scalloped dis!sB and stran'e 3eetlin'A ta3le1li!e constructions su''estin' piles of multitudinous rectan'ular sla3s or circular plates or five1pointed stars ,ith each one overlappin' the one 3eneath. There ,ere composite cones and pyramids either alone or surmountin' cylinders or cu3es or flatter truncated cones and pyramidsA and occasional needle1li!e spires in curious clusters of five. All of these fe3rile structures seemed !nit to'ether 3y tu3ular 3rid'es crossin' from one to the other at various dizzy hei'htsA and the implied scale of the ,hole ,as terrifyin' and oppressive in its sheer 'i'antism. The 'eneral type of mira'e ,as not unli!e some of the ,ilder forms o3served and dra,n 3y the arctic ,haler Scores3y in 18"*A 3ut at this time and placeA ,ith those dar!A un!no,n mountain pea!s soarin' stupendously aheadA that anomalous elder1,orld discovery in our mindsA and the pall of pro3a3le disaster envelopin' the 'reater part of our e%peditionA ,e all seemed to find in it a taint of latent mali'nity and infinitely evil portent. = ,as 'lad ,hen the mira'e 3e'an to 3rea! upA thou'h in the process the various ni'htmare turrets and cones assumed distortedA temporary forms of even vaster hideousness. As the ,hole illusion dissolved to churnin' opalescence ,e 3e'an to loo! earth,ard a'ainA and sa, that our CourneyTs end ,as not far off. The un!no,n mountains ahead rose dizzily up li!e a fearsome rampart of 'iantsA their curious re'ularities sho,in' ,ith startlin' clearness even ,ithout a field 'lass. We ,ere over the lo,est foothills no,A and could see amidst the sno,A iceA and 3are patches of their main plateau a couple of dar!ish spots ,hich ,e too! to 3e 5a!eTs camp and 3orin'. The hi'her foothills shot up 3et,een five and si% miles a,ayA formin' a ran'e almost distinct from the terrifyin' line of more than 2imalayan pea!s 3eyond them. At len'th :opes 1 the student ,ho had relieved 8cTi'he at the controls 1 3e'an to head do,n,ard to,ard the left1hand dar! spot ,hose size mar!ed it as the camp. As he did soA 8cTi'he sent out the last uncensored ,ireless messa'e the ,orld ,as to receive from our e%pedition. EveryoneA of courseA has read the 3rief and unsatisfyin' 3ulletins of the rest of our antarctic soCourn. Some hours after our landin' ,e sent a 'uarded report of the tra'edy ,e foundA and reluctantly announced the ,ipin' out of the ,hole 5a!e party 3y the fri'htful ,ind of the precedin' dayA or of the ni'ht 3efore that. Eleven !no,n deadA youn' 7edney missin'. >eople pardoned our hazy lac! of details throu'h realization of the shoc! the sad event must have caused usA and 3elieved us ,hen ,e e%plained that the man'lin' action of the ,ind had rendered all eleven 3odies unsuita3le for transportation outside. =ndeedA = flatter myself that even in the midst of our distressA utter 3e,ildermentA and soul1clutchin'

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horrorA ,e scarcely ,ent 3eyond the truth in any specific instance. The tremendous si'nificance lies in ,hat ,e dared not tellB ,hat = ,ould not tell no, 3ut for the need of ,arnin' others off from nameless terrors. =t is a fact that the ,ind had 3rou'ht dreadful havoc. Whether all could have lived throu'h itA even ,ithout the other thin'A is 'ravely open to dou3t. The stormA ,ith its fury of madly driven ice particlesA must have 3een 3eyond anythin' our e%pedition had encountered 3efore. +ne aeroplane shelter1,allA it seemsA had 3een left in a far too flimsy and inadeDuate state 1 ,as nearly pulverized 1 and the derric! at the distant 3orin' ,as entirely sha!en to pieces. The e%posed metal of the 'rounded planes and drillin' machinery ,as 3ruised into a hi'h polishA and t,o of the small tents ,ere flattened despite their sno, 3an!in'. Wooden surfaces left out in the 3laster ,ere pitted and denuded of paintA and all si'ns of trac!s in the sno, ,ere completely o3literated. =t is also true that ,e found none of the Archaean 3iolo'ical o3Cects in a condition to ta!e outside as a ,hole. We did 'ather some minerals from a vastA tum3led pileA includin' several of the 'reenish soapstone fra'ments ,hose odd five1pointed roundin' and faint patterns of 'rouped dots caused so many dou3tful comparisonsB and some fossil 3onesA amon' ,hich ,ere the most typical of the curiously inCured specimens. ;one of the do's survivedA their hurriedly 3uilt sno, inclosure near the camp 3ein' almost ,holly destroyed. The ,ind may have done thatA thou'h the 'reater 3rea!a'e on the side ne%t the campA ,hich ,as not the ,ind,ard oneA su''ests an out,ard leap or 3rea! of the frantic 3easts themselves. All three sled'es ,ere 'oneA and ,e have tried to e%plain that the ,ind may have 3lo,n them off into the un!no,n. The drill and ice1meltin' machinery at the 3orin' ,ere too 3adly dama'ed to ,arrant salva'eA so ,e used them to cho!e up that su3tly distur3in' 'ate,ay to the past ,hich 5a!e had 3lasted. We li!e,ise left at the camp the t,o most sha!en up of the planesB since our survivin' party had only four real pilots 1 ShermanA $anforthA 8cTi'heA and :opes 1 in allA ,ith $anforth in a poor nervous shape to navi'ate. We 3rou'ht 3ac! all the 3oo!sA scientific eDuipmentA and other incidentals ,e could findA thou'h much ,as rather unaccounta3ly 3lo,n a,ay. Spare tents and furs ,ere either missin' or 3adly out of condition. =t ,as appro%imately # >.8.A after ,ide plane cruisin' had forced us to 'ive 7edney up for lostA that ,e sent our 'uarded messa'e to the Ark"am for relayin'B and = thin! ,e did ,ell to !eep it as calm and noncommittal as ,e succeeded in doin'. The most ,e said a3out a'itation concerned our do'sA ,hose frantic uneasiness near the 3iolo'ical specimens ,as to 3e e%pected from poor 5a!eTs accounts. We did not mentionA = thin!A their display of the same uneasiness ,hen sniffin' around the Dueer 'reenish soapstones and certain other o3Cects in the disordered re'ion1o3Cects includin' scientific instrumentsA aeroplanesA and machineryA 3oth at the camp and at the 3orin'A ,hose parts had 3een loosenedA movedA or other,ise tampered ,ith 3y ,inds that must have har3ored sin'ular curiosity and investi'ativeness. A3out the fourteen 3iolo'ical specimensA ,e ,ere pardona3ly indefinite. We said that the only ones ,e discovered ,ere dama'edA 3ut that enou'h ,as left of them to prove 5a!eTs description ,holly and impressively accurate. =t ,as hard ,or! !eepin' our personal emotions out of this matter 1 and ,e did not mention num3ers or say e%actly ho, ,e had found those ,hich ,e did find. We had 3y that time a'reed not to transmit anythin' su''estin' madness on the part of 5a!eTs menA and it surely loo!ed li!e madness to find si% imperfect monstrosities carefully 3uried upri'ht in nine1foot sno, 'raves under five1

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pointed mounds punched over ,ith 'roups of dots in patterns e%actly those on the Dueer 'reenish soapstones du' up from 8esozoic or Tertiary times. The ei'ht perfect specimens mentioned 3y 5a!e seemed to have 3een completely 3lo,n a,ay. We ,ere carefulA tooA a3out the pu3licTs 'eneral peace of mindB hence $anforth and = said little a3out that fri'htful trip over the mountains the ne%t day. =t ,as the fact that only a radically li'htened plane could possi3ly cross a ran'e of such hei'htA ,hich mercifully limited that scoutin' tour to the t,o of us. +n our return at one A.8.A $anforth ,as close to hystericsA 3ut !ept an admira3ly stiff upper lip. =t too! no persuasion to ma!e him promise not to sho, our s!etches and the other thin's ,e 3rou'ht a,ay in our poc!etsA not to say anythin' more to the others than ,hat ,e had a'reed to relay outsideA and to hide our camera films for private development later onB so that part of my present story ,ill 3e as ne, to >a3odieA 8cTi'heA :opesA ShermanA and the rest as it ,ill 3e to the ,orld in 'eneral. =ndeedA $anforth is closer mouthed than =9 for he sa,A or thin!s he sa,A one thin' he ,ill not tell even me. As all !no,A our report included a tale of a hard ascent 1 a confirmation of 5a!eTs opinion that the 'reat pea!s are of Archaean slate and other very primal crumpled strata unchan'ed since at least middle Comanchian timesB a conventional comment on the re'ularity of the clin'in' cu3e and rampart formationsB a decision that the cave mouths indicate dissolved calcaerous veinsB a conCecture that certain slopes and passes ,ould permit of the scalin' and crossin' of the entire ran'e 3y seasoned mountaineersB and a remar! that the mysterious other side holds a lofty and immense superplateau as ancient and unchan'in' as the mountains themselves 1 t,enty thousand feet in elevationA ,ith 'rotesDue roc! formations protrudin' throu'h a thin 'lacial layer and ,ith lo, 'radual foothills 3et,een the 'eneral plateau surface and the sheer precipices of the hi'hest pea!s. This 3ody of data is in every respect true so far as it 'oesA and it completely satisfied the men at the camp. We laid our a3sence of si%teen hours 1 a lon'er time than our announced flyin'A landin'A reconnoiterin'A and roc!1collectin' pro'ram called for 1 to a lon' mythical spell of adverse ,ind conditionsA and told truly of our landin' on the farther foothills. 4ortunately our tale sounded realistic and prosaic enou'h not to tempt any of the others into emulatin' our fli'ht. 2ad any tried to do thatA = ,ould have used every ounce of my persuasion to stop them 1 and = do not !no, ,hat $anforth ,ould have done. While ,e ,ere 'oneA >a3odieA ShermanA :opesA 8cTi'heA and Williamson had ,or!ed li!e 3eavers over 5a!eTs t,o 3est planesA fittin' them a'ain for use despite the alto'ether unaccounta3le Cu''lin' of their operative mechanism. We decided to load all the planes the ne%t mornin' and start 3ac! for our old 3ase as soon as possi3le. Even thou'h indirectA that ,as the safest ,ay to ,or! to,ard 8c8urdo SoundB for a strai'htline fli'ht across the most utterly un!no,n stretches of the aeon1dead continent ,ould involve many additional hazards. 4urther e%ploration ,as hardly feasi3le in vie, of our tra'ic decimation and the ruin of our drillin' machinery. The dou3ts and horrors around us 1 ,hich ,e did not reveal 1 made us ,ish only to escape from this austral ,orld of desolation and 3roodin' madness as s,iftly as ,e could. As the pu3lic !no,sA our return to the ,orld ,as accomplished ,ithout further disasters. All planes reached the old 3ase on the evenin' of the ne%t day 1 6anuary "7th 1 after a s,ift nonstop fli'htB and on the "8th ,e made 8c8urdo Sound in t,o lapsA the one pause 3ein' very 3riefA and occasioned 3y a faulty rudder in the furious ,ind over the ice

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shelf after ,e had cleared the 'reat plateau. =n five days moreA the Ark"am and Miskatonic& ,ith all hands and eDuipment on 3oardA ,ere sha!in' clear of the thic!enin' field ice and ,or!in' up :oss Sea ,ith the moc!in' mountains of ?ictoria 5and loomin' ,est,ard a'ainst a trou3led antarctic s!y and t,istin' the ,indTs ,ails into a ,ide1ran'ed musical pipin' ,hich chilled my soul to the Duic!. 5ess than a fortni'ht later ,e left the last hint of polar land 3ehind us and than!ed heaven that ,e ,ere clear of a hauntedA accursed realm ,here life and deathA space and timeA have made 3lac! and 3lasphemous alliancesA in the un!no,n epochs since matter first ,rithed and s,am on the planetTs scarce1cooled crust. Since our return ,e have all constantly ,or!ed to discoura'e antarctic e%plorationA and have !ept certain dou3ts and 'uesses to ourselves ,ith splendid unity and faithfulness. Even youn' $anforthA ,ith his nervous 3rea!do,nA has not flinched or 3a33led to his doctors 1 indeedA as = have saidA there is one thin' he thin!s he alone sa, ,hich he ,ill not tell even meA thou'h = thin! it ,ould help his psycholo'ical state if he ,ould consent to do so. =t mi'ht e%plain and relieve muchA thou'h perhaps the thin' ,as no more than the delusive aftermath of an earlier shoc!. That is the impression = 'ather after those rareA irresponsi3le moments ,hen he ,hispers disCointed thin's to me 1 thin's ,hich he repudiates vehemently as soon as he 'ets a 'rip on himself a'ain. =t ,ill 3e hard ,or! deterrin' others from the 'reat ,hite southA and some of our efforts may directly harm our cause 3y dra,in' inDuirin' notice. We mi'ht have !no,n from the first that human curiosity is undyin'A and that the results ,e announced ,ould 3e enou'h to spur others ahead on the same a'e1lon' pursuit of the un!no,n. 5a!eTs reports of those 3iolo'ical monstrosities had aroused naturalists and paleontolo'ists to the hi'hest pitchA thou'h ,e ,ere sensi3le enou'h not to sho, the detached parts ,e had ta!en from the actual 3uried specimensA or our photo'raphs of those specimens as they ,ere found. We also refrained from sho,in' the more puzzlin' of the scarred 3ones and 'reenish soapstonesB ,hile $anforth and = have closely 'uarded the pictures ,e too! or dre, on the superplateau across the ran'eA and the crumpled thin's ,e smoothedA studied in terrorA and 3rou'ht a,ay in our poc!ets. But no, that Star!,eather18oore party is or'anizin'A and ,ith a thorou'hness far 3eyond anythin' our outfit attempted. =f not dissuadedA they ,ill 'et to the innermost nucleus of the antarctic and melt and 3ore till they 3rin' up that ,hich ,e !no, may end the ,orld. So = must 3rea! throu'h all reticences at last 1 even a3out that ultimateA nameless thin' 3eyond the mountains of madness.

,V.
=t is only ,ith vast hesitancy and repu'nance that = let my mind 'o 3ac! to 5a!eTs camp and ,hat ,e really found there 1 and to that other thin' 3eyond the mountains of madness. = am constantly tempted to shir! the detailsA and to let hints stand for actual facts and inelucta3le deductions. = hope = have said enou'h already to let me 'lide 3riefly over the restB the restA that isA of the horror at the camp. = have told of the ,ind1rava'ed terrainA the dama'ed sheltersA the disarran'ed machineryA the varied uneasiness of our do'sA the missin' sled'es and other itemsA the deaths of men and do'sA the a3sence of 7edneyA and the si% insanely 3uried 3iolo'ical specimensA stran'ely sound in te%ture for all their structural inCuriesA from a ,orld forty million years dead. = do not recall ,hether =

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mentioned that upon chec!in' up the canine 3odies ,e found one do' missin'. We did not thin! much a3out that till later 1 indeedA only $anforth and = have thou'ht of it at all. The principal thin's = have 3een !eepin' 3ac! relate to the 3odiesA and to certain su3tle points ,hich may or may not lend a hideous and incredi3le !ind of rationale to the apparent chaos. At the timeA = tried to !eep the menTs minds off those pointsB for it ,as so much simpler 1 so much more normal 1 to lay everythin' to an out3rea! of madness on the part of some of 5a!eTs party. 4rom the loo! of thin'sA that demon mountain ,ind must have 3een enou'h to drive any man mad in the midst of this center of all earthly mystery and desolation. The cro,nin' a3normalityA of courseA ,as the condition of the 3odies 1 men and do's ali!e. They had all 3een in some terri3le !ind of conflictA and ,ere torn and man'led in fiendish and alto'ether ine%plica3le ,ays. $eathA so far as ,e could Cud'eA had in each case come from stran'ulation or laceration. The do's had evidently started the trou3leA for the state of their ill13uilt corral 3ore ,itness to its forci3le 3rea!a'e from ,ithin. =t had 3een set some distance from the camp 3ecause of the hatred of the animals for those hellish Archaean or'anismsA 3ut the precaution seemed to have 3een ta!en in vain. When left alone in that monstrous ,indA 3ehind flimsy ,alls of insufficient hei'htA they must have stampeded 1 ,hether from the ,ind itselfA or from some su3tleA increasin' odor emitted 3y the ni'htmare specimensA one could not say. But ,hatever had happenedA it ,as hideous and revoltin' enou'h. >erhaps = had 3etter put sDueamishness aside and tell the ,orst at last 1 thou'h ,ith a cate'orical statement of opinionA 3ased on the first1hand o3servations and most ri'id deductions of 3oth $anforth and myselfA that the then missin' 7edney ,as in no ,ay responsi3le for the loathsome horrors ,e found. = have said that the 3odies ,ere fri'htfully man'led. ;o, = must add that some ,ere incised and su3tracted from in the most curiousA cold13loodedA and inhuman fashion. =t ,as the same ,ith do's and men. All the healthierA fatter 3odiesA Duadrupedal or 3ipedalA had had their most solid masses of tissue cut out and removedA as 3y a careful 3utcherB and around them ,as a stran'e sprin!lin' of salt 1 ta!en from the rava'ed provision chests on the planes 1 ,hich conCured up the most horri3le associations. The thin' had occurred in one of the crude aeroplane shelters from ,hich the plane had 3een dra''ed outA and su3seDuent ,inds had effaced all trac!s ,hich could have supplied any plausi3le theory. Scattered 3its of clothin'A rou'hly slashed from the human incision su3CectsA hinted no clues. =t is useless to 3rin' up the half impression of certain faint sno, prints in one shielded corner of the ruined inclosure 1 3ecause that impression did not concern human prints at allA 3ut ,as clearly mi%ed up ,ith all the tal! of fossil prints ,hich poor 5a!e had 3een 'ivin' throu'hout the precedin' ,ee!s. +ne had to 3e careful of oneTs ima'ination in the lee of those overshado,in' mountains of madness. As = have indicatedA 7edney and one do' turned out to 3e missin' in the end. When ,e came on that terri3le shelter ,e had missed t,o do's and t,o menB 3ut the fairly unharmed dissectin' tentA ,hich ,e entered after investi'atin' the monstrous 'ravesA had somethin' to reveal. =t ,as not as 5a!e had left itA for the covered parts of the primal monstrosity had 3een removed from the improvised ta3le. =ndeedA ,e had already realized that one of the si% imperfect and insanely 3uried thin's ,e had found 1 the one ,ith the trace of a peculiarly hateful odor 1 must represent the collected sections of the entity ,hich 5a!e had tried to analyze. +n and around that la3oratory ta3le ,ere stre,n other thin'sA and it did not ta!e lon' for us to 'uess that those thin's ,ere the carefully thou'h oddly and

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ine%pertly dissected parts of one man and one do'. = shall spare the feelin's of survivors 3y omittin' mention of the manTs identity. 5a!eTs anatomical instruments ,ere missin'A 3ut there ,ere evidences of their careful cleansin'. The 'asoline stove ,as also 'oneA thou'h around it ,e found a curious litter of matches. We 3uried the human parts 3eside the other ten menB and the canine parts ,ith the other thirty1five do's. Concernin' the 3izarre smud'es on the la3oratory ta3leA and on the Cum3le of rou'hly handled illustrated 3oo!s scattered near itA ,e ,ere much too 3e,ildered to speculate. This formed the ,orst of the camp horrorA 3ut other thin's ,ere eDually perple%in'. The disappearance of 7edneyA the one do'A the ei'ht uninCured 3iolo'ical specimensA the three sled'esA and certain instrumentsA illustrated technical and scientific 3oo!sA ,ritin' materialsA electric torches and 3atteriesA food and fuelA heatin' apparatusA spare tentsA fur suitsA and the li!eA ,as utterly 3eyond sane conCectureB as ,ere li!e,ise the spatter1frin'ed in! 3lots on certain pieces of paperA and the evidences of curious alien fum3lin' and e%perimentation around the planes and all other mechanical devices 3oth at the camp and at the 3orin'. The do's seemed to a3hor this oddly disordered machinery. ThenA tooA there ,as the upsettin' of the larderA the disappearance of certain staplesA and the Carrin'ly comical heap of tin cans pried open in the most unli!ely ,ays and at the most unli!ely places. The profusion of scattered matchesA intactA 3ro!enA or spentA formed another minor eni'ma 1 as did the t,o or three tent cloths and fur suits ,hich ,e found lyin' a3out ,ith peculiar and unorthodo% slashin's conceiva3ly due to clumsy efforts at unima'ina3le adaptations. The maltreatment of the human and canine 3odiesA and the crazy 3urial of the dama'ed Archaean specimensA ,ere all of a piece ,ith this apparent disinte'rative madness. =n vie, of Cust such an eventuality as the present oneA ,e carefully photo'raphed all the main evidences of insane disorder at the campB and shall use the prints to 3uttress our pleas a'ainst the departure of the proposed Star!,eather18oore E%pedition. +ur first act after findin' the 3odies in the shelter ,as to photo'raph and open the ro, of insane 'raves ,ith the five1pointed sno, mounds. We could not help noticin' the resem3lance of these monstrous moundsA ,ith their clusters of 'rouped dotsA to poor 5a!eTs descriptions of the stran'e 'reenish soapstonesB and ,hen ,e came on some of the soapstones themselves in the 'reat mineral pileA ,e found the li!eness very close indeed. The ,hole 'eneral formationA it must 3e made clearA seemed a3omina3ly su''estive of the starfish head of the Archaean entitiesB and ,e a'reed that the su''estion must have ,or!ed potently upon the sensitized minds of 5a!eTs over,rou'ht party. 4or madness 1 centerin' in 7edney as the only possi3le survivin' a'ent 1 ,as the e%planation spontaneously adopted 3y every3ody so far as spo!en utterance ,as concernedB thou'h = ,ill not 3e so naive as to deny that each of us may have har3ored ,ild 'uesses ,hich sanity for3ade him to formulate completely. ShermanA >a3odieA and 8cTi'he made an e%haustive aeroplane cruise over all the surroundin' territory in the afternoonA s,eepin' the horizon ,ith field 'lasses in Duest of 7edney and of the various missin' thin'sB 3ut nothin' came to li'ht. The party reported that the titan 3arrier ran'e e%tended endlessly to ri'ht and left ali!eA ,ithout any diminution in hei'ht or essential structure. +n some of the pea!sA thou'hA the re'ular cu3e and rampart formations ,ere 3older and plainerA havin' dou3ly fantastic similitudes to :oerich1painted Asian hill ruins. The distri3ution of cryptical cave mouths on the 3lac! sno,1denuded summits seemed rou'hly even as far as the ran'e could 3e traced.

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=n spite of all the prevailin' horrorsA ,e ,ere left ,ith enou'h sheer scientific zeal and adventurousness to ,onder a3out the un!no,n realm 3eyond those mysterious mountains. As our 'uarded messa'es statedA ,e rested at midni'ht after our day of terror and 3afflement 1 3ut not ,ithout a tentative plan for one or more ran'e1crossin' altitude fli'hts in a li'htened plane ,ith aerial camera and 'eolo'istTs outfitA 3e'innin' the follo,in' mornin'. =t ,as decided that $anforth and = try it firstA and ,e a,a!ed at 7 A.8. intendin' an early fli'htB ho,everA heavy ,inds 1 mentioned in our 3riefA 3ulletin to the outside ,orld 1 delayed our start till nearly nine oTcloc!. = have already repeated the noncommittal story ,e told the men at camp 1 and relayed outside 1 after our return si%teen hours later. =t is no, my terri3le duty to amplify this account 3y fillin' in the merciful 3lan!s ,ith hints of ,hat ,e really sa, in the hidden transmontane ,orld 1 hints of the revelations ,hich have finally driven $anforth to a nervous collapse. = ,ish he ,ould add a really fran! ,ord a3out the thin' ,hich he thin!s he alone sa, 1 even thou'h it ,as pro3a3ly a nervous delusion 1 and ,hich ,as perhaps the last stra, that put him ,here he isB 3ut he is firm a'ainst that. All = can do is to repeat his later disCointed ,hispers a3out ,hat set him shrie!in' as the plane soared 3ac! throu'h the ,ind1tortured mountain pass after that real and tan'i3le shoc! ,hich = shared. This ,ill form my last ,ord. =f the plain si'ns of survivin' elder horrors in ,hat = disclose 3e not enou'h to !eep others from meddlin' ,ith the inner antarctic 1 or at least from pryin' too deeply 3eneath the surface of that ultimate ,aste of for3idden secrets and inhumanA aeon1 cursed desolation 1 the responsi3ility for unnama3le and perhaps immeasura3le evils ,ill not 3e mine. $anforth and =A studyin' the notes made 3y >a3odie in his afternoon fli'ht and chec!in' up ,ith a se%tantA had calculated that the lo,est availa3le pass in the ran'e lay some,hat to the ri'ht of usA ,ithin si'ht of campA and a3out t,enty1three thousand or t,enty1four thousand feet a3ove sea level. 4or this pointA thenA ,e first headed in the li'htened plane as ,e em3ar!ed on our fli'ht of discovery. The camp itselfA on foothills ,hich spran' from a hi'h continental plateauA ,as some t,elve thousand feet in altitudeB hence the actual hei'ht increase necessary ,as not so vast as it mi'ht seem. ;evertheless ,e ,ere acutely conscious of the rarefied air and intense cold as ,e roseB forA on account of visi3ility conditionsA ,e had to leave the ca3in ,indo,s open. We ,ere dressedA of courseA in our heaviest furs. As ,e dre, near the for3iddin' pea!sA dar! and sinister a3ove the line of crevasse1riven sno, and interstitial 'laciersA ,e noticed more and more the curiously re'ular formations clin'in' to the slopesB and thou'ht a'ain of the stran'e Asian paintin's of ;icholas :oerich. The ancient and ,ind1,eathered roc! strata fully verified all of 5a!eTs 3ulletinsA and proved that these pinnacles had 3een to,erin' up in e%actly the same ,ay since a surprisin'ly early time in earthTs history 1 perhaps over fifty million years. 2o, much hi'her they had once 3eenA it ,as futile to 'uessB 3ut everythin' a3out this stran'e re'ion pointed to o3scure atmospheric influences unfavora3le to chan'eA and calculated to retard the usual climatic processes of roc! disinte'ration. But it ,as the mountainside tan'le of re'ular cu3esA rampartsA and cave mouths ,hich fascinated and distur3ed us most. = studied them ,ith a field 'lass and too! aerial photo'raphs ,hile $anforth droveB and at times = relieved him at the controls 1 thou'h my aviation !no,led'e ,as purely an amateurTs 1 in order to let him use the 3inoculars. We could easily see that much of the material of the thin's ,as a li'htish Archaean DuartziteA

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unli!e any formation visi3le over 3road areas of the 'eneral surfaceB and that their re'ularity ,as e%treme and uncanny to an e%tent ,hich poor 5a!e had scarcely hinted. As he had saidA their ed'es ,ere crum3led and rounded from untold aeons of sava'e ,eatherin'B 3ut their preternatural solidity and tou'h material had saved them from o3literation. 8any partsA especially those closest to the slopesA seemed identical in su3stance ,ith the surroundin' roc! surface. The ,hole arran'ement loo!ed li!e the ruins of 8acchu >icchu in the AndesA or the primal foundation ,alls of 0ish as du' up 3y the +%ford 4ield 8useum E%pedition in 1)")B and 3oth $anforth and = o3tained that occasional impression of separate Cyclopean 3loc!s ,hich 5a!e had attri3uted to his fli'ht1companion Carroll. 2o, to account for such thin's in this place ,as fran!ly 3eyond meA and = felt Dueerly hum3led as a 'eolo'ist. ='neous formations often have stran'e re'ularities 1 li!e the famous 7iantsT Cause,ay in =reland 1 3ut this stupendous ran'eA despite 5a!eTs ori'inal suspicion of smo!in' conesA ,as a3ove all else nonvolcanic in evident structure. The curious cave mouthsA near ,hich the odd formations seemed most a3undantA presented another al3eit a lesser puzzle 3ecause of their re'ularity of outline. They ,ereA as 5a!eTs 3ulletin had saidA often appro%imately sDuare or semicircularB as if the natural orifices had 3een shaped to 'reater symmetry 3y some ma'ic hand. Their numerousness and ,ide distri3ution ,ere remar!a3leA and su''ested that the ,hole re'ion ,as honeycom3ed ,ith tunnels dissolved out of limestone strata. Such 'limpses as ,e secured did not e%tend far ,ithin the cavernsA 3ut ,e sa, that they ,ere apparently clear of stalactites and stala'mites. +utsideA those parts of the mountain slopes adCoinin' the apertures seemed invaria3ly smooth and re'ularB and $anforth thou'ht that the sli'ht crac!s and pittin's of the ,eatherin' tended to,ard unusual patterns. 4illed as he ,as ,ith the horrors and stran'enesses discovered at the campA he hinted that the pittin's va'uely resem3led those 3afflin' 'roups of dots sprin!led over the primeval 'reenish soapstonesA so hideously duplicated on the madly conceived sno, mounds a3ove those si% 3uried monstrosities. We had risen 'radually in flyin' over the hi'her foothills and alon' to,ard the relatively lo, pass ,e had selected. As ,e advanced ,e occasionally loo!ed do,n at the sno, and ice of the land routeA ,onderin' ,hether ,e could have attempted the trip ,ith the simpler eDuipment of earlier days. Some,hat to our surprise ,e sa, that the terrain ,as far from difficult as such thin's 'oB and that despite the crevasses and other 3ad spots it ,ould not have 3een li!ely to deter the sled'es of a ScottA a Shac!letonA or an Amundsen. Some of the 'laciers appeared to lead up to ,ind13ared passes ,ith unusual continuityA and upon reachin' our chosen pass ,e found that its case formed no e%ception. +ur sensations of tense e%pectancy as ,e prepared to round the crest and peer out over an untrodden ,orld can hardly 3e descri3ed on paperB even thou'h ,e had no cause to thin! the re'ions 3eyond the ran'e essentially different from those already seen and traversed. The touch of evil mystery in these 3arrier mountainsA and in the 3ec!onin' sea of opalescent s!y 'limpsed 3et,i%t their summitsA ,as a hi'hly su3tle and attenuated matter not to 3e e%plained in literal ,ords. :ather ,as it an affair of va'ue psycholo'ical sym3olism and aesthetic association 1 a thin' mi%ed up ,ith e%otic poetry and paintin'sA and ,ith archaic myths lur!in' in shunned and for3idden volumes. Even the ,indTs 3urden held a peculiar strain of conscious mali'nityB and for a second it seemed that the composite sound included a 3izarre musical ,histlin' or pipin' over a ,ide ran'e as the 3last s,ept

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in and out of the omnipresent and resonant cave mouths. There ,as a cloudy note of reminiscent repulsion in this soundA as comple% and unplacea3le as any of the other dar! impressions. We ,ere no,A after a slo, ascentA at a hei'ht of t,enty1three thousandA five hundred and seventy feet accordin' to the aneroidB and had left the re'ion of clin'in' sno, definitely 3elo, us. (p here ,ere only dar!A 3are roc! slopes and the start of rou'h1ri33ed 'laciers 1 3ut ,ith those provocative cu3esA rampartsA and echoin' cave mouths to add a portent of the unnaturalA the fantasticA and the dreamli!e. 5oo!in' alon' the line of hi'h pea!sA = thou'ht = could see the one mentioned 3y poor 5a!eA ,ith a rampart e%actly on top. =t seemed to 3e half lost in a Dueer antarctic haze 1 such a hazeA perhapsA as had 3een responsi3le for 5a!eTs early notion of volcanism. The pass loomed directly 3efore usA smooth and ,inds,ept 3et,een its Ca''ed and mali'nly fro,nin' pylons. Beyond it ,as a s!y fretted ,ith s,irlin' vapors and li'hted 3y the lo, polar sun 1 the s!y of that mysterious farther realm upon ,hich ,e felt no human eye had ever 'azed. A fe, more feet of altitude and ,e ,ould 3ehold that realm. $anforth and =A una3le to spea! e%cept in shouts amidst the ho,lin'A pipin' ,ind that raced throu'h the pass and added to the noise of the unmuffled en'inesA e%chan'ed eloDuent 'lances. And thenA havin' 'ained those last fe, feetA ,e did indeed stare across the momentous divide and over the unsampled secrets of an elder and utterly alien earth.

V.
= thin! that 3oth of us simultaneously cried out in mi%ed a,eA ,onderA terrorA and dis3elief in our o,n senses as ,e finally cleared the pass and sa, ,hat lay 3eyond. +f courseA ,e must have had some natural theory in the 3ac! of our heads to steady our faculties for the moment. >ro3a3ly ,e thou'ht of such thin's as the 'rotesDuely ,eathered stones of the 7arden of the 7ods in ColoradoA or the fantastically symmetrical ,ind1carved roc!s of the Arizona desert. >erhaps ,e even half thou'ht the si'ht a mira'e li!e that ,e had seen the mornin' 3efore on first approachin' those mountains of madness. We must have had some such normal notions to fall 3ac! upon as our eyes s,ept that limitlessA tempest1scarred plateau and 'rasped the almost endless la3yrinth of colossalA re'ularA and 'eometrically eurythmic stone masses ,hich reared their crum3led and pitted crests a3ove a 'lacial sheet not more than forty or fifty feet deep at its thic!estA and in places o3viously thinner. The effect of the monstrous si'ht ,as indescri3a3leA for some fiendish violation of !no,n natural la, seemed certain at the outset. 2ereA on a hellishly ancient ta3le1land fully t,enty thousand feet hi'hA and in a climate deadly to ha3itation since a prehuman a'e not less than five hundred thousand years a'oA there stretched nearly to the visionTs limit a tan'le of orderly stone ,hich only the desperation of mental self1defense could possi3ly attri3ute to any 3ut conscious and artificial cause. We had previously dismissedA so far as serious thou'ht ,as concernedA any theory that the cu3es and ramparts of the mountainsides ,ere other than natural in ori'in. 2o, could they 3e other,iseA ,hen man himself could scarcely have 3een differentiated from the 'reat apes at the time ,hen this re'ion succum3ed to the present un3ro!en rei'n of 'lacial deathG

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.et no, the s,ay of reason seemed irrefuta3ly sha!enA for this Cyclopean maze of sDuaredA curvedA and an'led 3loc!s had features ,hich cut off all comforta3le refu'e. =t ,asA very clearlyA the 3lasphemous city of the mira'e in star!A o3CectiveA and inelucta3le reality. That damna3le portent had had a material 3asis after all 1 there had 3een some horizontal stratum of ice dust in the upper airA and this shoc!in' stone survival had proCected its ima'e across the mountains accordin' to the simple la,s of reflectionA +f courseA the phantom had 3een t,isted and e%a''eratedA and had contained thin's ,hich the real source did not containB yet no,A as ,e sa, that real sourceA ,e thou'ht it even more hideous and menacin' than its distant ima'e. +nly the incredi3leA unhuman massiveness of these vast stone to,ers and ramparts had saved the fri'htful thin's from utter annihilation in the hundreds of thousands 1 perhaps millions 1 of years it had 3rooded there amidst the 3lasts of a 3lea! upland. LCorona 8undi 1 :oof of the World 1 L All sorts of fantastic phrases spran' to our lips as ,e loo!ed dizzily do,n at the un3elieva3le spectacle. = thou'ht a'ain of the eldritch primal myths that had so persistently haunted me since my first si'ht of this dead antarctic ,orld 1 of the demoniac plateau of 5en'A of the 8i17oA or a3omina3le Sno, 8en of the 2imalayasA of the >na!otic 8anuscripts ,ith their prehuman implicationsA of the Cthulhu cultA of the -ecronomiconA and of the 2yper3orean le'ends of formless Tsatho''ua and the ,orse than formless star spa,n associated ,ith that semientity. 4or 3oundless miles in every direction the thin' stretched off ,ith very little thinnin'B indeedA as our eyes follo,ed it to the ri'ht and left alon' the 3ase of the lo,A 'radual foothills ,hich separated it from the actual mountain rimA ,e decided that ,e could see no thinnin' at all e%cept for an interruption at the left of the pass throu'h ,hich ,e had come. We had merely struc!A at randomA a limited part of somethin' of incalcula3le e%tent. The foothills ,ere more sparsely sprin!led ,ith 'rotesDue stone structuresA lin!in' the terri3le city to the already familiar cu3es and ramparts ,hich evidently formed its mountain outposts. These latterA as ,ell as the Dueer cave mouthsA ,ere as thic! on the inner as on the outer sides of the mountains. The nameless stone la3yrinth consistedA for the most partA of ,alls from ten to one hundred and fifty feet in ice1clear hei'htA and of a thic!ness varyin' from five to ten feet. =t ,as composed mostly of prodi'ious 3loc!s of dar! primordial slateA schistA and sandstone 1 3loc!s in many cases as lar'e as # % - % 8 feet 1 thou'h in several places it seemed to 3e carved out of a solidA uneven 3ed roc! of pre1Cam3rian slate. The 3uildin's ,ere far from eDual in sizeA there 3ein' innumera3le honeycom3 arran'ements of enormous e%tent as ,ell as smaller separate structures. The 'eneral shape of these thin's tended to 3e conicalA pyramidalA or terracedB thou'h there ,ere many perfect cylindersA perfect cu3esA clusters of cu3esA and other rectan'ular formsA and a peculiar sprin!lin' of an'led edifices ,hose five1 pointed 'round plan rou'hly su''ested modern fortifications. The 3uilders had made constant and e%pert use of the principle of the archA and domes had pro3a3ly e%isted in the cityTs heyday. The ,hole tan'le ,as monstrously ,eatheredA and the 'lacial surface from ,hich the to,ers proCected ,as stre,n ,ith fallen 3loc!s and immemorial de3ris. Where the 'laciation ,as transparent ,e could see the lo,er parts of the 'i'antic pilesA and ,e noticed the ice1preserved stone 3rid'es ,hich connected the different to,ers at varyin' distances a3ove the 'round. +n the e%posed ,alls ,e could detect the scarred places ,here other and hi'her 3rid'es of the same sort had e%isted. Closer inspection revealed countless

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lar'ish ,indo,sB some of ,hich ,ere closed ,ith shutters of a petrified material ori'inally ,oodA thou'h most 'aped open in a sinister and menacin' fashion. 8any of the ruinsA of courseA ,ere rooflessA and ,ith uneven thou'h ,ind1rounded upper ed'esB ,hilst othersA of a more sharply conical or pyramidal model or else protected 3y hi'her surroundin' structuresA preserved intact outlines despite the omnipresent crum3lin' and pittin'. With the field 'lass ,e could 3arely ma!e out ,hat seemed to 3e sculptural decorations in horizontal 3ands 1 decorations includin' those curious 'roups of dots ,hose presence on the ancient soapstones no, assumed a vastly lar'er si'nificance. =n many places the 3uildin's ,ere totally ruined and the ice sheet deeply riven from various 'eolo'ic causes. =n other places the stone,or! ,as ,orn do,n to the very level of the 'laciation. +ne 3road s,athA e%tendin' from the plateauTs interiorA to a cleft in the foothills a3out a mile to the left of the pass ,e had traversedA ,as ,holly free from 3uildin's. =t pro3a3ly representedA ,e concludedA the course of some 'reat river ,hich in Tertiary times 1 millions of years a'o 1 had poured throu'h the city and into some prodi'ious su3terranean a3yss of the 'reat 3arrier ran'e. CertainlyA this ,as a3ove all a re'ion of cavesA 'ulfsA and under'round secrets 3eyond human penetration. 5oo!in' 3ac! to our sensationsA and recallin' our dazedness at vie,in' this monstrous survival from aeons ,e had thou'ht prehumanA = can only ,onder that ,e preserved the sem3lance of eDuili3riumA ,hich ,e did. +f courseA ,e !ne, that somethin' 1 chronolo'yA scientific theoryA or our o,n consciousness 1 ,as ,oefully a,ryB yet ,e !ept enou'h poise to 'uide the planeA o3serve many thin's Duite minutelyA and ta!e a careful series of photo'raphs ,hich may yet serve 3oth us and the ,orld in 'ood stead. =n my caseA in'rained scientific ha3it may have helpedB for a3ove all my 3e,ilderment and sense of menaceA there 3urned a dominant curiosity to fathom more of this a'e1old secret 1 to !no, ,hat sort of 3ein's had 3uilt and lived in this incalcula3ly 'i'antic placeA and ,hat relation to the 'eneral ,orld of its time or of other times so uniDue a concentration of life could have had. 4or this place could 3e no ordinary city. =t must have formed the primary nucleus and center of some archaic and un3elieva3le chapter of earthTs history ,hose out,ard ramificationsA recalled only dimly in the most o3scure and distorted mythsA had vanished utterly amidst the chaos of terrene convulsions lon' 3efore any human race ,e !no, had sham3led out of apedom. 2ere spra,led a >alaeo'aean me'alopolis compared ,ith ,hich the fa3led Atlantis and 5emuriaA Commoriom and (zuldaroumA and +lathoc in the land of 5omarA are recent thin's of today 1 not even of yesterdayB a me'alopolis ran!in' ,ith such ,hispered prehuman 3lasphemies as ?alusiaA :TlyehA =3 in the land of 8narA and the ;ameless city of Ara3ia $eserta. As ,e fle, a3ove that tan'le of star! titan to,ers my ima'ination sometimes escaped all 3ounds and roved aimlessly in realms of fantastic associations 1 even ,eavin' lin!s 3et,i%t this lost ,orld and some of my o,n ,ildest dreams concernin' the mad horror at the camp. The planeTs fuel tan!A in the interest of 'reater li'htnessA had 3een only partly filledB hence ,e no, had to e%ert caution in our e%plorations. Even soA ho,everA ,e covered an enormous e%tent of 'round 1 orA ratherA air 1 after s,oopin' do,n to a level ,here the ,ind 3ecame virtually ne'li'i3le. There seemed to 3e no limit to the mountain ran'eA or to the len'th of the fri'htful stone city ,hich 3ordered its inner foothills. 4ifty miles of fli'ht in each direction sho,ed no maCor chan'e in the la3yrinth of roc! and masonry that cla,ed up corpseli!e throu'h the eternal ice. There ,ereA thou'hA some hi'hly a3sor3in'

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diversificationsB such as the carvin's on the canyon ,here that 3road river had once pierced the foothills and approached its sin!in' place in the 'reat ran'e. The headlands at the streamTs entrance had 3een 3oldly carved into Cyclopean pylonsB and somethin' a3out the rid'yA 3arrel1shaped desi'ns stirred up oddly va'ueA hatefulA and confusin' semi1 remem3rances in 3oth $anforth and me. We also came upon several star1shaped open spacesA evidently pu3lic sDuaresA and noted various undulations in the terrain. Where a sharp hill roseA it ,as 'enerally hollo,ed out into some sort of ram3lin'1stone edificeB 3ut there ,ere at least t,o e%ceptions. +f these latterA one ,as too 3adly ,eathered to disclose ,hat had 3een on the Cuttin' eminenceA ,hile the other still 3ore a fantastic conical monument carved out of the solid roc! and rou'hly resem3lin' such thin's as the ,ell1!no,n Sna!e Tom3 in the ancient valley of >etra. 4lyin' inland from the mountainsA ,e discovered that the city ,as not of infinite ,idthA even thou'h its len'th alon' the foothills seemed endless. After a3out thirty miles the 'rotesDue stone 3uildin's 3e'an to thin outA and in ten more miles ,e came to an un3ro!en ,aste virtually ,ithout si'ns of sentient artifice. The course of the river 3eyond the city seemed mar!ed 3y a 3roadA depressed lineA ,hile the land assumed a some,hat 'reater ru''ednessA seemin' to slope sli'htly up,ard as it receded in the mist1hazed ,est. So far ,e had made no landin'A yet to leave the plateau ,ithout an attempt at enterin' some of the monstrous structures ,ould have 3een inconceiva3le. Accordin'lyA ,e decided to find a smooth place on the foothills near our navi'a3le passA there 'roundin' the plane and preparin' to do some e%ploration on foot. Thou'h these 'radual slopes ,ere partly covered ,ith a scatterin' of ruinsA lo, flyin' soon disclosed an ampler num3er of possi3le landin' places. Selectin' that nearest to the passA since our fli'ht ,ould 3e across the 'reat ran'e and 3ac! to campA ,e succeeded a3out 1"9&* >.8. in effectin' a landin' on a smoothA hard sno, field ,holly devoid of o3stacles and ,ell adapted to a s,ift and favora3le ta!e1off later on. =t did not seem necessary to protect the plane ,ith a sno, 3an!in' for so 3rief a time and in so comforta3le an a3sence of hi'h ,inds at this levelB hence ,e merely sa, that the landin' s!is ,ere safely lod'edA and that the vital parts of the mechanism ,ere 'uarded a'ainst the cold. 4or our foot Courney ,e discarded the heaviest of our flyin' fursA and too! ,ith us a small outfit consistin' of poc!et compassA hand cameraA li'ht provisionsA voluminous note3oo!s and paperA 'eolo'istTs hammer and chiselA specimen 3a'sA coil of clim3in' ropeA and po,erful electric torches ,ith e%tra 3atteriesB this eDuipment havin' 3een carried in the plane on the chance that ,e mi'ht 3e a3le to effect a landin'A ta!e 'round picturesA ma!e dra,in's and topo'raphical s!etchesA and o3tain roc! specimens from some 3are slopeA outcroppin'A or mountain cave. 4ortunately ,e had a supply of e%tra paper to tear upA place in a spare specimen 3a'A and use on the ancient principle of hare and hounds for mar!in' our course in any interior mazes ,e mi'ht 3e a3le to penetrate. This had 3een 3rou'ht in case ,e found some cave system ,ith air Duiet enou'h to allo, such a rapid and easy method in place of the usual roc!1chippin' method of trail 3lazin'. Wal!in' cautiously do,nhill over the crusted sno, to,ard the stupendous stone la3yrinth that loomed a'ainst the opalescent ,estA ,e felt almost as !een a sense of imminent marvels as ,e had felt on approachin' the unfathomed mountain pass four hours previously. TrueA ,e had 3ecome visually familiar ,ith the incredi3le secret concealed 3y

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the 3arrier pea!sB yet the prospect of actually enterin' primordial ,alls reared 3y conscious 3ein's perhaps millions of years a'o 1 3efore any !no,n race of men could have e%isted 1 ,as none the less a,esome and potentially terri3le in its implications of cosmic a3normality. Thou'h the thinness of the air at this prodi'ious altitude made e%ertion some,hat more difficult than usualA 3oth $anforth and = found ourselves 3earin' up very ,ellA and felt eDual to almost any tas! ,hich mi'ht fall to our lot. =t too! only a fe, steps to 3rin' us to a shapeless ruin ,orn level ,ith the sno,A ,hile ten or fifteen rods farther on there ,as a hu'eA roofless rampart still complete in its 'i'antic five1pointed outline and risin' to an irre'ular hei'ht of ten or eleven feet. 4or this latter ,e headedB and ,hen at last ,e ,ere actually a3le to touch its ,eathered Cyclopean 3loc!sA ,e felt that ,e had esta3lished an unprecedented and almost 3lasphemous lin! ,ith for'otten aeons normally closed to our species. This rampartA shaped li!e a star and perhaps three hundred feet from point to pointA ,as 3uilt of 6urassic sandstone 3loc!s of irre'ular sizeA avera'in' - % 8 feet in surface. There ,as a ro, of arched loopholes or ,indo,s a3out four feet ,ide and five feet hi'hA spaced Duite symmetrically alon' the points of the star and at its inner an'lesA and ,ith the 3ottoms a3out four feet from the 'laciated surface. 5oo!in' throu'h theseA ,e could see that the masonry ,as fully five feet thic!A that there ,ere no partitions remainin' ,ithinA and that there ,ere traces of 3anded carvin's or 3as1reliefs on the interior ,alls 1 facts ,e had indeed 'uessed 3eforeA ,hen flyin' lo, over this rampart and others li!e it. Thou'h lo,er parts must have ori'inally e%istedA all traces of such thin's ,ere no, ,holly o3scured 3y the deep layer of ice and sno, at this point. We cra,led throu'h one of the ,indo,s and vainly tried to decipher the nearly effaced mural desi'nsA 3ut did not attempt to distur3 the 'laciated floor. +ur orientation fli'hts had indicated that many 3uildin's in the city proper ,ere less ice1cho!edA and that ,e mi'ht perhaps find ,holly clear interiors leadin' do,n to the true 'round level if ,e entered those structures still roofed at the top. Before ,e left the rampart ,e photo'raphed it carefullyA and studied its mortar1less Cyclopean masonry ,ith complete 3e,ilderment. We ,ished that >a3odie ,ere presentA for his en'ineerin' !no,led'e mi'ht have helped us 'uess ho, such titanic 3loc!s could have 3een handled in that un3elieva3ly remote a'e ,hen the city and its outs!irts ,ere 3uilt up. The half1mile ,al! do,nhill to the actual cityA ,ith the upper ,ind shrie!in' vainly and sava'ely throu'h the s!y,ard pea!s in the 3ac!'roundA ,as somethin' of ,hich the smallest details ,ill al,ays remain en'raved on my mind. +nly in fantastic ni'htmares could any human 3ein's 3ut $anforth and me conceive such optical effects. Bet,een us and the churnin' vapors of the ,est lay that monstrous tan'le of dar! stone to,ersA its outre and incredi3le forms impressin' us afresh at every ne, an'le of vision. =t ,as a mira'e in solid stoneA and ,ere it not for the photo'raphsA = ,ould still dou3t that such a thin' could 3e. The 'eneral type of masonry ,as identical ,ith that of the rampart ,e had e%aminedB 3ut the e%trava'ant shapes ,hich this masonry too! in its ur3an manifestations ,ere past all description. Even the pictures illustrate only one or t,o phases of its endless varietyA preternatural massivenessA and utterly alien e%oticism. There ,ere 'eometrical forms for ,hich an Euclid ,ould scarcely find a name 1 cones of all de'rees of irre'ularity and truncationA terraces of every sort of provocative disproportionA shafts ,ith odd 3ul3ous enlar'ementsA 3ro!en columns in curious 'roupsA and five1pointed or five1rid'ed arran'ements of mad

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'rotesDueness. As ,e dre, nearer ,e could see 3eneath certain transparent parts of the ice sheetA and detect some of the tu3ular stone 3rid'es that connected the crazily sprin!led structures at various hei'hts. +f orderly streets there seemed to 3e noneA the only 3road open s,ath 3ein' a mile to the leftA ,here the ancient river had dou3tless flo,ed throu'h the to,n into the mountains. +ur field 'lasses sho,ed the e%ternalA horizontal 3ands of nearly effaced sculptures and dot 'roups to 3e very prevalentA and ,e could half ima'ine ,hat the city must once have loo!ed li!e 1 even thou'h most of the roofs and to,er tops had necessarily perished. As a ,holeA it had 3een a comple% tan'le of t,isted lanes and alleysA all of them deep canyonsA and some little 3etter than tunnels 3ecause of the overhan'in' masonry or overarchin' 3rid'es. ;o,A outspread 3elo, usA it loomed li!e a dream fantasy a'ainst a ,est,ard mist throu'h ,hose northern end the lo,A reddish antarctic sun of early afternoon ,as stru''lin' to shineB and ,henA for a momentA that sun encountered a denser o3struction and plun'ed the scene into temporary shado,A the effect ,as su3tly menacin' in a ,ay = can never hope to depict. Even the faint ho,lin' and pipin' of the unfelt ,ind in the 'reat mountain passes 3ehind us too! on a ,ilder note of purposeful mali'nity. The last sta'e of our descent to the to,n ,as unusually steep and a3ruptA and a roc! outcroppin' at the ed'e ,here the 'rade chan'ed led us to thin! that an artificial terrace had once e%isted there. (nder the 'laciationA ,e 3elievedA there must 3e a fli'ht of steps or its eDuivalent. When at last ,e plun'ed into the to,n itselfA clam3erin' over fallen masonry and shrin!in' from the oppressive nearness and d,arfin' hei'ht of omnipresent crum3lin' and pitted ,allsA our sensations a'ain 3ecame such that = marvel at the amount of self1control ,e retained. $anforth ,as fran!ly CumpyA and 3e'an ma!in' some offensively irrelevant speculations a3out the horror at the camp 1 ,hich = resented all the more 3ecause = could not help sharin' certain conclusions forced upon us 3y many features of this mor3id survival from ni'htmare antiDuity. The speculations ,or!ed on his ima'inationA tooB for in one place 1 ,here a de3ris1littered alley turned a sharp corner 1 he insisted that he sa, faint traces of 'round mar!in's ,hich he did not li!eB ,hilst else,here he stopped to listen to a su3tleA ima'inary sound from some undefined point 1 a muffled musical pipin'A he saidA not unli!e that of the ,ind in the mountain cavesA yet someho, distur3in'ly different. The ceaseless five1pointedness of the surroundin' architecture and of the fe, distin'uisha3le mural ara3esDues had a dimly sinister su''estiveness ,e could not escapeA and 'ave us a touch of terri3le su3conscious certainty concernin' the primal entities ,hich had reared and d,elt in this unhallo,ed place. ;everthelessA our scientific and adventurous souls ,ere not ,holly deadA and ,e mechanically carried out our pro'ram of chippin' specimens from all the different roc! types represented in the masonry. We ,ished a rather full set in order to dra, 3etter conclusions re'ardin' the a'e of the place. ;othin' in the 'reat outer ,alls seemed to date from later than the 6urassic and Comanchian periodsA nor ,as any piece of stone in the entire place of a 'reater recency than the >liocene A'e. =n star! certaintyA ,e ,ere ,anderin' amidst a death ,hich had rei'ned at least five hundred thousand yearsA and in all pro3a3ility even lon'er. As ,e proceeded throu'h this maze of stone1shado,ed t,ili'ht ,e stopped at all availa3le apertures to study interiors and investi'ate entrance possi3ilities. Some ,ere a3ove our reachA ,hilst others led only into ice1cho!ed ruins as unroofed and 3arren as the rampart on the hill. +neA thou'h spacious and invitin'A opened on a seemin'ly 3ottomless

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a3yss ,ithout visi3le means of descent. ;o, and then ,e had a chance to study the petrified ,ood of a survivin' shutterA and ,ere impressed 3y the fa3ulous antiDuity implied in the still discerni3le 'rain. These thin's had come from 8esozoic 'ymnosperms and conifers 1 especially Cretaceous cycads 1 and from fan palms and early an'iosperms of plainly Tertiary date. ;othin' definitely later than the >liocene could 3e discovered. =n the placin' of these shutters 1 ,hose ed'es sho,ed the former presence of Dueer and lon'1 vanished hin'es 1 usa'e seemed to 3e varied 1 some 3ein' on the outer and some on the inner side of the deep em3rasures. They seemed to have 3ecome ,ed'ed in placeA thus survivin' the rustin' of their former and pro3a3ly metallic fi%tures and fastenin's. After a time ,e came across a ro, of ,indo,s 1 in the 3ul'es of a colossal five1ed'ed cone of undama'ed ape% 1 ,hich led into a vastA ,ell1preserved room ,ith stone floorin'B 3ut these ,ere too hi'h in the room to permit descent ,ithout a rope. We had a rope ,ith usA 3ut did not ,ish to 3other ,ith this t,enty1foot drop unless o3li'ed to1especially in this thin plateau air ,here 'reat demands ,ere made upon the heart action. This enormous room ,as pro3a3ly a hall or concourse of some sortA and our electric torches sho,ed 3oldA distinctA and potentially startlin' sculptures arran'ed round the ,alls in 3roadA horizontal 3ands separated 3y eDually 3road strips of conventional ara3esDues. We too! careful note of this spotA plannin' to enter here unless a more easily 'ained interior ,ere encountered. 4inallyA thou'hA ,e did encounter e%actly the openin' ,e ,ishedB an arch,ay a3out si% feet ,ide and ten feet hi'hA mar!in' the former end of an aerial 3rid'e ,hich had spanned an alley a3out five feet a3ove the present level of 'laciation. These arch,aysA of courseA ,ere flush ,ith upper1story floorsA and in this case one of the floors still e%isted. The 3uildin' thus accessi3le ,as a series of rectan'ular terraces on our left facin' ,est,ard. That across the alleyA ,here the other arch,ay ya,nedA ,as a decrepit cylinder ,ith no ,indo,s and ,ith a curious 3ul'e a3out ten feet a3ove the aperture. =t ,as totally dar! insideA and the arch,ay seemed to open on a ,ell of illimita3le emptiness. 2eaped de3ris made the entrance to the vast left1hand 3uildin' dou3ly easyA yet for a moment ,e hesitated 3efore ta!in' advanta'e of the lon'1,ished chance. 4or thou'h ,e had penetrated into this tan'le of archaic mysteryA it reDuired fresh resolution to carry us actually inside a complete and survivin' 3uildin' of a fa3ulous elder ,orld ,hose nature ,as 3ecomin' more and more hideously plain to us. =n the endA ho,everA ,e made the plun'eA and scram3led up over the ru33le into the 'apin' em3rasure. The floor 3eyond ,as of 'reat slate sla3sA and seemed to form the outlet of a lon'A hi'h corridor ,ith sculptured ,alls. +3servin' the many inner arch,ays ,hich led off from itA and realizin' the pro3a3le comple%ity of the nest of apartments ,ithinA ,e decided that ,e must 3e'in our system of hare1and1hound trail 3lazin'. 2itherto our compassesA to'ether ,ith freDuent 'limpses of the vast mountain ran'e 3et,een the to,ers in our rearA had 3een enou'h to prevent our losin' our ,ayB 3ut from no, onA the artificial su3stitute ,ould 3e necessary. Accordin'ly ,e reduced our e%tra paper to shreds of suita3le sizeA placed these in a 3a' to 3e carried 3y $anforthA and prepared to use them as economically as safety ,ould allo,. This method ,ould pro3a3ly 'ain us immunity from strayin'A since there did not appear to 3e any stron' air currents inside the primordial masonry. =f such should developA or if our paper supply should 'ive outA ,e could of course fall 3ac! on the more secure thou'h more tedious and retardin' method of roc! chippin'.

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6ust ho, e%tensive a territory ,e had opened upA it ,as impossi3le to 'uess ,ithout a trial. The close and freDuent connection of the different 3uildin's made it li!ely that ,e mi'ht cross from one to another on 3rid'es underneath the iceA e%cept ,here impeded 3y local collapses and 'eolo'ic riftsA for very little 'laciation seemed to have entered the massive constructions. Almost all the areas of transparent ice had revealed the su3mer'ed ,indo,s as ti'htly shutteredA as if the to,n had 3een left in that uniform state until the 'lacial sheet came to crystallize the lo,er part for all succeedin' time. =ndeedA one 'ained a curious impression that this place had 3een deli3erately closed and deserted in some dimA 3y'one aeonA rather than over,helmed 3y any sudden calamity or even 'radual decay. 2ad the comin' of the ice 3een foreseenA and had a nameless population left en masse to see! a less doomed a3odeG The precise physio'raphic conditions attendin' the formation of the ice sheet at this point ,ould have to ,ait for later solution. =t had notA very plainlyA 3een a 'rindin' drive. >erhaps the pressure of accumulated sno,s had 3een responsi3leA and perhaps some flood from the riverA or from the 3urstin' of some ancient 'lacial dam in the 'reat ran'eA had helped to create the special state no, o3serva3le. =ma'ination could conceive almost anythin' in connection ,ith this place.

V,.
=t ,ould 3e cum3rous to 'ive a detailedA consecutive account of our ,anderin's inside that cavernousA aeon1dead honeycom3 of primal masonry 1 that monstrous lair of elder secrets ,hich no, echoed for the first timeA after uncounted epochsA to the tread of human feet. This is especially true 3ecause so much of the horri3le drama and revelation came from a mere study of the omnipresent mural carvin's. +ur flashli'ht photo'raphs of those carvin's ,ill do much to,ard provin' the truth of ,hat ,e are no, disclosin'A and it is lamenta3le that ,e had not a lar'er film supply ,ith us. As it ,asA ,e made crude note3oo! s!etches of certain salient features after all our films ,ere used up. The 3uildin' ,hich ,e had entered ,as one of 'reat size and ela3oratenessA and 'ave us an impressive notion of the architecture of that nameless 'eolo'ic past. The inner partitions ,ere less massive than the outer ,allsA 3ut on the lo,er levels ,ere e%cellently preserved. 5a3yrinthine comple%ityA involvin' curiously irre'ular difference in floor levelsA characterized the entire arran'ementB and ,e should certainly have 3een lost at the very outset 3ut for the trail of torn paper left 3ehind us. We decided to e%plore the more decrepit upper parts first of allA hence clim3ed aloft in the maze for a distance of some one hundred feetA to ,here the topmost tier of cham3ers ya,ned sno,ily and ruinously open to the polar s!y. Ascent ,as effected over the steepA transversely ri33ed stone ramps or inclined planes ,hich every,here served in lieu of stairs. The rooms ,e encountered ,ere of all ima'ina3le shapes and proportionsA ran'in' from five1pointed stars to trian'les and perfect cu3es. =t mi'ht 3e safe to say that their 'eneral avera'e ,as a3out &* % &* feet in floor areaA and "* feet in hei'htA thou'h many lar'er apartments e%isted. After thorou'hly e%aminin' the upper re'ions and the 'lacial levelA ,e descendedA story 3y storyA into the su3mer'ed partA ,here indeed ,e soon sa, ,e ,ere in a continuous maze of connected cham3ers and passa'es pro3a3ly leadin' over unlimited areas outside this particular 3uildin'. The Cyclopean massiveness and 'i'antism of everythin' a3out us 3ecame curiously oppressiveB and there ,as somethin' va'uely 3ut deeply unhuman in all the contoursA dimensionsA proportionsA decorationsA and constructional nuances of the

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3lasphemously archaic stone,or!. We soon realizedA from ,hat the carvin's revealedA that this monstrous city ,as many million years old. We cannot yet e%plain the en'ineerin' principles used in the anomalous 3alancin' and adCustment of the vast roc! massesA thou'h the function of the arch ,as clearly much relied on. The rooms ,e visited ,ere ,holly 3are of all porta3le contentsA a circumstance ,hich sustained our 3elief in the cityTs deli3erate desertion. The prime decorative feature ,as the almost universal system of mural sculptureA ,hich tended to run in continuous horizontal 3ands three feet ,ide and arran'ed from floor to ceilin' in alternation ,ith 3ands of eDual ,idth 'iven over to 'eometrical ara3esDues. There ,ere e%ceptions to this rule of arran'ementA 3ut its preponderance ,as over,helmin'. +ftenA ho,everA a series of smooth car1touches containin' oddly patterned 'roups of dots ,ould 3e sun! alon' one of the ara3esDue 3ands. The techniDueA ,e soon sa,A ,as matureA accomplishedA and aesthetically evolved to the hi'hest de'ree of civilized masteryA thou'h utterly alien in every detail to any !no,n art tradition of the human race. =n delicacy of e%ecution no sculpture = have ever seen could approach it. The minutest details of ela3orate ve'etationA or of animal lifeA ,ere rendered ,ith astonishin' vividness despite the 3old scale of the carvin'sB ,hilst the conventional desi'ns ,ere marvels of s!illful intricacy. The ara3esDues displayed a profound use of mathematical principlesA and ,ere made up of o3scurely symmetrical curves and an'les 3ased on the Duantity of five. The pictorial 3ands follo,ed a hi'hly formalized traditionA and involved a peculiar treatment of perspectiveA 3ut had an artistic force that moved us profoundlyA not,ithstandin' the intervenin' 'ulf of vast 'eolo'ic periods. Their method of desi'n hin'ed on a sin'ular Cu%taposition of the cross section ,ith the t,o1dimensional silhouetteA and em3odied an analytical psycholo'y 3eyond that of any !no,n race of antiDuity. =t is useless to try to compare this art ,ith any represented in our museums. Those ,ho see our photo'raphs ,ill pro3a3ly find its closest analo'ue in certain 'rotesDue conceptions of the most darin' futurists. The ara3esDue tracery consisted alto'ether of depressed linesA ,hose depth on un,eathered ,alls varied from one to t,o inches. When cartouches ,ith dot 'roups appeared 1 evidently as inscriptions in some un!no,n and primordial lan'ua'e and alpha3et 1 the depression of the smooth surface ,as perhaps an inch and a halfA and of the dots perhaps a half inch more. The pictorial 3ands ,ere in countersun! lo, reliefA their 3ac!'round 3ein' depressed a3out t,o inches from the ori'inal ,all surface. =n some specimens mar!s of a former coloration could 3e detectedA thou'h for the most part the untold aeons had disinte'rated and 3anished any pi'ments ,hich may have 3een applied. The more one studied the marvelous techniDueA the more one admired the thin's. Beneath their strict conventionalization one could 'rasp the minute and accurate o3servation and 'raphic s!ill of the artistsB and indeedA the very conventions themselves served to sym3olize and accentuate the real essence or vital differentiation of every o3Cect delineated. We feltA tooA that 3esides these reco'niza3le e%cellences there ,ere others lur!in' 3eyond the reach of our perceptions. Certain touches here and there 'ave va'ue hints of latent sym3ols and stimuli ,hich another mental and emotional 3ac!'roundA and a fuller or different sensory eDuipmentA mi'ht have made of profound and poi'nant si'nificance to us. The su3Cect matter of the sculptures o3viously came from the life of the vanished epoch of their creationA and contained a lar'e proportion of evident history. =t is this a3normal

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historic1mindedness of the primal race 1 a chance circumstance operatin'A throu'h coincidenceA miraculously in our favor 1 ,hich made the carvin's so a,esomely informative to usA and ,hich caused us to place their photo'raphy and transcription a3ove all other considerations. =n certain rooms the dominant arran'ement ,as varied 3y the presence of mapsA astronomical chartsA and other scientific desi'ns of an enlar'ed scale 1 these thin's 'ivin' a naive and terri3le corro3oration to ,hat ,e 'athered from the pictorial friezes and dadoes. =n hintin' at ,hat the ,hole revealedA = can only hope that my account ,ill not arouse a curiosity 'reater than sane caution on the part of those ,ho 3elieve me at all. =t ,ould 3e tra'ic if any ,ere to 3e allured to that realm of death and horror 3y the very ,arnin' meant to discoura'e them. =nterruptin' these sculptured ,alls ,ere hi'h ,indo,s and massive t,elve1foot door,aysB 3oth no, and then retainin' the petrified ,ooden plan!s 1 ela3orately carved and polished1of the actual shutters and doors. All metal fi%tures had lon' a'o vanishedA 3ut some of the doors remained in place and had to 3e forced aside as ,e pro'ressed from room to room. Windo, frames ,ith odd transparent panes 1 mostly elliptical 1 survived here and thereA thou'h in no considera3le Duantity. There ,ere also freDuent niches of 'reat ma'nitudeA 'enerally emptyA 3ut once in a ,hile containin' some 3izarre o3Cect carved from 'reen soapstone ,hich ,as either 3ro!en or perhaps held too inferior to ,arrant removal. +ther apertures ,ere undou3tedly connected ,ith 3y'one mechanical facilities 1 heatin'A li'htin'A and the li!e1of a sort su''ested in many of the carvin's. Ceilin's tended to 3e plainA 3ut had sometimes 3een inlaid ,ith 'reen soapstone or other tilesA mostly fallen no,. 4loors ,ere also paved ,ith such tilesA thou'h plain stone,or! predominated. As = have saidA all furniture and other mova3les ,ere a3sentB 3ut the sculptures 'ave a clear idea of the stran'e devices ,hich had once filled these tom3li!eA echoin' rooms. A3ove the 'lacial sheet the floors ,ere 'enerally thic! ,ith detritusA litterA and de3risA 3ut farther do,n this condition decreased. =n some of the lo,er cham3ers and corridors there ,as little more than 'ritty dust or ancient incrustationsA ,hile occasional areas had an uncanny air of ne,ly s,ept immaculateness. +f courseA ,here rifts or collapses had occurredA the lo,er levels ,ere as littered as the upper ones. A central court 1 as in other structures ,e had seen from the air 1 saved the inner re'ions from total dar!nessB so that ,e seldom had to use our electric torches in the upper rooms e%cept ,hen studyin' sculptured details. Belo, the ice capA ho,everA the t,ili'ht deepenedB and in many parts of the tan'led 'round level there ,as an approach to a3solute 3lac!ness. To form even a rudimentary idea of our thou'hts and feelin's as ,e penetrated this aeon1silent maze of unhuman masonryA one must correlate a hopelessly 3e,ilderin' chaos of fu'itive moodsA memoriesA and impressions. The sheer appallin' antiDuity and lethal desolation of the place ,ere enou'h to over,helm almost any sensitive personA 3ut added to these elements ,ere the recent une%plained horror at the campA and the revelations all too soon effected 3y the terri3le mural sculptures around us. The moment ,e came upon a perfect section of carvin'A ,here no am3i'uity of interpretation could e%istA it too! only a 3rief study to 'ive us the hideous truth 1 a truth ,hich it ,ould 3e naive to claim $anforth and = had not independently suspected 3eforeA thou'h ,e had carefully refrained from even hintin' it to each other. There could no, 3e no further merciful dou3t a3out the nature of the 3ein's ,hich had 3uilt and inha3ited this monstrous dead city millions of years a'oA ,hen manTs ancestors ,ere primitive archaic mammalsA and vast dinosaurs roamed the tropical steppes of Europe and Asia.

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We had previously clun' to a desperate alternative and insisted 1 each to himself 1 that the omnipresence of the five1pointed motifs meant only some cultural or reli'ious e%altation of the Archaean natural o3Cect ,hich had so patently em3odied the Duality of five1pointednessB as the decorative motifs of 8inoan Crete e%alted the sacred 3ullA those of E'ypt the scara3aeusA those of :ome the ,olf and the ea'leA and those of various sava'e tri3es some chosen totem animal. But this lone refu'e ,as no, stripped from usA and ,e ,ere forced to face definitely the reason1sha!in' realization ,hich the reader of these pa'es has dou3tless lon' a'o anticipated. = can scarcely 3ear to ,rite it do,n in 3lac! and ,hite even no,A 3ut perhaps that ,ill not 3e necessary. The thin's once rearin' and d,ellin' in this fri'htful masonry in the a'e of dinosaurs ,ere not indeed dinosaursA 3ut far ,orse. 8ere dinosaurs ,ere ne, and almost 3rainless o3Cects 1 3ut the 3uilders of the city ,ere ,ise and oldA and had left certain traces in roc!s even then laid do,n ,ell ni'h a thousand million years 1 roc!s laid do,n 3efore the true life of earth had advanced 3eyond plastic 'roups of cells 1 roc!s laid do,n 3efore the true life of earth had e%isted at all. They ,ere the ma!ers and enslavers of that lifeA and a3ove all dou3t the ori'inals of the fiendish elder myths ,hich thin's li!e the >na!otic 8anuscripts and the -ecronomicon affri'htedly hint a3out. They ,ere the 'reat L+ld +nesL that had filtered do,n from the stars ,hen earth ,as youn' 1 the 3ein's ,hose su3stance an alien evolution had shapedA and ,hose po,ers ,ere such as this planet had never 3red. And to thin! that only the day 3efore $anforth and = had actually loo!ed upon fra'ments of their millennially fossilized su3stance 1 and that poor 5a!e and his party had seen their complete outlines 1 =t is of course impossi3le for me to relate in proper order the sta'es 3y ,hich ,e pic!ed up ,hat ,e !no, of that monstrous chapter of prehuman life. After the first shoc! of the certain revelationA ,e had to pause a ,hile to recuperateA and it ,as fully three oTcloc! 3efore ,e 'ot started on our actual tour of systematic research. The sculptures in the 3uildin' ,e entered ,ere of relatively late date 1 perhaps t,o million years a'o1as chec!ed up 3y 'eolo'icalA 3iolo'icalA and astronomical features 1 and em3odied an art ,hich ,ould 3e called decadent in comparison ,ith that of specimens ,e found in older 3uildin's after crossin' 3rid'es under the 'lacial sheet. +ne edifice he,n from the solid roc! seemed to 'o 3ac! forty or possi3ly even fifty million years 1 to the lo,er Eocene or upper Cretaceous 1 and contained 3as1reliefs of an artistry surpassin' anythin' elseA ,ith one tremendous e%ceptionA that ,e encountered. That ,asA ,e have since a'reedA the oldest domestic structure ,e traversed. Were it not for the support of those flashli'hts soon to 3e made pu3licA = ,ould refrain from tellin' ,hat = found and inferredA lest = 3e confined as a madman. +f courseA the infinitely early parts of the patch,or! tale 1 representin' the preterrestrial life of the star1 headed 3ein's on other planetsA in other 'ala%iesA and in other universes 1 can readily 3e interpreted as the fantastic mytholo'y of those 3ein's themselvesB yet such parts sometimes involved desi'ns and dia'rams so uncannily close to the latest findin's of mathematics and astrophysics that = scarcely !no, ,hat to thin!. 5et others Cud'e ,hen they see the photo'raphs = shall pu3lish. ;aturallyA no one set of carvin's ,hich ,e encountered told more than a fraction of any connected storyA nor did ,e even 3e'in to come upon the various sta'es of that story in their proper order. Some of the vast rooms ,ere independent units so far as their desi'ns ,ere concernedA ,hilst in other cases a continuous chronicle ,ould 3e carried throu'h a series of rooms and corridors. The 3est of the maps and dia'rams ,ere on the ,alls of a fri'htful a3yss 3elo, even the ancient 'round level 1 a cavern perhaps t,o hundred feet

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sDuare and si%ty feet hi'hA ,hich had almost undou3tedly 3een an educational center of some sort. There ,ere many provo!in' repetitions of the same material in different rooms and 3uildin'sA since certain chapters of e%perienceA and certain summaries or phases of racial historyA had evidently 3een favorites ,ith different decorators or d,ellers. SometimesA thou'hA variant versions of the same theme proved useful in settlin' de3ata3le points and fillin' up 'aps. = still ,onder that ,e deduced so much in the short time at our disposal. +f courseA ,e even no, have only the 3arest outline 1 and much of that ,as o3tained later on from a study of the photo'raphs and s!etches ,e made. =t may 3e the effect of this later study 1 the revived memories and va'ue impressions actin' in conCunction ,ith his 'eneral sensitiveness and ,ith that final supposed horror1'limpse ,hose essence he ,ill not reveal even to me 1 ,hich has 3een the immediate source of $anforthTs present 3rea!do,n. But it had to 3eB for ,e could not issue our ,arnin' intelli'ently ,ithout the fullest possi3le informationA and the issuance of that ,arnin' is a prime necessity. Certain lin'erin' influences in that un!no,n antarctic ,orld of disordered time and alien natural la, ma!e it imperative that further e%ploration 3e discoura'ed.

V,,.
The full storyA so far as decipheredA ,ill eventually appear in an official 3ulletin of 8is!atonic (niversity. 2ere = shall s!etch only the salient hi'hli'hts in a formlessA ram3lin' ,ay. 8yth or other,iseA the sculptures told of the comin' of those star1headed thin's to the nascentA lifeless earth out of cosmic space 1 their comin'A and the comin' of many other alien entities such as at certain times em3ar! upon spatial pioneerin'. They seemed a3le to traverse the interstellar ether on their vast mem3ranous ,in's 1 thus oddly confirmin' some curious hill fol!lore lon' a'o told me 3y an antiDuarian collea'ue. They had lived under the sea a 'ood dealA 3uildin' fantastic cities and fi'htin' terrific 3attles ,ith nameless adversaries 3y means of intricate devices employin' un!no,n principles of ener'y. Evidently their scientific and mechanical !no,led'e far surpassed manTs todayA thou'h they made use of its more ,idespread and ela3orate forms only ,hen o3li'ed to. Some of the sculptures su''ested that they had passed throu'h a sta'e of mechanized life on other planetsA 3ut had receded upon findin' its effects emotionally unsatisfyin'. Their preternatural tou'hness of or'anization and simplicity of natural ,ants made them peculiarly a3le to live on a hi'h plane ,ithout the more specialized fruits of artificial manufactureA and even ,ithout 'armentsA e%cept for occasional protection a'ainst the elements. =t ,as under the seaA at first for food and later for other purposesA that they first created earth life 1 usin' availa3le su3stances accordin' to lon'1!no,n methods. The more ela3orate e%periments came after the annihilation of various cosmic enemies. They had done the same thin' on other planetsA havin' manufactured not only necessary foodsA 3ut certain multicellular protoplasmic masses capa3le of moldin' their tissues into all sorts of temporary or'ans under hypnotic influence and there3y formin' ideal slaves to perform the heavy ,or! of the community. These viscous masses ,ere ,ithout dou3t ,hat A3dul Alhazred ,hispered a3out as the LSho''othsL in his fri'htful -ecronomicon& thou'h even that mad Ara3 had not hinted that any e%isted on earth e%cept in the dreams of those ,ho had che,ed a certain al!aloidal her3. When the star1headed +ld +nes on this planet had

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synthesized their simple food forms and 3red a 'ood supply of Sho''othsA they allo,ed other cell 'roups to develop into other forms of animal and ve'eta3le life for sundry purposesA e%tirpatin' any ,hose presence 3ecame trou3lesome. With the aid of the Sho''othsA ,hose e%pansions could 3e made to lift prodi'ious ,ei'htsA the smallA lo, cities under the sea 're, to vast and imposin' la3yrinths of stone not unli!e those ,hich later rose on land. =ndeedA the hi'hly adapta3le +ld +nes had lived much on land in other parts of the universeA and pro3a3ly retained many traditions of land construction. As ,e studied the architecture of all these sculptured palaeo'ean citiesA includin' that ,hose aeon1dead corridors ,e ,ere even then traversin'A ,e ,ere impressed 3y a curious coincidence ,hich ,e have not yet tried to e%plainA even to ourselves. The tops of the 3uildin'sA ,hich in the actual city around us hadA of courseA 3een ,eathered into shapeless ruins a'es a'oA ,ere clearly displayed in the 3as1reliefsA and sho,ed vast clusters of needle1li!e spiresA delicate finials on certain cone and pyramid ape%esA and tiers of thinA horizontal scalloped dis!s cappin' cylindrical shafts. This ,as e%actly ,hat ,e had seen in that monstrous and portentous mira'eA cast 3y a dead city ,hence such s!yline features had 3een a3sent for thousands and tens of thousands of yearsA ,hich loomed on our i'norant eyes across the unfathomed mountains of madness as ,e first approached poor 5a!eTs ill1fated camp. +f the life of the +ld +nesA 3oth under the sea and after part of them mi'rated to landA volumes could 3e ,ritten. Those in shallo, ,ater had continued the fullest use of the eyes at the ends of their five main head tentaclesA and had practiced the arts of sculpture and of ,ritin' in Duite the usual ,ay 1 the ,ritin' accomplished ,ith a stylus on ,aterproof ,a%en surfaces. Those lo,er do,n in the ocean depthsA thou'h they used a curious phosphorescent or'anism to furnish li'htA pieced out their vision ,ith o3scure special senses operatin' throu'h the prismatic cilia on their heads 1 senses ,hich rendered all the +ld +nes partly independent of li'ht in emer'encies. Their forms of sculpture and ,ritin' had chan'ed curiously durin' the descentA em3odyin' certain apparently chemical coatin' processes 1 pro3a3ly to secure phosphorescence 1 ,hich the 3asreliefs could not ma!e clear to us. The 3ein's moved in the sea partly 3y s,immin' 1 usin' the lateral crinoid arms 1 and partly 3y ,ri''lin' ,ith the lo,er tier of tentacles containin' the pseudofeet. +ccasionally they accomplished lon' s,oops ,ith the au%iliary use of t,o or more sets of their fanli!e foldin' ,in's. +n land they locally used the pseudofeetA 3ut no, and then fle, to 'reat hei'hts or over lon' distances ,ith their ,in's. The many slender tentacles into ,hich the crinoid arms 3ranched ,ere infinitely delicateA fle%i3leA stron'A and accurate in muscular1nervous coordination 1 ensurin' the utmost s!ill and de%terity in all artistic and other manual operations. The tou'hness of the thin's ,as almost incredi3le. Even the terrific pressure of the deepest sea 3ottoms appeared po,erless to harm them. ?ery fe, seemed to die at all e%cept 3y violenceA and their 3urial places ,ere very limited. The fact that they covered their vertically inhumed dead ,ith five1pointed inscri3ed mounds set up thou'hts in $anforth and me ,hich made a fresh pause and recuperation necessary after the sculptures revealed it. The 3ein's multiplied 3y means of spores 1 li!e ve'eta3le pteridophytesA as 5a!e had suspected 1 3utA o,in' to their prodi'ious tou'hness and lon'evityA and conseDuent lac! of replacement needsA they did not encoura'e the lar'e1scale development of ne, prothallia e%cept ,hen they had ne, re'ions to colonize. The youn' matured s,iftlyA and received an education evidently 3eyond any standard ,e can ima'ine. The prevailin' intellectual and aesthetic life ,as hi'hly evolvedA and produced a tenaciously

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endurin' set of customs and institutions ,hich = shall descri3e more fully in my comin' mono'raph. These varied sli'htly accordin' to sea or land residenceA 3ut had the same foundations and essentials. Thou'h a3leA li!e ve'eta3lesA to derive nourishment from inor'anic su3stancesA they vastly preferred or'anic and especially animal food. They ate uncoo!ed marine life under the seaA 3ut coo!ed their viands on land. They hunted 'ame and raised meat herds 1 slau'hterin' ,ith sharp ,eapons ,hose odd mar!s on certain fossil 3ones our e%pedition had noted. They resisted all ordinary temperatures marvelouslyA and in their natural state could live in ,ater do,n to freezin'. When the 'reat chill of the >leistocene dre, onA ho,ever 1 nearly a million years a'o1the land d,ellers had to resort to special measuresA includin' artificial heatin' 1 until at last the deadly cold appears to have driven them 3ac! into the sea. 4or their prehistoric fli'hts throu'h cosmic spaceA le'end saidA they a3sor3ed certain chemicals and 3ecame almost independent of eatin'A 3reathin'A or heat conditions 1 3ut 3y the time of the 'reat cold they had lost trac! of the method. =n any case they could not have prolon'ed the artificial state indefinitely ,ithout harm. Bein' nonpairin' and semive'eta3le in structureA the +ld +nes had no 3iolo'ical 3asis for the family phase of mammal lifeA 3ut seemed to or'anize lar'e households on the principles of comforta3le space1utility and 1 as ,e deduced from the pictured occupations and diversions of co1d,ellers 1 con'enial mental association. =n furnishin' their homes they !ept everythin' in the center of the hu'e roomsA leavin' all the ,all spaces free for decorative treatment. 5i'htin'A in the case of the land inha3itantsA ,as accomplished 3y a device pro3a3ly electro1chemical in nature. Both on land and under ,ater they used curious ta3lesA chairs and couches li!e cylindrical frames 1 for they rested and slept upri'ht ,ith folded1do,n tentacles 1 and rac!s for hin'ed sets of dotted surfaces formin' their 3oo!s. 7overnment ,as evidently comple% and pro3a3ly socialisticA thou'h no certainties in this re'ard could 3e deduced from the sculptures ,e sa,. There ,as e%tensive commerceA 3oth local and 3et,een different cities 1 certain smallA flat countersA five1pointed and inscri3edA servin' as money. >ro3a3ly the smaller of the various 'reenish soapstones found 3y our e%pedition ,ere pieces of such currency. Thou'h the culture ,as mainly ur3anA some a'riculture and much stoc! raisin' e%isted. 8inin' and a limited amount of manufacturin' ,ere also practiced. Travel ,as very freDuentA 3ut permanent mi'ration seemed relatively rare e%cept for the vast colonizin' movements 3y ,hich the race e%panded. 4or personal locomotion no e%ternal aid ,as usedA since in landA airA and ,ater movement ali!e the +ld +nes seemed to possess e%cessively vast capacities for speed. 5oadsA ho,everA ,ere dra,n 3y 3easts of 3urden 1 Sho''oths under the seaA and a curious variety of primitive verte3rates in the later years of land e%istence. These verte3ratesA as ,ell as an infinity of other life forms 1 animal and ve'eta3leA marineA terrestrialA and aerial 1 ,ere the products of un'uided evolution actin' on life cells made 3y the +ld +nesA 3ut escapin' 3eyond their radius of attention. They had 3een suffered to develop unchec!ed 3ecause they had not come in conflict ,ith the dominant 3ein's. Bothersome formsA of courseA ,ere mechanically e%terminated. =t interested us to see in some of the very last and most decadent sculptures a sham3lin'A primitive mammalA used sometimes for food and sometimes as an amusin' 3uffoon 3y the land d,ellersA ,hose va'uely simian and human foreshado,in's ,ere unmista!a3le. =n the 3uildin' of

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land cities the hu'e stone 3loc!s of the hi'h to,ers ,ere 'enerally lifted 3y vast1,in'ed pterodactyls of a species heretofore un!no,n to paleontolo'y. The persistence ,ith ,hich the +ld +nes survived various 'eolo'ic chan'es and convulsions of the earthTs crust ,as little short of miraculous. Thou'h fe, or none of their first cities seem to have remained 3eyond the Archaean A'eA there ,as no interruption in their civilization or in the transmission of their records. Their ori'inal place of advent to the planet ,as the Antarctic +ceanA and it is li!ely that they came not lon' after the matter formin' the moon ,as ,renched from the nei'h3orin' South >acific. Accordin' to one of the sculptured maps the ,hole 'lo3e ,as then under ,aterA ,ith stone cities scattered farther and farther from the antarctic as aeons passed. Another map sho,s a vast 3ul! of dry land around the south poleA ,here it is evident that some of the 3ein's made e%perimental settlementsA thou'h their main centers ,ere transferred to the nearest sea 3ottom. 5ater mapsA ,hich display the land mass as crac!in' and driftin'A and sendin' certain detached parts north,ardA uphold in a stri!in' ,ay the theories of continental drift lately advanced 3y TaylorA We'enerA and 6oly. With the upheaval of ne, land in the South >acific tremendous events 3e'an. Some of the marine cities ,ere hopelessly shatteredA yet that ,as not the ,orst misfortune. Another race 1 a land race of 3ein's shaped li!e octopi and pro3a3ly correspondin' to fa3ulous prehuman spa,n of Cthulhu 1 soon 3e'an filterin' do,n from cosmic infinity and precipitated a 1monstrous ,ar ,hich for a time drove the +ld +nes ,holly 3ac! to the sea 1 a colossal 3lo, in vie, of the increasin' land settlements. 5ater peace ,as madeA and the ne, lands ,ere 'iven to the Cthulhu spa,n ,hilst the +ld +nes held the sea and the older lands. ;e, land cities ,ere founded 1 the 'reatest of them in the antarcticA for this re'ion of first arrival ,as sacred. 4rom then onA as 3eforeA the antarctic remained the center of the +ld +nesT civilizationA and all the cities 3uilt there 3y the Cthulhu spa,n ,ere 3lotted out. Then suddenly the lands of the >acific san! a'ainA ta!in' ,ith them the fri'htful stone city of :Tlyeh and all the cosmic octopiA so that the +ld +nes ,ere a'ain supreme on the planet e%cept for one shado,y fear a3out ,hich they did not li!e to spea!. At a rather later a'e their cities dotted all the land and ,ater areas of the 'lo3e 1 hence the recommendation in my comin' mono'raph that some archaeolo'ist ma!e systematic 3orin's ,ith >a3odieTs type of apparatus in certain ,idely separated re'ions. The steady trend do,n the a'es ,as from ,ater to land 1 a movement encoura'ed 3y the rise of ne, land massesA thou'h the ocean ,as never ,holly deserted. Another cause of the land,ard movement ,as the ne, difficulty in 3reedin' and mana'in' the Sho''oths upon ,hich successful sea life depended. With the march of timeA as the sculptures sadly confessedA the art of creatin' ne, life from inor'anic matter had 3een lostA so that the +ld +nes had to depend on the moldin' of forms already in e%istence. +n land the 'reat reptiles proved hi'hly tracta3leB 3ut the Sho''oths of the seaA reproducin' 3y fission and acDuirin' a dan'erous de'ree of accidental intelli'enceA presented for a time a formida3le pro3lem. They had al,ays 3een controlled throu'h the hypnotic su''estions of the +ld +nesA and had modeled their tou'h plasticity into various useful temporary lim3s and or'ansB 3ut no, their self1modelin' po,ers ,ere sometimes e%ercised independentlyA and in various imitative forms implanted 3y past su''estion. They hadA it seemsA developed a semista3le 3rain ,hose separate and occasionally stu33orn volition echoed the ,ill of the +ld +nes ,ithout al,ays o3eyin' it. Sculptured ima'es of these Sho''oths filled $anforth and me

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,ith horror and loathin'. They ,ere normally shapeless entities composed of a viscous Celly ,hich loo!ed li!e an a''lutination of 3u33lesA and each avera'ed a3out fifteen feet in diameter ,hen a sphere. They hadA ho,everA a constantly shiftin' shape and volume 1 thro,in' out temporary developments or formin' apparent or'ans of si'htA hearin'A and speech in imitation of their mastersA either spontaneously or accordin' to su''estion. They seem to have 3ecome peculiarly intracta3le to,ard the middle of the >ermian A'eA perhaps one hundred and fifty million years a'oA ,hen a verita3le ,ar of resu3Cu'ation ,as ,a'ed upon them 3y the marine +ld +nes. >ictures of this ,arA and of the headlessA slime1coated fashion in ,hich the Sho''oths typically left their slain victimsA held a marvelously fearsome Duality despite the intervenin' a3yss of untold a'es. The +ld +nes had used curious ,eapons of molecular and atomic distur3ances a'ainst the re3el entitiesA and in the end had achieved a complete victory. Thereafter the sculptures sho,ed a period in ,hich Sho''oths ,ere tamed and 3ro!en 3y armed +ld +nes as the ,ild horses of the American ,est ,ere tamed 3y co,3oys. Thou'h durin' the re3ellion the Sho''oths had sho,n an a3ility to live out of ,aterA this transition ,as not encoura'ed 1 since their usefulness on land ,ould hardly have 3een commensurate ,ith the trou3le of their mana'ement. $urin' the 6urassic A'e the +ld +nes met fresh adversity in the form of a ne, invasion from outer space 1 this time 3y half1fun'ousA half1crustacean creatures 1 creatures undou3tedly the same as those fi'urin' in certain ,hispered hill le'ends of the northA and remem3ered in the 2imalayas as the 8i17oA or a3omina3le Sno, 8en. To fi'ht these 3ein's the +ld +nes attemptedA for the first time since their terrene adventA to sally forth a'ain into the planetary etherB 3utA despite all traditional preparationsA found it no lon'er possi3le to leave the earthTs atmosphere. Whatever the old secret of interstellar travel had 3eenA it ,as no, definitely lost to the race. =n the end the 8i17o drove the +ld +nes out of all the northern landsA thou'h they ,ere po,erless to distur3 those in the sea. 5ittle 3y little the slo, retreat of the elder race to their ori'inal antarctic ha3itat ,as 3e'innin'. =t ,as curious to note from the pictured 3attles that 3oth the Cthulhu spa,n and the 8i1 7o seem to have 3een composed of matter more ,idely different from that ,hich ,e !no, than ,as the su3stance of the +ld +nes. They ,ere a3le to under'o transformations and reinte'rations impossi3le for their adversariesA and seem therefore to have ori'inally come from even remoter 'ulfs of the cosmic space. The +ld +nesA 3ut for their a3normal tou'hness and peculiar vital propertiesA ,ere strictly materialA and must have had their a3solute ori'in ,ithin the !no,n space1time continuum 1 ,hereas the first sources of the other 3ein's can only 3e 'uessed at ,ith 3ated 3reath. All thisA of courseA assumin' that the non1terrestrial lin!a'es and the anomalies ascri3ed to the invadin' foes are not pure mytholo'y. Conceiva3lyA the +ld +nes mi'ht have invented a cosmic frame,or! to account for their occasional defeatsA since historical interest and pride o3viously formed their chief psycholo'ical element. =t is si'nificant that their annals failed to mention many advanced and potent races of 3ein's ,hose mi'hty cultures and to,erin' cities fi'ure persistently in certain o3scure le'ends. The chan'in' state of the ,orld throu'h lon' 'eolo'ic a'es appeared ,ith startlin' vividness in many of the sculptured maps and scenes. =n certain cases e%istin' science ,ill reDuire revisionA ,hile in other cases its 3old deductions are ma'nificently confirmed. As = have saidA the hypothesis of TaylorA We'enerA and 6oly that all the continents are fra'ments of an ori'inal antarctic land mass ,hich crac!ed from centrifu'al force and drifted apart

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over a technically viscous lo,er surface 1 an hypothesis su''ested 3y such thin's as the complementary outlines of Africa and South AmericaA and the ,ay the 'reat mountain chains are rolled and shoved up 1 receives stri!in' support from this uncanny source. 8aps evidently sho,in' the Car3oniferous ,orld of an hundred million or more years a'o displayed si'nificant rifts and chasms destined later to separate Africa from the once continuous realms of Europe Jthen the ?alusia of primal le'endKA AsiaA the AmericasA and the antarctic continent. +ther charts 1 and most si'nificantly one in connection ,ith the foundin' fifty million years a'o of the vast dead city around us 1 sho,ed all the present continents ,ell differentiated. And in the latest discovera3le specimen 1 datin' perhaps from the >liocene A'e 1 the appro%imate ,orld of today appeared Duite clearly despite the lin!a'e of Alas!a ,ith Si3eriaA of ;orth America ,ith Europe throu'h 7reenlandA and of South America ,ith the antarctic continent throu'h 7raham 5and. =n the Car3oniferous map the ,hole 'lo3e1ocean floor and rifted land mass ali!e 1 3ore sym3ols of the +ld +nesT vast stone citiesA 3ut in the later charts the 'radual recession to,ard the antarctic 3ecame very plain. The final >liocene specimen sho,ed no land cities e%cept on the antarctic continent and the tip of South AmericaA nor any ocean cities north of the fiftieth parallel of South 5atitude. 0no,led'e and interest in the northern ,orldA save for a study of coast lines pro3a3ly made durin' lon' e%ploration fli'hts on those fanli!e mem3ranous ,in'sA had evidently declined to zero amon' the +ld +nes. $estruction of cities throu'h the upthrust of mountainsA the centrifu'al rendin' of continentsA the seismic convulsions of land or sea 3ottomA and other natural causesA ,as a matter of common recordB and it ,as curious to o3serve ho, fe,er and fe,er replacements ,ere made as the a'es ,ore on. The vast dead me'alopolis that ya,ned around us seemed to 3e the last 'eneral center of the race 1 3uilt early in the Cretaceous A'e after a titanic earth 3uc!lin' had o3literated a still vaster predecessor not far distant. =t appeared that this 'eneral re'ion ,as the most sacred spot of allA ,here reputedly the first +ld +nes had settled on a primal sea 3ottom. =n the ne, city 1 many of ,hose features ,e could reco'nize in the sculpturesA 3ut ,hich stretched fully a hundred miles alon' the mountain ran'e in each direction 3eyond the farthest limits of our aerial survey 1 there ,ere reputed to 3e preserved certain sacred stones formin' part of the first sea13ottom cityA ,hich thrust up to li'ht after lon' epochs in the course of the 'eneral crum3lin' of strata.

V,,,.
;aturallyA $anforth and = studied ,ith especial interest and a peculiarly personal sense of a,e everythin' pertainin' to the immediate district in ,hich ,e ,ere. +f this local material there ,as naturally a vast a3undanceB and on the tan'led 'round level of the city ,e ,ere luc!y enou'h to find a house of very late date ,hose ,allsA thou'h some,hat dama'ed 3y a nei'h3orin' riftA contained sculptures of decadent ,or!manship carryin' the story of the re'ion much 3eyond the period of the >liocene map ,hence ,e derived our last 'eneral 'limpse of the prehuman ,orld. This ,as the last place ,e e%amined in detailA since ,hat ,e found there 'ave us a fresh immediate o3Cective. CertainlyA ,e ,ere in one of the stran'estA ,eirdestA and most terri3le of all the corners of earthTs 'lo3e. +f all e%istin' landsA it ,as infinitely the most ancient. The conviction 're, upon us that this hideous upland must indeed 3e the fa3led ni'htmare plateau of 5en'

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,hich even the mad author of the -ecronomicon ,as reluctant to discuss. The 'reat mountain chain ,as tremendously lon' 1 startin' as a lo, ran'e at 5uitpold 5and on the east coast of Weddell Sea and virtually crossin' the entire continent. That really hi'h part stretched in a mi'hty arc from a3out 5atitude 8"PA E. 5on'itude -*P to 5atitude 7*PA E. 5on'itude 11 PA ,ith its concave side to,ard our camp and its sea,ard end in the re'ion of that lon'A ice1loc!ed coast ,hose hills ,ere 'limpsed 3y Wil!es and 8a,son at the antarctic circle. .et even more monstrous e%a''erations of nature seemed distur3in'ly close at hand. = have said that these pea!s are hi'her than the 2imalayasA 3ut the sculptures for3id me to say that they are earthTs hi'hest. That 'rim honor is 3eyond dou3t reserved for somethin' ,hich half the sculptures hesitated to record at allA ,hilst others approached it ,ith o3vious repu'nance and trepidation. =t seems that there ,as one part of the ancient land 1 the first part that ever rose from the ,aters after the earth had flun' off the moon and the +ld +nes had seeped do,nA from the stars 1 ,hich had come to 3e shunned as va'uely and namelessly evil. Cities 3uilt there had crum3led 3efore their timeA and had 3een found suddenly deserted. Then ,hen the first 'reat earth 3uc!lin' had convulsed the re'ion in the Comanchian A'eA a fri'htful line of pea!s had shot suddenly up amidst the most appallin' din and chaos 1 and earth had received her loftiest and most terri3le mountains. =f the scale of the carvin's ,as correctA these a3horred thin's must have 3een much over forty thousand feet hi'h 1 radically vaster than even the shoc!in' mountains of madness ,e had crossed. They e%tendedA it appearedA from a3out 5atitude 77PA E. 5on'itude 7*P to 5atitude 7*PA E. 5on'itude 1**P 1 less than three hundred miles a,ay from the dead cityA so that ,e ,ould have spied their dreaded summits in the dim ,estern distance had it not 3een for that va'ueA opalescent haze. Their northern end must li!e,ise 3e visi3le from the lon' antarctic circle coast line at /ueen 8ary 5and. Some of the +ld +nesA in the decadent daysA had made stran'e prayers to those mountains 1 3ut none ever ,ent near them or dared to 'uess ,hat lay 3eyond. ;o human eye had ever seen themA and as = studied the emotions conveyed in the carvin'sA = prayed that none ever mi'ht. There are protectin' hills alon' the coast 3eyond them 1 /ueen 8ary and 0aiser Wilhelm 5ands 1 and = than! 2eaven no one has 3een a3le to land and clim3 those hills. = am not as sceptical a3out old tales and fears as = used to 3eA and = do not lau'h no, at the prehuman sculptorTs notion that li'htnin' paused meanin'fully no, and then at each of the 3roodin' crestsA and that an une%plained 'lo, shone from one of those terri3le pinnacles all throu'h the lon' polar ni'ht. There may 3e a very real and very monstrous meanin' in the old >na!otic ,hispers a3out 0adath in the Cold Waste. But the terrain close at hand ,as hardly less stran'eA even if less namelessly accursed. Soon after the foundin' of the city the 'reat mountain ran'e 3ecame the seat of the principal templesA and many carvin's sho,ed ,hat 'rotesDue and fantastic to,ers had pierced the s!y ,here no, ,e sa, only the curiously clin'in' cu3es and ramparts. =n the course of a'es the caves had appearedA and had 3een shaped into adCuncts of the temples. With the advance of still later epochsA all the limestone veins of the re'ion ,ere hollo,ed out 3y 'round ,atersA so that the mountainsA the foothillsA and the plains 3elo, them ,ere a verita3le net,or! of connected caverns and 'alleries. 8any 'raphic sculptures told of e%plorations deep under'roundA and of the final discovery of the Sty'ian sunless sea that lur!ed at earthTs 3o,els.

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This vast ni'hted 'ulf had undou3tedly 3een ,orn 3y the 'reat river ,hich flo,ed do,n from the nameless and horri3le ,est,ard mountainsA and ,hich had formerly turned at the 3ase of the +ld +nesT ran'e and flo,ed 3eside that chain into the =ndian +cean 3et,een Budd and Totten 5ands on Wil!esTs coast line. 5ittle 3y little it had eaten a,ay the limestone hill 3ase at its turnin'A till at last its sappin' currents reached the caverns of the 'round ,aters and Coined ,ith them in di''in' a deeper a3yss. 4inally its ,hole 3ul! emptied into the hollo, hills and left the old 3ed to,ard the ocean dry. 8uch of the later city as ,e no, found it had 3een 3uilt over that former 3ed. The +ld +nesA understandin' ,hat had happenedA and e%ercisin' their al,ays !een artistic senseA had carved into ornate pylons those headlands of the foothills ,here the 'reat stream 3e'an its descent into eternal dar!ness. This riverA once crossed 3y scores of no3le stone 3rid'esA ,as plainly the one ,hose e%tinct course ,e had seen in our aeroplane survey. =ts position in different carvin's of the city helped us to orient ourselves to the scene as it had 3een at various sta'es of the re'ionTs a'e1lon'A aeon1dead historyA so that ,e ,ere a3le to s!etch a hasty 3ut careful map of the salient features 1 sDuaresA important 3uildin'sA and the li!e 1 for 'uidance in further e%plorations. We could soon reconstruct in fancy the ,hole stupendous thin' as it ,as a million or ten million or fifty million years a'oA for the sculptures told us e%actly ,hat the 3uildin's and mountains and sDuares and su3ur3s and landscape settin' and lu%uriant Tertiary ve'etation had loo!ed li!e. =t must have had a marvelous and mystic 3eautyA and as = thou'ht of itA = almost for'ot the clammy sense of sinister oppression ,ith ,hich the cityTs inhuman a'e and massiveness and deadness and remoteness and 'lacial t,ili'ht had cho!ed and ,ei'hed on my spirit. .et accordin' to certain carvin'sA the denizens of that city had themselves !no,n the clutch of oppressive terrorB for there ,as a som3er and recurrent type of scene in ,hich the +ld +nes ,ere sho,n in the act of recoilin' affri'htedly from some o3Cect 1 never allo,ed to appear in the desi'n 1 found in the 'reat river and indicated as havin' 3een ,ashed do,n throu'h ,avin'A vine1draped cycad forests from those horri3le ,est,ard mountains. =t ,as only in the one late13uilt house ,ith the decadent carvin's that ,e o3tained any foreshado,in' of the final calamity leadin' to the cityTs desertion. (ndou3tedly there must have 3een many sculptures of the same a'e else,hereA even allo,in' for the slac!ened ener'ies and aspirations of a stressful and uncertain periodB indeedA very certain evidence of the e%istence of others came to us shortly after,ard. But this ,as the first and only set ,e directly encountered. We meant to loo! farther later onB 3ut as = have saidA immediate conditions dictated another present o3Cective. There ,ouldA thou'hA have 3een a limit 1 for after all hope of a lon' future occupancy of the place had perished amon' the +ld +nesA there could not 3ut have 3een a complete cessation of mural decoration. The ultimate 3lo,A of courseA ,as the comin' of the 'reat cold ,hich once held most of the earth in thrallA and ,hich has never departed from the ill1fated poles 1 the 'reat cold thatA at the ,orldTs other e%tremityA put an end to the fa3led lands of 5omar and 2yper3orea. 6ust ,hen this tendency 3e'an in the antarcticA it ,ould 3e hard to say in terms of e%act years. ;o,adays ,e set the 3e'innin' of the 'eneral 'lacial periods at a distance of a3out five hundred thousand years from the presentA 3ut at the poles the terri3le scour'e must have commenced much earlier. All Duantitative estimates are partly 'uess,or!A 3ut it is Duite li!ely that the decadent sculptures ,ere made considera3ly less than a million years a'oA and that the actual desertion of the city ,as complete lon' 3efore the conventional

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openin' of the >leistocene 1 five hundred thousand years a'o 1 as rec!oned in terms of the earthTs ,hole surface. =n the decadent sculptures there ,ere si'ns of thinner ve'etation every,hereA and of a decreased country life on the part of the +ld +nes. 2eatin' devices ,ere sho,n in the housesA and ,inter travelers ,ere represented as muffled in protective fa3rics. Then ,e sa, a series of cartouches 1 the continuous 3and arran'ement 3ein' freDuently interrupted in these late carvin's 1 depictin' a constantly 'ro,in' mi'ration to the nearest refu'es of 'reater ,armth 1 some fleein' to cities under the sea off the far1a,ay coastA and some clam3erin' do,n throu'h net,or!s of limestone caverns in the hollo, hills to the nei'h3orin' 3lac! a3yss of su3terrene ,aters. =n the end it seems to have 3een the nei'h3orin' a3yss ,hich received the 'reatest colonization. This ,as partly dueA no dou3tA to the traditional sacredness of this special re'ionA 3ut may have 3een more conclusively determined 3y the opportunities it 'ave for continuin' the use of the 'reat temples on the honeycom3ed mountainsA and for retainin' the vast land city as a place of summer residence and 3ase of communication ,ith various mines. The lin!a'e of old and ne, a3odes ,as made more effective 3y means of several 'radin's and improvements alon' the connectin' routesA includin' the chiselin' of numerous direct tunnels from the ancient metropolis to the 3lac! a3yss 1 sharply do,n1 pointin' tunnels ,hose mouths ,e carefully dre,A accordin' to our most thou'htful estimatesA on the 'uide map ,e ,ere compilin'. =t ,as o3vious that at least t,o of these tunnels lay ,ithin a reasona3le e%plorin' distance of ,here ,e ,ere 1 3oth 3ein' on the mountain,ard ed'e of the cityA one less than a Duarter of a mile to,ard the ancient river courseA and the other perhaps t,ice that distance in the opposite direction. The a3yssA it seemsA had shelvin' shores of dry land at certain placesA 3ut the +ld +nes 3uilt their ne, city under ,ater 1 no dou3t 3ecause of its 'reater certainty of uniform ,armth. The depth of the hidden sea appears to have 3een very 'reatA so that the earthTs internal heat could ensure its ha3ita3ility for an indefinite period. The 3ein's seemed to have had no trou3le in adaptin' themselves to part1time 1 and eventuallyA of courseA ,hole1 time 1 residence under ,aterA since they had never allo,ed their 'ill systems to atrophy. There ,ere many sculptures ,hich sho,ed ho, they had al,ays freDuently visited their su3marine !insfol! else,hereA and ho, they had ha3itually 3athed on the deep 3ottom of their 'reat river. The dar!ness of inner earth could li!e,ise have 3een no deterrent to a race accustomed to lon' antarctic ni'hts. $ecadent thou'h their style undou3tedly ,asA these latest carvin's had a truly epic Duality ,here they told of the 3uildin' of the ne, city in the cavern sea. The +ld +nes had 'one a3out it scientifically 1 Duarryin' insolu3le roc!s from the heart of the honeycom3ed mountainsA and employin' e%pert ,or!ers from the nearest su3marine city to perform the construction accordin' to the 3est methods. These ,or!ers 3rou'ht ,ith them all that ,as necessary to esta3lish the ne, venture 1 Sho''oth tissue from ,hich to 3reed stone lifters and su3seDuent 3easts of 3urden for the cavern cityA and other protoplasmic matter to mold into phosphorescent or'anisms for li'htin' purposes. At last a mi'hty metropolis rose on the 3ottom of that Sty'ian seaA its architecture much li!e that of the city a3oveA and its ,or!manship displayin' relatively little decadence 3ecause of the precise mathematical element inherent in 3uildin' operations. The ne,ly 3red Sho''oths 're, to enormous size and sin'ular intelli'enceA and ,ere represented as

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ta!in' and e%ecutin' orders ,ith marvelous Duic!ness. They seemed to converse ,ith the +ld +nes 3y mimic!in' their voices 1 a sort of musical pipin' over a ,ide ran'eA if poor 5a!eTs dissection had indicated ari'ht 1 and to ,or! more from spo!en commands than from hypnotic su''estions as in earlier times. They ,ereA ho,everA !ept in admira3le control. The phosphorescent or'anisms supplied li'ht With vast effectivenessA and dou3tless atoned for the loss of the familiar polar auroras of the outer1,orld ni'ht. Art and decoration ,ere pursuedA thou'h of course ,ith a certain decadence. The +ld +nes seemed to realize this fallin' off themselvesA and in many cases anticipated the policy of Constantine the 7reat 3y transplantin' especially fine 3loc!s of ancient carvin' from their land cityA Cust as the emperorA in a similar a'e of declineA stripped 7reece and Asia of their finest art to 'ive his ne, Byzantine capital 'reater splendors than its o,n people could create. That the transfer of sculptured 3loc!s had not 3een more e%tensive ,as dou3tless o,in' to the fact that the land city ,as not at first ,holly a3andoned. By the time total a3andonment did occur 1 and it surely must have occurred 3efore the polar >leistocene ,as far advanced 1 the +ld +nes had perhaps 3ecome satisfied ,ith their decadent art 1 or had ceased to reco'nize the superior merit of the older carvin's. At any rateA the aeon1silent ruins around us had certainly under'one no ,holesale sculptural denudationA thou'h all the 3est separate statuesA li!e other mova3lesA had 3een ta!en a,ay. The decadent cartouches and dadoes tellin' this story ,ereA as = have saidA the latest ,e could find in our limited search. They left us ,ith a picture of the +ld +nes shuttlin' 3ac! and forth 3et,i%t the land city in summer and the sea1cavern city in ,interA and sometimes tradin' ,ith the sea13ottom cities off the antarctic coast. By this time the ultimate doom of the land city must have 3een reco'nizedA for the sculptures sho,ed many si'ns of the coldTs mali'n encroachments. ?e'etation ,as declinin'A and the terri3le sno,s of the ,inter no lon'er melted completely even in midsummer. The saunan livestoc! ,ere nearly all deadA and the mammals ,ere standin' it none too ,ell. To !eep on ,ith the ,or! of the upper ,orld it had 3ecome necessary to adapt some of the amorphous and curiously cold1 resistant Sho''oths to land life 1 a thin' the +ld +nes had formerly 3een reluctant to do. The 'reat river ,as no, lifelessA and the upper sea had lost most of its denizens e%cept the seals and ,hales. All the 3irds had flo,n a,ayA save only the 'reatA 'rotesDue pen'uins. What had happened after,ard ,e could only 'uess. 2o, lon' had the ne, sea1cavern city survivedG Was it still do,n thereA a stony corpse in eternal 3lac!nessG 2ad the su3terranean ,aters frozen at lastG To ,hat fate had the ocean13ottom cities of the outer ,orld 3een deliveredG 2ad any of the +ld +nes shifted north ahead of the creepin' ice capG E%istin' 'eolo'y sho,s no trace of their presence. 2ad the fri'htful 8i17o 3een still a menace in the outer land ,orld of the northG Could one 3e sure of ,hat mi'ht or mi'ht not lin'erA even to this dayA in the li'htless and unplum3ed a3ysses of earthTs deepest ,atersG Those thin's had seemin'ly 3een a3le to ,ithstand any amount of pressure 1 and men of the sea have fished up curious o3Cects at times. And has the !iller1,hale theory really e%plained the sava'e and mysterious scars on antarctic seals noticed a 'eneration a'o 3y Borch'revin'!G The specimens found 3y poor 5a!e did not enter into these 'uessesA for their 'eolo'ic settin' proved them to have lived at ,hat must have 3een a very early date in the land cityTs history. They ,ereA accordin' to their locationA certainly not less than thirty million years oldA and ,e reflected that in their day the sea1cavern cityA and indeed the cavern itselfA had had no e%istence. They ,ould have remem3ered an older sceneA ,ith lush

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Tertiary ve'etation every,hereA a youn'er land city of flourishin' arts around themA and a 'reat river s,eepin' north,ard alon' the 3ase of the mi'hty mountains to,ard a far1a,ay tropic ocean. And yet ,e could not help thin!in' a3out these specimens 1 especially a3out the ei'ht perfect ones that ,ere missin' from 5a!eTs hideously rava'ed camp. There ,as somethin' a3normal a3out that ,hole 3usiness 1 the stran'e thin's ,e had tried so hard to lay to some3odyTs madness 1 those fri'htful 'raves 1 the amount and nature of the missin' material 1 7edney 1 the unearthly tou'hness of those archaic monstrositiesA and the Dueer vital frea!s the sculptures no, sho,ed the race to have 1 $anforth and = had seen a 'ood deal in the last fe, hoursA and ,ere prepared to 3elieve and !eep silent a3out many appallin' and incredi3le secrets of primal nature.

,5.
= have said that our study of the decadent sculptures 3rou'ht a3out a chan'e in our immediate o3Cective. ThisA of courseA had to do ,ith the chiseled avenues to the 3lac! inner ,orldA of ,hose e%istence ,e had not !no,n 3eforeA 3ut ,hich ,e ,ere no, ea'er to find and traverse. 4rom the evident scale of the carvin's ,e deduced that a steeply descendin' ,al! of a3out a mile throu'h either of the nei'h3orin' tunnels ,ould 3rin' us to the 3rin! of the dizzyA sunless cliffs a3out the 'reat a3yssB do,n ,hose sides pathsA improved 3y the +ld +nesA led to the roc!y shore of the hidden and ni'hted ocean. To 3ehold this fa3ulous 'ulf in star! reality ,as a lure ,hich seemed impossi3le of resistance once ,e !ne, of the thin' 1 yet ,e realized ,e must 3e'in the Duest at once if ,e e%pected to include it in our present trip. =t ,as no, 8 >.8.A and ,e did not have enou'h 3attery replacements to let our torches 3urn on forever. We had done so much studyin' and copyin' 3elo, the 'lacial level that our 3attery supply had had at least five hours of nearly continuous useA and despite the special dry cell formulaA ,ould o3viously 3e 'ood for only a3out four more 1 thou'h 3y !eepin' one torch unusedA e%cept for especially interestin' or difficult placesA ,e mi'ht mana'e to e!e out a safe mar'in 3eyond that. =t ,ould not do to 3e ,ithout a li'ht in these Cyclopean catacom3sA hence in order to ma!e the a3yss trip ,e must 'ive up all further mural decipherin'. +f course ,e intended to revisit the place for days and perhaps ,ee!s of intensive study and photo'raphy 1 curiosity havin' lon' a'o 'ot the 3etter of horror 1 3ut Cust no, ,e must hasten. +ur supply of trail13lazin' paper ,as far from unlimitedA and ,e ,ere reluctant to sacrifice spare note3oo!s or s!etchin' paper to au'ment itA 3ut ,e did let one lar'e note3oo! 'o. =f ,orse came to ,orst ,e could resort to roc! chippin' 1 and of course it ,ould 3e possi3leA even in case of really lost directionA to ,or! up to full dayli'ht 3y one channel or another if 'ranted sufficient time for plentiful trial and error. So at last ,e set off ea'erly in the indicated direction of the nearest tunnel. Accordin' to the carvin's from ,hich ,e had made our mapA the desired tunnel mouth could not 3e much more than a Duarter of a mile from ,here ,e stoodB the intervenin' space sho,in' solid1loo!in' 3uildin's Duite li!ely to 3e penetra3le still at a su31'lacial level. The openin' itself ,ould 3e in the 3asement 1 on the an'le nearest the foothills 1 of a

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vast five1pointed structure of evidently pu3lic and perhaps ceremonial natureA ,hich ,e tried to identify from our aerial survey of the ruins. ;o such structure came to our minds as ,e recalled our fli'htA hence ,e concluded that its upper parts had 3een 'reatly dama'edA or that it had 3een totally shattered in an ice rift ,e had noticed. =n the latter case the tunnel ,ould pro3a3ly turn out to 3e cho!edA so that ,e ,ould have to try the ne%t nearest one 1 the one less than a mile to the north. The intervenin' river course prevented our tryin' any of the more southern tunnels on this tripB and indeedA if 3oth of the nei'h3orin' ones ,ere cho!ed it ,as dou3tful ,hether our 3atteries ,ould ,arrant an attempt on the ne%t northerly one 1 a3out a mile 3eyond our second choice. As ,e threaded our dim ,ay throu'h the la3yrinth ,ith the aid of map and compass 1 traversin' rooms and corridors in every sta'e of ruin or preservationA clam3erin' up rampsA crossin' upper floors and 3rid'es and clam3erin' do,n a'ainA encounterin' cho!ed door,ays and piles of de3risA hastenin' no, and then alon' finely preserved and uncannily immaculate stretchesA ta!in' false leads and retracin' our ,ay Jin such cases removin' the 3lind paper trail ,e had leftKA and once in a ,hile stri!in' the 3ottom of an open shaft throu'h ,hich dayli'ht poured or tric!led do,n 1 ,e ,ere repeatedly tantalized 3y the sculptured ,alls alon' our route. 8any must have told tales of immense historical importanceA and only the prospect of later visits reconciled us to the need of passin' them 3y. As it ,asA ,e slo,ed do,n once in a ,hile and turned on our second torch. =f ,e had had more filmsA ,e ,ould certainly have paused 3riefly to photo'raph certain 3as1reliefsA 3ut time1consumin' hand1copyin' ,as clearly out of the Duestion. = come no, once more to a place ,here the temptation to hesitateA or to hint rather than stateA is very stron'. =t is necessaryA ho,everA to reveal the rest in order to Custify my course in discoura'in' further e%ploration. We had ,ormed our ,ay very close to the computed site of the tunnelTs mouth 1 havin' crossed a second1story 3rid'e to ,hat seemed plainly the tip of a pointed ,allA and descended to a ruinous corridor especially rich in decadently ela3orate and apparently ritualistic sculptures of late ,or!manship 1 ,henA shortly 3efore 89&* >.8.A $anforthTs !een youn' nostrils 'ave us the first hint of somethin' unusual. =f ,e had had a do' ,ith usA = suppose ,e ,ould have 3een ,arned 3efore. At first ,e could not precisely say ,hat ,as ,ron' ,ith the formerly crystal1pure airA 3ut after a fe, seconds our memories reacted only too definitely. 5et me try to state the thin' ,ithout flinchin'. There ,as an odor 1 and that odor ,as va'uelyA su3tlyA and unmista!a3ly a!in to ,hat had nauseated us upon openin' the insane 'rave of the horror poor 5a!e had dissected. +f course the revelation ,as not as clearly cut at the time as it sounds no,. There ,ere several conceiva3le e%planationsA and ,e did a 'ood deal of indecisive ,hisperin'. 8ost important of allA ,e did not retreat ,ithout further investi'ationB for havin' come this farA ,e ,ere loath to 3e 3al!ed 3y anythin' short of certain disaster. Any,ayA ,hat ,e must have suspected ,as alto'ether too ,ild to 3elieve. Such thin's did not happen in any normal ,orld. =t ,as pro3a3ly sheer irrational instinct ,hich made us dim our sin'le torch 1 tempted no lon'er 3y the decadent and sinister sculptures that leered menacin'ly from the oppressive ,alls 1 and ,hich softened our pro'ress to a cautious tiptoein' and cra,lin' over the increasin'ly littered floor and heaps of de3ris. $anforthTs eyes as ,ell as nose proved 3etter than mineA for it ,as li!e,ise he ,ho first noticed the Dueer aspect of the de3ris after ,e had passed many half1cho!ed arches leadin'

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to cham3ers and corridors on the 'round level. =t did not loo! Duite as it ou'ht after countless thousands of years of desertionA and ,hen ,e cautiously turned on more li'ht ,e sa, that a !ind of s,ath seemed to have 3een lately trac!ed throu'h it. The irre'ular nature of the litter precluded any definite mar!sA 3ut in the smoother places there ,ere su''estions of the dra''in' of heavy o3Cects. +nce ,e thou'ht there ,as a hint of parallel trac!s as if of runners. This ,as ,hat made us pause a'ain. =t ,as durin' that pause that ,e cau'ht 1 simultaneously this time 1 the other odor ahead. >arado%icallyA it ,as 3oth a less fri'htful and more fri'htful odor 1 less fri'htful intrinsicallyA 3ut infinitely appallin' in this place under the !no,n circumstances 1 unlessA of courseA 7edney 1 for the odor ,as the plain and familiar one of common petrol 1 every1 day 'asoline. +ur motivation after that is somethin' = ,ill leave to psycholo'ists. We !ne, no, that some terri3le e%tension of the camp horrors must have cra,led into this ni'hted 3urial place of the aeonsA hence could not dou3t any lon'er the e%istence of nameless conditions 1 present or at least recent Cust ahead. .et in the end ,e did let sheer 3urnin' curiosity1or an%iety1or autohypnotism 1 or va'ue thou'hts of responsi3ility to,ard 7edney 1 or ,hat not 1 drive us on. $anforth ,hispered a'ain of the print he thou'ht he had seen at the alley turnin' in the ruins a3oveB and of the faint musical pipin' 1 potentially of tremendous si'nificance in the li'ht of 5a!eTs dissection reportA despite its close resem3lance to the cave1mouth echoes of the ,indy pea!s 1 ,hich he thou'ht he had shortly after,ard half heard from un!no,n depths 3elo,. =A in my turnA ,hispered of ho, the camp ,as left 1 of ,hat had disappearedA and of ho, the madness of a lone survivor mi'ht have conceived the inconceiva3le 1 a ,ild trip across the monstrous mountains and a descent into the un!no,nA primal masonry 1 But ,e could not convince each otherA or even ourselvesA of anythin' definite. We had turned off all li'ht as ,e stood stillA and va'uely noticed that a trace of deeply filtered upper day !ept the 3lac!ness from 3ein' a3solute. 2avin' automatically 3e'un to move aheadA ,e 'uided ourselves 3y occasional flashes from our torch. The distur3ed de3ris formed an impression ,e could not sha!e offA and the smell of 'asoline 're, stron'er. 8ore and more ruin met our eyes and hampered our feetA until very soon ,e sa, that the for,ard ,ay ,as a3out to cease. We had 3een all too correct in our pessimistic 'uess a3out that rift 'limpsed from the air. +ur tunnel Duest ,as a 3lind oneA and ,e ,ere not even 'oin' to 3e a3le to reach the 3asement out of ,hich the a3yss,ard aperture opened. The torchA flashin' over the 'rotesDuely carved ,alls of the 3loc!ed corridor in ,hich ,e stoodA sho,ed several door,ays in various states of o3structionB and from one of them the 'asoline odor1Duite su3mer'in' that other hint of odor 1 came ,ith especial distinctness. As ,e loo!ed more steadilyA ,e sa, that 3eyond a dou3t there had 3een a sli'ht and recent clearin' a,ay of de3ris from that particular openin'. Whatever the lur!in' horror mi'ht 3eA ,e 3elieved the direct avenue to,ard it ,as no, plainly manifest. = do not thin! anyone ,ill ,onder that ,e ,aited an apprecia3le time 3efore ma!in' any further motion. And yetA ,hen ,e did venture inside that 3lac! archA our first impression ,as one of anticlima%. 4or amidst the littered e%panse of that sculptured Crypt 1 a perfect cu3e ,ith sides of a3out t,enty feet 1 there remained no recent o3Cect of instantly discerni3le sizeB so that ,e loo!ed instinctivelyA thou'h in vainA for a farther door,ay. =n another momentA ho,everA $anforthTs sharp vision had descried a place ,here the floor de3ris had 3een

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distur3edB and ,e turned on 3oth torches full stren'th. Thou'h ,hat ,e sa, in that li'ht ,as actually simple and triflin'A = am none the less reluctant to tell of it 3ecause of ,hat it implied. =t ,as a rou'h levelin' of the de3risA upon ,hich several small o3Cects lay carelessly scatteredA and at one corner of ,hich a considera3le amount of 'asoline must have 3een spilled lately enou'h to leave a stron' odor even at this e%treme superplateau altitude. =n other ,ordsA it could not 3e other than a sort of camp 1 a camp made 3y Duestin' 3ein's ,hoA li!e usA had 3een turned 3ac! 3y the une%pectedly cho!ed ,ay to the a3yss. 5et me 3e plain. The scattered o3Cects ,ereA so far as su3stance ,as concernedA all from 5a!eTs campB and consisted of tin cans as Dueerly opened as those ,e had seen at that rava'ed placeA many spent matchesA three illustrated 3oo!s more or less curiously smud'edA an empty in! 3ottle ,ith its pictorial and instructional cartonA a 3ro!en fountain penA some oddly snipped fra'ments of fur and tent clothA a used electric 3attery ,ith circular of directionsA a folder that came ,ith our type of tent heaterA and a sprin!lin' of crumpled papers. =t ,as all 3ad enou'h 3ut ,hen ,e smoothed out the papers and loo!ed at ,hat ,as on themA ,e felt ,e had come to the ,orst. We had found certain ine%plica3ly 3lotted papers at the camp ,hich mi'ht have prepared usA yet the effect of the si'ht do,n there in the prehuman vaults of a ni'htmare city ,as almost too much to 3ear. A mad 7edney mi'ht have made the 'roups of dots in imitation of those found on the 'reenish soapstonesA Cust as the dots on those insane five1pointed 'rave mounds mi'ht have 3een madeB and he mi'ht conceiva3ly have prepared rou'hA hasty s!etches 1 varyin' in their accuracy or lac! of it 1 ,hich outlined the nei'h3orin' parts of the city and traced the ,ay from a circularly represented place outside our previous route 1 a place ,e identified as a 'reat cylindrical to,er in the carvin's and as a vast circular 'ulf 'limpsed in our aerial survey 1 to the present five1pointed structure and the tunnel mouth therein. 2e mi'htA = repeatA have prepared such s!etchesB for those 3efore us ,ere Duite o3viously compiledA as our o,n had 3eenA from late sculptures some,here in the 'lacial la3yrinthA thou'h not from the ones ,hich ,e had seen and used. But ,hat the art13lind 3un'ler could never have done ,as to e%ecute those s!etches in a stran'e and assured techniDue perhaps superiorA despite haste and carelessnessA to any of the decadent carvin's from ,hich they ,ere ta!en 1 the characteristic and unmista!a3le techniDue of the +ld +nes themselves in the dead cityTs heyday. There are those ,ho ,ill say $anforth and = ,ere utterly mad not to flee for our lives after thatB since our conclusions ,ere no, 1 not,ithstandin' their ,ildness 1 completely fi%edA and of a nature = need not even mention to those ,ho have read my account as far as this. >erhaps ,e ,ere mad 1 for have = not said those horri3le pea!s ,ere mountains of madnessG But = thin! = can detect somethin' of the same spirit 1 al3eit in a less e%treme form 1 in the men ,ho stal! deadly 3easts throu'h African Cun'les to photo'raph them or study their ha3its. 2alf paralyzed ,ith terror thou'h ,e ,ereA there ,as nevertheless fanned ,ithin us a 3lazin' flame of a,e and curiosity ,hich triumphed in the end. +f course ,e did not mean to face that 1 or those 1 ,hich ,e !ne, had 3een thereA 3ut ,e felt that they must 3e 'one 3y no,. They ,ould 3y this time have found the other nei'h3orin' entrance to the a3yssA and have passed ,ithinA to ,hatever ni'ht13lac! fra'ments of the past mi'ht a,ait them in the ultimate 'ulf 1 the ultimate 'ulf they had

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never seen. +r if that entranceA tooA ,as 3loc!edA they ,ould have 'one on to the north see!in' another. They ,ereA ,e remem3eredA partly independent of li'ht. 5oo!in' 3ac! to that momentA = can scarcely recall Cust ,hat precise form our ne, emotions too! 1 Cust ,hat chan'e of immediate o3Cective it ,as that so sharpened our sense of e%pectancy. We certainly did not mean to face ,hat ,e feared 1 yet = ,ill not deny that ,e may have had a lur!in'A unconscious ,ish to spy certain thin's from some hidden vanta'e point. >ro3a3ly ,e had not 'iven up our zeal to 'limpse the a3yss itselfA thou'h there ,as interposed a ne, 'oal in the form of that 'reat circular place sho,n on the crumpled s!etches ,e had found. We had at once reco'nized it as a monstrous cylindrical to,er fi'urin' in the very earliest carvin'sA 3ut appearin' only as a prodi'ious round aperture from a3ove. Somethin' a3out the impressiveness of its renderin'A even in these hasty dia'ramsA made us thin! that its su3'lacial levels must still form a feature of peculiar importance. >erhaps it em3odied architectural marvels as yet unencountered 3y us. =t ,as certainly of incredi3le a'e accordin' to the sculptures in ,hich it fi'ured 1 3ein' indeed amon' the first thin's 3uilt in the city. =ts carvin'sA if preservedA could not 3ut 3e hi'hly si'nificant. 8oreoverA it mi'ht form a 'ood present lin! ,ith the upper ,orld 1 a shorter route than the one ,e ,ere so carefully 3lazin'A and pro3a3ly that 3y ,hich those others had descended. At any rateA the thin' ,e did ,as to study the terri3le s!etches 1 ,hich Duite perfectly confirmed our o,n 1 and start 3ac! over the indicated course to the circular placeB the course ,hich our nameless predecessors must have traversed t,ice 3efore us. The other nei'h3orin' 'ate to the a3yss ,ould lie 3eyond that. = need not spea! of our Courney 1 durin' ,hich ,e continued to leave an economical trail of paper 1 for it ,as precisely the same in !ind as that 3y ,hich ,e had reached the cul1de1sacB e%cept that it tended to adhere more closely to the 'round level and even descend to 3asement corridors. Every no, and then ,e could trace certain distur3in' mar!s in the de3ris or litter underfootB and after ,e had passed outside the radius of the 'asoline scentA ,e ,ere a'ain faintly conscious 1 spasmodically 1 of that more hideous and more persistent scent. After the ,ay had 3ranched from our former courseA ,e sometimes 'ave the rays of our sin'le torch a furtive s,eep alon' the ,allsB notin' in almost every case the ,ell1ni'h omnipresent sculpturesA ,hich indeed seem to have formed a main aesthetic outlet for the +ld +nes. A3out )9&* >.8.A ,hile traversin' a lon'A vaulted corridor ,hose increasin'ly 'laciated floor seemed some,hat 3elo, the 'round level and ,hose roof 're, lo,er as ,e advancedA ,e 3e'an to see stron' dayli'ht ahead and ,ere a3le to turn off our torch. =t appeared that ,e ,ere comin' to the vast circular placeA and that our distance from the upper air could not 3e very 'reat. The corridor ended in an arch surprisin'ly lo, for these me'alithic ruinsA 3ut ,e could see much throu'h it even 3efore ,e emer'ed. Beyond there stretched a prodi'ious round space 1 fully t,o hundred feet in diameter 1 stre,n ,ith de3ris and containin' many cho!ed arch,ays correspondin' to the one ,e ,ere a3out to cross. The ,alls ,ere 1 in availa3le spaces 1 3oldly sculptured into a spiral 3and of heroic proportionsB and displayedA despite the destructive ,eatherin' caused 3y the openness of the spotA an artistic splendor far 3eyond anythin' ,e had encountered 3efore. The littered floor ,as Duite heavily 'laciatedA and ,e fancied that the true 3ottom lay at a considera3ly lo,er depth.
But the salient o3Cect of the place ,as the titanic stone ramp ,hichA eludin' the arch,ays 3y a sharp turn out,ard into the open floorA ,ound spirally up the stupendous cylindrical ,all

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li!e an inside counterpart of those once clim3in' outside the monstrous to,ers or zi''urats of antiDue Ba3ylon. +nly the rapidity of our fli'htA and the perspective ,hich confounded the descent ,ith the to,erTs inner ,allA had prevented our noticin' this feature from the airA and thus caused us to see! another avenue to the su3'lacial level. >a3odie mi'ht have 3een a3le to tell ,hat sort of en'ineerin' held it in placeA 3ut $anforth and = could merely admire and marvel. We could see mi'hty stone cor3els and pillars here and thereA 3ut ,hat ,e sa, seemed inadeDuate to the function performed. The thin' ,as e%cellently preserved up to the present top of the to,er 1 a hi'hly remar!a3le circumstance in vie, of its e%posure 1 and its shelter had done much to protect the 3izarre and distur3in' cosmic sculptures on the ,alls. As ,e stepped out into the a,esome half dayli'ht of this monstrous cylinder 3ottom 1 fifty million years oldA and ,ithout dou3t the most primally ancient structure ever to meet our eyes 1 ,e sa, that the ramp1traversed sides stretched dizzily up to a hei'ht of fully si%ty feet. ThisA ,e recalled from our aerial surveyA meant an outside 'laciation of some forty feetB since the ya,nin' 'ulf ,e had seen from the plane had 3een at the top of an appro%imately t,enty1foot mound of crum3led masonryA some,hat sheltered for three1fourths of its circumference 3y the massive curvin' ,alls of a line of hi'her ruins. Accordin' to the sculpturesA the ori'inal to,er had stood in the center of an immense circular plazaA and had 3een perhaps five hundred or si% hundred feet hi'hA ,ith tiers of horizontal dis!s near the topA and a ro, of needleli!e spires alon' the upper rim. 8ost of the masonry had o3viously toppled out,ard rather than in,ard 1 a fortunate happenin'A since other,ise the ramp mi'ht have 3een shattered and the ,hole interior cho!ed. As it ,asA the ramp sho,ed sad 3atterin'B ,hilst the cho!in' ,as such that all the arch,ays at the 3ottom seemed to have 3een recently cleared. =t too! us only a moment to conclude that this ,as indeed the route 3y ,hich those others had descendedA and that this ,ould 3e the lo'ical route for our o,n ascent despite the lon' trail of paper ,e had left else,here. The to,erTs mouth ,as no farther from the foothills and our ,aitin' plane than ,as the 'reat terraced 3uildin' ,e had enteredA and any further su3'lacial e%ploration ,e mi'ht ma!e on this trip ,ould lie in this 'eneral re'ion. +ddlyA ,e ,ere still thin!in' a3out possi3le later trips 1 even after all ,e had seen and 'uessed. ThenA as ,e pic!ed our ,ay cautiously over the de3ris of the 'reat floorA there came a si'ht ,hich for the time e%cluded all other matters. =t ,as the neatly huddled array of three sled'es in that farther an'le of the rampTs lo,er and out,ard1proCectin' course ,hich had hitherto 3een screened from our vie,. There they ,ere 1 the three sled'es missin' from 5a!eTs camp 1 sha!en 3y a hard usa'e ,hich must have included forci3le dra''in' alon' 'reat reaches of sno,less masonry and de3risA as ,ell as much hand porta'e over utterly unnavi'a3le places. They ,ere carefully and intelli'ently pac!ed and strappedA and contained thin's memora3ly familiar enou'h9 the 'asoline stoveA fuel cansA instrument casesA provision tinsA tarpaulins o3viously 3ul'in' ,ith 3oo!sA and some 3ul'in' ,ith less o3vious contents 1 everythin' derived from 5a!eTs eDuipment. Alfer ,hat ,e had found in that other roomA ,e ,ere in a measure prepared for this encounter. The really 'reat shoc! came ,hen ,e stepped over and undid one tarpaulin ,hose outlines had peculiarly disDuieted us. =t seems that others as ,ell as 5a!e had 3een interested in collectin' typical specimensB for there ,ere t,o hereA 3oth stiffly frozenA perfectly preservedA patched ,ith adhesive plaster ,here some ,ounds around the nec! had occurredA and ,rapped ,ith care to prevent further dama'e. They ,ere the 3odies of youn' 7edney and the missin' do'.

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5.
8any people ,ill pro3a3ly Cud'e us callous as ,ell as mad for thin!in' a3out the north,ard tunnel and the a3yss so soon after our som3er discoveryA and = am not prepared to say that ,e ,ould have immediately revived such thou'hts 3ut for a specific circumstance ,hich 3ro!e in upon us and set up a ,hole ne, train of speculations. We had replaced the tarpaulin over poor 7edney and ,ere standin' in a !ind of mute 3e,ilderment ,hen the sounds finally reached our consciousness 1 the first sounds ,e had heard since descendin' out of the open ,here the mountain ,ind ,hined faintly from its unearthly hei'hts. Well1!no,n and mundane thou'h they ,ereA their presence in this remote ,orld of death ,as more une%pected and unnervin' than any 'rotesDue or fa3ulous tones ncould possi3ly have 3een 1 since they 'ave a fresh upsettin' to all our notions of cosmic harmony. 2ad it 3een some trace of that 3izarre musical pipin' over a ,ide ran'e ,hich 5a!eTs dissection report had led us to e%pect in those others 1 and ,hichA indeedA our over,rou'ht fancies had 3een readin' into every ,ind ho,l ,e had heard since comin' on the camp horror 1 it ,ould have had a !ind of hellish con'ruity ,ith the aeon1dead re'ion around us. A voice from other epochs 3elon's in a 'raveyard of other epochs. As it ,asA ho,everA the noise shattered all our profoundly seated adCustments 1 all our tacit acceptance of the inner antarctic as a ,aste utterly and irrevoca3ly void of every vesti'e of normal life. What ,e heard ,as not the fa3ulous note of any 3uried 3lasphemy of elder earth from ,hose supernal tou'hness an a'e1denied polar sun had evo!ed a monstrous response. =nsteadA it ,as a thin' so moc!in'ly normal and so unerrin'ly familiarized 3y our sea days off ?ictoria 5and and our camp days at 8c8urdo Sound that ,e shuddered to thin! of it hereA ,here such thin's ou'ht not to 3e. To 3e 3rief 1 it ,as simply the raucous sDua,!in' of a pen'uin. The muffled sound floated from su3'lacial recesses nearly opposite to the corridor ,hence ,e had come 1 re'ions manifestly in the direction of that other tunnel to the vast a3yss. The presence of a livin' ,ater 3ird in such a direction 1 in a ,orld ,hose surface ,as one of a'e1lon' and uniform lifelessness 1 could lead to only one conclusionB hence our first thou'ht ,as to verify the o3Cective reality of the sound. =t ,asA indeedA repeatedA and seemed at times to come from more than one throat. See!in' its sourceA ,e entered an arch,ay from ,hich much de3ris had 3een clearedB resumin' our trail 3lazin' 1 ,ith an added paper supply ta!en ,ith curious repu'nance from one of the tarpaulin 3undles on the sled'es 1 ,hen ,e left dayli'ht 3ehind. As the 'laciated floor 'ave place to a litter of detritusA ,e plainly discerned some curiousA dra''in' trac!sB and once $anforth found a distinct print of a sort ,hose description ,ould 3e only too superfluous. The course indicated 3y the pen'uin cries ,as precisely ,hat our map and compass prescri3ed as an approach to the more northerly tunnel mouthA and ,e ,ere 'lad to find that a 3rid'eless thorou'hfare on the 'round and 3asement levels seemed open. The tunnelA accordin' to the chartA ou'ht to start from the 3asement of a lar'e pyramidal structure ,hich ,e seemed va'uely to recall from our aerial survey as remar!a3ly ,ell1preserved. Alon' our path the sin'le torch sho,ed a customary profusion of carvin'sA 3ut ,e did not pause to e%amine any of these.

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Suddenly a 3ul!y ,hite shape loomed up ahead of usA and ,e flashed on the second torch. =t is odd ho, ,holly this ne, Duest had turned our minds from earlier fears of ,hat mi'ht lur! near. Those other onesA havin' left their supplies in the 'reat circular placeA must have planned to return after their scoutin' trip to,ard or into the a3yssB yet ,e had no, discarded all caution concernin' them as completely as if they had never e%isted. This ,hiteA ,addlin' thin' ,as fully si% feet hi'hA yet ,e seemed to realize at once that it ,as not one of those others. They ,ere lar'er and dar!A andA accordin' to the sculpturesA their motion over land surfaces ,as a s,iftA assured matter despite the Dueerness of their sea1 3orn tentacle eDuipment. But to say that the ,hite thin' did not profoundly fri'hten us ,ould 3e vain. We ,ere indeed clutched for an instant 3y primitive dread almost sharper than the ,orst of our reasoned fears re'ardin' those others. Then came a flash of anticlima% as the ,hite shape sidled into a lateral arch,ay to our left to Coin t,o others of its !ind ,hich had summoned it in raucous tones. 4or it ,as only a pen'uin 1 al3eit of a hu'eA un!no,n species lar'er than the 'reatest of the !no,n !in' pen'uinsA and monstrous in its com3ined al3inism and virtual eyelessness. When ,e had follo,ed the thin' into the arch,ay and turned 3oth our torches on the indifferent and unheedin' 'roup of threeA ,e sa, that they ,ere all eyeless al3inos of the same un!no,n and 'i'antic species. Their size reminded us of some of the archaic pen'uins depicted in the +ld +nesT sculpturesA and it did not ta!e us lon' to conclude that they ,ere descended from the same stoc!1undou3tedly survivin' throu'h a retreat to some ,armer inner re'ion ,hose perpetual 3lac!ness had destroyed their pi'mentation and atrophied their eyes to mere useless slits. That their present ha3itat ,as the vast a3yss ,e sou'htA ,as not for a moment to 3e dou3tedB and this evidence of the 'ulfTs continued ,armth and ha3ita3ility filled us ,ith the most curious and su3tly pertur3in' fancies. We ,onderedA tooA ,hat had caused these three 3irds to venture out of their usual domain. The state and silence of the 'reat dead city made it clear that it had at no time 3een an ha3itual seasonal roo!eryA ,hilst the manifest indifference of the trio to our presence made it seem odd that any passin' party of those others should have startled them. Was it possi3le that those others had ta!en some a''ressive action or t1ried to increase their meat supplyG We dou3ted ,hether that pun'ent odor ,hich the do's had hated could cause an eDual antipathy in these pen'uinsA since their ancestors had o3viously lived on e%cellent terms ,ith the +ld +nes 1 an amica3le relationship ,hich must have survived in the a3yss 3elo, as lon' as any of the +ld +nes remained. :e'rettin' 1 in a flare1up of the old spirit of pure science 1 that ,e could not photo'raph these anomalous creaturesA ,e shortly left them to their sDua,!in' and pushed on to,ard the a3yss ,hose openness ,as no, so positively proved to usA and ,hose e%act direction occasional pen'uin trac!s made clear. ;ot lon' after,ard a steep descent in a lon'A lo,A doorlessA and peculiarly sculptureless corridor led us to 3elieve that ,e ,ere approachin' the tunnel mouth at last. We had passed t,o more pen'uinsA and heard others immediately ahead. Then the corridor ended in a prodi'ious open space ,hich made us 'asp involuntarily 1 a perfect inverted hemisphereA o3viously deep under'roundB fully a hundred feet in diameter and fifty feet hi'hA ,ith lo, arch,ays openin' around all parts of the circumference 3ut oneA and that one ya,nin' cavernously ,ith a 3lac!A arched aperture ,hich 3ro!e the symmetry of the vault to a hei'ht of nearly fifteen feet. =t ,as the entrance to the 'reat a3yss. =n this vast hemisphereA ,hose concave roof ,as impressively thou'h decadently carved to a li!eness of the primordial celestial domeA a fe, al3ino pen'uins ,addled 1

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aliens thereA 3ut indifferent and unseein'. The 3lac! tunnel ya,ned indefinitely off at a steepA descendin' 'radeA its aperture adorned ,ith 'rotesDuely chiseled Cam3s and lintel. 4rom that cryptical mouth ,e fancied a current of sli'htly ,armer airA and perhaps even a suspicion of vapor proceededB and ,e ,ondered ,hat livin' entities other than pen'uins the limitless void 3elo,A and the conti'uous honeycom3in's of the land and the titan mountainsA mi'ht conceal. We ,onderedA tooA ,hether the trace of mountaintop smo!e at first suspected 3y poor 5a!eA as ,ell as the odd haze ,e had ourselves perceived around the rampart1cro,ned pea!A mi'ht not 3e caused 3y the tortuous1channeled risin' of some such vapor from the unfathomed re'ions of earthTs core. Enterin' the tunnelA ,e sa, that its outline ,as 1 at least at the start 1 a3out fifteen feet each ,ay 1 sidesA floorA and arched roof composed of the usual me'alithic masonry. The sides ,ere sparsely decorated ,ith cartouches of conventional desi'ns in a lateA decadent styleB and all the construction and carvin' ,ere marvelously ,ell1preserved. The floor ,as Duite clearA e%cept for a sli'ht detritus 3earin' out'oin' pen'uin trac!s and the in,ard trac!s of these others. The farther one advancedA the ,armer it 3ecameB so that ,e ,ere soon un3uttonin' our heavy 'arments. We ,ondered ,hether there ,ere any actually i'neous manifestations 3elo,A and ,hether the ,aters of that sunless sea ,ere hot. Alter a short distance the masonry 'ave place to solid roc!A thou'h the tunnel !ept the same proportions and presented the same aspect of carved re'ularity. +ccasionally its varyin' 'rade 3ecame so steep that 'rooves ,ere cut in the floor. Several times ,e noted the mouths of small lateral 'alleries not recorded in our dia'ramsB none of them such as to complicate the pro3lem of our returnA and all of them ,elcome as possi3le refu'es in case ,e met un,elcome entities on their ,ay 3ac! from the a3yss. The nameless scent of such thin's ,as very distinct. $ou3tless it ,as suicidally foolish to venture into that tunnel under the !no,n conditionsA 3ut the lure of the unplum3ed is stron'er in certain persons than most suspect 1 indeedA it ,as Cust such a lure ,hich had 3rou'ht us to this unearthly polar ,aste in the first place. We sa, several pen'uins as ,e passed alon'A and speculated on the distance ,e ,ould have to traverse. The carvin's had led us to e%pect a steep do,nhill ,al! of a3out a mile to the a3yssA 3ut our previous ,anderin's had sho,n us that matters of scale ,ere not ,holly to 3e depended on. Alter a3out a Duarter of a mile that nameless scent 3ecame 'reatly accentuatedA and ,e !ept very careful trac! of the various lateral openin's ,e passed. There ,as no visi3le vapor as at the mouthA 3ut this ,as dou3tless due to the lac! of contrastin' cooler air. The temperature ,as rapidly ascendin'A and ,e ,ere not surprised to come upon a careless heap of material shudderin'ly familiar to us. =t ,as composed of furs and tent cloth ta!en from 5a!eTs campA and ,e did not pause to study the 3izarre forms into ,hich the fa3rics had 3een slashed. Sli'htly 3eyond this point ,e noticed a decided increase in the size and num3er of the side 'alleriesA and concluded that the densely honeycom3ed re'ion 3eneath the hi'her foothills must no, have 3een reached. The nameless scent ,as no, curiously mi%ed ,ith another and scarcely less offensive odor 1 of ,hat nature ,e could not 'uessA thou'h ,e thou'ht of decayin' or'anisms and perhaps un!no,n su3terranean fun'i. Then came a startlin' e%pansion of the tunnel for ,hich the carvin's had not prepared us 1 a 3roadenin' and risin' into a loftyA natural1loo!in' elliptical cavern ,ith a level floorA some seventy1five feet lon' and fifty 3roadA and ,ith many immense side passa'es leadin' a,ay into cryptical dar!ness. Thou'h this cavern ,as natural in appearanceA an inspection ,ith 3oth torches su''ested that it had 3een formed 3y the artificial destruction of several ,alls 3et,een

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adCacent honeycom3in's. The ,alls ,ere rou'hA and the hi'hA vaulted roof ,as thic! ,ith stalactitesB 3ut the solid roc! floor had 3een smoothed offA and ,as free from all de3risA detritusA or even dust to a positively a3normal e%tent. E%cept for the avenue throu'h ,hich ,e had comeA this ,as true of the floors of all the 'reat 'alleries openin' off from itB and the sin'ularity of the condition ,as such as to set us vainly puzzlin'. The curious ne, fetor ,hich had supplemented the nameless scent ,as e%cessively pun'ent hereB so much so that it destroyed all trace of the other. Somethin' a3out this ,hole placeA ,ith its polished and almost 'listenin' floorA struc! us as more va'uely 3afflin' and horri3le than any of the monstrous thin's ,e had previously encountered. The re'ularity of the passa'e immediately aheadA as ,ell as the lar'er proportion of pen'uin1droppin's thereA prevented all confusion as to the ri'ht course amidst this plethora of eDually 'reat cave mouths. ;evertheless ,e resolved to resume our paper trail3lazin' if any further comple%ity should developB for dust trac!sA of courseA could no lon'er 3e e%pected. (pon resumin' our direct pro'ress ,e cast a 3eam of torchli'ht over the tunnel ,alls 1 and stopped short in amazement at the supremely radical chan'e ,hich had come over the carvin's in this part of the passa'e. We realizedA of courseA the 'reat decadence of the +ld +nesT sculpture at the time of the tunnelin'A and had indeed noticed the inferior ,or!manship of the ara3esDues in the stretches 3ehind us. But no,A in this deeper section 3eyond the cavernA there ,as a sudden difference ,holly transcendin' e%planation 1 a difference in 3asic nature as ,ell as in mere DualityA and involvin' so profound and calamitous a de'radation of s!ill that nothin' in the hitherto o3served rate of decline could have led one to e%pect it.
This ne, and de'enerate ,or! ,as coarseA 3oldA and ,holly lac!in' in delicacy of detail. =t ,as countersun! ,ith e%a''erated depth in 3ands follo,in' the same 'eneral line as the sparse car1touches of the earlier sectionsA 3ut the hei'ht of the reliefs did not reach the level of the 'eneral surface. $anforth had the idea that it ,as a second carvin' 1 a sort of palimpsest formed after the o3literation of a previous desi'n. =n nature it ,as ,holly decorative and conventionalA and consisted of crude spirals and an'les rou'hly follo,in' the Duintile mathematical tradition of the +ld +nesA yet seemin'ly more li!e a parody than a perpetuation of that tradition. We could not 'et it out of our minds that some su3tly 3ut profoundly alien element had 3een added to the aesthetic feelin' 3ehind the techniDue 1 an alien elementA $anforth 'uessedA that ,as responsi3le for the la3orious su3stitution. =t ,as li!eA yet distur3in'ly unli!eA ,hat ,e had come to reco'nize as the +ld +nesT artB and = ,as persistently reminded of such hy3rid thin's as the un'ainly >almyrene sculptures fashioned in the :oman manner. That others had recently noticed this 3elt of carvin' ,as hinted 3y the presence of a used flashli'ht 3attery on the floor in front of one of the most characteristic cartouches. Since ,e could not afford to spend any considera3le time in studyA ,e resumed our advance after a cursory loo!B thou'h freDuently castin' 3eams over the ,alls to see if any further decorative chan'es developed. ;othin' of the sort ,as perceivedA thou'h the carvin's ,ere in places rather sparse 3ecause of the numerous mouths of smooth1floored lateral tunnels. We sa, and heard fe,er pen'uinsA 3ut thou'ht ,e cau'ht a va'ue suspicion of an infinitely distant chorus of them some,here deep ,ithin the earth. The ne, and ine%plica3le odor ,as a3omina3ly stron'A and ,e could detect scarcely a si'n of that other nameless scent. >uffs of visi3le vapor ahead 3espo!e increasin' contrasts in temperatureA and the relative nearness of the sunless sea cliffs of the 'reat a3yss. ThenA Duite une%pectedlyA ,e sa, certain o3structions on the polished floor ahead 1 o3structions ,hich ,ere Duite definitely not pen'uins 1 and turned on our second torch after ma!in' sure that the o3Cects ,ere Duite stationary.

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5,.
Still another time have = come to a place ,here it is very difficult to proceed. = ou'ht to 3e hardened 3y this sta'eB 3ut there are some e%periences and intimations ,hich scar too deeply to permit of healin'A and leave only such an added sensitiveness that memory reinspires all the ori'inal horror. We sa,A as = have saidA certain o3structions on the polished floor aheadB and = may add that our nostrils ,ere assailed almost simultaneously 3y a very curious intensification of the stran'e prevailin' fetorA no, Duite plainly mi%ed ,ith the nameless stench of those others ,hich had 'one 3efore. The li'ht of the second torch left no dou3t of ,hat the o3structions ,ereA and ,e dared approach them only 3ecause ,e could seeA even from a distanceA that they ,ere Duite as past all harmin' po,er as had 3een the si% similar specimens unearthed from the monstrous star1mounded 'raves at poor 5a!eTs camp. They ,ereA indeedA as lac!in' 1 in completeness as most of those ,e had unearthed 1 thou'h it 're, plain from the thic!A dar! 'reen pool 'atherin' around them that their incompleteness ,as of infinitely 'reater recency. There seemed to 3e only four of themA ,hereas 5a!eTs 3ulletins ,ould have su''ested no less than ei'ht as formin' the 'roup ,hich had preceded us. To find them in this state ,as ,holly une%pectedA and ,e ,ondered ,hat sort of monstrous stru''le had occurred do,n here in the dar!. >en'uinsA attac!ed in a 3odyA retaliate sava'ely ,ith their 3ea!sA and our ears no, made certain the e%istence of a roo!ery far 3eyond. 2ad those others distur3ed such a place and aroused murderous pursuitG The o3structions did not su''est itA for pen'uinsT 3ea!s a'ainst the tou'h tissues 5a!e had dissected could hardly account for the terri3le dama'e our approachin' 'lance ,as 3e'innin' to ma!e out. BesidesA the hu'e 3lind 3irds ,e had seen appeared to 3e sin'ularly peaceful. 2ad thereA thenA 3een a stru''le amon' those othersA and ,ere the a3sent four responsi3leG =f soA ,here ,ere theyG Were they close at hand and li!ely to form an immediate menace to usG We 'lanced an%iously at some of the smooth1floored lateral passa'es as ,e continued our slo, and fran!ly reluctant approach. Whatever the conflict ,asA it had clearly 3een that ,hich had fri'htened the pen'uins into their unaccustomed ,anderin'. =t mustA thenA have arisen near that faintly heard roo!ery in the incalcula3le 'ulf 3eyondA since there ,ere no si'ns that any 3irds had normally d,elt here. >erhapsA ,e reflectedA there had 3een a hideous runnin' fi'htA ,ith the ,ea!er party see!in' to 'et 3ac! to the cached sled'es ,hen their pursuers finished them. +ne could picture the demoniac fray 3et,een namelessly monstrous entities as it sur'ed out of the 3lac! a3yss ,ith 'reat clouds of frantic pen'uins sDua,!in' and scurryin' ahead. = say that ,e approached those spra,lin' and incomplete o3structions slo,ly and reluctantly. Would to 2eaven ,e had never approached them at allA 3ut had run 3ac! at top speed out of that 3lasphemous tunnel ,ith the 'reasily smooth floors and the de'enerate murals apin' and moc!in' the thin's they had superseded1run 3ac!A 3efore ,e had seen ,hat ,e did seeA and 3efore our minds ,ere 3urned ,ith somethin' ,hich ,ill never let us 3reathe easily a'ainF Both of our torches ,ere turned on the prostrate o3CectsA so that ,e soon realized the dominant factor in their incompleteness. 8auledA compressedA t,istedA and ruptured as

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they ,ereA their chief common inCury ,as total decapitation. 4rom each one the tentacled starfish head had 3een removedB and as ,e dre, near ,e sa, that the manner of removal loo!ed more li!e some hellish tearin' or suction than li!e any ordinary form of cleava'e. Their noisome dar!1'reen ichor formed a lar'eA spreadin' p++lB 3ut its stench ,as half overshado,ed 3y the ne,er and stran'er stenchA here more pun'ent than at any other point alon' our route. +nly ,hen ,e had come very close to the spra,lin' o3structions could ,e trace that secondA une%plaina3le fetor to any immediate source 1 and the instant ,e did so $anforthA remem3erin' certain very vivid sculptures of the +ld +nesT history in the >ermian A'e one hundred and fifty million years a'oA 'ave vent to a nerve1tortured cry ,hich echoed hysterically throu'h that vaulted and archaic passa'e ,ith the evilA palimpsest carvin's. = came only Cust short of echoin' his cry myselfB for = had seen those primal sculpturesA tooA and had shudderin'ly admired the ,ay the nameless artist had su''ested that hideous slime coatin' found on certain incomplete and prostrate +ld +nes 1 those ,hom the fri'htful Sho''oths had characteristically slain and suc!ed to a 'hastly headlessness in the 'reat ,ar of resu3Cu'ation. They ,ere infamousA ni'htmare sculptures even ,hen tellin' of a'e1oldA 3y'one thin'sB for Sho''oths and their ,or! ou'ht not to 3e seen 3y human 3ein's or portrayed 3y any 3ein's. The mad author of the -ecronomicon had nervously tried to s,ear that none had 3een 3red on this planetA and that only dru''ed dreamers had even conceived them. 4ormless protoplasm a3le to moc! and reflect all forms and or'ans and processes 1 viscous a''lutinations of 3u33lin' cells 1 ru33ery fifteen1foot spheroids infinitely plastic and ductile 1 slaves of su''estionA 3uilders of cities 1 more and more sullenA more and more intelli'entA more and more amphi3iousA more and more imitativeF 7reat 7odF What madness made even those 3lasphemous +ld +nes ,illin' to use and carve such thin'sG And no,A ,hen $anforth and = sa, the freshly 'listenin' and reflectively iridescent 3lac! slime ,hich clun' thic!ly to those headless 3odies and stan! o3scenely ,ith that ne,A un!no,n odor ,hose cause only a diseased fancy could envisa'e 1 clun' to those 3odies and spar!led less voluminously on a smooth part of the accursedly resculptured ,all in a series of 'rouped dots 1 ,e understood the Duality of cosmic fear to its uttermost depths. =t ,as not fear of those four missin' others 1 for all too ,ell did ,e suspect they ,ould do no harm a'ain. >oor devilsF Alter allA they ,ere not evil thin's of their !ind. They ,ere the men of another a'e and another order of 3ein'. ;ature had played a hellish Cest on them 1 as it ,ill on any others that human madnessA callousnessA or cruelty may hereafter di' up in that hideously dead or sleepin' polar ,aste 1 and this ,as their tra'ic homecomin'. They had not 3een even sava'es1for ,hat indeed had they doneG That a,ful a,a!enin' in the cold of an un!no,n epoch 1 perhaps an attac! 3y the furryA frantically 3ar!in' DuadrupedsA and a dazed defense a'ainst them and the eDually frantic ,hite simians ,ith the Dueer ,rappin's and paraphernalia ... poor 5a!eA poor 7edney... and poor +ld +nesF Scientists to the last 1 ,hat had they done that ,e ,ould not have done in their placeG 7odA ,hat intelli'ence and persistenceF What a facin' of the incredi3leA Cust as those carven !insmen and for3ears had faced thin's only a little less incredi3leF :adiatesA ve'eta3lesA monstrositiesA star spa,n 1 ,hatever they had 3eenA they ,ere menF They had crossed the icy pea!s on ,hose templed slopes they had once ,orshipped and roamed amon' the tree ferns. They had found their dead city 3roodin' under its curseA and had read its carven latter days as ,e had done. They had tried to reach their livin' fello,s in fa3led depths of 3lac!ness they had never seen 1 and ,hat had they foundG All this

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flashed in unison throu'h the thou'hts of $anforth and me as ,e loo!ed from those headlessA slime1coated shapes to the loathsome palimpsest sculptures and the dia3olical dot 'roups of fresh slime on the ,all 3eside them 1 loo!ed and understood ,hat must have triumphed and survived do,n there in the Cyclopean ,ater city of that ni'htedA pen'uin1 frin'ed a3yssA ,hence even no, a sinister curlin' mist had 3e'un to 3elch pallidly as if in ans,er to $anforthTs hysterical scream. The shoc! of reco'nizin' that monstrous slime and headlessness had frozen us into muteA motionless statuesA and it is only throu'h later conversations that ,e have learned of the complete identity of our thou'hts at that moment. =t seemed aeons that ,e stood thereA 3ut actually it could not have 3een more than ten or fifteen seconds. That hatefulA pallid mist curled for,ard as if verita3ly driven 3y some remoter advancin' 3ul!1and then came a sound ,hich upset much of ,hat ,e had Cust decidedA and in so doin' 3ro!e the spell and ena3led us to run li!e mad past sDua,!in'A confused pen'uins over our former trail 3ac! to the cityA alon' ice1sun!en me'alithic corridors to the 'reat open circleA and up that archaic spiral ramp in a frenziedA automatic plun'e for the sane outer air and li'ht of day. The ne, soundA as = have intimatedA upset much that ,e had decidedB 3ecause it ,as ,hat poor 5a!eTs dissection had led us to attri3ute to those ,e had Cud'ed dead. =t ,asA $anforth later told meA precisely ,hat he had cau'ht in infinitely muffled form ,hen at that spot 3eyond the alley corner a3ove the 'lacial levelB and it certainly had a shoc!in' resem3lance to the ,ind pipin's ,e had 3oth heard around the lofty mountain caves. At the ris! of seemin' puerile = ,ill add another thin'A tooA if only 3ecause of the surprisin' ,ay $anforthTs impressions chimed ,ith mine. +f course common readin' is ,hat prepared us 3oth to ma!e the interpretationA thou'h $anforth has hinted at Dueer notions a3out unsuspected and for3idden sources to ,hich >oe may have had access ,hen ,ritin' his Art"ur Gordon ,ym a century a'o. =t ,ill 3e remem3ered that in that fantastic tale there is a ,ord of un!no,n 3ut terri3le and prodi'ious si'nificance connected ,ith the antarctic and screamed eternally 3y the 'i'antic spectrally sno,y 3irds of that mali'n re'ionTs core. )Tekeli-liC Tekeli-liC) ThatA = may admitA is e%actly ,hat ,e thou'ht ,e heard conveyed 3y that sudden sound 3ehind the advancin' ,hite mist1that insidious musical pipin' over a sin'ularly ,ide ran'e. We ,ere in full fli'ht 3efore three notes or sylla3les had 3een utteredA thou'h ,e !ne, that the s,iftness of the +ld +nes ,ould ena3le any scream1roused and pursuin' survivor of the slau'hter to overta!e us in a moment if it really ,ished to do so. We had a va'ue hopeA ho,everA that nona''ressive conduct and a display of !indred reason mi'ht cause such a 3ein' to spare us in case of captureA if only from scientific curiosity. Alter allA if such an one had nothin' to fear for itselfA it ,ould have no motive in harmin' us. Concealment 3ein' futile at this CunctureA ,e used our torch for a runnin' 'lance 3ehindA and perceived that the mist ,as thinnin'. Would ,e seeA at lastA a complete and livin' specimen of those othersG A'ain came that insidious musical pipin'1 )Tekeli-liC Tekeli-liC) ThenA notin' that ,e ,ere actually 'ainin' on our pursuerA it occurred to us that the entity mi'ht 3e ,ounded. We could ta!e no chancesA ho,everA since it ,as very o3viously approachin' in ans,er to $anforthTs screamA rather than in fli'ht from any other entity. The timin' ,as too close to admit of dou3t. +f the ,herea3outs of that less conceiva3le and less mentiona3le ni'htmare 1 that fetidA un'limpsed mountain of slime1spe,in' protoplasm ,hose race had conDuered the a3yss and sent land pioneers to recarve and sDuirm throu'h the 3urro,s of the hills 1 ,e could form no 'uessB and it cost us a 'enuine

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pan' to leave this pro3a3ly crippled +ld +ne1perhaps a lone survivor 1 to the peril of recapture and a nameless fate.
Than! 2eaven ,e did not slac!en our run. The curlin' mist had thic!ened a'ainA and ,as drivin' ahead ,ith increased speedB ,hilst the strayin' pen'uins in our rear ,ere sDua,!in' and screamin' and displayin' si'ns of a panic really surprisin' in vie, of their relatively minor confusion ,hen ,e had passed them. +nce more came that sinisterA ,ide1ran'ed pipin' 1 )Tekeli-liC Tekeli-liC) We had 3een ,ron'. The thin' ,as not ,oundedA 3ut had merely paused on encounterin' the 3odies of its fallen !indred and the hellish slime inscription a3ove them. We could never !no, ,hat that demon messa'e ,as 1 3ut those 3urials at 5a!eTs camp had sho,n ho, much importance the 3ein's attached to their dead. +ur rec!lessly used torch no, revealed ahead of us the lar'e open cavern ,here various ,ays conver'edA and ,e ,ere 'lad to 3e leavin' those mor3id palimpsest sculptures 1 almost felt even ,hen scarcely seen13ehind. Another thou'ht ,hich the advent of the cave inspired ,as the possi3ility of losin' our pursuer at this 3e,ilderin' focus of lar'e 'alleries. There ,ere several of the 3lind al3ino pen'uins in the open spaceA and it seemed clear that their fear of the oncomin' entity ,as e%treme to the point of unaccounta3ility. =f at that point ,e dimmed our torch to the very lo,est limit of travelin' needA !eepin' it strictly in front of usA the fri'htened sDua,!in' motions of the hu'e 3irds in the mist mi'ht muffle our footfallsA screen our true courseA and someho, set up a false lead. Amidst the churnin'A spiralin' fo'A the littered and un'listenin' floor of the main tunnel 3eyond this pointA as differin' from the other mor3idly polished 3urro,sA could hardly form a hi'hly distin'uishin' featureB evenA so far as ,e could conCectureA for those indicated special senses ,hich made the +ld +nes partlyA thou'h imperfectlyA independent of li'ht in emer'encies. =n factA ,e ,ere some,hat apprehensive lest ,e 'o astray ourselves in our haste. 4or ,e hadA of courseA decided to !eep strai'ht on to,ard the dead cityB since the conseDuences of loss in those un!no,n foothill honeycom3in's ,ould 3e unthin!a3le. The fact that ,e survived and emer'ed is sufficient proof that the thin' did ta!e a ,ron' 'allery ,hilst ,e providentially hit on the ri'ht one. The pen'uins alone could not have saved usA 3ut in conCunction ,ith the mist they seem to have done so. +nly a 3eni'n fate !ept the curlin' vapors thic! enou'h at the ri'ht momentA for they ,ere constantly shiftin' and threatenin' to vanish. =ndeedA they did lift for a second Cust 3efore ,e emer'ed from the nauseously resculptured tunnel into the caveB so that ,e actually cau'ht one first and only half 'limpse of the oncomin' entity as ,e cast a finalA desperately fearful 'lance 3ac!,ard 3efore dimmin' the torch and mi%in' ,ith the pen'uins in the hope of dod'in' pursuit. =f the fate ,hich screened us ,as 3eni'nA that ,hich 'ave us the half 'limpse ,as infinitely the oppositeB for to that flash of semivision can 3e traced a full half of the horror ,hich has ever since haunted us. +ur e%act motive in loo!in' 3ac! a'ain ,as perhaps no more than the immemorial instinct of the pursued to 'au'e the nature and course of its pursuerB or perhaps it ,as an automatic attempt to ans,er a su3conscious Duestion raised 3y one of our senses. =n the midst of our fli'htA ,ith all our faculties centered on the pro3lem of escapeA ,e ,ere in no condition to o3serve and analyze detailsB yet even soA our latent 3rain cells must have ,ondered at the messa'e 3rou'ht them 3y our nostrils. Alter,ard ,e realized ,hat it ,as1that our retreat from the fetid slime coatin' on those headless o3structionsA and the coincident approach of the pursuin' entityA had not 3rou'ht us the e%chan'e of stenches ,hich lo'ic called for. =n the nei'h3orhood of the prostrate thin's that ne, and lately une%plaina3le fetor had 3een ,holly dominantB 3ut 3y this time it ou'ht to have lar'ely 'iven place to the nameless stench associated ,ith those others. This it had not done 1 for insteadA the ne,er and less 3eara3le

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smell ,as no, virtually undilutedA and 'ro,in' more and more poisonously insistent each second. So ,e 'lanced 3ac! simultaneouslyA it ,ould appearB thou'h no dou3t the incipient motion of one prompted the imitation of the other. As ,e did so ,e flashed 3oth torches full stren'th at the momentarily thinned mistB either from sheer primitive an%iety to see all ,e couldA or in a less primitive 3ut eDually unconscious effort to dazzle the entity 3efore ,e dimmed our li'ht and dod'ed amon' the pen'uins of the la3yrinth center ahead. (nhappy actF ;ot +rpheus himselfA or 5otTs ,ifeA paid much more dearly for a 3ac!,ard 'lance. And a'ain came that shoc!in'A ,ide1ran'ed pipin' 1 )Tekeli-liC Tekeli-liC) = mi'ht as ,ell 3e fran! 1 even if = cannot 3ear to 3e Duite direct 1 in statin' ,hat ,e sa,B thou'h at the time ,e felt that it ,as not to 3e admitted even to each other. The ,ords reachin' the reader can never even su''est the a,fulness of the si'ht itself. =t crippled our consciousness so completely that = ,onder ,e had the residual sense to dim our torches as plannedA and to stri!e the ri'ht tunnel to,ard the dead city. =nstinct alone must have carried us throu'h 1 perhaps 3etter than reason could have doneB thou'h if that ,as ,hat saved usA ,e paid a hi'h price. +f reason ,e certainly had little enou'h left. $anforth ,as totally unstrun'A and the first thin' = remem3er of the rest of the Courney ,as hearin' him li'htheadedly chant an hysterical formula in ,hich = alone of man!ind could have found anythin' 3ut insane irrelevance. =t rever3erated in falsetto echoes amon' the sDua,!s of the pen'uinsB rever3erated throu'h the vaultin's aheadA and1than! 7od1throu'h the no, empty vaultin's 3ehind. 2e could not have 3e'un it at once 1 else ,e ,ould not have 3een alive and 3lindly racin'. = shudder to thin! of ,hat a shade of difference in his nervous reactions mi'ht have 3rou'ht. LSouth Station (nder 1 Washin'ton (nder 1 >ar! Street (nder10endall 1 Central 1 2arvard 1 L The poor fello, ,as chantin' the familiar stations of the Boston1Cam3rid'e tunnel that 3urro,ed throu'h our peaceful native soil thousands of miles a,ay in ;e, En'landA yet to me the ritual had neither irrelevance nor home feelin'. =t had only horrorA 3ecause = !ne, unerrin'ly the monstrousA nefandous analo'y that had su''ested it. We had e%pectedA upon loo!in' 3ac!A to see a terri3le and incredi3le movin' entity if the mists ,ere thin enou'hB 3ut of that entity ,e had formed a clear idea. What ,e did see 1 for the mists ,ere indeed all too mali'uly thinned 1 ,as somethin' alto'ether differentA and immeasura3ly more hideous and detesta3le. =t ,as the utterA o3Cective em3odiment of the fantastic novelistTs Lthin' that should not 3eLB and its nearest comprehensi3le analo'ue is a vastA onrushin' su3,ay train as one sees it from a station platform 1 the 'reat 3lac! front loomin' colossally out of infinite su3terranean distanceA constellated ,ith stran'ely colored li'hts and fillin' the prodi'ious 3urro, as a piston fills a cylinder. But ,e ,ere not on a station platform. We ,ere on the trac! ahead as the ni'htmareA plastic column of fetid 3lac! iridescence oozed ti'htly on,ard throu'h its fifteen1foot sinusA 'atherin' unholy speed and drivin' 3efore it a spiralA rethic!enin' cloud of the pallid a3yss vapor. =t ,as a terri3leA indescri3a3le thin' vaster than any su3,ay train 1 a shapeless con'eries of protoplasmic 3u33lesA faintly self1luminousA and ,ith myriads of temporary eyes formin' and un1formin' as pustules of 'reenish li'ht all over the tunnel1fillin' front that 3ore do,n upon usA crushin' the frantic pen'uins and slitherin' over the 'listenin' floor that it and its !ind had s,ept so evilly free of all litter. Still came that eldritchA moc!in' cry1 )Tekeli-liC Tekeli-liC) and at last ,e remem3ered that the demoniac Sho''oths 1 'iven lifeA thou'htA and plastic or'an patterns solely 3y the +ld +nesA and havin' no lan'ua'e save that ,hich the dot 'roups e%pressed 1 had li!e,ise no voice save the imitated accents of their 3y'one masters.

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7*&

5,,.
$anforth and = have recollections of emer'in' into the 'reat sculptured hemisphere and of threadin' our 3ac! trail throu'h the Cyclopean rooms and corridors of the dead cityB yet these are purely dream fra'ments involvin' no memory of volitionA detailsA or physical e%ertion. =t ,as as if ,e floated in a ne3ulous ,orld or dimension ,ithout timeA causationA or orientation. The 'ray half1dayli'ht of the vast circular space so3ered us some,hatB 3ut ,e did not 'o near those cached sled'es or loo! a'ain at poor 7edney and the do'. They have a stran'e and titanic mausoleumA and = hope the end of this planet ,ill find them still undistur3ed. =t ,as ,hile stru''lin' up the colossal spiral incline that ,e first felt the terri3le fati'ue and short 3reath ,hich our race throu'h the thin plateau air had producedB 3ut not even fear of collapse could ma!e us pause 3efore reachin' the normal outer realm of sun and s!y. There ,as somethin' va'uely appropriate a3out our departure from those 3uried epochsB for as ,e ,ound our pantin' ,ay up the si%ty1foot cylinder of primal masonryA ,e 'limpsed 3eside us a continuous procession of heroic sculptures in the dead raceTs early and undecayed techniDue 1 a fare,ell from the +ld +nesA ,ritten fifty million years a'o. 4inally scram3lin' out at the topA ,e found ourselves on a 'reat mound of tum3led 3loc!sA ,ith the curved ,alls of hi'her stone,or! risin' ,est,ardA and the 3roodin' pea!s of the 'reat mountains sho,in' 3eyond the more crum3led structures to,ard the east. The lo, antarctic sun of midni'ht peered redly from the southern horizon throu'h rifts in the Ca''ed ruinsA and the terri3le a'e and deadness of the ni'htmare city seemed all the star!er 3y contrast ,ith such relatively !no,n and accustomed thin's as the features of the polar landscape. The s!y a3ove ,as a churnin' and opalescent mass of tenuous ice1vaporsA and the cold clutched at our vitals. Wearily restin' the outfit13a's to ,hich ,e had instinctively clun' throu'hout our desperate fli'htA ,e re3uttoned our heavy 'arments for the stum3lin' clim3 do,n the mound and the ,al! throu'h the aeon1old stone maze to the foothills ,here our aeroplane ,aited. +f ,hat had set us fleein' from that dar!ness of earthTs secret and archaic 'ulfs ,e said nothin' at all. =n less than a Duarter of an hour ,e had found the steep 'rade to the foothills1the pro3a3le ancient terrace 1 3y ,hich ,e had descendedA and could see the dar! 3ul! of our 'reat plane amidst the sparse ruins on the risin' slope ahead. 2alf,ay uphill to,ard our 'oal ,e paused for a momentary 3reathin' spellA and turned to loo! a'ain at the fantastic tan'le of incredi3le stone shapes 3elo, us1once more outlined mystically a'ainst an un!no,n ,est. As ,e did so ,e sa, that the s!y 3eyond had lost its mornin' hazinessB the restless ice1vapors havin' moved up to the zenithA ,here their moc!in' outlines seemed on the point of settlin' into some 3izarre pattern ,hich they feared to ma!e Duite definite or conclusive. There no, lay revealed on the ultimate ,hite horizon 3ehind the 'rotesDue city a dimA elfin line of pinnacled violet ,hose needle1pointed hei'hts loomed dreamli!e a'ainst the 3ec!onin' rose color of the ,estern s!y. (p to,ard this shimmerin' rim sloped the ancient ta3le1landA the depressed course of the 3y'one river traversin' it as an irre'ular ri33on of shado,. 4or a second ,e 'asped in admiration of the sceneTs unearthly cosmic 3eautyA and then va'ue horror 3e'an to creep into our souls. 4or this far violet line could 3e nothin' else than the terri3le mountains of the for3idden land 1 hi'hest of earthTs pea!s and focus

H.P.Lovecr !t

At the 8ountains of 8adness

7*#

of earthTs evilB har3orers of nameless horrors and Archaean secretsB shunned and prayed to 3y those ,ho feared to carve their meanin'B untrodden 3y any livin' thin' on earthA 3ut visited 3y the sinister li'htnin's and sendin' stran'e 3eams across the plains in the polar ni'ht 1 3eyond dou3t the un!no,n archetype of that dreaded 0adath in the Cold Waste 3eyond a3horrent 5en'A ,hereof primal le'ends hint evasively. =f the sculptured maps and pictures in that prehuman city had told trulyA these cryptic violet mountains could not 3e much less than three hundred miles a,ayB yet none the less sharply did their dim elfin essence appear a3ove that remote and sno,y rimA li!e the serrated ed'e of a monstrous alien planet a3out to rise into unaccustomed heavens. Their hei'htA thenA must have 3een tremendous 3eyond all comparison 1 carryin' them up into tenuous atmospheric strata peopled only 3y such 'aseous ,raiths as rash flyers have 3arely lived to ,hisper of after une%plaina3le falls. 5oo!in' at themA = thou'ht nervously of certain sculptured hints of ,hat the 'reat 3y'one river had ,ashed do,n into the city from their accursed slopes 1 and ,ondered ho, much sense and ho, much folly had lain in the fears of those +ld +nes ,ho carved them so reticently. = recalled ho, their northerly end must come near the coast at /ueen 8ary 5andA ,here even at that moment Sir $ou'las 8a,sonTs e%pedition ,as dou3tless ,or!in' less than a thousand miles a,ayB and hoped that no evil fate ,ould 'ive Sir $ou'las and his men a 'limpse of ,hat mi'ht lie 3eyond the protectin' coastal ran'e. Such thou'hts formed a measure of my over,rou'ht condition at the time 1 and $anforth seemed to 3e even ,orse. .et lon' 3efore ,e had passed the 'reat star1shaped ruin and reached our planeA our fears had 3ecome transferred to the lesser 3ut vast1enou'h ran'e ,hose recrossin' lay ahead of us. 4rom these foothills the 3lac!A ruin1crusted slopes reared up star!ly and hideously a'ainst the eastA a'ain remindin' us of those stran'e Asian paintin's of ;icholas :oerichB and ,hen ,e thou'ht of the fri'htful amorphous entities that mi'ht have pushed their fetidly sDuirmin' ,ay even to the topmost hollo, pinnaclesA ,e could not face ,ithout panic the prospect of a'ain sailin' 3y those su''estive s!y,ard cave mouths ,here the ,ind made sounds li!e an evil musical pipin' over a ,ide ran'e. To ma!e matters ,orseA ,e sa, distinct traces of local mist around several of the summits1as poor 5a!e must have done ,hen he made that early mista!e a3out volcanism 1 and thou'ht shiverin'ly of that !indred mist from ,hich ,e had Cust escapedB of thatA and of the 3lasphemousA horror1fosterin' a3yss ,hence all such vapors came.
All ,as ,ell ,ith the planeA and ,e clumsily hauled on our heavy flyin' furs. $anforth 'ot the en'ine started ,ithout trou3leA and ,e made a very smooth ta!e1off over the ni'htmare city. Belo, us the primal Cyclopean masonry spread out as it had done ,hen first ,e sa, itA and ,e 3e'an risin' and turnin' to test the ,ind for our crossin' throu'h the pass. At a very hi'h level there must have 3een 'reat distur3anceA since the ice1dust clouds of the zenith ,ere doin' all sorts of fantastic thin'sB 3ut at t,enty1four thousand feetA the hei'ht ,e needed for the passA ,e found navi'ation Duite practica3le. As ,e dre, close to the Cuttin' pea!s the ,indTs stran'e pipin' a'ain 3ecame manifestA and = could see $anforthTs hands trem3lin' at the controls. :an! amateur that = ,asA = thou'ht at that moment that = mi'ht 3e a 3etter navi'ator than he in effectin' the dan'erous crossin' 3et,een pinnaclesB and ,hen = made motions to chan'e seats and ta!e over his duties he did not protest. = tried to !eep all my s!ill and self1possession a3out meA and stared at the sector of reddish farther s!y 3et,i%t the ,alls of the pass1resolutely refusin' to pay attention to the puffs of mountain1top vaporA and ,ishin' that = had ,a%1stopped ears li!e (lyssesT men off the SirenTs coast to !eep that distur3in' ,indpipin' from my consciousness.

H.P.Lovecr !t

At the 8ountains of 8adness

7*

But $anforthA released from his pilotin' and !eyed up to a dan'erous nervous pitchA could not !eep Duiet. = felt him turnin' and ,ri''lin' a3out as he loo!ed 3ac! at the terri3le recedin' cityA ahead at the cave1riddledA cu3e13arnacled pea!sA side,ise at the 3lea! sea of sno,yA rampart1stre,n foothillsA and up,ard at the seethin'A 'rotesDuely clouded s!y. =t ,as thenA Cust as = ,as tryin' to steer safely throu'h the passA that his mad shrie!in' 3rou'ht us so close to disaster 3y shatterin' my ti'ht hold on myself and causin' me to fum3le helplessly ,ith the controls for a moment. A second after,ard my resolution triumphed and ,e made the crossin' safely 1 yet = am afraid that $anforth ,ill never 3e 1the same a'ain. = have said that $anforth refused to tell me ,hat final horror made him scream out so insanely1a horror ,hichA = feel sadly sureA is mainly responsi3le for his present 3rea!do,n. We had snatches of shouted conversation a3ove the ,indTs pipin' and the en'ineTs 3uzzin' as ,e reached the safe side of the ran'e and s,ooped slo,ly do,n to,ard the campA 3ut that had mostly to do ,ith the pled'es of secrecy ,e had made as ,e prepared to leave the ni'htmare city. Certain thin'sA ,e had a'reedA ,ere not for people to !no, and discuss li'htly1and = ,ould not spea! of them no, 3ut for the need of headin' off that Star!,eather18oore E%peditionA and othersA at any cost. =t is a3solutely necessaryA for the peace and safety of man!indA that some of earthTs dar!A dead corners and unplum3ed depths 3e let aloneB lest sleepin' a3normalities ,a!e to resur'ent lifeA and 3lasphemously survivin' ni'htmares sDuirm and splash out of their 3lac! lairs to ne,er and ,ider conDuests. All that $anforth has ever hinted is that the final horror ,as a mira'e. =t ,as notA he declaresA anythin' connected ,ith the cu3es and caves of those echoin'A vaporousA ,ormily1 honeycom3ed mountains of madness ,hich ,e crossedB 3ut a sin'le fantasticA demoniac 'limpseA amon' the churnin' zenith cloudsA of ,hat lay 3ac! of those other violet ,est,ard mountains ,hich the +ld +nes had shunned and feared. =t is very pro3a3le that the thin' ,as a sheer delusion 3orn of the previous stresses ,e had passed throu'hA and of the actual thou'h unreco'nized mira'e of the dead transmontane city e%perienced near 5a!eTs camp the day 3eforeB 3ut it ,as so real to $anforth that he suffers from it still. 2e has on rare occasions ,hispered disCointed and irresponsi3le thin's a3out LThe 3lac! pitAL Lthe carven rimAL Lthe protoSho''othsAL Lthe ,indo,less solids ,ith five dimensionsAL Lthe nameless cylinderAL Lthe elder >harosAL L.o'1SothothAL Lthe primal ,hite CellyAL Lthe color out of spaceAL Lthe ,in'sAL Lthe eyes in dar!nessAL Lthe moon1ladderAL Lthe ori'inalA the eternalA the undyin'AL and other 3izarre conceptionsB 3ut ,hen he is fully himself he repudiates all this and attri3utes it to his curious and maca3re readin' of earlier years. $anforthA indeedA is !no,n to 3e amon' the fe, ,ho have ever dared 'o completely throu'h that ,orm1riddled copy of the -ecronomicon !ept under loc! and !ey in the colle'e li3rary. The hi'her s!yA as ,e crossed the ran'eA ,as surely vaporous and distur3ed enou'hB and althou'h = did not see the zenithA = can ,ell ima'ine that its s,irls of ice dust may have ta!en stran'e forms. =ma'inationA !no,in' ho, vividly distant scenes can sometimes 3e reflectedA refractedA and ma'nified 3y such layers of restless cloudA mi'ht easily have supplied the rest 1 andA of courseA $anforth did not hint any of these specific horrors till after his memory had had a chance to dra, on his 3y'one readin'. 2e could never have seen so much in one instantaneous 'lance. At the timeA his shrie!s ,ere confined to the repetition of a sin'leA mad ,ord of all too o3vious source9 )Tekeli-liC Tekeli-liC)

The M%sic OF Erich : ##

= have e%amined maps of the city ,ith the 'reatest careA yet have never a'ain found the :ue dTAuseil. These maps have not 3een modem maps aloneA for = !no, that names chan'e. = haveA on the contraryA delved deeply into all the antiDuities of the placeA and have personally e%plored every re'ionA of ,hatever nameA ,hich could possi3ly ans,er to the street = !ne, as the :ue dTAuseil. But despite all = have doneA it remains an humiliatin' fact that = cannot find the houseA the streetA or even the localityA ,hereA durin' the last months of my impoverished life as a student of metaphysics at the universityA = heard the music of Erich @ann. That my memory is 3ro!enA = do not ,onderB for my healthA physical and mentalA ,as 'ravely distur3ed throu'hout the period of my residence in the :ue dTAuseilA and = recall that = too! none of my fe, acDuaintances there. But that = cannot find the place a'ain is 3oth sin'ular and perple%in'B for it ,as ,ithin a half1hourTs ,al! of the university and ,as distin'uished 3y peculiarities ,hich could hardly 3e for'otten 3y any one ,ho had 3een there. = have never met a person ,ho has seen the :ue dTAuseil. The :ue dTAuseil lay across a dar! river 3ordered 3y precipitous 3ric! 3lear1,indo,ed ,arehouses and spanned 3y a ponderous 3rid'e of dar! stone. =t ,as al,ays shado,y alon' that riverA as if the smo!e of nei'h3orin' factories shut out the sun perpetually. The river ,as also odorous ,ith evil stenches ,hich = have never smelled else,hereA and ,hich may some day help me to find itA since = should reco'nize them at once. Beyond the 3rid'e ,ere narro, co33led streets ,ith railsB and then came the ascentA at first 'radualA 3ut incredi3ly steep as the :ue dTAuseil ,as reached. = have never seen another street as narro, and steep as the :ue dTAuseil. =t ,as almost a cliffA closed to all vehiclesA consistin' in several places of ffi'hts of stepsA and endin' at the top in a lofty ivied ,all. =ts pavin' ,as irre'ularA sometimes stone sla3sA sometimes co33lestonesA and sometimes 3are earth ,ith stru''lin' 'reenish1'rey ve'etation. The houses ,ere tallA pea!ed1roofedA incredi3ly oldA and crazily leanin' 3ac!,ardA for,ardA and side,ise. +ccasionally an opposite pairA 3oth leanin' for,ardA almost met across the street li!e an archB and certainly they !ept most of the li'ht from the 'round 3elo,. There ,ere a fe, overhead 3rid'es from house to house across the street. The inha3itants of that street impressed me peculiarlyB At first = thou'ht it ,as 3ecause they ,ere all silent and reticentB 3ut later decided it ,as 3ecause they ,ere all very old. = do not !no, ho, = came to live on such a streetA 3ut = ,as not myself ,hen = moved there. = had 3een livin' in many poor placesA al,ays evicted for ,ant of moneyB until at last = came upon that totterin' house in the :ue dTAuseil !ept 3y the paralytic Blandot. =t ,as the third house from the top of the streetA and 3y far the tallest of them all. 8y rcom ,as on the fifth storyB the only inha3ited room thereA since the house ,as almost empty. +n the ni'ht = arrived = heard stran' music from the pea!ed 'arret overheadA and the ne%t day as!ed old Blandot a3out it. 2e told me it ,as an old 7erman viol1playerA a stran'e dum3 man ,ho si'ned his name as Erich @annA and ,ho played eve nin's in a cheap theater orchestraB addin' that @annTs desire to play in the ni'ht after his return from the theater ,as the reason he had chosen this lofty and isolated 'arret roomA ,hose sin'le

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8usic +4 Erich @ann

7*7

'a3le ,indo, ,as the only point on the street from ,hich one could loo! over the terminatin' ,all at the declivity and panorama 3eyond. Thereafter = heard @ann every ni'htA and althou'h he !ept me a,a!eA = ,as haunted 3y the ,eirdness of his music. 0no,in' little of the art myselfA = ,as yet certain that none of his harmonies had any relation to music = had heard 3eforeB and concluded that he ,as a composer of hi'hly ori'inal 'enius. The lon'er = listenedA the more = ,as fascinatedA until after a ,ee! = resolved to ma!e the old manTs acDuaintance. +ne ni'ht as he ,as returnin' from his ,or!A = intercepted @ann in the hall,ay and told him that = ,ould li!e to !no, him and 3e ,ith him ,hen he played. 2e ,as a smallA leanA 3ent personA ,ith sha33y clothesA 3lue eyesA 'rotesDueA satyrli!e faceA and nearly 3ald headB and at my first ,ords seemed 3oth an'ered and fri'htened. 8y o3vious friendlinessA ho,everA finally melted himB and he 'rud'in'ly motioned to me to follo, him up the dar!A crea!in' and ric!ety attic stairs. 2is roomA one of only t,o in the steeply pitched 'arretA ,as on the ,est sideA to,ard the hi'h ,all that formed the upper end of the street. =ts size ,as very 'reatA and seemed the 'reater 3ecause of its e%traordinary 3arrenness and ne'lect. +f furniture there ,as only a narro, iron 3edsteadA a din'y ,ash1standA a small ta3leA a lar'e 3oo!caseA an iron music1rac!A and three old1fashioned chairs. Sheets of music ,ere piled in disorder a3out the floor. The ,alls ,ere of 3are 3oardsA and had pro3a3ly never !no,n plasterB ,hilst the a3undance of dust and co3,e3s made the place seem more deserted than inha3ited. Evidently Erich @annTs ,orld of 3eauty lay in some far cosmos of the ima'ination. 8otionin' me to sit do,nA the dum3 man closed the doorA turned the lar'e ,ooden 3oltA and li'hted a candle to au'ment the one he had 3rou'ht ,ith him. 2e no, removed his viol from its motheaten coverin'A and ta!in' itA seated himself in the least uncomforta3le of the chairs. 2e did not employ the music1rac!A 3utA offerin' no choice and playin' from memoryA enchanted me for over an hour ,ith strains = had never heard 3eforeB strains ,hich must have 3een of his o,n devisin'. To descri3e their e%act nature is impossi3le for one unversed in music. They ,ere a !ind of fu'ueA ,ith recurrent passa'es of the most captivatin' DualityA 3ut to me ,ere nota3le for the a3sence of any of the ,eird notes = had overheard from my room 3elo, on other occasions. Those hauntin' notes = had remem3eredA and had often hummed and ,histled inaccurately to myselfA so ,hen the player at len'th laid do,n his 3o, = as!ed him if he ,ould render some of them. As = 3e'an my reDuest the ,rin!led satyrli!e face lost the 3ored placidity it had possessed durin' the playin'A and seemed to sho, the same curious mi%ture of an'er and fri'ht ,hich = had noticed ,hen first = accosted the old man. 4or a moment = ,as inclined to use persuasionA re'ardin' rather li'htly the ,hims of senilityB and even tried to a,a!en my hostTs ,eirder mood 3y ,histlin' a fe, of the strains to ,hich = had listened the ni'ht 3efore. But = did not pursue this course for more than a momentB for ,hen the dum3 musician reco'nized the ,histled air his face 're, suddenly distorted ,ith an e%pression ,holly 3eyond analysisA and his lon'A coldA 3ony ri'ht hand reached out to stop my mouth and silence the crude imitation. As he did this he further demonstrated his eccentricity 3y castin' a startled 'lance to,ard the lone curtained ,indo,A as if fearful of some intruderUa 'lance dou3ly a3surdA since the 'arret stood hi'h and inaccessi3le a3ove all the adCacent roofsA this ,indo, 3ein' the only point on the steep streetA as the concier'e had told meA from ,hich one could see over the ,all at the summit.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8usic +4 Erich @ann

7*8

The old manTs 'lance 3rou'ht BlandotTs remar! to my mindA and ,ith a certain capriciousness = felt a ,ish to loo! out over the ,ide and dizzyin' panorama of moonlit roofs and city li'hts 3eyond the hilltopA ,hich of all the d,ellers in the :ue dTAuseil only this cra33ed musician could see. = moved to,ard the ,indo, and ,ould have dra,n aside the nondescript curtainsA ,hen ,ith a fri'htened ra'e even 'reater than 3eforeA the dum3 lod'er ,as upon me a'ainB this time motionin' ,ith his head to,ard the door as he nervously strove to dra' me thither ,ith 3oth hands. ;o, thorou'hly dis'usted ,ith my hostA = ordered him to release meA and told him = ,ould 'o at once. 2is clutch rela%edA and as he sa, my dis'ust and offenseA his o,n an'er seemed to su3side. 2e ti'htened his rela%in' 'ripA 3ut this time in a friendly mannerA forcin' me into a chairB then ,ith an appearance of ,istfulness crossin' to the littered ta3leA ,here he ,rote many ,ords ,ith a pencilA in the la3ored 4rench of a forei'ner. The note ,hich he finally handed me ,as an appeal for tolerance and for'iveness. @ann said that he ,as oldA lonelyA and afflicted ,ith stran'e fears and nervous disorders connected ,ith his music and ,ith other thin's. 2e had enCoyed my listenin' to his musicA and ,ished = ,ould come a'ain and not mind his eccentricities. But he could not play to another his ,eird harmoniesA and could not 3ear hearin' them from anotherB nor could he 3ear havin' anythin' in his room touched 3y an1other. 2e had not !no,n until our hall,ay conversation that = could overhear his playin' in my roomA and no, as!ed me if = ,ould arran'e ,ith Blandot to ta!e a lo,er room ,here = could not hear him in the ni'ht. 2e ,ouldA he ,roteA defray the difference in rent. As = sat decipherin' the e%ecra3le 4renchA = felt more lenient to,ard the old man. 2e ,as a victim of physical and nervous sufferin'A as ,as =B and my metaphysical studies had tau'ht me !indness. =n the silence there came a sli'ht sound from the ,indo,Uthe shutter must have rattled in the ni'ht ,indA and for some reason = started almost as violently as did Erich @ann. So ,hen = had finished readin'A = shoo! my host 3y the handA and departed as a friend. The ne%t day Blandot 'ave me a more e%pensive room on the third floorA 3et,een the apartments of an a'ed money1lender and the room of a respecta3le upholsterer. There ,as no one on the fourth floor. =t ,as not lon' 3efore = found that @annTs ea'erness for my company ,as not as 'reat as it had seemed ,hile he ,as persuadin' me to move do,n from the fifth story. 2e did not as! me to call on himA and ,hen = did call he appeared uneasy and played listlessly. This ,as al,ays at ni'htUin the day he slept and ,ould admit no one. 8y li!in' for him did not 'ro,A thou'h the attic room and the ,eird music seemed to hold an odd fascination for me. = had a curious desire to loo! out of that ,indo,A over the ,all and do,n the unseen slope at the 'litterin' roofs and spires ,hich must lie outspread there. +nce = ,ent up to the 'arret durin' theater hoursA ,hen @ann ,as a,ayA 3ut the door ,as loc!ed. What = did succeed in doin' ,as to overhear the nocturnal playin' of the dum3 old man. At first = ,ould tip1toe up to my old fifth floorA then = 're, 3old enou'h to clim3 the last crea!in' staircase to the pea!ed 'arret. There in the narro, hallA outside the 3olted door ,ith the covered !eyholeA = often heard sounds ,hich filled me ,ith an indefina3le dread Uthe dread of va'ue ,onder and 3roodin' mystery. =t ,as not that the sounds ,ere hideousA for they ,ere notB 3ut that they held vi3rations su''estin' nothin' on this 'lo3e of earthA and that at certain intervals they assumed a symphonic Duality ,hich = could hardly

H.P.Lovecr !t

The 8usic +4 Erich @ann

7*)

conceive as produced 3y one player. CertainlyA Erich @ann ,as a 'enius of ,ild po,er. As the ,ee!s passedA the playin' 're, ,ilderA ,hilst the old musician acDuired an increasin' ha''ardness and furtiveness pitiful to 3ehold. 2e no, refused to admit me at any timeA and shunned me ,henever ,e met on the stairs. Then one ni'ht as = listened at the doorA = heard the shrie!in' viol s,ell into a chaotic 3a3el of soundB a pandemonium ,hich ,ould have led me to dou3t my o,n sha!in' sanity had there not come from 3ehind that 3arred portal a piteous proof that the horror ,as real Uthe a,fulA inarticulate cry ,hich only a mute can utterA and ,hich rises only in moments of the most terri3le fear or an'uish. = !noc!ed repeatedly at the doorA 3ut received no response. After,ard = ,aited in the 3lac! hall,ayA shiverin' ,ith cold and fearA till = heard the poor musicianTs fee3le effort to rise from the floor 3y the aid of a chair. Believin' him Cust conscious after a faintin' fitA = rene,ed my rappin'A at the same time callin' out my name reassurin'ly. = heard @ann stum3le to the ,indo, and close 3oth shutter and sashA then stum3le to the doorA ,hich he falterin'ly unfastened to admit me. This time his deli'ht at havin' me present ,as realB for his distorted face 'leamed ,ith relief ,hile he clutched at my coat as a child clutches at its motherTs s!irts. Sha!in' patheticallyA the old man forced me into a chair ,hilst he san! into anotherA 3eside ,hich his viol and 3o, lay carelessly on the floor. 2e sat for some time inactiveA noddin' oddlyA 3ut havin' a parado%ical su''estion of intense and fri'htened listenin'. Su3seDuently he seemed to 3e satisfiedA and crossin' to a chair 3y the ta3le ,rote a 3rief noteA handed it to meA and returned to the ta3leA ,here he 3e'an to ,rite rapidly and incessantly. The note implored me in the name of mercyA and for the sa!e of my o,n curiosityA to ,ait ,here = ,as ,hile he prepared a full account in 7erman of all the marvels and terrors ,hich 3eset him. = ,aitedA and the dum3 manTs pencil fle,. =t ,as perhaps an hour laterA ,hile = still ,aited and ,hile the old musicianTs feverishly ,ritten sheets still continued to pile upA that = sa, @ann start as from the hint of a horri3le shoc!. (nmista!a3ly he ,as loo!in' at the curtained ,indo, and listenin' shudderin'ly. Then = half fancied = heard a sound myselfB thou'h it ,as not a horri3le soundA 3ut rather an e%Duisitely lo, and infinitely distant musical noteA su''estin' a player in one of the nei'h3orin' housesA or in some a3ode 3eyond the lofty ,all over ,hich = had never 3een a3le to loo!. (pon @ann the effect ,as terri3leA forA droppin' his pencilA suddenly he roseA seized his violA and commenced to rend the ni'ht ,ith the ,ildest playin' = had ever heard from his 3o, save ,hen listenin' at the 3arred door. =t ,ould 3e useless to descri3e the playin' of Erich @ann on that dreadful ni'ht. =t ,as more horri3le than anythin' = had ever overheardA 3ecause = could no, see the e%pression of his faceA and could realize that this time the motive ,as star! fear. 2e ,as tryin' to ma!e a noiseB to ,ard somethin' off or dro,n somethin' outU,hatA = could not ima'ineA a,esome thou'h = felt it must 3e. The playin' 're, fantasticA dehnousA and hystericalA yet !ept to the last the Dualities of supreme 'enius ,hich = !ne, this stran'e old man possessed. = reco'nized the airUit ,as a ,ild 2un'arian dance popular in the theatersA and = reflected for a moment that this ,as the first time = had ever heard @ann play the ,or! of another composer. 5ouder and louderA ,ilder and ,ilderA mounted the shrie!in' and ,hinin' of that desperate viol. The player ,as drippin' ,ith an uncanny perspiration and t,isted li!e a mon!eyA al,ays loo!in' frantically at the curtained ,indo,. =n his frenzied strains = could

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almost see shado,y satyrs and 3acchanals dancin' and ,hirlin' insanely throu'h seethin' a3ysses of clouds and smo!e and li'htnin'. And then = thou'ht = heard a shrillerA steadier note that ,as not from the violB a calmA deli3erateA purposefulA moc!in' note from far a,ay in the West. At this Cuncture the shutter 3e'an to rattle in a ho,lin' ni'ht ,ind ,hich had sprun' up outside as if in ans,er to the mad playin' ,ithin. @annTs screamin' viol no, outdid itself emittin' sounds = had never thou'ht a viol could emit. The shutter rattled more loudlyA unfastenedA and commenced slammin' a'ainst the ,indo,. Then the 'lass 3ro!e shiverin'ly under the persistent impactsA and the chill ,ind rushed inA ma!in' the candles sputter and rustlin' the sheets of paper on the ta3le ,here @ann had 3e'un to ,rite out his horri3le secret. = loo!ed at @annA and sa, that he ,as past conscious o3servation. 2is 3lue eyes ,ere 3ul'in'A 'lassy and si'htlessA and the frantic playin' had 3ecome a 3lindA mechanicalA unreco'niza3le or'y that no pen could even su''est. A sudden 'ustA stron'er than the othersA cau'ht up the manuscript and 3ore it to,ard the ,indo,. = follo,ed the flyin' sheets in desperationA 3ut they ,ere 'one 3efore = reached the demolished panes. Then = remem3ered my old ,ish to 'aze from this ,indo,A the only ,indo, in the :ue dTAuseil from ,hich one mi'ht see the slope 3eyond the ,allA and the city outspread 3eneath. =t ,as very dar!A 3ut the cityTs li'hts al,ays 3urnedA and = e%pected to see them there amidst the rain and ,ind. .et ,hen = loo!ed from that hi'hest of all 'a3le ,indo,sA loo!ed ,hile the candles sputtered and the insane viol ho,led ,ith the ni'ht1 ,indA = sa, no city spread 3elo,A and no friendly li'hts 'leamed from remem3ered streetsA 3ut only the 3lac!ness of space illimita3leB unima'ined space alive ,ith motion and musicA and havin' no sem3lance of anythin' on earth. And as = stood there loo!in' in terrorA the ,ind 3le, out 3oth the candles in that ancient pea!ed 'arretA leavin' me in sava'e and impenetra3le dar!ness ,ith chaos and pandemonium 3efore meA and the demon madness of that ni'ht13ayin' viol 3ehind me. = sta''ered 3ac! in the dar!A ,ithout the means of stri!in' a li'htA crashin' a'ainst the ta3leA overturnin' a chairA and finally 'ropin' my ,ay to the place ,here the 3lac!ness screamed ,ith shoc!in' music. To save myself and Erich @ann = could at least tryA ,hatever the po,ers opposed to me. +nce = thou'ht some chill thin' 3rushed meA and = screamedA 3ut my scream could not 3e heard a3ove that hideous viol. Suddenly out of the 3lac!ness the madly sa,in' 3o, struc! meA and = !ne, = ,as close to the player. = felt aheadA touched the 3ac! of @annTs chairA and then found and shoo! his shoulder in an effort to 3rin' him to his senses. 2e did not respondA and still the viol shrie!ed on ,ithout slac!enin'. = moved my hand to his headA ,hose mechanical noddin' = ,as a3le to stopA and shouted in his ear that ,e must 3oth flee from the un!no,n thin's of the ni'ht. But he neither ans,ered me nor a3ated the frenzy of his unuttera3le musicA ,hile all throu'h the 'arret stran'e currents of ,ind seemed to dance in the dar!ness and 3a3el. When my hand touched his ear = shudderedA thou'h = !ne, not ,hyU!ne, not ,hy till = felt the still faceB the ice1coldA stiffenedA un3reathin' face ,hose 'lassy eyes 3ul'ed uselessly into the void. And thenA 3y some miracleA findin' the door and the lar'e ,ooden 3oltA = plun'ed ,ildly a,ay from that 'lassy1eyed thin' in the dar!A and from the 'houlish ho,lin' of that accursed viol ,hose fury increased even as = plun'ed.

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5eapin'A floatin'A flyin' do,n those endless stairs throu'h the dar! houseB racin' mindlessly out into the narro,A steepA and ancient street of steps and totterin' housesB clatterin' do,n steps and over co33les to the lo,er streets and the putrid canyon1,alled riverB pantin' across the 'reat dar! 3rid'e to the 3roaderA healthier streets and 3oulevards ,e !no,B all these are terri3le impressions that lin'er ,ith me. And = recall that there ,as no ,indA and that the moon ,as outA and that all the li'hts of the city t,in!led. $espite my most careful searches and investi'ationsA = have never since 3een a3le to find the :ue dTAuseil. But = am not ,holly sorryB either for this or for the loss in undreama3le a3ysses of the closely1,ritten sheets ,hich alone could have e%plained the music of Erich @ann.

The N meless Cit&

When = dre, ni'h the nameless city = !ne, it ,as accursed. = ,as travelin' in a parched and terri3le valley under the moonA and afar = sa, it protrudin' uncannily a3ove the sands as parts of a corpse may protrude from an ill1made 'rave. 4ear spo!e from the a'e1,orn stones of this hoary survivor of the delu'eA this 'reat1'randfather of the eldest pyramidB and a vie,less aura repelled me and 3ade me retreat from antiDue and sinister secrets that no man should seeA and no man else had dared to see. :emote in the desert of Ara3y lies the nameless cityA crum3lin' and inarticulateA its lo, ,alls nearly hidden 3y the sands of uncounted a'es. =t must have 3een thus 3efore the first stones of 8emphis ,ere laidA and ,hile the 3ric!s of Ba3ylon ,ere yet un3a!ed. There is no le'end so old as to 'ive it a nameA or to recall that it ,as ever aliveB 3ut it is told of in ,hispers around campfires and muttered a3out 3y 'randams in the tents of shei!s so that all the tri3es shun it ,ithout ,holly !no,in' ,hy. =t ,as of this place that A3dul Alhazred the mad poet dreamed of the ni'ht 3efore he san' his une%plained couplet9 T"at is not dead $"ic" can eternal lie& And $it" strange aeons deat" may die% = should have !no,n that the Ara3s had 'ood reason for shunnin' the nameless cityA the city told of in stran'e tales 3ut seen 3y no livin' manA yet = defied them and ,ent into the untrodden ,aste ,ith my camel. = alone have seen itA and that is ,hy no other face 3ears such hideous lines of fear as mineB ,hy no other man shivers so horri3ly ,hen the ni'ht ,ind rattles the ,indo,s. When = came upon it in the 'hastly stillness of unendin' sleep it loo!ed at meA chilly from the rays of a cold moon amidst the desert<s heat. And as = returned its loo! = for'ot my triumph at findin' itA and stopped still ,ith my camel to ,ait for the da,n. 4or hours = ,aitedA till the east 're, 'rey and the stars fadedA and the 'rey turned to roseate li'ht ed'ed ,ith 'old. = heard a moanin' and sa, a storm of sand stirrin' amon' the antiDue stones thou'h the s!y ,as clear and the vast reaches of desert still. Then suddenly a3ove the desert<s far rim came the 3lazin' ed'e of the sunA seen throu'h the tiny sandstorm ,hich ,as passin' a,ayA and in my fevered state = fancied that from some remote depth there came a crash of musical metal to hail the fiery disc as 8emnon hails it from the 3an!s of the ;ile. 8y ears ran' and my ima'ination seethed as = led my camel slo,ly across the sand to that unvocal placeB that place ,hich = alone of livin' men had seen. =n and out amon'st the shapeless foundations of houses and places = ,anderedA findin' never a carvin' or inscription to tell of these menA if men they ,ereA ,ho 3uilt this city and d,elt therein so lon' a'o. The antiDuity of the spot ,as un,holesomeA and = lon'ed to encounter some si'n or device to prove that the city ,as indeed fashioned 3y man!ind. There ,ere certain proportions and dimensions in the ruins ,hich = did not li!e. = had ,ith me many toolsA and du' much ,ithin the ,alls of the o3literated edificesB 3ut pro'ress ,as slo,A and nothin' si'nificant ,as revealed. When ni'ht and the moon returned = felt a chill ,ind ,hich 3rou'ht ne, fearA so that = did not dare to remain in the city. And as = ,ent

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outside the antiDue ,alls to sleepA a small si'hin' sandstorm 'athered 3ehind meA 3lo,in' over the 'rey stones thou'h the moon ,as 3ri'ht and most of the desert still. = a,a!ened Cust at da,n from a pa'eant of horri3le dreamsA my ears rin'in' as from some metallic peal. = sa, the sun peerin' redly throu'h the last 'usts of a little sandstorm that hovered over the nameless cityA and mar!ed the Duietness of the rest of the landscape. +nce more = ventured ,ithin those 3roodin' ruins that s,elled 3eneath the sand li!e an o're under a coverletA and a'ain du' vainly for relics of the for'otten race. At noon = restedA and in the afternoon = spent much time tracin' the ,alls and 3y'one streetsA and the outlines of the nearly vanished 3uildin's. = sa, that the city had 3een mi'hty indeedA and ,ondered at the sources of its 'reatness. To myself = pictured all the spendours of an a'e so distant that Chaldaea could not recall itA and thou'ht of Sarnath the $oomedA that stood in the land of 8nar ,hen man!ind ,as youn'A and of =3A that ,as carven of 'rey stone 3efore man!ind e%isted. All at once = came upon a place ,here the 3edroc! rose star! throu'h the sand and formed a lo, cliffB and here = sa, ,ith Coy ,hat seemed to promise further traces of the antediluvian people. 2e,n rudely on the face of the cliff ,ere the unmista!a3le facades of several smallA sDuat roc! houses or templesB ,hose interiors mi'ht preserve many secrets of a'es too remote for calculationA thou'h sandstorms had lon' effaced any carvin's ,hich may have 3een outside. ?ery lo, and sand1cho!ed ,ere all the dar! apertures near meA 3ut = cleared one ,ith my spade and cra,led throu'h itA carryin' a torch to reveal ,hatever mysteries it mi'ht hold. When = ,as inside = sa, that the cavern ,as indeed a templeA and 3eheld plain si'ns of the race that had lived and ,orshipped 3efore the desert ,as a desert. >rimitive altarsA pillarsA and nichesA all curiously lo,A ,ere not a3sentB and thou'h = sa, no sculptures or frescoesA there ,ere many sin'ular stones clearly shaped into sym3ols 3y artificial means. The lo,ness of the chiselled cham3er ,as very stran'eA for = could hardly !neel upri'htB 3ut the area ,as so 'reat that my torch sho,ed only part of it at a time. = shuddered oddly in some of the far cornersB for certain altars and stones su''ested for'otten rites of terri3leA revoltin' and ine%plica3le nature and made me ,onder ,hat manner of men could have made and freDuented such a temple. When = had seen all that the place containedA = cra,led out a'ainA avid to find ,hat the temples mi'ht yield. ;i'ht had no, approachedA yet the tan'i3le thin's = had seen made curiosity stron'er than fearA so that = did not flee from the lon' mooncast shado,s that had daunted me ,hen first = sa, the nameless city. =n the t,ili'ht = cleared another aperture and ,ith a ne, torch cra,led into itA findin' more va'ue stones and sym3olsA thou'h nothin' more definite than the other temple had contained. The room ,as Cust as lo,A 3ut much less 3roadA endin' in a very narro, passa'e cro,ded ,ith o3scure and cryptical shrines. A3out these shrines = ,as pryin' ,hen the noise of a ,ind and my camel outside 3ro!e throu'h the stillness and dre, me forth to see ,hat could have fri'htened the 3east. The moon ,as 'leamin' vividly over the primitive ruinsA li'htin' a dense cloud of sand that seemed 3lo,n 3y a stron' 3ut decreasin' ,ind from some point alon' the cliff ahead of me. = !ne, it ,as this chillyA sandy ,ind ,hich had distur3ed the camel and ,as a3out to lead him to a place of 3etter shelter ,hen = chanced to 'lance up and sa, that there ,as no ,ind atop the cliff. This astonished me and made me fearful a'ainA 3ut = immediately recalled the sudden local ,inds that = had seen and heard 3efore at sunrise and sunsetA and

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Cud'ed it ,as a normal thin'. = decided it came from some roc! fissure leadin' to a caveA and ,atched the trou3led sand to trace it to its sourceB soon perceivin' that it came from the 3lac! orifice of a temple a lon' distance south of meA almost out of si'ht. A'ainst the cho!in' sand1cloud = plodded to,ard this templeA ,hich as = neared it loomed lar'er than the restA and she,ed a door,ay far less clo''ed ,ith ca!ed sand. = ,ould have entered had not the terrific force of the icy ,ind almost Duenched my torch. =t poured madly out of the dar! doorA si'hin' uncannily as it ruffled the sand and spread amon' the ,eird ruins. Soon it 're, fainter and the sand 're, more and more stillA till finally all ,as at rest a'ainB 3ut a presence seemed stal!in' amon' the spectral stones of the cityA and ,hen = 'lanced at the moon it seemed to Duiver as thou'h mirrored in unDuiet ,aters. = ,as more afraid than = could e%plainA 3ut not enou'h to dull my thirst for ,onderB so as soon as the ,ind ,as Duite 'one = crossed into the dar! cham3er from ,hich it had come. This templeA as = had fancied from the outsideA ,as lar'er than either of those = had visited 3eforeB and ,as presuma3ly a natural cavern since it 3ore ,inds from some re'ion 3eyond. 2ere = could stand Duite upri'htA 3ut sa, that the stones and altars ,ere as lo, as those in the other temples. +n the ,alls and roof = 3eheld for the first time some traces of the pictorial art of the ancient raceA curious curlin' strea!s of paint that had almost faded or crum3led a,ayB and on t,o of the altars = sa, ,ith risin' e%citement a maze of ,ell1 fashioned curvilinear carvin's. As = held my torch aloft it seemed to me that the shape of the roof ,as too re'ular to 3e naturalA and = ,ondered ,hat the prehistoric cutters of stone had first ,or!ed upon. Their en'ineerin' s!ill must have 3een vast. Then a 3ri'hter flare of the fantastic flame sho,ed that form ,hich = had 3een see!in'A the openin' to those remoter a3ysses ,hence the sudden ,ind had 3lo,nB and = 're, faint ,hen = sa, that it ,as a small and plainly artificial door chiselled in the solid roc!. = thrust my torch ,ithinA 3eholdin' a 3lac! tunnel ,ith the roof archin' lo, over a rou'h fli'ht of very smallA numerous and steeply descendin' steps. = shall al,ays see those steps in my dreamsA for = came to learn ,hat they meant. At the time = hardly !ne, ,hether to call them steps or mere footholds in a precipitous descent. 8y mind ,as ,hirlin' ,ith mad thou'htsA and the ,ords and ,arnin' of Ara3 prophets seemed to float across the desert from the land that men !no, to the nameless city that men dare not !no,. .et = hesitated only for a moment 3efore advancin' throu'h the portal and commencin' to clim3 cautiously do,n the steep passa'eA feet firstA as thou'h on a ladder. =t is only in the terri3le phantasms of dru's or delirium that any other man can have such a descent as mine. The narro, passa'e led infinitely do,n li!e some hideous haunted ,ellA and the torch = held a3ove my head could not li'ht the un!no,n depths to,ard ,hich = ,as cra,lin'. = lost trac! of the hours and for'ot to consult my ,atchA thou'h = ,as fri'htened ,hen = thou'ht of the distance = must 3e traversin'. There ,ere chan'es of direction and of steepnessB and once = came to a lon'A lo,A level passa'e ,here = had to ,ri''le my feet first alon' the roc!y floorA holdin' torch at arm<s len'th 3eyond my head. The place ,as not hi'h enou'h for !neelin'. After that ,ere more of the steep stepsA and = ,as still scram3lin' do,n intermina3ly ,hen my failin' torch died out. = do not thin! = noticed it at the timeA for ,hen = did notice it = ,as still holdin' it a3ove me as if it ,ere a3laze. = ,as Duite un3alanced ,ith that instinct for the stran'e and the un!no,n ,hich had made me a ,anderer upon earth and a haunter of farA ancientA and for3idden places. =n the dar!ness there flashed 3efore my mind fra'ments of my cherished treasury of daemonic loreB sentences from Alhazred the mad Ara3A para'raphs from the apocryphal

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ni'htmares of $amasciusA and infamous lines from the delirious Image du Monde of 7authier de 8etz. = repeated Dueer e%tractsA and muttered of Afrasia3 and the daemons that floated ,ith him do,n the +%usB later chantin' over and over a'ain a phrase from one of 5ord $unsany<s tales11LThe unreve3erate 3lac!ness of the a3yss.L +nce ,hen the descent 're, amazin'ly steep = recited somethin' in sin'1son' from Thomas 8oore until = feared to recite more9 A reser!oir of darkness& black As $itc"es+ cauldrons are& $"en fill+d Wit" moon-drugs in t"+ eclipse distill+d (eaning to look if foot mig"t pass #o$n t"ro+ t"at c"asm& I sa$& beneat"& As far as !ision could e@plore& T"e Fetty sides as smoot" as glass& (ooking as if Fust !arnis"+d o+er Wit" t"at dark pitc" t"e Seat of #eat" T"ro$s out upon its slimy s"ore% Time had Duite ceased to e%ist ,hen my feet a'ain felt a level floorA and = found myself in a place sli'htly hi'her than the rooms in the t,o smaller temples no, so incalcula3ly far a3ove my head. = could not Duite standA 3ut could !neel upri'htA and in the dar! = shuffled and crept hither and thither at random. = soon !ne, that = ,as in a narro, passa'e ,hose ,alls ,ere lined ,ith cases of ,ood havin' 'lass fronts. As in that >alaeozoic and a3ysmal place = felt of such thin's as polished ,ood and 'lass = shuddered at the possi3le implications. The cases ,ere apparently ran'ed alon' each side of the passa'e at re'ular intervalsA and ,ere o3lon' and horizontalA hideously li!e coffins in shape and size. When = tried to move t,o or three for further e%aminationA = found that they ,ere firmly fastened. = sa, that the passa'e ,as a lon' oneA so floundered ahead rapidly in a creepin' run that ,ould have seemed horri3le had any eye ,atched me in the 3lac!nessB crossin' from side to side occasionally to feel of my surroundin's and 3e sure the ,alls and ro,s of cases still stretched on. 8an is so used to thin!in' visually that = almost for'ot the dar!ness and pictured the endless corridor of ,ood and 'lass in its lo,1studded monotony as thou'h = sa, it. And then in a moment of indescri3a3le emotion = did see it. 6ust ,hen my fancy mer'ed into real si'ht = cannot tellB 3ut there came a 'radual 'lo, aheadA and all at once = !ne, that = sa, the dim outlines of a corridor and the casesA revealed 3y some un!no,n su3terranean phosphorescence. 4or a little ,hile all ,as e%actly as = had ima'ined itA since the 'lo, ,as very faintB 3ut as = mechanically !ept stum3lin' ahead into the stron'er li'ht = realised that my fancy had 3een 3ut fee3le. This hall ,as no relic of crudity li!e the temples in the city a3oveA 3ut a monument of the most ma'nificent and e%otic art. :ichA vividA and darin'ly fantastic desi'ns and pictures formed a continuous scheme of mural paintin's ,hose lines and colours ,ere 3eyond description. The cases ,ere of a stran'e 'olden ,oodA ,ith fronts of e%Duisite 'lassA and containin' the mummified forms of creatures outreachin' in 'rotesDueness the most chaotic dreams of man. To convey any idea of these monstrosities is impossi3le. They ,ere of the reptile !indA ,ith 3ody lines su''estin' sometimes the crocodileA sometimes the sealA 3ut more often nothin' of ,hich either the naturalist or the palaeontolo'ist ever heard. =n size they

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appro%imated a small manA and their fore1le's 3ore delicate and evident feet curiously li!e human hands and fin'ers. But stran'est of all ,ere their headsA ,hich presented a contour violatin' all !no, 3iolo'ical principles. To nothin' can such thin's 3e ,ell compared 1 in one flash = thou'ht of comparisons as varied as the catA the 3ullfro'A the mythic SatyrA and the human 3ein'. ;ot 6ove himself had had so colossal and protu3erant a foreheadA yet the horns and the noselessness and the alli'ator1li!e Ca, placed thin's outside all esta3lished cate'ories. = de3ated for a time on the reality of the mummiesA half suspectin' they ,ere artificial idolsB 3ut soon decided they ,ere indeed some palaeo'ean species ,hich had lived ,hen the nameless city ,as alive. To cro,n their 'rotesDuenessA most of them ,ere 'or'eously enro3ed in the costliest of fa3ricsA and lavishly laden ,ith ornaments of 'oldA Ce,elsA and un!no,n shinin' metals. The importance of these cra,lin' creatures must have 3een vastA for they held first place amon' the ,ild desi'ns on the frescoed ,alls and ceilin'. With matchless s!ill had the artist dra,n them in a ,orld of their o,nA ,herein they had cities and 'ardens fashioned to suit their dimensionsB and = could not help 3ut thin! that their pictured history ,as alle'oricalA perhaps she,in' the pro'ress of the race that ,orshipped them. These creaturesA = said to myselfA ,ere to men of the nameless city ,hat the she1,olf ,as to :omeA or some totem13east is to a tri3e of =ndians. 2oldin' this vie,A = could trace rou'hly a ,onderful epic of the nameless cityB the tale of a mi'hty seacoast metropolis that ruled the ,orld 3efore Africa rose out of the ,avesA and of its stru''les as the sea shran! a,ayA and the desert crept into the fertile valley that held it. = sa, its ,ars and triumphsA its trou3les and defeatsA and after,ards its terri3le fi'ht a'ainst the desert ,hen thousands of its people 1 here represented in alle'ory 3y the 'rotesDue reptiles 1 ,ere driven to chisel their ,ay do,n thou'h the roc!s in some marvellous manner to another ,orld ,hereof their prophets had told them. =t ,as all vividly ,eird and realisticA and its connection ,ith the a,esome descent = had made ,as unmista!a3le. = even reco'nized the passa'es. As = crept alon' the corridor to,ard the 3ri'hter li'ht = sa, later sta'es of the painted epic 1 the leave1ta!in' of the race that had d,elt in the nameless city and the valley around for ten million yearsB the race ,hose souls shran! from Duittin' scenes their 3odies had !no,n so lon' ,here they had settled as nomads in the earth<s youthA he,in' in the vir'in roc! those primal shrines at ,hich they had never ceased to ,orship. ;o, that the li'ht ,as 3etter = studied the pictures more closely andA remem3erin' that the stran'e reptiles must represent the un!no,n menA pondered upon the customs of the nameless city. 8any thin's ,ere peculiar and ine%plica3le. The civilizationA ,hich included a ,ritten alpha3etA had seemin'ly risen to a hi'her order than those immeasura3ly later civilizations of E'ypt and ChaldaeaA yet there ,ere curious omissions. = couldA for e%ampleA find no pictures to represent deaths or funeral customsA save such as ,ere related to ,arsA violenceA and pla'uesB and = ,ondered at the reticence sho,n concernin' natural death. =t ,as as thou'h an ideal of immortality had 3een fostered as a cheerin' illusion. Still nearer the end of the passa'e ,as painted scenes of the utmost picturesDueness and e%trava'ance9 contrasted vie,s of the nameless city in its desertion and 'ro,in' ruinA and of the stran'e ne, realm of paradise to ,hich the race had he,ed its ,ay throu'h the stone. =n these vie,s the city and the desert valley ,ere she,n al,ays 3y moonli'htA 'olden nim3us hoverin' over the fallen ,allsA and half1revealin' the splendid perfection of former timesA sho,n spectrally and elusively 3y the artist. The paradisal scenes ,ere

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almost too e%trava'ant to 3e 3elievedA portrayin' a hidden ,orld of eternal day filled ,ith 'lorious cities and ethereal hills and valleys. At the very last = thou'ht = sa, si'ns of an artistic anticlima%. The paintin's ,ere less s!illfulA and much more 3izarre than even the ,ildest of the earlier scenes. They seemed to record a slo, decadence of the ancient stoc!A coupled ,ith a 'ro,in' ferocity to,ard the outside ,orld from ,hich it ,as driven 3y the desert. The forms of the people 1 al,ays represented 3y the sacred reptiles 1 appeared to 3e 'radually ,astin' a,ayA thou'h their spirit as she,n hoverin' a3ove the ruins 3y moonli'ht 'ained in proportion. Emaciated priestsA displayed as reptiles in ornate ro3esA cursed the upper air and all ,ho 3reathed itB and one terri3le final scene she,ed a primitive1loo!in' manA perhaps a pioneer of ancient =remA the City of >illarsA torn to pieces 3y mem3ers of the elder race. = remem3ered ho, the Ara3s fear the nameless cityA and ,as 'lad that 3eyond this place the 'rey ,alls and ceilin' ,ere 3are. As = vie,ed the pa'eant of mural history = had approached very closely to the end of the lo,1ceiled hallA and ,as a,are of a 'ate throu'h ,hich came all of the illuminatin' phosphorescence. Creepin' up to itA = cried aloud in transcendent amazement at ,hat lay 3eyondB for instead of other and 3ri'hter cham3ers there ,as only an illimita3le void of uniform radianceA such one mi'ht fancy ,hen 'azin' do,n from the pea! of 8ount Everest upon a sea of sunlit mist. Behind me ,as a passa'e so cramped that = could not stand upri'ht in itB 3efore me ,as an infinity of su3terranean efful'ence. :eachin' do,n from the passa'e into the a3yss ,as the head of a steep fli'ht of steps 1 small numerous steps li!e those of 3lac! passa'es = had traversed 1 3ut after a fe, feet the 'lo,in' vapours concealed everythin'. S,un' 3ac! open a'ainst the left1hand ,all of the passa'e ,as a massive door of 3rassA incredi3ly thic! and decorated ,ith fantastic 3as1 reliefsA ,hich could if closed shut the ,hole inner ,orld of li'ht a,ay from the vaults and passa'es of roc!. = loo!ed at the stepsA and for the nonce dared not try them. = touched the open 3rass doorA and could not move it. Then = san! prone to the stone floorA my mind aflame ,ith prodi'ious reflections ,hich not even a death1li!e e%haustion could 3anish. As = lay still ,ith closed eyesA free to ponderA many thin's = had li'htly noted in the frescoes came 3ac! to me ,ith ne, and terri3le si'nificance 1 scenes representin' the nameless city in its heyday 1 the ve'etations of the valley around itA and the distant lands ,ith ,hich its merchants traded. The alle'ory of the cra,lin' creatures puzzled me 3y its universal prominenceA and = ,ondered that it ,ould 3e so closely follo,ed in a pictured history of such importance. =n the frescoes the nameless city had 3een she,n in proportions fitted to the reptiles. = ,ondered ,hat its real proportions and ma'nificence had 3eenA and reflected a moment on certain oddities = had noticed in the ruins. = thou'ht curiously of the lo,ness of the primal temples and of the under'round corridorA ,hich ,ere dou3tless he,n thus out of deference to the reptile deities there honouredB thou'h it perforce reduced the ,orshippers to cra,lin'. >erhaps the very rites here involved cra,lin' in imitation of the creatures. ;o reli'ious theoryA ho,everA could easily e%plain ,hy the level passa'es in that a,esome descent should 3e as lo, as the temples 1 or lo,erA since one could not even !neel in it. As = thou'ht of the cra,lin' creaturesA ,hose hideous mummified forms ,ere so close to meA = felt a ne, thro3 of fear. 8ental associations are curiousA and = shran! from the idea that e%cept for the poor primitive man torn to pieces in the last paintin'A mine ,as the only human form amidst the many relics and sym3ols of the primordial life.

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But as al,ays in my stran'e and rovin' e%istenceA ,onder soon drove out fearB for the luminous a3yss and ,hat it mi'ht contain presented a pro3lem ,orthy of the 'reatest e%plorer. That a ,eird ,orld of mystery lay far do,n that fli'ht of peculiarly small steps = could not dou3tA and = hoped to find there those human memorials ,hich the painted corridor had failed to 'ive. The frescoes had pictured un3elieva3le citiesA and valleys in this lo,er realmA and my fancy d,elt on the rich and colossal ruins that a,aited me. 8y fearsA indeedA concerned the past rather than the future. ;ot even the physical horror of my position in that cramped corridor of dead reptiles and antediluvian frescoesA miles 3elo, the ,orld = !ne, and faced 3y another ,orld of eery li'ht and mistA could match the lethal dread = felt at the a3ysmal antiDuity of the scene and its soul. An ancientness so vast that measurement is fee3le seemed to leer do,n from the primal stones and roc!1he,n temples of the nameless cityA ,hile the very latest of the astoundin' maps in the frescoes she,ed oceans and continents that man has for'ottenA ,ith only here and there some va'uely familiar outlines. +f ,hat could have happened in the 'eolo'ical a'es since the paintin's ceased and the death1hatin' race resentfully succum3ed to decayA no man mi'ht say. 5ife had once teemed in these caverns and in the luminous realm 3eyondB no, = ,as alone ,ith vivid relicsA and = trem3led to thin! of the countless a'es throu'h ,hich these relics had !ept a silent deserted vi'il. Suddenly there came another 3urst of that acute fear ,hich had intermittently seized me ever since = first sa, the terri3le valley and the nameless city under a cold moonA and despite my e%haustion = found myself startin' frantically to a sittin' posture and 'azin' 3ac! alon' the 3lac! corridor to,ard the tunnels that rose to the outer ,orld. 8y sensations ,ere li!e those ,hich had made me shun the nameless city at ni'htA and ,ere as ine%plica3le as they ,ere poi'nant. =n another momentA ho,everA = received a still 'reater shoc! in the form of a definite sound 1 the first ,hich had 3ro!en the utter silence of these tom31li!e depths. =t ,as a deepA lo, moanin'A as of a distant thron' of condemned spiritsA and came from the direction in ,hich = ,as starin'. =ts volume rapidly 're,A till it soon rever3erated fri'htfully throu'h the lo, passa'eA and at the same time = 3ecame conscious of an increasin' drau'ht of cold airA li!e,ise flo,in' from the tunnels and the city a3ove. The touch of this air seemed to restore my 3alanceA for = instantly recalled the sudden 'usts ,hich had risen around the mouth of the a3yss each sunset and sunriseA one of ,hich had indeed revealed the hidden tunnels to me. = loo!ed at my ,atch and sa, that sunrise ,as nearA so 3raced myself to resist the 'ale that ,as s,eepin' do,n to its cavern home as it had s,ept forth at evenin'. 8y fear a'ain ,aned lo,A since a natural phenomenon tends to dispel 3roodin's over the un!no,n. 8ore and more madly poured the shrie!in'A moanin' ni'ht ,ind into the 'ulf of the inner earth. = dropped prone a'ain and clutched vainly at the floor for fear of 3ein' s,ept 3odily throu'h the open 'ate into the phosphorescent a3yss. Such fury = had not e%pectedA and as = 're, a,are of an actual slippin' of my form to,ard the a3yss = ,as 3eset 3y a thousand ne, terrors of apprehension and ima'ination. The mali'nancy of the 3last a,a!ened incredi3le fanciesB once more = compared myself shudderin'ly to the only human ima'e in that fri'htful corridorA the man ,ho ,as torn to pieces 3y the nameless raceA for in the fiendish cla,in' of the s,irlin' currents there seemed to a3ide a vindictive ra'e all the stron'er 3ecause it ,as lar'ely impotent. = thin! = screamed frantically near the last 1 = ,as almost mad 1 3ut if = did so my cries ,ere lost in the hell13orn 3a3el of the ho,lin' ,ind1,raiths. = tried to cra,l a'ainst the murderous invisi3le torrentA 3ut = could not even hold my o,n as = ,as pushed slo,ly and ine%ora3ly to,ard the un!no,n ,orld.

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4inally reason must have ,holly snappedB for = fell to 3a33lin' over and over that une%plaina3le couplet of the mad Ara3 AlhazredA ,ho dreamed of the nameless city9 T"at is not dead $"ic" can eternal lie& And $it" strange aeons e!en deat" may die% +nly the 'rim 3roodin' desert 'ods !no, ,hat really too! place11,hat indescri3a3le stru''les and scram3les in the dar! = endured or ,hat A3addon 'uided me 3ac! to lifeA ,here = must al,ays remem3er and shiver in the ni'ht ,ind till o3livion 1 or ,orse 1 claims me. 8onstrousA unnaturalA colossalA ,as the thin' 1 too far 3eyond all the ideas of man to 3e 3elieved e%cept in the silent damna3le small hours of the mornin' ,hen one cannot sleep. = have said that the fury of the rushin' 3last ,as infernal 1 cacodaemoniacal 1 and that its voices ,ere hideous ,ith the pent1up viciousness of desolate eternities. >resently these voicesA ,hile still chaotic 3efore meA seemed to my 3eatin' 3rain to ta!e articulate form 3ehind meB and do,n there in the 'rave of unnum3ered aeon1dead antiDuitiesA lea'ues 3elo, the da,n1lit ,orld of menA = heard the 'hastly cursin' and snarlin' of stran'e1 ton'ued fiends. Turnin'A = sa, outlined a'ainst the luminous aether of the a3yss ,hat could not 3e seen a'ainst the dus! of the corridor 1 a ni'htmare horde of rushin' devilsB hate distortedA 'rotesDuely panopliedA half transparent devils of a race no man mi'ht mista!e 1 the cra,lin' reptiles of the nameless city. And as the ,ind died a,ay = ,as plun'ed into the 'houl1pooled dar!ness of earth<s 3o,elsB for 3ehind the last of the creatures the 'reat 3razen door clan'ed shut ,ith a deafenin' peal of metallic music ,hose rever3erations s,elled out to the distant ,orld to hail the risin' sun as 8emnon hails it from the 3an!s of the ;ile.

The Ni-ht Oce #

= ,ent to Ellston Beach not only for the pleasures of sun and oceanA 3ut to rest a ,eary mind. Since = !ne, no person in the little to,nA ,hich thrives on summer vacationists and presents only 3lan! ,indo,s durin' most of the yearA there seemed no li!elihood that = mi'ht 3e distur3ed. This pleased meA for = did not ,ish to see anythin' 3ut the e%panse of poundin' surf and the 3each lyin' 3efore my temporary home. 8y lon' ,or! of the summer ,as completed ,hen = left the cityA and the lar'e mural desi'n produced 3y it had 3een entered in the contest. =t had ta!en me the 3ul! of the year to finish the paintin'A and ,hen the last 3rush ,as cleaned = ,as no lon'er reluctant to yield to the claims of health and find rest and seclusion for a time. =ndeedA ,hen = had 3een a ,ee! on the 3each = recalled only no, and then the ,or! ,hose success had so recently seemed all1important. There ,as no lon'er the old concern ,ith a hundred comple%ities of colour and ornamentB no lon'er the fear and mistrust of my a3ility to render a mental ima'e actualA and turn 3y my o,n s!ill alone the dim1conceived idea into the careful drau'ht of a desi'n. And yet that ,hich later 3efell me 3y the lonely shore may have 'ro,n solely from the mental constitution 3ehind such concern and fear and mistrust. 4or = have al,ays 3een a see!erA a dreamerA and a ponderer on see!in' and dreamin'B and ,ho can say that such a nature does not open latent eyes sensitive to unsuspected ,orlds and orders of 3ein'G ;o, that = am tryin' to tell ,hat = sa, = am conscious of a thousand maddenin' limitations. Thin's seen 3y the in,ard si'htA li!e those flashin' visions ,hich come as ,e drift into the 3lan!ness of sleepA are more vivid and meanin'ful to us in that form than ,hen ,e have sou'ht to ,eld them ,ith reality. Set a pen to a dreamA and the colour drains from it. The in! ,ith ,hich ,e ,rite seems diluted ,ith somethin' holdin' too much of realityA and ,e find that after all ,e cannot delineate the incredi3le memory. =t is as if our in,ard selvesA released from the 3onds of daytime and o3CectivityA revelled in prisoned emotions ,hich are hastily stifled ,hen ,e translate them. =n dreams and visions lie the 'reatest creations of manA for on them rests no yo!e of line or hue. 4or'otten scenesA and lands more o3scure than the 'olden ,orld of childhoodA sprin' into the sleepin' mind to rei'n until a,a!enin' puts them to rout. Amid these may 3e attained somethin' of the 'lory and contentment for ,hich ,e yearnB some ima'e of sharp 3eauties suspected 3ut not 3efore revealedA ,hich are to us as the 7rail to holy spirits of the medieval ,orld. To shape these thin's on the ,heel of artA to see! to 3rin' some faded trophy from that intan'i3le realm of shado, and 'ossamerA reDuires eDual s!ill and memory. 4or althou'h dreams are in all of usA fe, hands may 'rasp their moth1,in's ,ithout tearin' them. Such s!ill this narrative does not have. =f = mi'htA = ,ould reveal to you the hinted events ,hich = perceived dimlyA li!e one ,ho peers into an unlit realm and 'limpses forms ,hose motion is concealed. =n my mural desi'nA ,hich then lay ,ith a multitude of others in the 3uildin' for ,hich they ,ere plannedA = had striven eDually to catch a trace of this elusive shado,1,orldA and had perhaps succeeded 3etter than = shall no, succeed. 8y stay in Ellston ,as to a,ait the Cud'in' of that desi'nB and ,hen days of unfamiliar leisure had 'iven me perspectiveA = discovered that 1 in spite of those ,ea!nesses ,hich a creator al,ays detects most clearly 1 = had indeed mana'ed to retain in line and colour some

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fra'ments snatched from the endless ,orld of ima'inin'. The difficulties of the processA and the resultin' strain on all my po,ersA had undermined my health and 3rou'ht me to the 3each durin' this period of ,aitin'. Since = ,ished to 3e ,holly aloneA = rented Jto the deli'ht of the incredulous o,nerK a small house some distance from the villa'e of Ellston 1 ,hichA 3ecause of the ,anin' seasonA ,as alive ,ith a mori3und 3ustle of touristsA uniformly uninterestin' to me. The houseA dar! from the sea1,ind thou'h it had not 3een paintedA ,as not even a satellite of the villa'eB 3ut s,un' 3elo, it on the coast li!e a pendulum 3eneath a still cloc!A Duite alone upon a hill of ,eed1'ro,n sand. 5i!e a solitary ,arm animal it crouched facin' the seaA and its inscruta3le dirty ,indo,s stared upon a lonely realm of earth and s!y and enormous sea. =t ,ill not do to use too much ima'inin' in a narrative ,hose factsA could they 3e au'mented and fitted into a mosaicA ,ould 3e stran'e enou'h in themselvesB 3ut = thou'ht the little house ,as lonely ,hen = sa, itA and that li!e myselfA it ,as conscious of its meanin'less nature 3efore the 'reat sea. = too! the place in late Au'ustA arrivin' a day 3efore = ,as e%pectedA and encounterin' a van and t,o ,or!in'men unloadin' the furniture provided 3y the o,ner. = did not !no, then ho, lon' = ,ould stayA and ,hen the truc! that 3rou'ht the 'oods had left = settled my small lu''a'e and loc!ed the door Jfeelin' very proprietary a3out havin' a house after months of a rented roomK to 'o do,n the ,eedy hill and on the 3each. Since it ,as Duite sDuare and had 3ut one roomA the house reDuired little e%ploration. T,o ,indo,s in each side provided a 'reat Duantity of li'htA and someho, a door had 3een sDueezed in as an after1thou'ht on the ocean,ard ,all. The place had 3een 3uilt a3out ten years previouslyA 3ut on account of its distance from Ellston villa'e ,as difficult to rent even durin' the active summer season. There 3ein' no fireplaceA it stood empty and alone from +cto3er until far into the sprin'. Thou'h actually less than a mile 3elo, EllstonA it seemed more remoteB since a 3end in the coast caused one to see only 'rassy dunes in the direction of the villa'e. The first dayA half1'one ,hen = ,as installedA = spent in the enCoyment of sun and restless ,ater1thin's ,hose Duiet maCesty made the desi'nin' of murals seem distant and tiresome. But this ,as the natural reaction to a lon' concern ,ith one set of ha3its and activities. = ,as throu'h ,ith my ,or! and my vacation ,as 3e'un. This factA ,hile elusive for the momentA sho,ed in everythin' ,hich surrounded me that afternoon of my arrivalA and in the utter chan'e from old scenes. There ,as an effect of 3ri'ht sun upon a shiftin' sea of ,aves ,hose mysteriously impelled curves ,ere stre,n ,ith ,hat appeared to 3e rhinestone. >erhaps a ,ater1colour mi'ht have cau'ht the solid masses of intolera3le li'ht ,hich lay upon the 3each ,here the sea min'led ,ith the sand. Althou'h the ocean 3ore her o,n hueA it ,as dominated ,holly and incredi3ly 3y the enormous 'lare. There ,as no other person near meA and = enCoyed the spectacle ,ithout the annoyance of any alien o3Cect upon the sta'e. Each of my senses ,as touched in a different ,ayA 3ut sometimes it seemed that the roar of the sea ,as a!in to that 'reat 3ri'htnessA or as if the ,aves ,ere 'larin' instead of the sunA each of these 3ein' so vi'orous and insistent that impressions comin' from them ,ere min'led. CuriouslyA = sa, no one 3athin' near my little sDuare house durin' that or succeedin' afternoonsA althou'h the curvin' shore included a ,ide 3each even more invitin' than that at the villa'eA ,here the surf ,as dotted ,ith random fi'ures. = supposed that this ,as 3ecause of the distance and 3ecause there had never 3een other houses 3elo, the to,n. Why this un3uilt stretch e%istedA = could not ima'ineB since many d,ellin's stra''led alon' the north,ard coastA facin' the sea ,ith aimless eyes.

H.P.Lovecr !t

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= s,am until the afternoon had 'oneA and laterA havin' restedA ,al!ed into the little to,n. $ar!ness hid the sea from me as = enteredA and = found in the din'y li'hts of the streets to!ens of a life ,hich ,as not even conscious of the 'reatA 'loom1shrouded thin' lyin' so close. There ,ere painted ,omen in tinsel adornmentsA and 3ored men ,ho ,ere no lon'er youn' 1 a thron' of foolish marionettes perched on the lip of the ocean1chasmB unseein'A un,illin' to see ,hat lay a3ove them and a3outA in the multitudinous 'randeur of the stars and the lea'ues of the ni'ht ocean. = ,al!ed alon' that dar!ened sea as = ,ent 3ac! to the 3are little houseA sendin' the 3eams of my flashli'ht out upon the na!ed and impenetra3le void. =n the a3sence of the moonA this li'ht made a solid 3ar ath,art the ,alls of the uneasy tideB and = felt an indescri3a3le emotion 3orn of the noise of the ,aters and the perception of my smallness as = cast that tiny 3eam upon a realm immense in itselfA yet only the 3lac! 3order of the earthly deep. That ni'hted deepA upon ,hich ships ,ere movin' alone in the dar!ness ,here = could not see themA 'ave off the murmur of a distantA an'ry ra33le. When = reached my hi'h residence = !ne, that = had passed no one durin' the mile<s ,al! from the villa'eA and yet there someho, lin'ered an impression that = had 3een all the ,hile accompanied 3y the spirit of the lonely sea. =t ,asA = thou'htA personified in a shape ,hich ,as not revealed to meA 3ut ,hich moved Duietly a3out 3eyond my ran'e of comprehension. =t ,as li!e those actors ,ho ,ait 3ehind dar!ened scenery in readiness for the lines ,hich ,ill shortly call them 3efore our eyes to move and spea! in the sudden revelation of the footli'hts. At last = shoo! off this fancy and sou'ht my !ey to enter the placeA ,hose 3are ,alls 'ave a sudden feelin' of security. 8y cotta'e ,as entirely free of the villa'eA as if it had ,andered do,n the coast and ,as una3le to returnB and there = heard nothin' of the distur3in' clamour ,hen = returned each ni'ht after supper. = 'enerally stayed 3ut a short ,hile upon the streets of EllstonA thou'h sometimes = ,ent into the place for the sa!e of the ,al! it provided. There ,ere all the multitude of curio1shops and falsely re'al theatre fronts that clutter vacation to,nsA 3ut = never ,ent into theseB and the place seemed useful only for its restaurants. =t ,as astonishin' the num3er of useless thin's people found to do. There ,as a succession of sun1filled days at first. = rose earlyA and 3eheld the 'rey s!y a'leam ,ith promise of sunriseB a prophecy fulfilled as = stood ,itness. Those da,ns ,ere cold and their colours faint in comparison to that uniform radiance of day ,hich 'ives to every hour the Duality of ,hite noon. That 'reat li'htA so apparent the first dayA made each succeedin' day a yello, pa'e in the 3oo! of time. = noticed that many of the 3each people ,ere displeased 3y the inordinate sunA ,hereas = sou'ht it. After 'rey months of toil the lethar'y induced 3y a physical e%istence in a re'ion 'overned 3y the simple thin's 1 the ,ind and li'ht and ,ater 1 had a prompt effect upon meA and since = ,as an%ious to continue this healin' processA = spent all my time outdoors in the sunli'ht. This induced a state at once impassive and su3missiveA and 'ave me a feelin' of security a'ainst the ravenous ni'ht. As dar!ness is a!in to deathA so is li'ht to vitality. Throu'h the herita'e of a million years a'oA ,hen men ,ere closer to the mother seaA and ,hen the creatures of ,hich ,e are 3orn lay lan'uid in the shallo,A sun1pierced ,aterB ,e still see! today the primal thin's ,hen ,e are tiredA steepin' ourselves ,ithin their lullin' security li!e those early half1mammals ,hich had not yet ventured upon the oozy land. The monotony of the ,aves 'ave reposeA and = had no other occupation than ,itnessin' a myriad ocean moods. There is a ceaseless chan'e in the ,aters 1 colours and shades pass

H.P.Lovecr !t

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over them li!e the insu3stantial e%pressions of a ,ell1!no,n faceB and these are at once communicated to us 3y half1reco'nized senses. When the sea is restlessA remem3erin' old ships that have 'one over her chasmsA there comes up silently in our hearts the lon'in' for a vanished horizon. But ,hen she for'etsA ,e for'et also. Thou'h ,e !no, her a lifetimeA she must al,ays hold an alien airA as if somethin' too vast to have shape ,ere lur!in' in the universe to ,hich she is a door. The mornin' oceanA 'limmerin' ,ith a reflected mist of 3lue1,hite cloud and e%pandin' diamond foamA has the eyes of one ,ho ponders on stran'e thin'sB and her intricately ,oven ,e3sA throu'h ,hich dart a myriad coloured fishesA hold the air of some 'reat idle thin' ,hich ,ill arise presently from the hoary immemorial chasms and stride upon the land. = ,as content for many daysA and 'lad that = had chosen the lonely house ,hich sat li!e a small 3east upon those rounded cliffs of sand. Amon' the pleasantly aimless amusements fostered 3y such a lifeA = too! to follo,in' the ed'e of the tide J,here the ,aves left a dampA irre'ular outline rimmed ,ith evanescent foamK for lon' distancesB and sometimes = found curious 3its of shell in the chance litter of the sea. There ,as an astonishin' lot of de3ris on that in,ard1curvin' coast ,hich my 3are little house overloo!edA and = Cud'ed that currents ,hose courses diver'e from the villa'e 3each must reach that spot. At any rateA my poc!ets 1 ,hen = had any 1 'enerally held vast stores of trashB most of ,hich = thre, a,ay an hour or t,o after pic!in' it upA ,onderin' ,hy = had !ept it. +nceA ho,everA = found a small 3one ,hose nature = could not identifyA save that it ,as certainly nothin' out of a fishB and = !ept thisA alon' ,ith a lar'e metal 3ead ,hose minutely carven desi'n ,as rather unusual. This latter depicted a fishy thin' a'ainst a patterned 3ac!'round of sea,eed instead of the usual floral or 'eometrical desi'nsA and ,as still clearly tracea3le thou'h ,orn ,ith years of tossin' in the surf. Since = had never seen anythin' li!e itA = Cud'ed that it represented some fashionA no, for'ottenA of a previous year at EllstonA ,here similar fads ,ere common. = had 3een there perhaps a ,ee! ,hen the ,eather 3e'an a 'radual chan'e. Each sta'e of this pro'ressive dar!enin' ,as follo,ed 3y another su3tly intensifiedA so that in the end the entire atmosphere surroundin' me had shifted from day to evenin'. This ,as more o3vious to me in a series of mental impressions than in ,hat = actually ,itnessedA for the small house ,as lonely under the 'rey s!iesA and there ,as sometimes a 3eatin' ,ind that came out of the ocean 3earin' moisture. The sun ,as displaced 3y lon' intervals of cloudiness 1 layers of 'rey mist 3eyond ,hose un!no,n depth the sun lay cut off. Thou'h it mi'ht 'lare ,ith the old intensity a3ove that enormous veilA it could not penetrate. The 3each ,as a prisoner in a hueless vault for hours at a timeA as if somethin' of the ni'ht ,ere ,ellin' into other hours. Althou'h the ,ind ,as invi'oratin' and the ocean ,hipped into little churnin' spirals of activity 3y the va'rant flappin'A = found the ,ater 'ro,in' chillA so that = could not stay in it as lon' as = had done previouslyA and thus = fell into the ha3it of lon' ,al!sA ,hich 1 ,hen = ,as una3le to s,im 1 provided the e%ercise that = ,as so careful to o3tain. These ,al!s covered a 'reater ran'e of sea1ed'e than my previous ,anderin'sA and since the 3each e%tended in a stretch of miles 3eyond the ta,dry villa'eA = often found myself ,holly isolated upon an endless area of sand as evenin' dre, close. When this occurredA = ,ould stride hastily alon' the ,hisperin' sea13orderA follo,in' the outline so that = should not ,ander inland and lose my ,ay. And sometimesA ,hen these ,al!s ,ere late Jas they 're, increasin'ly to 3eK = ,ould come upon the crouchin' house that loo!ed li!e a har3in'er of the villa'e. =nsecure upon the ,ind1'na,ed cliffsA a dar! 3lot upon the mor3id

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hues of the ocean sunsetA it ,as more lonely than 3y the full li'ht of either or3B and seemed to my ima'ination li!e a muteA Duestionin' face turned to,ard me e%pectant of some action. That the place ,as isolated = have saidA and this at first pleased meB 3ut in that 3rief evenin' hour ,hen the sun left a 'ore1splattered decline and dar!ness lum3ered on li!e an e%pandin' shapeless 3lotA there ,as an alien presence a3out the place9 a spiritA a moodA an impression that came from the sur'in' ,indA the 'i'antic s!yA and that sea ,hich drooled 3lac!enin' ,aves upon a 3each 'ro,n a3ruptly stran'e. At these times = felt an uneasiness ,hich had no very definite causeA althou'h my solitary nature had made me lon' accustomed to the ancient silence and the ancient voice of nature. These mis'ivin'sA to ,hich = could have put no sure nameA did not affect me lon'A yet = thin! no, that all the ,hile a 'radual consciousness of the ocean<s immense loneliness crept upon meA a loneliness that ,as made su3tly horri3le 3y intimations 1 ,hich ,ere never more than such 1 of some animation or sentience preventin' me from 3ein' ,holly alone. The noisyA yello, streets of the to,nA ,ith their curiously unreal activityA ,ere very far a,ayA and ,hen = ,ent there for my evenin' meal Jmistrustin' a diet entirely of my o,n am3i'uous coo!in'K = too! increasin' and Duite unreasona3le care that = should return to the cotta'e 3efore the late dar!nessA thou'h = ,as often a3road until ten or so. .ou ,ill say that such action is unreasona3leB that if = had feared the dar!ness in some childish ,ayA = ,ould have entirely avoided it. .ou ,ill as! me ,hy = did not leave the place since its loneliness ,as depressin' me. To all this = have no replyA save that ,hatever unrest = feltA ,hatever of remote distur3ance there ,as to me in 3rief aspects of the dar!enin' sun or the ea'er salt13rittle ,ind or in the ro3e of the dar! sea that lay crumpled li!e an enormous 'arment so close to meA ,as somethin' ,hich had an ori'in half in my o,n heartA ,hich sho,ed itself only at fleetin' momentsA and ,hich had no very lon' effect upon me. =n the recurrent days of diamond li'htA ,ith sportive ,aves flin'in' 3lue pea!s at the 3as!in' shoreA the memory of dar! moods seemed rather incredi3leA yet only an hour or t,o after,ard = mi'ht a'ain e%perience these moods once moreA and descend to a dim re'ion of despair. >erhaps these in,ard emotions ,ere only a reflection of the sea<s o,n moodA for althou'h half of ,hat ,e see is coloured 3y the interpretation placed upon it 3y our mindsA many of our feelin's are shaped Duite distinctly 3y e%ternalA physical thin's. The sea can 3ind us to her many moodsA ,hisperin' to us 3y the su3tle to!en of a shado, or a 'leam upon the ,avesA and hintin' in these ,ays of her mournfulness or reCoicin'. Al,ays she is remem3erin' old thin'sA and these memoriesA thou'h ,e may not 'rasp themA are imparted to usA so that ,e share her 'aiety or remorse. Since = ,as doin' no ,or!A seein' no person that = !ne,A = ,as perhaps suscepti3le to shades of her cryptic meanin' ,hich ,ould have 3een overloo!ed 3y another. The ocean ruled my life durin' the ,hole of that late summerB demandin' it as recompense for the healin' she had 3rou'ht me. There ,ere dro,nin's at the 3each that yearB and ,hile = heard of these only casually Jsuch is our indifference to a death ,hich does not concern usA and to ,hich ,e are not ,itnessKA = !ne, that their details ,ere unsavoury. The people ,ho died 1 some of them s,immers of a s!ill 3eyond the avera'e 1 ,ere sometimes not found until many days had elapsedA and the hideous ven'eance of the deep had scour'ed their rotten 3odies. =t ,as as if the sea had dra''ed them into a chasm1lairA and had mulled them a3out in the dar!ness untilA satisfied that they ,ere no lon'er of any useA she had floated them ashore in a 'hastly state. ;o one seemed to !no, ,hat had caused these deaths. Their freDuency e%cited alarm amon' the timidA since the underto, at Ellston ,as not stron'A and since there ,ere !no,n

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to 3e no shar!s at hand. Whether the 3odies sho,ed mar!s of any attac!s = did not learnA 3ut the dread of a death ,hich moves amon' the ,aves and comes on lone people from a li'htlessA motionless place is a dread ,hich men !no, and do not li!e. They must Duic!ly find a reason for such a deathA even if there are no shar!s. Since shar!s formed only a suspected causeA and one never to my !no,led'e confirmedA the s,immers ,ho continued durin' the rest of the season ,ere on 'uard a'ainst treacherous tides rather than a'ainst any possi3le sea1animal. AutumnA indeedA ,as not a 'reat distance offA and some people used this as an e%cuse for leavin' the seaA ,here men ,ere snared 3y deathA and 'oin' to the security of inland fieldsA ,here one cannot even hear the ocean. So Au'ust endedA and = had 3een at the 3each many days. There had 3een a threat of storm since the fourth of the ne, monthA and on the si%thA ,hen = set out for a ,al! in the damp ,indA there ,as a mass of formless cloudA colourless and oppressiveA a3ove the ruffled leaden sea. The motion of the ,indA directed to,ard no especial 'oal 3ut stirrin' uneasilyA provided a sensation of comin' animation 1 a hint of life in the elements ,hich mi'ht 3e the lon'1e%pected storm. = had eaten my luncheon at EllstonA and thou'h the heavens seemed the closin' lid of a 'reat cas!etA = ventured far do,n the 3each and a,ay from 3oth the to,n and my no1lon'er1to13e1seen house. As the universal 'rey 3ecame spotted ,ith a carrion purple 1 curiously 3rilliant despite its som3re hue 1 = found that = ,as several miles from any possi3le shelter. ThisA ho,everA did not seem very importantA for despite the dar! s!ies ,ith their added 'lo, of un!no,n presa'e = ,as in a curious mood that flashed throu'h a 3ody 'ro,n suddenly alert and sensitive to the outline of shapes and meanin's that ,ere previously dim. +3scurelyA a memory came to meB su''ested 3y the li!eness of the scene to one = had ima'ined ,hen a story ,as read to me in childhood. That tale 1 of ,hich = had not thou'ht for many years 1 concerned a ,oman ,ho ,as loved 3y the dar!13earded !in' of an under,ater realm of 3lurred cliffs ,here fish1thin's livedB and ,ho ,as ta!en from the 'olden1haired youth of her troth 3y a dar! 3ein' cro,ned ,ith a priest1li!e mitre and havin' the features of a ,ithered ape. What had remained in the corner of my fancy ,as the ima'e of cliffs 3eneath the ,ater a'ainst the huelessA dus!y no1s!y of such a realmB and thisA thou'h = had for'otten most of the storyA ,as recalled Duite une%pectedly 3y the same pattern of cliff and s!y ,hich = then 3eheld. The si'ht ,as similar to ,hat = had ima'ined in a year no, lost save for randomA incomplete impressions. Su''estions of this story may have lin'ered 3ehind certain irritatin' unfinished memoriesA and in certain values hinted to my senses 3y scenes ,hose actual ,orth ,as 3afflin'ly small. 4reDuentlyA in a momentary perceptionA ,e feel that a feathery landscape Jfor instanceKA a ,oman<s dress alon' the curve of a road 3y afternoonA or the solidity of a century1defyin' tree a'ainst the pale mornin' s!y Jthe conditions more than the o3Cect 3ein' si'nificantK hold somethin' preciousA some 'olden virtue that ,e must 'rasp. And yet ,hen such a scene or arran'ement is vie,ed laterA or from another pointA ,e find that it has lost its value and meanin' for us. >erhaps this is 3ecause the thin' ,e see does not hold that elusive DualityA 3ut only su''ests to the mind some very different thin' ,hich remains unremem3ered. The 3affled mindA not ,holly sensin' the cause of its flashin' appreciationA seizes on the o3Cect e%citin' itA and is surprised ,hen there is nothin' of ,orth therein. Thus it ,as ,hen = 3eheld the purplin' clouds. They held the stateliness and mystery of old monastery to,ers at t,ili'htA 3ut their aspect ,as also that of the cliffs in the old fairy1tale. Suddenly reminded of this lost ima'eA = half e%pected to seeA in the fine1spun dirty foam and amon' the ,aves ,hich ,ere no, as if they had 3een poured of fla,ed 3lac! 'lassA the horrid fi'ure of that ape1faced creatureA ,earin' a mitre

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old ,ith verdi'risA advancin' from its !in'dom in some lost 'ulf to ,hich those ,aves ,ere s!y. = did not see any such creature from the realm of ima'inin'A 3ut as the chill ,ind veeredA slittin' the heavens li!e a rustlin' !nifeA there lay in the 'loom of mer'in' cloud and ,ater only a 'rey o3CectA li!e a piece of drift,oodA tossin' o3scurely on the foam. This ,as a considera3le distance outA and since it vanished shortlyA may not have 3een ,oodA 3ut a porpoise comin' to the trou3led surface. = soon found that = had stayed too lon' contemplatin' the risin' storm and lin!in' my early fancies ,ith its 'randeurA for an icy rain 3e'an spottin' do,nA 3rin'in' a more uniform 'loom upon a scene already too dar! for the hour. 2urryin' alon' the 'rey sandA = felt the impact of cold drops upon my 3ac!A and 3efore many moments my clothin' ,as soa!ed throu'hout. At first = had runA put to fli'ht 3y the colourless drops ,hose pattern hun' in lon' lin!in' strands from an unseen s!yB 3ut after = sa, that refu'e ,as too far to reach in anythin' li!e a dry stateA = slac!ened my paceA and returned home as if = had ,al!ed under clear s!ies. There ,as not much reason to hurryA althou'h = did not idle as upon previous occasions. The constrainin' ,et 'arments ,ere cold upon meA and ,ith the 'atherin' dar!nessA and the ,ind that rose endlessly from the oceanA = could not repress a shiver. .et there ,asA 3eside the discomfort of the precipitous rainA an e%hilaration latent in the purplish ravelled masses of cloud and the stimulated reactions of the 3ody. =n a mood half of e%ultant pleasure from resistin' the rain J,hich streamed from me no,A and filled my shoes and poc!etsK and half of stran'e appreciation of those mor3idA dominant s!ies ,hich hovered ,ith dar! ,in's a3ove the shiftin' eternal seaA = tramped alon' the 'rey corridor of Ellston Beach. 8ore rapidly than = had e%pected the crouchin' house sho,ed in the o3liDueA flappin' rainA and all the ,eeds of the sand cliff ,rithed in accompaniment to the frantic ,indA as if they ,ould uproot themselves to Coin the far1travellin' element. Sea and s!y had altered not at allA and the scene ,as that ,hich had accompanied meA save that there ,as no, painted upon it the hunchin' roof that seemed to 3end from the assailin' rain. = hurried up the insecure stepsA and let myself into a dry roomA ,hereA unconsciously surprised that = ,as free of the na''in' ,indA = stood for a moment ,ith ,ater rillin' from every inch of me. There are t,o ,indo,s in the front of that houseA one on each sideA and these face nearly strai'ht upon the oceanB ,hich = no, sa, half o3scured 3y the com3ined veils of the rain and the imminent ni'ht. 4rom these ,indo,s = loo!ed as = dressed myself in a motley array of dry 'arments seized from convenient han'ers and from a chair too laden to sit upon. = ,as prisoned on all sides 3y an unnaturally increased dus! ,hich had filtered do,n at some undefined hour under cover of the fosterin' storm. 2o, lon' = had 3een on the reaches of ,et 'rey sandA or ,hat the real time ,asA = could not tellA thou'h a moment<s search produced my ,atch 1 fortunately left 3ehind and thus avoidin' the uniform ,etness of my clothin'. = half 'uessed the hour from the dimly seen handsA ,hich ,ere only sli'htly less indeciphera3le than the surroundin' fi'ures. =n another moment my si'ht penetrated the 'loom J'reater in the house than 3eyond the 3leared ,indo,K and sa, that it ,as -9# . There had 3een no one upon the 3each as = came inA and naturally = e%pected to see no further s,immers that ni'ht. .et ,hen = loo!ed a'ain from the ,indo, there appeared surely to 3e fi'ures 3lottin' the 'rime of the ,et evenin'. = counted three movin' a3out in some incomprehensi3le mannerA and close to the house another 1 ,hich may not have 3een

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a person 3ut a ,ave1eCected lo'A for the surf ,as no, poundin' fiercely. = ,as startled to no little de'reeA and ,ondered for ,hat purpose those hardy persons stayed out in such a storm. And then = thou'ht that perhaps li!e myself they had 3een cau'ht unintentionally in the rain and had surrendered to the ,atery 'usts. =n another momentA prompted 3y a certain civilized hospitality ,hich overcame my love of solitudeA = stepped to the door and emer'ed momentarily Jat the cost of another ,ettin'A for the rain promptly descended upon me in e%ultant furyK on the small porchA 'esticulatin' to,ard the people. But ,hether they did not see meA or did not understandA they made no returnin' si'nal. $im in the evenin'A they stood as if halfosurprisedA or as if they a,aited some other action from me. There ,as in their attitude somethin' of that cryptic 3lan!nessA si'nifyin' anythin' or nothin'A ,hich the house ,ore a3out itself as seen in the mor3id sunset. A3ruptly there came to me a feelin' that a sinister Duality lur!ed a3out those un1movin' fi'ures ,ho chose to stay in the rainy ni'ht upon a 3each deserted 3y all peopleA and = closed the door ,ith a sur'e of annoyance ,hich sou'ht all too vainly to dis'uise a deeper emotion of fearB a consumin' fri'ht that ,elled up from the shado,s of my consciousness. A moment laterA ,hen = had stepped to the ,indo,A there seemed to 3e nothin' outside 3ut the portentous ni'ht. ?a'uely puzzledA and even more va'uely fri'htened 1 li!e one ,ho has seen no alarmin' thin'A 3ut is apprehensive of ,hat may 3e found in the dar! street he is soon compelled to cross 1 = decided that = had very possi3ly seen no oneB and that the mur!y air had deceived me. The aura of isolation a3out the place increased that ni'htA thou'h Cust out of si'ht on the north,ard 3each a hundred houses rose in the rainy dar!nessA their li'ht 3leared and yello, a3ove streets of polished 'lassA li!e 'o3lin1eyes reflected in an oily forest pool. .et 3ecause = could not see themA or even reach them in 3ad ,eather 1 since = had no car nor any ,ay to leave the crouchin' house e%cept 3y ,al!in' in the fi'ure1haunted dar!ness 1 = realized Duite suddenly that = ,asA to all intentsA alone ,ith the dreary sea that rose and su3sided unseenA un!ennedA in the mist. And the voice of the sea had 3ecome a hoarse 'roanA li!e that of somethin' ,ounded ,hich shifts a3out 3efore tryin' to rise. 4i'htin' a,ay the prevalent 'loom ,ith a soiled lamp 1 for the dar!ness crept in at my ,indo,s and sat peerin' o3scurely at me from the corners li!e a patient animal 1 = prepared my foodA since = had no intentions of 'oin' to the villa'e. The hour seemed incredi3ly advancedA thou'h it ,as not yet nine o<cloc! ,hen = ,ent to 3ed. $ar!ness had come early and furtivelyA and throu'hout the remainder of my stay lin'ered evasively over each scene and action ,hich = 3eheld. Somethin' had settled out of the ni'ht 1 somethin' forever undefinedA 3ut stirrin' a latent sense ,ithin meA so that = ,as li!e a 3east e%pectin' the momentary rustle of an enemy. There ,ere hours of ,indA and sheets of the do,npour flapped endlessly on the mea're ,alls 3arrin' it from me. 5ulls came in ,hich = heard the mum3lin' seaA and = could 'uess that lar'e formless ,aves Costled one another in the pallid ,hine of the ,indsA and flun' on the 3each a spray 3itter ,ith salt. .et in the very monotony of the restless elements = found a lethar'ic noteA a sound that 3e'uiled meA after a timeA into slum3er 'rey and colourless as the ni'ht. The sea continued its mad monolo'ueA and the ,ind her na''in'B 3ut these ,ere shut out 3y the ,alls of unconsciousnessA and for a time the ni'ht ocean ,as 3anished from a sleepin' mind. 8ornin' 3rou'ht an enfee3led sun 1 a sun li!e that ,hich men ,ill see ,hen the earth is oldA if there are any men leftB a sun more ,eary than the shroudedA mori3und s!y. 4aint

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echo of its old ima'eA >hoe3us strove to pierce the ra''edA am3i'uous clouds as = a,o!eA at moments sendin' a ,ash of pale 'old ripplin' across the north,estern interior of my houseA at others ,anin' till it ,as only a luminous 3allA li!e some incredi3le playthin' for'otten on the celestial la,n. After a ,hile the fallin' rain 1 ,hich must have continued throu'hout the previous ni'ht 1 succeeded in ,ashin' a,ay those vesti'es of purple cloud ,hich had 3een li!e the ocean cliffs in an old fairy1tale. Cheated ali!e of the settin' and risin' sunA that day mer'ed ,ith the day 3eforeA as if the intervenin' storm had not ushered a lon' dar!ness into the ,orldA 3ut had s,ollen and su3sided into one lon' afternoon. 7ainin' heartA the furtive sun e%erted all his force in dispellin' the old mistA strea!ed no, li!e a dirty ,indo,A and cast it from his realm. The shallo, 3lue day advanced as those 'rimy ,isps retreatedA and the loneliness ,hich had encircled me ,elled 3ac! into a ,atchful place of retreatA ,hence it ,ent no fartherA 3ut crouched and ,aited. The ancient 3ri'htness ,as no, once more upon the sunA and the old 'litter on the ,avesA ,hose playful 3lue shapes had floc!ed upon that coast ere man ,as 3ornA and ,ould reCoice unseen ,hen he ,as for'otten in the sepulchre of time. =nfluenced 3y these thin assurancesA li!e one ,ho 3elieves the smile of friendship on an enemy<s featuresA = opened my doorA and as it s,un' out,ardA a 3lac! spot upon the in,ard 3urst of li'htA = sa, the 3each ,ashed clean of any trac!A as if no foot 3efore mine had distur3ed the smooth sand. With the Duic! lift of spirit that follo,s a period of uneasy depressionA = felt 1 in a purely yieldin' fashion and ,ithout volition 1 that my o,n memory ,as ,ashed clean of all the mistrust and suspicion and disease1li!e fear of a lifetimeA Cust as the filth of the ,ater<s ed'e succum3s to a particularly hi'h tide and is carried out of si'ht. There ,as a scent of soa!edA 3rac!ish 'rassA li!e the mouldy pa'es of a 3oo!A commin'led ,ith a s,eet odour 3orn of the hot sunli'ht upon inland meado,sA and these ,ere 3orne into me li!e an e%hilaratin' drin!A seepin' and tin'lin' throu'h my veins as if they ,ould convey to me somethin' of their o,n impalpa3le natureA and float me dizzily in the aimless 3reeze. And conspirin' ,ith these thin'sA the sun continued to sho,er upon meA li!e the rain of yesterdayA an incessant array of 3ri'ht spearsB as if it also ,ished to hide that suspected 3ac!'round presence ,hich moved 3eyond my si'ht and ,as 3etrayed only 3y a careless rustle on the 3orders of my consciousnessA or 3y the aspect of 3lan! fi'ures starin' out of an ocean void. That sunA a fierce 3all solitary in the ,hirlpool of infinityA ,as li!e a horde of 'olden moths a'ainst my upturned face. A 3u33lin' ,hite 'rail of fire divine and incomprehensi3leA it ,ithheld from me a thousand promised mira'es ,here it 'ranted one. 4or the sun did actually seem to indicate realmsA secure and fancifulA ,here if = 3ut !ne, the path = mi'ht ,ander in this curious e%ultation. Such thin's come of our o,n naturesA for life has never yielded for one moment her secretsA and it is only in our interpretation of their hinted ima'es that ,e may find ecstasy or dullnessA accordin' to a deli3erately induced mood. .et ever and a'ain ,e must succum3 to her deceptionsA 3elievin' for the moment that ,e may this time find the ,ithheld Coy. And in this ,ay the fresh s,eetness of the ,indA on a mornin' follo,in' the haunted dar!ness J,hose evil intimations had 'iven me a 'reater uneasiness than any menace to my 3odyKA ,hispered to me of ancient mysteries only half1lin!ed ,ith earthA and of pleasures that ,ere the sharper 3ecause = felt that = mi'ht e%perience only a part of them. The sun and ,ind and that scent that rose upon them told me of festivals of 'ods ,hose senses are a millionfold more poi'nant than man<s and ,hose Coys are a millionfold more su3tle and prolon'ed. These thin'sA they hintedA could 3e mine if = 'ave myself ,holly into their 3ri'ht deceptive po,erB and the sunA a crouchin' 'od ,ith na!ed celestial fleshA an un!no,nA too1mi'hty furnace upon ,hich no eye mi'ht loo!A seemed almost sacred in the 'lo, of my ne,ly sharpened emotions. The

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ethereal thunderous li'ht it 'ave ,as somethin' 3efore ,hich all thin's must ,orship astonished. The slin!in' leopard in his 'reen1chasmed forest must have paused 3riefly to consider its leaf1scattered raysA and all thin's nurtured 3y it must have cherished its 3ri'ht messa'e on such a day. 4or ,hen it is a3sent in the far reaches of eternityA earth ,ill 3e lost and 3lac! a'ainst an illimita3le void. That mornin'A in ,hich = shared the fire of lifeA and ,hose 3rief moment of pleasure is secure a'ainst the ravenous yearsA ,as astir ,ith the 3ec!onin' of stran'e thin's ,hose elusive names can never 3e ,ritten. As = made my ,ay to,ard the villa'eA ,onderin' ho, it mi'ht loo! after a lon'1needed scru33in' 3y the industrious rainA = sa,A tan'led in a 'limmer of sunlit moisture that ,as poured over it li!e a yello, vinta'eA a small o3Cect li!e a handA some t,enty feet ahead of meA and touched 3y the repetitious foam. The shoc! and dis'ust 3orn in my startled mind ,hen = sa, that it ,as indeed a piece of rotten flesh overcame my ne, contentmentA and en'endered a shoc!ed suspicion that it mi'ht actually 3e a hand. CertainlyA no fishA or part of oneA could assume that loo!A and = thou'ht = sa, mushy fin'ers ,ed in decay. = turned the thin' over ,ith my footA not ,ishin' to touch so foul an o3CectA and it adhered stic!ily to the leather of the shoeA as if clutchin' ,ith the 'rasp of corruption. The thin'A ,hose shape ,as nearly lostA held too much resem3lance to ,hat = feared it mi'ht 3eA and = pushed it into the ,illin' 'rasp of a seethin' ,aveA ,hich too! it from si'ht ,ith an alacrity not often sho,n 3y those ravelled ed'es of the sea. >erhaps = should have reported my findA yet its nature ,as too am3i'uous to ma!e action natural. Since it had 3een partly eaten 3y some ocean1d,ellin' monstrousnessA = did not thin! it identifia3le enou'h to form evidence of an un!no,n 3ut possi3le tra'edy. The numerous dro,nin'sA of courseA came into my mind 1 as ,ell as other thin's lac!in' in ,holesomenessA some of ,hich remained only as possi3ilities. Whatever the storm1 dislod'ed fra'ment may have 3eenA and ,hether it ,ere fish or some animal a!in to manA = have never spo!en of it until no,. And after allA there ,as no proof that it had not merely 3een distorted 3y rottenness into that shape. = approached the to,nA sic!ened 3y the presence of such an o3Cect amid the apparent 3eauty of the clean 3eachA thou'h it ,as horri3ly typical of the indifference of death in a nature ,hich min'les rottenness ,ith 3eautyA and perhaps loves the former more. =n Ellston = heard of no recent dro,nin' or other mishap of the seaA and found no reference to such in the columns of the local paper 1 the only one = read durin' my stay. =t is difficult to descri3e the mental state in ,hich succeedin' days found me. Al,ays suscepti3le to mor3id emotions ,hose dar! an'uish mi'ht 3e induced 3y thin's outside myselfA or mi'ht sprin' from the a3ysses of my o,n spiritA = ,as ridden 3y a feelin' ,hich ,as not fear or despairA or anythin' a!in to theseA 3ut ,as rather a perception of the 3rief hideousness and underlyin' filth of life 1 a feelin' partly a reflection of my internal nature and partly a result of 3reedin's induced 3y that 'na,ed rotten o3Cect ,hich may have 3een a hand. =n those days my mind ,as a place of shado,ed cliffs and dar! movin' fi'uresA li!e the ancient unsuspected realm ,hich the fairy1tale recalled to me. = feltA in 3rief a'onies of disillusionmentA the 'i'antic 3lac!ness of this over,helmin' universeA in ,hich my days and the days of my race ,ere as nothin' to the shattered starsB a universe in ,hich each action is vain and even the emotion of 'rief a ,asted thin'. The hours = had previously spent in somethin' of re'ained healthA contentmentA and physical ,ell13ein' ,ere 'iven no, Jas if those days of the previous ,ee! ,ere somethin'

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definitely endedK to an indolence li!e that of a man ,ho no lon'er cares to live. = ,as en'ulfed 3y a piteous lethar'ic fear of some inelucta3le doom ,hich ,ould 3eA = feltA the completed hate of the peerin' stars and of the 3lac! enormous ,aves that hoped to clasp my 3ones ,ithin them 1 the ven'eance of all the indifferentA horrendous maCesty of the ni'ht ocean. Somethin' of the dar!ness and restlessness of the sea had penetrated my heartA so that = lived in an unreasonin'A unperceivin' tormentB a torment none the less acute 3ecause of the su3tlety of its ori'in and the stran'eA unmotivated Duality of its vampiric e%istence. Before my eyes lay the phantasma'oria of the purplin' cloudsA the stran'e silver 3au3leA the recurrent sta'nant foamA the loneliness of that 3lea!1eyed houseA and the moc!ery of the puppet to,n. = no lon'er ,ent to the villa'eA for it seemed only a travesty of life. 5i!e my o,n soulA it stood upon a dar! envelopin' sea 1 a sea 'ro,n slo,ly hateful to me. And amon' these ima'esA corrupt and festerin'A d,elt that of an o3Cect ,hose human contours left ever smaller the dou3t of ,hat it once had 3een. These scri33led ,ords can never tell of the hideous loneliness Jsomethin' = did not even ,ish assua'edA so deeply ,as it em3edded in my heartK ,hich had insinuated itself ,ithin meA mum3lin' of terri3le and un!no,n thin's stealthily circlin' nearer. =t ,as not a madness9 rather ,as it a too clear and na!ed perception of the dar!ness 3eyond this frail e%istenceA lit 3y a momentary sun no more secure than ourselvesB a realization of futility that fe, can e%perience and ever a'ain touch the life a3out themB a !no,led'e that turn as = mi'htA 3attle as = mi'ht ,ith all the remainin' po,er of my spiritA = could neither ,in an inch of 'round from the inimical universeA nor hold for even a moment the life entrusted to me. 4earin' death as = did lifeA 3urdened ,ith a nameless dreadA yet un,illin' to leave the scene evo!in' itA = a,aited ,hatever consummatin' horror ,as shiftin' itself in the immense re'ion 3eyond the ,alls of consciousness. Thus autumn found meA and ,hat = had 'ained from the sea ,as lost 3ac! into it. Autumn on the 3eaches 1 a drear time 3eto!ened 3y no scarlet leaf nor any other accustomed si'n. A fri'htenin' sea ,hich chan'es notA thou'h man chan'es. There ,as only a chillin' of the ,atersA in ,hich = no lon'er cared to enter 1 a further dar!enin' of the pall1li!e s!yA as if eternities of sno, ,ere ,aitin' to descend upon the 'hastly ,aves. +nce that descent 3e'anA it ,ould never ceaseA 3ut ,ould continue 3eneath the ,hite and the yello, and the crimson sunA and 3eneath that ultimate small ru3y ,hich shall yield only to the futilities of ni'ht. The once friendly ,aters 3a33led meanin'fully at meA and eyed me ,ith a stran'e re'ardA yet ,hether the dar!ness of the scene ,ere a reflection of my o,n 3reedin's or ,hether the 'loom ,ithin me ,ere caused 3y ,hat lay ,ithoutA = could not have told. (pon the 3each and me ali!e had fallen a shado,A li!e that of a 3ird ,hich flies silently overhead 1 a 3ird ,hose ,atchin' eyes ,e do not suspect till the ima'e on the 'round repeats the ima'e in the s!yA and ,e loo! suddenly up,ard to find that somethin' has 3een circlin' a3ove us hitherto unseen. The day ,as in late Septem3erA and the to,n had closed the resorts ,here mad frivolity ruled emptyA fear1haunted livesA and ,here raddled puppets performed their summer antics. The puppets ,ere cast asideA smeared ,ith the painted smiles and fro,ns they had last assumedA and there ,ere not a hundred people left in the to,n. A'ain the 'audyA stucco1 fronted 3uildin's linin' the shore ,ere permitted to crum3le undistur3ed in the ,ind. As the month advanced to the day of ,hich = spea!A there 're, in me the li'ht of a 'rey infernal da,nA ,herein = felt some dar! thaumatur'y ,ould 3e completed. Since = feared

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such a thaumatur'y less than a continuance of my horri3le suspicions 1 less than the too1 elusive hints of somethin' monstrous lur!in' 3ehind the 'reat sta'e 1 it ,as ,ith more speculation than actual fear that = ,aited unendin'ly for the day of horror ,hich seemed to 3e nearin'. The dayA = repeatA ,as late in Septem3erA thou'h ,hether the ""nd or "&rd = am uncertain. Such details have fled 3efore the recollection of those uncompleted happenin's 1 episodes ,ith ,hich no orderly e%istence should 3e pla'uedA 3ecause of the damna3le su''estions Jand only su''estionsK they contain. = !ne, the time ,ith an intuitive distress of spirit 1 a reco'nition too deep for me to e%plain. Throu'hout those dayli'ht hours = ,as e%pectant of the ni'htB impatientA perhapsA so that the sunli'ht passed li!e a half1'limpsed reflection in rippled ,ater 1 a day of ,hose events = recall nothin'. =t ,as lon' since that portentous storm had cast a shado, over the 3eachA and = had determinedA after hesitations caused 3y nothin' tan'i3leA to leave EllstonA since the year ,as chillin' and there ,as no return to my earlier contentment. When a tele'ram came for me Jlyin' t,o days in the Western (nion office 3efore = ,as locatedA so little ,as my name !no,nK sayin' that my desi'n had 3een accepted 1 ,innin' a3ove all others in the contest 1 = set a date for leavin'. This ne,sA ,hich earlier in the year ,ould have affected me stron'lyA = no, received ,ith a curious apathy. =t seemed as unrelated to the unreality a3out meA as little pertinent to meA as if it ,ere directed to another person ,hom = did not !no,A and ,hose messa'e had come to me throu'h some accident. ;one the lessA it ,as that ,hich forced me to complete my plans and leave the cotta'e 3y the shore. There ,ere only four ni'hts of my stay remainin' ,hen there occurred the last of those events ,hose meanin' lies more in the dar!ly sinister impression surroundin' them than in anythin' o3viously threatenin'. ;i'ht had settled over Ellston and the coastA and a pile of soiled dishes attested 3oth to my recent meal and to my lac! of industry. $ar!ness came as = sat ,ith a ci'arette 3efore the sea,ard ,indo,A and it ,as a liDuid ,hich 'radually filled the s!yA ,ashin' in a floatin' moonA monstrously elevated. The flat sea 3orderin' upon the 'leamin' sandA the utter a3sence of tree or fi'ure or life of any sortA and the re'ard of that hi'h moon made the vastness of my surroundin's a3ruptly clear. There ,ere only a fe, stars pric!in' throu'hA as if to accentuate 3y their smallness the maCesty of the lunar or3 and of the restless shiftin' tide. = had stayed indoorsA fearin' someho, to 'o out 3efore the sea on such a ni'ht of shapeless portentA 3ut = heard it mum3lin' secrets of an incredi3le lore. Borne to me on a ,ind out of no,here ,as the 3reath of some stran'e palpitant life 1 the em3odiment of all = had felt and of all = had suspected 1 stirrin' no, in the chasms of the s!y or 3eneath the mute ,aves. =n ,hat place this mystery turned from an ancientA horri3le slum3er = could not tellA 3ut li!e one ,ho stands 3y a fi'ure lost in sleepA !no,in' that it ,ill a,a!e in a momentA = crouched 3y the ,indo,A holdin' a nearly 3urnt1out ci'aretteA and faced the risin' moon. 7radually there passed into that never1stirrin' landscape a 3rilliance intensified 3y the overhead 'limmerin'sA and = seemed more and more under some compulsion to ,atch ,hatever mi'ht follo,. The shado,s ,ere drainin' from the 3eachA and = felt that ,ith them ,ere all ,hich mi'ht have 3een a har3our for my thou'hts ,hen the hinted thin' should come. Where any of them did remain they ,ere e3on and 3lan!9 still lumps of dar!ness spra,lin' 3eneath the cruel 3rilliant rays. The endless ta3leau of the lunar or3 1 dead no,A ,hatever her past ,asA and cold as the unhuman sepulchres she 3ears amid the ruin of dusty centuries older than men 1 and the sea 1 astirA perhapsA ,ith some un!enned

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lifeA some for3idden sentience 1 confronted me ,ith a horri3le vividness. = arose and shut the ,indo,B partly 3ecause of an in,ard promptin'A 3ut mostlyA = thin!A as an e%cuse for transferrin' momentarily the stream of thou'ht. ;o sound came to me no, as = stood 3efore the closed panes. 8inutes or eternities ,ere ali!e. = ,as ,aitin'A li!e my o,n fearin' heart and the motionless scene 3eyondA for the to!en of some ineffa3le life. = had set the lamp upon a 3o% in the ,estern corner of the roomA 3ut the moon ,as 3ri'hterA and her 3luish rays invaded places ,here the lampli'ht ,as faint. The ancient 'lo, of the round silent or3 lay upon the 3each as it had lain for aeonsA and = ,aited in a torment of e%pectancy made dou3ly acute 3y the delay in fulfillment and the uncertainty of ,hat stran'e completion ,as to come. +utside the crouchin' hut a ,hite illumination su''ested va'ue spectral forms ,hose unrealA phantasmal motions seemed to taunt my 3lindnessA Cust as unheard voices moc!ed my ea'er listenin'. 4or countless moments = ,as stillA as if Time and the tollin' of her 'reat 3ell ,ere hushed into nothin'ness. And yet there ,as nothin' ,hich = mi'ht fear9 the moon1chiselled shado,s ,ere unnatural in no contourA and veiled nothin' from my eyes. The ni'ht ,as silent 1 = !ne, that despite my closed ,indo, 1 and all the stars ,ere fi%ed mournfully in a listenin' heaven of dar! 'randeur. ;o motion from me thenA or ,ord no,A could reveal my pli'htA or tell of the fear1rac!ed 3rain imprisoned in flesh ,hich dared not 3rea! the silenceA for all the torture it 3rou'ht. As if e%pectant of deathA and assured that nothin' could serve to 3anish the soul1peril = confronted = crouched ,ith a for'otten ci'arette in my hand. A silent ,orld 'leamed 3eyond the cheapA dirty ,indo,sA and in one corner of the room a pair of dirty oarsA placed there 3efore my arrivalA shared the vi'il of my spirit. The lamp 3urned endlesslyA yieldin' a sic! li'ht hued li!e a corpse<s flesh. 7lancin' at it no, and a'ain for the desperate distraction it 'aveA = sa, that many 3u33les unaccounta3ly rose and vanished in the !erosene1filled 3ase. Curiously enou'hA there ,as no heat from the ,ic!. And suddenly = 3ecame a,are that the ni'ht as a ,hole ,as neither ,arm nor coldA 3ut stran'ely neutral 1 as if all physical forces ,ere suspendedA and all the la,s of a calm e%istence disrupted. ThenA ,ith an unheard splash ,hich sent from the silver ,ater to the shore a line of ripples echoed in fear 3y my heartA a s,immin' thin' emer'ed 3eyond the 3rea!ers. The fi'ure may have 3een that of a do'A a human 3ein'A or somethin' more stran'e. =t could not have !no,n that = ,atched 1 perhaps it did not care 1 3ut li!e a distorted fish it s,am across the mirrored stars and dived 3eneath the surface. After a moment it came up a'ainA and this timeA since it ,as closerA = sa, that it ,as carryin' somethin' across its shoulder. = !ne,A thenA that it could 3e no animalA and that it ,as a man or somethin' li!e a manA ,hich came to,ard the land from a dar! ocean. But it s,am ,ith a horri3le ease. As = ,atchedA dread1filled and passiveA ,ith the fi%ed stare of one ,ho a,aits death in another yet !no,s he cannot avert itA the s,immer approached the shore 1 thou'h too far do,n the south,ard 3each for me to discern its outlines or features. +3scurely lopin'A ,ith spar!s of moonlit foam scattered 3y its Duic! 'aitA it emer'ed and ,as lost amon' the inland dunes. ;o, = ,as possessed 3y a sudden recurrence of fearA ,hich had died a,ay in the previous moments. There ,as a tin'lin' coldness all over me 1 thou'h the roomA ,hose ,indo, = dared not open no,A ,as stuffy. = thou'ht it ,ould 3e very horri3le if somethin' ,ere to enter a ,indo, ,hich ,as not closed.

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;o, that = could no lon'er see the fi'ureA = felt that it lin'ered some,here in the close shado,sA or peered hideously at me from ,hatever ,indo, = did not ,atch. And so = turned my 'azeA ea'erly and franticallyA to each successive paneB dreadin' that = mi'ht indeed 3ehold an intrusive re'ardin' faceA yet una3le to !eep myself from the terrifyin' inspection. But thou'h = ,atched for hoursA there ,as no lon'er anythin' upon the 3each. So the ni'ht passedA and ,ith it 3e'an the e33in' of that stran'eness 1 a stran'eness ,hich had sur'ed up li!e an evil 3re, ,ithin a potA had mounted to the very rim in a 3reathless momentA had paused uncertainly thereA and had su3sidedA ta!in' ,ith it ,hatever un!no,n messa'e it had 3orne. 5i!e the stars that promise the revelation of terri3le and 'lorious memoriesA 'oad us into ,orship 3y this deceptionA and then impart nothin'A = had come fri'htenin'ly near to the capture of an old secret ,hich ventured close to man<s haunts and lur!ed cautiously Cust 3eyond the ed'e of the !no,n. .et in the end = had nothin'. = ,as 'iven only a 'limpse of the furtive thin'B a 'limpse made o3scure 3y the veils of i'norance. = cannot even conceive ,hat mi'ht have sho,n itself had = 3een too close to that s,immer ,ho ,ent shore,ard instead of into the ocean. = do not !no, ,hat mi'ht have come if the 3re, had passed the rim of the pot and poured out,ard in a s,ift cascade of revelation. The ni'ht ocean ,ithheld ,hatever it had nurtured. = shall !no, nothin' more. Even yet = do not !no, ,hy the ocean holds such a fascination for me. But thenA perhaps none of us can solve those thin's 1 they e%ist in defiance of all e%planation. There are menA and ,ise menA ,ho do not li!e the sea and its lappin' surf on yello, shoresB and they thin! us stran'e ,ho love the mystery of the ancient and unendin' deep. .et for me there is a hauntin' and inscruta3le 'lamour in all the ocean<s moods. =t is in the melancholy silver foam 3eneath the moon<s ,a%en corpseB it hovers over the silent and eternal ,aves that 3eat on na!ed shoresB it is there ,hen all is lifeless save for un!no,n shapes that 'lide throu'h som3re depths. And ,hen = 3ehold the a,esome 3illo,s sur'in' in endless stren'thA there comes upon me an ecstasy a!in to fearB so that = must a3ase myself 3efore this mi'htinessA that = may not hate the clotted ,aters and their over,helmin' 3eauty. ?ast and lonely is the oceanA and even as all thin's came from itA so shall they return thereto. =n the shrouded depths of time none shall rei'n upon the earthA nor shall any motion 3eA save in the eternal ,aters. And these shall 3eat on dar! shores in thunderous foamA thou'h none shall remain in that dyin' ,orld to ,atch the cold li'ht of the enfee3led moon playin' on the s,irlin' tides and coarse1'rained sand. +n the deep<s mar'in shall rest only a sta'nant foamA 'atherin' a3out the shells and 3ones of perished shapes that d,elt ,ithin the ,aters. SilentA fla33y thin's ,ill toss and roll alon' empty shoresA their slu''ish life e%tinct. Then all shall 3e dar!A for at last even the ,hite moon on the distant ,aves shall ,in! out. ;othin' shall 3e leftA neither a3ove nor 3elo, the som3re ,aters. And until that last millenniumA and 3eyond the perishin' of all other thin'sA the sea ,ill thunder and toss throu'hout the dismal ni'ht.

N& rl thote*
;yarlathotep... the cra,lin' chaos... = am the last... = ,ill tell the audient void... = do not recall distinctly ,hen it 3e'anA 3ut it ,as months a'o. The 'eneral tension ,as horri3le. To a season of political and social upheaval ,as added a stran'e and 3roodin' apprehension of hideous physical dan'erB a dan'er ,idespread and all1em3racin'A such a dan'er as may 3e ima'ined only in the most terri3le phantasms of the ni'ht. = recall that the people ,ent a3out ,ith pale and ,orried facesA and ,hispered ,arnin's and prophecies ,hich no one dared consciously repeat or ac!no,led'e to himself that he had heard. A sense of monstrous 'uilt ,as upon the landA and out of the a3ysses 3et,een the stars s,ept chill currents that made men shiver in dar! and lonely places. There ,as a demoniac alteration in the seDuence of the seasons the autumn heat lin'ered fearsomelyA and everyone felt that the ,orld and perhaps the universe had passed from the control of !no,n 'ods or forces to that of 'ods or forces ,hich ,ere un!no,n. And it ,as then that ;yarlathotep came out of E'ypt. Who he ,asA none could tellA 3ut he ,as of the old native 3lood and loo!ed li!e a >haraoh. The fellahin !nelt ,hen they sa, himA yet could not say ,hy. 2e said he had risen up out of the 3lac!ness of t,enty1seven centuriesA and that he had heard messa'es from places not on this planet. =nto the lands of civilisation came ;yarlathotepA s,arthyA slenderA and sinisterA al,ays 3uyin' stran'e instruments of 'lass and metal and com3inin' them into instruments yet stran'er. 2e spo!e much of the sciences of electricity and psycholo'y and 'ave e%hi3itions of po,er ,hich sent his spectators a,ay speechlessA yet ,hich s,elled his fame to e%ceedin' ma'nitude. 8en advised one another to see ;yarlathotepA and shuddered. And ,here ;yarlathotep ,entA rest vanishedA for the small hours ,ere rent ,ith the screams of ni'htmare. ;ever 3efore had the screams of ni'htmare 3een such a pu3lic pro3lemB no, the ,ise men almost ,ished they could for3id sleep in the small hoursA that the shrie!s of cities mi'ht less horri3ly distur3 the paleA pityin' moon as it 'limmered on 'reen ,aters 'lidin' under 3rid'esA and old steeples crum3lin' a'ainst a sic!ly s!y. = remem3er ,hen ;yarlathotep came to my city the 'reatA the oldA the terri3le city of unnum3ered crimes. 8y friend had told me of himA and of the impellin' fascination and allurement of his revelationsA and = 3urned ,ith ea'erness to e%plore his uttermost mysteries. 8y friend said they ,ere horri3le and impressive 3eyond my most fevered ima'inin'sB and ,hat ,as thro,n on a screen in the dar!ened room prophesied thin's none 3ut ;yarlathotep dared prophesyA and in the sputter of his spar!s there ,as ta!en from men that ,hich had never 3een ta!en 3efore yet ,hich she,ed only in the eyes. And = heard it hinted a3road that those ,ho !ne, ;yarlathotep loo!ed on si'hts ,hich others sa, not. =t ,as in the hot autumn that = ,ent throu'h the ni'ht ,ith the restless cro,ds to see ;yarlathotepB throu'h the stiflin' ni'ht and up the endless stairs into the cho!in' room. And shado,ed on a screenA = sa, hooded forms amidst ruinsA and yello, evil faces peerin' from 3ehind fallen monuments. And = sa, the ,orld 3attlin' a'ainst 3lac!nessB a'ainst the ,aves of destruction from ultimate spaceB ,hirlin'A churnin'A stru''lin' around the dimmin'A coolin' sun. Then the spar!s played amazin'ly around the heads of the spectatorsA and hair stood up on end ,hilst shado,s more 'rotesDue than = can tell came out and sDuatted on the heads. And ,hen =A ,ho ,as colder and more scientific than the

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7&

restA mum3led a trem3lin' protest a3out imposture and static electricityA ;yarlathotep drove us all outA do,n the dizzy stairs into the dampA hotA deserted midni'ht streets. = screamed aloud that = ,as not afraidB that = never could 3e afraidB and others screamed ,ith me for solace. We s,ore to one another that the city ,as e%actly the sameA and still aliveB and ,hen the electric li'hts 3e'an to fade ,e cursed the company over and over a'ainA and lau'hed at the Dueer faces ,e made. = 3elieve ,e felt somethin' comin' do,n from the 'reenish moonA for ,hen ,e 3e'an to depend on its li'ht ,e drifted into curious involuntary marchin' formations and seemed to !no, our destinations thou'h ,e dared not thin! of them. +nce ,e loo!ed at the pavement and found the 3loc!s loose and displaced 3y 'rassA ,ith scarce a line of rusted metal to she, ,here the tram,ays had run. And a'ain ,e sa, a tram1carA loneA ,indo,lessA dilapidatedA and almost on its side. When ,e 'azed around the horizonA ,e could not find the third to,er 3y the riverA and noticed that the silhouette of the second to,er ,as ra''ed at the top. Then ,e split up into narro, columnsA each of ,hich seemed dra,n in a different direction. +ne disappeared in a narro, alley to the leftA leavin' only the echo of a shoc!in' moan. Another filed do,n a ,eed1cho!ed su3,ay entranceA ho,lin' ,ith a lau'hter that ,as mad. 8y o,n column ,as suc!ed to,ard the open countryA and presently = felt a chill ,hich ,as not of the hot autumnB for as ,e stal!ed out on the dar! moorA ,e 3eheld around us the hellish moon1'litter of evil sno,s. Trac!lessA ine%plica3le sno,sA s,ept asunder in one direction onlyA ,here lay a 'ulf all the 3lac!er for its 'litterin' ,alls. The column seemed very thin indeed as it plodded dreamily into the 'ulf. = lin'ered 3ehindA for the 3lac! rift in the 'reen1litten sno, ,as fri'htfulA and = thou'ht = had heard the rever3erations of a disDuietin' ,ail as my companions vanishedB 3ut my po,er to lin'er ,as sli'ht. As if 3ec!oned 3y those ,ho had 'one 3eforeA = half1 floated 3et,een the titanic sno,driftsA Duiverin' and afraidA into the si'htless vorte% of the unima'ina3le. Screamin'ly sentientA dum3ly deliriousA only the 'ods that ,ere can tell. A sic!enedA sensitive shado, ,rithin' in hands that are not handsA and ,hirled 3lindly past 'hastly midni'hts of rottin' creationA corpses of dead ,orlds ,ith sores that ,ere citiesA charnel ,inds that 3rush the pallid stars and ma!e them flic!er lo,. Beyond the ,orlds va'ue 'hosts of monstrous thin'sB half1seen columns of unsanctifled temples that rest on nameless roc!s 3eneath space and reach up to dizzy vacua a3ove the spheres of li'ht and dar!ness. And throu'h this revoltin' 'raveyard of the universe the muffledA maddenin' 3eatin' of drumsA and thinA monotonous ,hine of 3lasphemous flutes from inconceiva3leA unli'hted cham3ers 3eyond TimeB the detesta3le poundin' and pipin' ,hereunto dance slo,lyA a,!,ardlyA and a3surdly the 'i'anticA tene3rous ultimate 'ods the 3lindA voicelessA mindless 'ar'oyles ,hose soul is ;yarlathotep.

Ol$ B%-s
Sheehan<s >ool :oomA ,hich adorns one of the lesser alleys in the heart of Chica'o<s stoc!yard districtA is not a nice place. =ts airA frei'hted ,ith a thousand odours such as Colerid'e may have found at Colo'neA too seldom !no,s the purifyin' rays of the sunB 3ut fi'hts for space ,ith the acrid fumes of unnum3ered cheap ci'ars and ci'arettes ,hich dan'le from the coarse lips of unnum3ered human animals that haunt the place day and ni'ht. But the popularity of Sheehan<s remains unimpairedB and for this there is a reason 11 a reason o3vious to anyone ,ho ,ill ta!e the trou3le to analyse the mi%ed stenches prevailin' there. +ver and a3ove the fumes and sic!enin' closeness rises an aroma once familiar throu'hout the landA 3ut no, happily 3anished to the 3ac! streets of life 3y the edict of a 3enevolent 'overnment 11 the aroma of stron'A ,ic!ed ,his!ey 11 a precious !ind of for3idden fruit indeed in this year of 'race 1) *. Sheehan<s is the ac!no,led'ed centre to Chica'o<s su3terranean traffic in liDuor and narcoticsA and as such has a certain di'nity ,hich e%tends even to the un!empt attaches of the placeB 3ut there ,as until lately one ,ho lay outside the pale of that di'nity 11 one ,ho shared the sDualor and filthA 3ut not the importanceA of Sheehan<s. 2e ,as called L+ld Bu'sLA and ,as the most disreputa3le o3Cect in a disreputa3le environment. What he had once 3eenA many tried to 'uessB for his lan'ua'e and mode of utterance ,hen into%icated to a certain de'ree ,ere such as to e%cite ,ondermentB 3ut ,hat he ,asA presented less difficulty 11 for L+ld Bu'sLA in superlative de'reeA epitomised the pathetic species !no,n as the L3umL or the Ldo,n1and1outerL. Whence he had comeA no one could tell. +ne ni'ht he had 3urst ,ildly into Sheehan<sA foamin' at the mouth and screamin' for ,his!ey and hasheeshB and havin' 3een supplied in e%chan'e for a promise to perform odd Co3sA had hun' a3out ever sinceA moppin' floorsA cleanin' cuspidors and 'lassesA and attendin' to an hundred similar menial duties in e%chan'e for the drin! and dru's ,hich ,ere necessary to !eep him alive and sane. 2e tal!ed 3ut littleA and usually in the common Car'on of the under,orldB 3ut occasionallyA ,hen inflamed 3y an unusually 'enerous dose of crude ,his!eyA ,ould 3urst forth into strin's of incomprehensi3le polysylla3les and snatches of sonorous prose and verse ,hich led certain ha3ituOs to conCecture that he had seen 3etter days. +ne steady patron 11 a 3an! defaulter under cover 11 came to converse ,ith him Duite re'ularlyA and from the tone of his discourse ventured the opinion that he had 3een a ,riter or professor in his day. But the only tan'i3le clue to +ld Bu's< past ,as a faded photo'raph ,hich he constantly carried a3out ,ith him 11 the photo'raph of a youn' ,oman of no3le and 3eautiful features. This he ,ould sometimes dra, from his tattered poc!etA carefully un,rap from its coverin' of tissue paperA and 'aze upon for hours ,ith an e%pression of ineffa3le sadness and tenderness. =t ,as not the portrait of one ,hom an under,orld denizen ,ould 3e li!ely to !no,A 3ut of a lady of 3reedin' and DualityA 'ar3ed in the Duaint attire of thirty years 3efore. +ld Bu's himself seemed also to 3elon' to the pastA for his nondescript clothin' 3ore every hallmar! of antiDuity. 2e ,as a man of immense hei'htA pro3a3ly more than si% feetA thou'h his stoopin' shoulders sometimes 3elied this fact. 2is hairA a dirty ,hite and fallin' out in patchesA ,as never com3edB and over his lean face 're, a man'y stu33le of coarse 3eard ,hich seemed al,ays to remain at the 3ristlin' sta'e 11 never shaven 11 yet never lon' enou'h to form a respecta3le set of ,his!ers. 2is features

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ld Bu's

7&7

had perhaps 3een no3le onceA 3ut ,ere no, seamed ,ith the 'hastly effects of terri3le dissipation. At one time 11 pro3a3ly in middle life 11 he had evidently 3een 'rossly fatB 3ut no, he ,as horri3ly leanA the purple flesh han'in' in loose pouches under his 3leary eyes and upon his chee!s. Alto'etherA +ld Bu's ,as not pleasin' to loo! upon. The disposition of +ld Bu's ,as as odd as his aspect. +rdinarily he ,as true to the derelict type 11 ready to do anythin' for a nic!el or a dose of ,his!ey or hasheesh 11 3ut at rare intervals he she,ed the traits ,hich earned him his name. Then he ,ould try to strai'hten upA and a certain fire ,ould creep into the sun!en eyes. 2is demeanour ,ould assume an un,onted 'race and even di'nityB and the sodden creatures around him ,ould sense somethin' of superiority 11 somethin' ,hich made them less ready to 'ive the usual !ic!s and cuffs to the poor 3utt and drud'e. At these times he ,ould she, a sardonic humour and ma!e remar!s ,hich the fol! of Sheehan<s deemed foolish and irrational. But the spells ,ould soon passA and once more +ld Bu's ,ould resume his eternal floor1 scru33in' and cuspidor1cleanin'. But for one thin' +ld Bu's ,ould have 3een an ideal slave to the esta3lishment 11 and that one thin' ,as his conduct ,hen youn' men ,ere introduced for their first drin!. The old man ,ould then rise from the floor in an'er and e%citementA mutterin' threats and ,arnin'sA and see!in' to dissuade the novices from em3ar!in' upon their course of Lseein' life as it is.L 2e ,ould sputter and fumeA e%plodin' into sesDuipedalian admonitions and stran'e oathsA and animated 3y a fri'htful earnestness ,hich 3rou'ht a shudder to more than one dru'1rac!ed mind in the cro,ded room. But after a time his alcohol1enfee3led 3rain ,ould ,ander from the su3CectA and ,ith a foolish 'rin he ,ould turn once more to his mop or cleanin'1ra'. = do not thin! that many of Sheehan<s re'ular patrons ,ill ever for'et the day that youn' Alfred Trever came. 2e ,as rather a LfindL 11 a rich and hi'h1spirited youth ,ho ,ould L'o the limitL in anythin' he undertoo! 11 at leastA that ,as the verdict of >ete SchultzA Sheehan<s LrunnerLA ,ho had come across the 3oy at 5a,rence Colle'eA in the small to,n of AppletonA Wisconsin. Trever ,as the son of prominent parents in Appleton. 2is fatherA 0arl TreverA ,as an attorney and citizen of distinctionA ,hilst his mother had made an envia3le reputation as a poetess under her maiden name of Eleanor Win'. Alfred ,as himself a scholar and poet of distinctionA thou'h cursed ,ith a certain childish irresponsi3ility ,hich made him an ideal prey for Sheehan<s runner. 2e ,as 3londA handsomeA and spoiledB vivacious and ea'er to taste the several forms of dissipation a3out ,hich he had read and heard. At 5a,rence he had 3een prominent in the moc!1fraternity of LTappa Tappa 0e'LA ,here he ,as the ,ildest and merriest of the ,ild and merry youn' roysterersB 3ut this immatureA colle'iate frivolity did not satisfy him. 2e !ne, deeper vices throu'h 3oo!sA and he no, lon'ed to !no, them at first hand. >erhaps this tendency to,ard ,ildness had 3een stimulated some,hat 3y the repression to ,hich he had 3een su3Cected at homeB for 8rs. Trever had particular reason for trainin' her only child ,ith ri'id severity. She hadA in her o,n youthA 3een deeply and permanently impressed ,ith the horror of dissipation 3y the case of one to ,hom she had for a time 3een en'a'ed. .oun' 7alpinA the fiancO in DuestionA had 3een one of Appleton<s most remar!a3le sons. Attainin' distinction as a 3oy throu'h his ,onderful mentalityA he ,on vast fame at the (niversity of WisconsinA and at the a'e of t,enty1three returned to Appleton to ta!e up a professorship at 5a,rence and to slip a diamond upon the fin'er of Appleton<s fairest and most 3rilliant dau'hter. 4or a season all ,ent happilyA till ,ithout ,arnin' the storm 3urst. Evil ha3itsA datin' from a first drin! ta!en years 3efore in ,oodland seclusionA made themselves manifest in the youn' professorB and only 3y a hurried resi'nation did he

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ld Bu's

7&8

escape a nasty prosecution for inCury to the ha3its and morals of the pupils under his char'e. 2is en'a'ement 3ro!enA 7alpin moved east to 3e'in life ane,B 3ut 3efore lon'A Appletonians heard of his dismissal in dis'race from ;e, .or! (niversityA ,here he had o3tained an instructorship in En'lish. 7alpin no, devoted his time to the li3rary and lecture platformA preparin' volumes and speeches on various su3Cects connected ,ith belles lettresA and al,ays she,in' a 'enius so remar!a3le that it seemed as if the pu3lic must sometime pardon him for his past mista!es. 2is impassioned lectures in defence of ?illonA >oeA ?erlaineA and +scar Wilde ,ere applied to himself as ,ellA and in the short =ndian summer of his 'lory there ,as tal! of a rene,ed en'a'ement at a certain cultured home on >ar! Avenue. But then the 3lo, fell. A final dis'raceA compared to ,hich the others had 3een as nothin'A shattered the illusions of those ,ho had come to 3elieve in 7alpin<s reformB and the youn' man a3andoned his name and disappeared from pu3lic vie,. :umour no, and then associated him ,ith a certain LConsul 2astin'L ,hose ,or! for the sta'e and for motionpicture companies attracted a certain de'ree of attention 3ecause of its scholarly 3readth and depthB 3ut 2astin' soon disappeared from the pu3lic eyeA and 7alpin 3ecame only a name for parents to Duote in ,arnin' accents. Eleanor Win' soon cele3rated her marria'e to 0arl TreverA a risin' youn' la,yerA and of her former admirer retained only enou'h memory to dictate the namin' of her only sonA and the moral 'uidance of that handsome and headstron' youth. ;o,A in spite of all that 'uidanceA Alfred Trever ,as at Sheehan<s and a3out to ta!e his first drin!. LBossAL cried SchultzA as he entered the vile1smellin' room ,ith his youn' victimA Lmeet my friend Al TreverA 3es< li<1< sport up at 5a,rence 11 thasLn AppletonA Wis.A y< !no,. Some s,ell 'uyA too 11 <s father<s a 3i' corp<ration la,yer up in his 3ur'A <n< <s mother<s some fiery 'enius. 2e ,ants to see life as she is 11 ,ants to !no, ,hat the real li'htnin< Cuice tastes li!e 11 so Cus<remem3er he<s me friend an< treat <im ri'ht.L As the names TreverA 5a,renceA and Appleton fell on the airA the loafers seemed to sense somethin' unusual. >erhaps it ,as only some sound connected ,ith the clic!in' 3alls of the pool ta3les or the rattlin' 'lasses that ,ere 3rou'ht from the cryptic re'ions in the rear 11 perhaps only thatA plus some stran'e rustlin' of the dirty draperies at the one din'y ,indo,13ut many thou'ht that someone in the room had 'ritted his teeth and dra,n a very sharp 3reath. L7lad to !no, youA SheehanAL said Trever in a DuietA ,ell13red tone. LThis is my first e%perience in a place li!e thisA 3ut = am a student of lifeA and don<t ,ant to miss any e%perience. There<s poetry in this sort of thin'A you !no, 11 or perhaps you don<t !no,A 3ut it<s all the same. L.oun' fellerAL responded the proprietorA Lya come tuh th< ri'ht place tuh see life. We 'ot all !inds here 11 reel life an< a 'ood time. The damn< 'overnment can try tuh ma!e fol!s 'ood of it ,ants tuhA 3ut it can<t stop a feller from hittinLer up ,hen he feels li!e it. Whaddya ,antA feller 11 3oozeA co!eA or some other sorta dopeG .uh can<t as! for nothin< ,e ain<t 'ot.L 2a3ituOs say that it ,as at this point they noticed a cessation in the re'ularA monotonous stro!es of the mop.

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ld Bu's

7&)

L= ,ant ,his!ey 11 'ood old1fashioned ryeFL e%claimed Trever enthusiastically. L=<ll tell youA =<m 'ood and tired of ,ater after readin' of the merry 3outs fello,s used to have in the old days. = can<t read an Anacreontic ,ithout ,aterin' at the mouth 11 and it<s somethin' a lot stron'er than ,ater that my mouth ,aters forFL LAnacreontic 11 ,hat<n hell<s thatGL several han'ers1on loo!ed up as the youn' man ,ent sli'htly 3eyond their depth. But the 3an! defaulter under cover e%plained to them that Anacreon ,as a 'ay old do' ,ho lived many years a'o and ,rote a3out the fun he had ,hen all the ,orld ,as Cust li!e Sheehan<s. L5et me seeA TreverAL continued the defaulterA Ldidn<t Schultz say your mother is a literary personA tooGL L.esA damn itAL replied TreverA L3ut nothin' li!e the old TeianF She<s one of those dullA eternal moralisers that try to ta!e all the Coy out of life. ;am3y1pam3y sort 11 ever heard of herG She ,rites under her maiden name of Eleanor Win'.L 2ere it ,as that +ld Bu's dropped his mop. LWellA here<s yer stuffAL announced Sheehan Covially as a tray of 3ottles and 'lasses ,as ,heeled into the room. L7ood old ryeA an< as fiery as ya !in find any,<eres in Chi.L The youth<s eyes 'listened and his nostrils curled at the fumes of the 3ro,nish fluid ,hich an attendant ,as pourin' out for him. =t repelled him horri3lyA and revolted all his inherited delicacyB 3ut his determination to taste life to the full remained ,ith himA and he maintained a 3old front. But 3efore his resolution ,as put to the testA the une%pected intervened. +ld Bu'sA sprin'in' up from the crouchin' position in ,hich he had hitherto 3eenA leaped at the youth and dashed from his hands the uplifted 'lassA almost simultaneously attac!in' the tray of 3ottles and 'lasses ,ith his mopA and scatterin' the contents upon the floor in a confusion of odoriferous fluid and 3ro!en 3ottles and tum3lers. ;um3ers of menA or thin's ,hich had 3een menA dropped to the floor and 3e'an lappin' at the puddles of spilled liDuorA 3ut most remained immova3leA ,atchin' the unprecedented actions of the 3arroom drud'e and derelict. +ld Bu's strai'htened up 3efore the astonished TreverA and in a mild and cultivated voice saidA L$o not do this thin'. = ,as li!e you onceA and = did it. ;o, = am li!e 11 this.L LWhat do you meanA you damned old foolGL shouted Trever. LWhat do you mean 3y interferin' ,ith a 'entleman in his pleasuresGL SheehanA no, recoverin' from his astonishmentA advanced and laid a heavy hand on the old ,aif<s shoulder. LThis is the last time far youA old 3irdFL he e%claimed furiously. LWhen a 'en<l<man ,ants tuh ta!e a drin! hereA 3y 7odA he shallA ,ithout you interferin<. ;o, 'et th< hell outa here afore = !ic! hell outa ya.L But Sheehan had rec!oned ,ithout scientific !no,led'e of a3normal psycholo'y and the effects of nervous stimulus. +ld Bu'sA o3tainin' a firmer hold on his mopA 3e'an to ,ield it li!e the Cavelin of a 8acedonian hopliteA and soon cleared a considera3le space around himselfA mean,hile shoutin' various disconnected 3its of DuotationA amon' ,hich ,as prominently repeatedA L . . . the sons of BelialA 3lo,n ,ith insolence and ,ine.L

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ld Bu's

7#*

The room 3ecame pandemoniumA and men screamed and ho,led in fri'ht at the sinister 3ein' they had aroused. Trever seemed dazed in the confusionA and shran! to the ,all as the strife thic!ened. L2e shall not drin!F 2e shall not drin!FL Thus roared +ld Bu's as he seemed to run out of 11 or rise a3ove 11 Duotations. >olicemen appeared at the doorA attracted 3y the noiseA 3ut for a time they made no move to intervene. TreverA no, thorou'hly terrified and cured forever of his desire to see life via the vice routeA ed'ed closer to the 3lue1coated ne,comers. Could he 3ut escape and catch a train for AppletonA he reflectedA he ,ould consider his education in dissipation Duite complete. Then suddenly +ld Bu's ceased to ,ield his Cavelin and stopped still 11 dra,in' himself up more erectly than any denizen of the place had ever seen him 3efore. LA!e& Caesar& moriturus te salutoCL he shoutedA and dropped to the ,his!ey1ree!in' floorA never to rise a'ain. Su3seDuent impressions ,ill never leave the mind of youn' Trever. The picture is 3lurredA 3ut ineradica3le. >olicemen plou'hed a ,ay throu'h the cro,dA Duestionin' everyone closely 3oth a3out the incident and a3out the dead fi'ure on the floor. Sheehan especially did they ply ,ith inDuiriesA yet ,ithout elicitin' any information of value concernin' +ld Bu's. Then the 3an! defaulter remem3ered the pictureA and su''ested that it 3e vie,ed and filed for identification at police headDuarters. An officer 3ent reluctantly over the loathsome 'lassyeyed form and found the tissue1,rapped card3oardA ,hich he passed around amon' the others. LSome chic!enFL leered a drun!en man as he vie,ed the 3eautiful faceA 3ut those ,ho ,ere so3er did not leerA loo!in' ,ith respect and a3ashment at the delicate and spiritual features. ;o one seemed a3le to place the su3CectA and all ,ondered that the dru'1de'raded derelict should have such a portrait in his possession 11 that isA all 3ut the 3an! defaulterA ,ho ,as mean,hile eyein' the intrudin' 3luecoats rather uneasily. 2e had seen a little deeper 3eneath +ld Bu's< mas! of utter de'radation. Then the picture ,as passed to TreverA and a chan'e came over the youth. After the first startA he replaced the tissue ,rappin' around the portraitA as if to shield it from the sordidness of the place. Then he 'azed lon' and searchin'ly at the fi'ure on the floorA notin' its 'reat hei'htA and the aristocratic cast of features ,hich seemed to appear no, that the ,retched flame of life had flic!ered out. ;oA he said hastilyA as the Duestion ,as put to himA he did not !no, the su3Cect of the picture. =t ,as so oldA he addedA that no one no, could 3e e%pected to reco'nise it. But Alfred Trever did not spea! the truthA as many 'uessed ,hen he offered to ta!e char'e of the 3ody and secure its interment in Appleton. +ver the li3rary mantel in his home hun' the e%act replica of that pictureA and all his life he had !no,n and loved its ori'inal. 4or the 'entle and no3le features ,ere those of his o,n mother.

The Other )o$s

Atop the tallest of earth<s pea!s d,ell the 'ods of earthA and suffer not man to tell that he hath loo!ed upon them. 5esser pea!s they once inha3itedB 3ut ever the men from the plains ,ould scale the slopes of roc! and sno,A drivin' the 'ods to hi'her and hi'her mountains till no, only the last remains. When they left their old pea!s they too! ,ith them all si'ns of themselvesA save onceA it is saidA ,hen they left a carven ima'e on the face of the mountain ,hich they called ;'rane!. But no, they have 3eta!en themselves to un!no,n 0adath in the cold ,aste ,here no man treadsA and are 'ro,n sternA havin' no hi'her pea! ,hereto to flee at the comin' of men. They are 'ro,n sternA and ,here once they suffered men to displace themA they no, for3id men to comeB or comin'A to depart. =t is ,ell for men that they !no, not of 0adath in the cold ,asteB else they ,ould see! inCudiciously to scale it. Sometimes ,hen earth<s 'ods are homesic! they visit in the still of the ni'ht the pea!s ,here once they d,eltA and ,eep softly as they try to play in the olden ,ay on remem3ered slopes. 8en have felt the tears of the 'ods on ,hite1capped ThuraiA thou'h they have thou'ht it rainB and have heard the si'hs of the 'ods in the plaintive da,n1,inds of 5erion. =n cloud1ships the 'ods are ,ont to travelA and ,ise cotters have le'ends that !eep them from certain hi'h pea!s at ni'ht ,hen it is cloudyA for the 'ods are not lenient as of old. =n (ltharA ,hich lies 3eyond the river S!aiA once d,elt an old man avid to 3ehold the 'ods of earthB a man deeply learned in the seven cryptical 3oo!s of earthA and familiar ,ith the ,nakotic Manuscripts of distant and frozen 5omar. 2is name ,as Barzai the WiseA and the villa'ers tell of ho, he ,ent up a mountain on the ni'ht of the stran'e eclipse. Barzai !ne, so much of the 'ods that he could tell of their comin's and 'oin'sA and 'uessed so many of their secrets that he ,as deemed half a 'od himself. =t ,as he ,ho ,isely advised the 3ur'esses of (lthar ,hen they passed their remar!a3le la, a'ainst the slayin' of catsA and ,ho first told the youn' priest Atal ,here it is that 3lac! cats 'o at midni'ht on St. 6ohn<s Eve. Barzai ,as learned in the lore of the earth<s 'odsA and had 'ained a desire to loo! upon their faces. 2e 3elieved that his 'reat secret !no,led'e of 'ods could shield him from their ,rathA so resolved to 'o up to the summit of hi'h and roc!y 2athe'10la on a ni'ht ,hen he !ne, the 'ods ,ould 3e there. 2athe'10la is far in the stony desert 3eyond 2athe'A for ,hich it is namedA and rises li!e a roc! statue in a silent temple. Around its pea! the mists play al,ays mournfullyA for mists are the memories of the 'odsA and the 'ods loved 2athe'10la ,hen they d,elt upon it in the old days. +ften the 'ods of earth visit 2athe'10la in their ships of cloudsA castin' pale vapors over the slopes as they dance reminiscently on the summit under a clear moon. The villa'ers of 2athe' say it is ill to clim3 the 2athe'10la at any timeA and deadly to clim3 it 3y ni'ht ,hen pale vapors hide the summit and the moonB 3ut Barzai heeded them not ,hen he came from nei'h3orin' (lthar ,ith the youn' priest AtalA ,ho ,as his disciple. Atal ,as only the son of an inn!eeperA and ,as sometimes afraidB 3ut Barzai<s father had 3een a land'rave ,ho d,elt in an ancient castleA so he had no common superstition in his 3loodA and only lau'hed at the fearful cotters.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The +ther 7ods

7#"

Banzai and Atal ,ent out of 2athe' into the stony desert despite the prayers of peasantsA and tal!ed of earth<s 'ods 3y their campfires at ni'ht. 8any days they traveledA and from afar sa, lofty 2athe'10la ,ith his aureole of mournful mist. +n the thirteenth day they reached the mountain<s lonely 3aseA and Atal spo!e of his fears. But Barzai ,as old and learned and had no fearsA so led the ,ay up the slope that no man had scaled since the time of SansuA ,ho is ,ritten of ,ith fri'ht in the moldy ,nakotic Manuscripts. The ,ay ,as roc!yA and made perilous 3y chasmsA cliffsA and fallin' stones. 5ater it 're, cold and sno,yB and Barzai and Atal often slipped and fell as they he,ed and plodded up,ard ,ith staves and a%es. 4inally the air 're, thinA and the s!y chan'ed colorA and the clim3ers found it hard to 3reatheB 3ut still they toiled up and upA marvelin' at the stran'eness of the scene and thrillin' at the thou'ht of ,hat ,ould happen on the summit ,hen the moon ,as out and the pale vapours spread around. 4or three days they clim3ed hi'her and hi'her to,ard the roof of the ,orldB then they camped to ,ait for the cloudin' of the moon. 4or four ni'hts no clouds cameA and the moon shone do,n cold throu'h the thin mournful mist around the silent pinnacle. Then on the fifth ni'htA ,hich ,as the ni'ht of the full moonA Barzai sa, some dense clouds far to the northA and stayed up ,ith Atal to ,atch them dra, near. Thic! and maCestic they sailedA slo,ly and deli3erately on,ardB ran'in' themselves round the pea! hi'h a3ove the ,atchersA and hidin' the moon and the summit form vie,. 4or a lon' hour the ,atchers 'azedA ,hilst the vapours s,irled and the screen of clouds 're, thic!er and more restless. Barzai ,as ,ise in the lore of earth<s 'odsA and listened hard for certain soundsA 3ut Atal felt the chill of the vapours and the a,e of the ni'htA and feared much. And ,hen Barzai 3e'an to clim3 hi'her and 3ec!on ea'erlyA it ,as lon' 3efore Atal ,ould follo,. So thic! ,ere the vapours that the ,ay ,as hardA and thou'h Atal follo,ed at lastA he could scarce see the 'ray shape of Barzai on the dim slope a3ove in the clouded moonli'ht. Barzai for'ed very far aheadA and seemed despite his a'e to clim3 more easily than AtalB fearin' not the steepness that 3e'an to 'ro, too 'reat for any save a stron' and dauntless manA nor pausin' at ,ide 3lac! chasms that Atal could scarce leap. And so they ,ent up ,ildly over roc!s and 'ulfsA slippin' and stum3lin'A and sometimes a,ed at the vastness and horri3le silence of 3lea! ice pinnacles and mute 'ranite steeps.
?ery suddenly Barzai ,ent out of Atal<s si'htA scalin' a hideous cliff that seemed to 3ul'e out,ard and 3loc! the path for any clim3er not inspired of earth<s 'ods. Atal ,as far 3elo,A and plannin' ,hat she should do ,hen he reached the placeA ,hen curiously he noticed that the li'ht had 'ro,n stron'A as if the cloudless pea! and moonlit meetin'place of the 'ods ,ere very near. And as he scram3led on to,ard the 3ul'in' cliff and litten s!y he felt fears more shoc!in' than any he had !no,n 3efore. Then throu'h the hi'h mists he heard the voice of Barzai shoutin' ,ildly in deli'ht9 L= have heard the 'ods. = have heard earth<s 'ods sin'in' in revelry on 2athe'10laF The voices of earth<s 'ods are !no,n to Barzai the >rophetF The mists are thin and the moon is 3ri'htA and = shall see the 'ods dancin' ,ildly on 2athe'10la that they loved in youth. The ,isdom of Barzai hath made him 'reater than earth<s 'odsA and a'ainst his ,ill their spells and 3arriers are as nau'htB Barzai ,ill 3ehold the 'odsA the proud 'odsA the secret 'odsA the 'ods of earth ,ho spurn the si'ht of manFL

H.P.Lovecr !t

The +ther 7ods

7#&

Atal could not hear the voices Barzai heardA 3ut he ,as no, close to the 3ul'in' cliff and scannin' it for footholds. Then he heard Barzai<s voice 'ro, shriller and louder9 LThe mist is very thinA and the moon casts shado,s on the slopeB the voices of earth<s 'ods are hi'h and ,ildA and they fear the comin' of Barzai the WiseA ,ho is 'reater than they... The moon<s li'ht flic!ersA as earth<s 'ods dance a'ainst itB = shall see the dancin' forms of the 'ods that leap and ho,l in the moonli'ht... The li'ht is dimmer and the 'ods are afraid...L Whilst Barzai ,as shoutin' these thin's Atal felt a spectral chan'e in all the airA as if the la,s of earth ,ere 3o,in' to 'reater la,sB for thou'h the ,ay ,as steeper than everA the up,ard path ,as no, 'ro,n fearsomely easyA and the 3ul'in' cliff proved scarce an o3stacle ,hen he reached it and slid perilously up its conve% face. The li'ht of the moon had stran'ely failedA and as Atal plun'ed up,ard throu'h the mists he heard Barzai the Wise shrie!in' in the shado,s9 LThe moon is dar!A and the 'ods dance in the ni'htB there is terror in the s!yA for upon the moon hath sun! an eclipse foretold in no 3oo!s of men or of earth<s 'ods... There is un!no,n ma'ic on 2athe'10laA for the screams of the fri'htened 'ods have turned to lau'hterA and the slopes of ice shoot up endlessly into the 3lac! heavens ,hither = am plun'in'... 2eiF 2eiF At lastF =n the dim li'ht = 3ehold the 'ods of earthFL And no, AtalA slippin' dizzily up over inconceiva3le steepsA heard in the dar! a loathsome lau'hin'A mi%ed ,ith such a cry as no man else ever heard save in the >hle'ethon of unrelata3le ni'htmaresB a cry ,herein rever3erated the horror and an'uish of a haunted lifetime pac!ed into one atrocious moment9 LThe other 'odsF The other 'odsF The 'ods of the outer hells that 'uard the fee3le 'ods of earthF... 5oo! a,ay... 7o 3ac!... $o not seeF $o not seeF The ven'eance of the infinite a3ysses... That cursedA that damna3le pit... 8erciful 'ods of earthA = am fallin' into the s!yFL And as Atal shut his eyes and stopped his ears and tried to hump do,n,ard a'ainst the fri'htful pull from un!no,n hei'htsA there resounded on 2athe'10la that terri3le peal of thunder ,hich a,a!ed the 'ood cotters of the plains and the honest 3ur'esses of 2athe'A ;ir and (ltharA and caused them to 3ehold throu'h the clouds that stran'e eclipse of the moon that no 3oo! ever predicted. And ,hen the moon came out at last Atal ,as safe on the lo,er sno,s of the mountain ,ithout si'ht of earth<s 'odsA or of the other 'ods. ;o, it is told in the moldy ,nakotic Manuscripts that Sansu found nau'ht 3ut ,ordless ice and roc! ,hen he did clim3 2athe'10la in the youth of the ,orld. .et ,hen the men of (lthar and ;ir and 2athe' crushed their fears and scaled that haunted steep 3y day in search of Barzai the WiseA they found 'raven in the na!ed stone of the summit a curious and cyclopean sym3ol fifty cu3its ,ideA as if the roc! had 3een riven 3y some titanic chisel. And the sym3ol ,as li!e to one that learned men have discerned in those fri'htful parts of the ,nakotic Manuscripts ,hich ,ere too ancient to 3e read. This they found.

Barzai the Wise they never foundA nor could the holy priest Atal ever 3e persuaded to pray for his soul<s repose. 8oreoverA to this day the people of (lthar and ;ir and 2athe' fear eclipsesA and pray 3y ni'ht ,hen pale vapors hide the mountain1top and the moon. And a3ove the mists on 2athe'10laA earth<s 'ods sometimes dance reminiscentlyB for they !no, they are safeA and love to come from un!no,n 0adath in ships of clouds and play in the olden ,ayA as they did ,hen earth ,as ne, and men not 'iven to the clim3in' of inaccessi3le places.

O%t o! the Aeo#s

AMs% found among t"e effects of t"e late *ic"ard 9% Jo"nson& ,"%#%& curator of t"e Cabot Museum of Arc"aeology& Boston& Mass%B

,.
=t is not li!ely that anyone in Boston 1 or any alert reader else,here 1 ,ill ever for'et the stran'e affair of the Ca3ot 8useum. The ne,spaper pu3licity 'iven to that hellish mummyA the antiDue and terri3le rumours va'uely lin!ed ,ith itA the mor3id ,ave of interest and cult activities durin' 1)&"A and the fri'htful fate of the t,o intruders on $ecem3er 1st of that yearA all com3ined to form one of those classic mysteries ,hich 'o do,n for 'enerations as fol!lore and 3ecome the nuclei of ,hole cycles of horrific speculation. Everyone seems to realiseA tooA that somethin' very vital and unuttera3ly hideous ,as suppressed in the pu3lic accounts of the culminant horrors. Those first disDuietin' hints as to the condition of one of the t,o 3odies ,ere dismissed and i'nored too a3ruptly 1 nor ,ere the sin'ular modifications in the mummy 'iven the follo,in'1up ,hich their ne,s value ,ould normally prompt. =t also struc! people as Dueer that the mummy ,as never restored to its case. =n these days of e%pert ta%idermy the e%cuse that its disinte'ratin' condition made e%hi3ition impractica3le seemed a peculiarly lame one. As curator of the museum = am in a position to reveal all the suppressed factsA 3ut this = shall not do durin' my lifetime. There are thin's a3out the ,orld and universe ,hich it is 3etter for the maCority not to !no,A and = have not departed from the opinion in ,hich all of us 1 museum staffA physiciansA reportersA and police 1 concurred at the period of the horror itself. At the same time it seems proper that a matter of such over,helmin' scientific and historic importance should not remain ,holly unrecorded 1 hence this account ,hich = have prepared for the 3enefit of serious students. = shall place it amon' various papers to 3e e%amined after my deathA leavin' its fate to the discretion of my e%ecutors. Certain threats and unusual events durin' the past ,ee!s have led me to 3elieve that my life 1 as ,ell as that of other museum officials 1 is in some peril throu'h the enmity of several ,idespread secret cults of AsiaticsA >olynesiansA and hetero'eneous mystical devoteesB hence it is possi3le that the ,or! of the e%ecutors may not 3e lon' postponed. HE%ecutor<s note9 $r. 6ohnson died suddenly and rather mysteriously of heart1failure on April ""A 1)&&. Went,orth 8ooreA ta%idermist of the museumA disappeared around the middle of the precedin' month. +n 4e3ruary 18 of the same year $r. William 8inotA ,ho superintended a dissection connected ,ith the caseA ,as sta33ed in the 3ac!A dyin' the follo,in' day.I The real 3e'innin' of the horrorA = supposeA ,as in 187) 1 lon' 3efore my term as curator 1 ,hen the museum acDuired that 'hastlyA ine%plica3le mummy from the +rient Shippin' Company. =ts very discovery ,as monstrous and menacin'A for it came from a crypt of un!no,n ori'in and fa3ulous antiDuity on a 3it of land suddenly upheaved from the >acific<s floor.

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ut of the Aeons

7#

+n 8ay 11A 1878A Capt. Charles Weather3ee of the frei'hter EridanusA 3ound from Wellin'tonA ;e, @ealandA to ?alparaisoA ChileA had si'hted a ne, island unmar!ed on any chart and evidently of volcanic ori'in. =t proCected Duite 3oldly out of the sea in the form of a truncated cone. A landin'1party under Capt. Weather3ee noted evidences of lon' su3mersion on the ru''ed slopes ,hich they clim3edA ,hile at the summit there ,ere si'ns of recent destructionA as 3y an earthDua!e. Amon' the scattered ru33le ,ere massive stones of manifestly artificial shapin'A and a little e%amination disclosed the presence of some of that prehistoric Cyclopean masonry found on certain >acific islands and formin' a perpetual archaeolo'ical puzzle. 4inally the sailors entered a massive stone crypt 1 Cud'ed to have 3een part of a much lar'er edificeA and to have ori'inally lain far under'round 1 in one corner of ,hich the fri'htful mummy crouched. After a short period of virtual panicA caused partly 3y certain carvin's on the ,allsA the men ,ere induced to move the mummy to the shipA thou'h it ,as only ,ith fear and loathin' that they touched it. Close to the 3odyA as if once thrust into its clothesA ,as a cylinder of an un!no,n metal containin' a roll of thinA 3luish1,hite mem3rane of eDually un!no,n natureA inscri3ed ,ith peculiar characters in a 'reyishA indetermina3le pi'ment. =n the centre of the vast stone floor ,as a su''estion of a trap1 doorA 3ut the party lac!ed apparatus sufficiently po,erful to move it. The Ca3ot 8useumA then ne,ly esta3lishedA sa, the mea're reports of the discovery and at once too! steps to acDuire the mummy and the cylinder. Curator >ic!man made a personal trip to ?alparaiso and outfitted a schooner to search for the crypt ,here the thin' had 3een foundA thou'h meetin' ,ith failure in this matter. At the recorded position of the island nothin' 3ut the sea<s un3ro!en e%panse could 3e discernedA and the see!ers realised that the same seismic forces ,hich had suddenly thrust the island up had carried it do,n a'ain to the ,atery dar!ness ,here it had 3rooded for untold aeons. The secret of that immova3le trap1door ,ould never 3e solved. The mummy and the cylinderA ho,everA remained 1 and the former ,as placed on e%hi3ition early in ;ovem3erA 187)A in the museum<s hall of mummies. The Ca3ot 8useum of Archaeolo'yA ,hich specialises in such remnants of ancient and un!no,n civilisations as do not fall ,ithin the domain of artA is a small and scarcely famous institutionA thou'h one of hi'h standin' in scientific circles. =t stands in the heart of Boston<s e%clusive Beacon 2ill district 1 in 8t. ?ernon StreetA near 6oy 1 housed in a former private mansion ,ith an added ,in' in the rearA and ,as a source of pride to its austere nei'h3ours until the recent terri3le events 3rou'ht it an undesira3le notoriety. The hall of mummies on the ,estern side of the ori'inal mansion J,hich ,as desi'ned 3y Bulfinch and erected in 181)KA on the second floorA is Custly esteemed 3y historians and anthropolo'ists as har3ourin' the 'reatest collection of its !ind in America. 2ere may 3e found typical e%amples of E'yptian em3almin' from the earliest Sa!!arah specimens to the last Coptic attempts of the ei'hth centuryB mummies of other culturesA includin' the prehistoric =ndian specimens recently found in the Aleutian =slandsB a'onised >ompeian fi'ures moulded in plaster from tra'ic hollo,s in the ruin cho!in' ashesB naturally mummified 3odies from mines and other e%cavations in all parts of the earth 1 some surprised 3y their terri3le entom3ment in the 'rotesDue postures caused 3y their lastA tearin' death1throes 1 everythin'A in shortA ,hich any collection of the sort could ,ell 3e e%pected to contain. =n 187)A of courseA it ,as much less ample than it is no,B yet even then it ,as remar!a3le. But that shoc!in' thin' from the primal Cyclopean crypt on an

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ut of the Aeons

7#-

ephemeral sea1spa,ned island ,as al,ays its chief attraction and most impenetra3le mystery. The mummy ,as that of a medium1sized man of un!no,n raceA and ,as cast in a peculiar crouchin' posture. The faceA half shielded 3y cla,1li!e handsA had its under Ca, thrust far for,ardA ,hile the shrivelled features 3ore an e%pression of fri'ht so hideous that fe, spectators could vie, them unmoved. The eyes ,ere closedA ,ith lids clamped do,n ti'htly over eye3alls apparently 3ul'in' and prominent. Bits of hair and 3eard remainedA and the colour of the ,hole ,as a sort of dull neutral 'rey. =n te%ture the thin' ,as half leathery and half stonyA formin' an insolu3le eni'ma to those e%perts ,ho sou'ht to ascertain ho, it ,as em3almed. =n places 3its of its su3stance ,ere eaten a,ay 3y time and decay. :a's of some peculiar fa3ricA ,ith su''estions of un!no,n desi'nsA still clun' to the o3Cect. 6ust ,hat made it so infinitely horri3le and repulsive one could hardly say. 4or one thin'A there ,as a su3tleA indefina3le sense of limitless antiDuity and utter aliena'e ,hich affected one li!e a vie, from the 3rin! of a monstrous a3yss of unplum3ed 3lac!ness 1 3ut mostly it ,as the e%pression of crazed fear on the puc!eredA pro'nathousA half1shielded face. Such a sym3ol of infiniteA inhumanA cosmic fri'ht could not help communicatin' the emotion to the 3eholder amidst a disDuietin' cloud of mystery and vain conCecture. Amon' the discriminatin' fe, ,ho freDuented the Ca3ot 8useum this relic of an elderA for'otten ,orld soon acDuired an unholy fameA thou'h the institution<s seclusion and Duiet policy prevented it from 3ecomin' a popular sensation of the LCardiff 7iantL sort. =n the last century the art of vul'ar 3allyhoo had not invaded the field of scholarship to the e%tent it has no, succeeded in doin'. ;aturallyA savants of various !inds tried their 3est to classify the fri'htful o3CectA thou'h al,ays ,ithout success. Theories of a 3y'one >acific civilisationA of ,hich the Easter =sland ima'es and the me'alithic masonry of >onape and ;an18atol are conceiva3le vesti'esA ,ere freely circulated amon' studentsA and learned Cournals carried varied and often conflictin' speculations on a possi3le former continent ,hose pea!s survive as the myriad islands of 8elanesia and >olynesia. The diversity in dates assi'ned to the hypothetical vanished culture 1 or continent 1 ,as at once 3e,ilderin' and amusin'B yet some surprisin'ly relevant allusions ,ere found in certain myths of Tahiti and other islands. 8ean,hile the stran'e cylinder and its 3afflin' scroll of un!no,n hiero'lyphsA carefully preserved in the museum li3raryA received their due share of attention. ;o Duestion could e%ist as to their association ,ith the mummyB hence all realised that in the unravellin' of their mystery the mystery of the shrivelled horror ,ould in all pro3a3ility 3e unravelled as ,ell. The cylinderA a3out four inches lon' 3y seven1ei'hths of an inch in diameterA ,as of a Dueerly iridescent metal utterly defyin' chemical analysis and seemin'ly impervious to all rea'ents. =t ,as ti'htly fitted ,ith a cap of the same su3stanceA and 3ore en'raved fi'urin's of an evidently decorative and possi3ly sym3olic nature 1 conventional desi'ns ,hich seemed to follo, a peculiarly alienA parado%icalA and dou3tfully descri3a3le system of 'eometry. ;ot less mysterious ,as the scroll it contained 1 a neat roll of some thinA 3luish1,hiteA unanalysa3le mem3raneA coiled round a slim rod of metal li!e that of the cylinderA and un,indin' to a len'th of some t,o feet. The lar'eA 3old hiero'lyphsA e%tendin' in a narro, line do,n the centre of the scroll and penned or painted ,ith a 'rey pi'ment defyin'

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ut of the Aeons

7#7

analystsA resem3led nothin' !no,n to lin'uists and palaeo'raphersA and could not 3e deciphered despite the transmission of photo'raphic copies to every livin' e%pert in the 'iven field. =t is true that a fe, scholarsA unusually versed in the literature of occultism and ma'icA found va'ue resem3lances 3et,een some of the hiero'lyphs and certain primal sym3ols descri3ed or cited in t,o or three very ancientA o3scureA and esoteric te%ts such as the Boo! of Ei3onA reputed to descend from for'otten 2yper3oreaB the >na!otic fra'mentsA alle'ed to 3e pre1humanB and the monstrous and for3idden ;ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul Alhazred. ;one of these resem3lancesA ho,everA ,as 3eyond disputeB and 3ecause of the prevailin' lo, estimation of occult studiesA no effort ,as made to circulate copies of the hiero'lyphs amon' mystical specialists. 2ad such circulation occurred at this early dateA the later history of the case mi'ht have 3een very differentB indeedA a 'lance at the hiero'lyphs 3y any reader of von 6unzt<s horri3le ;ameless Cults ,ould have esta3lished a lin!a'e of unmista!a3le si'nificance. At this periodA ho,everA the readers of that monstrous 3lasphemy ,ere e%ceedin'ly fe,B copies havin' 3een incredi3ly scarce in the interval 3et,een the suppression of the ori'inal $usseldorf edition J18&)K and of the Bride,ell translation J18# K and the pu3lication of the e%pur'ated reprint 3y the 7olden 7o3lin >ress in 1)*). >ractically spea!in'A no occultist or student of the primal past<s esoteric lore had his attention called to the stran'e scroll until the recent out3urst of sensational Cournalism ,hich precipitated the horri3le clima%.

,,.
Thus matters 'lided alon' for a half1century follo,in' the installation of the fri'htful mummy at the museum. The 'ruesome o3Cect had a local cele3rity amon' cultivated BostoniansA 3ut no more than thatB ,hile the very e%istence of the cylinder and scroll 1 after a decade of futile research 1 ,as virtually for'otten. So Duiet and conservative ,as the Ca3ot 8useum that no reporter or feature ,riter ever thou'ht of invadin' its uneventful precincts for ra33le1tic!lin' material. The invasion of 3allyhoo commenced in the sprin' of 1)&1A ,hen a purchase of some,hat spectacular nature 1 that of the stran'e o3Cects and ine%plica3ly preserved 3odies found in crypts 3eneath the almost vanished and evilly famous ruins of Chateau 4aussesflammesA in Averoi'neA 4rance 1 3rou'ht the museum prominently into the ne,s columns. True to its Lhustlin'L policyA the Boston >illar sent a Sunday feature ,riter to cover the incident and pad it ,ith an e%a''erated 'eneral account of the institution itselfB and this youn' man 1 Stuart :eynolds 3y name 1 hit upon the nameless mummy as a potential sensation far surpassin' the recent acDuisitions nominally formin' his chief assi'nment. A smatterin' of theosophical loreA and a fondness for the speculations of such ,riters as Colonel Church,ard and 5e,is Spence concernin' lost continents and primal for'otten civilisationsA made :eynolds especially alert to,ard any aeonian relic li!e the un!no,n mummy. At the museum the reporter made himself a nuisance throu'h constant and not al,ays intelli'ent Duestionin's and endless demands for the movement of encased o3Cects to permit photo'raphs from unusual an'les. =n the 3asement li3rary room he pored endlessly over the stran'e metal cylinder and its mem3raneous scrollA photo'raphin' them from

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ut of the Aeons

7#8

every an'le and securin' pictures of every 3it of the ,eird hiero'lyphed te%t. 2e li!e,ise as!ed to see all 3oo!s ,ith any 3earin' ,hatever on the su3Cect of primal cultures and sun!en continents 1 sittin' for three hours ta!in' notesA and leavin' only in order to hasten to Cam3rid'e for a si'ht Jif permission ,ere 'rantedK of the a3horred and for3idden ;ecronomicon at the Widener 5i3rary. +n April th the article appeared in the Sunday >illarA smothered in photo'raphs of mummyA cylinderA and hiero'lyphed scrollA and couched in the peculiarly simperin'A infantile style ,hich the >illar affects for the 3enefit of its vast and mentally immature clientele. 4ull of inaccuraciesA e%a''erationsA and sensationalismA it ,as precisely the sort of thin' to stir the 3rainless and fic!le interest of the herd 1 and as a result the once Duiet museum 3e'an to 3e s,armed ,ith chatterin' and vacuously starin' thron's such as its stately corridors had never !no,n 3efore. There ,ere scholarly and intelli'ent visitorsA tooA despite the puerility of the article 1 the pictures had spo!en for themselves 1 and many persons of mature attainments sometimes see the >illar 3y accident. = recall one very stran'e character ,ho appeared durin' ;ovem3er 1 a dar!A tur3anedA and 3ushily 3earded man ,ith a la3ouredA unnatural voiceA curiously e%pressionless faceA clumsy hands covered ,ith a3surd ,hite mittensA ,ho 'ave a sDualid West End address and called himself LS,ami ChandraputraL. This fello, ,as un3elieva3ly erudite in occult lore and seemed profoundly and solemnly moved 3y the resem3lance of the hiero'lyphs on the scroll to certain si'ns and sym3ols of a for'otten elder ,orld a3out ,hich he professed vast intuitive !no,led'e. By 6uneA the fame of the mummy and scroll had lea!ed far 3eyond BostonA and the museum had inDuiries and reDuests for photo'raphs from occultists and students of arcana all over the ,orld. This ,as not alto'ether pleasin' to our staffA since ,e are a scientific institution ,ithout sympathy for fantastic dreamersB yet ,e ans,ered all Duestions ,ith civility. +ne result of these catechisms ,as a hi'hly learned article in The +ccult :evie, 3y the famous ;e, +rleans mystic Etienne15aurent de 8ari'nyA in ,hich ,as asserted the complete identity of some of the odd 'eometrical desi'ns on the iridescent cylinderA and of several of the hiero'lyphs on the mem3raneous scrollA ,ith certain ideo'raphs of horri3le si'nificance Jtranscri3ed from primal monoliths or from the secret rituals of hidden 3ands of esoteric students and devoteesK reproduced in the hellish and suppressed Blac! Boo! or ;ameless Cults of von 6unzt. $e 8ari'ny recalled the fri'htful death of von 6unzt in 18#*A a year after the pu3lication of his terri3le volume at $usseldorfA and commented on his 3lood1curdlin' and partly suspected sources of information. A3ove allA he emphasised the enormous relevance of the tales ,ith ,hich von 6unzt lin!ed most of the monstrous ideo'raphs he had reproduced. That these talesA in ,hich a cylinder and scroll ,ere e%pressly mentionedA held a remar!a3le su''estion of relationship to the thin's at the museumA no one could denyB yet they ,ere of such 3reath1ta!in' e%trava'ance 1 involvin' such un3elieva3le s,eeps of time and such fantastic anomalies of a for'otten elder ,orld 1 that one could much more easily admire than 3elieve them. Admire them the pu3lic certainly didA for copyin' in the press ,as universal. =llustrated articles spran' up every,hereA tellin' or purportin' to tell the le'ends in the Blac! Boo!A e%patiatin' on the horror of the mummyA comparin' the cylinder<s desi'ns and the scroll<s hiero'lyphs ,ith the fi'ures reproduced 3y von 6unztA and indul'in' in the ,ildestA most

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ut of the Aeons

7#)

sensationalA and most irrational theories and speculations. Attendance at the museum ,as tre3ledA and the ,idespread nature of the interest ,as attested 3y the plethora of mail on the su3Cect 1 most of it inane and superfluous 1 received at the museum. Apparently the mummy and its ori'in formed 1 for ima'inative people 1 a close rival to the depression as chief topic of 1)&1 and 1)&". 4or my o,n partA the principal effect of the furore ,as to ma!e me read von 6unzt<s monstrous volume in the 7olden 7o3lin edition 1 a perusal ,hich left me dizzy and nauseatedA yet than!ful that = had not seen the utter infamy of the une%pur'ated te%t.

,,,.
The archaic ,hispers reflected in the Blac! Boo!A and lin!ed ,ith desi'ns and sym3ols so closely a!in to ,hat the mysterious scroll and cylinder 3oreA ,ere indeed of a character to hold one spell3ound and not a little a,estruc!. 5eapin' an incredi3le 'ulf of time 1 3ehind all the civilisationsA racesA and lands ,e !no, 1 they clustered round a vanished nation and a vanished continent of the mistyA fa3ulous da,n1years . . . that to ,hich le'end has 'iven the name of 8uA and ,hich old ta3lets in the primal ;aacal ton'ue spea! of as flourishin' "**A*** years a'oA ,hen Europe har3oured only hy3rid entitiesA and lost 2yper3orea !ne, the nameless ,orship of 3lac! amorphous Tsatho''ua. There ,as mention of a !in'dom or province called 0<naa in a very ancient land ,here the first human people had found monstrous ruins left 3y those ,ho had d,elt there 3efore 1 va'ue ,aves of un!no,n entities ,hich had filtered do,n from the stars and lived out their aeons on a for'ottenA nascent ,orld. 0<naa ,as a sacred placeA since from its midst the 3lea! 3asalt cliffs of 8ount .addith17ho soared star!ly into the s!yA topped 3y a 'i'antic fortress of Cyclopean stoneA infinitely older than man!ind and 3uilt 3y the alien spa,n of the dar! planet .u''othA ,hich had colonised the earth 3efore the 3irth of terrestrial life. The spa,n of .u''oth had perished aeons 3eforeA 3ut had left 3ehind them one monstrous and terri3le livin' thin' ,hich could never die 1 their hellish 'od or patron daemon 7hatanothoaA ,hich 'lo,ered and 3rooded eternally thou'h unseen in the crypts 3eneath that fortress on .addith17ho. ;o human creature had ever clim3ed .addith17ho or seen that 3lasphemous fortress e%cept as a distant and 'eometrically a3normal outline a'ainst the s!yB yet most a'reed that 7hatanothoa ,as still thereA ,allo,in' and 3urro,in' in unsuspected a3ysses 3eneath the me'alithic ,alls. There ,ere al,ays those ,ho 3elieved that sacrifices must 3e made to 7hatanothoaA lest it cra,l out of its hidden a3ysses and ,addle horri3ly throu'h the ,orld of men as it had once ,addled throu'h the primal ,orld of the .u''oth1spa,n. >eople said that if no victims ,ere offeredA 7hatanothoa ,ould ooze up to the li'ht of day and lum3er do,n the 3asalt cliffs of .addith17ho 3rin'in' doom to all it mi'ht encounter. 4or no livin' thin' could 3ehold 7hatanothoaA or even a perfect 'raven ima'e of 7hatanothoaA ho,ever smallA ,ithout sufferin' a chan'e more horri3le than death itself. Si'ht of the 'odA or its ima'eA as all the le'ends of the .u''oth1spa,n a'reedA meant paralysis and petrifaction of a sin'ularly shoc!in' sortA in ,hich the victim ,as turned to stone and leather on the outsideA ,hile the 3rain ,ithin remained perpetually alive 1 horri3ly fi%ed and prisoned throu'h the a'esA and maddenin'ly conscious of the passa'e of

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intermina3le epochs of helpless inaction till chance and time mi'ht complete the decay of the petrified shell and leave it e%posed to die. 8ost 3rainsA of courseA ,ould 'o mad lon' 3efore this aeon1deferred release could arrive. ;o human eyesA it ,as saidA had ever 'limpsed 7hatanothoaA thou'h the dan'er ,as as 'reat no, as it had 3een for the .u''oth1 spa,n. And so there ,as a cult in 0<naa ,hich ,orshipped 7hatanothoa and each year sacrificed to it t,elve youn' ,arriors and t,elve youn' maidens. These victims ,ere offered up on flamin' altars in the mar3le temple near the mountain<s 3aseA for none dared clim3 .addith17ho<s 3asalt cliffs or dra, near to the Cyclopean prehuman stron'hold on its crest. ?ast ,as the po,er of the priests of 7hatanothoaA since upon them alone depended the preservation of 0<naa and of all the land of 8u from the petrifyin' emer'ence of 7hatanothoa out of its un!no,n 3urro,s. There ,ere in the land an hundred priests of the $ar! 7odA under =mash18o the 2i'h1 >riestA ,ho ,al!ed 3efore 0in' Tha3on at the ;ath1feastA and stood proudly ,hilst the 0in' !nelt at the $horic shrine. Each priest had a mar3le houseA a chest of 'oldA t,o hundred slavesA and an hundred concu3inesA 3esides immunity from civil la, and the po,er of life and death over all in 0<naa save the priests of the 0in'. .et in spite of these defenders there ,as ever a fear in the land lest 7hatanothoa slither up from the depths and lurch viciously do,n the mountain to 3rin' horror and petrification to man!ind. =n the latter years the priests for3ade men even to 'uess or ima'ine ,hat its fri'htful aspect mi'ht 3e. =t ,as in the .ear of the :ed 8oon Jestimated as B.C. 17&A1#8 3y von 6unztK that a human 3ein' first dared to 3reathe defiance a'ainst 7hatanothoa and its nameless menace. This 3old heretic ,as T<yo'A 2i'h1>riest of Shu31;i''urath and 'uardian of the copper temple of the 7oat ,ith a Thousand .oun'. T<yo' had thou'ht lon' on the po,ers of the various 'odsA and had had stran'e dreams and revelations touchin' the life of this and earlier ,orlds. =n the end he felt sure that the 'ods friendly to man could 3e arrayed a'ainst the hostile 'odsA and 3elieved that Shu31;i''urathA ;u'A and .e3A as ,ell as .i' the Serpent1'odA ,ere ready to ta!e sides ,ith man a'ainst the tyranny and presumption of 7hatanothoa. =nspired 3y the 8other 7oddessA T<yo' ,rote do,n a stran'e formula in the hieratic ;aacal of his orderA ,hich he 3elieved ,ould !eep the possessor immune from the $ar! 7od<s petrifyin' po,er. With this protectionA he reflectedA it mi'ht 3e possi3le for a 3old man to clim3 the dreaded 3asalt cliffs and 1 first of all human 3ein's 1 enter the Cyclopean fortress 3eneath ,hich 7hatanothoa reputedly 3rooded. 4ace to face ,ith the 'odA and ,ith the po,er of Shu31;i''urath and her sons on his sideA T<yo' 3elieved that he mi'ht 3e a3le to 3rin' it to terms and at last deliver man!ind from its 3roodin' menace. With humanity freed throu'h his effortsA there ,ould 3e no limits to the honours he mi'ht claim. All the honours of the priests of 7hatanothoa ,ould perforce 3e transferred to himB and even !in'ship or 'odhood mi'ht conceiva3ly 3e ,ithin his reach. So T<yo' ,rote his protective formula on a scroll of ptha'on mem3rane Jaccordin' to von 6unztA the inner s!in of the e%tinct ya1!ith1lizardK and enclosed it in a carven cylinder of la'h metal 1 the metal 3rou'ht 3y the Elder +nes from .u''othA and found in no mine of earth. This charmA carried in his ro3eA ,ould ma!e him proof a'ainst the menace of 7hatanothoa 1 it ,ould even restore the $ar! 7od<s petrified victims if that monstrous

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7 1

entity should ever emer'e and 3e'in its devastations. Thus he proposed to 'o up the shunned and man1untrodden mountainA invade the alien1an'led citadel of Cyclopean stoneA and confront the shoc!in' devil1entity in its lair. +f ,hat ,ould follo,A he could not even 'uessB 3ut the hope of 3ein' man!ind<s saviour lent stren'th to his ,ill. 2e hadA ho,everA rec!oned ,ithout the Cealousy and self1interest of 7hatanothoa<s pampered priests. ;o sooner did they hear of his plan than 1 fearful for their presti'e and privile'e in case the $aemon17od should 3e dethroned 1 they set up a frantic clamour a'ainst the so1called sacrile'eA cryin' that no man mi'ht prevail a'ainst 7hatanothoaA and that any effort to see! it out ,ould merely provo!e it to a hellish onslau'ht a'ainst man!ind ,hich no spell or priestcraft could hope to avert. With those cries they hoped to turn the pu3lic mind a'ainst T<yo'B yet such ,as the people<s yearnin' for freedom from 7hatanothoaA and such their confidence in the s!ill and zeal of T<yo'A that all the protestations came to nau'ht. Even the 0in'A usually a puppet of the priestsA refused to for3id T<yo'<s darin' pil'rima'e. =t ,as then that the priests of 7hatanothoa did 3y stealth ,hat they could not do openly. +ne ni'ht =mash18oA the 2i'h1>riestA stole to T<yo' in his temple cham3er and too! from his sleepin' form the metal cylinderB silently dra,in' out the potent scroll and puttin' in its place another scroll of 'reat similitudeA yet varied enou'h to have no po,er a'ainst any 'od or daemon. When the cylinder ,as slipped 3ac! into the sleeper<s cloa! =mash18o ,as contentA for he !ne, T<yo' ,as little li!ely to study that cylinder<s contents a'ain. Thin!in' himself protected 3y the true scrollA the heretic ,ould march up the for3idden mountain and into the Evil >resence 1 and 7hatanothoaA unchec!ed 3y any ma'icA ,ould ta!e care of the rest. =t ,ould no lon'er 3e needful for 7hatanothoa<s priests to preach a'ainst the defiance. 5et T<yo' 'o his ,ay and meet his doom. And secretlyA the priests ,ould al,ays cherish the stolen scroll 1 the true and potent charm 1 handin' it do,n from one 2i'h1>riest to another for use in any dim future ,hen it mi'ht 3e needful to contravene the $evil17od<s ,ill. So the rest of the ni'ht =mash18o slept in 'reat peaceA ,ith the true scroll in a ne, cylinder fashioned for its har3oura'e. =t ,as da,n on the $ay of the S!y14lames Jnomenclature undefined 3y von 6unztK that T<yo'A amidst the prayers and chantin' of the people and ,ith 0in' Tha3on<s 3lessin' on his headA started up the dreaded mountain ,ith a staff of tlath1,ood in his ri'ht hand. Within his ro3e ,as the cylinder holdin' ,hat he thou'ht to 3e the true charm 1 for he had indeed failed to find out the imposture. ;or did he see any irony in the prayers ,hich =mash18o and the other priests of 7hatanothoa intoned for his safety and success. All that mornin' the people stood and ,atched as T<yo'<s d,indlin' form stru''led up the shunned 3asalt slope hitherto alien to men<s footstepsA and many stayed ,atchin' lon' after he had vanished ,here a perilous led'e led round to the mountain<s hidden side. That ni'ht a fe, sensitive dreamers thou'ht they heard a faint tremor convulsin' the hated pea!B thou'h most ridiculed them for the statement. ;e%t day vast cro,ds ,atched the mountain and prayedA and ,ondered ho, soon T<yo' ,ould return. And so the ne%t dayA and the ne%t. 4or ,ee!s they hoped and ,aitedA and then they ,ept. ;or did anyone ever see T<yo'A ,ho ,ould have saved man!ind from fearsA a'ain.

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7 "

Thereafter men shuddered at T<yo'<s presumptionA and tried not to thin! of the punishment his impiety had met. And the priests of 7hatanothoa smiled to those ,ho mi'ht resent the 'od<s ,ill or challen'e its ri'ht to the sacrifices. =n later years the ruse of =mash18o 3ecame !no,n to the peopleB yet the !no,led'e availed not to chan'e the 'eneral feelin' that 7hatanothoa ,ere 3etter left alone. ;one ever dared to defy it a'ain. And so the a'es rolled onA and 0in' succeeded 0in'A and 2i'h1>riest succeeded 2i'h1 >riestA and nations rose and decayedA and lands rose a3ove the sea and returned into the sea. And ,ith many millennia decay fell upon 0<naa 1 till at last on a hideous day of storm and thunderA terrific rum3lin'A and mountain1hi'h ,avesA all the land of 8u san! into the sea forever. .et do,n the later aeons thin streams of ancient secrets tric!led. =n distant lands there met to'ether 'rey1faced fu'itives ,ho had survived the sea1fiend<s ra'eA and stran'e s!ies dran! the smo!e of altars reared to vanished 'ods and daemons. Thou'h none !ne, to ,hat 3ottomless deep the sacred pea! and Cyclopean fortress of dreaded 7hatanothoa had sun!A there ,ere still those ,ho mum3led its name and offered to it nameless sacrifices lest it 3u33le up throu'h lea'ues of ocean and sham3le amon' men spreadin' horror and petrifaction. Around the scattered priests 're, the rudiments of a dar! and secret cult 1 secret 3ecause the people of the ne, lands had other 'ods and devilsA and thou'ht only evil of elder and alien ones 1 and ,ithin that cult many hideous thin's ,ere doneA and many stran'e o3Cects cherished. =t ,as ,hispered that a certain line of elusive priests still har3oured the true charm a'ainst 7hatanothoa ,hich =mash18o stole from the sleepin' T<yo'B thou'h none remained ,ho could read or understand the cryptic sylla3lesA or ,ho could even 'uess in ,hat part of the ,orld the lost 0<naaA the dreaded pea! of .addith1 7hoA and the titan fortress of the $evil17od had lain. Thou'h it flourished chiefly in those >acific re'ions around ,hich 8u itself had once stretchedA there ,ere rumours of the hidden and detested cult of 7hatanothoa in ill1fated AtlantisA and on the a3horred plateau of 5en'. ?on 6unzt implied its presence in the fa3led su3terrene !in'dom of 0<n1yanA and 'ave clear evidence that it had penetrated E'yptA ChaldaeaA >ersiaA ChinaA the for'otten Semite empires of AfricaA and 8e%ico and >eru in the ;e, World. That it had a stron' conne%ion ,ith the ,itchcraft movement in EuropeA a'ainst ,hich the 3ulls of popes ,ere vainly directedA he more than stron'ly hinted. The WestA ho,everA ,as never favoura3le to its 'ro,thB and pu3lic indi'nation 1 aroused 3y 'limpses of hideous rites and nameless sacrifices 1 ,holly stamped out many of its 3ranches. =n the end it 3ecame a huntedA dou3ly furtive under'round affair 1 yet never could its nucleus 3e Duite e%terminated. =t al,ays survived someho,A chiefly in the 4ar East and on the >acific =slandsA ,here its teachin's 3ecame mer'ed into the esoteric lore of the >olynesian Areoi. ?on 6unzt 'ave su3tle and disDuietin' hints of actual contact ,ith the cultB so that as = read = shuddered at ,hat ,as rumoured a3out his death. 2e spo!e of the 'ro,th of certain ideas re'ardin' the appearance of the $evil17od 1 a creature ,hich no human 3ein' Junless it ,ere the too1darin' T<yo'A ,ho had never returnedK had ever seen 1 and contrasted this ha3it of speculation ,ith the ta3oo prevailin' in ancient 8u a'ainst any attempt to ima'ine ,hat the horror loo!ed li!e. There ,as a peculiar fearfulness a3out the devotees< a,ed and fascinated ,hispers on this su3Cect 1 ,hispers heavy ,ith mor3id curiosity concernin' the precise nature of ,hat T<yo' mi'ht have confronted in that

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7 &

fri'htful pre1human edifice on the dreaded and no,1sun!en mountains 3efore the end Jif it ,as an endK finally came 1 and = felt oddly distur3ed 3y the 7erman scholar<s o3liDue and insidious references to this topic. Scarcely less distur3in' ,ere von 6unzt<s conCectures on the ,herea3outs of the stolen scroll of cantrips a'ainst 7hatanothoaA and on the ultimate uses to ,hich this scroll mi'ht 3e put. $espite all my assurance that the ,hole matter ,as purely mythicalA = could not help shiverin' at the notion of a latter1day emer'ence of the monstrous 'odA and at the picture of an humanity turned suddenly to a race of a3normal statuesA each encasin' a livin' 3rain doomed to inert and helpless consciousness for untold aeons of futurity. The old $usseldorf savant had a poisonous ,ay of su''estin' more than he statedA and = could understand ,hy his damna3le 3oo! ,as suppressed in so many countries as 3lasphemousA dan'erousA and unclean. = ,rithed ,ith repulsionA yet the thin' e%erted an unholy fascinationB and = could not lay it do,n till = had finished it. The alle'ed reproductions of desi'ns and ideo'raphs from 8u ,ere marvellously and startlin'ly li!e the mar!in's on the stran'e cylinder and the characters on the scrollA and the ,hole account teemed ,ith details havin' va'ueA irritatin' su''estions of resem3lance to thin's connected ,ith the hideous mummy. The cylinder and scroll 1 the >acific settin' 1 the persistent notion of old Capt. Weather3ee that the Cyclopean crypt ,here the mummy ,as found had once lain under a vast 3uildin' . . . someho, = ,as va'uely 'lad that the volcanic island had sun! 3efore that massive su''estion of a trapdoor could 3e opened.

,V.
What = read in the Blac! Boo! formed a fiendishly apt preparation for the ne,s items and closer events ,hich 3e'an to force themselves upon me in the sprin' of 1)&". = can scarcely recall Cust ,hen the increasin'ly freDuent reports of police action a'ainst the odd and fantastical reli'ious cults in the +rient and else,here commenced to impress meB 3ut 3y 8ay or 6une = realised that there ,asA all over the ,orldA a surprisin' and un,onted 3urst of activity on the part of 3izarreA furtiveA and esoteric mystical or'anisations ordinarily Duiescent and seldom heard from. =t is not li!ely that = ,ould have connected these reports ,ith either the hints of von 6unzt or the popular furore over the mummy and cylinder in the museumA 3ut for certain si'nificant sylla3les and persistent resem3lances 1 sensationally d,elt upon 3y the press 1 in the rites and speeches of the various secret cele3rants 3rou'ht to pu3lic attention. As it ,asA = could not help remar!in' ,ith disDuiet the freDuent recurrence of a name 1 in various corrupt forms 1 ,hich seemed to constitute a focal point of all the cult ,orshipA and ,hich ,as o3viously re'arded ,ith a sin'ular mi%ture of reverence and terror. Some of the forms Duoted ,ere 7<tantaA TanotahA Than1ThaA 7atanA and 0tan1Tah 1 and it did not reDuire the su''estions of my no, numerous occultist correspondents to ma!e me see in these variants a hideous and su''estive !inship to the monstrous name rendered 3y von 6unzt as 7hatanothoa. There ,ere other disDuietin' featuresA too. A'ain and a'ain the reports cited va'ueA a,estruc! references to a Ltrue scrollL 1 somethin' on ,hich tremendous conseDuences

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seemed to hin'eA and ,hich ,as mentioned as 3ein' in the custody of a certain L;a'o3LA ,hoever and ,hatever he mi'ht 3e. 5i!e,iseA there ,as an insistent repetition of a name ,hich sounded li!e To'A Tio!A .o'A @o3A or .o3A and ,hich my more and more e%cited consciousness involuntarily lin!ed ,ith the name of the hapless heretic T<yo' as 'iven in the Blac! Boo!. This name ,as usually uttered in conne%ion ,ith such cryptical phrases as L=t is none other than heLA L2e had loo!ed upon its faceLA L2e !no,s allA thou'h he can neither see nor feelLA L2e has 3rou'ht the memory do,n throu'h the aeonsLA LThe true scroll ,ill release himLA L;a'o3 has the true scrollLA L2e can tell ,here to find itL. Somethin' very Dueer ,as undou3tedly in the airA and = did not ,onder ,hen my occultist correspondentsA as ,ell as the sensational Sunday papersA 3e'an to connect the ne, a3normal stirrin's ,ith the le'ends of 8u on the one handA and ,ith the fri'htful mummy<s recent e%ploitation on the other hand. The ,idespread articles in the first ,ave of press pu3licityA ,ith their insistent lin!a'e of the mummyA cylinderA and scroll ,ith the tale in the Blac! Boo!A and their crazily fantastic speculations a3out the ,hole matterA mi'ht very ,ell have roused the latent fanaticism in hundreds of those furtive 'roups of e%otic devotees ,ith ,hich our comple% ,orld a3ounds. ;or did the papers cease addin' fuel to the flames 1 for the stories on the cult1stirrin's ,ere even ,ilder than the earlier series of yarns. As the summer dre, onA attendants noticed a curious ne, element amon' the thron's of visitors ,hich 1 after a lull follo,in' the first 3urst of pu3licity 1 ,ere a'ain dra,n to the museum 3y the second furore. 8ore and more freDuently there ,ere persons of stran'e and e%otic aspect 1 s,arthy AsiaticsA lon'1haired nondescriptsA and 3earded 3ro,n men ,ho seemed unused to European clothes 1 ,ho ,ould invaria3ly inDuire for the hall of mummies and ,ould su3seDuently 3e found starin' at the hideous >acific specimen in a verita3le ecstasy of fascination. Some DuietA sinister undercurrent in this flood of eccentric forei'ners seemed to impress all the 'uardsA and = myself ,as far from undistur3ed. = could not help thin!in' of the prevailin' cult1stirrin's amon' Cust such e%otics as these 1 and the conne%ion of those stirrin's ,ith myths all too close to the fri'htful mummy and its cylinder scroll. At times = ,as half tempted to ,ithdra, the mummy from e%hi3ition 1 especially ,hen an attendant told me that he had several times 'limpsed stran'ers ma!in' odd o3eisances 3efore itA and had overheard sin'1son' mutterin's ,hich sounded li!e chants or rituals addressed to it at hours ,hen the visitin' thron's ,ere some,hat thinned. +ne of the 'uards acDuired a Dueer nervous hallucination a3out the petrified horror in the lone 'lass caseA alle'in' that he could see from day to day certain va'ueA su3tleA and infinitely sli'ht chan'es in the frantic fle%ion of the 3ony cla,sA and in the fear1crazed e%pression of the leathery face. 2e could not 'et rid of the loathsome idea that those horri3leA 3ul'in' eyes ,ere a3out to pop suddenly open. =t ,as early in Septem3erA ,hen the curious cro,ds had lessened and the hall of mummies ,as sometimes vacantA that the attempt to 'et at the mummy 3y cuttin' the 'lass of its case ,as made. The culpritA a s,arthy >olynesianA ,as spied in time 3y a 'uardA and ,as overpo,ered 3efore any dama'e occurred. (pon investi'ation the fello, turned out to 3e an 2a,aiian notorious for his activity in certain under'round reli'ious cultsA and havin' a considera3le police record in conne%ion ,ith a3normal and inhuman rites and sacrifices. Some of the papers found in his room ,ere hi'hly puzzlin' and distur3in'A includin' many sheets covered ,ith hiero'lyphs closely resem3lin' those on the scroll at the museum and

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+ut of the Aeons

in the Blac! Boo! of von 6unztB 3ut re'ardin' these thin's he could not 3e prevailed upon to spea!. Scarcely a ,ee! after this incidentA another attempt to 'et at the mummy 1 this time 3y tamperin' ,ith the loc! of his case 1 resulted in a second arrest. The offenderA a Cin'aleseA had as lon' and unsavoury a record of loathsome cult activities as the 2a,aiian had possessedA and displayed a !indred un,illin'ness to tal! to the police. What made this case dou3ly and dar!ly interestin' ,as that a 'uard had noticed this man several times 3eforeA and had heard him addressin' to the mummy a peculiar chant containin' unmista!a3le repetitions of the ,ord LT<yo'L. As a result of this affair = dou3led the 'uards in the hall of mummiesA and ordered them never to leave the no, notorious specimen out of si'htA even for a moment. As may ,ell 3e ima'inedA the press made much of these t,o incidentsA revie,in' its tal! of primal and fa3ulous 8uA and claimin' 3oldly that the hideous mummy ,as none other than the darin' heretic T<yo'A petrified 3y somethin' he had seen in the pre1human citadel he had invadedA and preserved intact throu'h 17 A*** years of our planet<s tur3ulent history. That the stran'e devotees represented cults descended from 8uA and that they ,ere ,orshippin' the mummy 1 or perhaps even see!in' to a,a!en it to life 3y spells and incantations 1 ,as emphasised and reiterated in the most sensational fashion. Writers e%ploited the insistence of the old le'ends that the 3rain of 7hatanothoa<s petrified victims remained conscious and unaffected 1 a point ,hich served as a 3asis for the ,ildest and most impro3a3le speculations. The mention of a Ltrue scrollL also received due attention 1 it 3ein' the prevailin' popular theory that T<yo'<s stolen charm a'ainst 7hatanothoa ,as some,here in e%istenceA and that cult1mem3ers ,ere tryin' to 3rin' it into contact ,ith T<yo' himself for some purpose of their o,n. +ne result of this e%ploitation ,as that a third ,ave of 'apin' visitors 3e'an floodin' the museum and starin' at the hellish mummy ,hich served as a nucleus for the ,hole stran'e and distur3in' affair. =t ,as amon' this ,ave of spectators 1 many of ,hom made repeated visits 1 that tal! of the mummy<s va'uely chan'in' aspect first 3e'an to 3e ,idespread. = suppose 1 despite the distur3in' notion of the nervous 'uard some months 3efore 1 that the museum<s personnel ,as too ,ell used to the constant si'ht of odd shapes to pay close attention to detailsB in any caseA it ,as the e%cited ,hispers of visitors ,hich at len'th aroused the 'uards to the su3tle mutation ,hich ,as apparently in pro'ress. Almost simultaneously the press 'ot hold of it 1 ,ith 3latant results ,hich can ,ell 3e ima'ined. ;aturallyA = 'ave the matter my most careful o3servationA and 3y the middle of +cto3er decided that a definite disinte'ration of the mummy ,as under ,ay. Throu'h some chemical or physical influence in the airA the half1stonyA half1leathery fi3res seemed to 3e 'radually rela%in'A causin' distinct variations in the an'les of the lim3s and in certain details of the fear1t,isted facial e%pression. After a half1century of perfect preservation this ,as a hi'hly disconcertin' developmentA and = had the museum<s ta%idermistA $r. 8ooreA 'o carefully over the 'ruesome o3Cect several times. 2e reported a 'eneral rela%ation and softenin'A and 'ave the thin' t,o or three astrin'ent sprayin'sA 3ut did not dare to attempt anythin' drastic lest there 3e a sudden crum3lin' and accelerated decay.

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+ut of the Aeons

7 -

The effect of all this upon the 'apin' cro,ds ,as curious. 2eretofore each ne, sensation sprun' 3y the press had 3rou'ht fresh ,aves of starin' and ,hisperin' visitorsA 3ut no, 1 thou'h the papers 3lathered endlessly a3out the mummy<s chan'es 1 the pu3lic seemed to have acDuired a definite sense of fear ,hich outran!ed even its mor3id curiosity. >eople seemed to feel that a sinister aura hovered over the museumA and from a hi'h pea! the attendance fell to a level distinctly 3elo, normal. This lessened attendance 'ave added prominence to the stream of frea!ish forei'ners ,ho continued to infest the placeA and ,hose num3ers seemed in no ,ay diminished. +n ;ovem3er 18th a >eruvian of =ndian 3lood suffered a stran'e hysterical or epileptic seizure in front of the mummyA after,ard shrie!in' from his hospital cotA L=t tried to open its eyesF 1 T<yo' tried to open his eyes and stare at meFL = ,as 3y this time on the point of removin' the o3Cect from e%hi3itionA 3ut permitted myself to 3e overruled at a meetin' of our very conservative directors. 2o,everA = could see that the museum ,as 3e'innin' to acDuire an unholy reputation in its austere and Duiet nei'h3ourhood. After this incident = 'ave instructions that no one 3e allo,ed to pause 3efore the monstrous >acific relic for more than a fe, minutes at a time. =t ,as on ;ovem3er "#thA after the museum<s five o<cloc! closin'A that one of the 'uards noticed a minute openin' of the mummy<s eyes. The phenomenon ,as very sli'ht 1 nothin' 3ut a thin crescent of cornea 3ein' visi3le in either eye 1 3ut it ,as none the less of the hi'hest interest. $r. 8ooreA havin' 3een summoned hastilyA ,as a3out to study the e%posed 3its of eye3all ,ith a ma'nifier ,hen his handlin' of the mummy caused the leathery lids to fall ti'htly shut a'ain. All 'entle efforts to open them failedA and the ta%idermist did not dare to apply drastic measures. When he notified me of all this 3y telephone = felt a sense of mountin' dread hard to reconcile ,ith the apparently simple event concerned. 4or a moment = could share the popular impression that some evilA amorphous 3li'ht from unplum3ed deeps of time and space hun' mur!ily and menacin'ly over the museum. T,o ni'hts later a sullen 4ilipino ,as tryin' to secrete himself in the museum at closin' time. Arrested and ta!en to the stationA he refused even to 'ive his nameA and ,as detained as a suspicious person. 8ean,hile the strict surveillance of the mummy seemed to discoura'e the odd hordes of forei'ners from hauntin' it. At leastA the num3er of e%otic visitors distinctly fell off after the enforcement of the Lmove alon'L order. =t ,as durin' the early mornin' hours of ThursdayA $ecem3er 1stA that a terri3le clima% developed. At a3out one o<cloc! horri3le screams of mortal fri'ht and a'ony ,ere heard issuin' from the museumA and a series of frantic telephone calls from nei'h3ours 3rou'ht to the scene Duic!ly and simultaneously a sDuad of police and several museum officialsA includin' myself. Some of the policemen surrounded the 3uildin' ,hile othersA ,ith the officialsA cautiously entered. =n the main corridor ,e found the ni'ht ,atchman stran'led to death 1 a 3it of East =ndian hemp still !notted around his nec! 1 and realised that despite all precautions some dar!ly evil intruder or intruders had 'ained access to the place. ;o,A ho,everA a tom31li!e silence enfolded everythin' and ,e almost feared to advance upstairs to the fateful ,in' ,here ,e !ne, the core of the trou3le must lur!. We felt a 3it more steadied after floodin' the 3uildin' ,ith li'ht from the central s,itches in the corridorA and finally crept reluctantly up the curvin' staircase and throu'h a lofty arch,ay to the hall of mummies.

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ut of the Aeons

7 7

V.
=t is from this point on,ard that reports of the hideous case have 3een censored 1 for ,e have all a'reed that no 'ood can 3e accomplished 3y a pu3lic !no,led'e of those terrestrial conditions implied 3y the further developments. = have said that ,e flooded the ,hole 3uildin' ,ith li'ht 3efore our ascent. ;o, 3eneath the 3eams that 3eat do,n on the 'listenin' cases and their 'ruesome contentsA ,e sa, outspread a mute horror ,hose 3afflin' details testified to happenin's utterly 3eyond our comprehension. There ,ere t,o intruders 1 ,ho ,e after,ard a'reed must have hidden in the 3uildin' 3efore closin' time 1 3ut they ,ould never 3e e%ecuted for the ,atchman<s murder. They had already paid the penalty. +ne ,as a Burmese and the other a 4iCi1=slander 1 3oth !no,n to the police for their share in fri'htful and repulsive cult activities. They ,ere deadA and the more ,e e%amined them the more utterly monstrous and unnama3le ,e felt their manner of death to 3e. +n 3oth faces ,as a more ,holly frantic and inhuman loo! of fri'ht than even the oldest policeman had ever seen 3eforeB yet in the state of the t,o 3odies there ,ere vast and si'nificant differences. The Burmese lay collapsed close to the nameless mummy<s caseA from ,hich a sDuare of 'lass had 3een neatly cut. =n his ri'ht hand ,as a scroll of 3luish mem3rane ,hich = at once sa, ,as covered ,ith 'reyish hiero'lyphs 1 almost a duplicate of the scroll in the stran'e cylinder in the li3rary do,nstairsA thou'h later study 3rou'ht out su3tle differences. There ,as no mar! of violence on the 3odyA and in vie, of the desperateA a'onised e%pression on the t,isted face ,e could only conclude that the man died of sheer fri'ht. =t ,as the closely adCacent 4iCianA thou'hA that 'ave us the profoundest shoc!. +ne of the policemen ,as the first to feel of himA and the cry of fri'ht he emitted added another shudder to that nei'h3ourhood<s ni'ht of terror. We ou'ht to have !no,n from the lethal 'reyness of the once13lac!A fear1t,isted faceA and of the 3ony hands 1 one of ,hich still clutched an electric torch 1 that somethin' ,as hideously ,ron'B yet every one of us ,as unprepared for ,hat that officer<s hesitant touch disclosed. Even no, = can thin! of it only ,ith a paro%ysm of dread and repulsion. To 3e 3rief 1 the hapless invaderA ,ho less than an hour 3efore had 3een a sturdy livin' 8elanesian 3ent on un!no,n evilsA ,as no, a ri'idA ash1'rey fi'ure of stonyA leathery petrificationA in every respect identical ,ith the crouchin'A aeon1old 3lasphemy in the violated 'lass case. .et that ,as not the ,orst. Cro,nin' all other horrorsA and indeed seizin' our shoc!ed attention 3efore ,e turned to the 3odies on the floorA ,as the state of the fri'htful mummy. ;o lon'er could its chan'es 3e called va'ue and su3tleA for it had no, made radical shifts of posture. =t had sa''ed and slumped ,ith a curious loss of ri'idityB its 3ony cla,s had sun! until they no lon'er even partly covered its leatheryA fear1crazed faceB and 1 7od help usF 1 its hellish 3ul'in' eyes had popped ,ide openA and seemed to 3e starin' directly at the t,o intruders ,ho had died of fri'ht or ,orse. That 'hastlyA dead1fish stare ,as hideously mesmerisin'A and it haunted us all the time ,e ,ere e%aminin' the 3odies of the invaders. =ts effect on our nerves ,as damna3ly DueerA for ,e someho, felt a curious ri'idity creepin' over us and hamperin' our simplest motions 1 a ri'idity ,hich later vanished very oddly ,hen ,e passed the hiero'lyphed

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ut of the Aeons

7 8

scroll around for inspection. Every no, and then = felt my 'aze dra,n irresisti3ly to,ard those horri3le 3ul'in' eyes in the caseA and ,hen = returned to study them after vie,in' the 3odies = thou'ht = detected somethin' very sin'ular a3out the 'lassy surface of the dar! and marvellously ,ell1preserved pupils. The more = loo!edA the more fascinated = 3ecameB and at last = ,ent do,n to the office 1 despite that stran'e stiffness in my lim3s 1 and 3rou'ht up a stron' multiple ma'nifyin' 'lass. With this = commenced a very close and careful survey of the fishy pupilsA ,hile the others cro,ded e%pectantly around. = had al,ays 3een rather sceptical of the theory that scenes and o3Cects 3ecome photo'raphed on the retina of the eye in cases of death or comaB yet no sooner did = loo! throu'h the lens than = realised the presence of some sort of ima'e other than the room<s reflection in the 'lassyA 3ul'in' optics of this nameless spa,n of the aeons. CertainlyA there ,as a dimly outlined scene on the a'e1old retinal surfaceA and = could not dou3t that it formed the last thin' on ,hich those eyes had loo!ed in life 1 countless millennia a'o. =t seemed to 3e steadily fadin'A and = fum3led ,ith the ma'nifier in order to shift another lens into place. .et it must have 3een accurate and clear1cutB even if infinitesimally smallA ,hen 1 in response to some evil spell or act connected ,ith their visit 1 it had confronted those intruders ,ho ,ere fri'htened to death. With the e%tra lens = could ma!e out many details formerly invisi3leA and the a,ed 'roup around me hun' on the flood of ,ords ,ith ,hich = tried to tell ,hat = sa,. 4or hereA in the year 1)&"A a man in the city of Boston ,as loo!in' on somethin' ,hich 3elon'ed to an un!no,n and utterly alien ,orld 1 a ,orld that vanished from e%istence and normal memory aeons a'o. There ,as a vast room 1 a cham3er of Cyclopean masonry 1 and = seemed to 3e vie,in' it from one of its corners. +n the ,alls ,ere carvin's so hideous that even in this imperfect ima'e their star! 3lasphemousness and 3estiality sic!ened me. = could not 3elieve that the carvers of these thin's ,ere humanA or that they had ever seen human 3ein's ,hen they shaped the fri'htful outlines ,hich leered at the 3eholder. =n the centre of the cham3er ,as a colossal trap1door of stoneA pushed up,ard to permit the emer'ence of some o3Cect from 3elo,. The o3Cect should have 3een clearly visi3le 1 indeedA must have 3een ,hen the eyes first opened 3efore the fear1stric!en intruders 1 thou'h under my lenses it ,as merely a monstrous 3lur. As it happenedA = ,as studyin' the ri'ht eye only ,hen = 3rou'ht the e%tra ma'nification into play. A moment later = ,ished fervently that my search had ended there. As it ,asA ho,everA the zeal of discovery and revelation ,as upon meA and = shifted my po,erful lenses to the mummy<s left eye in the hope of findin' the ima'e less faded on that retina. 8y handsA trem3lin' ,ith e%citement and unnaturally stiff from some o3scure influenceA ,ere slo, in 3rin'in' the ma'nifier into focusA 3ut a moment later = realised that the ima'e ,as less faded than in the other eye. = sa, in a mor3id flash of half1distinctness the insuffera3le thin' ,hich ,as ,ellin' up throu'h the prodi'ious trap1door in that CyclopeanA immemorially archaic crypt of a lost ,orld 1 and fell faintin' ,ith an inarticulate shrie! of ,hich = am not even ashamed. By the time = revived there ,as no distinct ima'e of anythin' in either eye of the monstrous mummy. Ser'eant 0eefe of the police loo!ed ,ith my 'lassA for = could not 3rin' myself to face that a3normal entity a'ain. And = than!ed all the po,ers of the cosmos that = had not loo!ed earlier than = did. =t too! all my resolutionA and a 'reat deal of solicitationA to ma!e me relate ,hat = had 'limpsed in the hideous moment of revelation. =ndeedA = could not spea! till ,e had all adCourned to the office 3elo,A out of si'ht of that

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ut of the Aeons

7 )

daemoniac thin' ,hich could not 3e. 4or = had 3e'un to har3our the most terri3le and fantastic notions a3out the mummy and its 'lassyA 3ul'in' eyes 1 that it had a !ind of hellish consciousnessA seein' all that occurred 3efore it and tryin' vainly to communicate some fri'htful messa'e from the 'ulfs of time. That meant madness 1 3ut at last = thou'ht = mi'ht 3e 3etter off if = told ,hat = had half seen. After allA it ,as not a lon' thin' to tell. +ozin' and sur'in' up out of that ya,nin' trap1 door in the Cyclopean crypt = had 'limpsed such an un3elieva3le 3ehemothic monstrosity that = could not dou3t the po,er of its ori'inal to !ill ,ith its mere si'ht. Even no, = cannot 3e'in to su''est it ,ith any ,ords at my command. = mi'ht call it 'i'antic 1 tentacled 1 pro3oscidian 1 octopus1eyed 1 semi1amorphous 1 plastic 1 partly sDuamous and partly ru'ose 1 u'hF But nothin' = could say could even adum3rate the loathsomeA unholyA non1humanA e%tra1'alactic horror and hatefulness and unuttera3le evil of that for3idden spa,n of 3lac! chaos and illimita3le ni'ht. As = ,rite these ,ords the associated mental ima'e causes me to lean 3ac! faint and nauseated. As = told of the si'ht to the men around me in the officeA = had to fi'ht to preserve the consciousness = had re'ained. ;or ,ere my hearers much less moved. ;ot a man spo!e a3ove a ,hisper for a full Duarter1hourA and there ,ere a,edA half1furtive references to the fri'htful lore in the Blac! Boo!A to the recent ne,spaper tales of cult1stirrin'sA and to the sinister events in the museum. 7hatanothoa . . . Even its smallest perfect ima'e could petrify 1 T<yo' 1 the false scroll 1 he never came 3ac! 1 the true scroll ,hich could fully or partly undo the petrification 1 did it surviveG 1 the hellish cults 1 the phrases overheard 1 L=t is none other than heL 1 L2e had loo!ed upon its faceL 1 L2e !no,s allA thou'h he can neither see nor feelL 1 L2e had 3rou'ht the memory do,n throu'h the aeonsL 1 LThe true scroll ,ill release himL 1 L;a'o3 has the true scrollL 1 L2e can tell ,here to find it.L +nly the healin' 'reyness of the da,n 3rou'ht us 3ac! to sanityB a sanity ,hich made of that 'limpse of mine a closed topic 1 somethin' not to 3e e%plained or thou'ht of a'ain. We 'ave out only partial reports to the pressA and later on cooperated ,ith the papers in ma!in' other suppressions. 4or e%ampleA ,hen the autopsy she,ed the 3rain and several other internal or'ans of the petrified 4iCian to 3e fresh and unpetrifiedA thou'h hermetically sealed 3y the petrification of the e%terior flesh 1 an anomaly a3out ,hich physicians are still 'uardedly and 3e,ilderedly de3atin' 1 ,e did not ,ish a furore to 3e started. We !ne, too ,ell ,hat the yello, CournalsA remem3erin' ,hat ,as said of the intact13rained and still1conscious state of 7hatanothoa<s stony1leathery victimsA ,ould ma!e of this detail. As matters stoodA they pointed out that the man ,ho had held the hiero'lyphed scroll 1 and ,ho had evidently thrust it at the mummy throu'h the openin' in the case 1 ,as not petrifiedA ,hile the man ,ho had not held it ,as. When they demanded that ,e ma!e certain e%periments 1 applyin' the scroll 3oth to the stony1leathery 3ody of the 4iCian and to the mummy itself 1 ,e indi'nantly refused to a3et such superstitious notions. +f courseA the mummy ,as ,ithdra,n from pu3lic vie, and transferred to the museum la3oratory a,aitin' a really scientific e%amination 3efore some suita3le medical authority. :emem3erin' past eventsA ,e !ept it under a strict 'uardB 3ut even soA an attempt ,as made to enter the museum at "9" a.m. on $ecem3er th. >rompt ,or!in' of the 3ur'lar alarm frustrated the desi'nA thou'h unfortunately the criminal or criminals escaped. That no hint of anythin' further ever reached the pu3licA = am profoundly than!ful. = ,ish devoutly that there ,ere nothin' more to tell. There ,illA of courseA 3e lea!sA and if

H.P.Lovecr !t

+ut of the Aeons

7-*

anythin' happens to me = do not !no, ,hat my e%ecutors ,ill do ,ith this manuscriptB 3ut at least the case ,ill not 3e painfully fresh in the multitude<s memory ,hen the revelation comes. BesidesA no one ,ill 3elieve the facts ,hen they are finally told. That is the curious thin' a3out the multitude. When their yello, press ma!es hintsA they are ready to s,allo, anythin'B 3ut ,hen a stupendous and a3normal revelation is actually madeA they lau'h it aside as a lie. 4or the sa!e of 'eneral sanity it is pro3a3ly 3etter so. = have said that a scientific e%amination of the fri'htful mummy ,as planned. This too! place on $ecem3er 8thA e%actly a ,ee! after the hideous culmination of eventsA and ,as conducted 3y the eminent $r. William 8inotA in conCunction ,ith Went,orth 8ooreA Sc.$.A ta%idermist of the museum. $r. 8inot had ,itnessed the autopsy of the oddly petrified 4iCian the ,ee! 3efore. There ,ere also present 8essrs. 5a,rence Ca3ot and $udley Saltonstall of the museum<s trusteesA $rs. 8asonA WellsA and Carver of the museum staffA t,o representatives of the pressA and myself. $urin' the ,ee! the condition of the hideous specimen had not visi3ly chan'edA thou'h some rela%ation of its fi3res caused the position of the 'lassyA open eyes to shift sli'htly from time to time. All of the staff dreaded to loo! at the thin' 1 for its su''estion of DuietA conscious ,atchin' had 3ecome intolera3le 1 and it ,as only ,ith an effort that = could 3rin' myself to attend the e%amination. $r. 8inot arrived shortly after 19** p.m.A and ,ithin a fe, minutes 3e'an his survey of the mummy. Considera3le disinte'ration too! place under his handsA and in vie, of this 1 and of ,hat ,e told him concernin' the 'radual rela%ation of the specimen since the first of +cto3er 1 he decided that a thorou'h dissection ou'ht to 3e made 3efore the su3stance ,as further impaired. The proper instruments 3ein' present in the la3oratory eDuipmentA he 3e'an at onceB e%claimin' aloud at the oddA fi3rous nature of the 'reyA mummified su3stance. But his e%clamation ,as still louder ,hen he made the first deep incisionA for out of that cut there slo,ly tric!led a thic! crimson stream ,hose nature 1 despite the infinite a'es dividin' this hellish mummy<s lifetime from the present 1 ,as utterly unmista!a3le. A fe, more deft stro!es revealed various or'ans in astonishin' de'rees of non1petrified preservation 1 allA indeedA 3ein' intact e%cept ,here inCuries to the petrified e%terior had 3rou'ht a3out malformation or destruction. The resem3lance of this condition to that found in the fri'ht1!illed 4iCi1=slander ,as so stron' that the eminent physician 'asped in 3e,ilderment. The perfection of those 'hastly 3ul'in' eyes ,as uncannyA and their e%act state ,ith respect to petrification ,as very difficult to determine. At &9&* p.m. the 3rain1case ,as opened 1 and ten minutes later our stunned 'roup too! an oath of secrecy ,hich only such 'uarded documents as this manuscript ,ill ever modify. Even the t,o reporters ,ere 'lad to confirm the silence. 4or the openin' had revealed a pulsin'A livin' 3rain.

The O%tsi$er
(nhappy is he to ,hom the memories of childhood 3rin' only fear and sadness. Wretched is he ,ho loo!s 3ac! upon lonehours in vast and dismal cham3ers ,ith 3ro,n han'in's and maddenin' ro,s of antiDue 3oo!sA or upon a,ed ,atches int,ili'ht 'roves of 'rotesDueA 'i'anticA and vine1encum3ered trees that silently ,ave t,isted 3ranches far aloft. Such a lot the 'ods 'ave to me 1 to meA the dazedA the disappointedB the 3arrenA the 3ro!en. And yet = am stran'ely content and clin' desperately to those sere memoriesA ,hen my mind momentarily threatens to reach 3eyond to the other. = !no, not ,here = ,as 3ornA save that the castle ,as infinitely old and infinitely horri3leA full of dar! passa'es and havin' hi'h ceilin's ,here the eye could find only co3,e3s and shado,s. The stones in the crum3lin' corridors seemed al,ays hideously dampA and there ,as an accursed smell every,hereA as of the piled1up corpses of dead 'enerations. =t ,as never li'htA so that = used sometimes to li'ht candles and 'aze steadily at them for reliefA nor ,as there any sun outdoorsA since the terri3le trees 're, hi'h a3ove the topmost accessi3le to,er. There ,as one 3lac! to,er ,hich reached a3ove the trees into the un!no,n outer s!yA 3ut that ,as partly ruined and could not 3e ascended save 3y a ,ell1ni'h impossi3le clim3 up the sheer ,allA stone 3y stone. = must have lived years in this placeA 3ut = cannot measure the time. Bein's must have cared for my needsA yet = cannot recall any person e%cept myselfA or anythin' alive 3ut the noiseless rats and 3ats and spiders. = thin! that ,hoever nursed me must have 3een shoc!in'ly a'edA since my first conception of a livin' person ,as that of some3ody moc!in'ly li!e myselfA yet distortedA shrivelledA and decayin' li!e the castle. To me there ,as nothin' 'rotesDue in the 3ones and s!eletons that stre,ed some of the stone crypts deep do,n amon' the foundations. = fantastically associated these thin's ,ith everyday eventsA and thou'ht them more natural than the coloured pictures of livin' 3ein's ,hich = found in many of the mouldy 3oo!s. 4rom such 3oo!s = learned all that = !no,. ;o teacher ur'ed or 'uided meA and = do not recall hearin' any human voice in all those years 1 not even my o,nB for althou'h = had read of speechA = had never thou'ht to try to spea! aloud. 8y aspect ,as a matter eDually unthou'ht ofA for there ,ere no mirrors in the castleA and = merely re'arded myself 3y instinct as a!in to the youthful fi'ures = sa, dra,n and painted in the 3oo!s. = felt conscious of youth 3ecause = remem3ered so little. +utsideA across the putrid moat and under the dar! mute treesA = ,ould often lie and dream for hours a3out ,hat = read in the 3oo!sB and ,ould lon'in'ly picture myself amidst 'ay cro,ds in the sunny ,orld 3eyond the endless forests. +nce = tried to escape from the forestA 3ut as = ,ent farther from the castle the shade 're, denser and the air more filled ,ith 3roodin' fearB so that = ran frantically 3ac! lest = lose my ,ay in a la3yrinth of ni'hted silence. So throu'h endless t,ili'hts = dreamed and ,aitedA thou'h = !ne, not ,hat = ,aited for. Then in the shado,y solitude my lon'in' for li'ht 're, so frantic that = could rest no moreA and = lifted entreatin' hands to the sin'le 3lac! ruined to,er that reached a3ove the forest into the un!no,n outer s!y. And at last = resolved to scale that to,erA fall thou'h = mi'htB since it ,ere 3etter to 'limpse the s!y and perishA than to live ,ithout ever 3eholdin' day.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The +utsider

7-"

=n the dan! t,ili'ht = clim3ed the ,orn and a'ed stone stairs till = reached the level ,here they ceasedA and thereafter clun' perilously to small footholds leadin' up,ard. 7hastly and terri3le ,as that deadA stairless cylinder of roc!B 3lac!A ruinedA and desertedA and sinister ,ith startled 3ats ,hose ,in's made no noise. But more 'hastly and terri3le still ,as the slo,ness of my pro'ressB for clim3 as = mi'htA the dar!ness overhead 're, no thinnerA and a ne, chill as of haunted and venera3le mould assailed me. = shivered as = ,ondered ,hy = did not reach the li'htA and ,ould have loo!ed do,n had = dared. = fancied that ni'ht had come suddenly upon meA and vainly 'roped ,ith one free hand for a ,indo, em3rasureA that = mi'ht peer out and a3oveA and try to Cud'e the hei'ht = had once attained. All at onceA after an infinity of a,esomeA si'htlessA cra,lin' up that concave and desperate precipiceA = felt my head touch a solid thin'A and = !ne, = must have 'ained the roofA or at least some !ind of floor. =n the dar!ness = raised my free hand and tested the 3arrierA findin' it stone and immova3le. Then came a deadly circuit of the to,erA clin'in' to ,hatever holds the slimy ,all could 'iveB till finally my testin' hand found the 3arrier yieldin'A and = turned up,ard a'ainA pushin' the sla3 or door ,ith my head as = used 3oth hands in my fearful ascent. There ,as no li'ht revealed a3oveA and as my hands ,ent hi'her = !ne, that my clim3 ,as for the nonce endedB since the sla3 ,as the trapdoor of an aperture leadin' to a level stone surface of 'reater circumference than the lo,er to,erA no dou3t the floor of some lofty and capacious o3servation cham3er. = cra,led throu'h carefullyA and tried to prevent the heavy sla3 from fallin' 3ac! into placeA 3ut failed in the latter attempt. As = lay e%hausted on the stone floor = heard the eerie echoes of its fallA hoped ,hen necessary to pry it up a'ain. Believin' = ,as no, at prodi'ious hei'htA far a3ove the accursed 3ranches of the ,oodA = dra''ed myself up from the floor and fum3led a3out for ,indo,sA that = mi'ht loo! for the first time upon the s!yA and the moon and stars of ,hich = had read. But on every hand = ,as disappointedB since all that = found ,ere vast shelves of mar3leA 3earin' odious o3lon' 3o%es of distur3in' size. 8ore and more = reflectedA and ,ondered ,hat hoary secrets mi'ht a3ide in this hi'h apartment so many aeons cut off from the castle 3elo,. Then une%pectedly my hands came upon a door,ayA ,here hun' a portal of stoneA rou'h ,ith stran'e chisellin'. Tryin' itA = found it loc!edB 3ut ,ith a supreme 3urst of stren'th = overcame all o3stacles and dra''ed it open in,ard. As = did so there came to me the purest ecstasy = have ever !no,nB for shinin' tranDuilly throu'h an ornate 'ratin' of ironA and do,n a short stone passa'e,ay of steps that ascended from the ne,ly found door,ayA ,as the radiant full moonA ,hich = had never 3efore seen save in dreams and in va'ue visions = dared not call memories. 4ancyin' no, that = had attained the very pinnacle of the castleA = commenced to rush up the fe, steps 3eyond the doorB 3ut the sudden veilin' of the moon 3y a cloud caused me to stum3leA and = felt my ,ay more slo,ly in the dar!. =t ,as still very dar! ,hen = reached the 'ratin' 1 ,hich = tried carefully and found unloc!edA 3ut ,hich = did not open for fear of fallin' from the amazin' hei'ht to ,hich = had clim3ed. Then the moon came out. 8ost demoniacal of all shoc!s is that of the a3ysmally une%pected and 'rotesDuely un3elieva3le. ;othin' = had 3efore under'one could compare in terror ,ith ,hat = no, sa,B ,ith the 3izarre marvels that si'ht implied. The si'ht itself ,as as simple as it ,as stupefyin'A for it ,as merely this9 instead of a dizzyin' prospect of treetops seen from a lofty eminenceA there stretched around me on the level throu'h the 'ratin' nothin' less than the solid 'roundA dec!ed and diversified 3y mar3le sla3s and columnsA and

H.P.Lovecr !t

The +utsider

7-&

overshado,ed 3y an ancient stone churchA ,hose ruined spire 'leamed spectrally in the moonli'ht. 2alf unconsciousA = opened the 'ratin' and sta''ered out upon the ,hite 'ravel path that stretched a,ay in t,o directions. 8y mindA stunned and chaotic as it ,asA still held the frantic cravin' for li'htB and not even the fantastic ,onder ,hich had happened could stay my course. = neither !ne, nor cared ,hether my e%perience ,as insanityA dreamin'A or ma'icB 3ut ,as determined to 'aze on 3rilliance and 'aiety at any cost. = !ne, not ,ho = ,as or ,hat = ,asA or ,hat my surroundin's mi'ht 3eB thou'h as = continued to stum3le alon' = 3ecame conscious of a !ind of fearsome latent memory that made my pro'ress not ,holly fortuitous. = passed under an arch out of that re'ion of sla3s and columnsA and ,andered throu'h the open countryB sometimes follo,in' the visi3le roadA 3ut sometimes leavin' it curiously to tread across meado,s ,here only occasional ruins 3espo!e the ancient presence of a for'otten road. +nce = s,am across a s,ift river ,here crum3lin'A mossy masonry told of a3rid'e lon' vanished. +ver t,o hours must have passed 3efore = reached ,hat seemed to 3e my 'oalA a venera3le ivied castle in a thic!ly ,ooded par!A maddenin'ly familiarA yet full of perple%in' stran'eness to me. = sa, that the moat ,as filled inA and that some of the ,ell1 !no,n to,ers ,ere demolishedA ,hilst ne, ,in's e%isted to confuse the 3eholder. But ,hat = o3served ,ith chief interest and deli'ht ,ere the open ,indo,s 1 'or'eously a3laze ,ith li'ht and sendin' forth sound of the 'ayest revelry. Advancin' to one of these = loo!ed in and sa, an oddly dressed company indeedB ma!in' merryA and spea!in' 3ri'htly to one another. = had neverA seemin'lyA heard human speech 3efore and could 'uess only va'uely ,hat ,as said. Some of the faces seemed to hold e%pressions that 3rou'ht up incredi3ly remote recollectionsA others ,ere utterly alien. = no, stepped throu'h the lo, ,indo, into the 3rilliantly li'hted roomA steppin' as = did so from my sin'le 3ri'ht moment of hope to my 3lac!est convulsion of despair and realization. The ni'htmare ,as Duic! to comeA for as = enteredA there occurred immediately one of the most terrifyin' demonstrations = had ever conceived. Scarcely had = crossed the sill ,hen there descended upon the ,hole company a sudden and unheralded fear of hideous intensityA distortin' every face and evo!in' the most horri3le screams from nearly every throat. 4li'ht ,as universalA and in the clamour and panic several fell in a s,oon and ,ere dra''ed a,ay 3y their madly fleein' companions. 8any covered their eyes ,ith their handsA and plun'ed 3lindly and a,!,ardly in their race to escapeA overturnin' furniture and stum3lin' a'ainst the ,alls 3efore they mana'ed to reach one of the many doors. The cries ,ere shoc!in'B and as = stood in the 3rilliant apartment alone and dazedA listenin' to their vanishin' echoesA = trem3led at the thou'ht of ,hat mi'ht 3e lur!in' near me unseen. At a casual inspection the room seemed desertedA 3ut ,hen = moved to,ards one of the alcoves = thou'ht = detected a presence there 1 a hint of motion 3eyond the 'olden1arched door,ay leadin' to another and some,hat similar room. As = approached the arch = 3e'an to perceive the presence more clearlyB and thenA ,ith the first and last sound = ever uttered 1 a 'hastly ululation that revolted me almost as poi'nantly as its no%ious cause 1 = 3eheld in fullA fri'htful vividness the inconceiva3leA indescri3a3leA and unmentiona3le monstrosity ,hich had 3y its simple appearance chan'ed a merry company to a herd of delirious fu'itives.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The +utsider

7-#

= cannot even hint ,hat it ,as li!eA for it ,as a compound of all that is uncleanA uncannyA un,elcomeA a3normalA and detesta3le. =t ,as the 'houlish shade of decayA antiDuityA and dissolutionB the putridA drippin' eidolon of un,holesome revelationA the a,ful 3arin' of that ,hich the merciful earth should al,ays hide. 7od !no,s it ,as not of this ,orld 1 or no lon'er of this ,orld 1 yet to my horror = sa, in its eaten1a,ay and 3one1 revealin' outlines a leerin'A a3horrent travesty on the human shapeB and in its mouldyA disinte'ratin' apparel an unspea!a3le Duality that chilled me even more. = ,as almost paralysedA 3ut not too much so to ma!e a fee3le effort to,ards fli'htB a 3ac!,ard stum3le ,hich failed to 3rea! the spell in ,hich the namelessA voiceless monster held me. 8y eyes 3e,itched 3y the 'lassy or3s ,hich stared loathsomely into themA refused to closeB thou'h they ,ere mercifully 3lurredA and sho,ed the terri3le o3Cect 3ut indistinctly after the firstshoc!. = tried to raise my hand to shut out the si'htA yet so stunned ,ere my nerves that my arm could not fully o3ey my ,ill. The attemptA ho,everA ,as enou'h to distur3 my 3alanceB so that = had to sta''er for,ard several steps to avoid fallin'. As = did so = 3ecame suddenly and a'onizin'ly a,are of the nearness of the carrion thin'A ,hose hideous hollo, 3reathin' = half fancied = could hear. ;early madA = found myself yet a3le to thro, out a hand to ,ard of the foetid apparition ,hich pressed so closeB ,hen in one cataclysmic second of cosmic ni'htmarishness and hellish accident my fin'ers touched the rottin' out stretched pa, of the monster 3eneath the 'olden arch. = did not shrie!A 3ut all the fiendish 'houls that ride the ni'ht,ind shrie!ed for me as in that same second there crashed do,nupon my mind a sin'le fleetin' avalanche of soul1 annihilatin' memory. = !ne, in that second all that had 3eenB = remem3ered 3eyond the fri'htful castle and the treesA and reco'nized the altered edifice in ,hich = no, stoodB = reco'nizedA most terri3le of allA the unholy a3omination that stood leerin' 3efore me as = ,ithdre, my sullied fin'ers from its o,n. But in the cosmos there is 3alm as ,ell as 3itternessA and that 3alm is nepenthe. =n the supreme horror of that second = for'ot ,hat had horrified meA and the 3urst of 3lac! memory vanished in a chaos of echoin' ima'es. =n a dream = fled from that haunted and accursed pileA and ran s,iftly and silently in the moonli'ht. When = returned to the churchyard place of mar3le and ,ent do,n the steps = found the stone trap1door immova3leB 3ut = ,as not sorryA for = had hated the antiDue castle and the trees. ;o, = ride ,ith the moc!in' and friendly 'houls on the ni'ht1,indA and play 3y day amon'st the catacom3s of ;ephren10a in the sealed and un!no,n valley of 2adoth 3y the ;ile. = !no, that li'ht is not for meA save that of the moonover the roc! tom3s of ;e3A nor any 'aiety save the unnamed feasts of ;ito!ris 3eneath the 7reat >yramidB yet in my ne, ,ildness and freedom = almost ,elcome the 3itterness of aliena'e. 4or althou'h nepenthe has calmed meA = !no, al,ays that = am an outsiderB a stran'er in this century and amon' those ,ho are still men. This = have !no,n ever since = stretched out my fin'ers to the a3omination ,ithin that 'reat 'ilded frameB stretched out my fin'ers and touched a cold and unyieldin' surface of polished 'lass.

Pic+m #9s Mo$el

.ou needn<t thin! =<m crazyA Eliot 1 plenty of others have Dueerer preCudices than this. Why don<t you lau'h at +liver<s 'randfatherA ,ho ,on<t ride in a motorG =f = don<t li!e that damned su3,ayA it<s my o,n 3usinessB and ,e 'ot here more Duic!ly anyho, in the ta%i. We<d have had to ,al! up the hill from >ar! Street if ,e<d ta!en the car. = !no, =<m more nervous than = ,as ,hen you sa, me last yearA 3ut you don<t need to hold a clinic over it. There<s plenty of reasonA 7od !no,sA and = fancy =<m luc!y to 3e sane at all. Why the third de'reeG .ou didn<t use to 3e so inDuisitive. WellA if you must hear itA = don<t !no, ,hy you shouldn<t. 8ay3e you ou'ht toA anyho,A for you !ept ,ritin' me li!e a 'rieved parent ,hen you heard =<d 3e'un to cut the Art Clu3 and !eep a,ay from >ic!man. ;o, that he<s disappeared = 'o round to the clu3 once in a ,hileA 3ut my nerves aren<t ,hat they ,ere. ;oA = don<t !no, ,hat<s 3ecome of >ic!manA and = don<t li!e to 'uess. .ou mi'ht have surmised = had some inside information ,hen = dropped him 1 and that<s ,hy = don<t ,ant to thin! ,here he<s 'one. 5et the police find ,hat they can 1 it ,on<t 3e muchA Cud'in' from the fact that they don<t !no, yet of the old ;orth End place he hired under the name of >eters. =<m not sure that = could find it a'ain myself 1 not that =<d ever tryA even in 3road dayli'htF .esA = do !no,A or am afraid = !no,A ,hy he maintained it. =<m comin' to that. And = thin! you<ll understand 3efore =<m throu'h ,hy = don<t tell the police. They ,ould as! me to 'uide themA 3ut = couldn<t 'o 3ac! there even if = !ne, the ,ay. There ,as somethin' there 1 and no, = can<t use the su3,ay or Jand you may as ,ell have your lau'h at thisA tooK 'o do,n into cellars any more. = should thin! you<d have !no,n = didn<t drop >ic!man for the same silly reasons that fussy old ,omen li!e $r. :eid or 6oe 8inot or :os,orth did. 8or3id art doesn<t shoc! meA and ,hen a man has the 'enius >ic!man had = feel it an honour to !no, himA no matter ,hat direction his ,or! ta!es. Boston never had a 'reater painter than :ichard (pton >ic!man. = said it at first and = say it stillA and = never s,enved an inchA eitherA ,hen he sho,ed that <7houl 4eedin'<. ThatA you remem3erA ,as ,hen 8inot cut him. .ou !no,A it ta!es profound art and profound insi'ht into ;ature to turn out stuff li!e >ic!man<s. Any ma'azine1cover hac! can splash paint around ,ildly and call it a ni'htmare or a Witches< Sa33ath or a portrait of the devilA 3ut only a 'reat painter can ma!e such a thin' really scare or rin' true. That<s 3ecause only a real artist !no,s the actual anatomy of the terri3le or the physiolo'y of fear 1 the e%act sort of lines and proportions that connect up ,ith latent instincts or hereditary memories of fri'htA and the proper colour contrasts and li'htin' effects to stir the dormant sense of stran'eness. = don<t have to tell you ,hy a 4useli really 3rin's a shiver ,hile a cheap 'host1story frontispiece merely ma!es us lau'h. There<s somethin' those fello,s catch 1 3eyond life 1 that they<re a3le to

H.P.Lovecr !t

>ic!man<s 8odel

7--

ma!e us catch for a second. $orO had it. Sime has it. An'arola of Chica'o has it. And >ic!man had it as no man ever had it 3efore or 1 = hope to 2eaven 1 ever ,ill a'ain. $on<t as! me ,hat it is they see. .ou !no,A in ordinary artA there<s all the difference in the ,orld 3et,een the vitalA 3reathin' thin's dra,n from ;ature or models and the artificial truc! that commercial small fry reel off in a 3are studio 3y rule. WellA = should say that the really ,eird artist has a !ind of vision ,hich ma!es modelsA or summons up ,hat amounts to actual scenes from the spectral ,orld he lives in. Anyho,A he mana'es to turn out results that differ from the pretender<s mince1pie dreams in Cust a3out the same ,ay that the life painter<s results differ from the concoctions of a correspondence1school cartoonist. =f = had ever seen ,hat >ic!man sa, 1 3ut noF 2ereA let<s have a drin! 3efore ,e 'et any deeper. 7adA = ,ouldn<t 3e alive if =<d ever seen ,hat that man 1 if he ,as a man 1 sa, F .ou recall that >ic!man<s forte ,as faces. = don<t 3elieve any3ody since 7oya could put so much of sheer hell into a set of features or a t,ist of e%pression. And 3efore 7oya you have to 'o 3ac! to the mediaeval chaps ,ho did the 'ar'oyles and chimaeras on ;otre $ame and 8ont Saint18ichel. They 3elieved all sorts of thin's 1 and may3e they sa, all sorts of thin'sA tooA for the 8iddle A'es had some curious phases = remem3er your as!in' >ic!man yourself onceA the year 3efore you ,ent a,ayA ,herever in thunder he 'ot such ideas and visions. Wasn<t that a nasty lau'h he 'ave youG =t ,as partly 3ecause of that lau'h that :eid dropped him. :eidA you !no,A had Cust ta!en up comparative patholo'yA and ,as full of pompous <inside stuff< a3out the 3iolo'ical or evolutionary si'nificance of this or that mental or physical symptom. 2e said >ic!man repelled him more and more every dayA and almost fri'htened him to,ards the last 1 that the fello,<s features and e%pression ,ere slo,ly developin' in a ,ay he didn<t li!eB in a ,ay that ,asn<t human. 2e had a lot of tal! a3out dietA and mid >ic!man must 3e a3normal and eccentric to the last de'ree. = suppose you told :eidA if you and he had any correspondence over itA that he<d let >ic!man<s paintin's 'et on his nerves or harro, up his ima'ination. = !no, = told him that myself 1 then. But !eep in mind that = didn<t drop >ic!man for anythin' li!e this. +n the contraryA my admiration for him !ept 'ro,in'B for that <7houl 4eedin'< ,as a tremendous achievement. As you !no,A the clu3 ,ouldn<t e%hi3it itA and the 8useum of 4ine Arts ,ouldn<t accept it as a 'iftB and = can add that no3ody ,ould 3uy itA so >ic!man had it ri'ht in his house till he ,ent. ;o, his father has it in Salem 1 you !no, >ic!man comes of old Salem stoc!A and had a ,itch ancestor han'ed in 1-)". = 'ot into the ha3it of callin' on >ic!man Duite oftenA especially after = 3e'an ma!in' notes for a mono'raph on ,eird art. >ro3a3ly it ,as his ,or! ,hich put the idea into my headA and anyho,A = found him a mine of data and su''estions ,hen = came to develop it. 2e sho,ed me all the paintin's and dra,in's he had a3outB includin' some pen1and1in! s!etches that ,ouldA = verily 3elieveA have 'ot him !ic!ed out of the clu3 if many of the mem3ers had seen them. Before lon' = ,as pretty nearly a devoteeA and ,ould listen for hours li!e a school3oy to art theories and philosophic speculations ,ild enou'h to Dualify him for the $anvers asylum. 8y hero1,orshipA coupled ,ith the fact that people 'enerally ,ere commencin' to have less and less to do ,ith himA made him 'et very confidential ,ith meB and one evenin' he hinted that if = ,ere fairly close1mouthed and none too sDueamishA he mi'ht sho, me somethin' rather unusual 1 somethin' a 3it stron'er than anythin' he had in the house.

H.P.Lovecr !t

>ic!man<s 8odel

7-7

<.ou !no,A< he saidA <there are thin's that ,on<t do for ;e,3ury Street 1 thin's that are out of place hereA and that can<t 3e conceived hereA anyho,. =t<s my 3usiness to catch the overtones of the soulA and you ,on<t find those in a parvenu set of artificial streets on made land. Bac! Bay isn<t Boston 1 it isn<t anythin' yetA 3ecause it<s had no time to pic! up memories and attract local spirits. =f there are any 'hosts hereA they<re the tame 'hosts of a salt marsh and a shallo, coveB and = ,ant human 'hosts 1 the 'hosts of 3ein's hi'hly or'anized enou'h to have loo!ed on hell and !no,n the meanin' of ,hat they sa,. <The place for an artist to live is the ;orth End. =f any aesthete ,ere sincereA he<d put up ,ith the slums for the sa!e of the massed traditions. 7odA manF $on<t you realize that places li!e that ,eren<t merely madeA 3ut actually 're,G 7eneration after 'eneration lived and felt and died thereA and in days ,hen people ,eren<t afraid to live and fed and die. $on<t you !no, there ,as a mill on Copp<s 2ill in 1-&"A and that half the present streets ,ere laid out 3y 1- *G = can sho, you houses that have stood t,o centuries and a half and moreB houses that have ,itnessed ,hat ,ould ma!e a modern house crum3le into po,der. What do moderns !no, of life and the forces 3ehind itG .ou call the Salem ,itchcraft a delusionA 3ut =<ll ,a'er my four1times1'reat1'randmother could have told you thin's. They han'ed her on 7allo,s 2illA ,ith Cotton 8ather loo!in' sanctimoniously on. 8atherA damn himA ,as afraid some3ody mi'ht succeed in !ic!in' free of this accursed ca'e of monotony 1 = ,ish someone had laid a spell on him or suc!ed his 3lood in the ni'htF <= can sho, you a house he lived inA and = can sho, you another one he ,as afraid to enter in spite of all his fine 3old tal!. 2e !ne, thin's he didn<t dare put into that stupid Magnalia or that puerile Wonders of t"e In!isible World% 5oo! hereA do you !no, the ,hole ;orth End once had a set of tunnels that !ept certain people in touch ,ith each other<s housesA and the 3uryin' 'roundA and the seaG 5et them prosecute and persecute a3ove 'round 1 thin's ,ent on every day that they couldn<t reachA and voices lau'hed at ni'ht that they couldn<t placeF <WhyA manA out of ten survivin' houses 3uilt 3efore 17** and not moved since =<ll ,a'er that in ei'ht = can sho, you somethin' Dueer in the cellar. There<s hardly a month that you don<t read of ,or!men findin' 3ric!ed1up arches and ,ells leadin' no,here in this or that old place as it comes do,n 1 you could see one near 2enchman Street from the elevated last year. There ,ere ,itches and ,hat their spells summonedB pirates and ,hat they 3rou'ht in from the seaB smu''lersB privateers 1 and = tell youA people !ne, ho, to liveA and ho, to enlar'e the 3ounds of lifeA in the old timeF This ,asn<t the only ,orld a 3old and ,ise man could !no, 1 fau'hF And to thin! of today in contrastA ,ith such pale1pin! 3rains that even a clu3 of supposed artists 'ets shudders and convulsions if a picture 'oes 3eyond the feelin's of a Beacon Street tea1ta3leF <The only savin' 'race of the present is that it<s too damned stupid to Duestion the past very closely. What do maps and records and 'uide13oo!s really tell of the ;orth EndG BahF At a 'uess =<ll 'uarantee to lead you to thirty or forty alleys and net,or!s of alleys north of >rince Street that aren<t suspected 3y ten livin' 3ein's outside of the forei'ners that s,arm them. And ,hat do those $a'oes !no, of their meanin'G ;oA Thur3erA these ancient places are dreamin' 'or'eously and over1flo,in' ,ith ,onder and terror and escapes from the commonplaceA and yet there<s not a livin' soul to understand or profit 3y them. +r ratherA there<s only one livin' soul 1 for = haven<t 3een di''in' around in the past for nothin' F

H.P.Lovecr !t

>ic!man<s 8odel

7-8

<See hereA you<re interested in this sort of thin'. What if = told you that =<ve 'ot another studio up thereA ,here = can catch the ni'ht1spirit of antiDue horror and paint thin's that = couldn<t even thin! of in ;e,3ury StreetG ;aturally = don<t tell those cursed old maids at the clu3 1 ,ith :eidA damn himA ,hisperin' even as it is that =<m a sort of monster 3ound do,n the to3o''an of reverse evolution. .esA Thur3erA = decided lon' a'o that one must paint terror as ,ell as 3eauty from lifeA so = did some e%plorin' in places ,here = had reason to !no, terror lives. <=<ve 'ot a place that = don<t 3elieve three livin' ;ordic men 3esides myself have ever seen. =t isn<t so very far from the elevated as distance 'oesA 3ut it<s centuries a,ay as the soul 'oes. = too! it 3ecause of the Dueer old 3ric! ,ell in the cellar 1 one of the sort = told you a3out. The shac!<s almost tum3lin' do,n so that no3ody else ,ould live thereA and =<d hate to tell you ho, little = pay for it. The ,indo,s are 3oarded upA 3ut = li!e that all the 3etterA since = don<t ,ant dayli'ht for ,hat = do. = paint in the cellarA ,here the inspiration is thic!estA 3ut =<ve other rooms furnished on the 'round floor. A Sicilian o,ns itA and =<ve hired it under the name of >eters. <;o,A if you<re 'ameA =<ll ta!e you there toni'ht. = thin! you<d enCoy the picturesA forA as = saidA =<ve let myself 'o a 3it there. =t<s no vast tour 1 = sometimes do it on footA for = don<t ,ant to attract attention ,ith a ta%i in such a place. We can ta!e the shuttle at the South Station for Battery StreetA and after that the ,all isn<t much.< WellA EliotA there ,asn<t much for me to do after that haran'ue 3ut to !eep myself from runnin' instead of ,al!in' for the first vacant ca3 ,e could si'ht. We chan'ed to the elevated at the South StationA and at a3out t,elve o<cloc! had clim3ed do,n the steps at Battery Street and struc! alon' the old ,aterfront past Constitution Wharf. = didn<t !eep trac! of the cross streetsA and can<t tell you yet ,hich it ,as ,e turned upA 3ut = !no, it ,asn<t 7reenou'h 5ane. When ,e did turnA it ,as to clim3 throu'h the deserted len'th of the oldest and dirtiest alley = ever sa, in my lifeA ,ith crum3lin'1loo!in' 'a3lesA 3ro!en small1paned ,indo,sA and archaic chimneys that stood out half1disinte'rated a'ainst the moonlit s!y. = don<t 3elieve there ,ere three houses in si'ht that hadn<t 3een standin' in Cotton 8ather<s time 1 certainly = 'limpsed at least t,o ,ith an overhan'A and once = thou'ht = sa, a pea!ed roof1 line of the almost for'otten pre1'am3rel typeA thou'h antiDuarians tell us there are none left in Boston. 4rom that alleyA ,hich had a dim li'htA ,e turned to the left into an eDually silent and still narro,er alley ,ith no li'ht at all9 and in a minute made ,hat = thin! ,as an o3tuse1 an'led 3end to,ards the ri'ht in the dar!. ;ot lon' after this >ic!man produced a flashli'ht and revealed an antediluvian ten1panelled door that loo!ed damna3ly ,orm1 eaten. (nloc!in' itA he ushered me into a 3arren hall,ay ,ith ,hat ,as once splendid dar!1oa! panellin' 1 simpleA of courseA 3ut thrillin'ly su''estive of the times of Andros and >hipps and the Witchcraft. Then he too! me throu'h a door on the leftA li'hted an oil lampA and told me to ma!e myself at home. ;o,A EliotA =<m ,hat the man in the street ,ould call fairly <hard13oiledA< 3ut =<ll confess that ,hat = sa, on the ,alls of that room 'ave me a 3ad turn. They ,ere his picturesA you !no, 1 the ones he couldn<t paint or even sho, in ;e,3ury Street 1 and he ,as ri'ht ,hen he said he had <let himself 'o.< 2ere 1 have another drin! 1 = need one anyho,F

H.P.Lovecr !t

>ic!man<s 8odel

7-)

There<s no use in my tryin' to tell you ,hat they ,ere li!eA 3ecause the a,fulA the 3lasphemous horrorA and the un3elieva3le loathsomeness and moral foetor came from simple touches Duite 3eyond the po,er of ,ords to classify. There ,as none of the e%otic techniDue you see in Sidney SimeA none of the trans1Saturnian landscapes and lunar fun'i that Clar! Ashton Smith uses to freeze the 3lood. The 3ac!'rounds ,ere mostly old churchyardsA deep ,oodsA cliffs 3y the seaA 3ric! tunnelsA ancient panelled roomsA or simple vaults of masonry. Copp<s 2ill Buryin' 7roundA ,hich could not 3e many 3loc!s a,ay from this very houseA ,as a favourite scene. The madness and monstrosity lay in the fi'ures in the fore'round 1 for >ic!man<s mor3id art ,as pre1eminently one of daemoniac portraiture. These fi'ures ,ere seldom completely humanA 3ut often approached humanity in varyin' de'ree. 8ost of the 3odiesA ,hile rou'hly 3ipedalA had a for,ard slumpin'A and a va'uely canine cast. The te%ture of the maCority ,as a !ind of unpleasant ru33eriness. ('hF = can see them no,F Their occupations 1 ,ellA don<t as! me to 3e too precise. They ,ere usually feedin' 1 = ,on<t say on ,hat. They ,ere sometimes sho,n in 'roups in cemeteries or under'round passa'esA and often appeared to 3e in 3attle over their prey 1 or ratherA their treasure1trove. And ,hat damna3le e%pressiveness >ic!man sometimes 'ave the si'htless faces of this charnel 3ootyF +ccasionally the thin's ,ere sho,n leapin' throu'h open ,indo,s at ni'htA or sDuattin' on the chests of sleepersA ,orryin' at their throats. +ne canvas sho,ed a rin' of them 3ayin' a3out a han'ed ,itch on 7allo,s 2illA ,hose dead face held a close !inship to theirs. But don<t 'et the idea that it ,as all this hideous 3usiness of theme and settin' ,hich struc! me faint. =<m not a three1year1old !idA and =<d seen much li!e this 3efore. =t ,as the facesA EliotA those accursed facesA that leered and slavered out of the canvas ,ith the very 3reath of lifeF By 7odA manA = verily 3elieve they ,ere aliveF That nauseous ,izard had ,a!ed the fires of hell in pi'mentA and his 3rush had 3een a ni'htmare1spa,nin' ,and. 7ive me that decanterA EliotF There ,as one thin' called <The 5esson< 1 2eaven pity meA that = ever sa, itF 5isten 1 can you fancy a sDuattin' circle of nameless do'1li!e thin's in a churchyard teachin' a small child ho, to feed li!e themselvesG The price of a chan'elin'A = suppose 1 you !no, the old myth a3out ho, the ,eird people leave their spa,n in cradles in e%chan'e for the human 3a3es they steal. >ic!man ,as sho,in' ,hat happens to those stolen 3a3es 1 ho, they 'ro, up 1 and then = 3e'an to see a hideous relationship in the faces of the human and non1human fi'ures. 2e ,asA in all his 'radations of mor3idity 3et,een the fran!ly non1 human and the de'radedly humanA esta3lishin' a sardonic lin!a'e and evolution. The do'1 thin's ,ere developed from mortalsF And no sooner had = ,ondered ,hat he made of their o,n youn' as left ,ith man!ind in the form of chan'elin'sA than my eye cau'ht a picture em3odyin' that very thou'ht. =t ,as that of an ancient >uritan interior 1 a heavily 3eamed room ,ith lattice ,indo,sA a settleA and clumsy seventeenth1century furnitureA ,ith the family sittin' a3out ,hile the father read from the Scriptures. Every face 3ut one sho,ed no3ility and reverenceA 3ut that one reflected the moc!ery of the pit. =t ,as that of a youn' man in yearsA and no dou3t 3elon'ed to a supposed son of that pious fatherA 3ut in essence it ,as the !in of the unclean thin's. =t ,as their chan'elin' 1 and in a spirit of supreme irony >ic!man had 'iven the features a very percepti3le resem3lance to his o,n.

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By this time >ic!man had li'hted a lamp in an adCoinin' room and ,as politely holdin' open the door for meB as!in' me if = ,ould care to see his <modern studies.< = hadn<t 3een a3le to 'ive him much of my opinions 1 = ,as too speechless ,ith fri'ht and loathin' 1 3ut = thin! he fully understood and felt hi'hly complimented. And no, = ,ant to assure you a'ainA EliotA that =<m no mollycoddle to scream at anythin' ,hich sho,s a 3it of departure from the usual. =<m middle1a'ed and decently sophisticatedA and = 'uess you sa, enou'h of me in 4rance to !no, =<m not easily !noc!ed out. :emem3erA tooA that =<d Cust a3out recovered my ,ind and 'otten used to those fri'htful pictures ,hich turned colonial ;e, En'land into a !ind of anne%e of hell. WellA in spite of all thisA that ne%t room forced a real scream out of meA and = had to clutch at the door,ay to !eep from !eelin' over. The other cham3er had sho,n a pac! of 'houls and ,itches over1runnin' the ,orld of our forefathersA 3ut this one 3rou'ht the horror ri'ht into our o,n daily lifeF 7adA ho, that man could paintF There ,as a study called <Su3,ay AccidentA< in ,hich a floc! of the vile thin's ,ere clam3erin' up from some un!no,n catacom3 throu'h a crac! in the floor of the Boylston Street su3,ay and attac!in' a cro,d of people on the platform. Another sho,ed a dance on Copp<s 2ill amon' the tom3s ,ith the 3ac!'round of today. Then there ,ere any num3er of cellar vie,sA ,ith monsters creepin' in throu'h holes and rifts in the masonry and 'rinnin' as they sDuatted 3ehind 3arrels or furnaces and ,aited for their first victim to descend the stairs. +ne dis'ustin' canvas seemed to depict a vast cross1section of Beacon 2illA ,ith ant1 li!e armies of the mephitic monsters sDueezin' themselves throu'h 3urro,s that honeycom3ed the 'round. $ances in the modern cemeteries ,ere freely picturedA and another conception someho, shoc!ed me more than all the rest 1 a sense in an un!no,n vaultA ,here scores of the 3easts cro,ded a3out one ,ho hod a ,ell1!no,n Boston 'uide3oo! and ,as evidently readin' aloud. All ,ere pointin' to a certain passa'eA and every face seemed so distorted ,ith epileptic and rever3erant lau'hter that = almost thou'ht = heard the fiendish echoes. The title of the picture ,asA <2olmesA 5o,ell and 5on'fello, 5ie Buried in 8ount Au3urn.< As = 'radually steadied myself and 'ot readCusted to this second room of deviltry and mor3idityA = 3e'an to analyse some of the points in my sic!enin' loathin'. =n the first placeA = said to myselfA these thin's repelled 3ecause of the utter inhumanity and callous crudity they sho,ed in >ic!man. The fello, must 3e a relentless enemy of all man!ind to ta!e such 'lee in the torture of 3rain and flesh and the de'radation of the mortal tenement. =n the second placeA they terrified 3ecause of their very 'reatness. Their art ,as the art that convinced 1 ,hen ,e sa, the pictures ,e sa, the daemons themselves and ,ere afraid of them. And the Dueer part ,asA that >ic!man 'ot none of his po,er from the use of selectiveness or 3izarrerie. ;othin' ,as 3lurredA distortedA or conventionalizedB outlines ,ere sharp and lifeli!eA and details ,ere almost painfully defined. And the facesF =t ,as not any mere artist<s interpretation that ,e sa,B it ,as pandemonium itselfA crystal clear in star! o3Cectivity. That ,as itA 3y 2eavenF The man ,as not a fantaisiste or romanticist at all 1 he did not even try to 'ive us the churnin'A prismatic ephemera of dreamsA 3ut coldly and sardonically reflected some sta3leA mechanisticA and ,ell11 esta3lished horror 1 ,orld ,hich he sa, fullyA 3rilliantlyA sDuarelyA and unfalterin'ly. 7od !no,s ,hat that ,orld can have 3eenA or ,here he ever 'limpsed the 3lasphemous shapes that loped and trotted and cra,led throu'h itB 3ut ,hatever the 3afflin' source of his

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ima'esA one thin' ,as plain. >ic!man ,as in every sense 1 in conception and in e%ecution 1 a thorou'hA painsta!in'A and almost scientific realist. 8y host ,as no, leadin' the ,ay do,n the cellar to his actual studioA and = 3raced myself for some hellish efforts amon' the unfinished canvases. As ,e reached the 3ottom of the damp stairs he fumed his flash1li'ht to a comer of the lar'e open space at handA revealin' the circular 3ric! cur3 of ,hat ,as evidently a 'reat ,ell in the earthen floor. We ,al!ed nearerA and = sa, that it must 3e five feet acrossA ,ith ,alls a 'ood foot thic! and some si% inches a3ove the 'round level 1 solid ,or! of the seventeenth centuryA or = ,as much mista!en. ThatA >ic!man saidA ,as the !ind of thin' he had 3een tal!in' a3out 1 an aperture of the net,or! of tunnels that used to undermine the hill. = noticed idly that it did not seem to 3e 3ric!ed upA and that a heavy disc of ,ood formed the apparent cover. Thin!in' of the thin's this ,ell must have 3een connected ,ith if >ic!man<s ,ild hints had not 3een mere rhetoricA = shivered sli'htlyB then turned to follo, him up a step and throu'h a narro, door into a room of fair sizeA provided ,ith a ,ooden floor and furnished as a studio. An acetylene 'as outfit 'ave the li'ht necessary for ,or!. The unfinished pictures on easels or propped a'ainst the ,alls ,ere as 'hastly as the finished ones upstairsA and sho,ed the painsta!in' methods of the artist. Scenes ,ere 3loc!ed out ,ith e%treme careA and pencilled 'uide lines told of the minute e%actitude ,hich >ic!man used in 'ettin' the ri'ht perspective and proportions. The man ,as 'reat 1 = say it even no,A !no,in' as much as = do. A lar'e camera on a ta3le e%cited my noticeA and >ic!man told me that he used it in ta!in' scenes for 3ac!'roundsA so that he mi'ht paint them from photo'raphs in the studio instead of cartin' his oufit around the to,n for this or that vie,. 2e thou'ht a photo'raph Duite as 'ood as an actual scene or model for sustained ,or!A and declared he employed them re'ularly. There ,as somethin' very distur3in' a3out the nauseous s!etches and half1finished monstrosities that leered round from every side of the roomA and ,hen >ic!man suddenly unveiled a hu'e canvas on the side a,ay from the li'ht = could not for my life !eep 3ac! a loud scream 1 the second = had emitted that ni'ht. =t echoed and echoed throu'h the dim vaultin's of that ancient and nitrous cellarA and = had to cho!e 3ac! a flood of reaction that threatened to 3urst out as hysterical lau'hter. 8erciful CreatorF EliotA 3ut = don<t !no, ho, much ,as real and ho, much ,as feverish fancy. =t doesn<t seem to me that earth can hold a dream li!e thatF =t ,as a colossal and nameless 3lasphemy ,ith 'larin' red eyesA and it held in 3ony cla,s a thin' that had 3een a manA 'na,in' at the head as a child ni33les at a stic! of candy. =ts position ,as a !ind of crouchA and as one loo!ed one felt that at any moment it mi'ht drop its present prey and see! a Cuicier morsel. But damn it allA it ,asn<t even the fiendish su3Cect that made it such an immortal fountain 1 head of all panic 1 not thatA nor the do' face ,ith its pointed earsA 3loodshot eyesA flat noseA and droolin' lips. =t ,asn<t the scaly cla,s nor the mould1ca!ed 3ody nor the half1hooved feet 1 none of theseA thou'h any one of them mi'ht ,ell have driven an e%cita3le man to madness. =t ,as the techniDueA Eliot 1 the cursedA the impiousA the unnatural techniDueF As = am a livin' 3ein'A = never else,here sa, the actual 3reath of life so fused into a canvas. The monster ,as there 1 it 'lared and 'na,ed and 'na,ed and 'lared 1 and = !ne, that only a suspen1sion of ;ature<s la,s could ever let a man paint a thin' li!e that ,ithout a model 1

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,ithout some 'limpse of the nether ,orld ,hich no mortal unsold to the 4iend has ever had. >inned ,ith a thum31tac! to a vacant part of the canvas ,as a piece of paper no, 3adly curled up 1 pro3a3lyA = thou'htA a photo'raph from ,hich >ic!man meant to paint a 3ac!'round as hideous as the ni'ht1mare it ,as to enhance. = reached out to uncurl and loo! at itA ,hen suddenly = sa, >ic!man start as if shot. 2e had 3een listenin' ,ith peculiar intensity ever since my shoc!ed scream had ,a!ed unaccus1tomed echoes in the dar! cellarA and no, he seemed struc! ,ith a fri'ht ,hichA thou'h not compara3le to my o,nA had in it more of the physical than of the spiritual. 2e dre, a revolver and motioned me to silenceA then stepped out into the main cellar and closed the door 3ehind him. = thin! = ,as paralysed for an instant. =mitatin' >ic!man<s listenin'A = fancied = heard a faint scurryin' sound some,hereA and a series of sDueals or 3eats in a direction = couldn<t determine. = thou'ht of hu'e rats and shuddered. Then there came a su3dued sort of clatter ,hich someho, set me all in 'ooseflesh 1 a furtiveA 'ropin' !ind of clatterA thou'h = can<t attempt to convey ,hat = mean in ,ords. =t ,as li!e heavy ,ood fallin' on stone or 3ric! 1 ,ood on 3ric! 1 ,hat did that ma!e me thin! ofG =t came a'ainA and louder. There ,as a vi3ration as if the ,ood had fallen farther than it had fallen 3efore. After that follo,ed a sharp 'ratin' noiseA a shouted 'i33erish from >ic!manA and the deafenin' dis1char'e of all si% cham3ers of a revolverA fired spectacularly as a lion11tamer mi'ht fire in the air for effect. A muffled sDueal or sDua,!A and a thud. Then more ,ood and 3ric! 'ratin'A a pauseA and the openin' of the door 1 at ,hich =<ll confess = started violently. >ic!man reappeared ,ith his smo!in' ,eaponA cursin' the 3loated rats that infested the ancient ,ell. <The deuce !no,s ,hat they eatA Thur3erA< he 'rinnedA <for those archaic tunnels touched 'raveyard and ,itch1den and sea1coast. But ,hatever it isA they must have run shortA for they ,ere devilish an%ious to 'et out. .our yellin' stirred them upA = fancy. Better 3e cautious in these old places1 our rodent friends are the one dra,3ac!A thou'h = sometimes thin! they<re a positive asset 3y ,ay of atmosphere and colour.< WellA EliotA that ,as the end of the ni'ht<s adventure. >ic!man had promised to sho, me the placeA and 2eaven !no,s he had done it. 2e led me out of that tan'le of alleys in another directionA it seemsA for ,hen ,e si'hted a lamp1post ,e ,ere in a half1familiar street ,ith monotonous ro,s of min'led tenement 3loc!s and old houses. Charter StreetA it turned out to 3eA 3ut = ,as too flustered to notice Cust ,here ,e hit it. We ,ere too late for the elevatedA and ,al!ed 3ac! do,nto,n throu'h 2anover Street. = remem3er that ,all9. We s,itched from Tremont up BeaconA and >ic!man left me at the corner of 6oyA ,here = turned off. = never spo!e to him a'ain. Why did = drop hirnG $on<t 3e impatient. Wait till = rin' for coffee. We<ve had enou'h of the other stuffA 3ut = for one need somethin'. ;o 1it ,asn<t the paintin's = sa, in that placeB thou'h =<ll s,ear they ,ere enou'h to 'et him ostracised in nine1tenths of the homes and clu3s of BostonA and = 'uess you ,on<t ,onder no, ,hy = have to steer clear of su3,ays and cellars. =t ,as 1 somethin' = found in my coat the ne%t mornin'. .ou !no,A the curled1 up paper tac!ed to the fri'htful canvas in the cellarB the thin' = thou'ht ,as a photo'raph of some scene he meant to use as a 3ac!'round for that monster. That last scare had come

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,hile = ,as reachin' to uncurl itA and it seems = had vacantly crumpled it into my poc!et. But here<s the coffee 1 ta!e it 3lac!A EliotA if you<re ,ise. .esA that paper ,as the reason = dropped >ic!manB :ichard (pton >ic!manA the 'reatest artist = have ever !no,n 1 and the foulest 3ein' that ever leaped the 3ounds of life into the pits of myth and madness. Eliot 1 old :eid ,as ri'ht. 2e ,asn<t strictly human. Either he ,as 3orn in stran'e shado,A or he<d found a ,ay to unloc! the for3idden 'ate. =t<s all the same no,A for he<s 'one 1 3ac! into the fa3ulous dar!ness he loved to haunt. 2ereA let<s have the chandelier 'oin'. $on<t as! me to e%plain or even conCecture a3out ,hat = 3urned. $on<t as! meA eitherA ,hat lay 3ehind that mole1li!e scram3lin' >ic!man ,as so !een to pass off as rats. There are secretsA you !no,A ,hich mi'ht have come do,n from old Salem timesA and Cotton 8ather tells even stran'er thin's. .ou !no, ho, damned lifeli!e >ic!man<s paintin's ,ere 1 ho, ,e all ,ondered ,here he 'ot those faces. Well 1 that paper ,asn<t a photo'raph of any 3ac!'roundA after all. What it sho,ed ,as simply the monstrous 3ein' he ,as paintin' on that a,ful canvas. =t ,as the model he ,as usin' 1 and its 3ac!'round ,as merely the ,all of the cellar studio in minute detail. But 3y 7odA EliotA it ,as a photo'raph from lifeF

The Pict%re i# the Ho%se

Searchers after horror haunt stran'eA far places. 4or them are the catacom3s of >tolemaisA and the carven mausolea of the ni'htmare countries. They clim3 to the moonlit to,ers of ruined :hine castlesA and falter do,n 3lac! co3,e33ed steps 3eneath the scattered stones of for'otten cities in Asia. The haunted ,ood and the desolate mountain are their shrinesA and they lin'er around the sinister monoliths on uninha3ited islands. But the true epicure in the terri3leA to ,hom a ne, thrill of unuttera3le 'hastliness is the chief end and Custification of e%istenceA esteems most of all the ancientA lonely farmhouses of 3ac!,oods ;e, En'landB for there the dar! elements of stren'thA solitudeA 'rotesDueness and i'norance com3ine to form the perfection of the hideous. 8ost horri3le of all si'hts are the little unpainted ,ooden houses remote from travelled ,aysA usually sDuatted upon some damp 'rassy slope or leanin' a'ainst some 'i'antic outcroppin' of roc!. T,o hundred years and more they have leaned or sDuatted thereA ,hile the vines have cra,led and the trees have s,elled and spread. They are almost hidden no, in la,less lu%uriances of 'reen and 'uardian shrouds of shado,B 3ut the small1 paned ,indo,s still stare shoc!in'lyA as if 3lin!in' throu'h a lethal stupor ,hich ,ards off madness 3y dullin' the memory of unuttera3le thin's. =n such houses have d,elt 'enerations of stran'e peopleA ,hose li!e the ,orld has never seen. Seized ,ith a 'loomy and fanatical 3elief ,hich e%iled them from their !indA their ancestors sou'ht the ,ilderness for freedom. There the scions of a conDuerin' race indeed flourished free from the restrictions of their fello,sA 3ut co,ered in an appallin' slavery to the dismal phantasms of their o,n minds. $ivorced from the enli'htenment of civilizationA the stren'th of these >uritans turned into sin'ular channelsB and in their isolationA mor3id self1repressionA and stru''le for life ,ith relentless ;atureA there came to them dar! furtive traits from the prehistoric depths of their cold ;orthern herita'e. By necessity practical and 3y philosophy sternA these fol!s ,ere not 3eautiful in their sins. Errin' as all mortals mustA they ,ere forced 3y their ri'id code to see! concealment a3ove all elseB so that they came to use less and less taste in ,hat they concealed. +nly the silentA sleepyA starin' houses in the 3ac!,oods can tell all that has lain hidden since the early daysA and they are not communicativeA 3ein' loath to sha!e off the dro,siness ,hich helps them for'et. Sometimes one feels that it ,ould 3e merciful to tear do,n these housesA for they must often dream. =t ,as to a time13attered edifice of this description that = ,as driven one afternoon in ;ovem3erA 18)-A 3y a rain of such chillin' copiousness that any shelter ,as prefera3le to e%posure. = had 3een travellin' for some time amon'st the people of the 8is!atonic ?alley in Duest of certain 'enealo'ical dataB and from the remoteA deviousA and pro3lematical nature of my courseA had deemed it convenient to employ a 3icycle despite the lateness of the season. ;o, = found myself upon an apparently a3andoned road ,hich = had chosen as the shortest cut to Ar!hamA overta!en 3y the storm at a point far from any to,nA and confronted ,ith no refu'e save the antiDue and repellent ,ooden 3uildin' ,hich 3lin!ed ,ith 3leared ,indo,s from 3et,een t,o hu'e leafless elms near the foot of a roc!y hill. $istant thou'h it is from the remnant of a roadA this house none the less impressed me unfavora3ly the very moment = espied it. 2onestA ,holesome structures do not stare at

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travellers so slyly and hauntin'lyA and in my 'enealo'ical researches = had encountered le'ends of a century 3efore ,hich 3iased me a'ainst places of this !ind. .et the force of the elements ,as such as to overcome my scruplesA and = did not hesitate to ,heel my machine up the ,eedy rise to the closed door ,hich seemed at once so su''estive and secretive. = had someho, ta!en it for 'ranted that the house ,as a3andonedA yet as = approached it = ,as not so sureA for thou'h the ,al!s ,ere indeed over'ro,n ,ith ,eedsA they seemed to retain their nature a little too ,ell to ar'ue complete desertion. Therefore instead of tryin' the door = !noc!edA feelin' as = did so a trepidation = could scarcely e%plain. As = ,aited on the rou'hA mossy roc! ,hich served as a door1stepA = 'lanced at the nei'h3orin' ,indo,s and the panes of the transom a3ove meA and noticed that althou'h oldA rattlin'A and almost opaDue ,ith dirtA they ,ere not 3ro!en. The 3uildin'A thenA must still 3e inha3itedA despite its isolation and 'eneral ne'lect. 2o,everA my rappin' evo!ed no responseA so after repeatin' the summons = tried the rusty latch and found the door unfastened. =nside ,as a little vesti3ule ,ith ,alls from ,hich the plaster ,as fallin'A and throu'h the door,ay came a faint 3ut peculiarly hateful odor. = enteredA carryin' my 3icycleA and closed the door 3ehind me. Ahead rose a narro, staircaseA flan!ed 3y a small door pro3a3ly leadin' to the cellarA ,hile to the left and ri'ht ,ere closed doors leadin' to rooms on the 'round floor. 5eanin' my cycle a'ainst the ,all = opened the door at the leftA and crossed into a small lo,1ceiled cham3er 3ut dimly li'hted 3y its t,o dusty ,indo,s and furnished in the 3arest and most primitive possi3le ,ay. =t appeared to 3e a !ind of sittin'1roomA for it had a ta3le and several chairsA and an immense fireplace a3ove ,hich tic!ed an antiDue cloc! on a mantel. Boo!s and papers ,ere very fe,A and in the prevailin' 'loom = could not readily discern the titles. What interested me ,as the uniform air of archaism as displayed in every visi3le detail. 8ost of the houses in this re'ion = had found rich in relics of the pastA 3ut here the antiDuity ,as curiously completeB for in all the room = could not discover a sin'le article of definitely post1revolutionary date. 2ad the furnishin's 3een less hum3leA the place ,ould have 3een a collector<s paradise. As = surveyed this Duaint apartmentA = felt an increase in that aversion first e%cited 3y the 3lea! e%terior of the house. 6ust ,hat it ,as that = feared or loathedA = could 3y no means defineB 3ut somethin' in the ,hole atmosphere seemed redolent of unhallo,ed a'eA of unpleasant crudenessA and of secrets ,hich should 3e for'otten. = felt disinclined to sit do,nA and ,andered a3out e%aminin' the various articles ,hich = had noticed. The first o3Cect of my curiosity ,as a 3oo! of medium size lyin' upon the ta3le and presentin' such an antediluvian aspect that = marvelled at 3eholdin' it outside a museum or li3rary. =t ,as 3ound in leather ,ith metal fittin'sA and ,as in an e%cellent state of preservationB 3ein' alto'ether an unusual sort of volume to encounter in an a3ode so lo,ly. When = opened it to the title pa'e my ,onder 're, even 'reaterA for it proved to 3e nothin' less rare than >i'afetta<s account of the Con'o re'ionA ,ritten in 5atin from the notes of the sailor 5ope% and printed at 4ran!furt in 1 )8. = had often heard of this ,or!A ,ith its curious illustrations 3y the 3rothers $e BryA hence for a moment for'ot my uneasiness in my desire to turn the pa'es 3efore me. The en'ravin's ,ere indeed interestin'A dra,n ,holly from ima'ination and careless descriptionsA and represented ne'roes ,ith ,hite s!ins and Caucasian featuresB nor ,ould = soon have closed the 3oo! had not an e%ceedin'ly trivial circumstance upset my tired nerves and revived my sensation of disDuiet. What annoyed me ,as merely the persistent ,ay in ,hich the volume tended to fall open of itself at >late R==A ,hich represented in 'ruesome detail a 3utcher<s shop of the canni3al AnziDues. =

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e%perienced some shame at my suscepti3ility to so sli'ht a thin'A 3ut the dra,in' nevertheless distur3ed meA especially in connection ,ith some adCacent passa'es descriptive of AnziDue 'astronomy. = had turned to a nei'h3orin' shelf and ,as e%aminin' its mea're literary contents 1 an ei'hteenth century Bi3leA a L>il'rim<s >ro'ressL of li!e periodA illustrated ,ith 'rotesDue ,oodcuts and printed 3y the almanac!1ma!er =saiah ThomasA the rottin' 3ul! of Cotton 8ather<s L8a'nalia Christi AmericanaAL and a fe, other 3oo!s of evidently eDual a'e 1 ,hen my attention ,as aroused 3y the unmista!a3le sound of ,al!in' in the room overhead. At first astonished and startledA considerin' the lac! of response to my recent !noc!in' at the doorA = immediately after,ard concluded that the ,al!er had Cust a,a!ened from a sound sleepA and listened ,ith less surprise as the footsteps sounded on the crea!in' stairs. The tread ,as heavyA yet seemed to contain a curious Duality of cautiousnessB a Duality ,hich = disli!ed the more 3ecause the tread ,as heavy. When = had entered the room = had shut the door 3ehind me. ;o,A after a moment of silence durin' ,hich the ,al!er may have 3een inspectin' my 3icycle in the hallA = heard a fum3lin' at the latch and sa, the paneled portal s,in' open a'ain. =n the door,ay stood a person of such sin'ular appearance that = should have e%claimed aloud 3ut for the restraints of 'ood 3reedin'. +ldA ,hite13eardedA and ra''edA my host possessed a countenance and physiDue ,hich inspired eDual ,onder and respect. 2is hei'ht could not have 3een less than si% feetA and despite a 'eneral air of a'e and poverty he ,as stout and po,erful in proportion. 2is faceA almost hidden 3y a lon' 3eard ,hich 're, hi'h on the chee!sA seemed a3normally ruddy and less ,rin!led than one mi'ht e%pectB ,hile over a hi'h forehead fell a shoc! of ,hite hair little thinned 3y the years. 2is 3lue eyesA thou'h a trifle 3loodshotA seemed ine%plica3ly !een and 3urnin'. But for his horri3le un!emptness the man ,ould have 3een as distin'uished1loo!in' as he ,as impressive. This un!emptnessA ho,everA made him offensive despite his face and fi'ure. +f ,hat his clothin' consisted = could hardly tellA for it seemed to me no more than a mass of tatters surmountin' a pair of hi'hA heavy 3ootsB and his lac! of cleanliness surpassed description. The appearance of this manA and the instinctive fear he inspiredA prepared me for somethin' li!e enmityB so that = almost shuddered throu'h surprise and a sense of uncanny incon'ruity ,hen he motioned me to a chair and addressed me in a thinA ,ea! voice full of fa,nin' respect and in'ratiatin' hospitality. 2is speech ,as very curiousA an e%treme form of .an!ee dialect = had thou'ht lon' e%tinctB and = studied it closely as he sat do,n opposite me for conversation. L0etched in the rainA 3e yeGL he 'reeted. L7lad ye ,as ni'h the haouse en< hed the sense ta come ri'ht in. = calc<late = ,as alseepA else =<d a heerd ye1= ain<t as youn' as = uster 3eA an< = need a pao,erful si'ht o< naps nao,adays. Trav<lin furG = hain<t seed many fol!s <lon' this rud sence they tu! off the Ar!ham sta'e.L = replied that = ,as 'oin' to Ar!hamA and apolo'ized for my rude entry into his domicileA ,hereupon he continued. L7lad ta see yeA youn' Sir 1 ne, faces is scurce arount hereA an< = hain<t 'ot much ta cheer me up these days. 7uess ye, hail from Bostin'A don<t yeG = never 3en tharA 3ut = !in tell a tao,n man ,hen = see <im 1 ,e hed one fer deestric! schoolmaster in <ei'hty1fourA 3ut

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he Duit suddent an< no one never heerd on <im sence 1 L here the old man lapsed into a !ind of chuc!leA and made no e%planation ,hen = Duestioned him. 2e seemed to 3e in an a3oundin'ly 'ood humorA yet to possess those eccentricities ,hich one mi'ht 'uess from his 'roomin'. 4or some time he ram3led on ,ith an almost feverish 'enialityA ,hen it struc! me to as! him ho, he came 3y so rare a 3oo! as >i'afetta<s L:e'num Con'o.L The effect of this volume had not left meA and = felt a certain hesitancy in spea!in' of itA 3ut curiosity overmastered all the va'ue fears ,hich had steadily accumulated since my first 'limpse of the house. To my reliefA the Duestion did not seem an a,!,ard oneA for the old man ans,ered freely and volu3ly. L+hA that Afri!y 3oo!G Cap<n E3enezer 2olt traded me thet in <si%ty1ei'ht 1 him as ,as !ilt in the ,ar.L Somethin' a3out the name of E3enezer 2olt caused me to loo! up sharply. = had encountered it in my 'enealo'ical ,or!A 3ut not in any record since the :evolution. = ,ondered if my host could help me in the tas! at ,hich = ,as la3orin'A and resolved to as! him a3out it later on. 2e continued. LE3enezer ,as on a Salem merchantman for yearsA an< pic!ed up a si'ht o< Dueer stuff in every port. 2e 'ot this in 5ondonA = 'uess 1 he uster li!e ter 3uy thin's at the shops. = ,as up ta his haouse onctA on the hillA tradin< hossesA ,hen = see this 3oo!. = relished the pictersA so he 'ive it in on a s,ap. <Tis a Dueer 3oo! 1 hereA leave me 'it on my spectacles1L The old man fum3led amon' his ra'sA producin' a pair of dirty and amazin'ly antiDue 'lasses ,ith small octa'onal lenses and steel 3o,s. $onnin' theseA he reached for the volume on the ta3le and turned the pa'es lovin'ly. LE3enezer cud read a leetle o< this1<tis 5atin 1 3ut = can<t. = had t,o er three schoolmasters read me a 3itA and >asson Clar!A him they say 'ot drao,nded in the pond 1 !in ye, ma!e anythin' outen itGL = told him that = couldA and translated for his 3enefit a para'raph near the 3e'innin'. =f = erredA he ,as not scholar enou'h to correct meB for he seemed childishly pleased at my En'lish version. 2is pro%imity ,as 3ecomin' rather o3no%iousA yet = sa, no ,ay to escape ,ithout offendin' him. = ,as amused at the childish fondness of this i'norant old man for the pictures in a 3oo! he could not readA and ,ondered ho, much 3etter he could read the fe, 3oo!s in En'lish ,hich adorned the room. This revelation of simplicity removed much of the ill1defined apprehension = had feltA and = smiled as my host ram3led on9 L/ueer hao, picters !in set a 3ody thin!in<. Ta!e this un here near the front. 2ey ye, ever seed trees li!e thetA ,ith 3i' leaves a floppin< over an< dao,nG And them men 1 them can<t 3e ni''ers 1 they de, 3eat all. 0inder li!e =nCunsA = 'uessA even ef they 3e in Afri!y. Some o< these here critters loo!s li!e mon!eysA or half mon!eys an< half menA 3ut = never heerd o< nothin< li!e this un.L 2ere he pointed to a fa3ulous creature of the artistA ,hich one mi'ht descri3e as a sort of dra'on ,ith the head of an alli'ator. LBut nao, =<ll sho, ye the 3est un 1 over here ni'h the middle 1 LThe old man<s speech 're, a trifle thic!er and his eyes assumed a 3ri'hter 'lo,B 3ut his fum3lin' handsA thou'h seemin'ly clumsier than 3eforeA ,ere entirely adeDuate to their mission. The 3oo! fell openA almost of its o,n accord and as if from freDuent consultation at this placeA to the repellent t,elfth plate sho,in' a 3utcher<s shop amon'st the AnziDue canni3als. 8y sense of restlessness returnedA thou'h = did not e%hi3it it. The especially 3izarre thin' ,as that the artist had made his Africans loo! li!e ,hite men 1 the lim3s and Duarters han'in' a3out

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the ,alls of the shop ,ere 'hastlyA ,hile the 3utcher ,ith his a%e ,as hideously incon'ruous. But my host seemed to relish the vie, as much as = disli!ed it. LWhat d<ye thin! o< this 1 ain<t never see the li!e herea3outsA ehG When = see this = telled E3 2oltA <That<s suthin< ta stir ye up an< ma!e yer 3lood tic!le.< When = read in Scripter a3out slayin< 1 li!e them 8idianites ,as sle, 1 = !inder thin! thin'sA 3ut = ain<t 'ot no picter of it. 2ere a 3ody !in see all they is to it 1 = s<pose <tis sinfulA 3ut ain<t ,e all 3orn an< livin< in sinG 1 Thet feller 3ein< chopped up 'ives me a tic!le every time = loo! at <im 1 = hey ta !eep loo!in< at <im 1 see ,har the 3utcher cut off his feetG Thar<s his head on thet 3enchA ,ith one arm side of itA an< t<other arm<s on the other side o< the meat 3loc!.L As the man mum3led on in his shoc!in' ecstasy the e%pression on his hairyA spectacled face 3ecame indescri3a3leA 3ut his voice san! rather than mounted. 8y o,n sensations can scarcely 3e recorded. All the terror = had dimly felt 3efore rushed upon me actively and vividlyA and = !ne, that = loathed the ancient and a3horrent creature so near me ,ith an infinite intensity. 2is madnessA or at least his partial perversionA seemed 3eyond dispute. 2e ,as almost ,hisperin' no,A ,ith a hus!iness more terri3le than a screamA and = trem3led as = listened. LAs = saysA <tis Dueer hao, picters sets ye thin!in<. $<ye !no,A youn' SirA =<m ri'ht sot on this un here. Arter = 'ot the 3oo! off E3 = uster loo! at it a lotA especial ,hen =<d heerd >asson Clar! rant o< Sundays in his 3i' ,i'. +nct = tried suthin< funny 1 hereA youn' SirA don<t 'it s!eert 1 all = done ,as ter loo! at the picter afore = !ilt the sheep for mar!et 1 !illin< sheep ,as !inder more fun arter loo!in< at it 1 L The tone of the old man no, san! very lo,A sometimes 3ecomin' so faint that his ,ords ,ere hardly audi3le. = listened to the rainA and to the rattlin' of the 3learedA small1paned ,indo,sA and mar!ed a rum3lin' of approachin' thunder Duite unusual for the season. +nce a terrific flash and peal shoo! the frail house to its foundationsA 3ut the ,hisperer seemed not to notice it. L0illin< sheep ,as !inder more fun 1 3ut d<ye !no,A <t,an<t Duite satisfyin<. /ueer hao, a cravin< 'its a holt on ye 1 As ye love the Almi'htyA youn' manA don<t tell no3odyA 3ut = s,ar ter 7a,d thet picter 3e'un to ma!e me hun'ry fer victuals = couldn<t raise nor 3uy 1 hereA set stillA ,hat<s ailin< yeG 1 = didn<t do nothin<A only = ,ondered hao, <t,ud 3e ef = did 1 They say meat ma!es 3lood an< fleshA an< 'ives ye ne, lifeA so = ,ondered ef <t,udn<t ma!e a man live lon'er an< lon'er ef <t,as more the same 1 L But the ,hisperer never continued. The interruption ,as not produced 3y my fri'htA nor 3y the rapidly increasin' storm amidst ,hose fury = ,as presently to open my eyes on a smo!y solitude of 3lac!ened ruins. =t ,as produced 3y a very simple thou'h some,hat unusual happenin'.
The open 3oo! lay flat 3et,een usA ,ith the picture starin' repulsively up,ard. As the old man ,hispered the ,ords Lmore the sameL a tiny splatterin' impact ,as heardA and somethin' sho,ed on the yello,ed paper of the upturned volume. = thou'ht of the rain and of a lea!y roofA 3ut rain is not red. +n the 3utcher<s shop of the AnziDue canni3als a small red spatterin' 'listened picturesDuelyA lendin' vividness to the horror of the en'ravin'. The old man sa, itA and stopped ,hisperin' even 3efore my e%pression of horror made it necessaryB sa, it and 'lanced Duic!ly to,ard the floor of the room he had left an hour 3efore. = follo,ed his 'lanceA and 3eheld Cust a3ove us on the loose plaster of the ancient ceilin' a lar'e irre'ular spot of ,et crimson ,hich seemed to spread even as = vie,ed it. = did not shrie! or moveA 3ut merely shut my eyes. A moment later came the titanic thunder3olt of thunder3oltsB 3lastin' that accursed house of unuttera3le secrets and 3rin'in' the o3livion ,hich alone saved my mind.

Poetr& #$ the )o$s

A damp 'loomy evenin' in April it ,asA Cust after the close of the 7reat WarA ,hen 8arcia found herself alone ,ith stran'e thou'hts and ,ishesA unheard1of yearnin's ,hich floated out of the spacious t,entieth1century dra,in' roomA up the deeps of the airA and east,ard to olive 'roves in distant Arcady ,hich she had seen only in her dreams. She had entered the room in a3stractionA turned off the 'larin' chandeliersA and no, reclined on a soft divan 3y a solitary lamp ,hich shed over the readin' ta3le a 'reen 'lo, as soothin' as moonli'ht ,hen it issued throu'h the folia'e a3out an antiDue shrine. Attired simplyA in a lo,1cut 3lac! evenin' dressA she appeared out,ardly a typical product of modern civilizationB 3ut toni'ht she felt the immeasura3le 'ulf that separated her soul from all her prosaic surroundin's. Was it 3ecause of the stran'e home in ,hich she livedA that a3ode of coldness ,here relations ,ere al,ays strained and the inmates scarcely more than stran'ersG Was it thatA or ,as it some 'reater and less e%plica3le misplacement in time and spaceA ,here3y she had 3een 3orn too lateA too earlyA or too far a,ay from the haunts of her spirit ever to harmonize ,ith the un3eautiful thin's of contemporary realityG To dispel the mood ,hich ,as en'ulfin' her more and more deeply each momentA she too! a ma'azine from the ta3le and searched for some healin' 3it of poetry. >oetry had al,ays relieved her trou3led mind 3etter than anythin' elseA thou'h many thin's in the poetry she had seen detracted from the influence. +ver parts of even the su3limest verses hun' a chill vapor of sterile u'liness and restraintA li!e dust on a ,indo,1 pane throu'h ,hich one vie,s a ma'nificent sunset. 5istlessly turnin' the ma'azineTs pa'esA as if searchin' for an elusive treasureA she suddenly came upon somethin' ,hich dispelled her lan'uor. An o3server could have read her thou'hts and told that she had discovered some ima'e or dream ,hich 3rou'ht her nearer to her unattained 'oal than any ima'e or dream she had seen 3efore. =t ,as only a 3it of vers li3reA that pitiful compromise of the poet ,ho overleaps prose yet falls short of the divine melody of num3ersB 3ut it had in it all the unstudied music of a 3ard ,ho lives and feelsA ,ho 'ropes ecstatically for unveiled 3eauty. $evoid of re'ularityA it yet had the harmony of ,in'edA spontaneous ,ordsA a harmony missin' from the formalA convention1 3ound verse she had !no,n. As she read onA her surroundin's 'radually fadedA and soon there lay a3out her only the mists of dreamA the purpleA star1stre,n mists 3eyond timeA ,here only 7ods and dreamers ,al!. 8oon over 6apanA White 3utterfly moonF Where the heavy1lidded Buddhas dream To the sound of the cuc!ooTs call... The ,hite ,in's of moon 3utterflies 4lic!er do,n the streets of the cityA Blushin' into silence the useless ,ic!s of sound1lanterns in the hands of 'irls 8oon over the tropicsA A ,hite1curved 3ud +penin' its petals slo,ly in the ,armth of heaven...

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The air is full of odours And lan'uorous ,arm sounds... A flute drones its insect music to the ni'ht Belo, the curvin' moon1petal of the heavens. 8oon over ChinaA Weary moon on the river of the s!yA The stir of li'ht in the ,illo,s is li!e the flashin' of a thousand silver minno,s Throu'h dar! shoalsB The tiles on 'raves and rottin' temples flash li!e ripplesA The s!y is flec!ed ,ith clouds li!e the scales of a dra'on. Amid the mists of dream the reader cried to the rhythmical starsA of her deli'ht at the comin' of a ne, a'e of son'A a re3irth of >an. 2alf closin' her eyesA she repeated ,ords ,hose melody lay hidden li!e crystals at the 3ottom of a stream 3efore da,nA hidden 3ut to 'leam efful'ently at the 3irth of day. 8oon over 6apanA White 3utterfly moonF 8oon over the tropicsA A ,hite curved 3ud +penin' its petals slo,ly in the ,armth of heaven. The air is full of odours And lan'uorous ,arm sounds... 8oon over ChinaA Weary moon on the river of the s!y... +ut of the mists 'leamed 'odli!e the torm ot a youthA in ,in'ed helmet and sandalsA caduceus13earin'A and of a 3eauty li!e to nothin' on earth. Before the face of the sleeper he thrice ,aved the rod ,hich Apollo had 'iven him in trade for the nine1corded shell of melodyA and upon her 3ro, he placed a ,reath of myrtle and roses. ThenA adorin'A 2ermes spo!e9 L* ;ymph more fair than the 'olden1haired sisters of Cyene or the s!y1inha3itin' AtlantidesA 3eloved of Aphrodite and 3lessed of >allasA thou hast indeed discovered the secret of the 7odsA ,hich lieth in 3eauty and son'. * >rophetess more lovely than the Sy3il of Cumae ,hen Apollo first !ne, herA thou has truly spo!en of the ne, a'eA for even no, on 8aenalusA >an si'hs and stretches in his sleepA ,ishful to ,a!e and 3ehold a3out him the little rose1cro,ned fauns and the antiDue Satyrs. =n thy yearnin' hast thou divined ,hat no mortalA savin' only a fe, ,hom the ,orld reCectsA remem3ereth9 t"at t"e Gods $ere ne!er deadA 3ut only sleepin' the sleep and dreamin' the dreams of 7ods in lotos1filled 2esperian 'ardens 3eyond the 'olden sunset. And no, dra,eth ni'h the time of their a,a!enin'A ,hen coldness and u'liness shall perishA and @eus sit once more on +lympus. Already the sea a3out >aphos trem3leth into a foam ,hich only ancient s!ies have loo!ed on 3eforeA and at ni'ht on 2elicon the shepherds hear stran'e murmurin's and half1 remem3ered notes. Woods and fields are tremulous at t,ili'ht ,ith the shimmerin' of ,hite saltant formsA and immemorial +cean yields up curious si'hts 3eneath thin moons. The 7ods are patientA and have slept lon'A 3ut neither man nor 'iant shall defy the 7ods

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forever. =n Tartarus the Titans ,rithe and 3eneath the fiery Aetna 'roan the children of (ranus and 7aea. The day no, da,ns ,hen man must ans,er for centuries of denialA 3ut in sleepin' the 7ods have 'ro,n !ind and ,ill not hurl him to the 'ulf made for deniers of 7ods. =nstead ,ill their ven'eance smite the dar!nessA fallacy and u'liness ,hich have turned the mind of manB and under the s,ay of 3earded Saturnus shall mortalsA once more sacrificin' unto himA d,ell in 3eauty and deli'ht. This ni'ht shalt thou !no, the favour of the 7odsA and 3ehold on >arnassus those dreams ,hich the 7ods have throu'h a'es sent to earth to sho, that they are not dead. 4or poets are the dreams of 7odsA and in each and every a'e someone hath sun' un!no,in'ly the messa'e and the promise from the lotos'ardens 3eyond the sunset.X Then in his arms 2ermes 3ore the dreamin' maiden throu'h the s!ies. 7entle 3reezes from the to,er of Aiolas ,afted them hi'h a3ove ,armA scented seasA till suddenly they came upon @eusA holdin' court upon dou3le1headed >arnassusA his 'olden throne flan!ed 3y Apollo and the 8uses on the ri'ht handA and 3y ivy1,reathed $ionysus and pleasure1 flushed Bacchae on the left hand. So much of splendour 8arcia had never seen 3eforeA either a,a!e or in dreamsA 3ut its radiance did her no inCuryA as ,ould have the radiance of lofty +lympusB for in this lesser court the 4ather of 7ods had tempered his 'lories for the si'ht of mortals. Before the laurel1draped mouth of the Corycian cave sat in a ro, si% no3le forms ,ith the aspect of mortalsA 3ut the countenances of 7ods. These the dreamer reco'nized from ima'es of them ,hich she had 3eheldA and she !ne, that they ,ere none else than the divine 8aeonidesA the avernian $anteA the more than mortal Sha!espeareA the chaos1e%plorin' 8iltonA the cosmic 7oethe and the musalan 0eats. These ,ere those messen'ers ,hom the 7ods had sent to tell men that >an had passed not a,ayA 3ut only sleptB for it is in poetry that 7ods spea! to men. Then spa!e the Thunderer9 L* $au'hterUforA 3ein' one of my endless lineA thou art indeed my dau'hterU3ehold upon ivory thrones of honour the au'ust messen'ers 7ods have sent do,n that in the ,ords and ,ritin' of men there may 3e still some traces of divine 3eauty. +ther 3ards have men Custly cro,ned ,ith endurin' laurelsA 3ut these hath Apollo cro,nedA and these have = set in places apartA as mortals ,ho have spo!en the lan'ua'e of the 7ods. 5on' have ,e dreamed in lotos'ardens 3eyond the WestA and spo!en only throu'h our dreamsB 3ut the time approaches ,hen our voices shall not 3e silent. =t is a time of a,a!enin' and chan'e. +nce more hath >haeton ridden lo,A searin' the fields and dryin' the streams. =n 7aul lone nymphs ,ith disordered hair ,eep 3eside fountains that are no moreA and pine over rivers turned red ,ith the 3lood of mortals. Ares and his train have 'one forth ,ith the madness of 7ods and have returned $eimos and >ho3os 'lutted ,ith unnatural deli'ht. Tellus moons ,ith 'riefA and the faces of men are as the faces of ErinyesA even as ,hen Astraea fled to the s!iesA and the ,aves of our 3iddin' encompassed all the land savin' this hi'h pea! alone. Amidst this chaosA prepared to herald his comin' yet to conceal his arrivalA even no, toileth our latest 3orn messen'erA in ,hose dreams are all the ima'es ,hich other messen'ers have dreamed 3efore him. 2e it is that ,e have chosen to 3lend into one 'lorious ,hole all the 3eauty that the ,orld hath !no,n 3eforeA and to ,rite ,ords ,herein shall echo all the ,isdom and the loveliness of the past. 2e it is ,ho shall proclaim our return and sin' of the days to come ,hen 4auns and $ryads shall haunt their accustomed 'roves in 3eauty. 7uided ,as our choice 3y those ,ho no, sit 3efore the Corycian 'rotto on thrones of ivoryA and in ,hose son's thou shalt hear notes of su3limity 3y ,hich years hence thou shalt !no, the 'reater messen'er ,hen he cometh. Attend their voices as one 3y one they sin' to thee here. Each note shall thou hear a'ain in the poetry ,hich is to

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comeA the poetry ,hich shall 3rin' peace and pleasure to thy soulA thou'h search for it throu'h 3lea! years thou must. Attend ,ith dili'enceA for each chord that vi3rates a,ay into hidin' shall appear a'ain to thee after thou hast returned to earthA as AlpheusA sin!in' his ,aters into the soul of 2ellasA appears as the crystal arethusa in remote Sicilia.L Then arose 2omerosA the ancient amon' 3ardsA ,ho too! his lyre and chanted his hymn to Aphrodite. ;o ,ord of 7ree! did 8arcia !no,A yet did the messa'e not fall vainly upon her earsA for in the cryptic rhythm ,as that ,hich spa!e to all mortals and 7odsA and needed no interpreter. So too the son's of $ante and 7oetheA ,hose un!no,n ,ords dave the ether ,ith melodies easy to ready and adore. But at last remem3ered accents resounded 3efore the listener. =t ,as the S,an of AvonA once a 7od amon' menA and still a 7od amon' 7ods9 WriteA ,riteA that from the 3loody course of ,arA 8y dearest masterA your dear sonA may hieB Bless him at home in peaceA ,hilst = from farA 2is name ,ith zealous fervour sanctify. Accents still more familiar arose as 8iltonA 3lind no moreA declaimed immortal harmony9 +r let thy lamp at midni'ht hour Be seen in some hi'h lonely to,erA Where = mi'ht oft out,atch the Bear With thrice1'reat 2ermesA or unsphere The spirit of >latoA to unfold What ,orlds or ,hat vast re'ions hold The immortal mindA that hath forsoo! 2er mansion in this fleshy noo!. ooooo Sometime let 'or'eous tra'edy =n sceptered pall come s,eepin' 3yA >resentin' The3esA or >elopTs lineA +r the tale of Troy divine. 5ast of all came the youn' voice of 0eatsA closest of all the messen'ers to the 3eauteous faun1fol!9 2eard melodies are s,eetA 3ut those unheard Are s,eeterA thereforeA yet s,eep pipesA play on... ooooo When old a'e shall this 'eneration ,asteA Thou shalt remainA in midst of other ,oe Than oursA a friend to manA to ,hom thou sayTst LBeauty is truth 11 truth 3eautyL 11 that is all .e !no, on earthA and all ye need to !no,.

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>oetry and the 7ods

78&

As the sin'er ceasedA there came a sound in the ,ind 3lo,in' from far E'yptA ,here at ni'ht Aurora mourns 3y the ;ile for her slain 8emnon. To the feet of the Thunderer fle, the rosy1fin'ered 7oddess andA !neelin'A criedA L8asterA it is time = unloc!ed the 7ates of the East.X And >hoe3usA handin' his lyre to CalliopeA his 3ride amon' the 8usesA prepared to depart for the Ce,elled and column1raised >alace of the SunA ,here fretted the steeds already harnessed to the 'olden car of $ay. So @eus descended from his caryen throne and placed his hand upon the head of 8arciaA sayin'9 L$au'hterA the da,n is ni'hA and it is ,ell that thou shouldst return 3efore the a,a!enin' of mortals to thy home. Weep not at the 3lea!ness of thy lifeA for the shado, of false faiths ,ill soon 3e 'one and the 7ods shall once more ,al! amon' men. Search thou unceasin'ly for our messen'erA for in him ,ilt thou find peace and comfort. By his ,ord shall thy steps 3e 'uided to happinessA and in his dreams of 3eauty shall thy spirit find that ,hich it craveth.X As @eus ceasedA the youn' 2ermes 'ently seized the maiden and 3ore her up to,ard the fadin' starsA up and ,est,ard over unseen seas. ooo 8any years have passed since 8arcia dreamt of the 7ods and of their >arnassus conclave. Toni'ht she sits in the same spacious dra,in'1roomA 3ut she is not alone. 7one is the old spirit of unrestA for 3eside her is one ,hose name is luminous ,ith cele3rity9 the youn' poet of poets at ,hose feet sits all the ,orld. 2e is readin' from a manuscript ,ords ,hich none has ever heard 3eforeA 3ut ,hich ,hen heard ,ill 3rin' to men the dreams and the fancies they lost so many centuries a'oA ,hen >an lay do,n to doze in ArcadyA and the 'reat 7ods ,ithdre, to sleep in lotos1'ardens 3eyond the lands of the 2esperides. =n the su3tle cadences and hidden melodies of the 3ard the spirit of the maiden had found rest at lastA for there echo the divinest notes of Thracian +rpheusA notes that moved the very roc!s and trees 3y 2e3rusT 3an!s. The sin'er ceasesA and ,ith ea'erness as!s a verdictA yet ,hat can 8arcia say 3ut that the strain is Lfit for the 7odsLG And as she spea!s there comes a'ain a vision of >arnassus and the far1off sound of a mi'hty voice sayin'A WBy his ,ord shall thy steps 3e 'uided to happinessA and in his dreams of 3eauty shall thy spirit find all that it craveth.L

Pol ris
=nto the ;orth Windo, of my cham3er 'lo,s the >ole Star ,ith uncanny li'ht. All throu'h the lon' hellish hours of 3lac!ness it shines there. And in the autumn of the yearA ,hen the ,inds from the north curse and ,hineA and the red1leaved trees of the s,amp mutter thin's to one another in the small hours of the mornin' under the horned ,anin' moonA = sit 3y the casement and ,atch that star. $o,n from the hei'hts reels the 'litterin' Cassiopeia as the hours ,ear onA ,hile Charles< Wain lum3ers up from 3ehind the vapour1 soa!ed s,amp trees that s,ay in the ni'ht ,ind. 6ust 3efore da,n Arcturus ,in!s ruddily from a3ove the cemetary on the lo, hilloc!A and Coma Berenices shimmers ,eirdly afar off in the mysterious eastB 3ut still the >ole Star leers do,n from the same place in the 3lac! vaultA ,in!in' hideously li!e an insane ,atchin' eye ,hich strives to convey some stran'e messa'eA yet recalls nothin' save that it once had a messa'e to convey. SometimesA ,hen it is cloudyA = can sleep. Well do = remem3er the ni'ht of the 'reat AuroraA ,hen over the s,amp played the shoc!in' corruscations of the daemon li'ht. After the 3eam came cloudsA and then = slept. And it ,as under a horned ,anin' moon that = sa, the city for the first time. Still and somnolent did it lieA on a stran'e plateau in a hollo, 3et,een stran'e pea!s. +f 'hastly mar3le ,ere its ,alls and its to,ersA its columnsA domesA and pavements. =n the mar3le streets ,ere mar3le pillarsA the upper parts of ,hich ,ere carven into the ima'es of 'rave 3earded men. The air ,as ,arm and stirred not. And overheadA scarce ten de'rees from the zenithA 'lo,ed that ,atchin' >ole Star. 5on' did = 'aze on the cityA 3ut the day came not. When the red Alde3aranA ,hich 3lin!ed lo, in the s!y 3ut never setA had cra,led a Duarter of the ,ay around the horizonA = sa, li'ht and motion in the houses and the streets. 4orms stran'ely ro3edA 3ut at once no3le and familiarA ,al!ed a3road and under the horned ,anin' moon men tal!ed ,isdom in a ton'ue ,hich = understoodA thou'h it ,as unli!e any lan'ua'e ,hich = had ever !no,n. And ,hen the red Alde3aran had cra,led more than half1,ay around the horizonA there ,ere a'ain dar!ness and silence. When = a,a!edA = ,as not as = had 3een. (pon my memory ,as 'raven the vision of the cityA and ,ithin my soul had arisen another and va'uer recollectionA of ,hose nature = ,as not then certain. ThereafterA on the cloudy ni'hts ,hen = could not sleepA = sa, the city oftenB sometimes under the hotA yello, rays of a sun ,hich did not setA 3ut ,hich ,heeled lo, in the horizon. And on the clear ni'hts the >ole Star leered as never 3efore. 7radually = came to ,onder ,hat mi'ht 3e my place in that city on the stran'e plateau 3et,i%t stran'e pea!s. At first content to vie, the scene as an all1o3servant uncorporeal presenceA = no, desired to define my relation to itA and to spea! my mind amon'st the 'rave men ,ho conversed each day in the pu3lic sDuares. = said to myselfA LThis is no dreamA for 3y ,hat means can = prove the 'reater reality of that other life in the house of stone and 3ric! south of the sinister s,amp and the cemetery on the lo, hilloc!A ,here the >ole Star peeps into my north ,indo, each ni'htGL +ne ni'ht as = listened to the discourses in the lar'e sDuare containin' many statuesA = felt a chan'eB and perceived that = had at last a 3odily form. ;or ,as = a stran'er in the streets of +lathoeA ,hich lies on the plateau of Sar!iaA 3et,i%t the pea!s of ;oton and

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0adiphone!. =t ,as my friend Alos ,ho spo!eA and his speech ,as one that pleased my soulA for it ,as the speech of a true man and patriot. That ni'ht had the ne,s come of $ai!os< fallA and of the advance of the =nutosB sDuatA hellish yello, fiends ,ho five years a'o had appeared out of the un!no,n ,est to rava'e the confines of our !in'domA and to 3esie'e many of our to,ns. 2avin' ta!en the fortified places at the foot of the mountainsA their ,ay no, lay open to the plateauA unless every citizen could resist ,ith the stren'th of ten men. 4or the sDuat creatures ,ere mi'hty in the arts of ,arA and !ne, not the scruples of honour ,hich held 3ac! our tallA 'rey1eyed men of 5omar from ruthless conDuest. AlosA my friendA ,as commander of all the forces on the plateauA and in him lay the last hope of our country. +n this occasion he spo!e of the perils to 3e faced and e%horted the men of +lathoeA 3ravest of the 5omariansA to sustain the traditions of their ancestorsA ,ho ,hen forced to move south,ard from @o3na 3efore the advance of the 'reat ice sheet Jeven as our descendents must some day flee from the land of 5omarK valiently and victoriously s,ept aside the hairlyA lon'1armedA canni3al 7noph!ehs that stood in their ,ay. To me Alos denied the ,arriors partA for = ,as fee3le and 'iven to stran'e faintin's ,hen su3Cected to stress and hardships. But my eyes ,ere the !eenest in the cityA despite the lon' hours = 'ave each day to the study of the >na!otic manuscripts and the ,isdom of the @o3narian 4athersB so my friendA desirin' not to doom me to inactionA re,arded me ,ith that duty ,hich ,as second to nothin' in importance. To the ,atchto,er of Thapnen he sent meA there to serve as the eyes of our army. Should the =nutos attempt to 'ain the citadel 3y the narro, pass 3ehind the pea! ;oton and there3y surprise the 'arrisonA = ,as to 'ive the si'nal of fire ,hich ,ould ,arn the ,aitin' soldiers and save the to,n from immediate disaster. Alone = mounted the to,erA for every man of stout 3ody ,as needed in the passes 3elo,. 8y 3rain ,as sore dazed ,ith e%citement and fati'ueA for = had not slept in many daysB yet ,as my purpose firmA for = loved my native land of 5omarA and the mar3le city +lathoe that lies 3et,i%t the pea!s ;oton and 0adiphone!. But as = stood in the to,er<s topmost cham3erA = 3eheld the horned ,anin' moonA red and sinisterA Duiverin' throu'h the vapours that hovered over the distant valley of Banof. And throu'h an openin' in the roof 'littered the pale >ole StarA flutterin' as if aliveA and leerin' li!e a fiend and tempter. 8ethou'ht its spirit ,hispered evil counselA soothin' me to traitorous somnolence ,ith a damna3le rhythmical promise ,hich it repeated over and over9 Slumber& $atc"er& till t"e sp"eres& Si@ and t$enty t"ousand years 9a!e re!ol!+d& and I return To t"e spot $"ere no$ I burn% 't"er stars anon s"all rise To t"e a@is of t"e skies1 Stars t"at soot"e and stars t"at bless Wit" a s$eet forgetfulness8 'nly $"en my round is o+er S"all t"e past disturb t"y door% ?ainly did = stru''le ,ith my dro,sinessA see!in' to connect these stran'e ,ords ,ith some lore of the s!ies ,hich = had learnt from the >na!otic manuscripts. 8y headA heavy

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and reelin'A drooped to my 3reastA and ,hen ne%t = loo!ed up it ,as in a dreamA ,ith the >ole Star 'rinnin' at me throu'h a ,indo, from over the horri3le and s,ayin' trees of a dream s,amp. And = am still dreamin'. =n my shame and despair = sometimes scream franticallyA 3e''in' the dream1creatures around me to ,a!en me ere the =nutos steal up the pass 3ehind the pea! ;oton and ta!e the citadel 3y surpriseB 3ut these creatures are daemonsA for they lau'h at me and tell me = am not dreamin'. They moc! me ,hilst = sleepA and ,hilst the sDuat yello, foe may 3e creepin' silently upon us. = have failed in my duties and 3etrayed the mar3le city of +lathoeB = have proven false to AlosA my friend and commander. But still these shado,s of my dreams deride me. They say there is no land of 5omarA save in my nocturnal ima'inin'sB that in these realms ,here the >ole Star shines hi'hA and red Alde3aran cra,ls lo, around the horizonA there has 3een nau'ht save ice and sno, for thousands of years of yearsA and never a man save sDuatA yello, creaturesA 3li'hted 3y the coldA called LEsDuimau%.L And as = ,rithe in my 'uilty a'onyA frantic to save the city ,hose peril every moment 'ro,sA and vainly strivin' to sha!e off this unnatural dream of a house of stone and 3ric! south of a sinister s,amp and a cemetery on a lo, hilloc!A the >ole StarA evil and monstrousA leers do,n from the 3lac! vaultA ,in!in' hideously li!e an insane ,atchin' eye ,hich strives to convey some messa'eA yet recalls nothin' save that it once had a messa'e to convey.

The 3%est o! ,r #o#

=nto the 'ranite city of Teloth ,andered the youthA vine1cro,nedA his yello, hair 'listenin' ,ith myrrh and his purple ro3e torn ,ith 3riers of the mountain Sidra! that lies across the antiDue 3rid'e of stone. The men of Teloth are dar! and sternA and d,ell in sDuare housesA and ,ith fro,ns they as!ed the stran'er ,hence he had come and ,hat ,ere his name and fortune. So the youth ans,ered9 L= am =ranonA and come from AiraA a far city that = recall only dimly 3ut see! to find a'ain. = am a sin'er of son's that = learned in the far cityA and my callin' is to ma!e 3eauty ,ith the thin's remem3ered of childhood. 8y ,ealth is in little memories and dreamsA and in hopes that = sin' in 'ardens ,hen the moon is tender and the ,est ,ind stirs the lotus1 3uds.L When the men of Teloth heard these thin's they ,hispered to one anotherB for thou'h in the 'ranite city there is no lau'hter or son'A the stern men sometimes loo! to the 0arthian hills in the sprin' and thin! of the lutes of distant +onai ,hereof travellers have told. And thin!in' thusA they 3ade the stran'er stay and sin' in the sDuare 3efore the To,er of 8linA thou'h they li!ed not the colour of his tattered ro3eA nor the myrrh in his hairA nor his chaplet of vine1leavesA nor the youth in his 'olden voice. At evenin' =ranon san'A and ,hile he san' an old man prayed and a 3lind man said he sa, a nim3us over the sin'er<s head. But most of the men of Teloth ya,nedA and some lau'hed and some ,ent to sleepB for =ranon told nothin' usefulA sin'in' only his memoriesA his dreamsA and his hopes. L= remem3er the t,ili'htA the moonA and soft son'sA and the ,indo, ,here = ,as roc!ed to sleep. And throu'h the ,indo, ,as the street ,here the 'olden li'hts cameA and ,here the shado,s danced on houses of mar3le. = remem3er the sDuare of moonli'ht on the floorA that ,as not li!e any other li'htA and the visions that danced on the moon3eams ,hen my mother san' to me. And tooA = remem3er the sun of mornin' 3ri'ht a3ove the many1 coloured hills in summerA and the s,eetness of flo,ers 3orne on the south ,ind that made the trees sin'. L+h AiraA city of mar3le and 3erylA ho, many are thy 3eautiesF 2o, = loved the ,arm and fra'rant 'roves across the hyline ;ithraA and the falls of the tiny 0ra that flo,ed thou'h the verdant valleyF =n those 'roves and in the vale the children ,ove ,reathes for one anotherA and at dus! = dreamed stran'e dreams under the yath1trees on the mountain as = sa, 3elo, me the li'hts of the cityA and the curvin' ;ithra reflectin' a ri33on of stars. LAnd in the city ,ere the palaces of veined and tinted mar3leA ,ith 'olden domes and painted ,allsA and 'reen 'ardens ,ith cerulean pools and crystal fountains. +ften = played in the 'ardens and ,aded in the poolsA and lay and dreamed amon' the pale flo,ers under the trees. And sometimes at sunset i ,ould clim3 the lon' hilly street to the citadel and the open placeA and loo! do,n upon AiraA the ma'ic city of mar3le and 3erylA splendid in a ro3e of 'olden flame. L5on' have = missed theeA AiraA for i ,as 3ut youn' ,hen ,e ,ent into e%ileB 3ut my father ,as thy 0in' and = shall come a'ain to theeA for it is so decreed of 4ate. All throu'h seven lands have = sou'ht theeA and some day shall = rei'n over thy 'roves and 'ardensA thy

H.P.Lovecr !t

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streets and palacesA and sin' to men ,ho shall !no, ,hereof = sin'A and lau'h not nor turn a,ay. 4or = am =ranonA ,ho ,as a >rince in Aira.L That ni'ht the men of Teloth lod'ed the stran'er in a sta3leA and in the mornin' an archon came to him and told him to 'o to the shop of Atho! the co33lerA and 3e apprenticed to him. LBut = am =ranonA a sin'er of son'sA L he saidA Land have no heart for the co33ler<s trade.L LAll in Teloth must toilAL replied the archonA Lfor that is the la,.L Then said =ranon9 LWherefore do ye toilB is it not that ye may live and 3e happyG And if ye toil only that ye may toil moreA ,hen shall happiness find youG .e toil to liveA 3ut is not life made of 3eauty and son'G And if ye suffer no sin'ers amon' youA ,here shall 3e the fruits of your toilG Toil ,ithout son' is li!e a ,eary Courney ,ithout an end. Were not death more pleasin'GL But the archon ,as sullen and did not understandA and re3u!ed the stran'er. LThou art a stran'e youthA and = li!e not thy face or thy voice. The ,ords thou spea!est are 3lasphemyA for the 'ods of Teloth have said that toil is 'ood. +ur 'ods have promised us a haven of li'ht 3eyond deathA ,here shall 3e rest ,ithout endA and crystal coldness amidst ,hich none shall ve% his mind ,ith thou'ht or his eyes ,ith 3eauty. 7o thou then to Atho! the co33ler or 3e 'one out of the city 3y sunset. All here must serveA and son' is folly.L So =ranon ,ent out of the sta3le and ,al!ed over the narro, stone streets 3et,een the 'loomy sDuare house of 'raniteA see!in' somethin' 'reenA for all ,as of stone. +n the faces of men ,ere fro,nsA 3ut 3y the stone em3an!ment alon' the slu''ish river @uro sat a youn' 3oy ,ith sad eyes 'azin' into the ,aters to spy 'reen 3uddin' 3ranches ,ashed do,n from the hills 3y the freshets. And the 3oy said to him9 LArt thou not indeed he of ,hom the archons tellA ,ho see!est a far city in a fair landG = am :omnodA and 3orne of the 3lood of TelothA 3ut am not olf in the ,ays of the 'ranite cityA and yearn daily for the ,arm 'roves and the distant lands of 3eauty and son'. Beyond the 0arthian hills lieth +onaiA the city of lutes and dancin'A ,hich men ,hisper of and say is 3oth lovely and terri3le.Thither ,ould = 'o ,ere = old enou'h to find the ,ayA and thither shouldst thou 'o and thou ,ouldst sin' and have men listen to thee. 5et us leave the city of Teloth and fare to'ether amon' the hills of sprin'. Thou shalt she, me the ,ays of travel and = ,ill attend thy son's at evenin' ,hen the stars one 3y one 3rin' dreams to the minds of dreamers. And peradventure it may 3e that +onai the city of lutes and dancin' is even the fair Aira thou see!estA for it is told that thou hast not !no,n Aira since the old daysA and a name often chan'eth. 5et us 'o to +onaiA + =ranon of the 'olden headA ,here men shall !no, our lon'in's and ,elcome us as 3rothersA nor even lau'h or fro,n at ,hat ,e say.L And =ranon ans,ered9 LBe it soA small oneB if any in this stone place yearn for 3eauty he must see! the mountains and 3eyondA and = ,ould not leave thee to pine 3y the slu''ish @uro. But thin! not that deli'ht and understandin' d,ell Cust across the 0arthian hillsA or in any spot thou canst find in a day<sA or a year<sA or a lustrum<s Courney. BeholdA ,hen = ,as small li!e thee = d,elt in the valley of ;arthos 3y the fri'id RariA ,here none ,ould listen to my dreamsB

H.P.Lovecr !t

The /uest of =ranon

78)

and = told myself that ,hen older i ,ould 'o to Sinara on the southern slopeA and sin' to smilin' dromedary1men in the mar!etplace. But ,hen = ,ent to Sinara i found the dromedary1men all drun!en and ri3aldA and sa, that their son's ,ere not as mineA so = travelled in a 3ar'e do,n the Rari to ony%1,alled 6aren. And the soldiers at 6aren lau'hed at me and drave me outA so that = ,andered to many cities. = have seen Stethelos that is 3elo, the 'reat cataractA and have 'azed on the marsh ,here Sarnath once stood. = have 3een to thraaA =larne!A and 0adatheron on the ,indin' river AiA and have d,elt lon' in +lathoe in the land of 5omar. But thou'h i have had listeners sometimesA they have ever 3een fe,. and = !no, that ,elcome shall ,ait me only in AiraA the city of mar3le and 3eryl ,here my father once ruled as 0in'. So for Aira shall ,e see!A thou'h it ,ere ,ell to visit distant and lute13lessed oonai across the 0arthianhillsA ,hich may indeed 3e AiraA thou'h i thin! not. Aira<s 3eauty is past ima'inin'A and none can tell of it ,ithout raptureA ,hilist of +onai the camel1drivers ,hisper leerin'ly.L At the sunset =ranon and small :omnod ,ent forth from TelothA and for lon' ,andered amidst the 'reen hills and cool forests. The ,ay ,as rou'h and o3scureA and never did they seem nearer to oonai the city of lutes and dancin'B 3ut in the dus! as the stars came out =ranon ,ould sin' of Aira and its 3eauties and :omnod ,ould listenA so that they ,ere 3oth happy after a fashion. They ate plentifully of fruit and red 3erriesA and mar!ed not the passin' of timeA 3ut many years must have slipped a,ay. Small :omnod ,as no, not so smallA and spo!e deeply instead of shrillyA thou'h =ranon ,as al,ays the sameA and dec!ed his 'olden hair ,ith vines and fra'rant resins found in the ,oods. So it came to pass that :omnod seemed older than =ranonA thou'h he had 3een very small ,hen =ranon had found him ,atchin' for 'reen 3uddin' 3ranches in Teloth 3eside the slu''ish stone13an!ed @uro. Then one ni'ht ,hen the moon ,as full the travellers came to a mountain crest and loo!ed do,n upon the myriad li'ht of +onai. >easants had told them they ,ere nearA and =ranon !ne, that this ,as not his native city of Aira. The li'hts of +onai ,ere not li!e those of AiraB for they ,ere harsh and 'larin'A ,hile the li'hts of Aira shine as softly and ma'ically as shone the moonli'ht on the floor 3y the ,indo, ,here =ranon<s mother once roc!ed him to sleep ,ith son'. But +onai ,as a city of lutes and dancin'A so =ranon and :omnod ,ent do,n the steep slope that they mi'ht find men to ,hom sin's and dreams ,ould 3rin' pleasure. And ,hen they ,ere come into the to,n they found rose1,reathed revellers 3ound from house to house and leanin' from ,indo,s and 3alconiesA ,ho listened to the son's of =ranon and tossed him flo,ers and applauded ,hen he ,as done. Then for a moment did =ranon 3elieve he had found those ,ho thou'ht and felt even as heA thou'h the to,n ,as not a hundredth as fair as Aira. When da,n came =ranon loo!ed a3out ,ith dismayA for the domes of +onai ,ere not 'olden in the sunA 3ut 'rey and dismal. And the men of +onai ,ere pale ,ith revellin'A and dull ,ith ,ineA and unli!e the radient men of Aira. But 3ecause the people had thro,n him 3lossoms and acclaimed his sin's =ranon stayed onA and ,ith him :omnodA ,ho li!ed the revelry of the to,n and ,ore in his dar! hair roses and myrtle. +ften at ni'ht =ranon san' to the revellersA 3ut he ,as al,ays as 3eforeA cro,ned only in the vine of the mountains and remem3erin' the mar3le streets of Aira and the hyaline ;ithra. =n the frescoed halls of the 8onarch did he sin'A upon a crystal dais raised over a floor that ,as a mirrorA and as he san'A he 3rou'ht pictures to his hearers till the floor seemed to reflect oldA 3eautifulA and half1remem3ered thin's instead of the ,ine1reddened feasters ,ho pelted him ,ith roses. And the 0in' 3ade him put a,ay his tattered purpleA and clothed him in satin and cloth1of1 'oldA ,ith rin's of 'reen Cade and 3racelets of tinted ivoryA and lod'ed him in a 'ilded and

H.P.Lovecr !t

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7)*

tapestried cham3er on a 3ed of s,eet carven ,ood ,ith canopies and coverlets of flo,er1 em3roidered sil!. Thus d,elt =ranon in +onaiA the city of lutes and dancin'. =t is not !no,n ho, lon' =ranon tarried in +onaiA 3ut one day the 0in' 3rou'ht to the palace some ,ild ,hirlin' dancers from the 5iranian desertA and dus!y flute1players from $rinen in the EastA and after that the revellers thre, their roses not so much at =ranon as at the dancers and flute1players. And day 3y day that :omnod ,ho had 3een a small 3oy in 'ranite Teloth 're, coarser and redder ,ith ,ineA till he dreamed less and lessA amd listened ,ith less deli'ht to the son's of =ranon. But thou'h =ranon ,as sad he ceased not to sin'A and at evenin' told a'ain of his dreams of AiraA the city of mar3le and 3eryl. Then one ni'ht the reddened and fattened :omnod snorted heavily amidst the poppied sil!s of his 3anDuet1couch and died ,rithin'A ,hilst =ranonA pale and slenderA san' to himself in a far corner. And ,hen =ranon had ,ept over the 'rave of :omnod and stre,n it ,ith 'reen 3ranchesA such as :omnod used to loveA he put aside his sil!s and 'auds and ,ent for'otten out of +onai the city of lutes and dancin' clad only in the ra''ed purple in ,hich he had comeA and 'arlanded ,ith fresh vines from the mountains. =nto the sunset ,andered =ranonA see!in' still for his native land and for men ,ho ,ould understand his son's and dreams. =n all the cities of Cydathria and in the lands 3eyond the Bnazie desert 'ay1faced children lau'hed at his olden son's and tattered ro3e of purpleB 3ut =ranon stayed ever youn'A and ,ore ,reathes upon his 'olden head ,hilst he san' of AiraA deli'ht of the past and hope of the future. So came he one ni'ht to the sDuallid cot of an antiDue shepherdA 3ent and dirtyA ,ho !ept floc!s on a stony slope a3ove a Duic!sand marsh. To this man =ranon spo!eA as to so many others9 LCanst thou tell me ,here = may find AiraA the city of mar3le and 3erylA ,here flo,s the hyaline nithra and ,here the falls of the tiny 0ra sin' to the verdant valleys and hills forested ,ith yath treesGL and the shepherdA hearin'A loo!ed lon' and stran'ely at =ranonA as if recallin' somethin' very far a,ay in timeA and noted each line of the stran'er<s faceA and his 'olden hairA and his cro,n of vine1leaves. But he ,as oldA and shoo! his head as he replied9
L+ stran'erA i have indeed heard the name of AiraA and the other names thou hast spo!enA 3ut they come to me from afar do,n the ,aste of lon' years.= heard them in my youth from the lips of a playmateA a 3e''ar<s 3oy 'iven to stran'e dreamsA ,ho ,ould ,eave lon' tales a3out the moon and the flo,ers and the ,est ,ind. We used to lau'h at himA for ,e !ne, him from his 3irth thou'h he thou'ht himself a 0in'<s son. 2e ,as comelyA even as thouA 3ut full of folly and stran'enessB and he rana,ay ,hen small to find those ,ho ,ould listen 'ladly to his son's and dreams. 2o, often hath he sun' to me of lands that never ,ereA and thin's that never can 3eF +f Aira did he spea! muchB of Aira and the river ;ithraA and the falls of the tiny 0ra. There ,ould he ever say he once d,elt as a >rinceA thou'h here ,e !ne, him from his 3irth.;or ,as there ever a mar3le city of AiraA or those ,ho could deli'ht in stran'e son'sA save in the dreams of mine old playmate =ranon ,ho is 'one.L And in the t,ili'htA as the stars came out one 3y one and the moon cast on the marsh a radiance li!e that ,hich a child sees Duiverin' on the floor as he is roc!ed to sleep at evenin'A there ,al!ed into the lethal Duic!sands a very old man in tattered purpleA cro,ned ,ith ,hithered vine1leaves and 'azin' ahead as if upon the 'olden domes of a fair city ,here dreams are understood. That ni'ht somethin' of youth and 3eauty died in the elder ,orld.

The R ts i# the W lls

+n 1- 6uly 1)"&A = moved into E%ham >riory after the last ,or!man had finished his la3ours. The restoration had 3een a stupendous tas!A for little had remained of the deserted pile 3ut a shell1li!e ruinB yet 3ecause it had 3een the seat of my ancestorsA = let no e%pense deter me. The place had not 3een inha3ited since the rei'n of 6ames the 4irstA ,hen a tra'edy of intensely hideousA thou'h lar'ely une%plainedA nature had struc! do,n the masterA five of his childrenA and several servantsB and driven forth under a cloud of suspicion and terror the third sonA my lineal pro'enitor and the only survivor of the a3horred line. With this sole heir denounced as a murdererA the estate had reverted to the cro,nA nor had the accused man made any attempt to e%culpate himself or re'ain his property. Sha!en 3y some horror 'reater than that of conscience or the la,A and e%pressin' only a frantic ,ish to e%clude the ancient edifice from his si'ht and memoryA Walter de la >oerA eleventh Baron E%hamA fled to ?ir'inia and there founded the family ,hich 3y the ne%t century had 3ecome !no,n as $elapore. E%ham >riory had remained untenantedA thou'h later allotted to the estates of the ;orrys family and much studied 3ecause of its peculiarly composite architectureB an architecture involvin' 7othic to,ers restin' on a Sa%on or :omanesDue su3structureA ,hose foundation in turn ,as of a still earlier order or 3lend of orders 11 :omanA and even $ruidic or native CymricA if le'ends spea! truly. This foundation ,as a very sin'ular thin'A 3ein' mer'ed on one side ,ith the solid limestone of the precipice from ,hose 3rin! the priory overloo!ed a desolate valley three miles ,est of the villa'e of Anchester. Architects and antiDuarians loved to e%amine this stran'e relic of for'otten centuriesA 3ut the country fol! hated it. They had hated it hundreds of years 3eforeA ,hen my ancestors lived thereA and they hated it no,A ,ith the moss and mould of a3andoninent on it. = had not 3een a day in Anchester 3efore = !ne, = came of an accursed house. And this ,ee! ,or!men had 3lo,n up E%ham >rioryA and are 3usy o3literatin' the traces of its foundations. The 3are statistics of my ancestry = had al,ays !no,nA to'ether ,ith the fact that my first American fore3ear had come to the colonies under a stran'e cloud. +f detailsA ho,everA = had 3een !ept ,holly i'norant throu'h the policy of reticence al,ays maintained 3y the $elapores. (nli!e our planter nei'h3oursA ,e seldom 3oasted of crusadin' ancestors or other mediaeval and :enaissance heroesB nor ,as any !ind of tradition handed do,n e%cept ,hat may have 3een recorded in the sealed envelope left 3efore the Civil War 3y every sDuire to his eldest son for posthumous openin'. The 'lories ,e cherished ,ere those achieved since the mi'rationB the 'lories of a proud and honoura3leA if some,hat reserved and unsocial ?ir'inia line. $urin' the ,ar our fortunes ,ere e%tin'uished and our ,hole e%istence chan'ed 3y the 3urnin' of Carfa%A our home on the 3an!s of the 6ames. 8y 'randfatherA advanced in yearsA had perished in that incendiary outra'eA and ,ith him the envelope that had 3ound us all to the past. = can recall that fire today as = sa, it then at the a'e of sevenA ,ith the federal soldiers shoutin'A the ,omen screamin'A and the ne'roes ho,lin' and prayin'. 8y father ,as in the armyA defendin' :ichmondA and after many formalities my mother and = ,ere passed throu'h the lines to Coin him.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The :ats in the Walls

7)"

When the ,ar ended ,e all moved northA ,hence my mother had comeB and = 're, to manhoodA middle a'eA and ultimate ,ealth as a stolid .an!ee. ;either my father nor = ever !ne, ,hat our hereditary envelope had containedA and as = mer'ed into the 'reyness of 8assachusetts 3usiness life = lost all interest in the mysteries ,hich evidently lur!ed far 3ac! in my family tree. 2ad = suspected their natureA ho, 'ladly = ,ould have left E%ham >riory to its mossA 3ats and co3,e3sF 8y father died in 1)*#A 3ut ,ithout any messa'e to leave to meA or to my only childA AlfredA a motherless 3oy of ten. =t ,as this 3oy ,ho reversed the order of family information for althou'h = could 'ive him only Cestin' conCectures a3out the pastA he ,rote me of some very interestin' ancestral le'ends ,hen the late ,ar too! him to En'land in 1)17 as an aviation officer. Apparently the $elapores had a colourful and perhaps sinister historyA for a friend of my son<sA Capt. Ed,ard ;orrys of the :oyal 4lyin' CorpsA d,elt near the family seat at Anchester and related some peasant superstitions ,hich fe, novelists could eDual for ,ildness and incredi3ility. ;orrys himselfA of courseA did not ta!e them so seriouslyB 3ut they amused my son and made 'ood material for his letters to me. =t ,as this le'endry ,hich definitely turned my attention to my transatlantic herita'eA and made me resolve to purchase and restore the family seat ,hich ;orrys sho,ed to Alfred in its picturesDue desertionA and offered to 'et for him at a surprisin'ly reasona3le fi'ureA since his o,n uncle ,as the present o,ner. = 3ou'ht E%ham >riory in 1)18A 3ut ,as almost immediately distracted from my plans of restoration 3y the return of my son as a maimed invalid. $urin' the t,o years that he lived = thou'ht of nothin' 3ut his careA havin' even placed my 3usiness under the direction of partners. =n 1)"1A as = found myself 3ereaved and aimlessA a retired manufacturer no lon'er youn'A = resolved to divert my remainin' years ,ith my ne, possession. ?isitin' Ancliester in $ecem3erA = ,as entertained 3y Capt. ;orrysA a plumpA amia3le youn' man ,ho had thou'ht much of my sonA and secured his assistance in 'atherin' plans and anecdotes to 'uide in the comin' restoration. E%ham >riory itself = sa, ,ithout emotionA a Cum3le of totterin' mediaeval ruins covered ,ith lichens and honeycom3ed ,ith roo!s< nestsA perched perilously upon a precipiceA and denuded of floors or other interior features save the stone ,alls of the separate to,ers. As = 'radually recovered the ima'e of the edifice as it had 3een ,hen my ancestors left it over three centuries 3eforeA = 3e'an to hire ,or!tnen for the reconstruction. =n every case = ,as forced to 'o outside the immediate localityA for the Anchester villa'ers had an almost un3elieva3le fear and hatred of the place. The sentiment ,as so 'reat that it ,as sometimes communicated to the outside la3ourersA causin' numerous desertionsB ,hilst its scope appeared to include 3oth the priory and its ancient family. 8y son had told me that he ,as some,hat avoided durin' his visits 3ecause he ,as a de la >oerA and = no, found myself su3tly ostracized for a li!e reason until = convinced the peasants ho, little = !ne, of my herita'e. Even then they sullenly disli!ed meA so that = had to collect most of the villa'e traditions throu'h the mediation of ;orrys. What the people could not for'iveA perhapsA ,as that = had come to restore a sym3ol so a3horrent to themB forA rationally or notA they vie,ed E%ham >riory as nothin' less than a haunt of fiends and ,ere,olves.

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The :ats in the Walls

7)&

>iecin' to'ether the tales ,hich ;orrys collected for meA and supplementin' them ,ith the accounts of several savants ,ho had studied the ruinsA = deduced that E%ham >riory stood on the site of a prehistoric templeB a $ruidical or ante1$ruidical thin' ,hich must have 3een contemporary ,ith Stonehen'e. That indescri3a3le rites had 3een cele3rated thereA fe, dou3tedA and there ,ere unpleasant tales of the transference of these rites into the Cy3ele ,orship ,hich the :omans had introduced. =nscriptions still visi3le in the su31cellar 3ore such unmista!a3le letters as <$=?... +>S ... 8A7;A. 8AT...<A si'n of the 8a'na 8ater ,hose dar! ,orship ,as once vainly for3idden to :oman citizens. Anchester had 3een the camp of the third Au'ustan le'ionA as many remains attestA and it ,as said that the temple of Cy3ele ,as splendid and thron'ed ,ith ,orshippers ,ho performed nameless ceremonies at the 3iddin' of a >hry'ian priest. Tales added that the fall of the old reli'ion did not end the or'ies at the templeA 3ut that the priests lived on in the ne, faith ,ithout real chan'e. 5i!e,ise ,as it said that the rites did not vanish ,ith the :oman po,erA and that certain amon' the Sa%ons added to ,hat remained of the templeA and 'ave it the essential outline it su3seDuently preservedA ma!in' it the centre of a cult feared throu'h half the heptarchy. A3out 1*** A.$. the place is mentioned in a chronicle as 3ein' a su3stantial stone priory housin' a stran'e and po,erful monastic order and surrounded 3y e%tensive 'ardens ,hich needed no ,alls to e%clude a fri'htened populace. =t ,as never destroyed 3y the $anesA thou'h after the ;orman ConDuest it must have declined treimendouslyA since there ,as no impediment ,hen 2enry the Third 'ranted the site to my ancestorA 7il3ert de la >oerA 4irst Baron E%hamA in 1"-1. +f my family 3efore this date there is no evil reportA 3ut somethin' stran'e must have happened then. =n one chronicle there is a reference to a de la >oer as Lcursed of 7od in 1&*7LA ,hilst villa'e le'endry had nothin' 3ut evil and frantic fear to tell of the castle that ,ent up on the foundations of the old temple and priory. The fireside tales ,ere of the most 'risly descriptionA all the 'hastlier 3ecause of their fri'htened reticence and cloudy evasiveness. They represented my ancestors as a race of hereditary daemons 3eside ,hom 7illes de :etz and the 8arDuis de Sade ,ould seem the veriest tyrosA and hinted ,hisperin'ly at their responsi3ility for the occasional disappearances of villa'ers throu'h several 'enerations. The ,orst charactersA apparentlyA ,ere the 3arons and their direct heirsB at leastA most ,as ,hispered a3out these. =f of healthier inclinationsA it ,as saidA an heir ,ould early and mysteriously die to ma!e ,ay for another more typical scion. There seemed to 3e an inner cult in the familyA presided over 3y the head of the houseA and sometimes closed e%cept to a fe, mem3ers. Temperament rather than ancestry ,as evidently the 3asis of this cultA for it ,as entered 3y several ,ho married into the family. 5ady 8ar'aret Trevor from Corn,allA ,ife of 7odfreyA the second son of the fifth 3aronA 3ecame a favourite 3ane of children all over the countrysideA and the daemon heroine of a particularly horri3le old 3allad not yet e%tinct near the Welsh 3order. >reserved in 3alladryA tooA thou'h not illustratin' the same pointA is the hideous tale of 5ady 8ary de la >oerA ,ho shortly after her marria'e to the Earl of Shre,sfield ,as !illed 3y him and his motherA 3oth of the slayers 3ein' a3solved and 3lessed 3y the priest to ,hom they confessed ,hat they dared not repeat to the ,orld. These myths and 3alladsA typical as they ,ere of crude superstitionA repelled me 'reatly. Their persistenceA and their application to so lon' a line of my ancestorsA ,ere especially annoyin'B ,hilst the imputations of monstrous ha3its proved unpleasantly reminiscent of the one !no,n scandal of my immediate fore3ears 11 the case of my cousinA youn'

H.P.Lovecr !t

The :ats in the Walls

7)#

:andolph $elapore of Carfa% ,ho ,ent amon' the ne'roes and 3ecame a voodoo priest after he returned from the 8e%ican War. = ,as much less distur3ed 3y the va'uer tales of ,ails and ho,lin's in the 3arrenA ,inds,ept valley 3eneath the limestone cliffB of the 'raveyard stenches after the sprin' rainsB of the flounderin'A sDuealin' ,hite thin' on ,hich Sir 6ohn Clave<s horse had trod one ni'ht in a lonely fieldB and of the servant ,ho had 'one mad at ,hat he sa, in the priory in the full li'ht of day. These thin's ,ere hac!neyed spectral loreA and = ,as at that time a pronounced sceptic. The accounts of vanished peasants ,ere less to 3e dismissedA thou'h not especially si'nificant in vie, of mediaeval custom. >ryin' coriosity meant deathA and more than one severed head had 3een pu3licly sho,n on the 3astions 11 no, effaced 11 around E%ham >riory. A fe, of the tales ,ere e%ceedin'ly picturesDueA and made me ,ish = had learnt more of the comparative mytholo'y in my youth. There ,asA for instanceA the 3elief that a le'ion of 3at1,in'ed devils !ept ,itches< sa33ath each ni'ht at the priory 11 a le'ion ,hose sustenance mi'ht e%plain the disproportionate a3undance of coarse ve'eta3les harvested in the vast 'ardens. AndA most vivid of allA there ,as the dramatic epic of the rats 11 the scamperin' army of o3scene vermin ,hich had 3urst forth from the castle three months after the tra'edy that doomed it to desertion 11 the leanA filthyA ravenous army ,hich had s,ept all 3efore it and devoured fo,lA catsA do'sA ho'sA sheepA and even t,o hapless human 3ein's 3efore its fury ,as spent. Around that unfor'etta3le rodent army a ,hole separate cycle of myths revolvesA for it scattered amon' the villa'e homes and 3rou'ht curses and horrors in its train. Such ,as the lore that assailed me as = pushed to completionA ,ith an elderly o3stinacyA the ,or! of restorin' my ancestral home. =t must not 3e ima'ined for a moment that these tales formed my principal psycholo'ical environinent. +n the other handA = ,as constantly praised and encoura'ed 3y Capt. ;orrys and the antiDuarians ,ho surrounded and aided me. When the tas! ,as doneA over t,o years after its commencementA = vie,ed the 'reat roomsA ,ainscoted ,allsA vaulted ceilin'sA mullioned ,indo,sA and 3road staircases ,ith a pride ,hich fully compensated for the prodi'ious e%pense of the restoration. Every attri3ute of the 8iddle A'es ,as cunnin'ly reproduced and the ne, parts 3lended perfectly ,ith the ori'inal ,alls and foundations. The seat of my fathers ,as completeA and = loo!ed for,ard to redeemin' at last the local fame of the line ,hich ended in me. = could reside here permanentlyA and prove that a de la >oer Jfor = had adopted a'ain the ori'inal spellin' of the nameK need not 3e a fiend. 8y comfort ,as perhaps au'mented 3y the fact thatA althou'h E%ham >riory ,as mediaevally fittedA its interior ,as in truth ,holly ne, and free from old vermin and old 'hosts ali!e. As = have saidA = moved in on 1- 6uly 1)"&. 8y household consisted of seven servants and nine catsA of ,hich latter species = am particularly fond. 8y eldest catA L;i''er18anLA ,as seven years old and had come ,ith me from my home in BoltonA 8assachusettsB the others = had accumulated ,hilst livin' ,ith Capt. ;orrys< family durin' the restoration of the priory. 4or five days our routine proceeded ,ith the utmost placidityA my time 3ein' spent mostly in the codification of old family data. = had no, o3tained some very circumstantial accounts of the final tra'edy and fli'ht of Walter de la >oerA ,hich = conceived to 3e the

H.P.Lovecr !t

The :ats in the Walls

7)

pro3a3le contents of the hereditary paper lost in the fire at Carfa%. =t appeared that my ancestor ,as accused ,ith much reason of havin' !illed all the other mem3ers of his householdA e%cept four servant confederatesA in their sleepA a3out t,o ,ee!s after a shoc!in' discovery ,hich chan'ed his ,hole demeanourA 3ut ,hichA e%cept 3y implicationA he disclosed to no one save perhaps the servants ,ho assisted him and after,ards fled 3eyond reach. This deli3erate slau'hterA ,hich included a fatherA three 3rothersA and t,o sistersA ,as lar'ely condoned 3y the villa'ersA and so slac!ly treated 3y the la, that its perpetrator escaped honouredA unharmedA and undis'uised to ?ir'iniaB the 'eneral ,hispered sentiment 3ein' that he had pur'ed the land of an immemorial curse. What discovery had prompted an act so terri3leA = could scarcely even conCecture. Walter de la >oer must have !no,n for years the sinister tales a3out his familyA so that this material could have 'iven him no fresh impulse. 2ad heA thenA ,itnessed some appallin' ancient riteA or stum3led upon some fri'htful and revealin' sym3ol in the priory or its vicinityG 2e ,as reputed to have 3een a shyA 'entle youth in En'land. =n ?ir'inia he seemed not so much hard or 3itter as harassed and apprehensive. 2e ,as spo!en of in the diary of another 'entleman adventurerA 4rancis 2arley of Bellvie,A as a man of une%ampled CusticeA honourA and delicacy. +n "" 6uly occurred the first incident ,hichA thou'h li'htly dismissed at the timeA ta!es on a preternatural si'nificance in relation to later events. =t ,as so simple as to 3e almost ne'li'i3leA and could not possi3ly have 3een noticed under the circumstancesB for it must 3e recalled that since = ,as in a 3uildin' practically fresh and ne, e%cept for the ,allsA and surrounded 3y a ,ell13alanced staff of servitorsA apprehension ,ould have 3een a3surd despite the locality. What = after,ard remem3ered is merely this 1 that my old 3lac! catA ,hose moods = !no, so ,ellA ,as undou3tedly alert and an%ious to an e%tent ,holly out of !eepin' ,ith his natural character. 2e roved from room to roomA restless and distur3edA and sniffed constantly a3out the ,alls ,hich formed part of the 7othic structure. = realize ho, trite this sounds 11 li!e the inevita3le do' in the 'host storyA ,hich al,ays 'ro,ls 3efore his master sees the sheeted fi'ure 11 yet = cannot consistently suppress it. The follo,in' day a servant complained of restlessness amon' all the cats in the house. 2e came to me in my studyA a lofty ,est room on the second storeyA ,ith 'roined archesA 3lac! oa! panellin'A and a triple 7othic ,indo, overloo!in' the limestone cliff and desolate valleyB and even as he spo!e = sa, the Cetty form of ;i''er18an creepin' alon' the ,est ,all and scratchin' at the ne, panels ,hich overlaid the ancient stone. = told the man that there must 3e sin'ular odour or emanation from the old stone,or!A impercepti3le to human sensesA 3ut affectin' the delicate or'ans of cats even throu'h the ne, ,ood,or!. This = truly 3elievedA and ,hen the fello, su''ested the presence of mice or ratsA = mentioned that there had 3een no rats there for three hundred yearsA and that even the field mice of the surroundin' country could hardly 3e found in these hi'h ,allsA ,here they had never 3een !no,n to stray. That afternoon = called on Capt. ;orrysA and he assured me that it ,ould 3e Duite incredi3le for field mice to infest the priory in such a sudden and unprecedented fashion.

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The :ats in the Walls

7)-

That ni'htA dispensin' as usual ,ith a valetA = retired in the ,est to,er cham3er ,hich = had chosen as my o,nA reached from the study 3y a stone staircase and short 'allery 11 the former partly ancientA the latter entirely restored. This room ,as circularA very hi'hA and ,ithout ,ainscotin'A 3ein' hun' ,ith arras ,hich = had myself chosen in 5ondon. Seein' that ;i''er18an ,as ,ith meA = shut the heavy 7othic door and retired 3y the li'ht of the electric 3ul3s ,hich so cleverly counterfeited candlesA finally s,itchin' off the li'ht and sin!in' on the carved and canopied four1posterA ,ith the venera3le cat in his accustomed place across my feet. = did not dra, the curtainsA 3ut 'azed out at the narro, ,indo, ,hich = faced. There ,as a suspicion of aurora in the s!yA and the delicate traceries of the ,indo, ,ere pleasantly silhouetted. At some time = must have fallen Duietly asleepA for = recall a distinct sense of leavin' stran'e dreamsA ,hen the cat started violently from his placid position. = sa, him in the faint auroral 'lo,A head strained for,ardA fore feet on my an!lesA and hind feet stretched 3ehind. 2e ,as loo!in' intensely at a point on the ,all some,hat ,est of the ,indo,A a point ,hich to my eye had nothin' to mar! itA 3ut to,ard ,hich all my attention ,as no, directed. And as = ,atchedA = !ne, that ;i''er18an ,as not vainly e%cited. Whether the arras actually moved = cannot say. = thin! it didA very sli'htly. But ,hat = can s,ear to is that 3ehind it = heard a lo,A distinct scurryin' as of rats or mice. =n a moment the cat had Cumped 3odily on the screenin' tapestryA 3rin'in' the affected section to the floor ,ith his ,ei'htA and e%posin' a dampA ancient ,all of stoneB patched here and there 3y the restorersA and devoid of any trace of rodent pro,lers. ;i''er18an raced up and do,n the floor 3y this part of the ,allA cla,in' the fallen arras and seemin'ly tryin' at times to insert a pa, 3et,een the ,all and the oa!en floor. 2e found nothin'A and after a time returned ,earily to his place across my feet. = had not movedA 3ut = did not sleep a'ain that ni'ht. =n the mornin' = Duestioned all the servantsA and found that none of them had noticed anythin' unusualA save that the coo! remem3ered the actions of a cat ,hich had rested on her ,indo,sill. This cat had ho,led at some un!no,n hour of the ni'htA a,a!in' the coo! in time for her to see him dart purposefully out of the open door do,n the stairs. = dro,sed a,ay the noontimeA and in the afternoon called a'ain on Capt. ;orrysA ,ho 3ecame e%ceedin'ly interested in ,hat = told him. The odd incidents 11 so sli'ht yet so curious 11 appealed to his sense of the picturesDue and elicited from him a num3er of reminiscenses of local 'hostly lore. We ,ere 'enuinely perple%ed at the presence of ratsA and ;orrys lent me some traps and >aris 'reenA ,hich = had the servants place in strate'ic localities ,hen = returned. = retired earlyA 3ein' very sleepyA 3ut ,as harassed 3y dreams of the most horri3le sort. = seemed to 3e loo!in' do,n from an immense hei'ht upon a t,ilit 'rottoA !nee1deep ,ith filthA ,here a ,hite13earded daemon s,ineherd drove a3out ,ith his staff a floc! of fun'ousA fla33y 3easts ,hose appearance filled me ,ith unuttera3le loathin'. ThenA as the s,ineherd paused and nodded over his tas!A a mi'hty s,arm of rats rained do,n on the stin!in' a3yss and fell to devourin' 3easts and man ali!e.

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4rom this terrific vision = ,as a3ruptly a,a!ened 3y the motions of ;i''er18anA ,ho had 3een sleepin' as usual across my feet. This time = did not have to Duestion the source of his snarls and hissesA and of the fear ,hich made him sin! his cla,s into my an!leA unconscious of their effectB for on every side of the cham3er the ,alls ,ere alive ,ith nauseous sound 11 the veminous slitherin' of ravenousA 'i'antic rats. There ,as no, no aurora to sho, the state of the arras 11 the fallen section of ,hich had 3een replaced 1 3ut = ,as not too fri'htened to s,itch on the li'ht. As the 3ul3s leapt into radiance = sa, a hideous sha!in' all over the tapestryA causin' the some,hat peculiar desi'ns to e%ecute a sin'ular dance of death. This motion disappeared almost at onceA and the sound ,ith it. Sprin'in' out of 3edA = po!ed at the arras ,ith the lon' handle of a ,armin'1pan that rested nearA and lifted one section to see ,hat lay 3eneath. There ,as nothin' 3ut the patched stone ,allA and even the cat had lost his tense realization of a3normal presences. When = e%amined the circular trap that had 3een placed in the roomA = found all of the openin's sprun'A thou'h no trace remained of ,hat had 3een cau'ht and had escaped. 4urther sleep ,as out of the DuestionA so li'htin' a candleA = opened the door and ,ent out in the 'allery to,ards the stairs to my studyA ;i''er18an follo,in' at my heels. Before ,e had reached the stone stepsA ho,everA the cat darted ahead of me and vanished do,n the ancient fli'ht. As = descended the stairs myselfA = 3ecame suddenly a,are of sounds in the 'reat room 3elo,B sounds of a nature ,hich could not 3e mista!en. The oa!1panelled ,alls ,ere alive ,ith ratsA scamperin' and millin' ,hilst ;i''er18an ,as racin' a3out ,ith the fury of a 3affled hunter. :eachin' the 3ottomA = s,itched on the li'htA ,hich did not this time cause the noise to su3side. The rats continued their riotA stampedin' ,ith such force and distinctness that = could finally assi'n to their motions a definite direction. These creaturesA in num3ers apparently ine%hausti3leA ,ere en'a'ed in one stupendous mi'ration from inconceiva3le hei'hts to some depth conceiva3ly or inconceiva3ly 3elo,. = no, heard steps in the corridorA and in another moment t,o servants pushed open the massive door. They ,ere searchin' the house for some un!no,n source of distur3ance ,hich had thro,n all the cats into a snarlin' panic and caused them to plun'e precipitately do,n several fli'hts of stairs and sDuatA yo,lin'A 3efore the closed door to the su31cellar. = as!ed them if they had heard the ratsA 3ut they replied in the ne'ative. And ,hen = turned to call their attention to the sounds in the panelsA = realized that the noise had ceased. With the t,o menA = ,ent do,n to the door of the su31cellarA 3ut found the cats already dispersed. 5ater = resolved to e%plore the crypt 3elo,A 3ut for the present = merely made a round of the traps. All ,ere sprun'A yet all ,ere tenantless. Satisfyin' myself that no one had heard the rats save the felines and meA = sat in my study till mornin'A thin!in' profoundly and recallin' every scrap of le'end = had unearthed concernin' the 3uildin' = inha3ited. = slept some in the forenoonA leanin' 3ac! in the one comforta3le li3rary chair ,hich my mediaeval plan of furnishin' could not 3anish. 5ater = telephoned to Capt. ;orrysA ,ho came over and helped me e%plore the su31cellar. A3solutely nothin' unto,ard ,as foundA althou'h ,e could not repress a thrill at the !no,led'e that this vault ,as 3uilt 3y :oman hands. Every lo, arch and massive pillar ,as :oman 11 not the de3ased :omanesDue of the 3un'lin' Sa%onsA 3ut the severe and

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harmonious classicism of the a'e of the CaesarsB indeedA the ,alls a3ounded ,ith inscriptions familiar to the antiDuarians ,ho had repeatedly e%plored the place 11 thin's li!e L>. 7ETAE. >:+>... TE8>... $+;A...L and L5. >:AE7... ?S... >+;T=4=... AT.S...L The reference to Atys made me shiverA for = had read Catullus and !ne, somethin' of the hideous rites of the Eastern 'odA ,hose ,orship ,as so mi%ed ,ith that of Cy3ele. ;orrys and =A 3y the li'ht of lanternsA tried to interpret the odd and nearly effaced desi'ns on certain irre'ularly rectan'ular 3loc!s of stone 'enerally held to 3e altarsA 3ut could ma!e nothin' of them. We remem3ered that one patternA a sort of rayed sunA ,as held 3y students to imply a non1:oman ori'in sul''estin' that these altars had merely 3een adopted 3y the :oman priests from some older and perhaps a3ori'inal temple on the same site. +n one of these hloc!s ,ere some 3ro,n stains ,hich made me ,onder. The lar'estA in the centre of the roomA had certain features on the upper surface ,hich indicated its connection ,ith fire 11 pro3a3ly 3urnt offerin's. Such ,ere the si'hts in that crypt 3efore ,hose door the cats ho,ledA and ,here ;orrys and = no, determined to pass the ni'ht. Couches ,ere 3rou'ht do,n 3y the servantsA ,ho ,ere told not to mind any nocturnal actions of the catsA and ;i''er18an ,as admitted as much for help as for companionship. We decided to !eep the 'reat oa! door 11 a modern replica ,ith slits for ventilation 11 ti'htly closedB andA ,ith this attended toA ,e retired ,ith lanterns still 3urnin' to a,ait ,hatever mi'ht occur. The vault ,as very deep in the foundations of the prioryA and undou3tedly far do,n on the face of the 3eetlin' limestone cliff overloo!in' the ,aste valley. That it had 3een the 'oal of the scufflin' and une%plaina3le rats = could not dou3tA thou'h ,hyA = could not tell. As ,e lay there e%pectantlyA = found my vi'il occasionally mi%ed ,ith half1formed dreams from ,hich the uneasy motions of the cat across my feet ,ould rouse me. These dreams ,ere not ,holesomeA 3ut horri3ly li!e the one = had had the ni'ht 3efore. = sa, a'ain the t,ilit 'rottoA and the s,ineherd ,ith his unmentiona3le fun'ous 3easts ,allo,in' in filthA and as = loo!ed at these thin's they seemed nearer and more distinct 11 so distinct that = could alinost o3serve their features. Then = did o3serve the fla33y features of one of them 11 and a,a!ened ,ith such a scream that ;i''er18an started upA ,hilst Capt. ;orrysA ,ho had not sleptA lau'hed considera3ly. ;orrys mi'ht have lau'hed more 11 or perhaps less 11 had he !no,n ,hat it ,as that made me scream. But = did not remem3er myself till later. (ltimate horror often paralyses memory in a merciful ,ay. ;orrys ,a!ed me ,hen the phenomena 3e'an. +ut of the same fri'htful dream = ,as called 3y his 'entle sha!in' and his ur'in' to listen to the cats. =ndeedA there ,as much to listen toA for 3eyond the closed door at the head of the stone steps ,as a verita3le ni'htmare of feline yellin' and cla,in'A ,hilst ;i''er18anA unmindful of his !indred outsideA ,as runnin' e%citedly round the 3are stone ,allsA in ,hich = heard the same 3a3el of scurryin' rats that had trou3led me the ni'ht 3efore. An acute terror no, rose ,ithin meA for here ,ere anomalies ,hich nothin' normal could ,ell e%plain. These ratsA if not the creatures of a madness ,hich = shared ,ith the cats aloneA must 3e 3urro,in' and slidin' in :oman ,alls = had thou'ht to 3e solid limestone 3loc!s ... unless perhaps the action of ,ater throu'h more than seventeen centuries had eaten ,indin' tunnels ,hich rodent 3odies had ,orn clear and ample ... But even soA the spectral horror ,as no lessB for if these ,ere livin' vermin ,hy did not ;orrys

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hear their dis'ustin' commotionG Why did he ur'e me to ,atch ;i''er18an and listen to the cats outsideA and ,hy did he 'uess ,ildly and va'uely at ,hat could have aroused themG By this time = had mana'ed to tell himA as rationally as = couldA ,hat = thou'ht = ,as hearin'A my ears 'ave me the last fadin' impression of scurryin'B ,hich had retreated hill do,n,ardA far underneath this deepest of su31cellars till it seemed as if the ,hole cliff 3elo, ,ere riddled ,ith Duestin' rats. ;orrys ,as not as sceptical as = had anticipatedA 3ut instead seemed profoundly moved. 2e motioned to me to notice that the cats at the door had ceased their clamourA as if 'ivin' up the rats for lostB ,hilst ;i''er18an had a 3urst of rene,ed restlessnessA and ,as cla,in' frantically around the 3ottom of the lar'e stone altar in the centre of the roomA ,hich ,as nearer ;orrys< couch than mine. 8y fear of the un!no,n ,as at this point very 'reat. Somethin' astoundin' had occurredA and = sa, that Capt. ;orrysA a youn'erA stouterA and presuma3ly more naturally materialistic manA ,as affected fully as much as myself 11 perhaps 3ecause of his lifelon' and intimate familiarity ,ith local le'end. We could for the moment do nothin' 3ut ,atch the old 3lac! cat as he pa,ed ,ith decreasin' fervour at the 3ase of the altarA occasionally loo!in' up and me,in' to me in that persuasive manner ,hich he used ,hen he ,ished me to perform some favour for him. ;orrys no, too! a lantern close to the altar and e%amined the place ,here ;i''er18an ,as pa,in'B silently !neelin' and scrapin' a,ay the lichens of the centuries ,hich Coined the massive pre1:oman 3loc! to the tessellated floor. 2e did not find anythin'A and ,as a3out to a3andon his efforts ,hen = noticed a trivial circumstance ,hich made me shudderA even thou'h it implied nothin' more than = had already ima'ined. = told him of itA and ,e 3oth loo!ed at its almost impercepti3le manifestation ,ith the fi%edness of fascinated discovery and ac!no,led'ment. =t ,as only this 11 that the flame of the lantern set do,n near the altar ,as sli'htly 3ut certainly flic!erin' from a drau'ht of air ,hich it had not 3efore receivedA and ,hich came indu3ita3ly from the crevice 3et,een floor and altar ,here ;orrys ,as scrapin' a,ay the lichens. We spent the rest of the ni'ht in the 3rilliantly1li'hted studyA nervously discussin' ,hat ,e should do ne%t. The discovery that some vault deeper than the deepest !no,n masonry of the :omans underlay this accursed pileA some vault unsuspected 3y the curious antiDuarians of three centuriesA ,ould have 3een sufficient to e%cite us ,ithout any 3ac!'round of the sinister. As it ,asA the fascination 3ecame t,o1foldB and ,e paused in dou3t ,hether to a3andon our search and Duit the priory forever in superstitious cautionA or to 'ratify our sense of adventure and 3rave ,hatever horrors mi'ht a,ait us in the un!no,n depths. By mornin' ,e had compromisedA and decided to 'o to 5ondon to 'ather a 'roup of archaeolo'ists and scientific men fit to cope ,ith the mystery. =t should 3e mentioned that 3efore leavin' the su31cellar ,e had vainly tried to move the central altar ,hich ,e no, reco'nized as the 'ate to a ne, pit of nameless fear. What secret ,ould open the 'ateA ,iser men than ,e ,ould have to find. $urin' many days in 5ondon Capt. ;orrys and = presented our factsA conCecturesA and le'endary anecdotes to five eminent authoritiesA all men ,ho could 3e trusted to respect

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any family disclosures ,hich future e%plorations mi'ht develop. We found most of them little disposed to scoff 3utA insteadA intensely interested and sincerely sympathetic. =t is hardly necessary to name them allA 3ut = may say that they included Sir William BrintonA ,hose e%cavations in the Troad e%cited most of the ,orld in their day. As ,e all too! the train for Anchester = felt myself poised on the 3rin! of fri'htful revelationsA a sensation sym3olized 3y the air of mournin' amon' the many Americans at the une%pected death of the >resident on the other side of the ,orld. +n the evenin' of 7 Au'ust ,e reached E%ham >rioryA ,here the servants assured me that nothin' unusual had occurred. The catsA even old ;i''er18anA had 3een perfectly placidA and not a trap in the house had 3een sprun'. We ,ere to 3e'in e%plorin' on the follo,in' dlayA a,aitin' ,hich = assi'ned ,ell1appointed rooms to all my 'uests. = myself retired in my o,n to,er cham3erA ,ith ;i''er18an across my feet. Sleep came Duic!lyA 3ut hideous dreams assailed me. There ,as a vision of a :oman feast li!e that of TrimalchioA ,ith a horror in a covered platter. Then came that damna3leA recurrent thin' a3out the s,ineherd and his filthy drove in the t,ilit 'rotto. .et ,hen = a,o!e it ,as full dayli'htA ,ith normal sounds in the house 3elo,. The ratsA livin' or spectralA had not trou3led meB and ;i''er18an ,as still Duietly asleep. +n 'oin' do,nA = found that the same tranDuillity had prevailed else,hereB a condition ,hich one of the assem3led servants 11 a fello, named ThorntonA devoted to the psychic 11 rather a3surdly laid to the fact that = had no, 3een sho,n the thin' ,hich certain forces had ,ished to sho, me. All ,as no, readyA and at 11 A.8. our entire 'roup of seven menA 3earin' po,erful electric searchli'hts and implements of e%cavationA ,ent do,n to the su31cellar and 3olted the door 3ehind us. ;i''er18an ,as ,ith usA for the investi'ators found no occasion to depise his e%cita3ilityA and ,ere indeed an%ious that he 3e present in case of o3scure rodent manifestations. We noted the :oman inscriptions and un!no,n altar desi'ns only 3rieflyA for three of the savants had already seen themA and all !ne, their characteristics. >rime attention ,as paid to the momentous central altarA and ,ithin an hour Sir William Brinton had caused it to tilt 3ac!,ardA 3alanced 3y some un!no,n species of counter,ei'ht. There no, lay revealed such a horror as ,ould have over,helmed us had ,e not 3een prepared. Throu'h a nearly sDuare openin' in the tiled floorA spra,lin' on a fli'ht of stone steps so prodi'iously ,orn that it ,as little more than an inclined plane at the centreA ,as a 'hastly array of human or semi1human 3ones. Those ,hich retained their collocation as s!eletons sho,ed attitudes of panic fearA and over all ,ere the mar!s of rodent 'na,in'. The s!ulls denoted nothin' short of utter idiocyA cretinismA or primitive semi1apedom. A3ove the hellishly littered steps arched a descendin' passa'e seemin'ly chiselled from the solid roc!A and conductin' a current of air. This current ,as not a sudden and no%ious rush as from a closed vaultA 3ut a cool 3reeze ,ith somethin' of freshness in it. We did not pause lon'A 3ut shiverin'ly 3e'an to clear a passa'e do,n the steps. =t ,as then that Sir WilliamA e%aminin' the he,n ,allsA made the odd o3servation that the passa'eA accordin' to the direction of the stro!esA must have 3een chiselled from 3eneath. = must 3e very deli3erate no,A and choose my ,ords. After plou'hin' do,n a fe, steps amidst the 'na,led 3ones ,e sa, that there ,as li'ht aheadB not any mystic phosphorescenceA 3ut a filtered dayli'ht ,hich could not come e%cept from un!no,n fissures in the cliff that over1loo!ed the ,aste valley. That such fissures had escaped notice

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from outside ,as hardly remar!a3leA for not only is the valley ,holly uninha3itedA 3ut the cliff is so hi'h and 3eetlin' that only an aeronaut could study its face in detail. A fe, steps moreA and our 3reaths ,ere literally snatched from us 3y ,hat ,e sa,B so literally that ThorntonA the psychic investi'atorA actually fainted in the arms of the dazed mem ,ho stood 3ehind him. ;orrysA his plump face utterly ,hite and fla33yA simply cried out inarticulatelyB ,hilst = thin! that ,hat = did ,as to 'asp or hissA and cover my eyes. The man 3ehind me 11 the only one or the party older than = 11 croa!ed the hac!neyed L8y 7odFL in the most crac!ed voice = ever heard. +f seven cultivated menA only Sir William Brinton retained his composureA a thin' the more to his credit 3ecause he led the party and must have seen the si'ht first. =t ,as a t,ilit 'rotto of enormous hei'htA stretchin' a,ay farther than any eye could seeB a su3terraneous ,orld of limitless mystery and horrilile su''estion. There ,ere 3uildin's and other architectural remains 11 in one terrified 'lance = sa, a ,eird pattern of tumuliA a sava'e circle of monolithsA a lo,1domed :oman ruinA a spra,lin' Sa%on pileA and an early En'lish edifice of ,ood 11 3ut all these ,ere d,arfed 3y the 'houlish spectacle presented 3y the 'eneral surface of the 'round. 4or yards a3out the steps e%tended an insane tan'le of human honesA or 3ones at least as human as those on the steps. 5i!e a foamy sea they stretchedA some fallen apartA 3ut others ,holly or partly articulated as s!eletonsB these latter invaria3ly in postures of daemoniac frenzyA either fi'htin' off some menace or clutchin' other forms ,ith canni3al intent. When $r Tras!A the anthropolo'istA stopped to classify the s!ullsA he found a de'raded mi%ture ,hich utterly 3affled him. They ,ere mostly lo,er than the >iltdo,n man in the scale of evolutionA 3ut in every case definitely human. 8any ,ere of hi'her 'radeA and a very fe, ,ere the s!ulls of supremely and sensitively developed types. All the 3ones ,ere 'na,edA mostly 3y ratsA 3ut some,hat 3y others of the half1human drove. 8i%ed ,ith them ,ere many tiny hones of rats 11 fallen mem3ers of the lethal army ,hich closed the ancient epic. = ,onder that any man amon' us lived and !ept his sanity throu'h that hideous day of discovery. ;ot 2offman nor 2uysmans could conceive a scene more ,ildly incredi3leA more frenetically repellentA or more 7othically 'rotesDue than the than the t,ilit 'rotto throu'h ,hich ,e seven sta''eredB each stum3lin' on revelation after revelationA and tryin' to !eep for the nonce from thin!in' of the events ,hich must have ta!en place there three hundredA or a thousandA or t,o thousand or ten thousand years a'o. =t ,as the antecham3er of hellA and poor Thornton fainted a'ain ,hen Tras! told him that some of the s!eleton thin's must have descended as Duadrupeds throu'h the last t,enty or more 'enerations. 2orror piled on horror as ,e 3e'an to interpret the architectural remains. The Duadruped thin's 11 ,ith their occasional recruits from the hiped class 11 had 3een !ept in stone pensA out of ,hich they must have 3ro!en in their last delirium of hun'er or rat1fear. There had 3een 'reat herds of themA evidently fattened on the coarse ve'eta3les ,hose remains could 3e found asa sort of poisonous ensila'e at the 3ottom of the hu'e stone 3ins older than :ome. = !ne, no, ,hy my ancestors had had such e%cessive 'ardens 11 ,ould to heaven = could for'etF The purpose of the herds = did not have to as!.

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Sir WilliamA standin' ,ith his searchli'ht in the :oman ruinA translated aloud the most shoc!in' ritual = have ever !no,nB and told of the diet of the antediluvian cult ,hich the priests of Cy3ele found and min'led ,ith their o,n. ;orrysA used as he ,as to the trenchesA could not ,al! strai'ht ,hen he came out of the En'lish 3uildin'. =t ,as a 3utcher shop and !itchen 11 he had e%pected that 11 3ut it ,as too much to see familiar En'lish implements in such a placeA and to read familiar En'lish 'raffiti thereA some as recent as 1-1*. = could not 'o in that 3uildin' 1 that 3uildin' ,hose daemon activities ,ere stopped only 3y the da''er of my ancestor Walter de la >oer. What = did venture to enter ,as the lo, Sa%on 3uildin' ,hose oa!en door had fallenA and there = found a terri3le ro, of ten stone cells ,ith rusty 3ars. Three had tenantsA all s!eletons of hi'h 'radeA and on the 3ony forefin'er of one = found a seal rin' ,ith my o,n coat1of1arms. Sir William found a vault ,ith far older cells 3elo, the :oman chapelA 3ut these cells ,ere empty. Belo, them ,as a lo, crypt ,ith cases of formally arran'ed 3onesA some of them 3earin' terri3le parallel inscriptions carved in 5atinA 7ree!A and the ton'ue of >hyr'ia. 8ean,hileA $r Tras! had opened one of the prehistoric tumuliA and 3rou'ht to li'ht s!ulls ,hich ,ere sli'htly more human than a 'orilla<sA and ,hich 3ore indescri3a3ly ideo'raphic carvin's. Throu'h all this horror my cat stal!ed unpertur3ed. +nce = sa, him monstrously perched atop a mountain of 3onesA and ,ondered at the secrets that mi'ht lie 3ehind his yello, eyes. 2avin' 'rasped to some sli'ht de'ree the fri'htful revelations of this t,ilit area 11 an area so hideously foreshado,ed 3y my recurrent dream 11 ,e turned to that apparently 3oundless depth of midni'ht cavern ,here no ray of li'ht from the cliff could penetrate. We shall never !no, ,hat si'htless Sty'ian ,orlds ya,n 3eyond the little distance ,e ,entA for it ,as decided that such secrets are not 'ood for man!ind. But there ,as plenty to en'ross us close at handA for ,e had not 'one far 3efore the searchli'hts sho,ed that accursed infinity of pits in ,hich the rats had feastedA and ,hose sudden lac! of replenishment had driven the ravenous rodent army first to turn on the livin' herds of starvin' thin'sA and then to 3urst forth from the priory in that historic or'y of devastation ,hich the peasants ,ill never for'et. 7odF those carrion 3lac! pits of sa,edA pic!ed 3ones and opened s!ullsF Those ni'htmare chasms cho!ed ,ith the pithecanthropoidA CelticA :omanA and En'lish 3ones of countless unhallo,ed centuriesF Some of them ,ere fullA and none can say ho, deep they had once 3een. +thers ,ere still 3ottomless to our searchli'htsA and peopled 3y unnama3le fancies. WhatA = thou'htA of the hapless rats that stum3led into such traps amidst the 3lac!ness of their Duests in this 'risly TartarusG +nce my foot slipped near a horri3ly ya,nin' 3rin!A and = had a moment of ecstatic fear. = must have 3een musin' a lon' timeA for = could not see any of the party 3ut plump Capt. ;orrys. Then there came a sound from that in!yA 3oundlessA farther distance that = thou'ht = !ne,B and = sa, my old 3lac! cat dart past me li!e a ,in'ed E'yptian 'odA strai'ht into the illimita3le 'ulf of the un!no,n. But = ,as not far 3ehindA for there ,as no dou3t after another second. =t ,as the eldritch scurryin' of those fiend13orn ratsA al,ays Duestin' for ne, horrorsA and determined to lead me on even unto those 'rinnin' caverns of earth<s centre ,here ;yarlathotepA the mad faceless 'odA ho,ls 3lindly in the dar!ness to the pipin' of t,o amorphous idiot flute1players.

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8y searchli'ht e%piredA 3ut still = ran. = heard voicesA and yo,lsA and echoesA 3ut a3ove all there 'ently rose that impiousA insidious scurryin'B 'ently risin'A risin'A as a stiff 3loated corpse 'ently rises a3ove an oily river that flo,s under the endless ony% 3rid'es to a 3lac!A putrid sea. Somethin' 3umped into me 11 somethin' soft and plump. =t must have 3een the ratsB the viscousA 'elatinousA ravenous army that feast on the dead and the livin' ... Why shouldn<t rats eat a de la >oer as a de =a >oer eats for3idden thin'sG ... The ,ar ate my 3oyA damn them all ... and the .an!s ate Carfa% ,ith flames and 3urnt 7randsire $elapore and the secret ... ;oA noA = tell youA = am not that daemon s,ineherd in the t,ilit 'rottoF =t ,as not Ed,ard ;orrys< fat face on that fla33y fun'ous thin'F Who says = am a de la >oerG 2e livedA 3ut my 3oy diedF ... Shall a ;orrys hold the land of a de la >oerG ... =t<s voodooA = tell you ... that spotted sna!e ... Curse youA ThorntonA =<ll teach you to faint at ,hat my family doF ... <S3loodA thou stin!ardA =<ll learn ye ho, to 'ust ... ,olde ye s,yn!e me thil!e ,ysG... 8a'na 8aterF 8a'na 8aterF... Atys... $ia ad a'haidh<s ad aodaun... a'us 3as dunarch ortF $honas <s dholas ortA a'us leat1saF... (n'l unl... rrlh ... chchch... This is ,hat they say = said ,hen they found me in the 3lac!ness after three hoursB found me crouchin' in the 3lac!ness over the plumpA half1eaten 3ody of Capt. ;orrysA ,ith my o,n cat leapin' and tearin' at my throat. ;o, they have 3lo,n up E%ham >rioryA ta!en my ;i''er18an a,ay from meA and shut me into this 3arred room at 2an,ell ,ith fearful ,hispers a3out my heredity and e%perience. Thornton is in the ne%t roomA 3ut they prevent me from tal!in' to him. They are tryin'A tooA to suppress most of the facts concernin' the priory. When = spea! of poor ;orrys they accuse me of this hideous thin'A 3ut they must !no, that = did not do it. They must !no, it ,as the ratsB the slitherin' scurryin' rats ,hose scamperin' ,ill never let me sleepB the daemon rats that race 3ehind the paddin' in this room and 3ec!on me do,n to 'reater horrors than = have ever !no,nB the rats they can never hearB the ratsA the rats in the ,alls.

A Remi#isce#ce O! /r. S m%el 7oh#so#

The >rivile'e of :eminiscenceA ho,ever ram3lin' or tiresomeA is one 'enerally allo,<d to the very a'edB indeedA <tis freDuently 3y means of such :ecollections that the o3scure occurrences of 2istoryA and the lesser Anecdotes of the 7reatA are transmitted to >osterity. Tho< many of my readers have at times o3serv<d and remar!<d a Sort of antiDue 4lo, in my Stile of Writin'A it hath pleased me to pass amon'st the 8em3ers of this 7eneration as a youn' 8anA 'ivin' out the 4iction that = ,as 3orn in 18)*A in America. = am no,A ho,everA resolv<d to un3urthen myself of a Secret ,hich = have hitherto !ept thro< $read of =ncredulityB and to impart to the >u3lic! a true !no,led'e of my lon' yearsA in order to 'ratifie their taste for authentic! =nformation of an A'e ,ith ,hose famous >ersona'es = ,as on familiar Terms. Be it then !no,n that = ,as 3orn on the family Estate in #e!ons"ireA of the 1*th day of Au'ustA 1-)* Jor in the ne, Gregorian Stile of :ec!onin'A the "*th of Au'ustKA 3ein' therefore no, in my ""8th year. Comin' early to (ondonA = sa, as a Child many of the cele3rated 8en of 0in' William+s :ei'nA includin' the lamented 8r. #rydenA ,ho sat much at the Ta3les of Will+s Coffee12ouse. With 8r. Addison and $r. S$ift = later 3ecame very ,ell acDuaintedA and ,as an even more familiar 4riend to 8r. ,opeA ,hom = !ne, and respected till the $ay of his $eath. But since it is of my more recent AssociateA the late $r. Jo"nsonA that = am at this time desir<d to ,riteB = ,ill pass over my .outh for the present. = had first 0no,led'e of the $octor in 8ay of the year 17&8A tho< = did not at that Time meet him. 8r. ,ope had Cust compleated his Epilo'ue to his Satires Jthe >iece 3e'innin'9 L;ot t,ice a T,elvemonth you appear in >rint.LKA and had arran'<d for its >u3lication. +n the very $ay it appear<dA there ,as also pu3lish<d a Satire in =mitation of Ju!enalA intitul<d L(ondonLA 3y the then un!no,n Jo"nsonB and this so struc! the To,nA that many 7entlemen of Taste declaredA it ,as the Wor! of a 'reater >oet than 8r. ,ope. ;ot,ithstandin' ,hat some $etractors have said of 8r. ,ope+s petty CealousyA he 'ave the ?erses of his ne, :ival no small >raiseB and havin' learnt thro< 8r. *ic"ardson ,ho the >oet ,asA told meA <that 8r. Jo"nson ,ou<d soon 3e deterrE<. = had no personal AcDuaintance ,ith the $octor till 17-&A ,hen = ,as presented to him at the Mitre Tavern 3y 8r. James Bos$ellA a youn' Scotchman of e%cellent 4amily and 'reat 5earnin'A 3ut small WitA ,hose metrical Effusions = had sometimes revis<d. $r. Jo"nsonA as = 3eheld himA ,as a fullA pursy 8anA very ill drestA and of slovenly Aspect. = recall him to have ,orn a 3ushy Bo31Wi'A untyed and ,ithout >o,derA and much too small for his 2ead. 2is cloaths ,ere of rusty 3ro,nA much ,rin!ledA and ,ith more than one Button missin'. 2is 4aceA too full to 3e handsomA ,as li!e,ise marred 3y the Effects of some scrofulous $isorderB and his 2ead ,as continually rollin' a3out in a sort of convulsive ,ay. +f this =nfirmityA indeedA = had !no,n 3eforeB havin' heard of it from 8r. ,opeA ,ho too! the Trou3le to ma!e particular =nDuiries. Bein' nearly seventy1threeA full nineteen .ears older than $r. Jo"nson J= say $octorA tho< his $e'ree came not till t,o .ears after,ardKA = naturally e%pected him to have some :e'ard for my A'eB and ,as therefore not in that 4ear of himA ,hich others confess<d. +n my as!in' him ,hat he thou'ht of my favoura3le ;otice of his $ictionary in T"e

H.P.Lovecr !t

A :eminiscence +f $r. Samuel 6ohnson

8*

(ondonerA my periodical >aperA he said9 SirA = possess no :ecollection of havin' perus<d your >aperA and have not a 'reat =nterest in the +pinions of the less thou'htful >art of 8an!ind.L Bein' more than a little piDued at the =ncivility of one ,hose Cele3rity made me solicitous of his Appro3ationA = ventur<d to retaliate in !indA and told himA = ,as surpris<d that a 8an of Sense shou<d Cud'e the Thou'htfulness of one ,hose >roductions he admitted never havin' read. LWhyA SirAL reply<d Jo"nsonA L= do not reDuire to 3ecome familiar ,ith a 8an<s Writin's in order to estimate the Superficiality of his AttainmentsA ,hen he plainly s!e,s it 3y his Ea'erness to mention his o,n >roductions in the first /uestion he puts to me.L 2avin' thus 3ecome 4riendsA ,e convers<d on many 8atters. WhenA to a'ree ,ith himA = said = ,as distrustful of the Authenticity of 'ssian+s >oemsA 8r. Jo"nson said9 LThatA SirA does not do your (nderstandin' particular CreditB for ,hat all the To,n is sensi3le ofA is no 'reat $iscovery for a 7ru31Street Critic! to ma!e. .ou mi'ht as ,ell sayA you have a stron' Suspicion that Milton ,rote ,aradise (ostCL = thereafter sa, Jo"nson very freDuentlyA most often at 8eetin's of T2E 5=TE:A:. C5(BA ,hich ,as founded the ne%t .ear 3y the $octorA to'ether ,ith 8r. BurkeA the parliamentary +ratorA 8r. BeauclerkA a 7entleman of 4ashionA 8r. (angtonA a pious 8an and Captain of 8ilitiaA Sir 6. *eynoldsA the ,idely !no,n >ainterA $r. Goldsmit"A the prose and poetic! WriterA $r. -ugentA father1in1la, to 8r. BurkeA Sir Jo"n 9a$kinsA 8r. Ant"ony C"armierA and my self. We assem3led 'enerally at seven o<cloc! of an Evenin'A once a Wee!A at the Turk+s-9eadA in Gerrard-Street& So"oA till that Tavern ,as sold and made into a private $,ellin'B after ,hich Event ,e mov<d our 7atherin's successively to ,rince+s in Sack!ille-StreetA (e Tellier+s in #o!er-StreetA and ,arsloe+s and T"e T"atc"ed 9ouse in St% James+s-Street. =n these 8eetin's ,e preserv<d a remar!a3le $e'ree of Amity and TranDuillityA ,hich contrasts very favoura3ly ,ith some of the $issensions and $isruptions = o3serve in the literary and amateur >ress Associations of today. This TranDuillity ,as the more remar!a3leA 3ecause ,e had amon'st us 7entlemen of very opposed +pinions. $r. Jo"nson and =A as ,ell as many othersA ,ere hi'h ToriesB ,hilst 8r. Burke ,as a Whi'A and a'ainst the American WarA many of his Speeches on that Su3Cect havin' 3een ,idely pu3lish<d. The least con'enial 8em3er ,as one of the 4oundersA Sir Jo"n 9a$kinsA ,ho hath since ,ritten many misrepresentations of our Society. Sir Jo"nA an eccentric! 4ello,A once declin<d to pay his part of the :ec!onin' for SupperA 3ecause <t,as his Custom at 2ome to eat no Supper. 5ater he insulted 8r. Burke in so intolera3le a 8annerA that ,e all too! >ains to she, our $isapprovalB after ,hich =ncident he came no more to our 8eetin's. 2o,everA he never openly fell out ,ith the $octorA and ,as the E%ecutor of his WillB tho< 8r. Bos$ell and others have :eason to Duestion the 'enuineness of his Attachment. +ther and later 8em3ers of the C5(B ,ere 8r. #a!id GarrickA the Actor and early 4riend of $r. Jo"nsonA 8essieurs T"o. and Jos% WartonA $r. Adam Smit"A $r. ,ercyA Author of the *eli0uesA 8r. d$% GibbonA the 2istorianA $r. BurneyA the 8usicianA 8r. MaloneA the Critic!A and 8r. Bos$ell. 8r. Garrick o3tain<d Admittance only ,ith $ifficultyB for the $octorA not,ithstandin' his 'reat 4riendshipA ,as for ever affectin' to decry the Sta'e and all Thin's connected ,ith it. Jo"nsonA indeedA had a most sin'ular 2a3it of spea!in' for #a!y ,hen others ,ere a'ainst himA and of ar'uin' a'ainst himA ,hen others ,ere for him. = have no $ou3t that he sincerely lov<d 8r. GarrickA for he never alluded to him as he did to 7ooteA ,ho ,as a very coarse 4ello, despite his comic! 7enius. 8r. Gibbon ,as none too ,ell li!<dA for he had an odious sneerin' Way ,hich offended even those of us ,ho most admir<d his historical >roductions. 8r. Goldsmit"A a little 8an very vain of his $ress and very deficient in Brilliancy of ConversationA ,as my particular 4avouriteB since = ,as eDually una3le to shine in the $iscourse. 2e ,as vastly

H.P.Lovecr !t

A :eminiscence +f $r. Samuel 6ohnson

8*-

Cealous of $r. Jo"nsonA tho< none the less li!in' and respectin' him. = remem3er that once a 4orei'nerA a GermanA = thin!A ,as in our CompanyB and that ,hilst Goldsmit" ,as spea!in'A he o3serv<d the $octor preparin' to utter somethin'. (nconsciously loo!in' upon Goldsmit" as a meer Encum3rance ,hen compar<d to the 'reater 8anA the 4orei'ner 3luntly interrupted him and incurr<d his lastin' 2ostility 3y cryin'A L2ushA Toctor S"onson iss 'oin' to spea!FL =n this luminous Company = ,as tolerated more 3ecause of my .ears than for my Wit or 5earnin'B 3ein' no 8atch at all for the rest. 8y 4riendship for the cele3rated 8onsieur .oltaire ,as ever a Cause of Annoyance to the $octorB ,ho ,as deeply orthodo%A and ,ho us<d to say of the 7renc" >hilosopher9 L?ir est acerrimi =n'enii et paucarum 5iterarum.L 8r. Bos$ellA a little teazin' 4ello, ,hom = had !no,n for some Time previouslyA us<d to ma!e Sport of my au!,ard 8anners and old1fashion<d Wi' and Cloaths. +nce comin' in a little the ,orse for Wine Jto ,hich he ,as addictedK he endeavour<d to lampoon me 3y means of an =mpromptu in verseA ,rit on the Surface of the Ta3leB 3ut lac!in' the Aid he usually had in his CompositionA he made a 3ad 'rammatical Blunder. = told himA he shou<d not try to pasDuinade the Source of his >oesy. At another Time Bo22y Jas ,e us<d to call himK complain<d of my 2arshness to,ard ne, Writers in the Articles = prepar<d for T"e Mont"ly *e!ie$. 2e saidA = push<d every Aspirant off the Slopes of >arnassus. LSirAL = reply<dA Lyou are mista!en. They ,ho lose their 2old do so from their o,n Want of Stren'thB 3ut desirin' to conceal their Wea!nessA they attri3ute the A3sence of Success to the first Critic! that mentions them.L = am 'lad to recall that $r. Jo"nson upheld me in this 8atter. $r. Jo"nson ,as second to no 8an in the >ains he too! to revise the 3ad ?erses of othersB indeedA <tis said that in the 3oo! of poor 3lind old 8rs. WilliamsA there are scarce t,o lines ,hich are not the $octor<s. At one Time Jo"nson recited to me some lines 3y a Servant to the $u!e of (eedsA ,hich had so amus<d himA that he had 'ot them 3y 2eart. They are on the $u!e<s Weddin'A and so much resem3le in /uality the Wor! of other and more recent poetic! $uncesA that = cannot for3ear copyin' them9 LWhen the $u!e of (eeds shall marry<d 3e To a fine youn' 5ady of hi'h /uality 2o, happy ,ill that 7entle,oman 3e =n his 7race of (eeds+ 'ood Company.L = as!<d the $octorA if he had ever try<d ma!in' Sense of this >ieceB and upon his sayin' he had notA = amus<d myself ,ith the follo,in' Amendment of it9 When 7allant 5EE$S auspiciously shall ,ed The virtuous 4airA of antient 5inea'e 3redA 2o, must the 8aid reCoice ,ith conscious >ride To ,in so 'reat an 2us3and to her SideF +n she,in' this to $r. Jo"nsonA he saidA LSirA you have strai'htened out the 4eetA 3ut you have put neither Wit nor >oetry into the 5ines.L =t ,ou<d afford me 7ratification to tell more of my E%periences ,ith $r. Jo"nson and his circle of WitsB 3ut = am an old 8anA and easily fati'ued. = seem to ram3le alon' ,ithout

H.P.Lovecr !t

A :eminiscence +f $r. Samuel 6ohnson

8*7

much 5o'ic! or Continuity ,hen = endeavour to recall the >astB and fear = li'ht upon 3ut fe, =ncidents ,hich others have not 3efore discuss<d. Shou<d my present :ecollections meet ,ith 4avourA = mi'ht later set do,n some further Anecdotes of old Times of ,hich = am the only Survivor. = recall many thin's of Sam Jo"nson and his Clu3A havin' !ept up my 8em3ership in the 5atter lon' after the $octor<s $eathA at ,hich = sincerely mourn<d. = remem3er ho, Jo"n BurgoyneA EsD.A the 7eneralA ,hose $ramatic! and >oetical Wor!s ,ere printed after his $eathA ,as 3lac!3alled 3y three ?otesB pro3a3ly 3ecause of his unfortunate $efeat in the American WarA at Saratoga. >oor Jo"nC 2is Son fared 3etterA = thin!A and ,as made a Baronet. But = am very tired. = am oldA very oldA and it is Time for my Afternoon ;ap.

At the Root
To those ,ho loo! 3eneath the surfaceA the present universal ,ar drives home more than one anthropolo'ical truth in stri!in' fashionB and of the verities none is more profound than that relatin' to the essential immuta3ility of man!ind and its instincts. 4our years a'o a lar'e part of the civilised ,orld la3oured under certain 3iolo'ical fallacies ,hich mayA in a senseA 3e held responsi3le for the e%tent and duration of the present conflict. These fallaciesA ,hich ,ere the foundation of pacifism and other pernicious forms of social and political radicalismA dealt ,ith the capacity of man to evolve mentally 3eyond his former state of su3servience to primate instinct and pu'nacityA and to conduct his affairs and international or interracial relations on a 3asis of reason and 'ood1 ,ill. That 3elief in such capa3ility is unscientific and childishly naiveA is 3eside the Duestion. The fact remainsA that the most civilised part of the ,orldA includin' our o,n An'lo1Sa%ondomA did entertain enou'h of these notions to rela% military vi'ilanceA lay stress on points of honourA place trust in treatiesA and permit a po,erful and unscrupulous nation to indul'e unchec!ed and unsuspected in nearly fifty years of preparation for ,orld1 ,ide ro33ery and slau'hter. We are reapin' the result of our simplicity. The past is over. +ur former follies ,e can 3ut re'retA and e%piate as 3est ,e may 3y a crusade to the death a'ainst the Trans1:henane monster ,hich ,e allo,ed to 'ro, and flourish 3eneath our very eyes. But the future holds more of responsi3ilityA and ,e must prepare to 'uard a'ainst any renascence of the 3enevolent delusions that four years of 3lood have 3arely 3een a3le to discard forever the sentimental standpointA and to vie, our species throu'h the cold eyes of science alone. We must reco'nise the essential underlayin' sava'ery in the animal called manA and return to older and sounder principles of national life and defense. We must realise that man<s nature ,ill remain the same so lon' as he remains manB that civilisation is 3ut a sli'ht coverlet 3eneath ,hich the dominant 3east sleeps li'htly and ever ready to a,a!e. To preserve civilisationA ,e must deal scientifically ,ith the 3rute elementA usin' only 'enuine 3iolo'ical principles. =n considerin' ourselvesA ,e thin! too much of ethics and sociolo'y 1 too little of plain natural history. We should perceive that man<s period of historical e%istenceA a period so short that his physical constitution has not 3een altered in the sli'htest de'reeA is insufficient to allo, of any considera3le mental chan'e. The instincts that 'overned the E'yptians and the Assyrians of oldA 'overn us as ,ellB and as the ancients thou'htA 'raspedA stru''ledA and deceivedA so shall ,e moderns continue to thin!A 'raspA stru''leA and deceive in our inmost hearts. Chan'e is only superficial and apparent. 8an<s respect for the impondera3les varies accordin' to his mental constitution and environment. Throu'h certain modes of thou'ht and trainin' it can 3e elevated tremendouslyA 'et there is al,ays a limit. The man or nation of hi'h culture may ac!no,led'e to 'reat len'ths the restraints imposed 3y conventions and honourA 3ut 3eyond a certain point primitive ,ill or desire cannot 3e cur3ed. $enied anythin' ardently desiredA the individual or state ,ill ar'ue and parley Cust so lon' 1 thenA if the impellin' motive 3e sufficiently 'reatA ,ill cast aside every rule and 3rea! do,n every acDuired inhi3itionA plun'in' viciously after the o3Cect ,ishedB all the more fantastically sava'e 3ecause of previous repression. The sole ultimate factor in human decisions is physical

H.P.Lovecr !t

At the :oot

8*)

force. This ,e must learnA ho,ever repu'nant the idea may seemA if ,e are to protect ourselves and our institutions. :eliance on anythin' else is fallacious and ruinous. $an'erous 3eyond description are the voices sometimes heard todayA decryin' the continuance of armament after the close of the present hostilities. The specific application of the scientific truth re'ardin' man<s native instincts ,ill 3e found in the adoption of a post13ellum international pro'ramme. +3viouslyA ,e must ta!e into account the primordial su3structure and arran'e for the upholdin' of culture 3y methods ,hich ,ill stand the acid test of stress and conflictin' am3itions. =n disillusioned diplomacyA ample armamentA and universal military trainin' alone ,ill 3e found the solution of the ,orld<s difficulties. =t ,ill not 3e a perfect solutionA 3ecause humanity is not perfect. =t ,ill not a3olish ,arA 3ecause ,ar is the e%pression of a natural human tendency. But it ,ill at least produce an appro%imate sta3ility of social and political conditionsA and prevent the menace of the entire ,orld 3y the 'reed of any one of its constituent parts.

The Sh $o2 O%t o! Time

,.
After t,enty1t,o years of ni'htmare and terrorA saved only 3y a desperate conviction of the mythical source of certain impressionsA = am un,illin' to vouch for the truth of that ,hich = thin! = found in Western Australia on the ni'ht of 17118 6uly 1)& . There is reason to hope that my e%perience ,as ,holly or partly an hallucination 1 for ,hichA indeedA a3undant causes e%isted. And yetA its realism ,as so hideous that = sometimes find hope impossi3le. =f the thin' did happenA then man must 3e prepared to accept notions of the cosmosA and of his o,n place in the seethin' vorte% of timeA ,hose merest mention is paralysin'. 2e mustA tooA 3e placed on 'uard a'ainst a specificA lur!in' peril ,hichA thou'h it ,ill never en'ulf the ,hole raceA may impose monstrous and un'uessa3le horrors upon certain venturesome mem3ers of it. =t is for this latter reason that = ur'eA ,ith all the force of my 3ein'A final a3andonment of all the attempts at unearthin' those fra'ments of un!no,nA primordial masonry ,hich my e%pedition set out to investi'ate. Assumin' that = ,as sane and a,a!eA my e%perience on that ni'ht ,as such as has 3efallen no man 3efore. =t ,asA moreoverA a fri'htful confirmation of all = had sou'ht to dismiss as myth and dream. 8ercifull there is no proofA for in my fri'ht = lost the a,esome o3Cect ,hich ,ould 1 if real and 3rou'ht out of that no%ious a3yss 1 have formed irrefuta3le evidence. When = came upon the horror = ,as alone 1 and = have up to no, told no one a3out it. = could not stop the others from di''in' in its directionA 3ut chance and the shiftin' sand have so far saved them from findin' it. ;o, = must formulate some definite statement 1 not only for the sa!e of my o,n mental 3alanceA 3ut to ,arn such others as may read it seriously. These pa'es 1 much in ,hose earlier parts ,ill 3e familiar to close readers of the 'eneral and scientific press 1 are ,ritten in the ca3in of the ship that is 3rin'in' me home. = shall 'ive them to my sonA >rofessor Win'ate >easlee of 8is!atonic (niversity 1 the only mem3er of my family ,ho stuc! to me after my Dueer amnesia of lon' a'oA and the man 3est informed on the inner facts of my case. +f all livin' personsA he is least li!ely to ridicule ,hat = shall tell of that fateful ni'ht. = did not enli'hten him orally 3efore sailin'A 3ecause = thin! he had 3etter have the revelation in ,ritten form. :eadin' and re1readin' at leisure ,ill leave ,ith him a more convincin' picture than my confused ton'ue could hope to convey. 2e can do anythin' that he thin!s 3est ,ith this account 1 sho,in' itA ,ith suita3le commentA in any Duarters ,here it ,ill 3e li!ely to accomplish 'ood. =t is for the sa!e of

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ut of Time

811

such readers as are unfamiliar ,ith the earlier phases of my case that = am prefacin' the revelation itself ,ith a fairly ample summary of its 3ac!'round. 8y name is ;athaniel Win'ate >easleeA and those ,ho recall the ne,spaper tales of a 'eneration 3ac! 1 or the letters and articles in psycholo'ical Cournals si% or seven years a'o 1 ,ill !no, ,ho and ,hat = am. The press ,as filled ,ith the details of my stran'e amnesia in 1)*811&A and much ,as made of the traditions of horrorA madnessA and ,itchcraft ,hich lur!ed 3ehind the ancient 8assachusetts to,n then and no, formin' my place of residence. .et = ,ould have it !no,n that there is nothin' ,hatever of the mad or sinister in my heredity and early life. This is a hi'hly important fact in vie, of the shado, ,hich fell so suddenly upon me from outside sources. =t may 3e that centuries of dar! 3roodin' had 'iven to crum3lin'A ,hisper1haunted Ar!ham a peculiar vulnera3ility as re'ards such shado,s 1 thou'h even this seems dou3tful in the li'ht of those other cases ,hich = later came to study. But the chief point is that my o,n ancestry and 3ac!'round are alto'ether normal. What cameA came from some$"ere else 1 ,here = even no, hesitate to assert in plain ,ords. = am the son of 6onathan and 2annah JWin'ateK >easleeA 3oth of ,holesome old 2averhill stoc!. = ,as 3orn and reared in 2averhill 1 at the old homestead in Boardman Street near 7olden 2ill 1 and did not 'o to Ar!ham till = entered 8is!atonic (niversity as instructor of political economy in 18) . 4or thirteen years more my life ran smoothly and happily. = married Alice 0eezar of 2averhill in 18)-A and my three childrenA :o3ertA Win'ate and 2annah ,ere 3orn in 18)8A 1)**A and 1)*&A respectively. =n 18)8 = 3ecame an associate professorA and in 1)*" a full professor. At no time had = the least interest in either occultism or a3normal psycholo'y. =t ,as on ThursdayA 1# 8ay 1)*8A that the Dueer amnesia came. The thin' ,as Duite suddenA thou'h later = realized that certain 3riefA 'limmerin' visions of severalA hours previous 1 chaotic visions ,hich distur3ed me 'reatly 3ecause they ,ere so unprecedented 1 must have formed premonitory symptoms. 8y head ,as achin'A and = had a sin'ular feelin' 1 alto'ether ne, to me 1 that some one else ,as tryin' to 'et possession of my thou'hts. The collapse occurred a3out 1*."* A.8.A ,hile = ,as conductin' a class in >olitical Economy ?= 1 history and present tendencies of economics 1 for Cuniors and a fe, sophomores. = 3e'an to see stran'e shapes 3efore my eyesA and to feel that = ,as in a 'rotesDue room other than the classroom. 8y thou'hts and speech ,andered from my su3CectA and the students sa, that somethin' ,as 'ravely amiss. Then = slumped do,nA unconsciousA in my chairA in a stupor from ,hich no one could arouse me. ;or did my ri'htful faculties a'ain loo! out upon the dayli'ht of our normal ,orld for five yearsA four monthsA and thirteen days. =t isA of courseA from others that = have learned ,hat follo,ed. = sho,ed no si'n of consciousness for si%teen and a half hours thou'h removed to my home at "7 Crane StreetA and 'iven the 3est of medical attention.

H.P.Lovecr !t

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At & A.8. 8ay my eyes opened and 3e'an to spea! and my family ,ere thorou'hly fri'htened 3y the trend of my e%pression and lan'ua'e. =t ,as clear that = had no remem3rance of my identity and my pastA thou'h for some reason seemed an%ious to conceal his lac! of !no,led'e. 8y eyes 'lazed stran'ely at the persons around meA and the flections of my facial muscles ,ere alto'ether unfamiliar. Even my speech seemed a,!,ard and forei'n. = used my vocal or'ans clumsily and 'ropin'lyA and my diction had a curiously stilted DualityA as if = had la3oriously learned the En'lish lan'ua'e from 3oo!s. The pronunciation ,as 3ar3arously alienA ,hilst the idiom seemed to include 3oth scraps of curious archaism and e%pressions of a ,holly incomprehensi3le cast. +f the latterA one in particular ,as very potently 1 even terrifiedly 1 recalled 3y the youn'est of the physicians t,enty years after,ard. 4or at that late period such a phrase 3e'an to have an actual currency 1 first in En'land and then in the (nited States 1 and thou'h of much comple%ity and indisputa3le ne,nessA it reproduced in every least particular the mystifyin' ,ords of the stran'e Ar!ham patient of 1)*8. >hysical stren'th returned at onceA althou'h = reDuired an odd amount of re1education in the use of my handsA le'sA and 3odily apparatus in 'eneral. Because of this and other handicaps inherent in the mnemonic lapseA = ,as for some time !ept under strict medical care. When = sa, that my attempts to conceal the lapse had failedA = admitted it openlyA and 3ecame ea'er for information of all sorts. =ndeedA it seemed to the doctors that = lost interest in my proper personality as soon as = found the case of amnesia accepted as a natural thin'. They noticed that my chief efforts ,ere to master certain points in historyA scienceA artA lan'ua'eA and fol!lore 1 some of them tremendously a3struseA and some childishly simple 1 ,hich remainedA very oddly in many casesA outside my consciousness. At the same time they noticed that = had an ine%plica3le command of many almost un!no,n sorts of !no,led'e 1 a command ,hich = seemed to ,ish to hide rather than display. = ,ould inadvertently referA ,ith casual assuranceA to specific events in dim a'es outside of the ran'e of accepted history 1 passin' off such references as a Cest ,hen = sa, the surprise they created. And = had a ,ay of spea!in' of the future ,hich t,o or three times caused actual fri'ht. These uncanny flashes soon ceased to appearA thou'h some o3servers laid their vanishment more to a certain furtive caution on my part than to any ,anin' of the stran'e !no,led'e 3ehind them. =ndeedA = seemed anomalously avid to a3sor3 the speechA customsA and perspectives of the a'e around meB as if = ,ere a studious traveller from a farA forei'n land. As soon as permittedA = haunted the colle'e li3rary at all hoursB and shortly 3e'an to arran'e for those odd travelsA and special courses at American and European (niversitiesA ,hich evo!ed so much comment durin' the ne%t fe, years.

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= did not at any time suffer from a lac! of learned contactsA for my case had a mild cele3rity amon' the psycholo'ists of the period. = ,as lectured upon as a typical e%ample of secondary personality 1 even thou'h = seemed to puzzle the lecturers no, and then ,ith some 3izarre symptoms or some Dueer trace of carefully veiled moc!ery. +f real friendlinessA ho,everA = encountered little. Somethin' in my aspect and speech seemed to e%cite va'ue fears and aversions in every one = metA as if = ,ere a 3ein' infinitely removed from all that is normal and healthful. This idea of a 3lac!A hidden horror connected ,ith incalcula3le 'ulfs of some sort of distance ,as oddly ,idespread and persistent. 8y o,n family formed no e%ception. 4rom the moment of my stran'e ,a!in' my ,ife had re'arded me ,ith e%treme horror and loathin'A vo,in' that = ,as some utter alien usurpin' the 3ody of her hus3and. =n 1)1* she o3tained a le'al divorceA nor ,ould she ever consent to see me even after my return to normality in 1)1&. These feelin's ,ere shared 3y my elder son and my small dau'hterA neither of ,hom = have ever seen since. +nly my second sonA Win'ateA seemed a3le to conDuer the terror and repulsion ,hich my chan'e aroused. 2e indeed felt that = ,as a stran'erA 3ut thou'h only ei'ht years old held fast to a faith that my proper self ,ould return. When it did return he sou'ht me outA and the courts 'ave me his custody. =n succeedin' years he helped me ,ith the studies to ,hich = ,as drivenA and todayA at thirty1fiveA he is a professor of psycholo'y at 8is!atonic. But = do not ,onder at the horror caused 1 for certainlyA the mindA voiceA and facial e%pression of the 3ein' that a,a!ened on l 8ay 1)*8A ,ere not those of ;athaniel Win'ate >eastee. = ,ill not attempt to tell much of my life from 1)*8 to 1)1&A since readers may 'lean = the out,ard essentials 1 as = lar'ely had to do 1 from files of old ne,spapers and scientific Cournals. = ,as 'iven char'e of my fundsA and spent them slo,ly and on the ,hole ,iselyA in travel and in study at various centres of learnin'. 8y travelsA ho,everA ,ere sin'ular in the e%tremeA involvin' lon' visits to remote and desolate places. =n 1)*) = spent a month in the 2imalayasA and in 1)11 roused much attention throu'h a camel trip into the un!no,n deserts of Ara3ia. What happened on those Courneys = have never 3een a3le to learn. $urin' the summer of l)l" = chartered a ship and sailed in the ArcticA north of Spitz3er'enA after,ard sho,in' si'ns of disappointment. 5ater in that year = spent ,ee!s 1 alone 3eyond the limits of previous or su3seDuent e%ploration in the vast limestone cavern systems of ,estern ?ir'inia 1 3lac! la3yrinths so comple% that no retracin' of my steps could even 3e considered. 8y soCourns at the universities ,ere mar!ed 3y a3normally rapid assimilationA as if the secondary personality had an intelli'ence enormously superior to my o,n. = have foundA alsoA that my rate of readin' and solitary study ,as phenomenal. = could master every

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detail of a 3oo! merely 3y 'lancin' over it as fast as = could turn the leavesB ,hile my s!ill at interpretin' comple% fi'ures in an instant ,as verita3ly a,esome. At times there appeared almost u'ly reports of my po,er to influence the thou'hts and acts of othersA thou'h = seemed to have ta!en care to minimize displays of this faculty. +ther u'ly reports concerned my intimacy ,ith leaders of occultist 'roupsA and scholars suspected of connection ,ith nameless 3ands of a3horrent elder1,orld hierophants. These rumoursA thou'h never proved at the timeA ,ere dou3tless stimulated 3y the !no,n tenor of some of my readin' 1 for the consulltation of rare 3oo!s at li3raries cannot 3e effected secretly. There is tan'i3le proof 1 in the form of mar'inal notes 1 that = ,ent minutely throu'h such thin's as the Comte d<Erlette<s Cultes des GoulesA 5udvi' >rinn<s #e .ermis MysteriisA the 5naussprec"lic"en 3ulten of von 6unztA the survivin' fra'ments of the puzzlin' Book of ibonA and the dreaded -ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul Alhazred. ThenA tooA it is undenia3le that a fresh and evil ,ave of under'round cult activity set in a3out the time of my odd mutation. =n the summer of 1)1& = 3e'an to display si'ns of ennui and fla''in' interestA and to hint to various associates that a chan'e mi'ht soon 3e e%pected in me. = spo!e of returnin' memories of my earlier life 1 thou'h most auditors Cud'ed me insincereA since all the recollections = 'ave ,ere casualA and such as mi'ht have 3een learned from my old private papers. A3out the middle of Au'ust = returned to Ar!ham and re1opened my lon'1closed house in Crane Street. 2ere = installed a mechanism of the most curious aspectA constructed piecemeal 3y different ma!ers of scientific apparatus in Europe and AmericaA and 'uarded carefully from the si'ht of any one intelli'ent enou'h to analyse it. Those ,ho did see it 1 a ,or!manA a servantA and the ne, house!eeper 1 say that it ,as a Dueer mi%ture of rodsA ,heelsA and mirrosA thou'h only a3out t,o feet tallA one foot ,ideA and one foot thic!. The central mirror ,as circular and conve%. All this is 3orne out 3y such ma!ers of parts as can 3e located. +n the evenin' of 4ridayA "- Septem3erA = dismissed the house!eeper and the maid until noon of the ne%t day. 5i'hts 3urned in the house till lateA and a leanA dar!A curiously forei'n1loo!in' man called in an automo3ile. =t ,as a3out one A.8. that the li'hts ,ere last seen. At ".1 A.8. a policeman o3served the place in dar!nessA 3ut the stra'er<s motor still at the cur3. By # o<cloc! the motor ,as certainly 'one. =t ,as at - o<cloc! that a hesitantA forei'n voice on the telephone as!ed $r Wilson to call at my house and 3rin' me out of a peculiar faint. This call 1 a lon'1distance one 1 ,as later traced to a pu3lic 3ooth in the ;orth Station in BostonA 3ut no si'n of the lean forei'ner ,as ever unearthed. When the doctor reached my house he found me unconscious in the sittin' room 1 in an easy1chair ,ith a ta3le dra,n up 3efore it. +n the polished top ,ere scratches sho,in'

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,here some heavy o3Cect had rested. The Dueer machine ,as 'oneA nor ,as anythin' after,ard heard of it. (ndou3tedly the dar!A lean forei'ner had ta!en it a,ay. =n the li3rary 'rate ,ere a3undant ashesA evidently left from the 3urnin' of the every remainm' scrap of paper on ,hich = had ,ritten since the advent of the amnesia. $r Wilson found my 3reathin' very peculiarA 3ut after a hypodermic inCection it 3ecame more re'ular. At 11.1 A.8.A "7 Septem3erA = stirred vi'orouslyA and my hitherto mas!li!e face 3e'an to sho, si'ns of e%pression. $r Wilson remar!ed that the e%pression ,as not that of my secondary personalityA 3ut seemed much li!e that of my normal self. A3out 11.&* = muttered some very curious sylla3les 1 sylla3les ,hich seemed unrelated to any human speech. = appearedA tooA to stru''le a'ainst somethin'. ThenA Cust afternoon 1 the house!eeper and the maid havin' mean,hile returned 1 = 3e'an to mutter in En'lish. L1 of the orthodo% economists of that periodA 6evons typifies the prevailin' trend to,ard scientific correlation. 2is attempt to lin! the commercial cycle of prosperity and depression ,ith the physical cycle of the solar spots forms perhaps the ape% of 1L ;athaniel Win'ate >easlee had come 3ac! 1 a spirit in ,hose time scale it ,as still Thursday mornin' in 1)*8A ,ith the economics class 'azin' up at the 3attered des! on the platform.

,,.
8y rea3sorption into normal life ,as a painful and difficult process. The loss of over five years creates more complications than can 3e ima'inedA and in my case there ,ere countless matters to 3e adCusted. What = heard of my actions since 1)*8 astonished and distur3ed meA 3ut = tried to vie, the matter as philosophically as = could. At lastA re'ainin' custody of my second sonA Win'ateA = settled do,n ,ith him in the Crane Street house and endeavoured to resume my teachin' 1 my old professorship havin' 3een !indly offered me 3y the colle'e. = 3e'an ,or! ,ith the 4e3ruaryA 1)1#A termA and !ept at it Cust a year. By that time = realized ho, 3adly my e%perience had sha!en me. Thou'h perfectly sane 1 = hoped 1 and ,ith no fla, in my ori'inal personalityA = had not the nervous ener'y of the old days. ?a'ue dreams and Dueer ideas continually haunted meA and ,hen the out3rea! of the World War turned my mind to history = found myself thin!in' of periods and events in the oddest possi3le fashion. 8y conception of timeA my a3ility to distin'uish 3et,een consecutiveness and simultaneousness 1 seemed su3tly disordered so that = formed chimerical notions a3out livin' in one a'e and castin' one<s mind all over etenity for !no,led'e of past and future a'es. The ,ar 'ave me stran'e impressions of remem3erin' some of its far1off conseDuences 1 as if = !ne, ho, it ,as comin' out and could loo! back upon it in the li'ht of future

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information. All such Duasi1memories ,ere attended ,ith much painA and ,ith a feelin' that some artificial psycholo'ical 3arrier ,as set a a'ainst them. When = diffidently hinted to others a3out my impressions = met ,ith varied responses. Some persons loo!ed uncomforta3ly at meA 3ut men in the mathematics department spo!e of ne, developments in those theories of relativity 1 then discussed only in learned circles 1 ,hich ,ere later to 3ecome so famous. $r. Al3ert EinsteinA they saidA ,as rapidly reducin' time to the status of a mere dimension. But the dreams and distur3ed feelin's 'ained on meA so that = had to drop my re'ular ,or! in 1)1 . Certainly the impressions ,ere ta!in' an annoyin' shape 1 'ivin' me the persistent notion that my amnesia had formed some unholy sort of e%chan'eB that the secondary personality had indeed had had suffered displacement. 3een an in1 Thus = ,as driven to va'ue and fri'ht speculations concernin' the ,herea3outs of my true self durin' the years that another had held my 3ody. The curious !no,led'e and stran'e conduct of my 3ody<s late tenant trou3led me more and more as = learned further details from personsA papersA and ma'azines. /ueernesses that had 3affled others seemed to harmonize terri3ly ,ith some 3ac!'round of 3lac! !no,led'e ,hich festered in the chasms of my su3conscious. = 3e'an to search feverishly for every scrap of information 3earin' on the studies and travels of that other one durin' the dar! years. ;ot all of my trou3les ,ere as semi1a3stract as this. There ,ere the dreams 1 and these seemed to 'ro, in vividness and concreteness. 0no,in' ho, most ,ould re'ard themA = seldom mentioned them to anyone 3ut my son or certain trusted psycholo'istsA 3ut eventually = commenced a scientific study of other cases in order to see ho, typical or nontypical such visions mi'ht 3e amon' amnesia victims. 8y resultsA aided 3y psycholo'istsA historiansA anthropolo'istsA and mental specialists of ,ide e%perienceA and 3y a study that included all records of split personalities from the days of daemonic1possession le'ends to the medically realistic presentA at first 3othered me more than they consoled me. = soon found that my dreams hadA indeedA no counterpart in the over,helmin' 3ul! of true amnesia cases. There remainedA ho,everA a tiny residue of accounts ,hich for years 3affled and shoc!ed me ,ith their parallelism to my o,n e%perience. Some of them ,ere 3its of ancient fol!loreB others ,ere case histories in the annals of medicineB one or t,o ,ere anecdotes o3scurely 3uried in standard histories. =t thus appeared thatA ,hile my special !ind of affliction ,as prodi'iously rareA instances of it had occurred at lon' intervals ever since the 3e'inni' of men<s annals. Some centuries mi'ht contain oneA t,oA or three casesA others none 1 or at least none ,hose record survived. The essence ,as al,ays the same 1 a person of !een thou'htfulness seized a stran'e secondary life and leadin' for a 'reater or lesser period an utterly alien e%istence typified at first 3y vocal and 3odily a,!,ardnessA an later 3y a ,holesale acDuisition of scientificA historicA artisticA and anthropolo'ic !no,led'eB an acDuisition carried on ,ith feverish zest

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and ,ith a ,holly a3normal a3sorptive po,er. Then a sudden return of ri'htful consciousnessA intermittently pla'ued ever after ,ith va'ue unplacea3le dreams su''estin' fra'ments of some hideous memory ela3orately 3lotted out. And the close resem3lance of those ni'htmares to my o,n 1 even in some of the smallest particulars 1 left no dou3t in my mind of their si'nificantly typical nature. +ne or t,o of the cases had an added rin' of faintA 3lasphemous familiarityA as if = had heard of them 3efore throu'h some cosmic channel too mor3id and fri'htful to contemplate. =n three instances there ,as specific mention of such an un!no,n machine as had 3een in my house 3efore the second chan'e. Another thin' that ,orried me durin' my investi'ation ,as the some,hat 'reater freDuency of cases ,here a 3riefA elusive 'limpse of the typical ni'htmares ,as afforded to persons not visited ,ell1defined amnesia. These persons ,ere lar'ely of mediocre mind or less 1 some so primitive that they could scarcely 3e thou'ht of as vehicles fora3normal scholarship and preternatural mental acDuisitions. 4or a second they ,ould 3e fired ,ith alien force 1 then a 3ac!,ard lapseA and a thinA s,ift1fadin' memory of unhuman horrors. There had 3een at least three such cases durin' the past half century 1 one only fifteen years 3efore. 2ad somethin' 3een 'ropin' 3lindly throu'h time from some unsuspected a3yss in ;atureG Were these faint cases monstrousA sinister e%periments of a !ind and authorship uttely 3eyond same 3eliefG Such ,ere a fe, of the forless speculations of my ,ea!er hours 1 fancies a3etted 3y myths ,hich my studies uncovered. 4or = could not dou3t 3ut that certain persistent le'ends of immemorial antiDuityA apparently un!no,n to the victims and physicians connected ,ith recent amnesia casesA formed a stri!in' and a,esome ela3oration of memory lapses such as mine. +f the nature of the dreams and impressions ,hich ,ere 'ro,in' so clamorous = still almost fear to spea!. They seemed to savor of madnessA and at times = 3elieved = ,as indeed 'oin' mad. Was there a special type of delusion afflictin' those ,ho had suffered lapses of memoryG Conceiva3lyA the efforts of the su3conscious mind to fill up a perple%in' 3lan! ,ith pseudo1memories mi'ht 'ive rise to stran'e ima'inative va'aries. This indeed 1 thou'h an alternative fol!lore theory finally seemed to me more plausi3le 1 ,as the 3elief of many of the alienists ,ho helped me in my search for parallel casesA and ,ho shared my puzzlement at the e%act resem3lances sometimes discovered. They did not call the condition true insanityA 3ut classed it rather amon' neurotic disorders. 8y course in tryin' to trac! do,n and analyze itA instead of vaintly see!in' to dismiss or for'et itA they heartily endorsed as correct accordin' to the 3est psycholo'ical principles. = especially valued the advice of such physicians as had studied me durin' my possession 3y the other personality. 8y first distur3ances ,ere not visual at allA 3ut concerned the more a3stract matters ,hich = have mentioned. There ,asA tooA a feelin' of profound and ine%plica3le horror

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concernin' myself. = developed a Dueer fear of seein' my o,n formA as if my eyes ,ould find it somethin' utterly alien and inconceiva3ly a3horrent. When = did 'lance do,n and 3ehold the familiar human shape in Duiet 'rey or 3lue clothin'A = al,ays felt a curious reliefA thou'h in order to 'ain this relief = had to conDuer an infinite dread. = shunned mirrors as much as possi3leA and ,as al,ays shaved at the 3ar3er<s. =t ,as a lon' time 3efore = correlated any of these disappointed feelin's ,ith the fleetin'A visual impressions ,hich 3e'an to develop. The first such correlation had to do ,ith the odd sensation of an e%ternalA artificial restraint on my memory. = felt that the snatches of si'ht = e%perienced had a profound and terri3le meanin'A and a fri'htful conne%ion ,ith myselfA 3ut that some purposeful influence held me from 'raspin' that meanin' and that conne%ion. Then came that Dueerness a3out the element of timeA and ,ith it desperate efforts to place the fra'mentary dream1'limpses in the chronolo'ical and spatial pattern. The 'limpses themselves ,ere at first merely stran'e rather than horri3le. = ,ould seem to 3e in an enormous vaulted cham3er ,hose lofty stone aroinin's ,ere ,ell1ni'h lost in the shado,s overhead. =n ,hatever time or place the scene mi'ht 3eA the principle of the arch ,as !no,n as fully and used as e%tensively as 3y the :omans. There ,ere colossalA round ,indo,s and hi'hA arched doorsA and pedestals or ta3les each as tall as the hei'ht of an ordinary room. ?ast shelves of dar! ,ood lined the ,allsA holdin' ,hat seemed to 3e volumes of immense size ,ith stran'e hiero'lyphs on their 3ac!s. The e%posed stone,or! held curious carvin'sA al,ays in curvilinear mathematical desi'nsA and there ,ere chiselled inscriptions in the same characters that the hu'e 3oo!s 3ore. The dar! 'ranite masonry ,as of a monstrous me'athic typeA ,ith lines of conve%1 topped 3loc!s fittin' the concave13ottomed courses ,hich rested upon them. There ,ere no chairsA 3ut the tops of the vast pedestals ,ere littered ,ith 3oo!sA papersA and ,hat seemed to 3e ,ritin' materials 1 oddly fi'ured Cars of a purplish metalA and rods ,ith stained tips. Tall as the pedestals ,ereA = seemed at times a3le to vie, them from a3ove. +n some of them ,ere 'reat 'lo3es of luminous crystal servin' as lampsA and ine%plica3le machines formed of vitreous tu3es and metal rods. The ,indo,s ,ere 'lazedA and latticed ,ith stout1loo!in' 3ars. Thou'h = dared not approach and peer out themA = could see from ,here = ,as he ,avin' tops of sin'ular fern1 li!e 'ro,ths. The floor ,as of massive octa'onal fla'stonesA ,hile ru's and han'in's ,ere entirely lac!in'. 5ater = had visions of s,eepin' throu'h Cyclopean corridors of stoneA and up and do,n 'i'antic inclined planes of the same monstrous masonry. There ,ere no stairs any,hereA nor ,as any passa'e,ay less than thirty feet ,ide. Some of the structures throu'h ,hich = floated must have to,ered in the s!y for thousands of feet.

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There ,ere multiple levels of 3lac! vaults 3elo,A and never1opened trapdoorsA sealed do,n ,ith metal 3ands and holdin' dim su''estions of some special peril. = seemed to 3e a prisonerA and horror hun' 3roodin'ly over everythin' = sa,. = felt that the moc!in' curvilinear hiero'lyphs on the ,alls ,ould 3last my soul ,ith their messa'e ,ere = not 'uarded 3y a merciful i'norance. Still later my dreams included vistas from the 'reat round ,indo,sA and from the titanic flat roofA ,ith its curious 'ardensA ,ide 3arren areaA and hi'hA scalloped parapet of stoneA to ,hich the topmost of the inclined planes led. There ,ereA almost endless lea'ues of 'iant 3uildin'sA each in its 'ardenA and ran'ed alon' paved roads fully "** feet ,ide. They differed 'reatly in aspectA 3ut fe, ,ere less than ** feet sDuare or a thousand feet hi'h. 8any seemed so limitless that they must have had a fronta'e of several thousand feetA ,hile some shot up to mountainous altitudes in the 'reyA steamy heavens. They seemed to 3e mainly of stone or concreteA and most of them em3odied the oddly curvilinear type of masonry noticea3le in the 3uildin' that held me. :oofs ,ere flat and 'arden1coveredA and tended to have scalloped parapets. Sometimes there ,ere terraces and hi'her levelsA and ,ideA cleared spaces amidst the 'ardens. The 'reat roads held hints of motionA 3ut in the earlier visions = could not resolve this impression into details. =n certain places = 3eheld enormous dar! cylindrical to,ers ,hich clim3ed far a3ove any of the other structures. These appeared to 3e of a totally uniDue nature and she,ed si'ns of prodi'ious a'e and dilapidation. They ,ere 3uilt of a 3izarre type of sDuare1cut 3asalt masonryA and tapered sli'htly to,ard their rounded tops. ;o,here in any of them could the least traces of ,indo,s or other apertures save hu'e doors 3e found. = noticed also some lo,er 3uildini's 1 all crum3lin' ,ith the ,eatherin' of aeons 1 ,hich resem3led these dar!A cylindrical to,ers in 3asic architecture. Around all these a3errant piles of sDuare1cut masonry there hovered an ine%plica3le aura of menace and concentrated fearA li!e that 3red 3y the sealed trap1doors. The omnipresent 'ardens ,ere almost terrifyin' in their stran'enessA ,ith 3izarre and unfamiliar forms of ve'etation noddin' over 3road paths lined ,ith curiously carven monoliths. A3normally vast fern1li!e 'ro,ths predominated 1 some 'reenA and some of a 'hastlyA fun'oid pallor. Amon' them rose 'reat spectral thin's resem3lin' calamitesA ,hose 3am3oo1li!e trun!s to,ered to fa3ulous hei'hts. Then there ,ere tufted forms li!e fa3ulous cycadsA and 'rotesDue dar!1'reen shru3s and trees of coniferous aspect. 4lo,ers ,ere smallA colourlessA and unreco'niza3leA 3loomin' in 'eometrical 3eds and at lar'e amon' the 'reenery. =n a fe, of the terrace and roof1top 'ardens ,ere lar'er and more 3lossoms of most offensive contours and seemin' to su''est artificial 3reedin'. 4un'i of inconceiva3le sizeA outlinesA and colours spec!led the scene in patterns 3espea!in' some un!no,n 3ut ,ell1 esta3lished horticultural tradition. =n the lar'er 'ardens on the 'round there seemed to 3e

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some attempt to preserve the irre'ularities of ;atureA 3ut on the roofs there ,as more selectivenessA and more evidences of the topiary art. The sides ,ere almost al,ays moist and cloudyA and sometimes = ,ould seem to ,itness tremendous rains. +nce in a ,hileA thou'hA there ,ould 3e 'limpses of the sun 1 ,hich loo!ed a3normally lar'e 1 and of the moonA ,hose mar!in's held a touch of difference from the normal that = could never Duite fathom. When 1 very rarely 1 the ni'ht s!y ,as clear to any e%tentA = 3eheld constellations ,hich ,ere nearly 3eyond reco'nition. 0no,n outlines ,ere sometimes appro%imatedA 3ut seldom duplicatedB and from the position of the fe, 'roups = could reco'nizeA = felt = must 3e in the earth<s southern hemisphereA near the Tropic of Capricorn. The far horizon ,as al,ays steamy and indistinctA 3ut = could see that 'reat Cun'les of un!no,n tree1fernsA calamitesA lepidodendraA and si'illaria lay outside the cityA their fantastic fronda'e ,avin' moc!in'ly in the shiftin' vapours. ;o, and then there ,ould 3e su''estions of motion in the s!yA 3ut these my early visions never resolved. By the autumn of 1)1# = 3e'an to have infreDuent dreams of stran'e floatin's over the city and throu'h the re'ions around it. = sa, intermina3le roads throu'h forests of fearsome 'ro,ths ,ith mottledA flutedA and 3anded trun!sA and past other cities as stran'e as the one ,hich persistently haunted me. = sa, monstrous constructions of 3lac! or iridescent tone in 'lades and clearin's ,here perpetual t,ili'ht rei'nedA and traversed lon' cause,ays over s,amps so dar! that = could tell 3ut little of their moistA to,erin' ve'etation. +nce = sa, an area of countless miles stre,n ,ith a'e13lasted 3asaltic ruins ,hose architecture had 3een li!e that of the fe, ,indo,lessA round1topped to,ers in the hauntin' city. And once = sa, the sea 1 a 3oundlessA steamy e%panse 3eyond the colossal stone piers of an enormous to,n of domes and arches. 7reat shapeless su'''estions of shado, moved over itA and here and there its surface ,as ve%ed ith anomalous spoutin's.

,,,.
As = have saidA it ,as not immediately that these ,ild visions 3e'an to hold their terrifyin' Duality. CertainlyA many persons have dreamed intrinsically stran'er thin's 1 thin's compounded of unrelated scraps of daily lifeA picturesAand readin'A and arran'ed in fantastically novel forms 3y the unchec!ed caprices of sleep. 4or some time = accepted the visions as naturalA even thou'h = had never 3efore 3een an e%trava'ant dreamer. 8any of the va'ue anomaliesA = ar'uedA must have come from trivial sources too numerous to trac! do,nB ,hile others seemed to reflect a common te%t 3oo! !no,led'e of the plants and other conditions of the primitive ,orld of a hundred and fifty million years a'o 1 the ,orld of the >ermian or Triassic a'e. =n the course of some monthsA ho,everA the element of terror did fi'ure ,ith accumulatin' force. This ,as ,hen the dreams 3e'an so unfailin'ly to have the aspect of

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memoriesA and ,hen my mind 3e'an to lin! them ,ith my 'ro,in' a3stract distur3ances 1 the feelin' of mnemonic restraintA the curious impressions re'ardin' timeA and sense of a loathsome e%chan'e ,ith my secondary personality of 1)*811&A andA considera3ly laterA the ine%plica3le loathin' of my o,n person. As certain definite details 3e'an to enter the dreamsA their horror increased a thousandfold 1 until 3y +cto3erA 1)1 A = felt = must do somethin'. =t ,as then that = 3e'an an intensive study of other cases of amnesia and visionsA feelin' that = mi'ht there3y o3ectivise my trou3le and sha!e clear of its emotional 'rip. 2o,everA as 3efore mentionedA the result ,as at first almost e%actly opposite. =t distur3ed me vastly to find that my dreams had 3een so closely duplicatedB especially since some of the accounts ,ere too early to admit of any 'eolo'ical !no,led'e 1 and therefore of any idea of primitive landscapes 1 on the su3Cects< part. What is moreA many of these accounts supplied very horri3le details and e%planations in conne%ion ,ith the visions of 'reat 3uildin's and Cun'le 'ardens 1 and other thin's. The actual si'hts and va'ue impressions ,ere 3ad enou'hA 3ut ,hat ,as hinted or asserted 3y some of the other dreamers savored of madness and 3lasphemy. Worst of allA my o,n pseudo1memory ,as aroused to milder dreams and hints of comin' revelations. And yet most doctors deemed my courseA on he ,holeA an advisa3le one. = studied psycholo'y systematicallyA and under the prevailin' stimulus my son Win'ate did the same 1 his studies leadin' eventually to his present professorship. =n 1)17 and 1)18 = too! special courses at 8is!atonic. 8ean,hileA my e%amination of medicalA historicalA and anthropolo'ical records 3ecame indefati'a3leA involvin' travels to distant li3rariesA and finally includin' even a readin' of the hideous 3oo!s of for3idden elder lore in ,hich my secondary personality had 3een so distur3in'ly interested. Some of the latter ,ere the actual copies = had consulted in my altered stateA and = ,as 'reatly distur3ed 3y certain mar'inal notations and ostensi3le corrections of the hideous te%t in a script and idiom ,hich someho, seemed oddly unhuman. These mar!in's ,ere mostly in the respective lan'ua'es of the various 3oo!sA all of ,hich the ,riter seemed to !no, ,ith eDualA thou'h o3viously academicA facility. +ne note appended to von 6unzt<s 5naussprec"lic"en 3ultenA ho,everA ,as alarmin'ly other,ise. =t consisted of certain curvilinear hiero'lyphs in the same in! as that of the 7erman correctionsA 3ut follo,in' no reco'nized human pattern. And these hiero'lyphs ,ere closely and unmista!a3ly aldn to the characters constantly met ,ith in my dreams 1 characters ,hose meanin' = ,ould sometimes momentarily fancy = !ne,A or ,as Cust on the 3rin! of recallin'. To complete my 3lac! confusionA my li3rarians assured me thatA in vie, of previous e%aminations and records of consultation of the volumes in DuestionA all of these notations must have 3een made 3y myself in my secondary state. This despite the fact that = ,as and still am i'norant of three of the lan'ua'es involved. >iecin' to'ether the scattered recordsA ancient and modernA anthropolo'ical and medicalA = found a fairly consistent mi%ture of myth and hallucination ,hose scope and ,ildness left me utterly dazed. +nly one thin' consoled meA the fact that the myths ,ere of

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such early e%istence. What lost !no,led'e could have 3rou'ht pictures of the >alaeozoic or 8esozoic landscape into these primitive fa3lesA = could not even 'uessB 3ut the pictures had 3een there. ThusA a 3asis e%isted for the formation of a fi%ed type of delusion. Cases of amnesia no dou3t created the 'eneral myth pattern 1 3ut after,ard the fanciful accretions of the myths must have reacted on amnesia sufferers and coloured their pseudo1 memories. = myself had read and heard all the early tales durin' my memory lapse 1 my Duest had amply proved that. Was it not naturalA thenA for my su3seDuent dreams and emotional impressions to 3ecome coloured and moulded 3y ,hat my memory su3tly held over from my secondary stateG A fe, of the myths had si'nificant conne%ions ,ith other cloudy le'ends of the pre1 human ,orldA especially those 2indu tales involvin' stupefyin' 'ulfs of time and formin' part of the lore of modern theosopists. >rimal myth and modern delusion Coined in their assumption that man!ind is only one 1 perhaps the least 1 of the hi'hly evolved and dominant races of this planet<s lon' and lar'ely un!no,n career. Thin's of inconceiva3le shapeA they impliedA had reared to,ers to the s!y and delved into every secret of ;ature 3efore the first amphi3ian for3ear of man had cra,led out of the hot sea &** million years a'o. Some had come do,n from the starsB a fe, ,ere as old as the cosmos itselfA others had arisen s,iftly from terrene 'erms as far 3ehind the first 'erms of our life1cycle as those 'erms are 3ehind ourselves. Spans of thousands of millions of yearsA and lin!a'es to other 'ala%ies and universesA ,ere freely spo!en of. =ndeedA there ,as no such thin' as time in its humanly accepted sense. But most of the tales and impressions concerned a relatively late raceA of a Dueer and intricate shapeA resem3lin' no life1form !no,n to scienceA ,hich had lived till only fifty million years 3efore the advent of man. ThisA they indicatedA ,as the 'reatest race of all 3ecause it alone had conDuered the secret of time. =t had learned all thin's that ever ,ere !no,n or ever ,ould 3e !no,n on the earthA throu'h the po,er of its !eener minds to proCect themselves into the past and futureA even throu'h 'ulfs of millions of yearsA and study the lore of every a'e. 4rom the accomplishments of this race arose all le'ends of prophetsA includin' those in human mytholo'y. =n its vast li3raries ,ere volumes of te%ts and pictures holdin' the ,hole of earth<s annals1histories and descriptions of every species that had ever 3een or that ever ,ould 3eA ,ith full records of their artsA their achievementsA their lan'ua'esA and their psycholo'ies. With this aeon1em3racin' !no,led'eA the 7reat :ace chose from every era and life1 form such thou'htsA artsA and processes as mi'ht suit its o,n nature and situation. 0no,led'e of the pastA secured throu'h a !ind of mind1castin' outside the reco'nized sensesA ,as harder to 'lean than !no,led'e of the future. =n the latter case the course ,as easier and more material. With suita3le mechanical aid a mind ,ould proCect itself for,ard in timeA feelin' its dimA e%tra1sensory ,ay till it approached the desired period. ThenA after preliminary trialsA it ,ould seize on the 3est

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discovera3le representative of the hi'hest of that period<s life1forms. =t ,ould enter the or'anism<s 3rain and set up therein its o,n vi3rationsA ,hile the displaced mind ,ould stri!e 3ac! to the period of the displacerA remainin' in the latter<s 3ody till a reverse process ,as set up. The proCected mindA in the 3ody of the or'anism of the futureA ,ould then pose as a mem3er of the race ,hose out,ard form it ,oreA learnin' as Duic!ly as possi3le all that could 3e learned of the chosen a'e and its massed information and techniDues. 8ean,hile the displaced mindA thro,n 3ac! to the displacer<s a'e and 3odyA ,ould 3e carefully 'uarded. =t ,ould 3e !ept from harmin' the 3ody it occupiedA and ,ould 3e drained of all its !no,led'e 3y trained Duestioners. +ften it could 3e Duestioned in its o,n lan'ua'eA ,hen previous Duests into the future had 3rou'ht 3ac! records of that lan'ua'e. =f the mind came from a 3ody ,hose lan'ua'e the 7reat :ace could not physically reproduceA clever machines ,ould 3e madeA on ,hich the alien speech could 3e played as on a musical instrument. The 7reat :ace<s mem3ers ,ere immense ru'ose cones ten feet hi'hA and ,ith head and other or'ans attached to foot1thic!A distensi3le lim3s spreadin' from the ape%es. They spo!e 3y the clic!in' or scrapin' of hu'e pa,s or cla,s attached to the end of t,o of their four lim3sA and ,al!ed 3y the e%pansion and contraction of a viscous layer attached to their vastA ten1foot 3ases. When the captive mind<s amazement and resentment had ,orn offA and ,hen 1 assumin' that it came from a 3ody vastly different from the 7reat :ace<s 1 it had lost its horror at its unfamiliar temporary formA it ,as permitted to study its ne, environment and e%perience a ,onder and ,isdom approyimatin' that of its displacer. With suita3le precautionsA and in e%chan'e for suita3le servicesA it ,as allo,ed to rove all over the ha3ita3le ,orld in titan airships or on the hu'e 3oatli!e atomic1en'ined vehicles ,hich traversed the 'reat roadsA and to delve freely into the li3raries containin' the records of the planet<s past and future. This reconciled many captive minds to their lotB since none ,ere other than !eenA and to such minds the unveilin' of hidden mysteries of earth1closed chapters of inconceiva3le pasts and dizzyin' vortices of future time ,hich include the years ahead of their o,n natural a'es1forms al,aysA despite the a3ysmal horrors often unveiledA the supreme e%perience of life. ;o, and then certain captives ,ere permitted to meet other captive minds seized from the future 1 to e%chan'e thou'hts ,ith consciousnesses livin' a hundred or a thousand or a million years 3efore or after their o,n a'es. And all ,ere ur'ed to ,rite copiously in their o,n lan'ua'es of themselves and their respective periodsB such documents to 3e filed in the 'reat central archives. =t may 3e added that there ,as one special type of captive ,hose privile'es ,ere far 'reater than those of the maCority. These ,ere the dyin' permanent e%ilesA ,hose 3odies in the future had 3een seized 3y !een1minded mem3ers of the 7reat :ace ,hoA faced ,ith deathA sou'ht to escape mental e%tinction.

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Such melancholy e%iles ,ere not as common as mi'ht 3e e%pectedA since the lon'evity of the 7reat :ace lessened its love of life 1 especially amon' those superior minds capa3le of proCection. 4rom cases of the permanent proCection of elder minds arose many of those lastin' chan'es of personality noticed in later history 1 includin' man!ind<s. As for the ordinary cases of e%ploration 1 ,hen the displacin' mind had learned ,hat it ,ished in the futureA it ,ould 3uild an apparatus li!e that ,hich had started its fli'ht and reverse the process of proCection. +nce more it ,ould 3e in its o,n 3ody in its o,n a'eA ,hile the lately captive mind ,ould return to that 3ody of the future to ,hich it properly 3elon'ed. +nly ,hen one or the other of the 3odies had died durin' the e%chan'e ,as this restoration impossi3le. =n such casesA of courseA the e%plorin' mind had 1 li!e those of the death1escapers 1 to live out an alien13odied life in the futureB or else the captive mind1li!e the dyin' permanent e%iles 1 had to end its days in the form and past a'e of the 7reat :ace. This fate ,as least horri3le ,hen the captive mind ,as also of the 7reat :ace 1 a not infreDuent occurrenceA since in all its periods that race ,as intensely concerned ,ith its o,n future. The num3er of dyin' permanent e%iles of the 7reat :ace ,as very sli'ht 1 lar'ely 3ecause of the tremendous penalties attached to displacements of future 7reat :ace minds 3y the mori3und. Throu'h proCectionA arran'ements ,ere made to inflict these penalties on the offendin' minds in their ne, future 3odies 1 and sometimes forced re_%chan'es ,ere effected. Comple% cases of the displacement of e%plorin' or already captive minds 3y minds in various re'ions of the past had 3een !no,n and carefully rectified. =n every a'e since the discovery of mind proCectionA a minute 3ut ,ell1reco'nised element of the population consisted of 7reat :ace minds from past a'esA soCournin' for a lon'er or shorter ,hile. When a captive mind of alien ori'in ,as returned to its o,n 3ody in the futureA it ,as pur'ed 3y an intricate mechanical hypnosis of all it had learned in the 7reat :ace<s a'e 1 this 3ecause of certain trou3lesome conseDuences inherent in the 'eneral carryin' for,ard of !no,led'e in lar'e Duantities. The fe, e%istin' instances of clear transmission had causedA and ,ould cause at !no,n future timesA 'reat disasters. And it ,as lar'ely in conseDuence of t,o cases of this !ind 1 said the old myths 1 that man!ind had learned ,hat it had concernin' the 7reat :ace. +f all thin's survivin' physically and directly from that aeon1distant ,orldA there remained only certain ruins of 'reat stones in far places and under the seaA and parts of the te%t of the fri'htful >na!otic 8anuscripts. Thus the returnin' mind reached its o,n a'e ,ith only the faintest and most fra'mentary visions of ,hat it had under'one since its seizure. All memories that could 3e eradicated ,ere eradicatedA so that in most cases only a dream1shado,ed 3lan! stretched 3ac! to the time of the first e%chan'e. Some minds recalled more than othersA and the chance Coinin' of memories had at rare times 3rou'ht hints of the for3idden past to future a'es.

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There pro3a3ly never ,as a time ,hen 'roups or cults did not secretly cherish certain of these hints. =n the -ecronomicon the presence of such a cult amon' human 3ein's ,as su''ested 1 a cult that sometimes 'ave aid to minds voya'in' do,n the aeons from the days of the 7reat :ace. AndA mean,hileA the 7reat :ace itself ,a%ed ,ell1ni'h omniscientA and turned to the tas! of settin' up e%chan'es ,ith the minds of other planetsA and of e%plorin' their pasts and futures. =t sou'ht li!e,ise to fathom the past years and ori'in of that 3lac!A aeon1dead or3 in far space ,hence its o,n mental herita'e had come 1 for the mind of the 7reat :ace ,as older than its 3odily form. The 3ein's of a dyin' elder ,orldA ,ise ,ith the ultimate secretsA had loo!ed ahead for a ne, ,orld and species ,herein they mi'ht have lon' lifeB and had sent their minds en masse into that future race 3est adapted to house them 1 the cone1shaped 3ein's that peopled our earth a 3illion years a'o. Thus the 7reat :ace came to 3eA ,hile the myriad minds sent 3ac!,ard ,ere left to die in the horror of stran'e shapes. 5ater the race ,ould a'ain face deathA yet ,ould live throu'h another for,ard mi'ration of its 3est minds into the 3odies of others ,ho had a lon'er physical span ahead of them. Such ,as the 3ac!'round of intert,ined le'end and hallucination. WhenA around 1)"*A = had my researches in coherent shapeA = felt a sli'ht lessenin' of the tension ,hich their earlier sta'es had increased. After allA and in spite of the fancies prompted 3y 3lind emotionsA ,ere not most of my phenomena readily e%plaina3leG Any chance mi'ht have turned my mind to dar! studies durin' the amnesia 1 and then = read the for3idden le'ends and met the mem3ers of ancient and ill1re'arded cults. ThatA plainlyA supplied the material for the dreams and distur3ed feelin's ,hich came after the return of memory. As for the mar'inal notes in dream1hiero'lyphs and lan'ua'es un!no,n to meA 3ut laid at my door 3y li3rarians 1 = mi'ht easily have pic!ed up a smatterin' of the ton'ues durin' my secondary stateA ,hile the hiero'lyphs ,ere dou3tless coined 3y my fancy from descriptions in old le'endsA and after,ard ,oven into my dreams. = tried to verify certain points throu'h conversation ,ith !no,n cult leadersA 3ut never succeeded in esta3lishin' the ri'ht conne%ions. At times the parallelism of so many cases in so many distant a'es continued to ,orry me as it had at firstA 3ut on the other hand = reflected that the e%citant fol!lore ,as undou3tedly more universal in the past than in the present. >ro3a3ly all the other victims ,hose cases ,ere li!e mine had had a lon' and familiar !no,led'e of the tales = had learned only ,hen in my secondary state. When these victims had lost their memoryA they had associated themselves ,ith the creatures of their household myths 1 the fa3ulous invaders supposed to displace men<s minds 1 and had thus em3ar!ed upon Duests for !no,led'e ,hich they thou'ht they could ta!e 3ac! to a fanciedA non1 human past. ThenA ,hen their memory returnedA they reversed the associative process and thou'ht of themselves as the former captive minds instead of as the displacers. 2ence the dreams and pseudo1memories follo,in' the conventional myth pattern.

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$espite the seemin' cum3rousness of these e%planationsA they came finally to supersede all others in my mind1lar'ely 3ecause of the 'reater ,ea!ness of any rival theory. And a su3stantial num3er of eminent psycholo'ists and anthropolo'ists 'radually a'reed ,ith me. The more = reflectedA the more convincin' did my reasonin' seemB till in the end = had a really effective 3ul,ar! a'ainst the visions and impressions ,hich still assailed me. Suppose = did see stran'e thin's at ni'htG These ,ere only ,hat = had heard and read of. Suppose = did have odd loathin's and perspectives and pseudo1memoriesG TheseA tooA ,ere only echoes of myths a3sor3ed in my secondary state. ;othin' that = mi'ht dreamA nothin' that = mi'ht feelA could 3e of any actual si'nificance. 4ortified 3y this philosophyA = 'reatly improved in nervous eDuili3riumA even thou'h the visions 1 rather than the a3stract impressions 1 steadily 3ecame more freDuent and more distur3in'ly detailed. =n 1)"" = felt a3le to underta!e re'ular ,or! a'ainA and put my ne,ly 'ained !no,led'e to practical use 3y acceptin' an instructorship in psycholo'y at the university. 8y old chair of political economy had lon' 3een adeDuately filled 1 3esides ,hichA methods of teachin' economics had chan'ed 'reatly since my heyday. 8y son ,as at this time Cust enterin' on the post1'raduate studies leadin' to his resent professorshipA and ,e ,or!ed to'ether a 'reat deal.

,V.
= continuedA ho,everA to !eep a careful record of the outrO dreams ,hich cro,ded upon me so thic!ly and vividly. Such a recordA = ar'uedA ,as of 'enuine value as a psycholo'ical document. The 'limpses still seemed damna3ly li!e memoriesA thou'h = fou'ht off this impression ,ith a 'oodly measure of success. =n ,ritin'A = treated the phantasmata as thin's seenB 3ut at all other times = 3rushed them aside li!e any 'ossamer illusions of the ni'ht. = had never mentioned such matters in common conversationB thou'h reports of themA filterin' out as such thin's ,illA had aroused sundry rumors re'ardin' my mental health. =t is amusin' to reflect that these rumors ,ere confined ,holly to laymenA ,ithout a sin'le champion amon' physicians or psycholo'ists. +f my visions after 1)1# = ,ill here mention only a fe,A since fuller accounts and records are at the disposal of the serious student. =t is evident that ,ith time the curious inhi3itions some,hat ,anedA for the scope of my visions vastly increased. They have neverA thou'hA 3ecome other than disCointed fra'ments seemin'ly ,ithout clear motivation. Within the dreams = seemed 'radually to acDuire a 'reater and 'reater freedom of ,anderin'. = floated throu'h many stran'e 3uildin's of stoneA 'oin' from one to the other alon' mammoth under'round passa'es ,hich seemed to form the common avenues of transit. Sometimes = encountered those 'i'antic sealed trap1doors in the lo,est levelA around ,hich such an aura of fear and for3iddenness clun'.

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= sa, tremendously tessellated poolsA and rooms of curious and ine%plica3le utensils of myriad sorts. Then there ,ere colossal caverns of intricate machinery ,hose outlines and purpose ,ere ,holly stran'e to meA and ,hose sound manifested itself only after many years of dreamin'. = may here remar! that si'ht and sound are the only senses = have ever e%ercised in the visionary ,orld. The real horror 3e'an in 8ayA 1)1 A ,hen = first sa, the livin' thin's. This ,as 3efore my studies had tau'ht me ,hatA in vie, of the myths and case historiesA to e%pect. As mental 3arriers ,ore do,nA = 3eheld 'reat masses of thin vapour in various parts of the 3uildin' and in the streets 3elo,. These steadily 're, more solid and distinctA till at last = could trace their monstrous outlines ,ith uncomforta3le ease. They seemed to 3e enormousA iridescent conesA a3out ten feet hi'h and ten feet ,ide at the 3aseA and made up of some rid'yA scalyA semi1elastic matter. 4rom their ape%es proCected four fle%i3leA cylindrical mem3ersA each a foot thic!A and of a rid'y su3stance li!e that of the cones themselves. These mem3ers ,ere sometimes contracted almost to nothin'A and sometimes e%tended to any distance up to a3out ten feet. Terminatin' t,o of them ,ere enormous cla,s or nippers. At the end of a third ,ere four redA trumpetli!e appenda'es. The fourth terminated in an irre'ular yello,ish 'lo3e some t,o feet in diameter and havin' three 'reat dar! eyes ran'ed alon' its central circumference. Surmountin' this head ,ere four slender 'rey stal!s 3earin' flo,er1li!e appenda'esA ,hilst from its nether side dan'led ei'ht 'reenish antennae or tentacles. The 'reat 3ase of the central cone ,as frin'ed ,ith a ru33eryA 'rey su3stance ,hich moved the ,hole entity throu'h e%pansion and contraction. Their actionsA thou'h harmlessA horrified me even more than their appearance 1 for it is not ,holesome to ,atch monstrous o3Cects doin' ,hat one had !no,n only human 3ein's to do. These o3Cects moved intelli'ently a3out the 'reat roomsA 'ettin' 3oo!s from the shelves and ta!in' them to the 'reat ta3lesA or vice versaA and sometimes ,ritin' dili'ently ,ith a peculiar rod 'ripped in the 'reenish head tentacles. The hu'e nippers ,ere used in carryin' 3oo!s and in conversation1speech consistin' of a !ind of clic!in' and scrapin'. The o3Cects had no clothin'A 3ut ,ore satchels or !napsac!s suspended from the top of the conical trun!. They commonly carried their head and its supportin' mem3er at the level of the cone topA althou'h it ,as freDuently raised or lo,ered. The other three 'reat mem3ers tended to rest do,n,ard at the sides of the coneA contracted to a3out five feet each ,hen not in use. 4rom their rate of readin'A ,ritin'A and operatin' their machines 1 those on the ta3les seemed someho, connected ,ith thou'ht 1 = concluded that their intelli'ence ,as enormously 'reater than man<s. Aftenvard = sa, them every,hereB s,armin' in all the 'reat cham3ers and corridorsA tendin' monstrous machines in vaulted cryptsA and racin' alon' the vast roads in 'i'anticA 3oat1shaped cars. = ceased to 3e afraid of themA for they seemed to form supremely natural parts of their environment.

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=ndividual differences amon'st them 3e'an to 3e manifestA and a fe, appeared to 3e under some !ind of restraint. These latterA thou'h she,in' no physical variationA had a diversity of 'estures and ha3its ,hich mar!ed them off not only from the maCorityA 3ut very lar'ely from one another. They ,rote a 'reat deal in ,hat seemed to my cloudy vision a vast variety of characters 1 never the typical curvilinear hiero'lyphs of the maCority. A fe,A = fanciedA used our o,n familiar alpha3et. 8ost of them ,or!ed much more slo,ly than the 'eneral mass of the entities. All this time my o,n part in the dreams seemed to 3e that of a disem3odied consciousness ,ith a ran'e of vision ,ider than the normalA floatin' freely a3outA yet confined to the ordinary avenues and speeds of travel. ;ot until Au'ustA 1)1 A did any su''estions of 3odily e%istence 3e'in to harass me. = say harassA 3ecause the first phase ,as a purely a3stractA thou'h infinitely terri3leA association of my previously noted 3ody loathin' ,ith the scenes of my visions. 4or a ,hile my chief concern durin' dreams ,as to avoid loo!in' do,n at myselfA and = recall ho, 'rateful = ,as for the total a3sence of lar'e mirrors in the stran'e rooms. = ,as mi'htily trou3led 3y the fact that = al,ays sa, the 'reat ta3les 1 ,hose hei'ht could not 3e under ten feet 1 from a level not 3elo, that of their surfaces. And then the mor3id temptation to loo! do,n at myself 3ecame 'reater and 'reaterA till one ni'ht = could not resist it. At first my do,n,ard 'lance revealed nothin' ,hatever. A moment later = perceived that this ,as 3ecause my head lay at the end of a fle%i3le nec! of enormous len'th. :etractin' this nec! and 'azin' do,n very sharplyA = sa, the scalyA ru'oseA iridescent 3ul! of a vast cone ten feet tall and ten feet ,ide at the 3ase. That ,as ,hen = ,a!ed half of Ar!ham ,ith my screamin' as = plun'ed madly up from the a3yss of sleep. +nly after ,ee!s of hideous repetition did = 'ro, half1reconciled to these visions of myself in monstrous form. =n the dreams = no, moved 3odily amon' the other un!no,n entitiesA readin' terri3le 3oo!s from the endless shelves and ,ritin' for hours at the 'reat ta3les ,ith a stylus mana'ed 3y the 'reen tentacles that hun' do,n from my head. Snatches of ,hat = read and ,rote ,ould lin'er in my memory. There ,ere horri3le annals of other ,orlds and other universesA and of stirrin's of formless life outside of all universes. There ,ere records of stran'e orders of 3ein's ,hich had peopled the ,orld in for'otten pastsA and fri'htful chronicles of 'rotesDue13odied intelli'ences ,hich ,ould people it millions of years after the death of the last human 3ein'. = learned of chapters in human history ,hose e%istence no scholar of today has ever suspected. 8ost of these ,ritin's ,ere in the lan'ua'e of the hiero'lyphsB ,hich = studied in a Dueer ,ay ,ith the aid of dronin' machinesA and ,hich ,as evidently an a''lutinative speech ,ith root systems utterly unli!e any found in human lan'ua'es. +ther volumes ,ere in other un!no,n ton'ues learned in the same Dueer ,ay. A very fe, ,ere in lan'ua'es = !ne,. E%tremely clever picturesA 3oth inserted in the records and formin' separate collectionsA aided me immensely. And all the time = seemed to 3e settin' do,n a history of my o,n a'e in En'lish. +n ,a!in'A = could recall only minute and

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meanin'less scraps of the un!no,n ton'ues ,hich my dream1self had masteredA thou'h ,hole phrases of the history stayed ,ith me. = learned 1 even 3efore my ,a!in' self had studied the parallel cases or the old myths from ,hich the dreams dou3tless spran' 1 that the entities around me ,ere of the ,orld<s 'reatest raceA ,hich had conDuered time and had sent e%plorin' minds into every a'e. = !ne,A tooA that = had 3een snatched from my a'e ,hile another used my 3ody in that a'eA and that a fe, of the other stran'e forms housed similarly captured minds. = seemed to tal!A in some odd lan'ua'e of cla, clic!in'sA ,ith e%iled intellects from every corner of the solar system. There ,as a mind from the planet ,e !no, as ?enusA ,hich ,ould live incalcula3le epochs to comeA and one from an outer moon of 6upiter si% million years in the past. +f earthly minds there ,ere some from the ,in'edA starheadedA half1ve'eta3le race of palaeo'ean AntarcticaB one from the reptile people of fa3led ?alusiaB three from the furry pre1human 2yper3orean ,orshippers of Tsatho''uaB one from the ,holly a3omina3le Tcho1TchosB t,o from the arachnid denizens of earth<s last a'eB five from the hardy coleopterous species immediately follo,in' man!indA to ,hich the 7reat :ace ,as some day to transfer its !eenest minds en masse in the face of horri3le perilB and several from different 3ranches of humanity. = tal!ed ,ith the mind of .ian'15iA a philosopher from the cruel empire of Tsan1ChanA ,hich is to come in A*** A.$.B ,ith that of a 'eneral of the 'reatheaded 3ro,n people ,ho held South Africa in *A*** B.C.B ,ith that of a t,elfth1century 4lorentine mon! named Bartolomeo CorsiB ,ith that of a !in' of 5omar ,ho had ruled that terri3le polar land one hundred thousand years 3efore the sDuatA yello, =nutos came from the ,est to en'ulf it. = tal!ed ,ith the mind of ;u'1SothA a ma'ician of the dar! conDuerors of 1-A*** A.$.B ,ith that of a :oman named Titus Sempronius BlaesusA ,ho had 3een a Duaestor in Sulla<s timeB ,ith that of 0hephnesA an E'yptian of the 1#th $ynastyA ,ho told me the hideous secret of ;yarlathotepA ,ith that of a priest of Atlantis< middle !in'domB ,ith that of a Suffol! 'entleman of Crom,ell<s dayA 6ames WoodvilleB ,ith that of a court astronomer of pre1=nca >eruB ,ith that of the Australian physicist ;evil 0in'ston1Bro,nA ,ho ,ill die in "A 18 A.$.B ,ith that of an archima'e of vanished .he in the >acificB ,ith that of TheodotidesA a 7reco1Bactrian official +f "** B.C.B ,ith that of an a'ed 4renchman of 5ouis R===<s time named >ierre15ouis 8onta'nyB ,ith that of Crom1.aA a Cimmerian chieftain of 1 A*** B.C.B and ,ith so many others that my 3rain cannot hold the shoc!in' secrets and dizzyin' marvels = learned from them. = a,a!ed each mornin' in a feverA sometimes frantically tryin' to verify or discredit such information as fell ,ithin the ran'e of modern human !no,led'e. Traditional facts too! on ne, and dou3tful aspectsA and = marvelled at the dream1fancy ,hich could invent such surprisin' addenda to history and science. = shivered at the mysteries the past may concealA and trem3led at the menaces the future may 3rin' forth. What ,as hinted in the speech of post1human entities of the fate of man!ind produced such an effect on me that = ,ill not set it do,n here.

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After man there ,ould 3e the mi'hty 3eetle civilisationA the 3odies of ,hose mem3ers the cream of the 7reat :ace ,ould seize ,hen the monstrous doom overtoo! the elder ,orld. 5aterA as the earth<s span closedA the transferred minds ,ould a'ain mi'rate throu'h time and space 1 to another stoppin'1place in the 3odies of the 3ul3ous ve'eta3le entities of 8ercury. But there ,ould 3e races after themA clin'in' pathetically to the cold planet and 3urro,in' to its horror1filled coreA 3efore the utter end. 8ean,hileA in my dreamsA = ,rote endlessly in that history of my o,n a'e ,hich = ,as preparin' 1 half voluntarily and half throu'h promises of increased li3rary and travel opportunities 1 for the 7reat :ace<s central archives. The archives ,ere in a colossal su3terranean structure near the city<s centerA ,hich = came to !no, ,ell throu'h freDuent la3ors and consultations. 8eant to last as lon' as the raceA and to ,ithstand the fiercest of earth<s convulsionsA this titan repository surpassed all other 3uildin's in the massiveA mountain1li!e firmness of its construction. The recordsA ,ritten or printed on 'reat sheets of a curiously tenacious cellulose fa3ric ,ere 3ound into 3oo!s that opened from the topA and ,ere !ept in individual cases of a stran'eA e%tremely li'htA restless metal of 'reyish hueA decorated ,ith mathematical desi'ns and 3earin' the title in the 7reat :ace<s curvilinear hiero'lyphs. These cases ,ere stored in tiers of rectan'ular vaults1li!e closedA loc!ed shelves 1 ,rou'ht of the same rustless metal and fastened 3y !no3s ,ith intricate turnin's. 8y o,n history ,as assi'ned a specific place in the vaults of the lo,est or verte3rate level 1 the section devoted to the culture of man!ind and of the furry and reptilian races immediately precedin' it in terrestrial dominance. But none of the dreams ever 'ave me a full picture of daily life. All ,ere the merest mistyA disconnected fra'mentsA and it is certain that these fra'ments ,ere not unfolded in their ri'htful seDuence. = haveA for e%ampleA a very imperfect idea of my o,n livin' arran'ements in the dream1,orldB thou'h = seem to have possessed a 'reat stone room of my o,n. 8y restrictions as a prisoner 'radually disappearedA so that some of the visions included vivid travels over the mi'hty Cun'le roadsA soCourns in stran'e citiesA and e%plorations of some of the vastA dar!A ,indo,less ruins from ,hich the 7reat :ace shran! in curious fear. There ,ere also lon' sea voya'es in enormousA many1dec!ed 3oats of incredi3le s,iftnessA and trips over ,ild re'ions in closed proCectile1li!e airships lifted and moved 3y electrical repulsion. Beyond the ,ideA ,arm ocean ,ere other cities of the 7reat :aceA and on one far continent = sa, the crude villa'es of the 3lac!1snoutedA ,in'ed creatures ,ho ,ould evolve as a dominant stoc! after the 7reat :ace had sent its foremost minds into the future to escape the creepin' horror. 4latness and e%u3erant 'reen life ,ere al,ays the !eynote of the scene. 2ills ,ere lo, and sparseA and usually displayed si'ns of volcanic forces. +f the animals = sa,A = could ,rite volumes. All ,ere ,ildB for the 7reat :ace<s mechanised culture had lon' since done a,ay ,ith domestic 3eastsA ,hile food ,as ,holly ve'eta3le or synthetic. Clumsy reptiles of 'reat 3ul! floundered in steamin' morassesA fluttered in the heavy airA or spouted in the seas and la!esB and amon' these = fancied = could va'uely reco'nise lesserA archaic prototypes of many forms 1 dinosaursA pterodactylsA ichthyosaursA la3yrinthodontsA plesiosaursA and the li!e1made familiar throu'h palaeontolo'y. +f 3irds or mammals there ,ere none that = could discover.

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The 'round and s,amps ,ere constantly alive ,ith sna!esA lizardsA and crocodiles ,hile insects 3uzzed incessantly amon' the lush ve'etation. And far out at seaA unspied and un!no,n monsters spouted mountainous columns of foam into the vaporous s!y. +nce = ,as ta!en under the ocean in a 'i'antic su3marine vessel ,ith searchli'htsA and 'limpsed some livin' horrors of a,esome ma'nitude. = sa, also the ruins of incredi3le sun!en citiesA and the ,ealth of crinoidA 3rachiopodA coralA and ichthyic life ,hich every,here a3ounded. +f the physiolo'yA psycholo'yA fol!,aysA and detailed history of the 7reat :ace my visions preserved 3ut little informationA and many of the scattered points = here set do,n ,ere 'leaned from my study of old le'ends and other cases rather than from my o,n dreamin'. 4or in timeA of courseA my readin' and research cau'ht up ,ith and passed the dreams in many phasesA so that certain dream1fra'ments ,ere e%plained in advance and formed verifications of ,hat = had learned. This consolin'ly esta3lished my 3elief that similar readin' and researchA accomplished 3y my secondary selfA had formed the source of the ,hole terri3le fa3ric of pseudomemories. The period of my dreamsA apparentlyA ,as one some,hat less than 1 *A***A*** years a'oA ,hen the >alaeozoic a'e ,as 'ivin' place to the 8esozoic. The 3odies occupied 3y the 7reat :ace represented no survivin' 1 or even scientifically !no,n1line of terrestrial evolutionA 3ut ,ere of a peculiarA closely homo'eneousA and hi'hly specialised or'anic type inclinin' as much as to the ve'eta3le as to the animal state. Cell action ,as of an uniDue sort almost precludin' fati'ueA and ,holly eliminatin' the need of sleep. ;ourishmentA assimilated throu'h the red trumpet1li!e appenda'es on one of the 'reat fle%i3le lim3sA ,as al,ays semifluid and in many aspects ,holly unli!e the food of e%istin' animals. The 3ein's had 3ut t,o of the senses ,hich ,e reco'nise 1 si'ht and hearin'A the latter accomplished throu'h the flo,er1li!e appenda'es on the 'rey stal!s a3ove their heads. +f other and incomprehensi3le senses 1 notA ho,everA ,ell utiliza3le 3y alien captive minds inha3itin' their 3odies 1 they possessed many. Their three eyes ,ere so situated as to 'ive them a ran'e of vision ,ider than the normal. Their 3lood ,as a sort of deep1'reenish ichor of 'reat thic!ness. They had no se%A 3ut reproduced throu'h seeds or spores ,hich clustered on their 3ases and could 3e developed only under ,ater. 7reatA shallo, tan!s ,ere used for the 'ro,th of their youn' 1 ,hich ,ereA ho,everA reared only in small num3ers on account of the lon'evity of individuals 1 four or five thousand years 3ein' the common life span. 8ar!edly defective individuals ,ere Duic!ly disposed of as soon as their defects ,ere noticed. $isease and the approach of death ,ereA in the a3sence of a sense of touch or of physical painA reco'nised 3y purely visual symptoms. The dead ,ere incinerated ,ith di'nified ceremonies. +nce in a ,hileA as 3efore mentionedA a !een mind ,ould escape death 3y for,ard proCection in timeB 3ut such cases ,ere not numerous. When one did occurA the e%iled mind from the future ,as treated ,ith the utmost !indness till the dissolution of its unfamiliar tenement.

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The 7reat :ace seemed to form a sin'leA loosely !nit nation or lea'ueA ,ith maCor institutions in commonA thou'h there ,ere four definite divisions. The political and economic system of each unit ,as a sort of fascistic socialismA ,ith maCor resources rationally distri3utedA and po,er dele'ated to a small 'overnin' 3oard elected 3y the votes of all a3le to pass certain educational and psycholo'ical tests. 4amily or'anisation ,as not overstressedA thou'h ties amon' persons of common descent ,ere reco'nisedA and the youn' ,ere 'enerally reared 3y their parents. :esem3lances to human attitudes and institutions ,ereA of courseA most mar!ed in those fields ,here on the one hand hi'hly a3stract elements ,ere concernedA or ,here on the other hand there ,as a dominance of the 3asicA unspecialised ur'es common to all or'anic life. A fe, added li!enesses came throu'h conscious adoption as the 7reat :ace pro3ed the future and copied ,hat it li!ed. =ndustryA hi'hly mechanisedA demanded 3ut little time from each citizenB and the a3undant leisure ,as filled ,ith intellectual and aesthetic activities of various sorts. The sciences ,ere carried to an un3elieva3le hei'ht of developmentA and art ,as a vital part of lifeA thou'h at the period of my dreams it had passed its crest and meridian. Technolo'y ,as enormously stimulated throu'h the constant stru''le to surviveA and to !eep in e%istence the physical fa3ric of 'reat citiesA imposed 3y the prodi'ious 'eolo'ic upheavals of those primal days. Crime ,as surprisin'ly scantA and ,as dealt ,ith throu'h hi'hly efficient policin'. >unishments ran'ed from privile'e deprivation and imprisonment to death or maCor emotion ,renchin'A and ,ere never administered ,ithout a careful study of the criminal<s inotivations. WarfareA lar'ely civil for the last fe, millennia thou'h sometimes ,a'ed a'ainst reptilian or octopodic invadersA or a'ainst the ,in'edA star1headed +ld +nes ,ho centered in the antarcticA ,as infreDuent thou'h infinitely devastatin'. An enormous armyA usin' camera1li!e ,eapons ,hich produced tremendous electrical effectsA ,as !ept on hand for purposes seldom mentionedA 3ut o3viously connected ,ith the ceaseless fear of the dar!A ,indo,less elder ruins and of the 'reat sealed trap1doors in the lo,est su3terranean levels. This fear of the 3asalt ruins and trap1doors ,as lar'ely a matter of unspo!en su''estion 1 orA at mostA of furtive Duasi1,hispers. Everythin' specific ,hich 3ore on it ,as si'nificantly a3sent from such 3oo!s as ,ere on the common shelves. =t ,as the one su3Cect lyin' alto'ether under a ta3oo amon' the 7reat :aceA and seemed to 3e connected ali!e ,ith horri3le 3y'one stru''lesA and ,ith that future peril ,hich ,ould some day force the race to send its !eener minds ahead en masse in time. =mperfect and fra'mentary as ,ere the other thin's presented 3y dreams and le'endsA this matter ,as still more 3afflin'ly shrouded. The va'ue old myths avoided it 1 or perhaps all allusions had for some reason 3een e%cised. And in the dreams of myself and othersA the hints ,ere peculiarly fe,. 8em3ers of the 7reat :ace never intentionally referred to the matterA and ,hat could 3e 'leaned came only from some of the more sharply o3servant captive minds.

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Accordin' to these scraps of informationA the 3asis of the fear ,as a horri3le elder race of half1polypousA utterly alien entities ,hich had come throu'h space from immeasura3ly distant universes and had dominated the earth and three other solar planets a3out -** million years a'o. They ,ere only partly material 1 as ,e understand matter 1 and their type of consciousness and media of perception differed ,idely from those of terrestrial or'anisms. 4or e%ampleA their senses did not include that of si'htB their mental ,orld 3ein' a stran'eA non1visual pattern of impressions. They ,ereA ho,everA sufficiently material to use implements of normal matter ,hen in cosmic areas containin' itB and they reDuired housin' 1 al3eit of a peculiar !ind. Thou'h their senses could penetrate all material 3arriersA their su3stance could notB and certain forms of electrical ener'y could ,holly destroy them. They had the po,er of a_rial motionA despite the a3sence of ,in's or any other visi3le means of levitation. Their minds ,ere of such te%ture that no e%chan'e ,ith them could 3e effected 3y the 7reat :ace. When these thin's had come to the earth they had 3uilt mi'hty 3asalt cities of ,indo,less to,ersA and had preyed horri3ly upon the 3ein's they found. Thus it ,as ,hen the minds of the 7reat :ace sped across the void from that o3scureA trans1'alactic ,orld !no,n in the distur3in' and de3ata3le Eltdo,n Shards as .ith. The ne,comersA ,ith the instruments they createdA had found it easy to su3due the predatory entities and drive them do,n to those caverns of inner earth ,hich they had already Coined to their a3odes and 3e'un to inha3it. Then they had sealed the entrances and left them to their fateA after,ard occupyin' most of their 'reat cities and preservin' certain important 3uildin's for reasons connected more ,ith superstition than ,ith indifferenceA 3oldnessA or scientific and historical zeal. But as the aeons passed there came va'ueA evil si'ns that the elder thin's ,ere 'ro,in' stron' and numerous in the inner ,orld. There ,ere sporadic irruptions of a particularly hideous character in certain small and remote cities of the 7reat :aceA and in some of the deserted elder cities ,hich the 7reat :ace had not peopled 1 places ,here the paths to the 'ulfs 3elo, had not 3een properly sealed or 'uarded. After that 'reater precautions ,ere ta!enA and many of the paths ,ere closed forever 1 thou'h a fe, ,ere left ,ith sealed trap1doors for strate'ic use in fi'htin' the elder thin's if ever they 3ro!e forth in une%pected places. The irruptions of the elder thin's must have 3een shoc!in' 3eyond all descriptionA since they had permanently coloured the psycholo'y of the 7reat :ace. Such ,as the fi%ed mood of horror that the very aspect of the creatures ,as left unmentioned. At no time ,as = a3le to 'ain a clear hint of ,hat they loo!ed li!e. There ,ere veiled su''estions of a monstrous plasticityA and of temporary lapses of visi3ilityA ,hile other fra'mentary ,hispers referred to their control and military use of 'reat ,inds. Sin'ular ,histlin' noisesA and colossal footprints made up of five circular toe mar!sA seemed also to 3e associated ,ith them.

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=t ,as evident that the comin' doom so desperately feared 3y the 7reat :ace 1 the doom that ,as one day to send millions of !een minds across the chasm of time to stran'e 3odies in the safer future 1 had to do ,ith a final successful irruption of the elder 3ein's. 8ental proCections do,n the a'es had clearly foretold such a horrorA and the 7reat :ace had resolved that none ,ho could escape should face it. That the foray ,ould 3e a matter of ven'eanceA rather than an attempt to reoccupy the outer ,orldA they !ne, from the planet<s later history 1 for their proCections she,ed the comin' and 'oin' of su3seDuent races untrou3led 3y the monstrous entities. >erhaps these entities had come to prefer earth<s inner a3ysses to the varia3leA storm1 rava'ed surfaceA since li'ht meant nothin' to them. >erhapsA tooA they ,ere slo,ly ,ea!enin' ,ith the aeons. =ndeedA it ,as !no,n that they ,ould 3e Duite dead in the time of the post1human 3eetle race ,hich the fleein' minds ,ould tenant. 8ean,hileA the 7reat :ace maintained its cautious vi'ilanceA ,ith potent ,eapons ceaselessly ready despite the horrified 3anishin' of the su3Cect from common speech and visi3le records. And al,ays the shado, of nameless fear hun' 3out the sealed trap1doors and the dar!A ,indo,less elder to,ers.

V.
That is the ,orld of ,hich my dreams 3rou'ht me dimA scattered echoes every ni'ht. = cannot hope to 'ive any true idea of the horror and dread contained in such echoesA for it ,as upon a ,holly intan'i3le Duality 1 the sharp sense of pseudo1memory 1 that such feelin's mainly depended. As = have saidA my studies 'radually 'ave me a defence a'ainst these feelin's in the form of rational psycholo'ical e%planationsB and this savin' influence ,as au'mented 3y the su3tle touch of accustomedness ,hich comes ,ith the passa'e of time. .et in spite of everythin' the va'ueA creepin' terror ,ould return momentarily no, and then. =t did notA ho,everA en'ulf me as it had 3eforeB and after 1)"" = lived a very normal life of ,or! and recreation. =n the course of years = 3e'an to feel that my e%perience 1 to'ether ,ith the !indred cases and the related fol!lore 1 ou'ht to 3e definitely summarised and pu3lished for the 3enefit of serious studentsB hence = prepared a series of articles 3riefly coverin' the ,hole 'round and illustrated ,ith crude s!etches of some of the shapesA scenesA decorative motifsA and hiero'lyphs remem3ered from the dreams. These appeared at various times durin' 1)"8 and 1)") in the Journal of t"e American ,syc"ological SocietyA 3ut did not attract much attention. 8ean,hile = continued to record my dreams ,ith the minutest careA even thou'h the 'ro,in' stac! of reports attained trou3lesomely vast proportions. +n 6uly 1*A 1)&#A there ,as for,arded to me 3y the >sycholo'ical Society the letter ,hich opened the culminatin' and most horri3le phase of the ,hole mad ordeal. =t ,as postmar!ed >il3arraA Western AustraliaA and 3ore the si'nature of one ,hom = foundA upon inDuiryA to 3e a minin' en'ineer of considera3le prominence. Enclosed ,ere some very curious snapshots. = ,ill reproduce the te%t in its

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entiretyA and no reader can fail to understand ho, tremendous an effect it and the photo'raphs had upon me. = ,asA for a timeA almost stunned and incredulousB for althou'h = had often thou'ht that some 3asis of fact must underlie certain phases of the le'ends ,hich had coloured my dreamsA = ,as none the less unprepared for anythin' li!e a tan'i3le survival from a lost ,orld remote 3eyond all ima'ination. 8ost devastatin' of all ,ere the photo'raphs 1 for hereA in coldA incontroverti3le realismA there stood out a'ainst a 3ac!'round of sand certain ,orn1do,nA ,ater1rid'edA storm1,eathered 3loc!s of stone ,hose sli'htly conve% tops and sli'htly concave 3ottoms told their o,n story. And ,hen = studied them ,ith a ma'nifyin' 'lass = could see all too plainlyA amidst the 3atterrin's and pittin'sA the traces of those vast curvilinear desi'ns and occasional hiero'lyphs ,hose si'nificance had 3ecome so hideous to me. But here is the letterA ,hich spea!s for itself. #)A $ampier St.A >il3arraA W. AustraliaA 8ay 18A 1)&#. >rof. ;. W >easleeA cZo Am. >sycholo'ical SocietyA &* E. #1st St.A ;e, .or! CityA (.S.A. 8y $ear Sir9 A recent conversation ,ith $r. E. 8. Boyle of >erthA and some papers ,ith your articles ,hich he has Cust sent meA ma!e it advisa3le for me to tell you a3out certain thin's = have seen in the 7reat Sandy $esert east of our 'old field here. =t ,ould seemA in vie, of the peculiar le'ends a3out old cities ,ith hu'e stone,or! and stran'e desi'ns and hiero'lyphs ,hich you descri3eA that = have come upon somethin' very important. The 3lac!fello,s have al,ays 3een full of tal! a3out L'reat stones ,ith mar!s on themAL and seem to have a terri3le fear of such thin's. They connect them in some ,ay ,ith their common racial le'ends a3out BuddaiA the 'i'antic old man ,ho lies asleep for a'es under'round ,ith his head on his armA and ,ho ,ill some day a,a!e and eat up the ,orld. There are some very old and half1for'otten tales of enormous under'round huts of 'reat stonesA ,here passa'es lead do,n and do,nA and ,here horri3le thin's have happened. The 3lac!fello,s claim that once some ,arriorsA fleein' in 3attleA ,ent do,n into one and never came 3ac!A 3ut that fri'htful ,inds 3e'an to 3lo, from the place soon after they ,ent do,n. 2o,everA there usually isn<t much in ,hat these natives say. But ,hat = have to tell is more than this. T,o years a'oA ,hen = ,as prospectin' a3out ** miles east in the desertA = came on a lot of Dueer pieces of dressed stone perhaps & R " R " feet in sizeA and ,eathered and pitted to the very limit.

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At first = couldn<t find any of the mar!s the 3lac!fello,s told a3outA 3ut ,hen = loo!ed close enou'h = could ma!e out some deeply carved lines in spite of the ,eatherin'. There ,ere peculiar curvesA Cust li!e ,hat the 3lac!fello,s had tried to descri3e. = ima'ine there must have 3een thirty or forty 3loc!sA some nearly 3uried in the sandA and all ,ithin a circle perhaps a Duarter of a mile in diameter. When = sa, someA = loo!ed around closely for moreA and made a careful rec!onin' of the place ,ith my instruments. = also too! pictures of ten or t,elve of the most typical 3loc!sA and ,ill enclose the prints for you to see. = turned my information and pictures over to the 'overnment at >erthA 3ut they have done nothin' a3out them. Then = met $r. BoyleA ,ho had read your articles in the Joumal of t"e American ,syc"ological SocietyA andA in timeA happened to mention the stones. 2e ,as enormously interestedA and 3ecame Duite e%cited ,hen = she,ed him my snapshotsA sayin' that the stones and the mar!in's ,ere Cust li!e those of the masonry you had dreamed a3out and seen descri3ed in le'ends. 2e meant to ,rite youA 3ut ,as delayed. 8ean,hileA he sent me most of the ma'azines ,ith your articlesA and = sa, at onceA from your dra,in's and descriptionsA that my stones are certainly the !ind you mean. .ou can appreciate this from the enclosed prints. 5ater on you ,ill hear directly from $r. Boyle. ;o, = can understand ho, important all this ,ill 3e to you. Without Duestion ,e are faced ,ith the remains of an un!no,n civilization older than any dreamed of 3eforeA and formin' a 3asis for your le'ends. As a minin' en'ineerA = have some !no,led'e of 'eolo'yA and can tell you that these 3loc!s are so ancient they fri'hten me. They are mostly sandstone and 'raniteA thou'h one is almost certainly made of a Dueer sort of cement or concrete. They 3ear evidence of ,ater actionA as if this part of the ,orld had 3een su3mer'ed and come up a'ain after lon' a'es 1 all since those 3loc!s ,ere made and used. =t is a matter of hundreds of thousands of years 1 or heaven !no,s ho, much more. = don<t li!e to thin! a3out it. =n vie, of your previous dili'ent ,or! in trac!in' do,n the le'ends and everythin' connected ,ith themA = cannot dou3t 3ut that you ,ill ,ant to lead an e%pedition to the desert and ma!e some archaeolo'ical e%cavations. Both $r. Boyle and = are prepared to cooperate in such ,or! if you 1 or or'anizations !no,n to you 1 can furnish the funds. = can 'et to'ether a dozen miners for the heavy di''in' 1 the 3lac!fello,s ,ould 3e of no useA for =<ve found that they have an almost maniacal fear of this particular spot. Boyle and = are sayin' nothin' to othersA for you very o3viously ou'ht to have precedence in any discoveries or credit. The place can 3e reached from >il3arra in a3out four days 3y motor tractor 1 ,hich ,e<d need for our apparatus. =t is some,hat ,est and south of War3urton<s

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path of 187&A and 1** miles southeast of 6oanna Sprin'. We could float thin's up the $e 7rey :iver instead of startin' from >il3arra 1 3ut all that can 3e tal!ed over later. :ou'hly the stones lie at a point a3out ""P &< 1#L South 5atitudeA 1" P *< &)L East 5on'itude. The climate is tropicalA and the desert conditions are tryin'. = shall ,elcome further correspondence upon this su3CectA and am !eenly ea'er to assist in any plan you may devise. After studyin' your articles = am deeply impressed ,ith the profound si'nificance of the ,hole matter. $r. Boyle ,ill ,rite later. When rapid communication is neededA a ca3le to >erth can 3e relayed 3y ,ireless. 2opin' profoundly for an early messa'eA Believe meA 8ost faithfully yoursA :o3ert B.4. 8ac!enzie +f the immediate aftermath of this letterA much can 3e learned from the press. 8y 'ood fortune in securin' the 3ac!in' of 8is!atonic (niversity ,as 'reatA and 3oth 8r. 8ac!enzie and $r. Boyle proved invalua3le in arran'in' matters at the Australian end. We ,ere not too specific ,ith the pu3lic a3out our o3CectsA since the ,hole matter ,ould have lent itself unpleasantly to sensational and Cocose treatment 3y the cheaper ne,spapers. As a resultA printed reports ,ere sparin'B 3ut enou'h appeared to tell of our Duest for reported Australian ruins and to chronicle our various preparatory steps. >rofessor William $yer of the colle'e<s 'eolo'y department 1 leader of the 8is!atonic Antarctic E%pedition +f 1)&*1&1 1 4erdinand C. Ashley of the department of ancient historyA and Tyler 8. 4ree3orn of the department of anthropolo'y 1 to'ether ,ith my son Win'ate 1 accompanied me. 8y correspondentA 8ac!enzieA came to Ar!ham early in 1)& and assisted in our final preparations. 2e proved to 3e a tremendously competent and affa3le man of a3out fiftyA admira3ly ,ell1readA and deeply familiar ,ith all the conditions of Australian travel. 2e had tractors ,aitin' at >il3arraA and ,e chartered a tramp steamer sufficiently small to 'et up the river to that point. We ,ere prepared to e%cavate in the most careful and scientific fashionA siftin' every particle of sandA and distur3in' nothin' ,hich mi'ht seem to 3e in or near its ori'inal situation. Sailin' from Boston a3oard the ,heezy (e@ington on 8arch "8A 1)& A ,e had a leisurely trip across the Atlantic and 8editerraneanA throu'h the Suez CanalA do,n the :ed SeaA and across the =ndian +cean to our 'oal. = need not tell ho, the si'ht of the lo,A sandy West Australian coast depressed meA and ho, = detested the crude minin' to,n and dreary 'old fields ,here the tractors ,ere 'iven their last loads. $r. BoyleA ,ho met usA proved to 3e elderlyA pleasantA and intelli'ent 1 and his !no,led'e of psycholo'y led him into many lon' discussions ,ith my son and me.

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$iscomfort and e%pectancy ,ere oddly min'led in most of us ,hen at len'th our party of ei'hteen rattled forth over the arid lea'ues of sand and roc!. +n 4ridayA 8ay &1stA ,e forded a 3ranch of the $e 7rey and entered the realm of utter desolation. A certain positive terror 're, on me as ,e advanced to this actual site of the elder ,orld 3ehind the le'ends 1 a terrorA of courseA a3etted 3y the fact that my distur3in' dreams and pseudo1memories still 3eset me ,ith una3ated force. =t ,as on 8ondayA 6une &rdA that ,e sa, the first of the half13uried 3loc!s. = cannot descri3e the emotions ,ith ,hich = actually touched 1 in o3Cective reality 1 a fra'ment of Cyclopean masonry in every respect li!e the 3loc!s in the ,alls of my dream13uildin's. There ,as a distinct trace of carvin' 1 and my hands trem3led as = reco'nised part of a curvilinear decorative scheme made hellish to me throu'h years of tormentin' ni'htmare and 3afflin' research. A month of di''in' 3rou'ht a total of some 1" * 3loc!s in varyin' sta'es of ,ear and disinte'ration. 8ost of these ,ere carven me'aliths ,ith curved tops and 3ottoms. A minority ,ere smallerA flatterA plain1surfacedA and sDuare or octa'onally cut1li!e those of the floors and pavements in my dreams 1 ,hile a fe, ,ere sin'ularly massive and curved or slanted in such a manner as to su''est use in vaultin' or 'roinin'A or as parts of arches or round ,indo, casin's. The deeper 1 and the farther north and east 1 ,e du'A the more 3loc!s ,e foundB thou'h ,e still failed to discover any trace of arran'ement amon' them. >rofessor $yer ,as appalled at the measureless a'e of the fra'mentsA and 4ree3orn found traces of sym3ols ,hich fitted dar!ly into certain >apuan and >olynesian le'ends of infinite antiDuity. The condition and scatterin' of the 3loc!s told mutely of verti'inous cycles of time and 'eolo'ic upheavals of cosmic sava'ery. We had an a_roplane ,ith usA and my son Win'ate ,ould often 'o up to different hei'hts and scan the sand1and1roc! ,aste for si'ns of dimA lar'e1scale outlines 1 either differences of level or trails of scattered 3loc!s. 2is results ,ere virtually ne'ativeB for ,henever he ,ould one day thin! he had 'limpsed some si'nificant trendA he ,ould on his ne%t trip find the impression replaced 3y another eDually insu3stantial 1 a result of the shiftin'A ,ind13lo,n sand. +ne or t,o of these ephemeral su''estionsA thou'hA affected me Dueerly and disa'reea3ly. They seemedA after a fashionA to dovetail horri3ly ,ith somethin' = had dreamed or readA 3ut ,hich = could no lon'er remem3er. There ,as a terri3le familiarity a3out them 1 ,hich someho, made me loo! furtively and apprehensively over the a3omina3leA sterile terrain to,ard the north and northeast. Around the first ,ee! in 6uly = developed an unaccounta3le set of mi%ed emotions a3out that 'eneral northeasterly re'ion. There ,as horrorA and there ,as curiosity 1 3ut more than thatA there ,as a persistent and perple%in' illusion of memory. = tried all sorts of psycholo'ical e%pedients to 'et these notions out of my headA 3ut met ,ith no success. Sleeplessness also 'ained upon meA 3ut = almost ,elcomed this 3ecause of the resultant shortenin' of my dream1periods. = acDuired the ha3it of ta!in' lon'A lone ,al!s in the desert late at ni'ht1usually to the north or northeastA ,hither the sum of my stran'e ne, impulses seemed su3tly to pull me.

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SometimesA on these ,al!sA = ,ould stum3le over nearly 3uried fra'ments of the ancient masonry. Thou'h there ,ere fe,er visi3le 3loc!s here than ,here ,e had startedA = felt sure that there must 3e a vast a3undance 3eneath the surface. The 'round ,as less level than at our campA and the prevailin' hi'h ,inds no, and then piled the sand into fantastic temporary hilloc!s 1 e%posin' lo, traces of the elder stones ,hile it covered other traces. = ,as Dueerly an%ious to have the e%cavations e%tend to this territoryA yet at the same time dreaded ,hat mi'ht 3e revealed. +3viouslyA = ,as 'ettin' into a rather 3ad state 1 all the ,orse 3ecause = could not account for it. An indication of my poor nervous health can 3e 'ained from my response to an odd discovery ,hich = made on one of my nocturnal ram3les. =t ,as on the evenin' of 6uly l1thA ,hen the moon flooded the mysterious hilloc!s ,ith a curious pallor. Wanderin' some,hat 3eyond my usual limitsA = came upon a 'reat stone ,hich seemed to differ mar!edly from any ,e had yet encountered. =t ,as almost ,holly coveredA 3ut = stooped and cleared a,ay the sand ,ith my handsA later studyin' the o3Cect carefully and supplementin' the moonli'ht ,ith my electric torch. (nli!e the other very lar'e roc!sA this one ,as perfectly sDuare1cutA ,ith no conve% or concave surface. =t seemedA tooA to 3e of a dar! 3asaltic su3stanceA ,holly dissimilar to the 'ranite and sandstone and occasional concrete of the no, familiar fra'ments. Suddenly = roseA turnedA and ran for the camp at top speed. =t ,as a ,holly unconscious and irrational fli'htA and only ,hen = ,as close to my tent did = fully realise ,hy = had run. Then it came to me. The Dueer dar! stone ,as somethin' ,hich = had dreamed and read a3outA and ,hich ,as lin!ed ,ith the uttermost horrors of the aeon1old le'endry. =t ,as one of the 3loc!s of that 3asaltic elder masonry ,hich the fa3led 7reat :ace held in such fear 1 the tallA ,indo,less ruins left 3y those 3roodin'A half1materialA alien thin's that festered in earth<s nether a3ysses and a'ainst ,hose ,ind1li!eA invisi3le forces the trap1doors ,ere sealed and the sleepless sentinels posted. = remained a,a!e all ni'htA 3ut 3y da,n realised ho, silly = had 3een to let the shado, of a myth upset me. =nstead of 3ein' fri'htenedA = should have had a discoverer<s enthusiasm. The ne%t forenoon = told the others a3out my findA and $yerA 4ree3ornA BoyleA my sonA and = set out to vie, the anomalous 3loc!. 4ailureA ho,everA confronted us. = had formed no clear idea of the stone<s locationA and a late ind had ,holly altered the hilloc!s of shiftin' sand.

V,.
= come no, to the crucial and most difficult part of my narrative 1 all the more difficult 3ecause = cannot 3e Duite certain of its reality. At times = feel uncomforta3ly sure that = ,as not dreamin' or deludedB and it is this feelin'in vie, of the stupendous implications ,hich the o3Cective truth of my e%perience ,ould raise 1 ,hich impels me to ma!e this record.

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8y son 1 a trained psycholo'ist ,ith the fullest and most sympathetic !no,led'e of my ,hole case 1 shall 3e the primary Cud'e of ,hat = have to tell. 4irst let me outline the e%ternals of the matterA as those at the camp !no, them. +n the ni'ht of 6uly 17118A after a ,indy dayA = retired early 3ut could not sleep. :isin' shortly 3efore elevenA and afflicted as usual ,ith that stran'e feelin' re'ardin' the northeast,ard terrainA = set out on one of my typical nocturnal ,al!sB seein' and 'reetin' only one person 1 an Australian miner named Tupper 1 as = left our precincts. The moonA sli'htly past fullA shone from a clear s!yA and drenched the ancient sands ,ith a ,hiteA leprous radiance ,hich seemed to me someho, infinitely evil. There ,as no lon'er any ,indA nor did any return for nearly five hoursA as amply attested 3y Tupper and others ,ho sa, me ,al!in' rapidly across the pallidA secret1'uardin' hilloc!s to,ard the northeast. A3out &9&* a.m. a violent ,ind 3le, upA ,a!in' everyone in camp and fellin' three of the tents. The s!y ,as uncloudedA and the desert still 3lazed ,ith that leprous moonli'ht. As the party sa, to the tents my a3sence ,as notedA 3ut in vie, of my previous ,al!s this circumstance 'ave no one alarm. And yetA as many as three men 1 all Australians 1 seemed to feel somethin' sinister in the air. 8ac!enzie e%plained to >rofessor 4ree3orn that this ,as a fear pic!ed up from 3lac!fello, fol!lore 1 the natives havin' ,oven a curious fa3ric of mali'nant myth a3out the hi'h ,inds ,hich at lon' intervals s,eep across the sands under a clear s!y. Such ,indsA it is ,hisperedA 3lo, out of the 'reat stone huts under the 'roundA ,here terri3le thin's have happened 1 and are never felt e%cept near places ,here the 3i' mar!ed stones are scattered. Close to four the 'ale su3sided as suddenly as it had 3e'unA leavin' the sand hills in ne, and unfamiliar shapes. =t ,as Cust past fiveA ,ith the 3loatedA fun'oid moon sin!in' in the ,estA ,hen = sta''ered into camp 1 hatlessA tatteredA features scratched and ensan'uinedA and ,ithout my electric torch. 8ost of the men had returned to 3edA 3ut >rofessor $yer ,as smo!in' a pipe in front of his tent. Seein' my ,inded and almost frenzied stateA he called $r. BoyleA and the t,o of them 'ot me on my cot and made me comforta3le. 8y sonA roused 3y the stirA soon Coined themA and they all tried to force me to lie still and attempt sleep. But there ,as no sleep for me. 8y psycholo'ical state ,as very e%traordinary 1 different from anythin' = had previously suffered. After a time = insisted upon tal!in' 1 nervously and ela3orately e%plainin' my condition. = told them = had 3ecome fati'uedA and had lain do,n in the sand for a nap. There hadA = saidA 3een dreams even more fri'htful than usual 1 and ,hen = ,as a,a!ed 3y the sudden hi'h ,ind my over,rou'ht nerves had snapped. = had fled in panicA freDuently fallin' over half13uried stones and thus 'ainin' my tattered and 3edra''led aspect. = must have slept lon' 1 hence the hours of my a3sence. +f anythin' stran'e either seen or e%perienced = hinted a3solutely nothin' 1 e%ercisin' the 'reatest self1control in that respect. But = spo!e of a chan'e of mind re'ardin' the ,hole ,or! of the e%peditionA and ur'ed a halt in all di''in' to,ard the northeast. 8y reasonin' ,as patently ,ea! 1 for = mentioned a dearth of 3loc!sA a ,ish not to offend the superstitious minersA a possi3le shorta'e of funds from the colle'eA and other thin's either

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untrue or irrelevant. ;aturallyA no one paid the least attention to my ne, ,ishes 1 not even my sonA ,hose concern for my health ,as o3vious. The ne%t day = ,as up and around the campA 3ut too! no part in the e%cavations. Seein' that = could not stop the ,or!A = decided to return home as soon as possi3le for the sa!e of my nervesA and made my son promise to fly me in the plane to >erth 1 a thousand miles to the south,est 1 as soon as he had surveyed the re'ion = ,ished let alone. =fA = reflectedA the thin' = had seen ,as still visi3leA = mi'ht decide to attempt a specific ,arnin' even at the cost of ridicule. =t ,as Cust conceiva3le that the miners ,ho !ne, the local fol!lore mi'ht 3ac! me up. 2umourin' meA my son made the survey that very afternoonA flyin' over all the terrain my ,al! could possi3ly have covered. .et nothin' of ,hat = had found remained in si'ht. =t ,as the case of the anomalous 3asalt 3loc! all over a'ain 1 the shiftin' sand had ,iped out every trace. 4or an instant = half re'retted havin' lost a certain a,esome o3Cect in my star! fri'ht 1 3ut no, = !no, that the loss ,as merciful. = can still 3elieve my ,hole e%perience an illusion 1 especially ifA as = devoutly hopeA that hellish a3yss is never found. Win'ate too! me to >erth on 6uly "*thA thou'h declinin' to a3andon the e%pedition and return home. 2e stayed ,ith me until the " thA ,hen the steamer for 5iverpool sailed. ;o,A in the ca3in of the mpressA = am ponderin' lon' and frantically upon the entire matterA and have decided that my son at least must 3e informed. =t shall rest ,ith him ,hether to diffuse the matter more ,idely. =n order to meet any eventuality = have prepared this summary of my 3ac!'round 1 as already !no,n in a scattered ,ay to others 1 and ,ill no, tell as 3riefly as possi3le ,hat seemed to happen durin' my a3sence from the camp that hideous ni'ht. ;erves on ed'eA and ,hipped into a !ind of perverse ea'erness 3y that ine%plica3leA dread1min'ledA mnemonic ur'e to,ard the northeastA = plodded on 3eneath the evilA 3urnin' moon. 2ere and there = sa,A half shrouded 3y sandA those primal Cyclopean 3loc!s left from nameless and for'otten aeons. The incalcula3le a'e and 3roodin' horror of this monstrous ,aste 3e'an to oppress me as never 3eforeA and = could not !eep from thin!in' of my maddenin' dreamsA of the fri'htful le'ends ,hich lay 3ehind themA and of the present fears of natives and miners concernin' the desert and its carven stones. And yet = plodded on as if to some eldritch rendezvous 1 more and more assailed 3y 3e,ilderin' fanciesA compulsionsA and pseudo1memories. = thou'ht of some of the possi3le contours of the lines of stones as seen 3y my son from the airA and ,ondered ,hy they seemed at once so ominous and so familiar. Somethin' ,as fum3lin' and rattlin' at the latch of my recollectionA ,hile another un!no,n force sou'ht to !eep the portal 3arred. The ni'ht ,as ,indlessA and the pallid sand curved up,ard and do,n,ard li!e frozen ,aves of the sea. = had no 'oalA 3ut someho, plou'hed alon' as if ,ith fate13ound assurance. 8y dreams ,elled up into the ,a!in' ,orldA so that each sand1em3edded me'alith seemed part of endless rooms and corridors of pre1human masonryA carved and

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hiero'lyphed ,ith sym3ols that = !ne, too ,ell from years of custom as a captive mind of the 7reat :ace. At moments = fancied = sa, those omniscientA conical horrors movin' a3out at their accustomed tas!sA and = feared to loo! do,n lest = find myself one ,ith them in aspect. .et all the ,hile = sa, the sand1covered 3loc!s as ,ell as the rooms and corridorsB the evilA 3urnin' moon as ,ell as the lamps of luminous crystalB the endless desert as ,ell as the ,avin' ferns 3eyond the ,indo,s. = ,as a,a!e and dreamin' at the same time. = do not !no, ho, lon' or ho, far 1 or indeedA in Cust ,hat direction 1= had ,al!ed ,hen = first spied the heap of 3loc!s 3ared 3y the day<s ,ind. =t ,as the lar'est 'roup in one place that = had seen so farA and so sharply did it impress me that the visions of fa3ulous aeons faded suddenly a,ay. A'ain there ,ere only the desert and the evil moon and the shards of an un'uessed past. = dre, close and pausedA and cast the added li'ht of my electric torch over the tum3led pile. A hilloc! had 3lo,n a,ayA leavin' a lo,A irre'ularly round mass of me'aliths and smaller fra'ments some forty feet across and from t,o to ei'ht feet hi'h. 4rom the very outset = realized that there ,as some utterly unprecedented Duality a3out those stones. ;ot only ,as the mere num3er of them Duite ,ithout parallelA 3ut somethin' in the sand,orn traces of desi'n arrested me as = scanned them under the min'led 3eams of the moon and my torch. ;ot that any one differed essentially from the earlier specimens ,e had found. =t ,as somethin' su3tler than that. The impression did not come ,hen = loo!ed at one 3loc! aloneA 3ut only ,hen = ran my eye over several almost simultaneously. ThenA at lastA the truth da,ned upon me. The curvilinear patterns on many of those 3loc!s ,ere closely related 1 parts of one vast decorative conception. 4or the first time in this aeon1sha!en ,aste = had come upon a mass of masonry in its old position 1 tum3led and fra'mentaryA it is trueA 3ut none the less e%istin' in a very definite sense. 8ountin' at a lo, placeA = clam3ered la3oriously over the heapB here and there clearin' a,ay the sand ,ith my fin'ersA and constantly strivin' to interpret varieties of sizeA shapeA and styleA and relationships of desi'n. After a ,hile = could va'uely 'uess at the nature of the 3y'one structureA and at the desi'ns ,hich had once stretched over the vast surfaces of the primal masonry. The perfect identity of the ,hole ,ith some of my dream1'limpses appalled and unnerved me. This ,as once a Cyclopean corridor thirty feet tallA paved ,ith octa'onal 3loc!s and solidly vaulted overhead. There ,ould have 3een rooms openin' off on the ri'htA and at the farther end one of those stran'e inclined planes ,ould have ,ound do,n to still lo,er depths. = started violently as these conceptions occurred to meA for there ,as more in them than the 3loc!s themselves had supplied. 2o, did = !no, that this level should have 3een far under'roundG 2o, did = !no, that the plane leadin' up,ard should have 3een 3ehind meG

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2o, did = !no, that the lon' su3terrene passa'e to the SDuare of >illars ou'ht to lie on the left one level a3ove meG 2o, did = !no, that the room of machines and the ri'ht,ard1leadin' tunnel to the central archives ou'ht to lie t,o levels 3elo,G 2o, did = !no, that there ,ould 3e one of those horri3leA metal13anded trap1doors at the very 3ottom four levels do,nG Be,ildered 3y this intrusion from the dream1,orldA = found myself sha!in' and 3athed in a cold perspiration. ThenA as a lastA intolera3le touchA = felt that faintA insidious stream of cool air tric!lin' up,ard from a depressed place near the center of the hu'e heap. =nstantlyA as once 3eforeA my visions fadedA and = sa, a'ain only the evil moonli'htA the 3roodin' desertA and the spreadin' tumulus of palaeo'ean masonry. Somethin' real and tan'i3leA yet frau'ht ,ith infinite su''estions of ni'hted mysteryA no, confronted me. 4or that stream of air could ar'ue 3ut one thin' 1 a hidden 'ulf of 'reat size 3eneath the disordered 3loc!s on the surface. 8y first thou'ht ,as of the sinister 3lac!fello, le'ends of vast under'round huts amon' the me'aliths ,here horrors happen and 'reat ,inds are 3orn. Then thou'hts of my o,n dreams came 3ac!A and = felt dim pseudo1memories tu''in' at my mind. What manner of place lay 3elo, meG What primalA inconceiva3le source of a'e1old myth1cycles and hauntin' ni'htmares mi'ht = 3e on the 3rin! of uncoverin'G =t ,as only for a moment that = hesitatedA for more than curiosity and scientific zeal ,as drivin' me on and ,or!in' a'ainst my 'ro,in' fear. = seemed to move almost automaticallyA as if in the clutch of some compellin' fate. >oc!etin' my torchA and stru''lin' ,ith a stren'th that = had not thou'ht = possessedA = ,renched aside first one titan fra'ment of stone and then anotherA till there ,elled up a stron' drau'ht ,hose dampness contrasted oddly ,ith the deserts dry air. A 3lac! rift 3e'an to ya,nA and at len'th 1 ,hen = had pushed a,ay every fra'ment small enou'h to 3ud'e 1 the leprous moonli'ht 3lazed on an aperture of ample ,idth to admit me. = dre, out my torch and cast a 3rilliant 3eam into the openin'. Belo, me ,as a chaos of tum3led masonryA slopin' rou'hly do,n to,ard the north at an an'le of a3out forty1five de'reesA and evidently the result of some 3y'one collapse from a3ove. Bet,een its surface and the 'round level ,as a 'ulf of impenetra3le 3lac!ness at ,hose upper ed'e ,ere si'ns of 'i'anticA stress1heaved vaultin'. At this pointA it appearedA the deserts sands lay directly upon a floor of some titan structure of earth<s youth 1 ho, preserved throu'h aeons of 'eolo'ic convulsion = could not then and cannot no, even attempt to 'uess. =n retrospectA the 3arest idea of a suddenA lone descent into such a dou3tful a3yss 1 and at a time ,hen one<s ,herea3outs ,ere un!no,n to any livin' soul 1 seems li!e the utter ape% of insanity. >erhaps it ,as 1 yet that ni'ht = em3ar!ed ,ithout hesitancy upon such a descent. A'ain there ,as manifest that lure and drivin' of fatality ,hich had all alon' seemed to direct my course. With torch flashin' intermittently to save the 3atteryA = commenced a

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mad scram3le do,n the sinisterA Cyclopean incline 3elo, the openin' 1 sometimes facin' for,ard as = found 'ood hand 1 and foot1holdsA and at other times turnin' to face the heap of me'aliths as = clun' and fum3led more precariously. =n t,o directions 3eside me distant ,alls of carvenA crum3lin' masonry loomed dimly under the direct 3eams of my torch. AheadA ho,everA ,as only un3ro!en dar!ness. = !ept no trac! of time durin' my do,n,ard scram3le. So seethin' ,ith 3afflin' hints and ima'es ,as my mind that all o3Cective matters seemed ,ithdra,n into incalcula3le distances. >hysical sensation ,as deadA and even fear remained as a ,raith1li!eA inactive 'ar'oyle leerin' impotently at me. EventuallyA = reached a level floor stre,n ,ith fallen 3loc!sA shapeless fra'ments of stoneA and sand and detritus of every !ind. +n either side 1 perhaps thirty feet apart 1 rose massive ,alls culminatin' in hu'e 'roinin's. That they ,ere carved = could Cust discernA 3ut the nature of the carvin's ,as 3eyond my perception. What held me the most ,as the vaultin' overhead. The 3eam from my torch could not reach the roofA 3ut the lo,er parts of the monstrous arches stood out distinctly. And so perfect ,as their identity ,ith ,hat = had seen in countless dreams of the elder ,orldA that = trem3led actively for the first time. Behind and hi'h a3oveA a faint luminous 3lur told of the distant moonlit ,orld outside. Some va'ue shred of caution ,arned me that = should not let it out of my si'htA lest = have no 'uide for my return. = no, advanced to,ard the ,all at my leftA ,here the traces of carvin' ,ere plainest. The littered floor ,as nearly as hard to traverse as the do,n,ard heap had 3eenA 3ut = mana'ed to pic! my difficult ,ay. At one place = heaved aside some 3loc!s and loc!ed a,ay the detritus to see ,hat the pavement ,as li!eA and shuddered at the utterA fateful familiarity of the 'reat octa'onal stones ,hose 3uc!led surface still held rou'hly to'ether. :eachin' a convenient distance from the ,allA = cast the searchli'ht slo,ly and carefully over its ,orn remnants of carvin'. Some 3y'one influ% of ,ater seemed to have acted on the sandstone surfaceA ,hile there ,ere curious incrustations ,hich = could not e%plain. =n places the masonry ,as very loose and distortedA and = ,ondered ho, many aeons more this primalA hidden edifice could !eep its remainin' traces of form amidst earth<s heavin's. But it ,as the carvin's themselves that e%cited me most. $espite their time1crum3led stateA they ,ere relatively easy to trace at close ran'eB and the completeA intimate familiarity of every detail almost stunned my ima'ination. That the maCor attri3utes of this hoary masonry should 3e familiarA ,as not 3eyond normal credi3ility.

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The Shado, +ut of Time

8#

>o,erfully impressin' the ,eavers of certain mythsA they had 3ecome em3odied in a stream of cryptic lore ,hichA someho,A comin' to my notice durin' the amnesic periodA had evo!ed vivid ima'es in my su3conscious mind. But ho, could = e%plain the e%act and minute fashion in ,hich each line and spiral of these stran'e desi'ns tallied ,ith ,hat = had dreamed for more than a score of yearsG What o3scureA for'otten icono'raphy could have reproduced each su3tle shadin' and nuance ,hich so persistentlyA e%actlyA and unvaryin'ly 3esie'ed my sleepin' vision ni'ht after ni'htG 4or this ,as no chance or remote resem3lance. $efinitely and a3solutelyA the millennially ancientA aeon1hidden corridor in ,hich = stood ,as the ori'inal of somethin' = !ne, in sleep as intimately as = !ne, my o,n house in Crane StreetA Ar!ham. TrueA my dreams she,ed the place in its undecayed primeB 3ut the identity ,as no less real on that account. = ,as ,holly and horri3ly oriented. The particular structure = ,as in ,as !no,n to me. 0no,nA tooA ,as its place in that terri3le elder city of dreams. That = could visit unerrin'ly any point in that structure or in that city ,hich had escaped the chan'es and devastations of uncounted a'esA = realized ,ith hideous and instinctive certainty. What in heaven<s name could all this meanG 2o, had = come to !no, ,hat = !ne,G And ,hat a,ful reality could lie 3ehind those antiDue tales of the 3ein's ,ho had d,elt in this la3yrinth of primordial stoneG Words can convey only fractionally the ,elter of dread and 3e,ilderment ,hich ate at my spirit. = !ne, this place. = !ne, ,hat lay 3efore meA and ,hat had lain overhead 3efore the myriad to,erin' stories had fallen to dust and de3ris and the desert. ;o need no,A = thou'ht ,ith a shudderA to !eep that faint 3lur of moonli'ht in vie,. = ,as torn 3et,i%t a lon'in' to flee and a feverish mi%ture of 3urnin' curiosity and drivin' fatality. What had happened to this monstrous me'alopolis of old in the millions of years since the time of my dreamsG +f the su3terrene mazes ,hich had underlain the city and lin!ed all the titan to,ersA ho, much had still survived the ,rithin's of earth<s crustG 2ad = come upon a ,hole 3uried ,orld of unholy archaismG Could = still find the house of the ,ritin' masterA and the to,er ,here S<''<haA the captive mind from the star1headed ve'eta3le carnivores of AntarcticaA had chiselled certain pictures on the 3lan! spaces of the ,allsG Would the passa'e at the second level do,nA to the hall of the alien mindsA 3e still uncho!ed and traversa3leG =n that hall the captive mind of an incredi3le entity 1 a half1 plastic denizen of the hollo, interior of an un!no,n trans1>lutonian planet ei'hteen million years in the future 1 had !ept a certain thin' ,hich it had modelled from clay. = shut my eyes and put my hand to my head in a vainA pitiful effort to drive these insane dream1fra'ments from my consciousness. ThenA for the first timeA = felt acutely the coolnessA motionA and dampness of the surroundin' air. Shudderin'A = realized that a vast chain of aeon1dead 3lac! 'ulfs must indeed 3e ya,nin' some,here 3eyond and 3elo, me. = thou'ht of the fri'htful cham3ers and corridors and inclines as = recalled them from my dreams. Would the ,ay to the central archives still 3e openG A'ain that drivin' fatality

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The Shado, +ut of Time

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tu''ed insistently at my 3rain as = recalled the a,esome records that once lay cased in those rectan'ular vaults of rustless metal. ThereA said the dreams and le'endsA had reposed the ,hole historyA past and futureA of the cosmic space1time continuum 1 ,ritten 3y captive minds from every or3 and every a'e in the solar system. 8adnessA of course 1 3ut had = not no, stum3led into a ni'hted ,orld as mad as =G = thou'ht of the loc!ed metal shelvesA and of the curious !no3 t,istin's needed to open each one. 8y o,n came vividly into my consciousness. 2o, often had = 'one throu'h that intricate routine of varied turns and pressures in the terrestrial verte3rate section on the lo,est levelF Every detail ,as fresh and familiar. =f there ,ere such a vault as = had dreamed ofA = could open it in a moment. =t ,as then that madness too! me utterly. An instant laterA and = ,as leapin' and stum3lin' over the roc!y de3ris to,ard the ,ell1remem3ered incline to the depths 3elo,.

V,,.
4rom that point for,ard my impressions are scarcely to 3e relied on 1 indeedA = still possess a finalA desperate hope that they all form parts of some daemonic dream or illusion 3orn of delirium. A fever ra'ed in my 3rainA and everythin' came to me throu'h a !ind of haze 1 sometimes only intermittently. The rays of my torch shot fee3ly into the en'ulfin' 3lac!nessA 3rin'in' phantasmal flashes of hideously familiar ,alls and carvin'sA all 3li'hted ,ith the decay of a'es. =n one place a tremendous mass of vaultin' had fallenA so that = had to clam3er over a mi'hty mound of stones reachin' almost to the ra''edA 'rotesDuely stalactited roof. =t ,as all the ultimate ape% of ni'htmareA made ,orse 3y the 3lasphemous tu' of pseudo1memory. +ne thin' only ,as unfamiliarA and that ,as my o,n size in relation to the monstrous masonry. = felt oppressed 3y a sense of un,onted smallnessA as if the si'ht of these to,erin' ,alls from a mere human 3ody ,as somethin' ,holly ne, and a3normal. A'ain and a'ain = loo!ed nervously do,n at myselfA va'uely distur3ed 3y the human form = possessed. +n,ard throu'h the 3lac!ness of the a3yss = leapedA plun'edA and sta''ered 1 often fallin' and 3ruisin' myselfA and once nearly shatterin' my torch. Every stone and corner of that daemonic 'ulf ,as !no,n to meA and at many points = stopped to cast 3eams of li'ht throu'h cho!ed and crum3lin'A yet familiarA arch,ays. Some rooms had totally collapsedB others ,ere 3areA or de3ris1filled. =n a fe, = sa, masses of metal 1 some fairly intactA some 3ro!enA and some crushed or 3attered 1 ,hich = reco'nised as the colossal pedestals or ta3les of my dreams. What they could in truth have 3eenA = dared not 'uess. = found the do,n,ard incline and 3e'an its descent 1 thou'h after a time halted 3y a 'apin'A ra''ed chasm ,hose narro,est point could not 3e much less than four feet across. 2ere the stone,or! had fallen throu'hA revealin' incalcula3le in!y depths 3eneath.

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The Shado, +ut of Time

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= !ne, there ,ere t,o more cellar levels in this titan edificeA and trem3led ,ith fresh panic as = recalled the metal1clamped trap1door on the lo,est one. There could 3e no 'uards no, 1 for ,hat had lur!ed 3eneath had lon' since done its hideous ,or! and sun! into its lon' decline. By the time of the posthuman 3eetle race it ,ould 3e Duite dead. And yetA as = thou'ht of the native le'endsA = trem3led ane,. =t cost me a terri3le effort to vault that ya,nin' chasmA since the littered floor prevented a runnin' start 1 3ut madness drove me on. = chose a place close to the left1hand ,all 1 ,here the rift ,as least ,ide and the landin'1spot reasona3ly clear of dan'erous de3ris 1 and after one frantic moment reached the other side in safety. At lastA 'ainin' the lo,er levelA = stum3led on past the arch,ay of the room of machinesA ,ithin ,hich ,ere fantastic ruins of metalA half 3uried 3eneath fallen vaultin'. Everythin' ,as ,here = !ne, it ,ould 3eA and = clim3ed confidently over the heaps ,hich 3arred the entrance of a vast transverse corridor. ThisA = realisedA ,ould ta!e me under the city to the central archives. Endless a'es seemed to unroll as = stum3ledA leapedA and cra,led alon' that de3ris1 cluttered corridor. ;o, and then = could ma!e out carvin's on the a'es1tained ,alls 1 some familiarA others seemin'ly added since the period of my dreams. Since this ,as a su3terrene house 1 connectin' hi'h,ayA there ,ere no arch,ays save ,hen the route led throu'h the lo,er levels of various 3uildin's. At some of these intersections = turned aside lon' enou'h to loo! do,n ,ell1 remem3ered corridors and into ,ell1remem3ered rooms. T,ice only did = find any radical chan'es from ,hat = had dreamed of 1 and in one of these cases = could trace the sealed1up outlines of the arch,ay = remem3ered. = shoo! violentlyA and felt a curious sur'e of retardin' ,ea!nessA as = steered a hurried and reluctant course throu'h the crypt of one of those 'reat ,indo,lessA ruined to,ers ,hose alienA 3asalt masonry 3espo!e a ,hispered and horri3le ori'in. This primal vault ,as round and fully t,o hundred feet acrossA ,ith nothin' carved upon the dar!1hued stone,or!. The floor ,as here free from anythin' save dust and sandA and = could see the apertures leadin' up,ard and do,n,ard. There ,ere no stairs or inclines 1 indeedA my dreams had pictured those elder to,ers as ,holly untouched 3y the fa3ulous 7reat :ace. Those ,ho had 3uilt them had not needed stairs or inclines. =n the dreamsA the do,n,ard aperture had 3een ti'htly sealed and nervously 'uarded. ;o, it lay open13lac! and ya,nin'A and 'ivin' forth a current of coolA damp air. +f ,hat limitless caverns of eternal ni'ht mi'ht 3rood 3elo,A = ,ould not permit myself to thin!. 5aterA cla,in' my ,ay alon' a 3adly heaped section of the corridorA = reached a place ,here the roof had ,holly caved in. The de3ris rose li!e a mountainA and = clim3ed up over itA passin' throu'h a vastA empty space ,here my torchli'ht could reveal neither ,alls nor vaultin'. ThisA = reflectedA must 3e the cellar of the house of the metal1purveyorsA frontin' on the third sDuare not far from the archives. What had happened to it = could not conCecture.

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The Shado, +ut of Time

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= found the corridor a'ain 3eyond the mountain of detritus and stoneA 3ut after a short distance encountered a ,holly cho!ed place ,here the fallen vaultin' almost touched the perilously sa''in' ceilin'. 2o, = mana'ed to ,rench and tear aside enou'h 3loc!s to afford a passa'eA and ho, = dared distur3 the ti'htly pac!ed fra'ments ,hen the least shift of eDuili3rium mi'ht have 3rou'ht do,n all the tons of superincum3ent masonry to crush me to nothin'nessA = do not !no,. =t ,as sheer madness that impelled and 'uided me 1 ifA indeedA my ,hole under'round adventure ,as not 1 as = hope 1 a hellish delusion or phase of dreamin'. But = did ma!e 1 or dream that = made 1 a passa'e that = could sDuirm throu'h. As = ,i''led over the mound of de3ris 1 my torchA s,itched continuously onA thrust deeply in my mouth 1 = felt myself torn 3y the fantastic stalactites of the Ca''ed floor a3ove me. = ,as no, close to the 'reat under'round archival structure ,hich seemed to form my 'oal. Slidin' and clam3erin' do,n the farther side of the 3arrierA and pic!in' my ,ay alon' the remainin' stretch of corridor ,ith hand1heldA intermittently flashin' torchA = came at last to a lo,A circular crypt ,ith arches 1 still in a marvelous state of preservation 1 openin' off on every side. The ,allsA or such parts of them as lay ,ithin reach of my torchli'htA ,ere densely hiero'lyphed and chiselled ,ith typical curvilinear sym3ols 1 some added since the period of my dreams. ThisA = realisedA ,as my fated destinationA and = turned at once throu'h a familiar arch,ay on my left. That = could find a clear passa'e up and do,n the incline to all the survivin' levelsA = hadA oddlyA little dou3t. This vastA earth1protected pileA housin' the annals of all the solar systemA had 3een 3uilt ,ith supernal s!ill and stren'th to last as lon' as that system itself. Bloc!s of stupendous sizeA poised ,ith mathematical 'enius and 3ound ,ith cements of incredi3le tou'hnessA had com3ined to form a mass as firm as the planet<s roc!y core. 2ereA after a'es more prodi'ious than = could sanely 'raspA its 3uried 3ul! stood in all its essential contoursA the vastA dust1drifted floors scarce sprin!led ,ith the litter else,here so dominant. The relatively easy ,al!in' from this point on,ard ,ent curiously to my head. All the frantic ea'erness hitherto frustrated 3y o3stacles no, too! itself out in a !ind of fe3rile speedA and = literally raced alon' the lo,1roofedA monstrously ,ell1remem3ered aisles 3eyond the arch,ay. = ,as past 3ein' astonished 3y the familiarity of ,hat = sa,. +n every hand the 'reat hiero'lyphed metal shelf1doors loomed monstrouslyB some yet in placeA others sprun' openA and still others 3ent and 3uc!led under 3y'one 'eolo'ical stresses not Duite stron' enou'h to shatter the titan masonry. 2ere and there a dust1covered heap 3eneath a 'apin'A empty shelf seemed to indicate ,here cases had 3een sha!en do,n 3y earth tremors. +n occasional pillars ,ere 'reat sym3ols or letters proclaimin' classes and su3classes of volumes.

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The Shado, +ut of Time

8#)

+nce = paused 3efore an open vault ,here = sa, some of the accustomed metal cases still in position amidst the omnipresent 'ritty dust. :eachin' upA = dislod'ed one of the thinner specimens ,ith some difficultyA and rested it on the floor for inspection. =t ,as titled in the prevailin' curvilinear hiero'lyphsA thou'h somethin' in the arran'ement of the characters seemed su3tly unusual. The odd mechanism of the hoo!ed fastener ,as perfectly ,ell !no,n to meA and = snapped up the still rustless and ,or!a3le lid and dre, out the 3oo! ,ithin. The latterA as e%pectedA ,as some t,enty 3y fifteen inches in areaA and t,o inches thic!B the thin metal covers openin' at the top. =ts tou'h cellulose pa'es seemed unaffected 3y the myriad cycles of time they had lived throu'hA and = studied the Dueerly pi'mentedA 3rush1dra,n letters of the te%t1sym3ols unli!e either the usual curved hiero'lyphs or any alpha3et !no,n to human scholarship 1 ,ith a hauntin'A half1aroused memory. =t came to me that this ,as the lan'ua'e used 3y a captive mind = had !no,n sli'htly in my dreams 1 a mind from a lar'e asteroid on ,hich had survived much of the archaic life and lore of the primal planet ,hereof it formed a fra'ment. At the same time = recalled that this level of the archives ,as devoted to volumes dealin' ,ith the non1terrestrial planets. As = ceased porin' over this incredi3le document = sa, that the li'ht of my torch ,as 3e'innin' to failA hence Duic!ly inserted the e%tra 3attery = al,ays had ,ith me. ThenA armed ,ith the stron'er radianceA = resumed my feverish racin' throu'h unendin' tan'les of aisles and corridors 1 reco'nisin' no, and then some familiar shelfA and va'uely annoyed 3y the acoustic conditions ,hich made my footfalls echo incon'ruously in these catacom3s. The very prints of my shoes 3ehind me in the millennially untrodden dust made me shudder. ;ever 3eforeA if my mad dreams held anythin' of truthA had human feet pressed upon those immemorial pavements. +f the particular 'oal of my insane racin'A my conscious mind held no hint. There ,asA ho,everA some force of evil potency pullin' at my dazed ,ill and 3uried recollectionA so that = va'uely felt = ,as not runnin' at random. = came to a do,n,ard incline and follo,ed it to profounder depths. 4loors flashed 3y me as = racedA 3ut = did not pause to e%plore them. =n my ,hirlin' 3rain there had 3e'un to 3eat a certain rhythm ,hich set my ri'ht hand t,itchin' in unison. = ,anted to unloc! somethin'A and felt that = !ne, all the intricate t,ists and pressures needed to do it. =t ,ould 3e li!e a modern safe ,ith a com3ination loc!. $ream or notA = had once !no,n and still !ne,. 2o, any dream 1 or scrap of unconsciously a3sor3ed le'end 1 could have tau'ht me a detail so minuteA so intricateA and so comple%A = did not attempt to e%plain to myself. = ,as 3eyond all coherent thou'ht. 4or ,as not this ,hole e%perience 1 this shoc!in' familiarity ,ith a set of un!no,n ruinsA and this monstrously e%act identity of everythin' 3efore me ,ith ,hat only dreams and scraps of myth could have su''ested 1 a horror 3eyond all reasonG

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The Shado, +ut of Time

8 *

>ro3a3ly it ,as my 3asic conviction then 1 as it is no, durin' my saner moments 1 that = ,as not a,a!e at allA and that the entire 3uried city ,as a fra'ment of fe3rile hallucination. EventuallyA = reached the lo,est level and struc! off to the ri'ht of the incline. 4or some shado,y reason = tiled to soften my stepsA even thou'h = lost speed there3y. There ,as a space = ,as afraid to cross on this lastA deeply 3uried floor. As = dre, near it = recalled ,hat thin' in that space = feared. =t ,as merely one of the metal13arred and closely 'uarded trap1doors. There ,ould 3e no 'uards no,A and on that account = trem3led and tiptoed as = had done in passin' throu'h that 3lac! 3asalt vault ,here a similar trap1door had ya,ned. = felt a current of coolA damp air as = had felt thereA and ,ished that my course led in another direction. Why = had to ta!e the particular course = ,as ta!in'A = did not !no,. When = came to the space = sa, that the trap1door ya,ned ,idely open. AheadA the shelves 3e'an a'ainA and = 'limpsed on the floor 3efore one of them a heap very thinly covered ,ith dustA ,here a num3er of cases had recently fallen. At the same moment a fresh ,ave of panic clutched meA thou'h for some time = could not discover ,hy. 2eaps of fallen cases ,ere not uncommonA for all throu'h the aeons this li'htless la3yrinth had 3een rac!ed 3y the heavin's of earth and had echoed at intervals of the deafenin' clatter of topplin' o3Cects. =t ,as only ,hen = ,as nearly across the space that = realized ,hy = shoo! so violently. ;ot the heapA 3ut somethin' a3out the dust of the level floor ,as trou3lin' me. =n the li'ht of my torch it seemed as if that dust ,ere not as even as it ou'ht to 3e 1 there ,ere places ,here it loo!ed thinnerA as if it had 3een distur3ed not many months 3efore. = could not 3e sureA for even the apparently thinner places ,ere dusty enou'hB yet a certain suspicion of re'ularity in the fancied unevenness ,as hi'hly disDuietin'. When = 3rou'ht the torchli'ht close to one of the Dueer places = did not li!e ,hat = sa, 1 for the illusion of re'ularity 3ecame very 'reat. =t ,as as if there ,ere re'ular lines of composite impressions 1 impressions that ,ent in threesA each sli'htly over a foot sDuareA and consistin' of five nearly circular three1inch printsA one in advance of the other four. These possi3le lines of foot1sDuare impressions appeared to lead in t,o directionsA as if somethin' had 'one some,here and returned. They ,ereA of courseA very faintA and may have 3een illusions or accidentsB 3ut there ,as an element of dimA fum3lin' terror a3out the ,ay = thou'ht they ran. 4or at one end of them ,as the heap of cases ,hich must have clattered do,n not lon' 3eforeA ,hile at the other end ,as the ominous trap1door ,ith the coolA damp ,indA ya,nin' un'uarded do,n to a3ysses past ima'ination.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ut of Time

8 1

V,,,.
That my stran'e sense of compulsion ,as deep and over,helmin' is she,n 3y its conDuest of my fear. ;o rational motive could have dra,n me on after that hideous suspicion of prints and the creepin' dream1memories it e%cited. .et my ri'ht handA even as it shoo! ,ith fri'htA still t,itched rhythmically in its ea'erness to turn a loc! it hoped to find. Before = !ne, it = ,as past the heap of lately fallen cases and runnin' on tiptoe throu'h aisles of utterly un3ro!en dust to,ard a point ,hich = seemed to !no, mor3idlyA horri3ly ,ell. 8y mind ,as as!in' itself Duestions ,hose ori'in and relevancy = ,as only 3e'innin' to 'uess. Would the shelf 3e reacha3le 3y a human 3odyG Could my human hand master all the aeon1remem3ered motions of the loc!G Would the loc! 3e undama'ed and ,or!a3leG And ,hat ,ould = do 1 ,hat dare = do ,ith ,hat 1 as = no, commenced to realise 1 = 3oth hoped and feared to findG Would it prove the a,esomeA 3rain1shatterin' truth of somethin' past normal conceptionA or she, only that = ,as dreamin'G The ne%t = !ne, = had ceased my tiptoed racin' and ,as standin' stillA starin' at a ro, of maddenin'ly familiar hiero'lyphed shelves. They ,ere in a state of almost perfect preservationA and only three of the doors in this vicinity had sprun' open. 8y feelin's to,ard these shelves cannot 3e descri3ed 1 so utter and insistent ,as the sense of old acDuaintance. = ,as loo!in' hi'h up at a ro, near the top and ,holly out of my reachA and ,onderin' ho, = could clim3 to 3est advanta'e. An open door four ro,s from the 3ottom ,ould helpA and the loc!s of the closed doors formed possi3le holds for hands and feet. = ,ould 'rip the torch 3et,een my teethA as = had in other places ,here 3oth hands ,ere needed. A3ove all = must ma!e no noise. 2o, to 'et do,n ,hat = ,ished to remove ,ould 3e difficultA 3ut = could pro3a3ly hoo! its mova3le fastener in my coat collar and carry it li!e a !napsac!. A'ain = ,ondered ,hether the loc! ,ould 3e undama'ed. That = could repeat each familiar motion = had not the least dou3t. But = hoped the thin' ,ould not scrape or crea! 1 and that my hand could ,or! it properly. Even as = thou'ht these thin's = had ta!en the torch in my mouth and 3e'un to clim3. The proCectin' loc!s ,ere poor supportsB 3utA as = had e%pectedA the opened shelf helped 'reatly. = used 3oth the s,in'in' door and the ed'e of the aperture itself in my ascentA and mana'ed to avoid any loud crea!in'. Balanced on the upper ed'e of the doorA and leanin' far to my ri'htA = could Cust reach the loc! = sou'ht. 8y fin'ersA half num3 from clim3in'A ,ere very clumsy at firstB 3ut = soon sa, that they ,ere anatomically adeDuate. And the memory1rhythm ,as stron' in them. +ut of un!no,n 'ulfs of time the intricateA secret motions had someho, reached my 3rain correctly in every detail 1 for after less than five minutes of tryin' there came a clic! ,hose familiarity ,as all the more startlin' 3ecause = had not consciously anticipated it. =n another instant the metal door ,as slo,ly s,in'in' open ,ith only the faintest 'ratin' sound.

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The Shado, +ut of Time

8 "

$azedly = loo!ed over the ro, of 'reyish case ends thus e%posedA and felt a tremendous sur'e of some ,holly ine%plica3le emotion. 6ust ,ithin reach of my ri'ht hand ,as a case ,hose curvin' hiero'lyphs made me sha!e ,ith a pan' infinitely more comple% than one of mere fri'ht. Still sha!in'A = mana'ed to dislod'e it amidst a sho,er of 'ritty fla!esA and ease it over to,ard myself ,ithout any violent noise. 5i!e the other case = had handledA it ,as sli'htly more than t,enty 3y fifteen inches in sizeA ,ith curved mathematical desi'ns in lo, relief. =n thic!ness it Cust e%ceeded three inches. Crudely ,ed'in' it 3et,een myself and the surface = ,as clim3in'A = fum3led ,ith the fastener and finally 'ot the hoo! free. 5iftin' the coverA = shifted the heavy o3Cect to my 3ac!A and let the hoo! catch hold of my collar. 2ands no, freeA = a,!,ardly clam3ered do,n to the dusty floorA and prepared to inspect my prize. 0neelin' in the 'ritty dustA = s,un' the case around and rested it in front of me. 8y hands shoo!A and = dreaded to dra, out the 3oo! ,ithin almost as much as = lon'ed 1 and felt compelled 1 to do so. =t had very 'radually 3ecome clear to me ,hat = ou'ht to findA and this realisation nearly paralysed my faculties. =f the thin' ,ere there 1 and if = ,ere not dreainin' 1 the implications ,ould 3e Duite 3eyond the po,er of the human spirit to 3ear. What tormented me most ,as my momentary ina3ility to feel that my surroundin's ,ere a dream. The sense of reality ,as hideous 1 and a'ain 3ecomes so as = recall the scene. At len'th = trem3lin'ly pulled the 3oo! from its container and stared fascinatedly at the ,ell1!no,n hiero'lyphs on the cover. =t seemed to 3e in prime conditionA and the curvilinear letters of the title held me in almost as hypnotised a state as if = could read them. =ndeedA = cannot s,ear that = did not actually read them in some transient and terri3le access of a3normal memory. = do not !no, ho, lon' it ,as 3efore = dared to lift that thin metal cover. = temporized and made e%cuses to myself. = too! the torch from my mouth and shut it off to save the 3attery. ThenA in the dar!A = collected my coura'e finally liftin' the cover ,ithout turnin' on the li'ht. 5ast of allA = did indeed flash the torch upon the e%posed pa'e 1 steelin' myself in advance to suppress any sound no matter ,hat = should find. = loo!ed for an instantA then collapsed. Clenchin' my teethA ho,everA = !ept silent. = san! ,holly to the floor and put a hand to my forehead amidst the en'ulfin' 3lac!ness. What = dreaded and e%pected ,as there. Either = ,as dreamin'A or time and space had 3ecome a moc!ery. = must 3e dreamin' 1 3ut = ,ould test the horror 3y carryin' this thin' 3ac! and she,in' it to my son if it ,ere indeed a reality. 8y head s,am fri'htfullyA even thou'h there ,ere no visi3le o3Cects in the un3ro!en 'loom to s,irl a3out me. =deas and ima'es of the star!est terror 1 e%cited 3y vistas ,hich my 'limpse had opened up 1 3e'an to thron' in upon me and cloud my senses.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ut of Time

8 &

= thou'ht of those possi3le prints in the dustA and trem3led at the sound of my o,n 3reathin' as = did so. +nce a'ain = flashed on the li'ht and loo!ed at the pa'e as a serpent<s victim may loo! at his destroyer<s eyes and fan's. ThenA ,ith clumsy fin'ersA in the dar!A = closed the 3oo!A put it in its containerA and snapped the lid and the curiousA hoo!ed fastener. This ,as ,hat = must carry 3ac! to the outer ,orld if it truly e%isted 1 if the ,hole a3yss truly e%isted 1 if =A and the ,orld itselfA truly e%isted. 6ust ,hen = tottered to my feet and commenced my return = cannot 3e certain. =t comes to me oddly 1 as a measure of my sense of separation from the normal ,orld 1 that = did not even once loo! at my ,atch durin' those hideous hours nder'round. Torch in handA and ,ith the ominous case under one armA = eventually found myself tiptoein' in a !ind of silent panic past the drau'ht 1 'ivin' a3yss and those lur!in' su''estions of prints. = lessened my precautions as = clim3ed up the endless inclinesA 3ut could not sha!e off a shado, of apprehension ,hich = had not felt on the do,n,ard Courney. = dreaded havin' to repass throu'h the 3lac! 3asalt crypt that ,as older than the city itselfA ,here cold drau'hts ,elled up from un'uarded depths. = thou'ht of that ,hich the 7reat :ace had fearedA and of ,hat mi'ht still 3e lur!in' 1 3e it ever so ,ea! and dyin' 1 do,n there. = thou'ht of those five1circle prints and of ,hat my dreams had told me of such prints 1 and of stran'e ,inds and ,histlin' noises associated ,ith them. And = thou'ht of the tales of the modern 3lac!fello,sA ,herein the horror of 'reat ,inds and nameless su3terrene ruins ,as d,elt upon. = !ne, from a carven ,all sym3ol the ri'ht floor to enterA and came at last after passin' that other 3oo! = had e%amined 1 to the 'reat circular space ,ith the 3ranchin' arch,ays. +n my ri'htA and at once reco'nisa3leA ,as the arch throu'h ,hich = had arrived. This = no, enteredA conscious that the rest of my course ,ould 3e harder 3ecause of the tum3led state of the masonry outside the archive 3uildin'. 8y ne, metal1eased 3urden ,ei'hed upon meA and = found it harder and harder to 3e Duiet as = stum3led amon' de3ris and fra'ments of every sort. Then = came to the ceilin'1hi'h mound of de3ris throu'h ,hich = had ,renched a scanty passa'e. 8y dread at ,ri''lin' throu'h a'ain ,as infiniteA for my first passa'e had made some noiseA and = no, 1 after seein' those possi3le prints 1 dreaded sound a3ove all thin's. The caseA tooA dou3led the pro3lem of traversin' the narro, crevice. But = clam3ered up the 3arrier as 3est = couldA and pushed the case throu'h the aperture ahead of me. ThenA torch in mouthA = scram3led throu'h myself 1 my 3ac! torn as 3efore 3y stalactites. As = tried to 'rasp the case a'ainA it fell some distance ahead of me do,n the slope of the de3risA ma!in' a distur3in' clatter and arousin' echoes ,hich sent me into a cold perspiration. = lun'ed for it at onceA and re'ained it ,ithout further noise 1 3ut a moment after,ard the slippin' of 3loc!s under my feet raised a sudden and unprecedented din.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ut of Time

8 #

The din ,as my undoin'. 4orA falsely or notA = thou'ht = heard it ans,ered in a terri3le ,ay from spaces far 3ehind me. = thou'ht = heard a shrillA ,histlin' soundA li!e nothin' else on earthA and 3eyond any adeDuate ver3al description. =f soA ,hat follo,ed has a 'rim irony 1 sinceA save for the panic of this thin'A the second thin' mi'ht never have happened. As it ,asA my frenzy ,as a3solute and unrelieved. Ta!in' my torch in my hand and clutchin' fee3ly at the caseA = leaped and 3ounded ,ildly ahead ,ith no idea in my 3rain 3eyond a mad desire to race out of these ni'htmare ruins to the ,a!in' ,orld of desert and moonli'ht ,hich lay so far a3ove. = hardly !ne, it ,hen = reached the mountain of de3ris ,hich to,ered into the vast 3lac!ness 3eyond the caved1in roofA and 3ruised and cut myself repeatedly in scram3lin' up its steep slope of Ca''ed 3loc!s and fra'ments. Then came the 'reat disaster. 6ust as = 3lindly crossed the summitA unprepared for the sudden dip aheadA my feet slipped utterly and = found myself involved in a man'lin' avalanche of slidin' masonry ,hose cannon1loud uproar split the 3lac! cavern air in a deafenin' series of earth1sha!in' rever3erations. = have no recollection of emer'in' from this chaosA 3ut a momentary fra'ment of consciousness sho,s me as plun'in' and trippin' and scram3lin' alon' the corridor amidst the clan'our 1 case and torch still ,ith me. ThenA Cust as = approached that primal 3asalt crypt = had so dreadedA utter madness came. 4or as the echoes of the avalanche died do,nA there 3ecame audi3le a repetition of that fri'htful alien ,histlin' = thou'ht = had heard 3efore. This time there ,as no dou3t a3out it 1 and ,hat ,as ,orseA it came from a point not 3ehind 3ut ahead of me. >ro3a3ly = shrie!ed aloud then. = have a dim picture of myself as flyin' throu'h the hellish 3asalt vault of the elder thin'sA and hearin' that damna3le alien sound pipin' up from the openA un'uarded door of limitless nether 3lac!nesses. There ,as a ,indA too 1 not merely a coolA damp drau'htA 3ut a violentA purposeful 3last 3elchin' sava'ely and fri'idly from that a3omina3le 'ulf ,hence the o3scene ,histlin' came. There are memories of leapin' and lurchin' over o3stacles of every sortA ,ith that torrent of ,ind and shrie!in' sound 'ro,in' moment 3y momentA and seemin' to curl and t,ist purposefully around me as it struc! out ,ic!edly from the spaces 3ehind and 3eneath. Thou'h in my rearA that ,ind had the odd effect of hinderin' instead of aidin' my pro'ressB as if it acted li!e a noose or lasso thro,n around me. 2eedless of the noise = madeA = clattered over a 'reat 3arrier of 3loc!s and ,as a'ain in the structure that led to the surface. = recall 'limpsin' the arch,ay to the room of machines and almost cryin' out as = sa, the incline leadin' do,n to ,here one of those 3lasphemous trap1doors must 3e ya,nin' t,o levels 3elo,. But instead of cryin' out = muttered over and over to myself that this ,as all a dream from ,hich = must soon a,a!e. >erhaps = ,as in camp 1 perhaps = ,as at home in Ar!ham. As these hopes 3olstered up my sanity = 3e'an to mount the incline to the hi'her level.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ut of Time

= !ne,A of courseA that = had the four1foot cleft to re1crossA yet ,as too rac!ed 3y other fears to realise the full horror until = came almost upon it. +n my descentA the leap across had 3een easy 1 3ut could = clear the 'ap as readily ,hen 'oin' uphillA and hampered 3y fri'htA e%haustionA the ,ei'ht of the metal caseA and the anomalous 3ac!,ard tu' of that daemon ,indG = thou'ht of these thin's at the last momentA and thou'ht also of the nameless entities ,hich mi'ht 3e lur!in' in the 3lac! a3ysses 3elo, the chasm. 8y ,averin' torch ,as 'ro,in' fee3leA 3ut = could tell 3y some o3scure memory ,hen = neared the cleft. The chill 3lasts of ,ind and the nauseous ,histlin' shrie!s 3ehind me ,ere for the moment li!e a merciful opiateA dullin' my ima'ination to the horror of the ya,nin' 'ulf ahead. And then = 3ecame a,are of the added 3lasts and ,histlin' in front of me 1 tides of a3omination sur'in' up throu'h the cleft itself from depths unima'ined and unima'ina3le. ;o,A indeedA the essence of pure ni'htmare ,as upon me. Sanity departed 1 andA i'norin' everythin' e%cept the animal impulse of fli'htA = merely stru''led and plun'ed up,ard over the incline<s de3ris as if no 'ulf had e%isted. Then = sa, the chasm<s ed'eA leaped frenziedly ,ith every ounce of stren'th = possessedA and ,as instantly en'ulfed in a pandaemoniae vorte% of loathsome sound and utterA materially tan'i3le 3lac!ness. This is the end of my e%perienceA so far as = can recall. Any further impressions 3elon' ,holly to the domain of phantasma'oria delirium. $reamA madnessA and memory mer'ed ,ildly to'ether in a series of fantasticA fra'mentary delusions ,hich can have no relation to anythin' real. There ,as a hideous fall throu'h incalcula3le lea'ues of viscousA sentient dar!nessA and a 3a3el of noises utterly alien to all that ,e !no, of the earth and its or'anic life. $ormantA rudimentary senses seemed to start into vitality ,ithin meA tellin' of pits and voids peopled 3y floatin' horrors and leadin' to sunless cra's and oceans and teemin' cities of ,indo,lessA 3asalt to,ers upon ,hich no li'ht ever shone. Secrets of the primal planet and its immemorial aeons flashed throu'h my 3rain ,ithout the aid of si'ht or soundA and there ,ere !no,n to me thin's ,hich not even the ,ildest of my former dreams had ever su''ested. And all the ,hile cold fin'ers of damp vapor clutched and pic!ed at meA and that eldritchA damna3le ,histlin' shrie!ed fiendishly a3ove all the alternations of 3a3el and silence in the ,hirlpools of dar!ness around. After,ard there ,ere visions of the Cyclopean city of my dreams 1 not in ruinsA 3ut Cust as = had dreamed of it. = ,as in my conicalA non1human 3ody a'ainA and min'led ,ith cro,ds of the 7reat :ace and the captive minds ,ho carried 3oo!s up and do,n the lofty corridors and vast inclines. ThenA superimposed upon these picturesA ,ere fri'htfulA momentary flashes of a non1 vistial consciousness involvin' desperate stru''lesA a ,rithin' free from clutchin' tentacles of ,histlin' ,indA an insaneA 3at1li!e fli'ht throu'h half1solid airA a feverish 3urro,in' throu'h the cyclone1,hipped dar!A and a ,ild stum3lin' and scram3lin' over fallen masonry. +nce there ,as a curiousA intrusive flash of half si'ht 1 a faintA diffuse suspicion of 3luish radiance far overhead. Then there came a dream of ,ind 1 pursued clim3in' and

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ut of Time

8 -

cra,lin' 1 of ,ri''lin' into a 3laze of sardonic moonli'ht throu'h a Cum3le of de3ris ,hich slid and collapsed after me amidst a mor3id hurricane. =t ,as the evilA monotonous 3eatin' of that maddenin' moonli'ht ,hich at last told me of the return of ,hat = had once !no,n as the o3CectiveA ,a!in' ,orld. = ,as cla,in' prone throu'h the sands of the Australian desertA and around me shrie!ed such a tumult of ,ind as = had never 3efore !no,n on our planet<s surface. 8y clothin' ,as in ra'sA and my ,hole 3ody ,as a mass of 3ruises and scratches. 4ull consciousness returned very slo,lyA and at no time could = tell Cust ,here delirious dream left off and true memory 3e'an. There had seemed to 3e a mound of titan 3loc!sA an a3yss 3eneath itA a monstrous revelation from the pastA and a ni'htmare horror at the end 1 3ut ho, much of this ,as realG 8y flashli'ht ,as 'oneA and li!e,ise any metal case = may have discovered. 2ad there 3een such a case 1 or any a3yss1 or any moundG :aisin' my headA = loo!ed 3ehind meA and sa, only the sterileA undulant sands of the desert. The daemon ,ind died do,nA and the 3loatedA fun'oid moon san! reddenin'ly in the ,est. = lurched to my feet and 3e'an to sta''er south,est,ard to,ard the camp. What in truth had happened to meG 2ad = merely collapsed in the desert and dra''ed a dream1 rac!ed 3ody over miles of sand and 3uried 3loc!sG =f notA ho, could = 3ear to live any lon'erG 4orA in this ne, dou3tA all my faith in the myth13orn unreality of my visions dissolved once more into the hellish older dou3tin'. =f that a3yss ,as realA then the 7reat :ace ,as real 1 and its 3lasphemous reachin's and seizures in the cosmos1,ide vorte% of time ,ere no myths or ni'htmaresA 3ut a terri3leA soul1shatterin' actuality. 2ad =A in fullA hideous factA 3een dra,n 3ac! to a pre1human ,orld of a hundred and fifty million years a'o in those dar!A 3afflin' days of the amnesiaG 2ad my present 3ody 3een the vehicle of a fri'htful alien consciousness from palaeo'ean 'ulfs of timeG 2ad =A as the captive mind of those sham3lin' horrorsA indeed !no,n that accursed city of stone in its primordial heydayA and ,ri''led do,n those familiar corridors in the loathsome shape of my captorG Were those tormentin' dreams of more than t,enty years the offsprin' of star!A monstrous memoriesG 2ad = once verita3ly tal!ed ,ith minds from reachless corners of time and spaceA learned the universe<s secretsA past and to comeA and ,ritten the annals of my o,n ,orld for the metal cases of those titan archivesG And ,ere those others 1 those shoc!in' elder thin's of the mad ,inds and daemon pipin's 1 in truth a lin'erin'A lur!in' menaceA ,aitin' and slo,ly ,ea!enin' in 3lac! a3ysses ,hile varied shapes of life dra' out their multimillennial courses on the planet<s a'e1rac!ed surfaceG = do not !no,. =f that a3yss and ,hat = held ,ere realA there is no hope. ThenA all too trulyA there lies upon this ,orld of man a moc!in' and incredi3le shado, out of time. ButA mercifullyA there is no proof that these thin's are other than fresh phases of my myth13orn dreams. = did not 3rin' 3ac! the metal case that ,ould have 3een a proofA and so far those su3terrene corridors have not 3een found.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ut of Time

8 7

=f the la,s of the universe are !indA they ,ill never 3e found. But = must tell my son ,hat = sa, or thou'ht = sa,A and let him use his Cud'ment as a psycholo'ist in 'au'in' the reality of my e%perienceA and communicatin' this account to others. = have said that the a,ful truth 3ehind my tortured years of dreamin' hin'es a3solutely upon the actuality of ,hat = thou'ht = sa, in those CyclopeanA 3uried ruins. =t has 3een hard for meA literallyA to set do,n that crucial revelationA thou'h no reader can have failed to 'uess it. +f courseA it lay in that 3oo! ,ithin the metal case 1 the case ,hich = pried out of its lair amidst the dust of a million centuries. ;o eye had seenA no hand had touched that 3oo! since the advent of man to this planet. And yetA ,hen = flashed my torch upon it in that fri'htful a3yssA = sa, that the Dueerly pi'mented letters on the 3rittleA aeon13ro,ned cellulose pa'es ,ere not indeed any nameless hiero'lyphs of earth<s youth. They ,ereA insteadA the letters of our familiar alpha3etA spellin' out the ,ords of the En'lish lan'ua'e in my o,n hand,ritin'.

The Sh $o2 Over ,##smo%th

,.
$urin' the ,inter of 1)"71"8 officials of the 4ederal 'overnment made a stran'e and secret investi'ation of certain conditions in the ancient 8assachusetts seaport of =nnsmouth. The pu3lic first learned of it in 4e3ruaryA ,hen a vast series of raids and arrests occurredA follo,ed 3y the deli3erate 3urnin' and dynamitin' 1 under suita3le precautions 1 of an enormous num3er of crum3lin'A ,orm1eatenA and supposedly empty houses alon' the a3andoned ,aterfront. (ninDuirin' souls let this occurrence pass as one of the maCor clashes in a spasmodic ,ar on liDuor. 0eener ne,s1follo,ersA ho,everA ,ondered at the prodi'ious num3er of arrestsA the a3normally lar'e force of men used in ma!in' themA and the secrecy surroundin' the disposal of the prisoners. ;o trialsA or even definite char'es ,ere reportedB nor ,ere any of the captives seen thereafter in the re'ular 'aols of the nation. There ,ere va'ue statements a3out disease and concentration campsA and Jla,K a3out dispersal in various naval and military prisonsA JinnK nothin' positive ever developed. =nnsmouth itself ,as left almost depopulatedA and it is even no, only 3e'innin' to sho, si'ns of a slu''ishly revived e%istence. Complaints from many li3eral or'anizations ,ere met ,ith lon' confidential discussionsA and representatives ,ere ta!en on trips to certain camps and prisons. As a resultA these societies 3ecame surprisin'ly passive and reticent. ;e,spaper men ,ere harder to mana'eA 3ut seemed lar'ely to cooperate ,ith the 'overnment in the end. +nly one paper 1 a ta3loid al,ays discounted 3ecause of its ,ild policy 1 mentioned the deep divin' su3marine that dischar'ed torpedoes do,n,ard in the marine a3yss Cust 3eyond $evil :eef. That itemA 'athered 3y chance in a haunt of SailorsA seemed indeed rather far1 fetchedB since the lo,A 3lac! reef lay a full mile and a half out from =nnsmouth 2ar3our. >eople around the country and in the near3y to,ns muttered a 'reat deal amon' themselvesA 3ut said very little to the outer ,orld. They had tal!ed a3out dyin' and half1 deserted =nnsmouth for nearly a centuryA and nothin' ne, could 3e ,ilder or more hideous than ,hat they had ,hispered and hinted at years 3efore. 8any thin's had tau'ht them secretivenessA and there ,as no need to e%ert pressure on them. BesidesA they really !ne, littleB for ,ide salt marshesA desolate and unpeopledA !ept nei'h3ors off from =nnsmouth on the land,ard side. But at last = am 'oin' to defy the 3an on speech a3out this thin'. :esultsA = am certainA are so thorou'h that no pu3lic harm save a shoc! of repulsion could ever accrue from a hintin' of ,hat ,as found 3y those horrified men at =nnsmouth. BesidesA ,hat ,as found mi'ht possi3ly have more than one e%planation. = do not !no, Cust ho, much of the ,hole tale has 3een told even to meA and = have many reasons for not ,ishin' to pro3e deeper. 4or my contact ,ith this affair has 3een closer than that of any other laymanA and = have carried a,ay impressions ,hich are yet to drive me to drastic measures.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

8 )

=t ,as = ,ho fled frantically out of =nnsmouth in the early mornin' hours of 6uly 1-A 1)"7A and ,hose fri'htened appeals for 'overnment inDuiry and action 3rou'ht on the ,hole reported episode. = ,as ,illin' enou'h to stay mute ,hile the affair ,as fresh and uncertainB 3ut no, that it is an old storyA ,ith pu3lic interest and curiosity 'oneA = have an odd cravin' to ,hisper a3out those fe, fri'htful hours in that ill1rumored and evilly1 shado,ed seaport of death and 3lasphemous a3normality. The mere tellin' helps me to restore confidence in my o,n facultiesB to reassure myself that = ,as not the first to succum3 to a conta'ious ni'htmare hallucination. =t helps meA tooA in ma!in' up my mind re'ardin' a certain terri3le step ,hich lies ahead of me. = never heard of =nnsmouth till the day 3efore = sa, it for the first and 1 so far 1 last time. = ,as cele3ratin' my comin' of a'e 3y a tour of ;e, En'land 1 si'htseein'A antiDuarianA and 'enealo'ical 1 and had planned to 'o directly from ancient ;e,3uryport to Ar!hamA ,hence my mother<s family ,as derived. = had no carA 3ut ,as travellin' 3y trainA trolley and motor1coachA al,ays see!in' the cheapest possi3le route. =n ;e,3uryport they told me that the steam train ,as the thin' to ta!e to Ar!hamB and it ,as only at the station tic!et1officeA ,hen = demurred at the hi'h fareA that = learned a3out =nnsmouth. The stoutA shre,d1faced a'entA ,hose speech she,ed him to 3e no local manA seemed sympathetic to,ard my efforts at economyA and made a su''estion that none of my other informants had offered. L.ou could ta!e that old 3usA = supposeAL he said ,ith a certain hesitationA L3ut it ain<t thou'ht much of herea3outs. =t 'oes throu'h =nnsmouth 1 you may have heard a3out that 1 and so the people don<t li!e it. :un 3y an =nnsmouth fello, 1 6oe Sar'ent 1 3ut never 'ets any custom from hereA or Ar!ham eitherA = 'uess. Wonder it !eeps runnin' at all. = s<pose it<s cheap enou'hA 3ut = never see mor<n t,o or three people in it 1 no3ody 3ut those =nnsmouth fol!. 5eaves the sDuare 1 front of 2ammond<s $ru' Store 1 at 1* a.m. and 7 p.m. unless they<ve chan'ed lately. 5oo!s li!e a terri3le rattletrap 1 =<ve never 3een on it.L That ,as the first = ever heard of shado,ed =nnsmouth. Any reference to a to,n not sho,n on common map or listed in recent 'uide3oo!s ,ould have interested meA and the a'ent<s odd manner of allusion roused somethin' li!e real curiosity. A to,n a3le to inspire such disli!e in it its nei'h3orsA = thou'htA must 3e at least rather unusualA and ,orthy of a tourist<s attention. =f it came 3efore Ar!ham = ,ould stop off there and so = as!ed the a'ent to tell me somethin' a3out it. 2e ,as very deli3erateA and spo!e ,ith an air of feelin' sli'htly superior to ,hat he said. L=nnsmouthG WellA it<s a Dueer !ind of a to,n do,n at the mouth of the 8anu%et. (sed to 3e almost a city 1 Duite a port 3efore the War of 181" 1 3ut all 'one to pieces in the last hundred years or so. ;o railroad no, 1 B. and 8. never ,ent throu'hA and the 3ranch line from :o,ley ,as 'iven up years a'o. L8ore empty houses< than there are peopleA = 'uessA and no 3usiness to spea! of e%cept fishin' and lo3sterin'. Every3ody trades mostly either here or in Ar!ham or =ps,ich. +nce they had Duite a fe, millsA 3ut nothin'<s left no, e%cept one 'old refinery runnin' on the leanest !ind of part time. LThat refineryA thou'hA used to he a 3i' thin'A and old man 8arshA ,ho o,ns itA must 3e richer<n Croesus. /ueer old duc!A thou'hA and stic!s mi'hty close in his home. 2e<s supposed to have developed some s!in disease or deformity late in life that ma!es him

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

8-*

!eep out of si'ht. 7randson of Captain +3ed 8arshA ,ho founded the 3usiness. 2is mother seems to<ve 3een some !ind of forei'ner 1 they say a South Sea islander 1 so every3ody raised Cain ,hen he married an =ps,ich 'irl fifty years a'o. They al,ays do that a3out =nnsmouth peopleA and fol!s here and herea3outs al,ays try to cover up any =nnsmouth 3lood they have in <em. But 8arsh<s children and 'randchildren loo! Cust li!e anyone else far<s = can see. =<ve had <em pointed out to me here 1 thou'hA come to thin! of itA the elder children don<t seem to 3e around lately. ;ever sa, the old man. LAnd ,hy is every3ody so do,n on =nnsmouthG WellA youn' fello,A you mustn<t ta!e too much stoc! in ,hat people here say. They<re hard to 'et startedA 3ut once they do 'et started they never let up. They<ve 3een tellin' thin's a3out =nnsmouth 1 ,hisperin' <emA mostly 1 for the last hundred yearsA = 'uessA and = 'ather they<re more scared than anythin' else. Some of the stories ,ould ma!e you lau'h 1 a3out old Captain 8arsh drivin' 3ar'ains ,ith the devil and 3rin'in' imps out of hell to live in =nnsmouthA or a3out some !ind of devil1,orship and a,ful sacrifices in some place near the ,harves that people stum3led on around 18# or therea3outs 1 3ut = come from >antonA ?ermontA and that !ind of story don<t 'o do,n ,ith me. L.ou ou'ht to hearA thou'hA ,hat some of the old1timers tell a3out the 3lac! reef off the coast 1 $evil :eefA they call it. =t<s ,ell a3ove ,ater a 'ood part of the timeA and never much 3elo, itA 3ut at that your could hardly call it an island. The story is that there<s a ,hole le'ion of devils seen sometimes on that reef1spra,led a3outA or dartin' in and out of some !ind of caves near the top. =t<s a ru''edA uneven thin'A a 'ood 3it over a mile outA and to,ard the end of shippin' days sailors used to ma!e 3i' detours Cust to avoid it. LThat isA sailors that didn<t hail from =nnsmouth. +ne of the thin's they had a'ainst old Captain 8arsh ,as that he ,as supposed to land on it sometimes at ni'ht ,hen the tide ,as ri'ht 8ay3e he didA for = dare say the roc! formation ,as interestin'A and it<s Cust 3arely possi3le he ,as loo!in' for pirate loot and may3e findin' ftB 3ut there ,as tal! of his dealin' ,ith demons there. 4act isA = 'uess on the ,hole it ,as really the Captain that 'ave the 3ad reputation to the reef. LThat ,as 3efore the 3i' epidemic of 18#-A ,hen over half the fol!s in =nnsmouth ,as carried off. They never did Duite fi'ure out ,hat the trou3le ,asA 3ut it ,as pro3a3ly some forei'n !ind of disease 3rou'ht from China or some,here 3y the shippin'. =t surely ,as 3ad enou'h 1 there ,as riots over itA and all sorts of 'hastly doin's that = don<t 3elieve ever 'ot outside of to,n 1 and it left the place a a,ful shape. ;ever came 3ac! 1 there can<t 3e more<n &** or #** people livin' there no,. LBut the real thin' 3ehind the ,ay fol!s feel is simply race preCudice 1 and = don<t say =<m 3lamin' those that hold it = hate those =nnsmouth fol!s myselfA and = ,ouldn<t care to 'o to their to,n. = s<pose you !no, 1 thou'h = can see you<re a Westerner 3y your tal! 1 ,hat a lot our ;e, En'land ships 1 used to have to do ,ith Dueer ports in AfricaA AsiaA the South SeasA and every,here elseA and ,hat Dueer !inds of people they sometimes 3rou'ht 3ac! ,ith <em. .ou<ve pro3a3ly heard a3out the Salem man that came home ,ith a Chinese ,ifeA and may3e you !no, there<s still a 3unch of 4iCi =slanders some,here around Cape Cod. LWellA there must 3e somethin' li!e that 3ac! of the =nnsmouth people. The place al,ays ,as 3adly cut off from the rest of the country 3y marshes and cree!s and ,e can<t

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3e sure a3out the ins and outs of the matterB 3ut it<s pretty clear that old Captain 8arsh must have 3rou'ht home some odd specimens ,hen he had all three of his ships in commission 3ac! in the t,enties and thirties. There certainly is a stran'e !ind of strea! in the =nnsmouth for!s today 1 = don<t !no, ho, to e%plain it 3ut it sort of ma!es you cra,l. .ou<ll notice a little in Sar'ent if you ta!e his 3us. Some of <em have Dueer narro, heads ,ith flat noses and 3ul'yA starry eyes that never seem to shutA and their s!in ain<t Duite ri'ht. :ou'h and sca33yA and the sides of the nec!s are all shriveled or creased up. 7et 3aldA tooA very youn'. The older fello,s loo! the ,orst 1 fact isA = don<t 3elieve =<ve ever seen a very old chap of that !ind. 7uess they must die of loo!in' in the 'lassF Animals hate <em 1 they used to have lots of horse trou3le 3efore the autos came in. L;o3ody around here or in Ar!ham or =ps,ich ,ill have anythin' to do ,ith <emA and they act !ind of offish themselves ,hen they come to to,n or ,hen anyone tries to fish on their 'rounds. /ueer ho, fish are al,ays thic! off =nnsmouth 2ar3our ,hen there ain<t any any,here else around 1 3ut Cust try to fish there yourself and see ho, the fol!s chase you offF Those people used to come here on the railroad 1 ,al!in' and ta!in' the train at :o,ley after the 3ranch ,as dropped 1 3ut no, they use that 3us. L.esA there<s a hotel in =nnsmouth 1 called the 7ilman 2ouse 1 3ut = don<t 3elieve it can amount to much. = ,ouldn<t advise you to try it. Better stay over here and ta!e the ten o<cloc! 3us tomorro, mornin'B then you can 'et an evenin' 3us there for Ar!ham at ei'ht o<cloc!. There ,as a factory inspector ,ho stopped at the 7ilman a couple of years a'o and he had a lot of unpleasant hints a3out the place. Seems they 'et a Dueer cro,d thereA for this fello, heard voices in other room 1 thou'h most of <em ,as empty 1 that 'ave him the shivers. =t ,as forei'n tal!< he thou'htA 3ut he said the 3ad thin' a3out it ,as the !ind of voice that sometimes spo!e. =t sounded so unnatural 1 sloppin' li!eA he said 1 that he didn<t dare undress and 'o to sleep. 6ust ,aited up and lit out the first thin' in the mornin'. The tal! ,ent on most all ni'ht. LThis fello, 1 CaseyA his name ,as 1 had a lot to say a3out ho, the =nnsmouth fol!A ,atched him and seemed !ind of on 'uard. 2e found the 8arsh refinery a Dueer place 1 it<s in an old mill on the lo,er falls of the 8anu%et. What he said tallied up ,ith ,hat =<d heard. Boo!s in 3ad shapeA and no clear account of any !ind of dealin's. .ou !no, it<s al,ays 3een a !ind of mystery ,here the 8arshes 'et the 'old they refine. They<ve never seemed to do much 3uyin' in that lineA 3ut years a'o they shipped out an enormous lot of in'ots. L(sed to 3e tal! of a Dueer forei'n !ind of Ce,elry that the sailors and refinery men sometimes sold on the slyA or that ,as seen once or t,ice on some of the 8arsh ,omen1 fol!s. >eople allo,ed may3e old Captain +3ed traded for it in some heathen portA especially since he al,ays ordered stac!s of 'lass 3eads and trin!ets such as seafarin' men used to 'et for native trade. +thers thou'ht and still thin! he<d found an old pirate cache out on $evil :eef. But here<s a funny thin'. The old Captain<s 3een dead these si%ty yearsA and there<s ain<t 3een a 'ood1sized ship out of the place since the Civil WarB 3ut Cust the same the 8arshes still !eep on 3uyin' a fe, of those native trade thin's 1 mostly 'lass and ru33er 'e,'a,sA they tell me. 8ay3e the =nnsmouth fol!s li!e <em to loo! at themselves 1 7a,d !no,s they<ve 'otten to 3e a3out as 3ad as South Sea canni3als and 7uinea sava'es. LThat pla'ue of <#- must have ta!en off the 3est 3lood in the place. Any,ayA they<re a dou3tful lot no,A and the 8arshes and other rich fol!s are as 3ad as any. As = told youA

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there pro3a3ly ain<t more<n #** people in the ,hole to,n in spite of all the streets they say there are. = 'uess they<re ,hat they call <,hite trash< do,n South 1 la,less and slyA and full of secret thin's. They 'et a lot of fish and lo3sters and do e%portin' 3y truc!. /ueer ho, the fish s,arm ri'ht there and no,here else. L;o3ody can ever !eep trac! of these peopleA and state school officials and census men have a devil of a time. .ou can 3et that pryin' stran'ers ain<t ,elcome around =nnsmouth. =<ve heard personally of more<n one 3usiness or 'overnment man that<s disappeared thereA and there<s loose tal! of one ,ho ,ent crazy and is out at $anvers no,. They must have fi%ed up some a,ful scare for that fello,. LThat<s ,hy = ,ouldn<t 'o at ni'ht if = ,as you. =<ve never 3een there and have no ,ish to 'oA 3ut = 'uess a daytime trip couldn<t hurt you 1 even thou'h the people herea3outs ,ill advise you not to ma!e it. =f you<re Cust si'htseein'A and loo!in' for old1time stuffA =nnsmouth ou'ht to 3e Duite a place for you.L And so = spent part of that evenin' at the ;e,3uryport >u3lic 5i3rary loo!in' up data a3out =nnsmouth. When = had tried to Duestion the natives in the shopsA the lunchroomA the 'ara'esA and the are stationA = had found them even harder to 'et started than the tic!et a'ent had predictedB and realized that = could not spare the time to overcome their first instinctive reticence. They had a !ind of o3scure suspiciousnessA as if there ,ere somethin' amiss ,ith anyone too much interested in =nnsmouth. At the .. 8. C. A.A ,here = ,as stoppin'A the cler! merely discoura'ed my 'oin' to such a dismalA decadent placeB and the people at the li3rary she,ed much the same attitude. ClearlyA in the eyes of the educatedA =nnsmouth ,as merely an e%a''erated case of civic de'eneration. The Esse% County histories on the li3rary shelves had very little to sayA e%cept that the to,n ,as founded in 1-#&A noted for ship3uildin' 3efore the :evolutionA a seat of 'reat marine prosperity in the early 1)th centuryA and later a minor factory center usin' the 8anu%et as po,er. The epidemic and riots of 18#- ,ere very sparsely treatedA as if they formed a discredit to the county. :eferences to decline ,ere fe,A thou'h the si'nificance of the later record ,as unmista!a3le. After the Civil War air industrial life ,as confined to the 8arsh :efinin' CompanyA and the mar!etin' of 'old in'ots formed the only remainin' 3it of maCor commerce aside from the eternal fishin'. That fishin' paid less and less as the price of the commodity fell and lar'e1scale corporations offered competitionA 3ut there ,as never a dearth of fish around =nnsmouth 2ar3our. 4orei'ners seldom settled thereA and there ,as some discreetly veiled evidence that a num3er of >oles and >ortu'uese ,ho had tried it had 3een scattered in a peculiarly drastic fashion. 8ost interestin' of all ,as a 'lancin' reference to the stran'e Ce,elry va'uely associated ,ith =nnsmouth. =t had evidently impressed the ,hole countryside more thin a littleA for mention ,as made of specimens in the museum of 8is!atonic (niversity at Ar!hamA and in the display room of the ;e,3uryport 2istorical Society. The fra'mentary descriptions of these thin's ,ere 3ald and prosaicA 3ut they hinted to me an undercurrent of persistent stran'eness. Somethin' a3out them seemed so odd and provocative that = could not put them out of my mindA and despite the relative lateness of the hour = resolved to see the local sample 1 said to 3e a lar'eA Dueerly1proportioned thin' evidently meant for a tiara 1 if it could possi3ly 3e arran'ed.

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The li3rarian 'ave me a note of introduction to the curator of the SocietyA a 8iss Anna TiltonA ,ho lived near3yA and after a 3rief e%planation that ancient 'entle,oman ,as !ind enou'h to pilot me into the closed 3uildin'A since the hour ,as not outra'eously late. The collection ,as a nota3le one indeedA 3ut in my present mood = had eyes for nothin' 3ut the 3izarre o3Cect ,hich 'listened in a comer cup3oard under the electric li'hts. =t too! no e%cessive sensitiveness to 3eauty to ma!e me literally 'asp at the stran'eA unearthly splendour of the alienA opulent phantasy that rested there on a purple velvet cushion. Even no, = can hardly descri3e ,hat = sa,A thou'h it ,as clearly enou'h a sort of tiaraA as the description had said. =t ,as tall in frontA and ,ith a very lar'e and curiously irre'ular peripheryA as if desi'ned for a head of almost frea!ishly elliptical outline. The material seemed to 3e predominantly 'oldA thou'h a ,eird li'hter lustrousness hinted at some stran'e alloy ,ith an eDually 3eautiful and scarcely identifia3le metal. =ts condition ,as almost perfectA and one could have spent hours in studyin' the stri!in' and puzzlin'ly untraditional desi'ns 1 some simply 'eometricalA and some plainly marine 1 chased or moulded in hi'h relief on its surface ,ith a craftsmanship of incredi3le s!ill and 'race. The lon'er = loo!edA the more the thin' fascinated meB and in this fascination there ,as a curiously distur3in' element hardly to 3e classified or accounted for. At first = decided that it ,as the Dueer other1,orldly Duality of the art ,hich made me uneasy. All other art o3Cects = had ever seen either 3elon'ed to some !no,n racial or national streamA or else ,ere consciously modernistic defiances of every reco'nized stream. This tiara ,as neither. =t clearly 3elon'ed to some settled techniDue of infinite maturity and perfectionA yet that techniDue ,as utterly remote from any 1 Eastern or WesternA ancient or modern 1 ,hich = had ever heard of or seen e%emplified. =t ,as as if the ,or!manship ,ere that of another planet. 2o,everA = soon sa, that my uneasiness had a second and perhaps eDually potent source residin' in the pictorial and mathematical su''estion of the stran'e desi'ns. The patterns all hinted of remote secrets and unima'ina3le a3ysses in time and spaceA and the monotonously aDuatic nature of the reliefs 3ecame almost sinister. Amon' these reliefs ,ere fa3ulous monsters of a3horrent 'rotesDueness and mali'nity 1 half ichthyic and half 3atrachian in su''estion 1 ,hich one could not dissociate from a certain hauntin' and uncomforta3le sense of pseudomemoryA as if they called up some ima'e from deep cells and tissues ,hose retentive functions are ,holly primal and a,esomely ancestral. At times = fancied that every contour of these 3lasphemous fish1fro's ,as over1flo,in' ,ith the ultimate Duintessence of un!no,n and inhuman evil. =n odd contrast to the tiara<s aspect ,as its 3rief and prosy history as related 3y 8iss Tilton. =t had 3een pa,ned for a ridiculous sum at a stop in State Street in 187&A 3y a drun!en =nnsmouth man shortly after,ard !illed in a 3ra,l. The Society had acDuired it directly from the pa,n3ro!erA at once 'ivin' it a display ,orthy of its Duality. =t ,as la3eled as of pro3a3le East1=ndian or =ndochinese provenanceA thou'h the attri3ution ,as fran!ly tentative. 8iss TiltonA comparin' all possi3le hypotheses re'ardin' its ori'in and its presence in ;e, En'landA ,as inclined to 3elieve that it formed part of some e%otic pirate hoard discovered 3y old Captain +3ed 8ari!. This vie, ,as surely not ,ea!ened 3y the insistent offers of purchase at a hi'h price ,hich the 8arshes 3e'an to ma!e as soon as

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they !ne, of its presenceA and ,hich they repeated to this day despite the Society<s unvaryin' determination not to sell. As the 'ood lady she,ed me out of the 3uildin' she made it clear that the pirate theory of the 8arsh fortune ,as a popular one amon' the intelli'ent people of the re'ion. 2er o,n attitude to,ard shado,ed =nnsmouth 1 ,hich she never seen 1 ,as one of dis'ust at a community slippin' far do,n the cultural scaleA and she assured me that the rumours of devil1,orship ,ere partly Custified 3y a peculiar secret cult ,hich had 'ained force there and en'ulfed all the orthodo% churches. =t ,as calledA she saidA <The Esoteric +rder of $a'onLA and ,as undou3tedly a de3asedA Duasi1pa'an thin' imported from the East a century 3eforeA at a time ,hen the =nnsmouth fisheries seemed to 3e 'oin' 3arren. =ts persistence amon' a simple people ,as Duite natural in vie, of the sudden and permanent return of a3undantly fine fishin'A and it soon came to 3e the 'reatest influence in the to,nA replacin' 4reemasonry alto'ether and ta!in' up headDuarters in the old 8asonic 2all on ;e, Church 7reen. All thisA to the pious 8iss TiltonA formed an e%cellent reason for shunnin' the ancient to,n of decay and desolationB 3ut to me it ,as merely a fresh incentive. To my architectural and historical anticipations ,as no, added an acute anthropolo'ical zealA and = could scarcely sleep in my small room at the L.L as the ni'ht ,ore a,ay.

,,.
Shortly 3efore ten the ne%t mornin' = stood ,ith one small valise in front of 2ammond<s $ru' Store in old 8ar!et SDuare ,aitin' for the =nnsmouth 3us. As the hour for its arrival dre, near = noticed a 'eneral drift of the loun'ers to other places up the streetA or to the =deal 5unch across the sDuare. Evidently the tic!et1a'ent had not e%a''erated the disli!e ,hich local >eople 3ore to,ard =nnsmouth and its denizens. =n a fe, moments a small motor1coach of e%treme decrepitude and dirty 'rey colour rattled do,n State StreetA made a turnA and dre, up at the cur3 3eside me. = felt immediately that it ,as the ri'ht oneB a 'uess ,hich the half1le'i3le on the ,indshield 1 Ar!ham 1 =nnsmouth 1 ;e,3uryport 1 soon verified. There ,ere only three passen'ers 1 dar!A un!empt men of sullen visa'e and some,hat youthful cast 1 and ,hen the vehicle stopped they clumsily sham3led out and 3e'an ,al!in' up State Street in a silentA almost furtive fashion. The driver also ali'htedA and = ,atched him as he ,ent into the dru' store to ma!e some purchase. ThisA = reflectedA must 3e the 6oe Sar'ent mentioned 3y the tic!et1a'entB and even 3efore = noticed any details there spread over me a ,ave of spontaneous aversion ,hich could 3e neither chec!ed nor e%plained. =t suddenly struc! me as very natural that the local people should not ,ish to ride on a 3us o,ned and driven 3y this manA or to visit any oftener than possi3le the ha3itat of such a man and his !insfol!. When the driver came out of the store = loo!ed at him more carefully and tried to determine the source of my evil impression. 2e ,as a thinA stoop1shouldered man not much under si% feet tallA dressed in sha33y 3lue civilian clothes and ,earin' a frayed 'olf cap. 2is a'e ,as perhaps thirty1fiveA 3ut the oddA deep creases in the sides of his nec! made him seem older ,hen one did not study his dullA e%pressionless face. 2e had a

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narro, headA 3ul'in'A ,atery13lue eyes that seemed never to ,in!A a flat noseA a recedin' forehead and chinA and sin'ularly undeveloped ears. 2is lon' thic! lip and coarse1poredA 'reyish chee!s seemed almost 3eardless e%cept for some sparse yello, hairs that stra''led and curled in irre'ular patchesB and in places the surface seemed Dueerly irre'ularA as if peelin' from some cutaneous disease. 2is hands ,ere lar'e and heavily veinedA and had a very unusual 'reyish13lue tin'e. The fin'ers ,ere stri!in'ly short in proportion to the rest of the structureA and seemed to have a tendency to curl closely into the hu'e palm. As he ,al!ed to,ard the 3us = o3served his peculiarly sham3lin' 'ait and sa, that his feet ,ere inordinately immense. The more = studied them the more = ,ondered ho, he could 3uy any shoes to fit them. A certain 'reasiness a3out the fello, increased my disli!e. 2e ,as evidently 'iven to ,or!in' or loun'in' around the fish doc!sA and carried ,ith him much of their characteristic smell. 6ust ,hat forei'n 3lood ,as in him = could not even 'uess. 2is oddities certainly did not loo! AsiaticA >olynesianA 5evantine or ne'roidA yet = could see ,hy the people found him alien. = myself ,ould have thou'ht of 3iolo'ical de'eneration rather than aliena'e. = ,as sorry ,hen = sa, there ,ould 3e no other passen'ers on the 3us. Someho, = did not li!e the idea of ridin' alone ,ith this driver. But as leavin' time o3viously approached = conDuered my Dualms and follo,ed the man a3oardA e%tendin' him a dollar 3ill and murmurin' the sin'le ,ord L=nnsmouth.L 2e loo!ed curiously at me for a second as he returned forty cents chan'e ,ithout spea!in'. = too! a seat far 3ehind himA 3ut on the same side of the 3usA since = ,ished to ,atch the shore durin' the Courney. At len'th the decrepit vehicle stared ,ith a Cer!A and rattled noisily past the old 3ric! 3uildin's of state street amidst a cloud of vapour from the e%haust. 7lancin' at the people on the side,al!sA = thou'ht = detected in them a curious ,ish to avoid loo!in' at the 3us 1 or at least a ,ish to avoid seemin' to loo! at it. Then ,e turned to the left so 2i'h StreetA ,hen the 'oin' ,as smootherB flyin' 3y stately old mansions of the early repu3lic and still older colonial farmhousesA passin' the 5o,er 7reen and >ar!er :iverA and finally emer'in' =nto a lon'A monotonous stretch of open shore country. The day ,as ,arm and sunnyA 3ut the landscape of sand and sed'e1'rassA and stunted shru33ery 3ecame more and desolate as ,e proceeded. +ut the ,indo, = could see the 3lue ,ater and the sandy line of >lum =slandA and ,e presently dre, very near the 3each as our narro, road veered off from the main hi'h,ay to :o,ley and =ps,ich. There ,ere no visi3le housesA and = could tell 3y the state of the road that traffic ,as very li'ht herea3outs. The ,eather1,orn telephone poles carried only t,o ,ires. ;o, and then ,e crossed crude ,ooden 3rid'es over tidal cree!s that ,ound far inland and promoted the 'eneral isolation of the re'ion. +nce in a ,hile = noticed dead stumps and crum3lin' foundation1,alls a3ove the driftin' sandA and recalled the old tradition Duoted it one of the histories = had readA that this ,as once a fertile and thic!ly1settled countryside. The chan'eA it ,as saidA came simultaneously ,ith the =nnsmouth epidemic of l8#-A and ,as thou'ht 3y simple fol! to have a dar! connection ,ith hidden forces of evil. ActuallyA it ,as caused 3y the un,ise cuttin' of ,oodlands near the shoreA ,hich ro33ed the soil of the 3est protection and open the ,ay for ,aves of ,ind13lo,n sand.

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The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

8--

At last ,e lost si'ht of >lum =sland and sa, the vast e%panse of the open Atlantic on our left. +ur narro, course 3e'an to clim3 steeplyA and = felt a sin'ular sense of disDuiet in loo!in' at the lonely crest ahead ,here the rutted road1,ay met the s!y. =t ,as as if the 3us ,ere a3out to !eep on in its ascentA leavin' the sane earth alto'ether and mer'in' ,ith the un!no,n arcana of upper air and cryptical s!y. The smell of the sea too! on ominous implicationsA and the silent driver<s 3entA ri'id 3ac! and narro, head 3ecame more and more hateful. As = loo!ed at him = sa, that the 3ac! of his head ,as almost as hairless as his faceA havin' only a fe, stra''lin' yello, strands upon a 'rey sca3rous surface. Then ,e reached the crest and 3eheld the outspread valley 3eyondA ,here the 8anu%et Coins the sea Cust north of the lon' line of cliffs that culminate in 0in'sport 2ead and veer off to,ard Cape Ann. +n the far misty horizon = could Cust ma!e out the dizzy profile of the 2eadA topped 3y the Dueer ancient house of ,hich so many le'ends are toldB 3ut for the moment all my attention ,as captured 3y the nearer panorama Cust 3elo, me. = hadA = realizedA come face to face ,ith rumour1shado,ed =nnsmouth. =t ,as a to,n of ,ide e%tent and dense constructionA yet one ,ith a portentous dearth of visi3le life. 4rom the tan'le of chimney1pots scarcely a ,isp of smo!e cameA and the three tall steeples loomed star! and unpainted a'ainst the sea,ard horizon. +ne of them ,as crum3lin' do,n at the topA and in that and another there ,ere only 3lac! 'apin' holes ,here cloc!1dials should have 3een. The vast huddle of sa''in' 'am3rel roofs and pea!ed 'a3les conveyed ,ith offensive clearness the idea of ,ormy decayA and as ,e approached alon' the no, descendin' road = could see that many roofs had ,holly caved in. There ,ere some lar'e sDuare 7eor'ian housesA tooA ,ith hipped roofsA cupolasA and railed L,ido,<s ,al!s.L These ,ere mostly ,ell 3ac! from the ,aterA and one or t,o seemed to 3e in moderately sound condition. Stretchin' inland from amon' them = sa, the rustedA 'rass1'ro,n line of the a3andoned rail,ayA ,ith leanin' tele'raph1poles no, devoid of ,iresA and the half1o3scured lines of the old carria'e roads to :o,ley and =ps,ich. The decay ,as ,orst close to the ,aterfrontA thou'h in its very midst = could spy the ,hite 3elfry of a fairly ,ell preserved 3ric! structure ,hich loo!ed li!e a small factory. The har3ourA lon' clo''ed ,ith sandA ,as enclosed 3y an ancient stone 3rea!,aterB on ,hich = could 3e'in to discern the minute forms of a fe, seated fishermenA and at ,hose end ,ere ,hat loo!ed li!e the foundations of a 3y'one li'ht. house. A sandy ton'ue had formed inside this 3arrier and upon it = sa, a fe, decrepit ca3insA moored doriesA and scattered lo3ster1pots. The only deep ,ater seemed to 3e ,here the river poured out past the 3elfried structure and turned south,ard to Coin the ocean at the 3rea!,ater<s end. 2ere and there the ruins of ,harves Cutted out from the shore to end in indeterminate rottennessA those farthest south seemin' the most decayed. And far out at seaA despite a hi'h tideA = 'limpsed a lon'A 3lac! line scarcely risin' a3ove the ,ater yet carryin' a su''estion of odd latent mali'nancy. ThisA = !ne,A must 3e $evil :eef. As = loo!edA a su3tleA curious sense of 3ec!onin' seemed superadded to repulsionB and oddly enou'hA = found this overtone more distur3in' than the primary impression. We met no one on the roadA 3ut presently 3e'an to pass deserted farms in varyin' sta'es of ruin. Then = noticed a fe, inha3ited houses ,ith ra's stuffed in the 3ro!en ,indo,s and shells and dead fish lyin' a3out the littered yards. +nce or t,ice = sa, listless1loo!in' people ,or!in' in 3arren 'ardens or di''in' clams on the fishy1smellin' 3each 3elo,A and 'roups of dirtyA simian1visa'ed children playin' around ,eed1'ro,n doorsteps. Someho,

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

8-7

these people seemed more disDuietin' than the dismal 3uildin'sA for almost every on. had certain peculiarities of face and motions ,hich = instinctively disli!ed ,ithout 3ein' a3le to define or comprehend them. 4or a second = thou'ht this typical physiDue su''ested some picture = had seenA perhaps in a 3oo!A under circumstances of particular horror or melancholyB 3ut this pseudo1recollection passed very Duic!ly. As the 3us reached a lo,er level = 3e'an to catch the steady note of a ,aterfall throu'h the unnatural stillnessA The leanin'A unpainted houses 're, thic!erA lined 3oth sides of the roadA and displayed more ur3an tendencies than did those ,e ,ere leavin' 3ehindA The panorama ahead had contracted to a street sceneA and in spots = could see ,here a co33lestone pavement and stretches of 3ric! side,al! had formerly e%isted. All the houses ,ere apparently desertedA and there ,ere occasional 'aps ,here tum3ledo,n chimneys and cellar ,alls told of 3uildin's that had collapsed. >ervadin' everythin' ,as the most nauseous fishy odour ima'ina3le. Soon cross streets and Cunctions 3e'an to appearB those on the left leadin' to shore,ard realms of unpaved sDualor and decayA ,hile those on the ri'ht she,ed vistas of departed 'randeur. So far = had seen no people in the to,nA 3ut there no, came si'ns of a sparse ha3itation 1 curtained ,indo,s here and thereA and an occasional 3attered motorcar at the cur3. >avement and side,al!s ,ere increasin'ly ,ell1definedA and thou'h most of the houses ,ere Duite old 1 ,ood and 3ric! structures of the early 1)*1 century 1 they ,ere o3viously !ept fit for ha3itation. At an amateur antiDuarian = almost lost my olfactory dis'ust and my feelin' of menace and repulsion amidst this richA unaltered survival from the past. But = ,as not to reach my destination ,ithout one very stron' impression of poi'nantly disa'reea3le Duality. The 3us had come to a sort of open concourse or radial point ,ith churches on t,o sides and the 3edra''led remains of a circular 'reen in the centreA and = ,as loo!in' at a lar'e pillared hall on the ri'ht1hand Cunction ahead. The structure<s once ,hite paint ,as no, 'ray and peelin' and the 3lac! and 'old si'n on the pediment ,as so faded that = could only ,ith difficulty ma!e out the ,ords LEsoteric +rder of $a'onL. ThisA then ,as the former 8asonic 2all no, 'iven over to a de'raded cult. As = strained to decipher this inscription my notice ,as distracted 3y the raucous tones of a crac!ed 3ell across the streetA and = Duic!ly turned to loo! out the ,indo, on my side of the coach. The sound came from a sDuat stone church of manifestly later date than most of the housesA 3uilt in a clumsy 7othic fashion and havin' a disproportionately hi'h 3asement ,ith shuttered ,indo,s. Thou'h the hands of its cloc! ,ere missin' on the side = 'limpsedA = !ne, that those hoarse stro!es ,ere tollin' the hour of eleven. Then suddenly all thou'hts of time ,ere 3lotted out 3y an onrushin' ima'e of sharp intensity and unaccounta3le horror ,hich had seized me 3efore = !ne, ,hat it really ,as. The door of the church 3asement ,as openA revealin' a rectan'le of 3lac!ness inside. And as = loo!edA a certain o3Cect crossed or seemed to cross that dar! rectan'leB 3urnin' into my 3rain a momentary conception of ni'htmare ,hich ,as all the more maddenin' 3ecause analysis could not she, a sin'le ni'htmarish Duality in it. =t ,as a livin' o3Cect 1 the first e%cept the driver that = had seen since enterin' the compact part of the to,n 1 and had = 3een in a steadier mood = ,ould have found nothin' ,hatever of terror in it. ClearlyA as = realised a moment laterA it ,as the pastorB clad in some peculiar vestments dou3tless introduced since the +rder of $a'on had modified the ritual

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

8-8

of the local churches. The thin' ,hich had pro3a3ly cau'ht my first su3conscious 'lance and supplied the touch of 3izarre horror ,as the tall tiara he ,oreB an almost e%act duplicate of the one 8iss Tilton had sho,n me the previous evenin'. ThisA actin' on my ima'inationA had supplied namelessly sinister Dualities to the indeterminate face and ro3edA sham3lin' form 3eneath it. There ,as notA = soon decidedA any reason ,hy = should have felt that shudderin' touch of evil pseudo1memory. Was it not natural that a local mystery cult should adopt amon' its re'imentals an uniDue type of head1dress made familiar to the community in some stran'e ,ay 1 perhaps as treasure1troveG A very thin sprin!lin' of repellent1loo!in' youn'ish people no, 3ecame visi3le on the side,al!s 1 lone individualsA and silent !nots of t,o or three. The lo,er floors of the crum3lin' houses sometimes har3oured small shops ,ith din'y si'nsA and = noticed a par!ed truc! or t,o as ,e rattled alon'. The sound of ,aterfalls 3ecame more and more distinctA and presently = sa, a fairly deep river1'or'e aheadA spanned 3y a ,ideA iron1railed hi'h,ay 3rid'e 3eyond ,hich a lar'e sDuare opened out. As ,e clan!ed over the 3rid'e = loo!ed out on 3oth sides and o3served some factory 3uildin's on the ed'e of the 'rassy 3luff or part ,ay do,n. The ,ater far 3elo, ,as very a3undantA and = could see t,o vi'orous sets of falls upstream on my ri'ht and at least one do,nstream on my left. 4rom this point the noise ,as Duite deafenin'. Then ,e rolled into the lar'e semicircular sDuare across the river and dre, up on the ri'ht1hand side in front of a tallA cupola cro,ned 3uildin' ,ith remnants of yello, paint and ,ith a half1effaced si'n proclaimin' it to 3e the 7ilman 2ouse. = ,as 'lad to 'et out of that 3usA and at once proceeded to chec! my valise in the sha33y hotel lo33y. There ,as only one person in si'ht 1 an elderly man ,ithout ,hat = had come to call the L=nnsmouth loo!L 1 and = decided not to as! him any of the Duestions ,hich 3othered meB remem3erin' that odd thin's had 3een noticed in this hotel. =nsteadA = strolled out on the sDuareA from ,hich the 3us had already 'oneA and studied the scene minutely and appraisin'ly. +ne side of the co33lestoned open space ,as the strai'ht line of the riverB the other ,as a semicircle of slant1roofed 3ric! 3uildin's of a3out the 18** periodA from ,hich several streets radiated a,ay to the southeastA southA and south,est. 5amps ,ere depressin'ly fe, and small 1 all lo,1po,ered incandescents 1 and = ,as 'lad that my plans called for departure 3efore dar!A even thou'h = !ne, the moon ,ould 3e 3ri'ht. The 3uildin's ,ere all in fair conditionA and included perhaps a dozen shops in current operationB of ,hich one ,as a 'rocery of the 4irst ;ational chainA others a dismal restaurantA a dru' storeA and a ,holesale fish1dealer<s officeA and still anotherA at the east,ard e%tremity of the sDuare near the river an office of the to,n<s only =ndustry 1 the 8arsh :efinin' Company. There ,ere perhaps ten people visi3leA and four or five automo3iles and motor truc!s stood scattered a3out = did not need to 3e told that this ,as the civic centre of =nnsmouth. East,ard = could catch 3lue 'limpses of the har3ourA a'ainst ,hich rose the decayin' remains of three once 3eautiful 7eor'ian steeples. And to,ard the shore on the opposite 3an! of the river = sa, the ,hite 3elfry surmountin' ,hat = too! to 3e the 8arsh refinery. 4or some reason or other = chose to ma!e my first inDuiries at the chain 'roceryA ,hose personnel ,as not li!ely to 3e native to =nnsmouth. = found a solitary 3oy of a3out seventeen in char'eA and ,as pleased to note the 3ri'htness and affa3ility ,hich promised cheerful information. 2e seemed e%ceptionally ea'er to tal!A and = soon 'athered that he did not li!e the placeA its fishy smellA or its furtive people. A ,ord ,ith any outsider ,as a

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

8-)

relief to him. 2e hailed from Ar!hamA 3oarded ,ith a family ,ho came from =ps,ichA and ,ent 3ac! ,henever he 'ot a moment off. 2is family did not li!e him to ,or! in =nnsmouthA 3ut the chain had transferred him there and he did not ,ish to 'ive up his Co3. There ,asA he saidA no pu3lic li3rary or cham3er of commerce in =nnsmouthA 3ut = could pro3a3ly find my ,ay a3out. The street = had come do,n ,as 4ederal. West of that ,ere the fine old residence streets 1 BroadA Washin'tonA 5afayetteA and Adams 1 and east of it ,ere the shore,ard slums. =t ,as in these slums 1 alon' 8ain Street 1 that = ,ould find the old 7eor'ian churchesA 3ut they ,ere all lon' a3andoned. =t ,ould 3e ,ell not to ma!e oneself too conspicuous in such nei'h3ourhoods 1 especially north of the river since the people ,ere sullen and hostile. Some stran'ers had even disappeared. Certain spots ,ere almost for3idden territoryA as he had learned at considera3le cost. +ne must notA for e%ampleA lin'er much around the 8arsh refineryA or around any of the still used churchesA or around the pillared +rder of $a'on 2all at ;e, Church 7reen. Those churches ,ere very odd 1 all violently disavo,ed 3y their respective denominations else,hereA and apparently usin' the Dueerest !ind of ceremonials and clerical vestments. Their creeds ,ere heterodo% and mysteriousA involvin' hints of certain marvelous transformations leadin' to 3odily immorality 1 of a sort 1 on this earth. The youth<s o,n pastor 1 $r. Wallace of As3ury 8. E. Church in Ar!ham 1 had 'ravely ur'ed him not to Coin any church in =nnsmouth. As for the =nnsmouth people 1 the youth hardly !ne,A ,hat to ma!e of them. They ,ere as furtive and seldom seen as animals that live in 3urro,sA and one could hardly ima'ine ho, they passed the time apart from their desultory fishin'. >erhaps 1 Cud'in' from the Duantities of 3ootle' liDuor they consumed 1 they lay for most of the dayli'ht hours in an alcoholic stupor. They seemed sullenly 3anded to'ether in some sort of fello,ship and understandin' 1 despisin' the ,orld as if they had access to other and prefera3le spheres of entity. Their appearance 1 especially those starin'A un,in!in' eyes ,hich one never sa, shut 1 ,as certainly shoc!in' enou'hB and their voices ,ere dis'ustin'. =t ,as a,ful to hear them chantin' in their churches at ni'htA and especially durin' their main festivals +r revivalsA ,hich fell t,ice a year on April &*th and +cto3er &1st. They ,ere very fond of the ,aterA and s,am a 'reat deal in 3oth river and har3our. S,immin' races out to $evil :eef ,ere very commonA and everyone in si'ht seemed ,ell a3le to share in this arduous sport. When one came to thin! of itA it ,as 'enerally only rather youn' people ,ho ,ere seen a3out in pu3licA and of these the oldest ,ere apt to 3e the most tainted1loo!in'. When e%ceptions did occurA they ,ere mostly persons ,ith no trace of a3errancyA li!e the old cler! at the hotel. +ne ,ondered ,hat 3ecame of the 3ul! of the older fol!A and ,hether the L=nnsmouth loo!L ,ere not a stran'e and insidious disease1phenomenon ,hich increased its hold as years advanced. +nly a very rare afflictionA of courseA could 3rin' a3out such vast and radical anatomical chan'es in a sin'le individual after maturity 1 chan'es invo!in' osseous factors as 3asic as the shape of the s!ull 1 3ut thenA even this aspect ,as no more 3afflin' and unheard1of than the visi3le features of the malady as a ,hole. =t ,ould 3e hardA the youth impliedA to form any real conclusions re'ardin' such a matterB since one never came to !no, the natives personally no matter ho, lon' one mi'ht live in =nnsmouth.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

87*

The youth ,as certain that many specimens even ,orse than the ,orst visi3le ones ,ere !ept loc!ed indoors in some places. >eople sometimes heard the Dueerest !ind of sounds. The totterin' ,aterfront hovels north of the river ,ere reputedly connected 3y hidden tunnelsA 3ein' thus a verita3le ,arren of unseen a3normalities. What !ind of forei'n 3lood 1 if any 1 these 3ein's hadA it ,as impossi3le to tell. They sometimes !ept certain especially repulsive characters out of si'ht ,hen 'overnment and others from the outside ,orld came to to,n. =t ,ould 3e of no useA my informant saidA to as! the natives anythin' a3out the place. The only one ,ho ,ould tal! ,as a very a'ed 3ut normal loo!in' man ,ho lived at the poorhouse on the north rim of the to,n and spent his time ,al!in' a3out or loun'in' around the fire station. This hoary characterA @ado! AllenA ,as )- years old and some,hat touched in the headA 3esides 3ein' the to,n drun!ard. 2e ,as a stran'eA furtive creature ,ho constantly loo!ed over his shoulder as if afraid of somethin'A and ,hen so3er could not 3e persuaded to tal! at all ,ith stran'ers. 2e ,asA ho,everA una3le to resist any offer of his favorite poisonB and once drun! ,ould furnish the most astonishin' fra'ments of ,hispered reminiscence. After allA thou'hA little useful data could 3e 'ained front himB since his stories ,ere all insaneA incomplete hints of impossi3le marvels and horrors ,hich could have no source save in his o,n disordered fancy. ;o3ody ever 3elieve himA 3ut the natives did not li!e him to drin! and tal! ,ith stran'ersB and it ,as not al,ays safe to 3e seen Duestionin' him. =t ,as pro3a3ly from him that some of the ,ildest popular ,hispers and delusions ,ere derived. Several non1native residents had reported monstrous 'limpses from time to timeA 3ut 3et,een old @ado!<s tales and the malformed inha3itants it ,as no ,onder such illusions ,ere current. ;one of the non1natives ever stayed out late at ni'htA there 3ein' a ,idespread impression that it ,as not ,ise to do so. BesidesA the streets ,ere loathsomely dar!. As for 3usiness 1 the a3undance of fish ,as certainly almost uncannyA 3ut the natives ,ere ta!in' less and less advanta'e of it. 8oreoverA prices ,ere fallin' and competition ,as 'ro,in'. +f course the to,n<s real 3usiness ,as the refineryA ,hose commercial office ,as on the sDuare only a fe, doors east of ,here ,e stood. +ld 8an 8arsh ,as never seenA 3ut sometimes ,ent to the ,or!s in a closedA curtained car. There ,ere all sorts of rumors a3out ho, 8arsh <=nc< come to loo!. 2e had once 3een a 'reat dandyB and people said he still ,ore the froc!1coated finery of the Ed,ardian a'e curiously adapted to certain deformities. 2is son had formerly conducted the office in the sDuareA 3ut latterly they had 3een !eepin' out of si'ht a 'ood deal and leavin' the 3runt of affairs to the youn'er 'eneration. The sons and their sisters had come to loo! very DueerA especially the elder onesB and it ,as said that their health ,as failin'. +ne of the 8arsh dau'hters ,as a repellentA reptilian1loo!in' ,oman ,ho ,ore an e%cess of ,eird Ce,ellery clearly of the same e%otic tradition as that to ,hich the stran'e tiara 3elon'ed. 8y informant had noticed it many timesA and had heard it spo!en of as comin' from some secret hoardA either of pirates or of demons. The cler'ymen 1 or priestsA or ,hatever they ,ere called no,adays 1 also ,ore this !ind of ornament as a headdressB

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

871

3ut one seldom cau'ht 'limpses of them. +ther specimens the youth had not seenA thou'h many ,ere rumoured to e%ist around =nnsmouth. The 8arshesA to'ether ,ith the other three 'ently 3red families of the to,n 1 the WaitesA the 7ilmansA and the Eliots 1 ,ere all very retirin'. They lived in immense houses alon' Washin'ton StreetA and several ,ere reputed to har3our in concealment certain livin' !insfol! ,hose personal aspect for3ade pu3lic vie,A and ,hose deaths had 3een reported and recorded. Warnin' me that many of the street si'ns ,ere do,nA the youth dre, for my 3enefit a rou'h 3ut ample and painsta!in' s!etch map of the to,n<s salient features. After a moment<s study = felt sure that it ,ould 3e of 'reat helpA and poc!eted it ,ith profuse than!s. $isli!in' the din'iness of the sin'le restaurant = had seenA = 3ou'ht a fair supply of cheese crac!ers and 'in'er ,afers to serve as a lunch later on. 8y pro'ramA = decidedA ,ould 3e to thread the principal streetsA tal! ,ith any non1natives = mi'ht encounterA and catch the ei'ht o<cloc! coach for Ar!ham. The to,nA = could seeA formed a si'nificant and e%a''erated e%ample of communal decayB 3ut 3ein' no sociolo'ist = ,ould limit my serious o3servations to the field of architecture. Thus = 3e'an my systematic thou'h half13e,ildered tour of =nnsmouth<s narro,A shado,13li'hted ,ays. Crossin' the 3rid'e and turnin' to,ard the roar of the lo,er fallsA = passed close to the 8arsh refineryA ,hich seemed to 3e oddly free from the noise of industry. ml. 3uildin' stood on the steep river 3luff near a 3rid'e and an open confluence of streets ,hich = too! to 3e the earliest civic centerA displaced after the :evolution 3y the present To,n SDuare. :e1crossin' the 'or'e on the 8ain Street 3rid'eA = struc! a re'ion of utter desertion ,hich someho, made me shudder. Collapsin' huddles of 'am3rel roofs formed a Ca''ed and fantastic s!ylineA a3ove ,hich rose the 'houlishA decapitated steeple of an ancient church. Some houses alon' 8ain Street ,ere tenantedA 3ut most ,ere ti'htly 3oarded up. $o,n unpaved side streets = sa, the 3lac!A 'apin' ,indo,s of deserted hovelsA many of ,hich leaned at perilous and incredi3le an'les throu'h the sin!in' of part of the foundations. Those ,indo,s stared so spectrally that it too! coura'e to turn east,ard to,ard the ,aterfront. CertainlyA the terror of a deserted house s,ells in 'eometrical rather than arithmetical pro'ression as houses multiply to form a city of star! desolation. The si'ht of such endless avenues of fishy1eyed vacancy and deathA and the thou'ht of such lin!ed infinities of 3lac!A 3roodin' compartments 'iven over to co31,e3s and memories and the conDueror ,ormA start up vesti'ial fears and aversions that not even the stoutest philosophy can disperse. 4ish Street ,as as deserted as 8ainA thou'h it differed in havin' many 3ric! and stone ,arehouses still in e%cellent shape. Water Street ,as almost its duplicateA save that there ,ere 'reat sea,ard 'aps ,here ,harves had 3een. ;ot a livin' thin' did = see e%cept for the scattered fishermen on the distant 3rea!1,aterA and not a sound did = hear save the lappin' of the har3our tides and the roar of the falls in the 8anu%et. The to,n ,as 'ettin' more and more on my nervesA and = loo!ed 3ehind me furtively as = pic!ed my ,ay 3ac! over the totterin' Water Street 3rid'e. The 4ish Street 3rid'eA accordin' to the s!etchA ,as in ruins.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

87"

;orth of the river there ,ere traces of sDualid life 1 active fish1pac!in' houses in Water StreetA smo!in' chimneys and patched roofs here and thereA occasional sounds from indeterminate sourcesA and infreDuent sham3lin' forms in the dismal streets and unpaved lanes 1 3ut = seemed to find this even more oppressive than the southerly desertion. 4or one thin'A the people ,ere more hideous and a3normal than those near the centre of the to,nB so that = ,as several times evilly reminded of somethin' utterly fantastic ,hich = could not Duite place. (ndou3tedly the alien strain in the =nnsmouth fol! ,as stron'er here than farther inland 1 unlessA indeedA the L=nnsmouth loo!L ,ere a disease rather than a 3lood stainA in ,hich case this district mi'ht 3e held to har3our the more advanced cases. +ne detail that annoyed me ,as the distri3ution of the fe, faint sounds = heard. They ou'ht naturally to have come ,holly from the visi3ly inha3ited housesA yet in reality ,ere often stron'est inside the most ri'idly 3oarded1up facades. There ,ere crea!in'sA scurryin'sA and hoarse dou3tful noisesB and = thou'ht uncomforta3ly a3out the hidden tunnels su''ested 3y the 'rocery 3oy. Suddenly = found myself ,onderin' ,hat the voices of those denizens ,ould 3e li!e. = had heard no speech so far in this DuarterA and ,as unaccounta3ly an%ious not to do so. >ausin' only lon' enou'h to loo! at t,o fine 3ut ruinous old churches at 8ain and Church StreetsA = hastened out of that vile ,aterfront slum. 8y ne%t lo'ical 'oal ,as ;e, Church 7reenA 3ut someho, or other = could not 3ear to repass the church in ,hose 3asement = had 'limpsed the ine%plica3ly fri'htenin' form of that stran'ely diademmed priest or pastor. BesidesA the 'rocery youth had told me that churchesA as ,ell as the +rder of $a'on 2allA ,ere not advisa3le nei'h3ourhoods for stran'ers. Accordin'ly = !ept north alon' 8ain to 8artinA then turnin' inlandA crossin' 4ederal Street safely north of the 7reenA and enterin' the decayed patrician nei'h3ourhood of northern BroadA Washin'tonA 5afayetteA and Adams Streets. Thou'h these stately old avenues. ,ere ill1surfaced and un!emptA their elm1shaded di'nity had not entirely departed. 8ansion after mansion claimed my 'azeA most of them decrepit and 3oarded up amidst ne'lected 'roundsA 3ut one or t,o in each street she,in' si'ns of occupancy. =n Washin'ton Street there ,as a ro, of four or five in e%cellent repair and ,ith finely1tended la,ns and 'ardens. The most sumptuous of these 1 ,ith ,ide terraced parterres e%tendin' 3ac! the ,hole ,ay to 5afayette Street 1 = too! to 3e the home of +ld 8an 8arshA the afflicted refinery o,ner. =n all these streets no livin' thin' ,as visi3leA and = ,ondered at the complete a3sence of cats and do's from =nnsmouth. Another thin' ,hich puzzled and distur3ed meA even in some of the 3est1preserved mansionsA ,as the ti'htly shuttered condition of many third1 story and attic ,indo,s. 4urtiveness and secretiveness seemed universal in this hushed city of aliena'e and deathA and = could not escape the sensation of 3ein' ,atched from am3ush on every hand 3y slyA starin' eyes that never shut. = shivered as the crac!ed stro!e of three sounded from a 3elfry on my left. Too ,ell did = recall the sDuat church from ,hich those notes came. 4ollo,in' Washin'ton street to,ard the riverA = no, faced a ne, zone of former industry and commerceB notin' the ruins of a factory aheadA and seein' othersA ,ith the traces of an old rail,ay station and covered rail,ay 3rid'e 3eyondA up the 'or'e on my ri'ht.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

87&

The uncertain 3rid'e no, 3efore me ,as posted ,ith a ,arnin' si'nA 3ut = too! the ris! and crossed a'ain to the south 3an! ,here traces of life reappeared. 4urtiveA sham3lin' creatures stared cryptically in my directionA and more normal faces eyed me coldly and curiously. =nnsmouth ,as rapidly 3ecomin' intolera3leA and = turned do,n >aine Street to,ard the SDuare in the hope of 'ettin' some vehicle to ta!e me to Ar!ham 3efore the still1distant startin'1time of that sinister 3us. =t ,as then that = sa, the tum3ledo,n fire station on my leftA and noticed the red facedA 3ushy13eardedA ,atery eyed old man in nondescript ra's ,ho sat on a 3ench in front of it tal!in' ,ith a pair of un!empt 3ut not a3normal loo!in' firemen. ThisA of courseA must 3e @oda! AllenA the half1crazedA liDuorish nona'enarian ,hose tales of old =nnsmouth and its shado, ,ere so hideous and incredi3le.

,,,.
=t must have 3een some imp of the perverse 1 or some sardonic pull from dar!A hidden sources 1 ,hich made me chan'e my plans as = did. = had lon' 3efore resolved to limit my o3servations to architecture aloneA and = ,as even then hurryin' to,ard the SDuare in an effort to 'et Duic! transportation out of this festerin' city of death and decayB 3ut the si'ht of old @ado! Allen set up ne, currents in my mind and made me slac!en my pace uncertainly. = had 3een assured that the old man could do nothin' 3ut hint at ,ildA disCointedA and incredi3le le'endsA and = had 3een ,arned that the natives made it unsafe to 3e seen tal!in' ,ith himB yet the thou'ht of this a'ed ,itness to the to,n<s decayA ,ith memories 'oin' 3ac! to the early days of ships and factoriesA ,as a lure that no amount of reason could ma!e me resist. After allA the stran'est and maddest of myths are often merely sym3ols or alle'ories 3ased upon truth 1 and old @ado! must have seen everythin' ,hich ,ent on around =nnsmouth for the last ninety years. Curiosity flared up 3eyond sense and cautionA and in my youthful e'otism = fancied = mi'ht 3e a3le to sift a nucleus of real history from the confusedA e%trava'ant outpourin' = ,ould pro3a3ly e%tract ,ith the aid of ra, ,his!ey. = !ne, that = could not accost him then and thereA for the firemen ,ould surely notice and o3Cect. =nsteadA = reflectedA = ,ould prepare 3y 'ettin' some 3ootle' liDuor at a place ,here the 'rocery 3oy had told me it ,as plentiful. Then = ,ould loaf near the fire station in apparent casualnessA and fall in ,ith old @ado! after he had started on one of his freDuent ram3les. The youth had said that he ,as very restlessA seldom sittin' around the station for more than an hour or t,o at a time. A Duart 3ottle of ,his!ey ,as easilyA thou'h not cheaplyA o3tained in the rear of a din'y variety1store Cust off the SDuare in Eliot Street The dirty1loo!in' fello, ,ho ,aited on me had a touch of the starin' L=nnsmouth loo!LA 3ut ,as Duite civil in his ,ayB 3ein' perhaps used to the custom of such convivial stran'ers 1 truc!menA 'old13uyersA and the li!e 1 as ,ere occasionally in to,n. :eenterin' the SDuare = sa, that luc! ,as ,ith meB for 1 shufflin' out of >aine street around the comer of the 7ilman 2ouse 1 = 'limpsed nothin' less than the tallA leanA tattered form of old @ado! Allen himself. =n accordance ,ith my planA = attracted his attention 3y 3randishin' my ne,ly1purchased 3ottle9 and loon realised that he had 3e'un to shuffle

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,istfully after me as = tinned into Waite Street on my ,ay to the most deserted re'ion = could thin! of. = ,as steerin' my course 3y the map the 'rocery 3oy had preparedA and ,as aimin' for the ,holly a3andoned stretch of southern ,aterfront ,hich = had previously visited. The only people in si'ht there had 3een the fishermen on the distant 3rea!,aterB and 3y 'oin' a fe, sDuares south = could 'et 3eyond the ran'e of theseA findin' a pair of seats on some a3andoned ,harf and 3ein' free to Duestion old @ado! uno3served for an indefinite time. Before = reached 8ain Street = could hear a faint and ,heezy L2eyA 8isterFL 3ehind me and = presently allo,ed the old man to catch up and ta3 copious pulls from the Duart 3ottle. = 3e'an puttin' out feelers as ,e ,al!ed amidst the omnipresent desolation and crazily tilted ruinsA 3ut found that the a'ed ton'ue did not loosen as Duic!ly as = had e%pected. At len'th = sa, a 'rass1'ro,n openin' to,ard the sea 3et,een crum3lin' 3ric! ,allsA ,ith the ,eedy len'th of an earth1and1masonry ,harf proCectin' 3eyond. >iles of moss1covered stones near the ,ater promised tolera3le seatsA and the scene ,as sheltered from all possi3le vie, 3y a ruined ,arehouse on the north. 2ereA = thou'ht ,as the ideal place for a lon' secret colloDuyB so = 'uided my companion do,n the lane and pic!ed out spots to sit in amon' the mossy stones. The air of death and desertion ,as 'houlishA and the smell of fish almost insuffera3leB 3ut = ,as resolved to let nothin' deter me. A3out four hours remained for conversation if = ,ere to catch the ei'ht o<cloc! coach for Ar!hamA and = 3e'an to dole out more liDuor to the ancient tipplerB mean,hile eatin' my o,n fru'al lunch. =n my donations = ,as careful not to overshoot the mar!A for = did not ,ish @ado!<s vinous 'arrulousness to pass into a stuporA after an hour his furtive taciturnity she,ed si'ns of disappearin'A 3ut much to my disappointment he still sidetrac!ed my Duestions a3out =nnsmouth and its shado,1haunted past. 2e ,ould 3a33le of current topicsA revealin' a ,ide acDuaintance ,ith ne,spapers and a 'reat tendency to philosophise in a sententious villa'e fashion. To,ard the end of the second hour = feared my Duart of ,his!ey ,ould not 3e enou'h to produce resultsA and ,as ,onderin' ,hether = had 3etter leave old @ado! and 'o 3ac! for more. 6ust thenA ho,everA chance made the openin' ,hich my Duestions had 3een una3le to ma!eB and the ,heezin' ancient<s ram3lin' too! a turn that caused me to lean for,ard and listen alertly. 8y 3ac! ,as to,ard the fishy1smellin' seaA 3ut he ,as facin' it and somethin' or other had caused his ,anderin' 'aze to li'ht on the lo,A distant line of $evil :eefA then sho,in' plainly and almost fascinatin'ly a3ove the ,aves. The si'ht seemed to displease himA for he 3e'an a series of ,ea! curses ,hich ended in a confidential ,hisper and a !no,in' leer. 2e 3ent to,ard meA too! hold of my coat lapelA and hissed out some hints that could not 3e mista!enA LThar<s ,har it all 3e'un 1 that cursed place of all ,ic!edness ,har the deep ,ater starts. 7ate o< hell 1 sheer drop dao,n to a 3ottom no saoundin<1line !in tech. +l< Cap<n +3ed done it 1 him that faound aout more<n ,as 'ood fer him in the Saouth Sea islands. LEvery3ody ,as in a 3ad ,ay them days. Trade fallin< offA mills losin< 3usiness 1 even the ne, ones 1 an< the 3est of our menfol!s !ilt aprivateerin< in the War of 181" or lost ,ith the Elizy 3ri' an< the :an'er sco, 1 3oth on <em 7ilman venters. +3ed 8arsh he had three ships afloat 1 3ri'antine Colum3yA 3ri' 2eftyA an< 3arDue Sumatry /ueen. 2e ,as the only

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one as !ep< on ,ith the East1=nCy an< >acific tradeA thou'h Esdras 8artin<s 3ar!entine 8alay Bride made a venter as late as t,enty1ei'ht. L;ever ,as no3ody li!e Cap<n +3ed 1 old lim3 o< SatanF 2ehA hehF = !in mind him a1 tellin< a3aout furren partsA an< callin< all the fol!s stupid for 'oin< to Christian meetin< an< 3earin< their 3urdns mee! an< lo,ly. Says they<d orter 'it 3etter 'ods li!e some o< the fol!s in the =nCies 1 'ods as ud 3rin' <em 'ood fishin< in return for their sacrificesA an< ud reely ans,er fol!s<s prayers. <8att Eliot his fust mateA tal!ed a lot tooA only he ,as a'ain< fol!s<s doin< any heathen thin's. Told a3aout an island east of +thaheite ,har they ,as a lot o< stone ruins older<n any3ody !ne, anyin' a3aoutA !ind o< li!e them on >onapeA in the CarolinesA 3ut ,ith carven<s of faces that loo!ed li!e the 3i' statues on Easter =sland. Thar ,as a little volcanic island near tharA tooA ,har they ,as other ruins ,ith diff<rent carvin< 1 ruins all ,ore a,ay li!e they<d 3en under the sea onctA an< ,ith picters of a,ful monsters all over <em. LWalA SirA 8att he says the natives anound thar had all the fish they cud !etchA an< sported 3racelets an< armlets an< head ri's made aout o< a Dueer !ind o< 'old an< covered ,ith picters o< monsters Cest li!e the ones carved over the ruins on the little island 1 sorter fish1li!e fro's or fro'li!e fishes that ,as dra,ed in all !inds o< positions li!es they ,as human 3ein<s. ;o3ody cud 'et aout o< them ,har they 'ot all the stuffA an< all the other natives ,ondered hao, they mana'ed to find fish in plenty even ,hen the very ne%t island had lean pic!in<s. 8att he 'ot to ,onderon< too an< so did Cap<n +3ed. +3ed 3e noticesA 3esidesA that lots of the hn<some youn' fol!s ud drop aout o< si'ht fer 'ood from year to yearA an< that they ,an<t many old fol!s around. AlsoA he thin!s some of the fol!s loo!ed dinned Dueer even for 0ana!ys. L=t too! +3ed to 'it the truth aout o< them heathen. = dun<t !no, hao, he done itA 3ut 3e 3e'un 3y tradin< fer the 'old1li!e thin's they ,ore. Ast <em ,har they come fromA an< ef they cud 'it moreA an< finally ,ormed the story aout o< the old chief 1 1Wala!eaA they called him. ;o3ody 3ut +3ed ud ever a 3elieved the old yeller devilA 3ut the Cap<n cud read fol!s li!e they ,as 3oo!s. 2ehA hehF ;o3ody never 3elieves me nao, ,hen = tell <emA an< = dun<t s<pose you ,illA youn' feller 1 thou'h come to loo! at yeA ye hev !ind o< 'ot them sharp1 readin< eyes li!e +3ed had.L The old man<s ,hisper 're, fainterA and = found myself shudderin' at the terri3le and sincere portentousness of his intonationA even thou'h = !ne, his tale could 3e nothin' 3ut drun!en phantasy. LWalA SirA +3ed he <lart that they<s thin's on this arth as most fol!s never heerd a3out 1 an< ,ouldn<t 3elieve ef they did hear. lt seems these 0ana!ys ,as sacrificin< heaps o< their youn' men an< maidens to some !ind o< 'od1thin's that lived under the seaA an< 'ittin< all !inds o< favour in return. They met the thin's on the little islet ,ith the Dueer ruinsA an< it seems them a,ful picters o< fro'1fish monsters ,as supposed to 3e picters o< these thin's. 8e33e they ,as the !ind o< critters as 'ot all the mermaid stories an< sech started. They had all !inds a< cities on the sea13ottomA an< this island ,as heaved up from thar. Seem they ,as some of the thin's alive in the stone 3uildin<s ,hen the island come up sudden to the surfaceA That<s ho, the 0ana!ys 'ot ,ind they ,as dao,n thar. 8ade si'n1 tal! as son as they 'ot over 3ein< s!eertA an< pieced up a 3ar'ain afore lon'.

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LThem thin's li!ed human sacrifices. 2ad had <em a'es aforeA 3ut lost trac! o< the upper ,orld after a time. What they done to the victims = ain<t fer me to sayA an< = 'uess +3ed ,as<n<t none too sharp a3aout as!in<. But it ,as all ri'ht ,ith the heathensA 3ecause they<d 3en havin< a hard time an< ,as desp<rate a3aout everythin'. They 'ive a sarten num3er o< youn' fol!s to the sea1thin's t,ice every year 1 8ay1Eve an< 2alla,e<en 1 re'<lar as cud 3e. Also 'ive some a< the carved !nic!1!nac!s they made. What the thin's a'reed to 'ive in return ,as plenty a< fish 1 they druv <em in from all over the sea 1 an< a fe, 'old li!e thin's nao, an< then. LWalA as = saysA the natives met the thin's on the little volcanic islet 1 'oin< thar in canoes ,ith the sacrifices et cet<ryA and 3rin'in< 3ac! any of the 'old1li!e Cools as ,as comin< to <em. At fust the thin's didn<t never 'o onto the main islandA 3ut arter a time they come to ,ant to. Seems they han!ered arter mi%in< ,ith the fol!sA an< havin< C<int ceremonies on the 3i' days 1 8ay1Eve an< 2allo,e<en. .e seeA they ,as a3le to live 3oth in ant aout o< ,ater 1 ,hat they call amphi3iansA = 'uess. The 0ana!ys told <em as hao, fol!s from the other islands mi'ht ,anta ,ipe <an out if they 'ot ,ind o< their 3ein< tharA 3ut they says they dun<t !eer muchA 3ecause they cud ,ipe aout the hull 3rood o< humans ef they ,as ,iliin< to 3other 1 that isA any as didn<t 3eA sarten si'ns sech as ,as used onct 3y the lost +ld +nesA ,hoever they ,as. But not ,antin< to 3otherA they<d lay lo, shun any3ody visited the island. LWhen it come to matin< ,ith them toad1loo!in< fishesA the 0ana!ys !ind o< 3al!edA 3ut finally they larnt somethin' as put a ne, face on the matter. Seems that human fol!s has 'ot a !ind a< relation to sech ,ater13easts 1 that everythin' alive come aout o< the ,ater onct an< only needs a little chan'e to 'o 3ac! a'in. Them thin's told the 0ana!ys that ef they mi%ed 3loods there<d 3e children as ud loo! human at fustA 3ut later turn more<n more li!e the thin'sA till finally they<d ta!e to the ,ater an< Cine the main lot o< thin's dao,n har. An< this is the important partA youn' feller 1 them as turned into fish thin's an< ,ent into the ,ater ,ouldn<t never die. Them thin's never died e%cep< they ,as !ilt violent. LWalA SirA it seems 3y the time +3ed !no,ed them islanders they ,as all full o< fish 3lood from them deep ,ater thin's. When they 'ot old an< 3e'un to she, itA they ,as !ep< hid until they felt li!e ta!in< to the ,ater an< Duittin< the place. Some ,as more teched than othersA an< some never did chan'e Duite enou'h to ta!e to the ,aterB 3ut mosily they turned out Cest the ,ay them thin's said. Them as ,as 3orn more li!e the thin's chan'ed arlyA 3ut them as ,as nearly human sometimes stayed on the island till they ,as past seventyA thou'h they<d usually 'o dao,n under for trial trips afore that. 4ol!s as had too! to the ,ater 'en<rally come 3ac! a 'ood deal to visitA so<s a man ud often 3e a<tal!in< to his o,n five1times1'reat1'randfather ,ho<d left the dry land a couple o< hundred years or so afore. LEvery3ody 'ot aout o< the idee o< dyin< 1 e%cep< in canoe ,ars ,ith the other islandersA or as sacrifices to the sea1'ods dao,n 3elo,A or from sna!e3ite or pla'ue or sharp 'allopin< ailments or somethin< afore they cud ta!e to the ,ater 1 3ut simply loo!ed forrad to a !ind o< chan'e that ,a<n<t a 3it horri3le artet a ,hile. They thou'ht ,hat they<d 'ot ,as ,ell ,uth all they<d had to 'ive up 1 an< = 'uess +3ed !ind o< come to thin! the same hisself ,hen he<d che,ed over old Wala!ea<s story a 3it. Wala!eaA thou'hA ,as one of the fe, as hadn<t 'ot none of the fish 3lood 1 3ein< of a royal line that intermarried ,ith royal lines on other islands.

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LWala!ea he she,ed +3ed a lot o< rites an< incantations as had to do ,ith the sea thin'sA an< let him see some o< the fol!s in the villa'e as had chan'ed a lot from human shape. Somehao, or otherA thou'hA he never ,ould let him see one of the re'<lar thin's from ri'ht aout o< the ,ater. =n the end he 'ive him a funny !ind o< thin'umaCi' made aout o< lead or somethin'A that he said ud 3rin' up the fish thin's from any place in the ,ater ,har they mi'ht 3e a nest o< <em. The idee ,as to drop it dao,n ,ith the ri'ht !ind o< prayers an< sech. Wala!ea allo,ed as the thin's ,as scattered all over the ,orldA so<s any3ody that loo!ed a3aout cud find a nest an< 3rin' <em up ef they ,as ,anted. L8att he didn<t li!e this 3usiness at allA an< ,anted +3ed shud !eep a,ay from the islandB 3ut the Cap<n ,as sharp fer 'ainA an< faound he cud 'et them 'old1li!e thin's so cheap it ud pay him to ma!e a specialty of them. Thin's ,ent on that ,ay for years an< +3ed 'ot enou'h o< that 'old1li!e stuff to ma!e him start the refinery in Waite<s old run1 dao,n fullin< mill. 2e didn<t dass sell the pieces li!e they ,asA for fol!s ud 3e all the time as!in< Duestions. All the same his cre,s ud 'et a piece an< dispose of it nao, and thenA even thou'h they ,as s,ore to !eep DuietB an< he let his ,omen1fol!s ,ear some o< the pieces as ,as more human1li!e than most. LWellA come a3aout thutty1ei'ht 1 ,hen = ,as seven year< old 1 +3ed he faound the island people all ,iped aout 3et,een v<ya'es. Seems the other islanders had 'ot ,ind o< ,hat ,as 'oin< onA and had too! matters into their o,n hands. S<pose they must a hadA after allA them old ma'ic si'ns as the sea thin's says ,as the only thin's they ,as afeard of. ;o tellin< ,hat any o< them 0ana!ys ,ill chance to 'it a holt of ,hen the sea13ottom thro,s up some island ,ith ruins older<n the delu'e. >ious cussesA these ,as 1 they didn<t leave nothin< standin< on either the main island or the little volcanic islet e%cep< ,hat parts of the ruins ,as too 3i' to !noc! dao,n. =n some places they ,as little stones stre,ed a3aout 1 li!e charms 1 ,ith somethin< on <em li!e ,hat ye call a s,asti!a nao,adays. >ro3<ly them ,as the +ld +nes< si'ns. 4ol!s all ,iped aout no trace o< no 'old1li!e thin's an< none the near3y 0ana!ys ud 3reathe a ,ord a3aout the matter. Wouldn<t even admit they<d ever 3en any people on that island. LThat naturally hit +3ed pretty hardA seein< as his normal trade ,as doin< very poor. =t hit the ,hole of =nnsmouthA tooA 3ecause in seafarint days ,hat profited the master of a ship 'en<lly profited the cre, proportionate. 8ost of the fol!s araound the tao,n too! the hard times !ind o< sheep1li!e an< resi'nedA 3ut they ,as in 3ad shape 3ecause the fishin< ,as peterin< aout an< the mills ,an<t doin< none too ,ell. LThen<s the time +3ed he 3e'un a1cursin< at the fol!s fer 3ein< dull sheep an< prayin< to a Christian heaven as didn<t help <em none. 2e told <em he<d !no,ed o< fol!s as prayed to 'ods that 'ive somethin< ye reely needA an< says ef a 'ood 3unch o< men ud stand 3y himA he cud me33e 'et a holt o< sarten pao,ers as ud 3rin' plenty o< fish an< Duite a 3it of 'old. *< course them as sarved on the Sumatry /ueenA an< seed the island !no,ed ,hat he meantA an< ,a<n<t none too an%ious to 'et clost to sea1thin's li!e they<d heard tell onA 3ut them as didn<t !no, ,hat <t,as all a3aout 'ot !ind o< s,ayed 3y ,hat +3ed had to sayA and 3e'un to ast him ,hat he cud do to sit <em on the ,ay to the faith as ud 3rin' <em results.L 2ere the old man falteredA mum3ledA and lapsed into a moody and apprehensive silenceB 'lancin' nervously over his shoulder and then turnin' 3ac! to stare fascinatedly at the distant 3lac! reef. When = spo!e to him he did not ans,erA so = !ne, = ,ould have to let him finish the 3ottle. The insane yarn = ,as hearin' interested me profoundlyA for = fancied

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there ,as contained ,ithin it a sort of crude alle'ory 3ased upon the stran'eness of =nnsmouth and ela3orated 3y an ima'ination at once creative and full of scraps of e%otic le'end. ;ot for a moment did = 3elieve that the tale had any really su3stantial foundationB 3ut none the less the account held a hint of 'enuine terror if only 3ecause it 3rou'ht in references to stran'e Ce,els clearly a!in to the mali'n tiara = had seen at ;e,3uryport. >erhaps the ornaments 3adA after allA come from some stran'e islandB and possi3ly the ,ild stories ,ere lies of the 3y'one +3ed himself rather than of this antiDue toper. = handed @ado! the 3ottleA and he drained it to the last drop. =t ,as curious ho, he could stand so much ,his!eyA for not even a trace of thic!ness had come into his hi'hA ,heezy voice. 2e lic!ed the nose of the 3ottle and slipped it into his poc!etA then 3e'innin' to nod and ,hisper softly to himself. = 3ent close to catch any articulate ,ords he mi'ht utterA and thou'ht = sa, a sardonic smile 3ehind the stained 3ushy ,his!ers. .es 1 he ,as really formin' ,ordsA and = could 'rasp a fair proportion of them. L>oor 8att 1 8att he allus ,as a'in it 1 tried to line up the fol!s on his sideA an< had lon' tal!s ,ith the preachers 1 no use 1 they run the Con're'ational parson aout o< tao,nA an< the 8ethodist feller Duit 1 never did see :esolved Ba3coc!A the Baptist parsonA a'in 1 Wrath *< 6ehovy 1 = ,as a mi'htly little critterA 3ut = heerd ,hat = heerd anA seen ,hat = seen 1 $a'on an< Ashtoreth 1 Belial an< Beelze3u3 1 7olden Caff an< the idols o< Canaan an< the >hilistines 1 Ba3ylonish a3ominations 1 8eneA meneA te!elA upharisn 1 1.L 2e stopped a'ainA and from the loo! in his ,atery 3lue eyes = feared he ,as close to a stupor after all. But ,hen = 'ently shoo! his shoulder he turned on me ,ith astonishin' alertness and snapped out some more o3scure phrases. L$un<t 3elieve meA heyG 2eyA hehA heh 1 then Cest tell meA youn' fellerA ,hy Cap<n +3ed an< t,enty odd other fol!s used to ro, aout to $evil :eef in the dead o< ni'ht an< chant thin's so laoud ye cud hear <em all over tao,n ,hen the ,ind ,as ri'htG Tell me thatA heyG An< tell me ,hy +3ed ,as allus droppin< heavy thin's dao,n into the deep ,ater t<other side o< the reef ,har the 3ottom shoots dao,n li!e a cliff =o,er<a ye !in saoundG Tell me ,hat he done ,ith that funny1shaped lead thin'umaCi' as Wala!ea 'ive himG 2eyA 3oyG An< ,hat did they all hao,l on 8ay1EveA anA a'in the ne%t 2allo,e<enG An< ,hy<d the ne, church parsons 1 fellers as used to he sailors 1 ,ear them Dueer ro3es an< cover their1selves ,ith them 'old1li!e thin's +3ed 3run'G 2eyGL The ,atery 3lue eyes ,ere almost sava'e and maniacal no,A and the dirty ,hite 3eard 3ristled electrically. +ld @ado! pro3a3ly sa, me shrin! 3ac!A for he 3e'an to cac!le evilly. L2ehA hehA hehA hehF Be'inni<n to see heyG 8e33e ye<d li!e to a 3en me in them daysA ,hen = seed thin's at ni'ht aout to sea from the cupalo top o< my haouse. +hA = !in tell ye< little pitchers hev 3i' earsA an< = ,a<n<t missin< nothin< o< ,hat ,as 'ossiped a3aout Cap<n +3ed an< the fol!s aout to the reefF 2ehA hehA hehF 2ao, a3aout the ni'ht = too! my pa<s ship<s 'lass up to the cupalo an< seed the reef a13ristlin< thic! ,ith shapes that dove off Duic! soon<s the moon rizG +3ed an< the fol!s ,as in a doryA 3ut them shapes dove off the far side into the deep ,ater an< never come up . . .

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The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

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2ao,<d ye li!e to 3e a little shaver alone up in a cupola a1,atchin< shapes as ,a<n<t human shapesG . . .2ehG . . . 2ehA hehA heh . . .L The old man ,as 'ettin' hystericalA and = 3e'an to shiver ,ith a nameless alarm. 2e laid a 'narled cla, on my shoulderA and it seemed to me that its sha!in' ,as not alto'ether that of mirth. LS<pose one ni'ht ye seed somethin< heavy heaved offen +3ed<s dory 3eyond the reef< and then learned ne%t day a youn' feller ,as missin< from home. 2eyF $id any3ody ever see hide or hair o< 2iram 7ilman a'in. $id theyG An< ;ic! >ierceA an< 5uelly WaiteA an< Adoniram Saouth,ic!A an< 2enry 7arrison 2eyG 2ehA hehA hehA heh . . . Shapes tal!in< si'n lan'ua'e ,ith their hands . . . them as had reel hands . . . LWalA SirA that ,as the time +3ed 3e'un to 'it on his feet a'in. 4ol!s see his three darters a1,earin< 'old1li!e thin's as no3ody<d never see on <em aforeA an< smo!e stared comin< aout o< the refin<ry chim3ly. +ther fol!s ,as prosp<rinA too 1 fish 3e'un to s,arm into the har3our fit to !ill< an< heaven !no,s ,hat sized car'oes ,e 3e'un to ship aout to ;e,3<ryportA Ar!hamA an< Boston. T<,as then +3ed 'ot the ol< 3ranch railrud put throu'h. Some 0in'sport fishermen heerd a3aout the !etch an< come up in sloopsA 3ut they ,as all lost. ;o3ody never see <em a'in. An< Cest then our fol! or'anised the Esoteric +rder *< $a'onA an< 3ou'ht 8asoic 2all offen Calvary Commandery for it . . . hehA hehA hehF 8art Eliot ,as a 8ason an< a'in the sellin<A 3ut he dropped aout o< si'ht Cest then. L:emem3erA = ain<t sayin< +3od ,as set on hevin< thin's Cest li!e they ,as on that 0ana!y isle. = dun<t thin! he aimed at fust to do no mi%in<A nor raise no youn'uns to ta!e to the ,ater an< turn into fishes ,ith eternal life. 2e ,anted them 'old thin'sA an< ,as ,illin< to pay heavyA an< = 'uess the others ,as satisfied fer a ,hile . . . LCome in< forty1si% the tao,n done some loo!in< an< thin!in< fer itself. Too many fol!s messin< 1 too much ,ild preachin< at meetin< of a Sunday 1 too much tal! a3aout that reef. = 'uess = done a 3it 3y tellin< Selectman 8o,ry ,hat = see from the cupalo. They ,as a party one ni'ht as follered +3ed<s crao,d aout to the reefA an< = heerd shots 3et,i%t the dories. ;e%< day +3ed and thutty1t,o others ,as in 'aolA ,ith every3ody a1,onderin< Cest ,hat ,as afoot and Cest ,hat char'e a'in <em cud he 'ot to holt. 7odA ef any3ody<d loo!<d ahead . . . a couple o< ,ee!s laterA ,hen nothin< had 3en thro,ed into the sea fer thet lon' . . . @ado! ,as she,in' sin's of fri'ht and e%haustionA and = let him !eep silence for a ,hileA thou'h 'lancin' apprehensively at my ,atch. The tide had turned and ,as comin' in no,A and the sound of the ,aves seemed to arouse him. = ,as 'lad of that tideA for at hi'h ,ater the fishy smell mi'ht not 3e so 3ad. A'ain = strained to catch his ,hispers. LThat a,ful ni'ht . . . = seed <em. = ,as up in the cupalo . . . hordes of< em . . . s,arms of <em . . . all over the reef an< s,imin< up the har3our into the 8anuret. . . 7odA ,hat happened in the streets of =nnsmouth that ni'ht . . . they rattled our doorA 3ut pa ,ouldn<t open . . . then he clum3 aout the !itchen ,inder ,ith his mus!et to find Selecman 8o,ry an< see ,hat he cudB do . . . 8aounds o< the dead an< the dyin< . . . shots and screams . . . shaoutin< in +l SDuar an< Tao,n SDuar an< ;e, Church 7reen 1 'aol thro,ed open . . . 1 proclamation . . . treason . . . called it the pla'ue ,hen fol!s come in an< faoud haff our people missin< . . . no3ody left 3ut them as ud Cine in ,ith +3ed an< them thin's or else !eep Duiet . . . never heard o< my pa no more. . . L

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The old man ,as pantin' and perspirin' profusely. 2is 'rip on my shoulder ti'htened. LEverythin' cleaned up in the mornin< 1 3ut they ,as traces . . . +3ed he !inder ta!es char'e an< says thin's is 'oin< to 3e chan'ed . . . others<ll ,orship ,ith us at meetin<1timeA an< sarten haouses hez 'ot to entertin 'uests . . . they ,anted to mi% li!e they done ,ish the 0ana!ysA an< he for one didn<t feel 3aound to stop <em. 4ar 'oneA ,as *3ed . . . Cest li!e a crazy man on the su3Cec!. 2e says they 3run' us fish an< treasureA an< shud hev ,hat they han!ered after . . .L <;othin< ,as to 3e diff<runt on the aoutsidB only ,e ,as to !eep shy o< stran'ers ef ,e !no,ed ,hat ,as 'ood fer us. We all hed to ta!e the +ath o< $a'onA an< later on they ,as secon< an< third +aths that ,rne on us too!. Them as ud help specialA ud 'it special re,ards 1 'old an< sech 1 ;o use 3al!in<A fer they ,as millions of <em dao,n thar. They<d ruther not start risin< an< ,ipin< aout human1!indA 3ut ef they ,as 'ave a,ay an< forced toA they cud do a lot to,ard Cest that. We didn<t hev them old charms to cut <em off li!e fol!s in the Saouth Sea didA an< them 0ana!ys ,udu<t never 'ive a,ay their secrets. L.ield up enou'h sacrifices an< sava'e !nic!1!nac!s an< har3oura'e in the tao,n ,hen they ,anted itA an< they<d let ,ell enou'h alone. Wudn<t 3other no stran'ers as mi'ht 3ear tales aoutside 1 that isA ,ithaout they 'ot pryin<. All in the 3and of the faithful 1 +rder *< $a'on 1 an< the children shud never dieA 3ut 'o 3ac! to the 8other 2ydra an< 4ather $a'on ,hat ,e all come from onct . . . laF =aF Cthulhu fhta'nF >h<n'lui m'l,<nafh Cthulhu :<lyeh ,'ah1na'l fhta'a 1 L +ld @ado! ,as fast lapsin' into star! ravin'A and = held my 3reath. >oor old soul 1 to ,hat pitiful depths of hallucination had his liDuorA plus his hatred of the decayA aliena'eA and disease around himA 3rou'ht that fertileA ima'inative 3rainG 2e 3e'an to moan no,A and tears ,ere coursin' do,n his channelled chec!s into the depths of his 3eard. L7odA ,hat = seen senct = ,as fifteen year< old 1 8eneA meneA te!elA upharsinF 1 the fol!s as ,as missin<A and them as !ilt theirselves 1 them as told thin's in Ar!ham or =ps,ich or sech places ,as all called crazyA li!e you<re callin< me ri'ht nao, 1 3ut 7odA ,hat = seen 1 They<d a !ilt me lon' a'o fer< ,hat = !no,A only =<d too! the fust an< secon< +aths o< $a'o offen +hedA so ,as pertected unlessen a Cury of <em proved = told thin's !no,in< an< deli3<rit . . . 3ut = ,udn<t ta!e the third +ath 1 =<d a died ruther<n ta!e that 1 L =t 'ot ,uss araound Civil War timeA ,hen children 3orn senct <fiorty1si% 3e'un to 'ro, up 1 some <emA that is. = ,as afeared 1 never did no pryin< arter that a,ful ni'htA an< never see one o< 1 them 1 clost to in all my life. That isA never no full13looded one. = ,ent to the ,arA an< ef =<d a had any 'uts or sense =<d a never come 3ac!A 3ut settled a,ay from here. But fol!s ,rote me thin's ,a<n<t so 3ad. ThatA = s<poseA ,as 3ecause 'ov<munt draft men ,as in tao,n arter <sirty1three. Arter the ,ar it ,as Cest as 3ad a'in. >eople 3e'un to fall off 1 mills an< shops shet dao,n shippin< stopped an< the har3our cho!ed up 1 railrud 'ive up 1 3ut they . . . they never stopped s,immin< in an< aout o< the river from that cursed reef o< Setan 1 an< more an< more attic ,inders 'ot a13oarded upA an< more an< more noises ,as heerd in haouses as ,a<n<t s<posed to hev no3ody in <em. . .

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L4ol!s aoutside hev their stories a3aout us 1 s<pose you<ve heerd a plenty on <emA seein< ,hat Duestions ye ast 1 stories a3aout thin's they<ve seed nao, an< thenA an< a3aout that Dueer Coofry as still comes in from some,hars an< ain<t Duite all melted up 1 3ut nothin< never 'its def<nite. ;o3ody<ll 3elieve nothin<. They call them 'old1li!e thin's pirate lootA an< allao, the =nnsmouth fol!s hez furren 3lood or is dis1tempered or somethin<. BesideA them that lives here shoo off as many stran'ers as they !inA an< encoura'e the rest not to 'it very cur<ousA specially raound ni'ht time. Beasts 3al! at the critters 1 hosses ,uss<n mules 1 3ut ,hen they 'ot autos that ,as all ri'ht. L=n forty1si% Cap<n +3ed too! a second ,ife that no3ody in thee tao,n never see 1 some says he didn<t ,ant toA 3ut ,as made to 3y them as he<d called in 1 had three children 3y her 1 t,o as disappeared youn'A 3ut one 'al as loo!ed li!e any3ody else an< ,as eddicated in Europe. +3ed finally 'ot her married off 3y a tric! to an Ac!ham feller as didn<t suspect nothin<. But no3ody aoutside<ll hav nothin< to do ,ith =nnsmouth fol!s <no,. Barna3as 8arsh that runs the refin<ry no, is +3ed<s 'randson 3y hist first ,ife 1 son of +nesiphorusA his eldest eonA 3ut his mother ,as another o< them as ,a<n<t never seen aoutdoors. L:i'ht nao, Barna3as is a3aout chan'ed. Can<t shet his eyes no moreA an< is all aout o< shape. They say he still ,ears clothesA 3ut he<ll ta!e to the ,ater soon. 8e33e he<s tried it already 1 they do sometimes 'o dao,n for little spells afore they 'o dao,n for 'ood. Ain<t 3en seed a3aout in pu3lic fer ni'ht on ten year<. $un<t !no, hao, his poor ,ife !in feel 1 she come from =pi,ichA an< they ni'h lynched Barna3as ,hen he courted her fifty odd year< a'o. +3ed he died in <seventy1ei'ht an< all the ne%t 'en<ratioon is 'one nao, 1 the fust ,ife<s children deadA and the rest . . . 7od !no,s . . .L The sound of the incomin' tide ,as flo, very insistentA and little 3y little it seemed to chan'e the old man<s mood from maudlin tearfulness to ,atchful fear. 2e ,ould pause no, and then to rene, those nervous 'lances over his shoulder or out to,ard the reefA and despite the ,ild a3surdity of his taleA = could not help 3e'innin' to share his apprehensiveness. @ado! no, 're, shrillerA seemed to 3e tryin' to ,hip up his coura'e ,ith louder speech. L2eyA ye,A ,hy dun<t ye say somethin<G 2ao,<d ye li!e to he livin< in a tao,n li!e thisA ,ith everythin' a1rottin< an< dyin<A an< 3oarded1up monsters cra,lin< an< 3leatin< an< 3ar!in< an< hoppin< araoun< 3lac! cellars an< attics every ,ay ye turnG 2eyG 2ao,<d ye li!e to hear the hao,lin< ni'ht arter ni'ht from the churches an< +rder *< $a'on 2allA an< !no, ,hat<s doin< part o< the hao,lin<G 2ao,<d ye li!e to hear ,hat comes from that a,ful reef every 8ay1Eve an< 2allo,massG 2eyG Thin! the old man<s crazyA ehG WalA SirA let me tell ye that ain<t the ,ustFL @ado! ,as really screamin' no,A and the mad frenzy of his voice distur3ed me more than = care to o,n. LCurse yeA dun<t set thar a<starin< at me ,ith them eyes 1 = tell +3ed 8arsh he<s in hellA anA hez 'ot to stay tharF 2ehA heh . . . in hellA = saysF Can<t 'it me 1 = hain<t done nothin< nor told no3ody nothin< 1 1 L+hA youA youn' fellerG WalA even ef = hain<t told no3ody nothin< yetA =<m a<'oin< to nao,F .e, Cest set still an< listen to meA 3oy 1 this is ,hat = ain<t never told no3ody. . . = says = didn<t 'et to do pryin< arter that ni'ht 1 3ut = faound thin's a3out Cest the sameFL

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L.e, ,ant to !no, ,hat the reel horror isA heyG WalA it<s this 1 it ain<t ,hat them fish devils hez doneA 3ut ,hat they<re a1'oin< to doF They<re a13rin'in< thin's up aout o< ,har they come from into the tao,n 1 3een doin< it fer yearsA an< slac!enin< up lately. Them haouses north o< the river 3e1t,i%t Water an< 8ain Streets is full of <em 1 them devils an< ,hat they 3run' 1 an< ,hen they 'it ready . . . = sayA ,hen they 'it... ever hear tell of a sho''othG <2eyA d<ye hear meG = tell ye = !no, ,hat them thin's 3e 1 = seen <em one m'ht ,hen . . . eh1ahhh1ahF e<yahhh . . . L The hideous suddenness and inhuman fri'htfulness of the old man<s shrie! almost made me faint. 2is eyesA loo!in' past me to,ard the malodorous seaA ,ere positively startin' from his headB ,hile his face ,as a mas! of fear ,orthy of 7ree! tra'edy. 2is 3ony cla, du' monstrously into my shoulderA and he made no motion as = turned my head to loo! at ,hatever he had 'limpsed. There ,as nothin' that = could see. +nly the incomin' tideA ,ith perhaps one set of ripples more local than the lon'1flun' line of 3rea!ers. But no, @ado! ,as sha!in' meA and = turned 3ac! to ,atch the meltin' of that fear1frozen face into a chaos of t,itchin' eyelids and mum3lin' 'ums. >resently his voice came 3ac! 1 al3eit as a trem3lin' ,hisper. L7it aout o< hereF 7et aout o< hereF They seen us 1 'it aout fer your lifeF $un<t ,ait fer nothin< 1 they !no, nao, 1 :un fer it 1 Duic! 1 aout o< this tao,n 1 1L Another heavy ,ave dashed a'ainst the loosin' masonry of the 3y'one ,harfA and chan'ed the mad ancient<s ,hisper to another inhuman and 3lood1curdlin' scream. LE1 yaahhhhF . . . .heaaaaaaF. . .L Before = could recover my scattered ,its he had rela%ed his clutch on my shoulder and dashed ,ildly inland to,ard the streetA reelin' north,ard around the ruined ,arehouse ,all. = 'lanced 3ac! at the seaA 3ut there ,as nothin' there. And ,hen = reached Water Street and loo!ed alon' it to,ard the north there ,as no remainin' trace of @ado! Allen.

,V.
= can hardly descri3e the mood in ,hich = ,as left 3y this harro,in' episode 1 an episode at once mad and pitifulA 'rotesDue and terrifyin'. The 'rocery 3oy had prepared me for itA yet the reality left me none the less 3e,ildered and distur3ed. >uerile thou'h the story ,asA old @ado!<s insane earnestness and horror had communicated to me a mountin' unrest ,hich Coined ,ith my earlier sense of loathin' for the to,n and its 3li'ht of intan'i3le shado,. 5ater = mi'ht sift the tale and e%tract some nucleus of historic alle'oryB Cust no, = ,ished to put it out of my head. The hour 'ro,n perilously late 1 my ,atch said 791 A and the Ar!ham 3us left To,n SDuare at ei'ht 1 so = tied to 'ive my thou'hts as neutral and practical a cast as possi3leA mean,hile ,al!in' rapidly throu'h the deserted streets of

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'apin' roofs and leanin' houses to,ard the hotel ,here = had chec!ed my valise and ,ould find my 3us. Thou'h the 'olden li'ht of late afternoon 'ave the ancient roofs and decrepit chimneys an air of mystic loveliness and peaceA = could not help 'lancin' over my shoulder no, and then. = ,ould surely 3e very 'lad to 'et out of malodorous and fear1shado,ed =nnsmouthA and ,ished there ,ere some other vehicle than the 3us driven 3y that sinister1loo!in' fello, Sar'ent. .et = did not hurry too precipitatelyA for there ,ere architectural details ,orth vie,in' at every dent cornerB and = could easilyA = calculatedA cover the necessary distance in a half1hour. Studyin' the 'rocery youth<s map and see!in' a route = had not traversed 3eforeA = chose 8arsh Street instead of State for my approach to To,n SDuare. ;ear the corner of 4all street = 3e'an to see scattered 'roups of furtive ,hisperersA and ,hen = finally reached the SDuare = sa, that almost all the loiterers ,ere con're'ated around the door of the 7ilman 2ouse. =t seemed as if many 3ul'in'A ,ateryA un,in!in' eyes loo!ed oddly at me as = claimed my valise in the lo33yA and = hoped that none of these unpleasant creatures ,ould 3e my fello,1passen'ers on the coach. The 3usA rather earlyA rattled in ,ith three passen'ers some,hat 3efore ei'htA and an evil1loo!in' fello, on the side,al! muttered a fe, indistin'uisha3le ,ords to the driver. Sar'ent thre, out a mail13a' and a roll of ne,spapersA and entered the hotelB ,hile the passen'ers 1 the same men ,hom = had seen arrivin' in ;e,3uryport that mornin' 1 sham3led to the side,al! and e%chan'ed some faint 'uttural ,ords ,ith a loafer in a lan'ua'e = could have s,orn ,as not En'lish. = 3oarded the empty coach and too! the seat = had ta!en 3eforeA 3ut ,as hardly settled 3efore Sar'ent re1appeared and 3e'an mum3lin' in a throaty voice of peculiar repulsiveness. = ,asA it appearedA in very 3ad luc!. There had 3een somethin' ,ron' ,ith the en'ineA despite the e%cellent time made from ;e,3uryportA and the 3us could not complete the Courney to Ar!ham. ;oA it could not possi3ly 3e repaired that ni'htA nor ,as there any other ,ay of 'ettin' transportation out of =nnsmouth either to Ar!ham or else,here. Sar'ent ,as sorryA 3ut = ,ould have to stop over at the 7ilman. >ro3a3ly the cler! ,ould ma!e the price easy for meA 3ut there ,as nothin' else to do. Almost dazed 3y this sudden o3stacleA and violently dreadin' the fall of ni'ht in this decayin' and half1unli'hted to,nA = left the 3us and reentered the hotel lo33yB ,here the sullen Dueer1loo!in' ni'ht cler! told me = could have :oom #"8 on ne%t the top floor 1 lar'eA 3ut ,ithout runnin' ,ater 1 for a dollar. $espite ,hat = had heard of this hotel in ;e,3uryportA = si'ned the re'isterA paid my dollarA let the cler! ta!e my valiseA and follo,ed that sourA solitary attendant up three crea!in' fli'hts of stairs past dusty corridors ,hich seemed ,holly devoid of life. 8y room ,as a dismal rear one ,ith t,o ,indo,s and 3areA cheap furnishin'sA overloo!ed a din'y court1yard other,ise hemmed in 3y lo,A deserted 3ric! 3loc!sA and commanded a vie, of decrepit ,est,ard1stretchin' roofs ,ith a marshy countryside 3eyond. At the end of the corridor ,as a 3athroom 1 a discoura'in' reliDue ,ith ancient mar3le 3o,lA tin tu3A faint electric li'htA and musty ,ooded panelin' around all the plum3in' fi%tures. =t 3ein' still dayli'htA = descended to the SDuare and loo!ed around for a dinner of some sortB noticin' as = did so the stran'e 'lances = received from the un,holesome loafers. Since the 'rocery ,as closedA = ,as forced to patronise the restaurant = had shunned 3eforeB

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a stoopedA narro,1headed man ,ith starin'A un,in!in' eyesA and a flat1nosed ,ench ,ith un3elieva3ly thic!A clumsy hands 3ein' in attendance. The service ,as all of the counter typeA and it relieved me to find that much ,as evidently served from cans and pac!a'es. A 3o,l of ve'eta3le soup ,ith crac!ers ,as enou'h for meA and = soon headed 3ac! for my cheerless roam at the 7ilmanB 'ettin' a evenin' paper and a fly1spec!ed ma'azine from the evil1visa'ed cler! at the ric!ety stand 3eside his des!. As t,ili'ht deepened = turned on the one fee3le electric 3ul3 over the cheapA iron1 framed 3edA and tried as 3est = could to continue the readin' = had 3e'un. = felt it advisa3le to !eep my mind ,holesomely occupiedA for it ,ould not do to 3rood over the a3normalities of this ancientA 3li'ht1shado,ed to,n ,hile = ,as still ,ithin its 3orders. The insane yarn = had heard from the a'ed drun!ard did not promise very pleasant dreamsA and = felt = must !eep the ima'e of his ,ildA ,atery eyes as far as possi3le from my ima'ination. AlsoA = must not d,ell on ,hat that factory inspector had told the ;e,3uryport tic!et1 a'ent a3out the 7ilman 2ouse and the voices of its nocturnal tenants 1 not on thatA nor on the face 3eneath the tiara in the 3lac! church door,ayB the face for ,hose horror my conscious mind could not account. =t ,ould perhaps have 3een easier to !eep my thou'hts from distur3in' topics had the room not 3een so 'ruesomely musty. As it ,asA the lethal mustiness 3lended hideously ,ith the to,n<s 'eneral fishy odour and persistently focussed one<s fancy on death and decay. Another thin' that distur3ed me ,as the a3sence of a 3olt on the door of my room. +ne had 3een thereA as mar!s clearly she,edA 3ut there ,ere si'ns of recent removal. ;o dou3t it had 3een out of orderA li!e so many other thin's in this decrepit edifice. =n my nervousness = loo!ed around and discovered a 3olt on the clothes press ,hich seemed to 3e of the same sizeA Cud'in' from the mar!sA as the one formerly on the door. To 'ain a partial relief from the 'eneral tension = 3usied myself 3y transferrin' this hard,are to the vacant place ,ith the aid of a handy three1in1one device includin' a scre,driver ,hich = !ept on my !ey1rin'. The 3olt fitted perfectlyA and = ,as some,hat relieved ,hen = !ne, that = could shoot it firmly upon retirin'. ;ot that = had any real apprehension of its needA 3ut that any sym3ol of security ,as ,elcome in an environment of this !ind. There ,ere adeDuate 3olts on the t,o lateral doors to connectin' roomsA and these = proceeded to fasten. = did not undressA 3ut decided to read till = ,as sleepy and then lie do,n ,ith only my coatA collarA and shoes off. Ta!in' a poc!et flash li'ht from my valiseA = placed it in my trousersA so that = could read my ,atch if = ,o!e up later in the dar!. $ro,sinessA ho,everA did not comeB and ,hen = stopped to analyse my thou'hts = found to my disDuiet that = ,as really unconsciously listenin' for somethin' 1 listenin' for somethin' ,hich = dreaded 3ut could not name. That inspector<s story must have ,or!ed on my ima'ination more deeply than = had suspected. A'ain = tried to readA 3ut found that = made no pro'ress. After a time = seemed to hear the stairs and corridors crea! at intervals as if ,ith footstepsA and ,ondered if the other rooms ,ere 3e'innin' to fill up. There ,ere no voicesA ho,everA and it struc! me that there ,as somethin' su3tly furtive a3out the crea!in'. = did not li!e itA and de3ated ,hether = had 3etter try to sleep at all. This to,n had some Dueer peopleA and there had undou3tedly 3een several disappearances. Was this one of those inns ,here travelers ,ere slain for their moneyG Surely = had no loo! of e%cessive prosperity.

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+r ,ere the to,ns fol! really so resentful a3out curious visitorsG 2ad my o3vious si'htseein'A ,ith its freDuent map1consultationsA aroused unfavora3le notice. =t occurred to me that = must 3e in a hi'hly nervous state to let a fe, random crea!in's set me off speculatin' in this fashion 1 3ut = re'retted none the less that = ,as unarmed. At len'thA feelin' a fati'ue ,hich had nothin' of dro,siness in itA = 3olted the ne,ly outfitted hall doorA turned off the li'htA and thre, myself do,n on the hardA uneven 3ed 1 coatA collarA shoesA and all. =n the dar!ness every faint noise of the ni'ht seemed ma'nifiedA and a flood of dou3ly unpleasant thou'hts s,ept over me. = ,as sorry = had put out the li'htA yet ,as too tired to rise and turn it on a'ain. ThenA after a lon'A dreary intervalA and prefaced 3y a fresh crea!in' of stairs and corridorA there came that softB damna3ly unmista!a3le sound ,hich seemed li!e a mali'n fulfillment of all my apprehensions. Without the lean shado, of a dou3tA the loc! of my door ,as 3ein' tried 1 cautiouslyA furtivelyA tentatively 1 ,ith a !ey. 8y sensations upon reco'nisin' this si'n of actual peril ,ere perhaps less rather than more tumultuous 3ecause of my previous va'ue fear = had a3outA al3eit ,ithout definite reasonA instinctively on my 'uard 1 and that ,as to my advanta'e in the ne, and real crisisA ,hatever it mi'ht turn out to 3e. ;evertheless the chan'e in the menace from va'ue premonition to immediate reality ,as a profound shoc!A and fell upon me ,ith the force of a 'enuine 3lo,. =t never once occurred to me that the fum3lin' mi'ht 3e a mere mista!e. 8ali'n purpose ,as all = could thin! ofA and = !ept deathly DuietA a,aitin' the ,ould1he intruder<s ne%t move. After a time the cautious rattlin' ceasedA and = heard the room to the north entered ,ith a pass !ey. Then the loc! of the connectin' door to my room ,as softly tried. The 3olt heldA of courseA and = heard the floor crea! as the pro,ler left the room. After a moment there came another soft rattlin'A and = !ne, that the room to the south of me ,as 3ein' entered. A'ain a furtive tryin' of a 3olted connectin' doorA and a'ain a recedin' crea!in'. This time the crea!in' ,ent alon' the hall and do,n the stairsA so = !ne, that the pro,ler had raised the 3olted condition of my doors and ,as 'ivin' up his attempt for a 'reater or lesser timeA as the future ,ould she,. The readiness ,ith ,hich = fell into a plan of action proves that = must have 3een su3consciously fearin' some menace and considerin' possi3le avenues of escape for hours. 4rom the first = felt that the unseen fum3ler meant a dan'er not to 3e met or dealt ,ithA 3ut only to 3e fled from as precipitately as possi3le. The one thin' to do ,as to 'et out of that hotel alive as Duic!ly as = couldA and throu'h some channel other than the front stairs and lo33y. :isin' softly and thro,in' my flashli'ht on the s,itchA = sou'ht to li'ht the 3ul3 over my 3ed in order to choose and poc!et some 3elon'in's for a s,iftA valiseless fli'ht. ;othin'A ho,everA happenedB and = sa, that the po,er had 3een cut off. ClearlyA some crypticA evil movement ,as afoot on a lar'e scale 1 Cust ,hatA = could not say. As = stood ponderin' ,ith my hand on the no, useless s,itch = heard a muffled crea!in' on the floor 3elo,A and thou'ht = could 3arely distin'uish voices in conversation. A moment later = felt less sure that the deeper sounds ,ere voicesA since the apparent hoarse 3ar!in's and loose1 sylla3led croa!in's 3ore so little resem3lance to reco'nized human speech. Then = thou'ht ,ith rene,ed force of ,hat the factory inspector had heard in the ni'ht in this moulderin' and pestilential 3uildin'.

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2avin' filled my poc!ets ,ith the flashli'ht<s aidA = put on my hat and tiptoed to the ,indo,s to consider chances of descent. $espite the state<s safety re'ulations there ,as no fire escape on this side of the hotelA and = sa, that my ,indo,s commanded only a sheer three story drop to the co33led courtyard. +n the ri'ht and leftA ho,everA some ancient 3ric! 3usiness 3loc!s a3utted on the hotelB their slant roofs comin' up to a reasona3le Cumpin' distance from my fourth1story level. To reach either of these lines of 3uildin's = ,ould have to 3e in a room t,o from my o,n 1 in one case on the north and in the other case on the south 1 and my mind instantly set to ,or! ,hat chances = had of ma!in' the transfer. = could notA = decidedA ris! an emer'ence into the corridorB ,here my footsteps ,ould surely 3e heardA and ,here the difficulties of enterin' the desired room ,ould 3e insupera3le. 8y pro'ressA if it ,as to 3e made at allA ,ould have to 3e throu'h the less solidly13uilt connectin' doors of the roomsB the loc!s and 3olts of ,hich = ,ould have to force violentlyA usin' my shoulder as a 3atterin'1ram ,henever they ,ere set a'ainst me. ThisA = thou'htA ,ould 3e possi3le o,in' to the ric!ety nature of the house and its fi%turesB 3ut = realised = could not do it noiselessly. = ,ould have to count on sheer speedA and the chance of 'ettin' to a ,indo, 3efore any hostile forces 3ecame coordinated enou'h to open the ri'ht door to,ard me ,ith a pass1!ey. 8y o,n outer door = reinforced 3y pushin' the 3ureau a'ainst it 1 little 3y littleA in order to ma!e a minimum of sound. = perceived that my chances ,ere very slenderA and ,as fully prepared for any calamity. Even 'ettin' to another roof ,ould not solve the pro3lem for there ,ould then remain the tas! of reachin' the 'round and escapin' from the to,n. +ne thin' in my favour ,as the deserted and ruinous state of the a3uttin' 3uildin' and the num3er of s!yli'hts 'apin' 3lac!ly open in each ro,. 7atherin' from the 'rocery 3oy<s map that the 3est route out of to,n ,as south,ardA = 'lanced first at the connectin' door on the south side of the room. =t ,as desi'ned to open in my directionA hence = sa, 1 after dra,in' the 3olt and findin' other fastenin' in place 1 it ,as not a favora3le one for forcin'. Accordin'ly a3andonin' it as a routeA = cautiously moved the 3edstead a'ainst it to hamper any attac! ,hich mi'ht 3e made on it later from the ne%t room. The door on the north ,as hun' to open a,ay from meA and this 1 thou'h a test proved it to 3e loc!ed or 3olted from the other side 1 = !ne, must 3e my route. =f = could 'ain the roofs of the 3uildin's in >aine Street and descend successfully to the 'round levelA = mi'ht perhaps dart throu'h the courtyard and the adCacent or opposite 3uildin' to Washin'ton or Bates 1 or else emer'e in >aine and ed'e around south,ard into Washin'ton. =n any caseA = ,ould aim to stri!e Washin'ton someho, and 'et Duic!ly out of the To,n SDuare re'ion. 8y preference ,ould 3e to avoid >aineA since the fire station there mi'ht 3e open all ni'ht. As = thou'ht of these thin's = loo!ed out over the sDualid sea of decayin' roof 3elo, meA no, 3ri'htened 3y the 3eams of a moon not much past full. +n the ri'ht the 3lac! 'ash of the river1'or'e clove the panoramaB a3andoned factories and rail,ay station clin'in' 3arnacle1li!e to its sides. Beyond it the rusted rail,ay and the :o,ley road led off throu'h a flat marshy terrain dotted ,ith islets of hi'her and dryer scru31'ro,n land. +n the left the cree!1threaded country1side ,as nearerA the narro, road to =ps,ich 'leamin' ,hite in the moonli'ht. = could not see from my side of the hotel the south,ard route to,ard Ar!ham ,hich = had determined to ta!e.

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= ,as irresolutely speculatin' on ,hen = had 3etter attac! the north,ard doorA and on ho, = could least audi3ly mana'e itA ,hen = noticed that the va'ue noises underfoot had 'iven place to a fresh and heavier crea!in' of the stairs. A ,averin' flic!er of li'ht she,ed throu'h my transomA and the 3oards of the corridor 3e'an to 'roan ,ith a ponderous load. 8uffled sounds of possi3le vocal ori'in approachedA and at len'th a firm !noc! came at my outer door. 4or a moment = simply held my 3reath and ,aited. Eternities seemed to elapseA and the nauseous fishy odour of my environment seemed to mount suddenly and spectacularly. Then the !noc!in' ,as repeated 1 continuouslyA and ,ith 'ro,in' insistence. = !ne, that the time for action had comeA and forth,ith dre, the 3olt of the north,ard connectin' doorA 3racin' myself for the tas! of 3atterin' it open. The !noc!in' ,a%ed louderA and = hoped that its volume ,ould cover the sound of my efforts. At last 3e'innin' my attemptA = lun'ed a'ain and a'ain at the thin panelin' ,ith my left shoulderA heedless of shoc! or pain. The door resisted even more than = e%pectedA 3ut = did not 'ive in. And all the ,hile the clamour at the outer door increased. 4inally the connectin' door 'aveA 3ut ,ith such a crash that = !ne, those outside must have heard. =nstantly the outside !noc!in' 3ecame a violent 3atterin'A ,hile !eys sounded ominously in the hall doors of the rooms on 3oth sides of me. :ushin' throu'h the ne,ly opened conne%ionA = succeeded in 3oltin' the northerly hall door 3efore the loc! could he turnedB 3ut even as = did so = heard the hall door of the third room1the one from ,hose ,indo, = had hoped to reach the roof 3elo,13ein' tried ,ith a pass !ey. 4or an instant = felt a3solute despairA since my trappin' in a cham3er ,ith no ,indo, e'ress seemed complete. A ,ave of almost a3normal horror s,ept over meA and invested ,ith a terri3le 3ut une%plaina3le sin'ularity the flashli'ht1'limpsed dust prints made 3y the intruder ,ho had lately tried my door from this room. ThenA ,ith a dazed automatism ,hich persisted despite hopelessnessA = made for the ne%t connectin' door and performed the 3lind motion of pushin' at it in an effort to 'et throu'h and 1 'rantin' that fastenin's mi'ht 3e as providentially intact as in this second room 1 3olt the hall door 3eyond 3efore the loc! could 3e turned from outside. Sheer fortunate chance 'ave me my reprieve 1 for the connectin' door 3efore me ,as not only unloc!ed 3ut actually aCar. =n a second = ,as thou'hA and had my ri'ht !nee and shoulder a'ainst a hall door ,hich ,as visi3ly openin' in,ard. 8y pressure too! the opener off 'uardA for the thin' shut as = pushedA so that = could slip the ,ell1conditioned 3olt as = had done ,ith the other door. As = 'ained this respite = heard the 3atterin' at the t,o other doors a3ateA ,hile a confused clatter came from the connectin' door = had shielded ,ith the 3edstead. Evidently the 3ul! of my assailants had entered the southerly room and ,ere massin' in a lateral attac!. But at the same moment a pass !ey sounded in the ne%t door to the northA and = !ne, that a nearer peril ,as at hand. The north,ard connectin' door ,as ,ide openA 3ut there ,as no time to thin! a3out chec!in' the already turnin' loc! in the hall. All = could do ,as to shut and 3olt the open connectin' doorA as ,ell as its mate on the opposite side 1 pushin' a 3edstead a'ainst the one and a 3ureau a'ainst the otherA and movin' a ,ashstand in front of the hall door. = mustA = sa,A trust to such ma!eshift 3arriers to shield me till = could 'et out the ,indo, and on the roof of the >aine Street 3loc!. But even in this acute moment my chief horror ,as somethin' apart from the immediate ,ea!ness of my defenses. = ,as shudderin' 3ecause

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not one of my pursuersA despite some hideous pantin'A 'runtin'A and su3dued 3ar!in's at odd intervalsA ,as utterin' an unmuffled or intelli'i3le vocal sound. As = moved the furniture and rushed to,ard the ,indo,s = heard a fri'htful scurryin' alon' the corridor to,ard the room north of meA and perceived that the south,ard 3atterin' had ceased. >lainlyA most of my opponents ,ere a3out to concentrate a'ainst the fee3le connectin' door ,hich they !ne, must open directly on me. +utsideA the moon played on the rid'epole of the 3loc! 3elo,A and = sa, that the Cump ,ould 3e desperately hazardous 3ecause of the steep surface on ,hich = must land. Surveyin' the conditionsA = chose the more southerly of the t,o ,indo,s as my avenue of escapeB plannin' to land on the inner slope of the roof and ma!e for the nearest s!y1 li'ht. +nce inside one of the decrepit 3ric! structures = ,ould have to rec!on ,ith pursuitB 3ut = hoped to descend and dod'e in and out of ya,nin' door,ays alon' the shado,ed courtyardA eventually 'ettin' to Washin'ton Street and slippin' out of to,n to,ard the south. The clatter at the northerly connectin' door ,as no, terrificA and = sa, that the ,ea! panellin' ,as 3e'innin' to splinter. +3viouslyA the 3esie'ers had 3rou'ht some ponderous o3Cect into play as a 3atterin'1ram. The 3edsteadA ho,1everA still held firmB so that = had at least a faint chance of ma!in' 'ood my escape. As = opened the ,indo, = noticed that it ,as flan!ed 3y heavy velour draperies suspended from a pole 3y 3rass rin'sA and also that there ,as a lar'e proCectin' catch for the shutters on the e%terior. Seein' a possi3le means of avoidin' the dan'erous CumpA = yan!ed at the han'in's and 3rou'ht them do,nA pole and allB then Duic!ly hoo!in' t,o of the rin's in the shutter catch and flin'in' the drapery outside. The heavy folds reached fully to the a3uttin' roofA and = sa, that the rin's and catch ,ould 3e li!ely to 3ear my ,ei'ht. SoA clim3in' out of the ,indo, and do,n the improvised rope ladderA = left 3ehind me forever the mor3id and horror1infested fa3ric of the 7ilman 2ouse. = landed safely on the loose slates of the steep roofA and succeeded in 'ainin' the 'apin' 3lac! s!yli'ht ,ithout a slip. 7lancin' up at the ,indo, = had leftA = o3served it ,as still dar!A thou'h far across the crum3lin' chimneys to the north = could see li'hts ominously 3lazin' in the +rder of $a'on 2allA the Baptist churchA and the Con're'ational church ,hich = recalled so shiverin'ly. There had seemed to 3e no one in the courtyard 3elo,A and = hoped there ,ould 3e a chance to 'et a,ay 3efore the spreadin' of a 'eneral alarm. 4lashin' my poc!et lamp into the s!yli'htA = sa, that there ,ere no steps do,n. The distance ,as sli'htA ho,everA so = clam3ered over the 3rin! and droppedB stri!in' a dusty floor littered ,ith crum3lin' 3o%es and 3arrels. The place ,as 'houlish1loo!in'A 3ut = ,as past mindin' such impressions and made at once for the staircase revealed 3y my flashli'ht 1 after a hasty 'lance at my ,atchA ,hich she,ed the hour to 3e " a.m. The steps crea!edA 3ut seemed tolera3ly soundB and = raced do,n past a 3arnli!e second storey to the 'round floor. The desolation ,as completeA and only echoes ans,ered my footfalls. At len'th = reached the lo,er hall at the end of ,hich = sa, a faint luminous rectan'le mar!in' the ruined >aine Street door,ay. 2eadin' the other ,ayA = found the 3ac! door also openB and darted out and do,n five stone steps to the 'rass1'ro,n co33lestones of the courtyard.

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The moon3eams did not reach do,n hereA 3ut = could Cust see my ,ay a3out ,ithout usin' the flashli'ht. Some of the ,indo,s on the 7ilman 2ouse side ,ere faintly 'lo,in'A and = thou'ht = heard confused sounds ,ithin. Wal!in' softly over to the Washin'ton Street side = perceived several open door,aysA and chose the nearest as my route out. The hall,ay inside ,as 3lac!A and ,hen = reached the opposite end = sa, that the street door ,as ,ed'ed immova3ly shut. :esolved to try another 3uildin'A = 'roped my ,ay 3ac! to,ard the courtyardA 3ut stopped short ,hen close to the door,ay. 4or out of an opened door in the 7ilman 2ouse a lar'e cro,d of dou3tful shapes ,as pourin' 1 lanterns 3o33in' in the dar!nessA and horri3le croa!in' voices e%chan'in' lo, cries in ,hat ,as certainly not En'lish. The fi'ures moved uncertainlyA and = realized to my relief that they did not !no, ,here = had 'oneB 3ut for all that they sent a shiver of horror throu'h my frame. Their features ,ere indistin'uisha3leA 3ut their crouchin'A sham3lin' 'ait ,as a3omina3ly repellent. And ,orst of allA = perceived that one fi'ure ,as stran'ely ro3edA and unmista!a3ly surmounted 3y a tall tiara of a desi'n alto'ether too familiar. As the fi'ures spread throu'hout the courtyardA = felt my fears increase. Suppose = could find no e'ress from this 3uildin' on the street sideG The fishy odour ,as detesta3leA and = ,ondered = could stand it ,ithout faintin'. A'ain 'ropin' to,ard the streetA = opened a door off the hall and came upon an empty room ,ith closely shuttered 3ut sashless ,indo,s. 4um3lin' in the rays of my flashli'htA = found = could open the shuttersB and in another moment had clim3ed outside and ,as fully closin' the aperture in its ori'inal manner. = ,as no, in Washin'ton StreetA and for the moment sa, no livin' thin' nor any li'ht save that of the moon. 4rom several directions in the distanceA ho,everA = could hear the sound of hoarse voicesA of footstepsA and of a curious !ind of patterin' ,hich did not sound Duite li!e footsteps. >lainly = had no time to lose. The points of the compass ,ere clear to meA and = ,as 'lad that all the street li'hts ,ere turned offA as is often the custom on stron'ly moonlit ni'hts in prosperous rural re'ions. Some of the sounds came from the southA yet = retained my desi'n of escapin' in that direction. There ,ouldA = !ne,A 3e plenty of deserted door,ays to shelter me in case = met any person or 'roup ,ho loo!ed li!e pursuers. = ,al!ed rapidlyA softlyA and close to the ruined houses. While hatless and dishevelled after my arduous clim3A = did not loo! especially noticea3leB and stood a 'ood chance of passin' unheeded if forced to encounter any casual ,ayfarer. At Bates Street = dre, into a ya,nin' vesti3ule ,hile t,o sham3lin' fi'ures crossed in front of meA 3ut ,as soon on my ,ay a'ain and approachin' the open space ,here Eliot Street o3liDuely crosses Washin'ton at the intersection of South. Thou'h = had never seen this spaceA it had loo!ed dan'erous to me on the 'rocery youth<s mapB since the moonli'ht ,ould have free play there. There ,as no use tryin' to evade itA for any alternative course ,ould involve detours of possi3ly disastrous visi3ility and delayin' effect. The only thin' to do ,as to cross it 3oldly and openlyB imitatin' the typical sham3le of the =nnsmouth fol! as 3est = couldA and trustin' that no one 1 or at least no pursuer of mine 1 ,ould 3e there. 6ust ho, fully the pursuit ,as or'anised 1 and indeedA Cust ,hat its purpose mi'ht 3e 1 = could form no idea. There seemed to 3e unusual activity in the to,nA 3ut = Cud'ed that the ne,s of my escape from the 7ilman had not yet spread. = ,ouldA of courseA soon have to shift from Washin'ton to some other south,ard streetB for that party from the hotel ,ould

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dou3tless 3e after me. = must have left dust prints in that last old 3uildin'A revealin' ho, = had 'ained the street. The open space ,asA as = had e%pectedA stron'ly moonlitB and = sa, the remains of a par!li!eA iron1railed 'reen in its center. 4ortunately no one ,as a3out thou'h a curious sort of 3uzz or roar seemed to 3e increasin' in the direction of To,n SDuare. South Street ,as very ,ideA leadin' directly do,n a sli'ht declivity to the ,aterfront and commandin' a lon' vie, out a seaB and = hoped that no one ,ould 3e 'lancin' up it from afar as = crossed in the 3ri'ht moonli'ht. 8y pro'ress ,as unimpededA and no fresh sound arose to hint that = had 3een spied. 7lancin' a3out meA = involuntarily let my pace slac!en for a second to ta!e in the si'ht of the seaA 'or'eous in the 3urnin' moonli'ht at the street<s end. 4ar out 3eyond the 3rea!,ater ,as the dimA dar! line of $evil :eefA and as = 'limpsed it = could not help thin!in' of all the hideous le'ends = had heard in the last t,enty1four hours 1 le'ends ,hich portrayed this ra''ed roc! as a verita3le 'ate,ay to realms of unfathomed horror and inconceiva3le a3normality. ThenA ,ithout ,arnin'A = sa, the intermittent flashes of li'ht on the distant reef. They ,ere definite and unmista!a3leA and a,a!ed in my mind a 3lind horror 3eyond all rational proportion. 8y muscles ti'htened for panic fli'htA held in only 3y a certain unconscious caution and half1hypnotic fascination. And to ma!e matters ,orseA there no, flashed forth from the lofty cupola of the 7ilman 2ouseA ,hich loomed up to the northeast 3ehind meA a series of analo'ous thou'h differently spaced 'leams ,hich could 3e nothin'ness than an ans,erin' si'nal. Controllin' my musclesA and realisin' afresh 1 ho, plainly visi3le = ,asA = resumed my 3ris!er and fei'nedly sham3lin' paceB thou'h !eepin' my eyes on that hellish and ominous reef as lon' as the openin' of South Street 'ave me a sea,ard vie,. What the ,hole proceedin' meantA = could not ima'ineB unless it involved some stran'e rite connected ,ith $evil :eefA or unless some party had landed from a ship on that sinister roc!. = no, 3ent to the left around the ruinous 'reenB still 'azin' to,ard the ocean as it 3lazed in the spectral summer moonli'htA and ,atchin' the cryptical flashin' of those namelessA une%plaina3le 3eacons. =t ,as then that the most horri3le impression of all ,as 3orne in upon me 1 the impression ,hich destroyed my last vesti'e of self1control and sent me runnin' frantically south,ard past the ya,nin' 3lac! door,ays and fishily starin' ,indo,s of that deserted ni'htmare street. 4or at a closer 'lance = sa, that the moonlit ,aters 3et,een the reef and the shore ,ere far from empty. They ,ere alive ,ith a teemin' horde of shapes s,immin' in,ard to,ard the to,nB and even at my vast distance and in my sin'le moment of perception = could tell that the 3o33in' heads and flailin' arms ,ere alien and a3errant in a ,ay scarcely to 3e e%pressed or consciously formulated. 8y frantic runnin' ceased 3efore = had covered a 3loc!A for at my left = 3e'an to hear somethin' li!e the hue and cry of or'anised pursuit. There ,ere footsteps and 'utteral soundsA and a rattlin' motor ,heezed south alon' 4ederal Street. =n a second all my plans ,ere utterly chan'ed 1 for if the south,ard hi'h,ay ,ere 3loc!ed ahead of meA = must clearly find another e'ress from =nnsmouth. = paused and dre, into a 'apin' door,ayA

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reflectin' ho, luc!y = ,as to have left the moonlit open space 3efore these pursuers came do,n the parallel street. A second reflection ,as less comfortin'. Since the pursuit ,as do,n another streetA it ,as plain that the party ,as not follo,in' me directly. =t had not seen meA 3ut ,as simply o3eyin' a 'eneral plan of cuttin' off my escape. ThisA ho,everA implied that all roads leadin' out of =nnsmouth ,ere similarly patrolledB for the people could not have !no,n ,hat route = intended to ta!e. =f this ,ere soA = ,ould have to ma!e my retreat across country a,ay from any roadB 3ut ho, could = do that in vie, of the marshy and cree!1 riddled nature of all the surroundin' re'ionG 4or a moment my 3rain reeled 1 3oth from sheer hopelessness and from a rapid increase in the omnipresent fishy odour. Then = thou'ht of the a3andoned rail,ay to :o,leyA ,hose solid line of 3allastedB ,eed1'ro,n earth still stretched off to the north,est from the crum3lin' station on the ed'e at the river1'or'e. There ,as Cust a chance that the to,nsfol! ,ould not thin! of thatB since its 3riar1cho!ed desertion made it half1impassa3leA and the unli!eliest of all avenues for a fu'itive to choose. = had seen it clearly from my hotel ,indo, and !ne, a3out ho, it lay. 8ost of its earlier len'th ,as uncomforta3ly visi3le from the :o,ley roadA and from hi'h places in the to,n itselfB 3ut one could perhaps cra,l inconspicuously throu'h the under'ro,th. At any rateA it ,ould form my only chance of deliveranceA and there ,as nothin' to do 3ut try it. $ra,in' inside the hall of my deserted shelterA = once more consulted the 'rocery 3oy<s map ,ith the aid of the flashli'ht. The immediate pro3lem ,as ho, to reach the ancient rail,ayB and = no, sa, that the safest course ,as ahead to Ba3son StreetB then ,est to 5afayette 1 there ed'in' around 3ut not crossin' an open space homolo'ous to the one = had traversed 1 and su3seDuently 3ac! north,ard and ,est,ard in a zi'za''in' line throu'h 5afayetteA BatesA AdamA and Ban! streets 1 the latter s!irtin' the river 'or'e 1 to the a3andoned and dilapidated station = had seen from my ,indo,. 8y reason for 'oin' ahead to Ba3son ,as that = ,ished neither to recross the earlier open space nor to 3e'in my ,est,ard course alon' a cross street as 3road as South. Startin' once moreA = crossed the street to the ri'ht1hand side in order to ed'e around into Ba3eon as inconspicuously as possi3le. ;oises still continued in 4ederal StreetA and as = 'lanced 3ehind me = thou'ht = sa, a 'leam of li'ht near the 3uildin' throu'h ,hich = had escaped. An%ious to leave Washin'ton StreetA = 3ro!e into a Duiet do'trotA trustin' to luc! not to encounter any o3servin' eye. ;e%t the corner of Ba3son Street = sa, to my alarm that one of the houses ,as still inha3itedA as attested 3y curtains at the ,indo,B 3ut there ,ere no li'hts ,ithinA and = passed it ,ithout disaster. =n Ba3son StreetA ,hich crossed 4ederal and mi'ht thus reveal me to the searchersA = clun' as closely as possi3le to the sa''in'A uneven 3uildin'sB t,ice pausin' in a door,ay as the noises 3ehind me momentarily increased. The open space ahead shone ,ide and desolate under the moonA 3ut my route ,ould not force me to cross it. $urin' my second pause = 3e'an to detect a fresh distri3ution of va'ue soundsB and upon loo!in' cautiously out from cover 3eheld a motor car dartin' across the open spaceA 3ound out,ard alon' Eliot StreetA ,hich there intersects 3oth Ba3son and 5afayette. As = ,atched 1 cho!ed 3y a sudden rise in the fishy odour after a short a3atement 1 = sa, a 3and of uncouthA crouchin' shapes lopin' and sham3lin' in the same directionB and !ne,

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that this must 3e the party 'uardin' the =ps,ich roadA since that hi'h,ay forms an e%tension of Eliot Street. T,o of the fi'ures = 'limpsed ,ere in voluminous ro3esA and one ,ore a pea!ed diadem ,hich 'listened ,hitely in the moonli'ht. The 'ait of this fi'ure ,as so odd that it sent a chill throu'h me 1 for it seemed to me the creature ,as almost hoppin'. When the last +f the 3and ,as out of si'ht = resumed my pro'ressB dartin' around the corner into 5afayette StreetA and crossin' Eliot very hurriedly lest stra''lers of the party 3e still advancin' alon' that thorou'hfare. = did hear some croa!in' and clatterin' sounds far off to,ard To,n SDuareA 3ut accomplished the passa'e ,ithout disaster. 8y 'reatest dread ,as in re1crossin' 3road and moonlit South Street 1 ,ith its sea,ard vie, 1 and = had to nerve myself for the ordeal. Someone mi'ht easily 3e loo!in'A and possi3le Eliot Street stra''lers could not fail to 'limpse me from either of t,o points. At the last moment = decided = had 3etter slac!en my trot and ma!e the crossin' as 3efore in the sham3lin' 'ait of an avera'e =nnsmouth native. When the vie, of the ,ater a'ain opened out 1 this time on my ri'ht 1 = ,as half1 determined not to loo! at it at all. = could not ho,everA resistB 3ut cast a sidelon' 'lance as = carefully and imitatively sham3led to,ard the protectin' shado,s ahead. There ,as no ship visi3leA as = had half1e%pected there ,ould 3e. =nsteadA the first thin' ,hich cau'ht my eye ,as a small ro,3oat pullin' in to,ard the a3andoned ,harves and laden ,ith some 3ul!yA tarpaulin1covered o3Cect. =ts ro,ersA thou'h distantly and indistinctly seenA ,ere of an especially repellent aspect. Several s,immers ,ere still discerni3leB ,hile on the far 3lac! reef = could see a faintA steady 'lo, unli!e the ,in!in' 3eacon visi3le 3eforeA and of a curious colour ,hich = could not precisely identify. A3ove the slant roofs ahead and to the ri'ht there loomed the tall cupola of the 7ilman 2ouseA 3ut it ,as completely dar!. The fishy odourA dispelled for a moment 3y some merciful 3reezeA no, closed in a'ain ,ith maddenin' intensity. = had not Duite crossed the street ,hen = heard a mutterin' 3and advancin' alon' Washin'ton from the north. As they reached the 3road open space ,here = had had my first disDuietin' 'limpse of the moonlit ,ater = could see them plainly only a 3loc! a,ay 1 and ,as horrified 3y the 3estial a3normality of their faces and the do'li!e su31humanness of their crouchin' 'ait +ne man moved in a positively simian ,ayA ,ith lon' arms freDuently touchin' the 'roundB ,hile another fi'ure 1 ro3ed and tiaraed 1 seemed to pro'ress in an almost hoppin' fashion. = Cud'ed this party to 3e the one = had seen in the 7ilman<s courtyard 1 the oneA thereforeA most closely on my trail. As some of the fi'ures turned to loo! in my direction = ,as transfi%ed ,hit fri'htA yet mana'ed to preserve the casualA sham3lin' 'ait = had assumed. To this day = do not !no, ,hether they sa, me or not. =f they didA my strata'em must have deceived themA for they passed on across the moonlit space ,ithout varyin' their course 1 mean,hile croa!in' and Ca33erin' in more hateful 'uttural patois = could not identify. +nce more in shado,A = resumed my former do'1trot past the leanin' and decrepit houses that stared 3lan!ly into the ni'ht. 2avin' crossed to the ,estern side,al! = rounded the nearest corner into Bates Street ,here = !ept close to the 3uildin's on the southern side. = passed t,o houses she,in' si'ns of ha3itationA one of ,hich had faint li'hts in upper roomsA yet met ,ith no o3stacle. As = tuned into Adams Street = felt measura3ly saferA 3ut received a shoo! ,hen a man reeled out of a 3lac! door,ay directly in front of me. 2e

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provedA ho,everA too hopelessly drun! to 3e a menaceB so that = reached the dismal ruins of the Ban! Street ,arehouses in safety. ;o one ,as flutin' in that dead street 3eside the river1'or'eA and the roar of the ,aterfalls Duite dro,ned my foot steps. =t ,as a lon' do'1trot to the ruined stationA and the 'reat 3ric! ,arehouse ,alls around me seemed someho, more terrifyin' than the fronts of private houses. At last = sa, the ancient arcaded station 1 or ,hat ,as left of it 1 and made directly for the trac!s that started from its farther end. The rails ,ere rusty 3ut mainly intactA and not more than half the ties had rotted a,ay. Wal!in' or runnin' on such a surface ,as very difficultB 3ut = did my 3estA and on the ,hole made very fair time. 4or some distance the line !ept on alon' the 'or'e<s 3rin!A 3ut at len'th = reached the lon' covered 3rid'e ,here it crossed the chasm at a dizzyin' hei'ht. The condition of this 3rid'e ,ould determine my ne%t step. =f humanly possi3leA = ,ould use itB if notA l ,ould have to ris! more street ,anderin' and ta!e the nearest intact hi'h1 ,ay 3rid'e. The vastA 3arnli!e len'th of the old 3rid'e 'leamed spectrally in the moonli'htA and = sa, that the ties ,ere safe for at least a fe, feet ,ithin. Enterin'A = 3e'an to use my flashli'htA and ,as almost !noc!ed do,n 3y the cloud of 3ats that flapped past me. A3out half1,ay across there ,as a perilous 'ap in the ties ,hich = feared for a moment ,ould halt meB 3ut in the end = ris!ed a desperate Cump ,hich fortunately succeeded. = ,as 'lad to see the moonli'ht a'ain ,hen = emer'ed from that maca3re tunnel. The old trac!s crossed :iver Street at 'radeA and at once veered off into a re'ion increasin'ly rural and ,ith less and less of =nnsmouth<s a3horrent fishy odour. 2ere the dense 'ro,th of ,eeds and 3riers hindered me and cruelly tore at my clothesA 3ut = ,as none the less 'lad that they ,ere there to 'ive me concealment in case of peril. = !ne, that much of my route must he visi3le from the :o,ley road. The marshy re'ion 3e'an very a3ruptlyA ,ith the sin'le trac! on a lo,A 'rassy em3an!ment ,here the ,eedy 'ro,th ,as some,hat thinner. Then came a sort of island of hi'her 'roundA ,here the line passed throu'h a shallo, open cut cho!ed ,ith 3ushes and 3ram3les. = ,as very 'lad of this partial shelterA since at this point the :o,ley road ,as uncomforta3ly near accordin' to my ,indo, vie,. At the end of the cut it ,ould cross the trac! and s,erve off to a safer distanceB 3ut mean,hile = must 3e e%ceedin'ly careful. = ,as 3y this time than!fully certain that the rail,ay itself ,as not patrolled. 6ust 3efore enterin' the cut = 'lanced 3ehind meA 3ut sa, no pursuer. The ancient spires and roofs of decayin' =nns1month 'leamed lovely and ethereal in the ma'ic yello, moonli'htA and = thou'ht of ho, they must have loo!ed in the old days 3efore the shado, fell. ThenA as my 'aze circled inland from the to,nA somethin' less tranDuil arrested my notice and held me immo3ile for a second. What = sa, 1 or fancied = sa, 1 ,as a distur3in' su''estion of undulant motion far to the southB a su''estion ,hich made me conclude that a very lar'e horde must 3e pourin' out of the city alon' the level =ps,ich road. The distance ,as 'reat and = could distin'uish nothin' in detailB 3ut = did not at all li!e the loo! of that movin' column. =t undulated too muchA and 'listened too 3ri'htly in the rays of the no, ,esterin' moon. There ,as a su''estion of soundA tooA thou'h the ,ind ,as 3lo,in' the other ,ay 1 a su''estion of

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3estial scrapin' and 3ello,in' even ,orse than the mutterin' of the parties = had lately overheard. All sorts of unpleasant conCectures crossed my mind. = thou'ht of those very e%treme =nnsmouth types said to 3e hidden in crum3lin'A centuried ,arrens near the ,aterfrontB = thou'htA tooA of those nameless s,immers = had seen. Countin' the parties so far 'limpsedA as ,ell as those presuma3ly coverin' other roadsA the num3er of my pursuers must 3e stran'ely lar'e for a to,n as depopulated as =nnsmouth. Whence could come the dense personnel of such a column as = no, 3eheldG $id those ancientA unplum3ed ,arrens teem ,ith a t,istedA uncatalo'uedA and unsuspected lifeG +r had some unseen ship indeed landed a le'ion of un!no,n outsiders on that hellish reefG Who ,ere theyG Why ,ere they hereG And if such a column of them ,as scourin' the =ps,ich roadA ,ould the patrols on the other roads 3e li!e,ise au'mentedG = had entered the 3rush1'ro,n cut and ,as stru''lin' alon' at a very slo, pace ,hen that damna3le fishy odour a'ain ,a%ed dominant. 2ad the ,ind suddenly chan'ed east,ardA so that it 3le, in from the sea and over the to,nG =t must haveA = concludedA since = no, 3e'an to hear shoc!in' 'uttural murmurs from that hitherto silent direction. There ,as another soundA too 1 a !ind of ,holesaleA colossal floppin' or patterin' ,hich someho, called up ima'es of the most detesta3le sort. =t made me thin! illo'ically of that unpleasantly undulatin' column on the far1off =ps,ich road. And then 3oth stench and sounds 're, stron'erA so that = paused shiverin' and 'rateful for the cut<s protection. =t ,as hereA = recalledA that the :o,ley road dre, so close to the old rail,ay 3efore crossin' ,est,ard and diver'in'. Somethin' ,as comin' alon' that roadA and. = must lie lo, till its passa'e and vanishment in the distance. Than! heaven these creatures employed no do's for trac!in' 1 thou'h perhaps that ,ould have 3een impossi3le amidst the omnipresent re'ional odour. Crouched in the 3ushes of that sandy cleft = felt reasona3ly safeA even thou'h = !ne, the searchers ,ould have to cross the trac! in front of me not much more than a hundred yards a,ay. = ,ould 3e a3le to see themA 3ut they could notA e%cept 3y a mali'n miracleA see me. All at once = 3e'an dreadin' to loo! at them as they passed. = sa, the close moonlit space ,here they ,ould sur'e 3yA and had curious thou'hts a3out the irredeema3le pollution of that space. They ,ould perhaps 3e the ,orst of all =nnsmouth types 1 somethin' one ,ould not care to remem3er. The stench ,a%ed overpo,erin'A and the noises s,elled to a 3estial 3a3el of croa!in'A 3ayin' and 3ar!in' ,ithout the least su''estion of human speech. Were these indeed the voices of my pursuersG $id they have do's after allG So far = had seen none of the lo,er animals in =nnsmouth. That floppin' or patterin' ,as monstrous 1 = could not loo! upon the de'enerate creatures responsi3le for it. = ,ould !eep my eyes shut till the sound receded to,ard the ,est. The horde ,as very close no, 1 air foul ,ith their hoarse snarlin'sA and the 'round almost sha!in' ,ith their alien1rhythmed footfalls. 8y 3reath nearly ceased to comeA and = put every ounce of ,ill1po,er into the tas! of holdin' my eyelids do,n. = am not even yet ,illin' to say ,hether ,hat follo,ed ,as a hideous actuality or only a ni'htmare hallucination. The later action of the 'overnmentA after my frantic appealsA

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,ould tend to confirm it as a monstrous truthB 3ut could not an hallucination have 3een repeated under the Duasi1hypnotic spell of that ancientA hauntedA and shado,ed to,nG Such places have stran'e propertiesA and the le'acy of insane le'end mi'ht ,ell have acted on more than one human ima'ination amidst those deadA stench1cursed streets and huddles of rottin' roofs and crum3lin' steeples. =s it not possi3le that the 'erm of an actual conta'ious madness lur!s in the depths of that shado, over =nnsmouthG Who can 3e sure of reality after hearin' thin's li!e the tale of old @ado! AllenG The 'overnment men never found poor @ado!A and have no conCectures to ma!e as to ,hat 3ecame of him. Where does madness leave off and reality 3e'inG =s it possi3le that even my latest fear is sheer delusionG But = must try to tell ,hat = thou'ht = sa, that ni'ht under the moc!in' yello, moon 1 sa, sur'in' and hoppin' do,n the :o,ley road in plain si'ht in front of me as = crouched amon' the ,ild 3ram3les of that desolate rail,ay cut. +f course my resolution to !eep my eyes shut had failed. =t ,as foredoomed to failure 1 for ,ho could crouch 3lindly ,hile a le'ion of croa!in'A 3ayin' entities of un!no,n source flopped noisomely pastA scarcely more than a hundred yards a,ayG = thou'ht = ,as prepared for the ,orstA and = really ou'ht to have 3een prepared considerin' ,hat = had seen 3efore. 8y other pursuers had 3een accursedly a3normal 1 so should = not have 3een ready to face a stren'thenin' of the a3normal elementB to loo! upon forms in ,hich there ,as no mi%ture of the normal at allG = did not open my eyes until the raucous clamour came loudly from a point o3viously strai'ht ahead. Then = !ne, that a lon' section of them must 3e plainly in si'ht ,here the sides of the cut flattened 7irt and the road crossed the trac! 1 and = could no lon'er !eep myself from samplin' ,hatever honor that leerin' yello, moon mi'ht have to she,. =t ,as the endA for ,hatever remains to me of life on the surface of this earthA of every vesti'e of mental peace and confidence in the inte'rity of nature and of the human mind. ;othin' that = could have ima'ined 1 nothin'A evenA that = could have 'athered had = credited old @ado!<s crazy tale in the most literal ,ay 1 ,ould 3e in any ,ay compara3le to the demoniacA 3lasphemous reality that = sa, 1 or 3elieve = sa,. = have tied to hint ,hat it ,as in order to postpone the horror of ,ritin' it do,n 3aldly. Can it 3e possi3le that dim planet has actually spa,ned such thin'sB that human eyes have truly seenA as o3Cective fleshA ,hat man has hitherto !no,n only in fe3rile phantasy and tenuous le'endG And yet = sa, them in a limitless stream 1 floppin'A hoppin'A croa!in'A 3leatin' 1 ur'in' inhumanly throu'h the spectral moonli'ht in a 'rotesDueA mali'nant sara3and of fantastic ni'htmare. And some of them had tall tiaras of that nameless ,hitish1'old metal . . . and some ,ere stran'ely ro3ed . . . and oneA ,ho led the ,ayA ,as clad in a 'houlishly humped 3lac! coat and striped trousersA and had a man<s felt hat perched on the shapeless thin' that ans,ered for a head. = thin! their predominant colour ,as a 'reyish1'reenA thou'h they had ,hite 3ellies. They ,ere mostly shiny and slipperyA 3ut the rid'es of their 3ac!s ,ere scaly. Their forms va'uely su''ested the anthropoidA ,hile their heads ,ere the heads of fishA ,ith prodi'ious 3ul'in' eyes that never closed. At the sides of their nec!s ,ere palpitatin' 'illsA and their lon' pa,s ,ere ,e33ed. They hopped irre'ularlyA sometimes on t,o le's and sometimes

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on four. = ,as someho, 'lad that they had no more than four lim3s. Their croa!in'A 3ayin' voicesA clearly ,ed tar articulate speechA held all the dar! shades of e%pression ,hich their starin' faces lac!ed. But for all of their monstrousness they ,ere not unfamiliar to me. = !ne, too ,ell ,hat they must 3e 1 for ,as not the memory of the evil tiara at ;e,3uryport still freshG They ,ere the 3lasphemous fish1fro's of the nameless desi'n 1 livin' and horri3le 1 and as = sa, them = !ne, also of ,hat that humpedA tiaraed priest in the 3lac! church 3asement had fearsomely reminded me. Their num3er ,as past 'uessin'. =t seemed to me that there ,ere limitless s,arms of them and certainly my momentary 'limpse could have she,n only the least fraction. =n another instant everythin' ,as 3lotted out 3y a merciful fit of faintin'B the first = had ever had.

V.
=t ,as a 'entle dayli'ht rain that a,a!ed me front my stupor in the 3rush1'ro,n rail,ay cutA and ,hen = sta''ered out to the road,ay ahead = sa, no trace of any prints in the fresh mud. The fishy odourA tooA ,as 'oneA =nnsmouth<s ruined roofs and topplin' steeples loomed up 'reyly to,ard the southeastA 3ut not a livin' creature did = spy in all the desolate salt marshes around. 8y ,atch ,as still 'oin'A and told me that the hour ,as past noon. The reality of ,hat = had 3een throu'h ,as hi'hly uncertain in my mindA 3ut = felt that somethin' hideous lay in the 3ac!'round. = must 'et a,ay from evil1shado,ed =nnsmouth 1 and accordin'ly = 3e'an to test my crampedA ,earied po,ers of locomotion. $espite ,ea!ness hun'erA horrorA and 3e,ilderment = found myself after a time a3le to ,al!B so started slo,ly alon' the muddy road to :o,ley. Before evenin' = ,as in villa'eA 'ettin' a meal and providin' myself ,ith presenta3le cloths. = cau'ht the ni'ht train to Ar!hamA and the ne%t day tal!ed lon' and earnestly ,ith 'overnment officials thereB a process = later repeated in Boston. With the main result of these colloDuies the pu3lic is no, familiar 1 and = ,ishA for normality<s sa!eA there ,ere nothin' more to tell. >erhaps it is madness that is overta!in' me 1 yet perhaps a 'reater horror 1 or a 'reater marvel 1 is reachin' out. As may ,ell 3e ima'inedA = 'ave up most of the forplanned features of the rest of my tour 1 the scenicA architecturalA and antiDuarian diversions on ,hich = had counted so heavily. ;or did = dare loo! for that piece of stran'e Ce,elry said to 3e in the 8is!atonic (niversity 8useum. = didA ho,everA improve my stay in Ar!ham 3y collectin' some 'enealo'ical notes = had lon' ,ished to possessB very rou'h and hasty dataA it is trueA 3ut capa3le of 'ood use later no ,hen = mi'ht have time to collate and codify them. The curator of the historical society there 1 8r. B. 5apham >ea3ody 1 ,as very courteous a3out assistin' meA and e%pressed unusual interest ,hen = told him = ,as a 'randson of Eliza +rne of Ar!hamA ,ho ,as 3orn in 18-7 and had married 6ames Williamson of +hio at the a'e of seventeen. =t seemed that a material uncle of mine had 3een there many years 3efore on a Duest much li!e my o,nB and that my 'randmother<s family ,as a topic of some local curiosity. There hadA 8r. >ea3ody saidA 3een considera3le discussion a3out the marria'e of her fatherA BenCamin +rneA Cust after the Civil WarB since the ancestry of the 3ride ,as peculiarly puzzlin'. That 3ride ,as understood to have 3een an orphaned 8arsh of ;e,

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2ampshire 1 a cousin of the Esse% County 8arshes 1 3ut her education had 3een in 4rance and she !ne, very little of her family. A 'uardian had deposited funds in a Boston 3an! to maintain her and her 4rench 'overnessB 3ut that 'uardian<s name ,as unfamiliar to Ar!ham peopleA and in time he dropped out of si'htA so that the 'overness assumed the role 3y court appointment. The 4rench,oman 1 no, lon' dead 1 ,as very taciturnA and there ,ere those ,ho said she ,ould have told more than she did. But the most 3afflin' thin' ,as the ina3ility of anyone to place the recorded parents of the youn' ,oman 1 Enoch and 5ydia J8eserveK 8arsh 1 amon' the !no,n families of ;e, 2ampshire. >ossi3lyA many su''estedA she ,as the natural dau'hter of some 8arsh of prominence 1 she certainly had the true 8arsh eyes. 8ost of the puzzlin' ,as done after her early deathA ,hich too! place at the 3irth of my 'randmother 1 her only child. 2avin' formed some disa'reea3le impressions connected ,ith the name of 8arshA = did not ,elcome the ne,s that it 3elon'ed on my o,n ancestral treeB nor ,as = pleased 3y 8r. >ea3ody<s su''estion that = had the true 8arsh eyes myself. 2o,everA = ,as 'rateful for data ,hich = !ne, ,ould prove valua3leB and too! copious notes and lists of 3oo! references re'ardin' the ,ell1documented +rne family. = ,ent directly home to Toledo from BostonA and later spent a month at 8aumee recuperatin' from my ordeal. =n Septem3er = entered +3erlin for my final yearA and from then till the ne%t 6une ,as 3usy ,ith studies and other ,holesome activities 1 reminded of the 3y'one terror only 3y occasional official visits from 'overnment men in conne%ion ,ith the campai'n ,hich my pleas and evidence had started. Around the middle of 6uly 1 Cust a year after the =nnsmouth e%perience 1 = spent a ,ee! ,ith my late mother<s family in ClevelandB chec!in' some of my ne, 'enealo'ical data ,ith the various notesA traditionsA and 3its of heirloom material in e%istence thereA and seein' ,hat !ind of a connected chart = could construct. = did not e%actly relish this tas!A for the atmosphere of the Williamson home had al,ays depressed me. There ,as a strain of mor3idity thereA and my mother had never encoura'ed my visitin' her parents as a childA althou'h she al,ays ,elcomed her father ,hen he came to Toledo. 8y Ar!ham13orn 'randmother had seemed stran'e and almost terrifyin' to meA and = do not thin! = 'rieved ,hen she disappeared. = ,as ei'ht years old thenA and it ,as said that she had ,andered off in 'rief after the suicide of my (ncle $ou'lasA her eldest son. 2e had shot himself after a trip to ;e, En'land 1 the same tripA no dou3tA ,hich had caused him to 3e recalled at the Ar!ham 2istorical Society. This uncle had resem3led herA and = had never li!ed him either. Somethin' a3out the starin'A un,in!in' e%pression of 3oth of them had 'iven me a va'ueA unaccounta3le uneasiness. 8y mother and (ncle Walter had not loo!ed li!e that. They ,ere li!e their fatherA thou'h poor little cousin 5a,rence 1 Walter<s son 1 had 3een almost perfect duplicate of his 'randmother 3efore his condition too! him to the permanent seclusion of a sanitarium at Canton. = had not seen him in four yearsA 3ut my uncle once implied that his stateA 3oth mental and physicalA ,as very 3ad. This ,orry had pro3a3ly 3een a maCor cause of his mother<s death t,o years 3efore. 8y 'randfather and his ,ido,ed son Walter no, comprised the Cleveland householdA 3ut the memory of older times hun' thic!ly over it. = still disli!ed the placeA and tried to 'et my researches done as Duic!ly as possi3le. Williamson records and traditions ,ere supplied in a3undance 3y my 'randfatherB thou'h for +rne material = had to depend on my

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The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

8)8

uncle WalterA ,ho put at my disposal the contents of all his filesA includin' notesA lettersA cuttin'sA heirloomsA photo'raphsA and miniatures. =t ,as in 'oin' over the letters and pictures on the +rne side that = 3e'an to acDuire a !ind of terror of my o,n ancestry. As = have saidA my 'randmother and (ncle $ou'las had al,ays distur3ed me. ;o,A years after their passin'A = 'azed at their pictured faces ,ith a measura3ly hei'htened feelin' of repulsion and alienation. = could not at first understand the chan'eA 3ut 'radually a horri3le sort of comparison 3e'an to o3trude itself on my unconscious mind despite the steady refusal of my consciousness to admit even the least suspicion of it. =t ,as clear that the typical e%pression of these faces no, su''ested somethin' it had not su''ested 3efore 1 somethin' ,hich ,ould 3rin' star! panic if too openly thou'ht of. But the ,orst shoc! came ,hen my uncle she,ed me the +rne Ce,ellery in a do,nto,n safe deposit vault. Some of the items ,ere delicate and inspirin' enou'hA 3ut there ,as one 3o% of stran'e old pieces descended from my mysterious 'reat1'randmother ,hich my uncle ,as almost reluctant to produce. They ,ereA he saidA of very 'rotesDue and almost repulsive desi'nA and had never to his !no,led'e 3een pu3licly ,ornB thou'h my 'randmother used to enCoy loo!in' at them. ?a'ue le'ends of 3ad luc! clustered around themA and my 'reat1'randmother<s 4rench 'overness had said they ou'ht not to 3e ,orn in ;e, En'landA thou'h it ,ould 3e Duite safe to ,ear them in Europe. As my uncle 3e'an slo,ly and 'rud'in'ly to un,rap the thin's he ur'ed me not to 3e shoc!ed 3y the stran'eness and freDuent hideousness of the desi'ns. Artists and archaeolo'ists ,ho had seen them pronounced their ,or!manship superlatively and e%otically e%DuisiteA thou'h no one seemed a3le to define their e%act material or assi'n them to any specific art tradition. There ,ere t,o armletsA a tiaraA and a !ind of pectoralB the latter havin' in hi'h relief certain fi'ures of almost un3eara3le e%trava'ance. $urin' this description = had !ept a ti'ht rein on my emotionsA 3ut my face must have 3etrayed my mountin' fears. 8y uncle loo!ed concernedA and paused in his un,rappin' to study my countenance. = motioned to him to continueA ,hich he did ,ith rene,ed si'ns of reluctance. 2e seemed to e%pect some demonstration ,hen the first piece 1 the tiara 1 3ecame visi3leA 3ut = dou3t if he e%pected Duite ,hat actually happened. = did not e%pect itA eitherA for = thou'ht = ,as thorou'hly fore,arned re'ardin' ,hat the Ce,ellery ,ould turn out to 3e. What = did ,as to faint silently a,ayA Cust as = had done in that 3rier cho!ed rail,ay cut a year 3efore. 4rom that day on my life has 3een a ni'htmare of 3roodin' and apprehension nor do = !no, ho, much is hideous truth and ho, much madness. 8y 'reat1'randmother had 3een a 8arsh of un!no,n source ,hose hus3and lived in Ar!ham 1 and did not old @ado! say that the dau'hter of +3ed 8arsh 3y a monstrous mother ,as married to an Ar!ham man trou'h tric!G What ,as it the ancient toper had muttered a3out the line of my eyes to Captain +3ed<sG =n Ar!hamA tooA the curator had told me = had the true 8arsh eyes. Was +3ed 8arsh my o,n 'reat1'reat1'randfatherG Who 1 or ,hat 1 thenA ,as my 'reat1'reat1 'randmotherG But perhaps this ,as all madness. Those ,hitish1'old ornaments mi'ht easily have 3een 3ou'ht from some =nnsmouth sailor 3y the father of my 'reat1'rand1 motherA ,hoever he ,as. And that loo! in the starin'1eyed faces of my 'randmother and self1slain uncle mi'ht 3e sheer fancy on my part 1 sheer fancyA 3olstered up 3y the

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

8))

=nnsmouth shado, ,hich had so dar!ly coloured my ima'ination. But ,hy had my uncle !illed himself after an ancestral Duest in ;e, En'landG 4or more than t,o years l fou'ht off these reflections ,ith partial success. 8y father secured me a place in an insurance officeA and = 3uried myself in routine as deeply as possi3le. =n the ,inter of 1)&*1&1A ho,everA the dreams 3e'an. They ,ere very sparse and insidious at firstA 3ut increased in freDuency and vividness as the ,ee!s ,ent 3y. 7reat ,atery spaces opened out 3efore meA and = seemed to ,ander throu'h titanic sun!en porticos and la3yrinths of ,eedy cyclopean ,alls ,ith 'rotesDue fishes as my companions. Then the other shapes 3e'an to appearA fillin' me ,ith nameless horror the moment = a,o!e. But durin' the dreams they did not horrify me at all 1 = ,as one ,ith themB ,earin' their unhuman trappin'sA treadin' their aDueous ,aysA and prayin' monstrously at their evil sea13ottom temples. There ,as much more than = could remem3erA 3ut even ,hat = did remem3er each mornin' ,ould 3e enou'h to stamp me as a madman or a 'enius if ever = dared ,rite it do,n. Some fri'htful influenceA = feltA ,as see!in' 'radually to dra' me out of the sane ,orld of ,holesome life into up nama3le a3ysses of 3lac!ness and aliena'eB and the process told heavily on me. 8y health and appearance 're, steadily ,orseA till finally = ,as forced to 'ive up my position and adopt the staticA secluded life of an invalid. Some odd nervous affliction had me in its 'ripA and = found myself at times almost una3le to shut my eyes. =t ,as then that = 3e'an to study the mirror ,ith mountin' alarm. The slo, rava'es of disease are not pleasant to ,atchA 3ut in my case there ,as somethin' su3tler and more puzzlin' in the 3ac!'round. 8y father seemed to notice itA tooA for he 3e'an loo!in' at me curiously and almost affri'htedly. What ,as ta!in' place in meG Could it 3e that = ,as comin' to resem3le my 'randmother and uncle $ou'lasG +ne ni'ht = had a fri'htful dream in ,hich = met my 'randmother under the sea. She lived in a phosphorescent palace of many terracesA ,ith 'ardens of stran'e leprous corals and 'rotesDue 3rachiate efflorescencesA and ,elcomed me ,ith a ,armth that may have 3een sardonic. She had chan'ed 1 as those ,ho ta!e to the ,ater chan'e 1 and told me she had never died. =nsteadA she had 'one to a spot her dead son had learned a3outA and had leaped to a realm ,hose ,onders 1 destined for him as ,ell 1 he had spurned ,ith a smo!in' pistol. This ,as to 3e my realmA too 1 = could not escape it. = ,ould never dieA 3ut ,ould live ,ith those ,ho had lived since 3efore man ever ,al!ed the earth. = met also that ,hich had 3een her 'randmother. 4or ei'hty thousand years >th<thya1l<yi had lived in .<ha1nthleiA and thither she had 'one 3ac! after +3ed 8arsh ,as dead. .<ha1 nthlei ,as not destroyed ,hen the upper1earth men shot death into the sea. =t ,as hurtA 3ut not destroyed. The $eep +nes could never 3e destroyedA even thou'h the palaeo'ean ma'ic of the for'otten +ld +nes mi'ht sometimes chec! them. 4or the present they ,ould restB 3ut some dayA if they remem3eredA they ,ould rise a'ain for the tri3ute 7reat Cthulhu craved. =t ,ould 3e a city 'reater than =nnsmouth ne%t time. They had planned to spreadA and had 3rou'ht up that ,hich ,ould help themA 3ut no, they must ,ait once more. 4or 3rin'in' the upper1earth men<s death = must do a penanceA 3ut that ,ould not 3e heavy. This ,as the dream in ,hich = sa, a sho''oth for the first timeA and the si'ht set me a,a!e in a frenzy of screamin'. That mornin' the mirror definitely told me = had acDuired the =nnsmouth loo!.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shado, +ver =nnsmouth

)**

So far = have not shot myself as my uncle $ou'las did. = 3ou'ht an automatic and almost too! the stepA 3ut certain dreams deterred me. The tense e%tremes of horror are lessenin'A and = feel Dueerly dra,n to,ard the un!no,n sea1deeps instead of fearin' them. = hear and do stran'e thin's in sleepA and a,a!e ,ith a !ind of e%altation instead of terror. = do not 3elieve = need to ,ait for the full chan'e as most have ,aited. =f = didA my father ,ould pro3a3ly shut me up in a sanitarium as my poor little cousin is shut up. Stupendous and unheard1of splendors a,ait me 3elo,A and = shall see! them soon. =a1:<lyehl Cihuiha fl'a'nl id =aF ;oA = shall not shoot myself 1 = cannot 3e made to shoot myselfF = shall plan my cousin<s escape from that Canton mad1houseA and to'ether ,e shall 'o to marvel1shado,ed =nnsmouth. We shall s,im out to that 3roodin' reef in the sea and dive do,n throu'h 3lac! a3ysses to Cyclopean and many1columned .<ha1nthleiA and in that lair of the $eep +nes ,e shall d,ell amidst ,onder and 'lory for ever.

The Sh%##e$ Ho%se

,.
4rom even the 'reatest of horrors irony is seldom a3sent. Some times it enters directly into the composition of the eventsA ,hile sometimes it relates only to their fortuitous position amon' persons and places. The latter sort is splendidly e%emplified 3y a case in the ancient city of >rovidenceA ,here in the late forties Ed'ar Allan >oe used to soCourn often durin' his unsuccessful ,ooin' of the 'ifted poetessA 8rs. Whitman. >oe 'enerally stopped at the 8ansion 2ouse in Benefit Street 1 the renamed 7olden Ball =nn ,hose roof has sheltered Washin'tonA 6effersonA and 5afayette 1 and his favourite ,al! led north,ard alon' the same street to 8rs. Whitman<s home and the nei'h3ourin' hillside churchyard of St. 6ohn<s ,hose hidden e%panse of ei'hteenth1century 'ravestones had for him a peculiar fascination. ;o, the irony is this. =n this ,al!A so many times repeatedA the ,orld<s 'reatest master of the terri3le and the 3izarre ,as o3li'ed to pass a particular house on the eastern side of the streetB a din'yA antiDuated structure perched on the a3ruptly risin' side hillA ,ith a 'reat un!ept yard datin' from a time ,hen the re'ion ,as partly open country. =t does not appear that he ever ,rote or spo!e of itA nor is there any evidence that he even noticed it. And yet that houseA to the t,o persons in possession of certain informationA eDuals or outran!s in horror the ,ildest phantasy of the 'enius ,ho so often passed it un!no,in'lyA and stands star!ly leerin' as a sym3ol of all that is unuttera3ly hideous. The house ,as 1 and for that matter still is 1 of a !ind to attract the attention of the curious. +ri'inally a farm or semi1farm 3uildin'A it follo,ed the avera'e ;e, En'land colonial lines of the middle ei'hteenth century 1 the prosperous pea!ed1roof sortA ,ith t,o stories and dormerless atticA and ,ith the 7eor'ian door,ay and interior panelin' dictated 3y the pro'ress of taste at that time. =t faced southA ,ith one 'a3le and 3uried to the lo,er ,indo,s in the east ,ard risin' hillA and the other e%posed to the foundations to,ard the street. =ts constructionA over a century and a half a'oA had follo,ed the 'radin' and strai'htenin' of the road in that especial vicinityB for Benefit Street 1 at first called Bac! Street 1 ,as laid out as a lane ,indin' amon'st the 'raveyards of the first settlersA and strai'htened only ,hen the removal of the 3odies to the ;orth Burial 7round made it decently possi3le to cut throu'h the old family plots. At the startA the ,estern ,all had lain some t,enty feet up a precipitous la,n from the road,ayB 3ut a ,idenin' of the street at a3out the time of the :evolution sheared off most of the intervenin' spaceA e%posin' the foundations so that a 3ric! 3asement ,all had to 3e madeA 'ivin' the deep cellar a street fronta'e ,ith the door and t,o ,indo,s a3ove 'roundA close to the ne, line of pu3lic travel. When the side,al! ,as laid out a century a'o the last of the intervenin' space ,as removedB and >oe in his ,al!s must have seen only a sheer ascent of dull 'rey 3ric! flush ,ith the side,al! and surmounted at a hei'ht of ten feet 3y the antiDue shin'led 3ul! of the house proper.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)*"

The farm1li!e 'rounds e%tended 3ac! very deeply up the hillA al most to Wheaton Street. The space south of the houseA a3uttin' on Benefit StreetA ,as of course 'reatly a3ove the e%istin' side,al! levelA formin' a terrace 3ounded 3y a hi'h 3an! ,all of dampA mossy stone pierced 3y a steep fli'ht of narro, steps ,hich led in,ard 3e t,een canyon1li!e surfaces to the upper re'ion of man'y la,nA rheumy 3ric! ,allsA and ne'lected 'ardens ,hose dismantled cement urnsA rusted !ettles fallen from tripods of !notty stic!sA and similar paraphernalia set off the ,eather 3eaten front door ,ith its 3ro!en fanli'htA rottin' =onic pilastersA and ,ormy trian'ular pediment. What = heard in my youth a3out the shunned house ,as merely that people died there in alarmin'ly 'reat num3ers. ThatA = ,as toldA ,as ,hy the ori'inal o,ners had moved out some t,enty years after 3uildin' the place. =t ,as plainly unhealthyA perhaps 3ecause of the dampness and fun'ous 'ro,th in the cellarA the 'eneral sic!ish smellA the drau'hts of the hall,aysA or the Duality of the ,ell and pump ,ater. These thin's ,ere 3ad enou'hA and these ,ere all that 'ained 3elief amon' the person ,hom = !ne,. +nly the note3oo!s of my antiDuarian uncleA $r. Elihu WhippleA revealed to me at len'th the dar!erA va'uer surmises ,hich formed an undercurrent of fol!lore amon' old1time servants and hum3le fol!A surmises ,hich never travelled farA and ,hich ,ere lar'ely for'otten ,hen >rovidence 're, to 3e a metropolis ,ith a shiftin' modern population. The 'eneral fact isA that the house ,as never re'arded 3y the solid part of the community as in any real sense Lhaunted.L There ,ere no ,idespread tales of rattlin' chainsA cold currents of airA e%tin'uished li'htsA or faces at the ,indo,. E%tremists sometimes said the house ,as Lunluc!yAL 3ut that is as far as even they ,ent. What ,as really 3eyond dispute is that a fri'htful proportion of persons died thereB or more accuratelyA "ad died thereA since after some peculiar happenin's over si%ty years a'o the 3uildin' had 3ecome deserted throu'h the sheer impossi3ility of rentin' it. These persons ,ere not all cut off suddenly 3y any one causeB rather did it seem that their vitality ,as insidiously sappedA so that each one died the sooner from ,hatever tendency to ,ea!ness he may have naturally had. And those ,ho did not die displayed in varyin' de'ree a type of anaemia or consumptionA and sometimes a decline of the mental facultiesA ,hich spo!e ill for the salu3riousness of the 3uildin'. ;ei'h3ourin' housesA it must 3e addedA seemed entirely free from the no%ious Duality. This much = !ne, 3efore my insistent Duestionin' led my uncle to sho, me the notes ,hich finally em3ar!ed us 3oth on our hideous investi'ation. =n my childhood the shunned house ,as vacantA ,ith 3arrenA 'narled and terri3le old treesA lon'A Dueerly pale 'rass and ni'htmarishly misshapen ,eeds in the hi'h terraced yard ,here 3irds never lin'ered. We 3oys used to overrun the placeA and = can still recall my youthful terror not only at the mor3id stran'eness of this sinister ve'etationA 3ut at the eldritch atmosphere and odour of the dilapidated houseA ,hose unloc!ed front door ,as often entered in Duest of shudders. The small1paned ,indo,s ,ere lar'ely 3ro!enA and a nameless air of desolation hun' round the precarious panel lin'A sha!y interior shuttersA peelin' ,allpaperA. fallin' plasterA ric!ety staircasesA and such fra'ments of 3attered furniture as still remained. The dust and co3,e3s added their touch of the fearfulB and 3rave indeed ,as the 3oy ,ho ,ould voluntarily ascend the ladder to the atticA a vast raftered len'th li'hted only 3y small 3lin!in' ,indo,s in the 'a3le endsA and filled ,ith a massed ,rec!a'e of chestsA chairsA and spinnin'1,heels ,hich infinite years of deposit had shrouded and festooned into monstrous and hellish shapes.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)*&

But after allA the attic ,as not the most terri3le part of the house. =t ,as the dan!A humid cellar ,hich someho, e%erted the stron'est repulsion on usA even thou'h it ,as ,holly a3ove 'round on the street sideA ,ith only a thin door and ,indo,1pierced 3ric! ,all to separate it from the 3usy side,al!. We scarcely !ne, ,hether to haunt it in spectral fascinationA or to shun it for the sa!e of our souls and our sanity. 4or one thin'A the 3ad odour of the house ,as stron'est thereB and for another thin'A ,e did not li!e the ,hite fun'ous 'ro,ths ,hich occasionally spran' up in rainy summer ,eather from the hard earth floor. Those fun'iA 'rotesDuely li!e the ve'etation in the yard outsideA ,ere truly horri3le in their outlinesB detest a3le parodies of toadstools and =ndian pipesA ,hose li!e ,e had never seen in any other situation. They rotted Duic!lyA and at one sta'e 3ecame sli'htly phosphorescentB so that nocturnal passers13y sometimes spo!e of ,itch1fires 'lo,in' 3ehind the 3ro!en panes of the foetor1spreadin' ,indo,s. We never 1 even in our ,ildest 2allo,e<en moods 1 visited this cellar 3y ni'htA 3ut in some of our daytime visits could detect the phosphorescenceA especially ,hen the day ,as dar! and ,et. There ,as also a su3tler thin' ,e often thou'ht ,e detected 1 a very stran'e thin' ,hich ,asA ho,everA merely su''estive at most. = refer to a sort of cloudy ,hitish pattern on the dirt floor 1 a va'ueA shiftin' deposit of mould or nitre ,hich ,e sometimes thou'ht ,e could trace amidst the sparse fun'ous 'ro,ths near the hu'e fireplace of the 3asement !itchen. +nce in a ,hile it struc! us that this patch 3ore an uncanny resem3lance to a dou3led1up human fi'ureA thou'h 'enerally no such !inship e%istedA and often there ,as no ,hitish deposit ,hatever. .+n a certain rainy afternoon ,hen this illusion seemed phenomenally stron'A and ,henA in additionA = had fancied = 'limpsed a !ind of thinA yello,ishA shimmerin' e%halation risin' from the nitrous pattern to,ard the ya,nin' fireplaceA = spo!e to my uncle a3out the matter. 2e smiled at this odd conceitA 3ut it seemed that his smile ,as tin'ed ,ith reminiscence. 5ater = heard that a similar notion entered into some of the ,ild ancient tales of the common fol! 1 a notion li!e,ise alludin' to 'houlishA ,olfish shapes ta!en 3y smo!e from the 'reat chimneyA and Dueer contours assumed 3y certain of the sinuous tree1roots that thrust their ,ay into the cellar throu'h the loose foundation1stones.

,,.
;ot till my adult years did my uncle set 3efore me the notes and data ,hich he had collected concernin' the shunned house. $r. Whipple ,as a saneA conservative physician of the old schoolA and for all his interest in the place ,as not ea'er to encoura'e youn' thou'hts to,ard the a3normal. 2is o,n vie,A postulatin' simply a 3uildin' and location of mar!edly unsanitary DualitiesA had nothin' to do ,ith a3normalityB 3ut he realized that the very picturesDue ness ,hich aroused his o,n interest ,ould in a 3oy<s fanciful mind ta!e on all manner of 'ruesome ima'inative associations. The doctor ,as a 3achelorB a ,hite1hairedA clean1shavenA old1 fashioned 'entlemanA and a local historian of noteA ,ho had often 3ro!en a lance ,ith such controversial 'uardians of tradition as Sidney S. :ider and Thomas W. Bic!nell. 2e lived ,ith one man servant in a 7eor'ian homestead ,ith !noc!er and iron1railed stepsA 3alanced eerily on the steep ascent of ;orth Court Street 3eside the ancient 3ric! court and colony house ,here his 'randfather 1 a cousin of that cele3rated privateersmanA Capt. WhippleA ,ho 3urnt 2is 8aCesty<s armed schooner Gaspee in 177" 1 had voted in the le'islature on 8ay #A 177-A

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)*#

for the independence of the :hode =sland Colony. Around him in the dampA lo,1ceiled li3rary ,ith the musty ,hite panelin'A heavy carved overmantel and small1panedA vine1 shaded ,indo,sA ,ere the relics and records of his ancient familyA amon' ,hich ,ere many du3ious allusions to the shunned house in Benefit Street. That pest spot lies not far. distant 1 for Benefit runs led'e,ise Cust a3ove the court house alon' the precipitous hill up ,hich the first settlement clim3ed. WhenA in the endA my insistent pesterin' and maturin' years evo!ed from my uncle the hoarded lore = sou'htA there lay 3efore me a stran'e enou'h chronicle. 5on'1,indedA statisticalA and drearily 'enealo'ical as some of the matter ,asA there ran throu'h it a continuous thread of 3roodin'A tenacious horror and preternatural malevolence ,hich impressed me even more than it had impressed the 'ood doctor. Separate events fitted to'ether uncannilyA and seemin'ly irrelevant details held mines of hideous possi3ilities. A ne, and 3urnin' curiosity 're, in meA compared to ,hich my 3oyish curiosity ,as fee3le and inchoate. The first revelation led to an e%haustive researchA and finally to that shudderin' Duest ,hich proved so disastrous to myself and mine. 4or at last my uncle insisted on Coinin' the search = had commencedA and after a certain ni'ht in that house he did not come a,ay ,ith me. = am lonely ,ithout that 'entle soul ,hose lon' years ,ere filled only ,ith honourA virtueA 'ood tasteA 3enevolenceA and learnin'. = have reared a mar3le urn to his memory in St. 6ohn<s churchyard 1 the place that >oe loved 1 the hidden 'rove of 'iant ,illo,s on the hillA ,here tom3s and head stones huddle Duietly 3et,een the hoary 3ul! of the church and the houses and 3an! ,alls of Benefit Street. The history of the houseA openin' amidst a maze of datesA revealed no trace of the sinister either a3out its construction or a3out the prosperous and honoura3le family ,ho 3uilt it. .et from the first a taint of calamityA soon increased to 3odin' si'nificanceA ,as apparent. 8y uncle<s carefully compiled record 3e'an ,ith the 3uildin' of the structure in 17-&A and follo,ed the theme ,ith an unusual amount of detail. The shunned houseA it seemsA ,as first inha3ited 3y William 2arris and his ,ife :ho3y $e%terA ,ith their childrenA El!anahA 3orn in 17 A A3i'ailA 3orn in 17 7A WilliamA 6r.A 3orn in 17 )A and :uthA 3orn in 17-1. 2arris ,as a su3stantial merchant and seaman in the West =ndia tradeA connected ,ith the firm of +3adiah Bro,n and his nephe,s. After Bro,n<s death in 17-1A the ne, firm of ;icholas Bro,n N Co. made him master of the 3ri' ,rudence& providence1 3uiltA of 1"* tonsA thus ena3lin' him to erect the ne, homestead he had desired ever since his marria'e. The site he had chosen 1 a recently strai'htened part of the ne, and fashiona3le Bac! StreetA ,hich ran alon' the side of the hill a3ove cro,ded Cheapside 1 ,as all that could 3e ,ishedA and the 3uildin' did Custice to the location. =t ,as the 3est that moderate means could affordA and 2arris hastened to move in 3efore the 3irth of a fifth child ,hich the family e%pected. That childA a 3oyA came in $ecem3erB 3ut ,as still13orn. ;or ,as any child to 3e 3orn alive in that house for a century and a half. The ne%t April sic!ness occurred amon' the childrenA and A3i'ail and :uth died 3efore the month ,as over. $r. 6o3 =ves dia'nosed the trou3le as some infantile feverA thou'h others declared it ,as more of a mere ,astin'1a,ay or decline. =t seemedA in any eventA to 3e conta'iousB for 2annah Bo,enA one of the t,o servantsA died of it in the follo,in' 6une. Eli 5ideasonA the other servantA constantly complained of ,ea!nessB and ,ould have returned to his father<s farm in :eho3oth 3ut for a sudden attachment for 8ehita3el >ierceA ,ho ,as hired to succeed 2annah. 2e died the ne%t year 1 a sad year in deedA since it

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)*

mar!ed the death of William 2arris himselfA enfee3led as he ,as 3y the climate of 8artiniDueA ,here his occupation had !ept him for considera3le periods durin' the precedin' decade. The ,ido,ed :ho3y 2arris never recovered from the shoc! of her hus3and<s deathA and the passin' of her first3orn El!anah t,o years later ,as the final 3lo, to her reason. =n 17-8 she fell victim to a mild form of insanityA and ,as thereafter confined to the upper part of the houseA her elder maiden sisterA 8ercy $e%terA havin' moved in to ta!e char'e of the family. 8ercy ,as a plainA ra,13oned ,oman of 'reat stren'thA 3ut her health visi3ly declined from the time of her advent. She ,as 'reatly devoted to her unfortunate sisterA and had an especial affection for her only survivin' nephe, WilliamA ,ho from a sturdy infant had 3ecome a sic!lyA spindlin' lad. =n this year the servant 8ehita3el diedA and the other servantA >re served SmithA left ,ithout coherent e%planation 1 or at leastA ,ith only some ,ild tales and a complaint that he disli!ed the smell of the place. 4or a time 8ercy could secure no more helpA since the seven deaths and case of madnessA all occurrin' ,ithin five years< spaceA had 3e'un to set in motion the 3ody of fireside rumour ,hich later 3ecame so 3izarre. (ltimatelyA ho,everA she o3tained ne, servants from out of to,nB Ann WhiteA a morose ,oman from that part of ;orth 0in'sto,n no, set off as the to,nship of E%eterA and a capa3le Boston man named @enas 5o,. =t ,as Ann White ,ho first 'ave definite shape to the sinister idle tal!. 8ercy should have !no,n 3etter than to hire anyone from the ;oosenec! 2ill countryA for that remote 3it of 3ac!,oods ,as thenA as no,A a seat of the most uncomforta3le superstitions. As lately as 18)" an E%eter community e%humed a dead 3ody and ceremoniously 3urnt its heart in order to prevent certain alle'ed visitations inCurious to the pu3lic health and peaceA and one may ima'ine the point of vie, of the same section in 17-8. Ann<s ton'ue ,as perniciously activeA and ,ithin a fe, months 8ercy dischar'ed herA fillin' her place ,ith a faithful and amia3le Amazon from ;e,portA 8aria :o33ins. 8ean,hile poor :ho3y 2arrisA in her madnessA 'ave voice to dreams and ima'inin's of the most hideous sort. At times her screams 3ecame insupporta3leA and for lon' periods she ,ould utter shrie!in' horrors ,hich necessitated her son<s temporary residence ,ith his cousinA >ele' 2arrisA in >res3yterian 5ane near the ne, colle'e 3uildin'. The 3oy ,ould seem to improve after these visitsA and had 8ercy 3een as ,ise as she ,as ,ell1meanin'A she ,ould have let him live permanently ,ith >ele'. 6ust ,hat 8rs. 2arris cried out in her fits of violenceA tradition hesitates to sayB or ratherA presents such e%trava'ant accounts that they nullify themselves throu'h sheer a3surdity. Certainly it sounds a3surd to hear that a ,oman educated only in the rudiments of 4rench often shouted for hours in a coarse and idiomatic form of that lan'ua'eA or that the same per sonA alone and 'uardedA complained ,ildly of a starin' thin' ,hich 3it and che,ed at her. =n 177" the servant @enas diedA and ,hen 8rs. 2arris heard of it she lau'hed ,ith a shoc!in' deli'ht utterly forei'n to her. The ne%t year she herself diedA and ,as laid to rest in the ;orth Burial 7round 3eside her hus3and. (pon the out3rea! of trou3le ,ith 7reat Britain in 177 A William 2arrisA despite his scant si%teen years and fee3le constitutionA man a'ed to enlist in the Army of +3servation under 7eneral 7reeneB and from that time on enCoyed a steady rise in health and presti'e.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)*-

=n 178*A as a Captain in :hode =sland forces in ;e, 6ersey under Colonel An'ellA he met and married >he3e 2etfield of Eliza3ethto,nA ,hom he 3rou'ht to >rovidence upon his honoura3le dischar'e in the follo,in' year. The youn' soldier<s return ,as not a thin' of unmiti'ated happiness. The houseA it is trueA ,as still in 'ood conditionB and the street had 3een ,idened and chan'ed in name from Bac! Street to Benefit Street. But 8ercy $e%ter<s once ro3ust frame had under'one a sa' and curious decayA so that she ,as no, a stooped and pathetic fi'ure ,ith hollo, voice and disconcertin' pallor 1 Dualities shared to a sin'ular de'ree 3y the one remainin' servant 8aria. =n the autumn of 178" >he3e 2arris 'ave 3irth to a still13orn dau'hterA and on the fifteenth of the ne%t 8ay 8ercy $e%ter too! leave of a usefulA austereA and virtuous life. William 2arrisA at last thorou'hly convinced of the radically un healthful nature of his a3odeA no, too! steps to,ard Duittin' it and closin' it forever. Securin' temporary Duarters for himself and ,ife at the ne,ly opened 7olden Ball =nnA he arran'ed for the 3uildin' of a ne, and finer house in Westminster StreetA in the 'ro,in' part of the to,n across the 7reat Brid'e. ThereA in 178 A his son $utee ,as 3ornB and there the family d,elt till the encroachments of commerce drove them 3ac! across the river and over the hill to An'ell StreetA in the ne,er East Side residence districtA ,here the late Archer 2arris 3uilt his sumptuous 3ut hideous 4rench1roofed mansion in 187-. William and >he3e 3oth succum3ed to the yello, fever epidemic in 17)7A 3ut $utee ,as 3rou'ht up 3y his cousin :ath3one 2arrisA >ele'<s son. :ath3one ,as a practical manA and rented the Benefit Street house despite William<s ,ish to !eep it vacant. 2e considered it an o3li'ation to his ,ard to ma!e the most of all the 3oy<s propertyA nor did he concern himself ,ith the deaths and illnesses ,hich caused so many chan'es of tenantsA or the steadily 'ro,in' aversion ,ith ,hich the house ,as 'enerally re'arded. =t is li!ely that he felt only ve%ation ,henA in 18*#A the to,n council ordered him to fumi'ate the place ,ith sulphurA tar and 'um camphor on account of the much1discussed deaths of four personsA presuma3ly caused 3y the then diminishin' fever epidemic. They said the place had a fe3rile smell. $utee himself thou'ht little of the houseA for he 're, up to 3e a privateersmanA and served ,ith distinction on the .igilant under Capt. Cahoone in the War of 181". 2e returned unharmedA married in 181#A and 3ecame a father on that memora3le ni'ht of Septem3er "&A 181 A ,hen a 'reat 'ale drove the ,aters of the 3ay over half the to,nA and floated a tall sloop ,ell up Westminster Street so that its masts almost tapped the 2arris ,indo,s in sym3olic affirmation that the ne, 3oyA WelcomeA ,as a seaman<s son. Welcome did not survive his fatherA 3ut lived to perish 'loriously at 4rederic!s3ur' in 18-". ;either he nor his son Archer !ne, of the shunned house as other than a nuisance almost impossi3le to rent 1 perhaps on account of the mustiness and sic!ly odour of un!empt old a'e. =ndeedA it never ,as rented after a series of deaths culminatin' in 18-1A ,hich the e%citement of the ,ar tended to thro, into o3scurity. Carrin'ton 2arrisA last of the male lineA !ne, it only as a deserted and some,hat picturesDue center of le'end until = told him my e%perience. 2e had meant to tear it do,n and 3uild an apartment house on the siteA 3ut after my accountA decided to let it standA install plum3in'A and rent it. ;or has he yet had any difficulty in o3tainin' tenants. The horror has 'one.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)*7

,,,.
=t may ,ell 3e ima'ined ho, po,erfully = ,as affected 3y the annals of the 2arrises. =n this continuous record there seemed to me to 3rood a persistent evil 3eyond anythin' in nature as = had !no,n itB an evil clearly connected ,ith the house and not ,ith the family. This impression ,as confirmed 3y my uncle<s less systematic array of miscellaneous data 1 le'ends transcri3ed from servant 'ossipA cuttin's from the papersA copies of death certificates 3y fello,1 physiciansA and the li!e. All of this material = cannot hope to 'iveA for my uncle ,as a tireless antiDuarian and very deeply interested in the shunned houseB 3ut = may refer to several dominant points ,hich earn notice 3y their recurrence throu'h many reports from diverse sources. 4or e%ampleA the servant 'ossip ,as practically unanimous in attri3utin' to the fun'ous and malodorous cellar of the house a vast supremacy in evil influence. There had 3een servants 1 Ann White especially 1 ,ho ,ould not use the cellar !itchenA and at least three ,ell1defined le'ends 3ore upon the Dueer Duasi1human or dia3olic outlines assumed 3y tree1roots and patches of mould in that re'ion. These latter narratives interested me profoundlyA on account of ,hat = had seen in my 3oyhoodA 3ut = felt that most of the si'nificance had in each case 3een lar'ely o3scured 3y additions from the common stoc! of local 'host lore. Ann WhiteA ,ith her E%eter superstitionA had promul'ated the most e%trava'ant and at the same time most consistent taleB alle'in' that there must lie 3uried 3eneath the house one of those vampires 1 the dead ,ho retain their 3odily form and live on the 3lood or 3reath of the livin' 1 ,hose hideous le'ions send their preyin' shapes or spirits a3road 3y ni'ht. To destroy a vampire one mustA the 'randmothers sayA e%hume it and 3urn its heartA or at least drive a sta!e throu'h that or'anB and Ann<s do''ed insistence on a search under the cellar had 3een prominent in 3rin'in' a3out her dischar'e. 2er talesA ho,everA commanded a ,ide audienceA and ,ere the more readily accepted 3ecause the house indeed stood on land once used for 3urial purposes. To me their interest depended less on this circumstance than on the peculiarly appropriate ,ay in ,hich they dove1tailed ,ith certain other thin's 1 the complaint of the de partin' servant >reserved SmithA ,ho had preceded Ann and never heard of herA that somethin' Lsuc!ed his 3reathL at ni'htB the death1 certificates of fever victims of 18*#A issued 3y $r. Chad 2op!insA and sho,in' the four deceased persons all unaccounta3ly lac!in' in 3loodB and the o3scure passa'es of poor :ho3y 2arris<s ravin'sA ,here she complained of the sharp teeth of a 'lassy1eyedA half1visi3le presence. 4ree from un,arranted superstition thou'h = amA these thin's produced in me an odd sensationA ,hich ,as intensified 3y a pair of ,idely separated ne,spaper cuttin's relatin' to deaths in the shunned house 1 one from the ,ro!idence Ga2ette and Country-Journal of April 1"A 181 A and the other from the #aily Transcript and C"ronicle of +cto3er "7A 18# 1 each of ,hich detailed an appallin'ly 'risly circumstance ,hose duplication ,as remar!a3le. =t seems that in 3oth instances the dyin' personA in 181 a 'entle old lady named Stafford and in 18# a school1teacher of middle a'e named Eleazar $urfeeA 3ecame transfi'ured in a horri3le ,ayB 'larin' 'lassily and attemptin' to 3ite the throat of the attendin' physician. Even more puzzlin'A thou'hA ,as the final case ,hich put an end to the rentin' of the house 1 a series of anaemia deaths preceded 3y pro'ressive madnesses ,herein the patient ,ould craftily attempt the lives of his relatives 3y incisions in the nec! or ,rists.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)*8

This ,as in 18-* and 18-1A ,hen my uncle had Cust 3e'un his medical practiceB and 3efore leavin' for the front he heard much of it from his elder professional collea'ues. The really ine%plica3le thin' ,as the ,ay in ,hich the victims 1 i'norant peopleA for the ill1 smellin' and ,idely shunned house could no, 3e rented to no others 1 ,ould 3a33le maledictions in 4renchA a lan'ua'e they could not possi3ly have studied to any e%tent. =t made one thin! of poor :ho3y 2arris nearly a century 3eforeA and so moved my uncle that he commenced collectin' historical data on the house after listenin'A some time su3seDuent to his return from the ,arA to the first1hand account of $rs. Chase and Whitmarsh. =ndeedA = could see that my uncle had thou'ht deeply on the su3CectA and that he ,as 'lad of my o,n interest 1 an open1minded and sympathetic interest ,hich ena3led him to discuss ,ith me matters at ,hich others ,ould merely have lau'hed. 2is fancy had not 'one so far as mineA 3ut he felt that the place ,as rare in its ima'inative potentialitiesA and ,orthy of note as an inspiration in the field of the 'rotesDue and maca3re. 4or my partA = ,as disposed to ta!e the ,hole su3Cect ,ith pro found seriousnessA and 3e'an at once not only to revie, the evidenceA 3ut to accumulate as much as = could. = tal!ed ,ith the elderly Archer 2arrisA then o,ner of the houseA many times 3efore his death in 1)1-B and o3tained from him and his still survivin' maiden sister Alice an authentic corro3oration of all the family data my uncle had collected. WhenA ho,everA = as!ed them ,hat connection ,ith 4rance or its lan'ua'e the house could haveA they confessed themselves as fran!ly 3affled and i'norant as =. Archer !ne, nothin'A and all that 8iss 2arris could say ,as that an old allusion her 'randfatherA $utee 2arrisA had heard of mi'ht have shed a little li'ht. The old seamanA ,ho had survived his son Welcome<s death in 3attle 3y t,o yearsA had not himself !no,n the le'endB 3ut recalled that his earliest nurseA the ancient 8aria :o33insA seemed dar!ly a,are of somethin' that mi'ht have lent a ,eird si'nificance to the 4rench ravin's of :ho3y 2arrisA ,hich she had so often heard durin' the last days of that hapless ,oman. 8aria had 3een at the shunned house from 17-) till the removal of the family in 178&A and had seen 8ercy $e%ter die. +nce she hinted to the child $utee of a some,hat peculiar circumstance in 8ercy<s last momentsA 3ut he had soon for 'otten all a3out it save that it ,as somethin' peculiar. The 'rand dau'hterA moreoverA recalled even this much ,ith difficulty. She and her 3rother ,ere not so much interested in the house as ,as Archer<s son Carrin'tonA the present o,nerA ,ith ,hom = tal!ed after my e%perience. 2avin' e%hausted the 2arris family of all the information it could furnishA = turned my attention to early to,n records and deeds ,ith a zeal more penetratin' than that ,hich my uncle had occasionally sho,n in the same ,or!. What = ,ished ,as a comprehensive history of the site from its very settlement in 1-&- 1 or even 3eforeA if any ;arra'ansett =ndian le'end could 3e unearthed to supply the data. = foundA at the startA that the land had 3een part of a lon' strip of the lot 'ranted ori'inally to 6ohn Throc!mortonB one of many similar strips 3e'innin' at the To,n Street 3eside the river and e%tendin' up over the hill to a line rou'hly correspondin' ,ith the modern 2ope Street. The Throc!morton lot had laterA of courseA 3een much su3dividedB and = 3ecame very assiduous in tracin' that section throu'h ,hich Bac! or Benefit Street ,as later run. =t hadA a rumour indeed saidA 3een the Throc!morton 'raveyardB 3ut as = e%amined the records more carefullyA = found that the 'raves had all 3een transferred at an early date to the ;orth Burial 7round on the >a,tuc!et West :oad. Then suddenly = came 1 3y a rare piece of chanceA since it ,as not in the main 3ody of records and mi'ht easily have 3een missed 1 upon somethin' ,hich aroused my !eenest

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)*)

ea'ernessA fittin' in as it did ,ith several of the Dueerest phases of the affair. =t ,as the record of a lease in 1-)7A of a small tract of 'round to an Etienne :oulet and ,ife. At last the 4rench element had appeared 1 thatA and another deeper element of horror ,hich the name conCured up from the dar!est recesses of my ,eird and hetero'eneous readin' 1 and = feverishly studied the plattin' of the locality as it had 3een 3efore the cuttin' throu'h and partial strai'htenin' of Bac! Street 3et,een 17#7 and 17 8. = found ,hat = had half e%pectedA that ,here the shunned house no, stoodA the :oulets had laid out their 'raveyard 3ehind a one1story and attic cotta'eA and that no record of any transfer of. 'raves e%isted. The documentA indeedA ended in much confusionB and = ,as forced to ransac! 3oth the :hode =sland 2istorical Society and Shepley 5i3rary 3efore = could find a local door ,hich the name of Etienne :oulet ,ould unloc!. =n the end = did find somethin'B some thin' of such va'ue 3ut monstrous import that = set a3out at once to e%amine the cellar of the shunned house itself ,ith a ne, and e% cited minuteness. The :ouletsA it seemedA had come in 1-)- from East 7reen,ichA do,n the ,est shore of ;arra'ansett Bay. They ,ere 2u'uenots from CaudeA and had encountered much opposition 3efore the >rovidence selectmen allo,ed them to settle in the to,n. (npopularity had do''ed them in East 7reen,ichA ,hither they had come in 1-8-A after the revocation of the Edict of ;antesA and rumour said that the cause of disli!e e%tended 3eyond mere racial and national preCudiceA or the land disputes ,hich involved other 4rench settlers ,ith the En'lish in rivalries ,hich not even 7overnor Andros could Duell. But their ardent >rotestantism 1 too ardentA some ,hispered 1 and their evident distress ,hen virtually driven from the villa'e had 3een 'ranted a havenB and the s,arthy Etienne :ouletA less apt at a'riculture than at readin' Dueer 3oo!s and dra,in' Dueer dia'ramsA ,as 'iven a clerical post in the ,arehouse at >ardon Tillin'hast<s ,harfA far south in To,n Street. There hadA ho,everA 3een a riot of some sort later on 1 perhaps forty years laterA after old :oulet<s death 1 and no one seemed to hear of the family after that. 4or a century and moreA it appearedA the :oulets had 3een ,ell re mem3ered and freDuently discussed as vivid incidents in the Duiet life of a ;e, En'land seaport. Etienne<s son >aulA a surly fello, ,hose erratic conduct had pro3a3ly provo!ed the riot ,hich ,iped out the familyA ,as particularly a source of speculationB and thou'h >rovidence never shared the ,itchcraft panics of her >uritan nei'h3oursA it ,as freely intimated 3y old ,ives that his prayers ,ere neither uttered at the proper time nor directed to,ard the proper o3Cect. All this had undou3tedly formed the 3asis of the le'end !no,n 3y old 8aria :o33ins. What relation it had to the 4rench ravin's of :ho3y 2arris and other inha3itants of the shunned houseA ima'ination or future discovery alone could determine. = ,ondered ho, many of those ,ho had !no,n the le'ends realized that additional lin! ,ith the terri3le ,hich my ,ider readin' had 'iven meB that ominous item in the annals of mor3id horror ,hich tells of the creature Jac0ues *oulet& of Caude& ,ho in 1 )8 ,as condemned to death as a daemoniac 3ut after,ard saved from the sta!e 3y the >aris parliament and shut in a madhouse. 2e had 3een found covered ,ith 3lood and shreds of flesh in a ,oodA shortly after the !illin' and rendin' of a 3oy 3y a pair of ,olves. +ne ,olf ,as seen to lope a,ay unhurt. Surely a pretty hearthside taleA ,ith a Dueer si'nificance as to name and placeB 3ut = decided that the >rovidence 'ossips could not have 'enerally !no,n of it. 2ad they !no,nA the coincidence of names ,ould have 3rou'ht some drastic and fri'htened action1 indeedA mi'ht not its limited ,hisperin' have precipitated the final riot ,hich erased the :oulets from the to,nG

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)1*

= no, visited the accursed place ,ith increased freDuencyB studyin' the un,holesome ve'etation of the 'ardenA e%aminin' all the ,alls of the 3uildin'A and porin' over every inch of the earthen cellar floor. 4inallyA ,ith Carrin'ton 2arris<s permissionA = fitted a !ey to the disused door openin' from the cellar directly upon Benefit StreetA preferrin' to have a more immediate access to the outside ,orld than the dar! stairsA 'round floor hallA and front door could 'ive. ThereA ,here mor3idity lur!ed most thic!lyA = searched and po!ed durin' lon' afternoons ,hen the sunli'ht filtered in throu'h the co3,e33ed a3ove1'round door ,hich placed me only a fe, feet from the placid side,al! outside. ;othin' ne, re,arded my efforts1only the same depressin' mustiness and faint su''estions of no%ious odours and nitrous outlines on the floor 1 and = fancy that many pedestrians must have ,atched me curiously throu'h the 3ro!en panes. At len'thA upon a su''estion of my uncle<sA = decided to try the spot nocturnallyB and one stormy midni'ht ran the 3eams of an electric torch over the mouldy floor ,ith its uncanny shapes and distortedA half1phosphorescent fun'i. The place had dispirited me curiously that evenin'A and = ,as almost prepared ,hen = sa, 1 or thou'ht = sa, 1 amidst the ,hitish deposits a particularly sharp definition of the Lhuddled formL = had suspected from 3oyhood. =ts clear ness ,as astonishin' and unprecedented 1 and as = ,atched = seemed to see a'ain the thinA yello,ishA shimmerin' e%halation ,hich had startled me on that rainy afternoon so many years 3efore. A3ove the anthropomorphic patch of mould 3y the fireplace it roseB a su3tleA sic!ishA almost luminous vapour ,hichA as it hun' trem3lin' in the dampnessA seemed to develop va'ue and shoc!in' su''estions of formA 'radually trailin' off into ne3ulous decay and passin' up into the 3lac!ness of the 'reat chimney ,ith a foetor in its ,a!e. =t ,as truly horri3leA and the more so to me 3ecause of. ,hat = !ne, of the spot. :efusin' to fleeA = ,atched it fade 1 and as = ,atched = felt that it ,as in turn ,atchin' me 'reedily ,ith eyes more ima'ina3le than visi3le. When = told my uncle a3out it he ,as 'reatly arousedB and after a tense hour of reflectionA arrived at a definite and drastic decision. Wei'hin' in his mind the importance of the matterA and the si'nificance of our relation to itA he insisted that ,e 3oth test 1 and if possi3le destroy 1 the horror of the house 3y a Coint ni'ht or ni'hts of a''ressive vi'il in that musty and fun'ous1cursed cellar.

,V.
+n WednesdayA 6une " A 1)1)A after a proper notification of Carrin' ton 2arris ,hich did not include surmises as to ,hat ,e e%pected to findA my uncle and = conveyed to the shunned house t,o camp chairs and a foldin' camp cotA to'ether ,ith some scientific mechanism of 'reater ,ei'ht and intricacy. These ,e placed in the cellar durin' the dayA screenin' the ,indo,s ,ith paper and plannin' to return in the evenin' for our first vi'il. We had loc!ed the door from the cellar to the 'round floorB and havin' a !ey to the outside cellar doorA ,e ,ere prepared to leave our e%pensive and delicate apparatus 1 ,hich ,e had o3tained secretly and at 'reat cost 1 as many days as our vi'il mi'ht need to 3e protracted. =t ,as our desi'n to sit up to'ether till very lateA and then ,atch sin'ly till da,n in t,o1 hour stretchesA myself first and then my companionB the inactive mem3er restin' on the cot.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)11

The natural leadership ,ith ,hich my uncle procured the instruments from the la3oratories of Bro,n (niversity and the Cranston Street ArmoryA and instinctively assumed direction of our ventureA ,as a marvellous commentary on the potential vitality and resilience of a man of ei'hty1one. Elihu Whipple had lived accordin' to the hy'ienic la,s he had preached as a physicianA and 3ut for ,hat happened later ,ould 3e here in full vi'our today. +nly t,o persons suspect ,hat did happen 1 Carrin'ton 2arris and myself. = had to tell 2arris 3ecause he o,ned the house and deserved to !no, ,hat had 'one out of it. ThenA tooA ,e had spo!en to him in advance of our DuestB and = felt after my uncle<s 'oin' that he ,ould understand and assist me in some vitally necessary pu3lic e%planations. 2e turned very paleA 3ut a'reed to help meA and decided that it ,ould no, 3e safe to rent the house. To declare that ,e ,ere not nervous on that rainy ni'ht of ,atchin' ,ould 3e an e%a''eration 3oth 'ross and ridiculous. We ,ere notA as = have saidA in any sense childishly superstitiousA 3ut scientific study and reflection had tau'ht us that the !no,n universe of three dimensions em3races the merest fraction of the ,hole cosmos of su3stance and ener'y. =n this case an over,helmin' preponderance of evidence from numerous authentic sources pointed to the tenacious e%istence of certain forces of 'reat po,er andA so far as the human point of vie, is concernedA e%ceptional mali'nancy. To say that ,e actually 3elieved in vampires or ,ere,olves ,ould 3e a carelessly inclusive statement. :ather must it 3e said that ,e ,ere not prepared to deny the possi3ility of certain unfamiliar and unclassified modifications of vital force and attenuated matterB e%istin' very infreDuently in three1dimensional space 3ecause of its more intimate connection ,ith other spatial unitsA yet close enou'h to the 3oundary of our o,n to furnish us occasional manifestations ,hich ,eA for lac! of a proper vanta'e1pointA may never hope to understand. =n shortA it seemed to my uncle and me that an incontroverti3le array of facts pointed to some lin'erin' influence in the shunned houseB tracea3le to one or another of the ill1 favoured 4rench settlers of t,o centuries 3eforeA and still operative throu'h rare and un !no,n la,s of atomic and electronic motion. That the family of :oulet had possessed an a3normal affinity for outer circles of entity 1 dar! spheres ,hich for normal fol! hold only repulsion and terror 1 their recorded history seemed to prove. 2ad notA thenA the riots of those 3y'one seventeen1thirties set movin' certain !inetic patterns in the mor3id 3rain of one or more of them 1 nota3ly the sinister >aul :oulet 1 ,hich o3scurely survived the 3odies murderedA and continued to function in some multiple1dimensioned space alon' the ori'inal lines of force determined 3y a frantic hatred of the encroachin' communityG Such a thin' ,as surely not a physical or 3iochemical impossi3ility in the li'ht of a ne,er science ,hich includes the theories of relativity and intra1atomic action. +ne mi'ht easily ima'ine an alien nucleus of su3stance or ener'yA formless or other,iseA !ept alive 3y impercepti3le or immaterial su3tractions from the life1force or 3odily tissue and fluids of other and more palpa3ly livin' thin's into ,hich it penetrates and ,ith ,hose fa3ric it sometimes completely mer'es itself. =t mi'ht 3e actively hostileA or it mi'ht 3e dictated merely 3y 3lind motives of self1preservation. =n any case such a monster must of necessity 3e in our scheme of thin's an anomaly and an intruderA ,hose e%tirpation forms a primary duty ,ith every man not an enemy to the ,orld<s lifeA healthA and sanity. What 3affled us ,as our utter i'norance of the aspect in ,hich ,e mi'ht encounter the thin'. ;o sane person had even seen itA and fe, had ever felt it definitely. =t mi'ht 3e pure ener'y 1 a form ethereal and outside the realm of su3stance1or it mi'ht 3e partly materialB

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)1"

some un!no,n and eDuivocal mass of plasticityA capa3le of chan'in' at ,ill to ne3ulous appro%imations of the solidA liDuidA 'aseousA or tenuously unparticled states. The anthropomorphic patch of mould on the floorA the form of the yello,ish vapourA and the curvature of the tree1roots in some of the old talesA all ar'ued at least a remote and reminiscent connection ,ith the human shapeB 3ut ho, representative or permanent that similarity mi'ht 3eA none could say ,ith any !ind of certainty. We had devised t,o ,eapons to fi'ht itB a lar'e and specially fitted Croo!es tu3e operated 3y po,erful stora'e 3atteries and pro vided ,ith peculiar screens and reflectorsA in case it proved intan'i3le and opposa3le only 3y vi'orously destructive ether radiationsA and a pair of military flame1thro,ers of the sort used in the World WarA in case it proved partly material and suscepti3le of mechanical destruction 1 for li!e the superstitious E%eter rusticsA ,e ,ere prepared to 3urn the thin'<s heart out if heart e%isted to 3urn. All this a''ressive mechanism ,e set in the cellar in positions care fully arran'ed ,ith reference to the cot and chairsA and to the spot 3efore the fireplace ,here the mould had ta!en stran'e shapes. That su''estive patchA 3y the ,ayA ,as only faintly visi3le ,hen ,e placed our furniture and instrumentsA and ,hen ,e returned that evenin' for the actual vi'il. 4or a moment = half1dou3ted that = had ever seen it in the more definitely limned form 1 3ut then = thou'ht of the le'ends. +ur cellar vi'il 3e'an at 1* >.8.; dayli'ht savin' timeA and as it continued ,e found no promise of pertinent developments. A ,ea!A filtered 'lo, from the rain1harassed street lamps outsideA and a fee3le phosphorescence from the detesta3le fun'i ,ithinA sho,ed the drip pin' stone of the ,allsA from ,hich all traces of ,hite,ash had vanishedB the dan!A foetid and milde,1tainted hard earth floor ,ith its o3scene fun'iB the rottin' remains of ,hat had 3een stoolsA chairs and ta3lesA and other more shapeless furnitureB the heavy plan!s and massive 3eams of the 'round floor overheadB the decrepit plan! door leadin' to 3ins and cham3ers 3eneath other parts of the houseB the crum3lin' stone staircase ,ith ruined ,ooden hand1railB and the crude and cavernous fireplace of 3lac!ened 3ric! ,here rusted iron fra'ments revealed the past presence of hoo!sA andironsA spitA craneA and a door to the $utch oven 1 these thin'sA and our austere cot and camp chairsA and the heavy and intricate destructive machinery ,e had 3rou'ht. We hadA as in my o,n former e%plorationsA left the door to the street unloc!edB so that a direct and practical path of escape mi'ht lie open in case of manifestations 3eyond our po,er to deal ,ith. =t ,as our idea that our continued nocturnal presence ,ould call forth ,hatever mali'n entity lur!ed thereB and that 3ein' preparedA ,e could dispose of the thin' ,ith one or the other of our provided means as soon as ,e had reco'nised and o3served it sufficiently. 2o, lon' it mi'ht reDuire to evo!e and e%tin'uish the thin'A ,e had no notion. =t occurred to usA tooA that our venture ,as far from safeA for in ,hat stren'th the thin' mi'ht appear no one could tell. But ,e deemed the 'ame ,orth the hazardA and em3ar!ed on it alone and unhesitatin'lyB conscious that the see!in' of outside aid ,ould only e%pose us to ridicule and perhaps defeat our entire purpose. Such ,as our frame of mind as ,e tal!ed 1 far into the ni'htA till my uncle<s 'ro,in' dro,siness made me remind him to lie do,n for his t,o1hour sleep. Somethin' li!e fear chilled me as = sat there in the small hours alone 1 = say aloneA for one ,ho sits 3y a sleeper is indeed aloneB perhaps more alone than he can realise. 8y uncle 3reathed heavilyA his deep inhalations and e%halations accompanied 3y the rain outsideA and punctuated 3y another nerve1rac!in' sound of distant drippin' ,ater ,ithin 1 for the

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)1&

house ,as repulsively damp even in dry ,eatherA and in this storm positively s,amp1li!e. = studied the looseA antiDue1masonry of the ,alls in the fun'ous1li'ht and the fee3le rays ,hich stole in from the street throu'h the screened ,indo,sB and onceA ,hen the noisome atmosphere of the place seemed a3out to sic!en meA = opened the door and loo!ed up and do,n the streetA feastin' my eyes on familiar si'hts and my nostrils on ,hole some air. Still nothin' occurred to re,ard my ,atchin'B and = ya,ned repeatedlyA fati'ue 'ettin' the 3etter of apprehension. Then the stirrin' of my uncle in his sleep attracted my notice. 2e had turned restlessly on the cot several times durin' the latter half of the first hourA 3ut no, he ,as 3reathin' ,ith unusual irre'ularityA occasionally heavin' a si'h ,hich held more than a fe, of the Dualities of a cho!in' moan. = turned my electric flashli'ht on him and found his face avertedA so risin' and crossin' to the other side of the cotA = a'ain flashed the li'ht to see if he seemed in any pain. What = sa, unnerved me most surprisin'lyA considerin' its relative triviality. =t must have 3een merely the association of an odd circumstance ,ith the sinister nature of our location and missionA for surely the circumstance ,as not in itself fri'htful or unnatural. =t ,as merely that my uncle<s facial e%pressionA distur3ed no dou3t 3y the stran'e dreams ,hich our situation promptedA 3etrayed consider a3le a'itationA and seemed not at all characteristic of him. 2is ha3itual e%pression ,as one of !indly and ,ell13red calmA ,hereas no, a variety of emotions seemed stru''lin' ,ithin him. = thin!A on the ,holeA that it ,as this !ariety ,hich chiefly distur3ed me. 8y uncleA as he 'asped and tossed in increasin' pertur3ation and ,ith eyes that had no, started openA seemed not one man 3ut many menA and su''ested a curious Duality of aliena'e from himself. All at once he commenced to mutterA and = did not li!e the loo! of his mouth and teeth as he spo!e. The ,ords ,ere at first indistin'uisha3leA and then 1 ,ith a tremendous start 1 = reco'nised some thin' a3out them ,hich filled me ,ith icy fear till = recalled the 3readth of my uncle<s education and the intermina3le translations he had made from anthropolo'ical and antiDuarian articles in the *e!ue des #eu@ Mondes% 4or the venera3le Elihu Whipple ,as mutterin' in 4renchA and the fe, phrases = could distin'uish seemed connected ,ith the dar!est myths he had ever adapted from the famous >aris ma'azine. Suddenly a perspiration 3ro!e out on the sleeper<s foreheadA and he leaped a3ruptly upA half a,a!e. The Cum3le of 4rench chan'ed to a cry in En'lishA and the hoarse voice shouted e%citedlyA L8y 3reathA my 3reathFL Then the a,a!enin' 3ecame completeA and ,ith a su3sidence of facial e%pression to the normal state my uncle seized my hand and 3e'an to relate a dream ,hose nucleus of si'nificance = could only surmise ,ith a !ind of a,e. 2e hadA he saidA floated off from a very ordinary series of dream1 pictures into a scene ,hose stran'eness ,as related to nothin' he had ever read. =t ,as of this ,orldA and yet not of it 1 a shado,y 'eometrical confusion in ,hich could 3e seen elements of familiar thin's in most unfamiliar and pertur3in' com3inations. There ,as a su''estion of Dueerly disordered pictures superimposed one upon an otherB an arran'ement in ,hich the essentials of time as ,ell as of space seemed dissolved and mi%ed in the most illo'ical fashion. =n this !aleidoscopic vorte% of phantasmal ima'es ,ere occasional snap1shotsA if one mi'ht use the termA of sin'ular clearness 3ut un accounta3le hetero'eneity. +nce my uncle thou'ht he lay in a carelessly du' open pitA ,ith a cro,d of an'ry faces framed 3y stra''lin' loc!s and three1cornered hats fro,nin' do,n at him. A'ain he

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)1#

seemed to 3e in the interior of a house 1 an old houseA apparently 1 3ut the details and inha3itants ,ere constantly chan'in'A and he could never 3e certain of the faces or the furnitureA or even of the room itselfA since doors and ,indo,s seemed in Cust as 'reat a state of flu% as the more presuma3ly mo3ile o3Cects. =t ,as Dueer 1 damna3ly Dueer 1 and my uncle spo!e almost sheepishlyA as if half e%pectin' not to 3e 3elievedA ,hen he declared that of the stran'e faces many had unmista!a3ly 3orne the features of the 2arris family. And all the ,hile there ,as a personal sensation of cho!in'A as if some pervasive presence had spread itself throu'h his 3ody and sou'ht to possess itself of his vital processes. = shuddered at the thou'ht of those vital processesA ,orn as they ,ere 3y ei'hty1 one years of continuous functionin'A in conflict ,ith un!no,n forces of ,hich the youn'est and stron'est system mi'ht ,ell 3e afraidB 3ut in another moment reflected that dreams are only dreamsA and that these uncomforta3le visions could 3eA at mostA no more than my uncle<s reaction to the investi'ations and e%pectations ,hich had lately filled our minds to the e%clusion of all else. ConversationA alsoA soon tended to dispel my sense of stran'enessB and in time = yielded to my ya,ns and too! my turn at slum3er. 8y uncle seemed no, very ,a!efulA and ,elcomed his period of ,atchin' even thou'h the ni'htmare had aroused him far ahead of his al lotted t,o hours. Sleep seized me Duic!lyA and = ,as at once haunted ,ith dreams of the most distur3in' !ind. = feltA in my visionsA a cosmic and a3ysmal lonenessB ,ith hostility sur'in' from all sides upon some prison ,here = lay confined. = seemed 3ound and 'a''edA and taunted 3y the echoin' yells of distant multitudes ,ho thirsted for my 3lood. 8y uncle<s face came to me ,ith less pleasant associations than in ,a!in' hoursA and = recall many futile stru''les and at tempts to scream. =t ,as not a pleasant sleepA and for a second = ,as not sorry for the echoin' shrie! ,hich clove throu'h the 3arriers of dream and flun' me to a sharp and startled a,a!eness in ,hich every actual o3Cect 3efore my eyes stood out ,ith more than natural clearness and reality.

V.
= had 3een lyin' ,ith my face a,ay from my uncle<s chairA so that in this sudden flash of a,a!enin' = sa, only the door to the streetA the more northerly ,indo,A and the ,all and floor and ceilin' to,ard the north of the roomA all photo'raphed ,ith mor3id vivid ness on my 3rain in a li'ht 3ri'hter than the 'lo, of the fun'i or the rays from the street outside. =t ,as not a stron' or even a fairly stron' li'htB certainly not nearly stron' enou'h to read an avera'e 3oo! 3y. But it cast a shado, of myself and the cot on the floorA and had a yello,ishA penetratin' force that hinted at thin's more portent than luminosity. This = perceived ,ith unhealthy sharpness despite the fact that t,o of my other senses ,ere violently assailed. 4or on my ears ran' the rever3erations of that shoc!in' screamA ,hile my nostrils revolted at the stench ,hich filled the place. 8y mindA as alert as my sensesA reco'nised the 'ravely unusualB and almost automatically = leaped up and turned a3out to 'rasp the destructive instruments ,hich ,e had left trained on the mouldy spot 3efore the fireplace. As = turnedA = dreaded ,hat = ,as to seeB for the scream had 3een in my uncle<s voiceA and = !ne, not a'ainst ,hat menace = should have to defend him and myself. .et after allA the si'ht ,as ,orse than = had dreaded. There are horrors 3eyond horrorsA and this ,as one of those nuclei of all dreama3le hideousness ,hich the cosmos saves to 3last an accursed and unhappy fe,. +ut of the fun'ous1ridden earth steamed up a va

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)1

porous corpse1li'htA yello, and diseasedA ,hich 3u33led and lapped to a 'i'antic hei'ht in va'ue outlines half human and half monstrousA throu'h ,hich = could see the chimney and fireplace 3eyond. =t ,as all eyes 1 ,olfish and moc!in' 1 and the ru'ose insect1li!e head dissolved at the top to a thin stream of mist ,hich curled putridly a3out and finally vanished up the chimney. = say that = sa, this thin'A 3ut it is only in conscious retrospection that = ever definitely traced its damna3le approach to form. At the time it ,as to me only a seethin' dimly phosphorescent cloud of fun'ous loathsomenessA envelopin' and dissolvin' to an a3horrent plasticity the one o3Cect to ,hich all my attention ,as focused. That o3Cect ,as my uncle 1 the venera3le Elihu Whipple 1 ,ho ,ith 3lac!enin' and decayin' features leered and 'i33ered at meA and reached out drip pin' cla,s to rend me in the fury ,hich this horror had 3rou'ht. =t ,as a sense of routine ,hich !ept me from 'oin' mad. = had drilled myself in preparation for the crucial momentA and 3lind trainin' saved me. :eco'nisin' the 3u33lin' evil as no su3stance reach a3le 3y matter or material chemistryA and therefore i'norin' the flame1thro,er ,hich loomed on my leftA = thre, on the current of the Croo!es tu3e apparatusA and focussed to,ard that scene of immortal 3lasphemousness the stron'est ether radiations ,hich men<s art can arouse from the spaces and fluids of nature. There ,as a 3luish haze and a frenzied sputterin'A and the yello,ish phosphorescence 're, dimmer to my eyes. But = sa, the dimness ,as only that of contrastA and that the ,aves from the machine had no effect ,hatever. ThenA in the midst of that daemoniac spectacleA = sa, a fresh horror ,hich 3rou'ht cries to my lips and sent me fum3lin' and sta''erin' to,ards that unloc!ed door to the Duiet streetA careless of ,hat a3normal terrors = loosed upon the ,orldA or ,hat thou'hts or Cud'ments of men = 3rou'ht do,n upon my head. =n that dim 3lend of 3lue and yello, the form of my uncle had commenced a nauseous liDuefaction ,hose essence eludes all descriptionA and in ,hich there played across his vanishin' face such chan'es of identity as only madness can conceive. 2e ,as at once a devil and a multitudeA a charnel1house and a pa'eant. 5it 3y the mi%ed and uncertain 3eamsA that 'elatinous face assumed a dozen 1 a score 1 a hundred1 aspectsB 'rinnin'A as it san! to the 'round on a 3ody that melted li!e tallo,A in the caricatured li!eness of le'ions stran'e and yet not stran'e. = sa, the features of the 2arris lineA masculine and feminineA adult and infantileA and other features old and youn'A coarse and re finedA familiar and unfamiliar. 4or a second there flashed a de'raded counterfeit of a miniature of poor :ho3y 2arris that = had seen in the School of $esi'n 8useumA and another time = thou'ht = cau'ht the ra,3oned ima'e of 8ercy $e%ter as = recalled her from a paintin' in Carrin'ton 2arris<s house. =t ,as fri'htful 3eyond conceptionB to,ard the lastA ,hen a curious 3lend of servant and 3a3y visa'es flic!ered close to the fun'ous floor ,here a pool of 'reenish 'rease ,as spreadin'A it seemed as thou'h the shiftin' features fou'ht a'ainst themselvesA and strove to form contours li!e those of my uncle<s !indly face. = li!e to thin! that he e%isted at that momentA and that he tried to 3id me fare,ell. =t seems to me = hiccou'hed a fare,ell from my o,n parched throat as = lurched out into the streetB a thin stream of 'rease follo,in' me throu'h the door to the rain1 drenched side,al!. The rest is shado,y and monstrous. There ,as no one in the soa!in' streetA and in all the ,orld there ,as no one = dared tell. = ,al!ed aimlessly south past Colle'e 2ill and the AthenaeumA do,n 2op!ins StreetA and over the 3rid'e to the 3usiness section ,here tall 3uildin's seemed to 'uard me as modern material thin's 'uard the ,orld from ancient and

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)1-

un,holesome ,onder. Then the 'rey da,n unfolded ,etly from the eastA silhouettin' the archaic hill and its venera3le steeplesA and 3ec!onin' me to the place ,here my terri3le ,or! ,as still unfinished. And in the end = ,entA ,etA hatlessA and dazed in the mornin' li'htA and entered that a,ful door in Benefit Street ,hich = had left aCarA and ,hich still s,un' cryptically in full si'ht of the early householders to ,hom = dared not spea!. The 'rease ,as 'oneA for the mouldy floor ,as porous. And in front of the fireplace ,as no vesti'e of the 'iant dou3led1up form in nitre. = loo!ed at the cotA the chairsA the instrumentsA my ne'lected hatA and the yello,ed stra, hat of my uncle. $azedness ,as upper mostA and = could scarcely recall ,hat ,as dream and ,hat ,as reality. Then thou'ht tric!led 3ac!A and = !ne, that = had ,itnessed thin's more horri3le than = had dreamed. Sittin' do,nA = tried to conCecture as nearly as sanity ,ould let me Cust ,hat had happenedA and ho, = mi'ht end the horrorA if indeed it had 3een real. 8atter it seemed not to 3eA nor etherA nor anythin' else conceiva3le 3y mortal mind. WhatA thenA 3ut some e%otic emanationB some vampirish vapour such as E%eter rustics tell of as lur!in' over certain church yardsG This = felt ,as the clueA and a'ain = loo!ed at the floor 3efore the fireplace ,here the mould and nitre had ta!en stran'e forms. =n ten minutes my mind ,as made upA and ta!in' my hat = set out for homeA ,here = 3athedA ateA and 'ave 3y telephone an order for a pic!1 a%eA a spadeA a military 'as1mas!A and si% car3oys of sulphuric acidA all to 3e delivered the ne%t mornin' at the cellar door of the shunned house in Benefit Street. After that = tried to sleepB and failin'A passed the hours in readin' and in the composition of inane verses to counteract my mood. At 11 A.8. the ne%t day = commenced di''in'. =t ,as sunny ,eatherA and = ,as 'lad of that. = ,as still aloneA for as much as = feared the un!no,n horror = sou'htA there ,as more fear in the thou'ht of tellin' any3ody. 5ater = told 2arris only throu'h sheer necessityA and 3ecause he had heard odd tales from old people ,hich disposed him ever so little to,ard 3elief. As = turned up the stin!in' 3lac! earth in front of the fireplaceA my spade causin' a viscous yello, ichor to ooze from the ,hite fun'i ,hich it severedA = trem3led at the du3ious thou'hts of ,hat = mi'ht uncover. Some secrets of inner earth are not 'ood for man!indA and this seemed to me one of them. 8y hand shoo! percepti3lyA 3ut still = delvedB after a ,hile standin' in the lar'e hole = had made. With the deepenin' of the holeA ,hich ,as a3out si% feet sDuareA the evil smell increasedB and = lost all dou3t of my imminent contact ,ith the hellish thin' ,hose emanations had cursed the house for over a century and a half. = ,ondered ,hat it ,ould loo! li!e 1 ,hat its form and su3stance ,ould 3eA and ho, 3i' it mi'ht have ,a%ed throu'h lon' a'es of life1 suc!in'. At len'th = clim3ed out of the hole and dispersed the heaped1up dirtA then arran'in' the 'reat car3oys of acid around and near t,o sidesA so that ,hen necessary = mi'ht empty them all do,n the aperture in Duic! succession. After that = dumped earth only alon' the other t,o sidesB ,or!in' more slo,ly and donnin' my 'as1 mas! as the smell 're,. = ,as nearly unnerved at my pro%imity to a nameless thin' at the 3ottom of a pit. Suddenly my spade struc! somethin' softer than earth. = shuddered and made a motion as if to clim3 out of the holeA ,hich ,as no, as deep as my nec!. Then coura'e returnedA and = scraped a,ay more dirt in the li'ht of the electric torch = had provided. The surface = uncovered ,as fishy and 'lassy 1 a !ind of semi1putrid con'ealed Celly ,ith su''estions of translucency. = scraped furtherA and sa, that it had form. There ,as a rift ,here a part of the su3stance ,as folded over. The e%posed area ,as hu'e and rou'hly cylindricalB li!e a

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Shunned 2ouse

)17

mammoth soft 3lue1,hite stovepipe dou3led in t,oA its lar'est part some t,o feet in diameter. Still more = scrapedA and then a3ruptly = leaped out of the hole and a,ay from the filthy thin'B frantically unstoppin' and tiltin' the heavy car3oysA and precipitatin' their corrosive contents one after another do,n that charnel 'ulf and upon this unthin!a3le a3normality ,hose titan elbo$ = had seen. The 3lindin' maelstrom of 'reenish1yello, vapour ,hich sur'ed tempestuously up from that hole as the floods of acid descendedA ,ill never leave my memory. All alon' the hill people tell of the yello, dayA ,hen virulent and horri3le fumes arose from the factory ,aste dumped in the >rovidence :iverA 3ut = !no, ho, mista!en they are as to the source. They tellA tooA of the hideous roar ,hich at the same time came from some disordered ,ater1pipe or 'as main under'round 1 3ut a'ain = could correct them if = dared. =t ,as unspea!a3ly shoc!in'A and = do not see ho, = lived throu'h it. = did faint after emptyin' the fourth car3oyA ,hich = had to handle after the fumes had 3e'un to penetrate my mas!B 3ut ,hen = recovered = sa, that the hole ,as emittin' no fresh vapours. The t,o remainin' car3oys = emptied do,n ,ithout particular resultA and after a time = felt it safe to shovel the earth 3ac! into the pit. =t ,as t,ili'ht 3efore = ,as doneA 3ut fear had 'one out of the place. The dampness ,as less foetidA and all the stran'e fun'i had ,ithered to a !ind of harmless 'reyish po,der ,hich 3le, ashli!e alon' the floor. +ne of earth<s nethermost terrors had perished foreverB and if there 3e a hellA it had received at last the daemon soul of an unhallo,ed thin'. And as = patted do,n the last spadeful of mouldA = shed the first of many tears ,ith ,hich = have paid unaffected tri3ute to my 3eloved uncle<s memory. The ne%t sprin' no more pale 'rass and stran'e ,eeds came up in the shunned house<s terraced 'ardenA and shortly after,ard Carrin' ton 2arris rented the place. =t it still spectralA 3ut its stran'eness fascinates meA and = shall find mi%ed ,ith my relief a Dueer re'ret ,hen it is torn do,n to ma!e ,ay for a ta,dry shop or vul'ar apartment 3uildin'. The 3arren old trees in the yard have 3e'un to 3ear smallA s,eet applesA and last year the 3irds nested in their 'narled 3ou'hs.

The Silver Ke&

When :andolph Carter ,as thirty he lost the !ey of the 'ate of dreams. >rior to that time he had made up for the prosiness of life 3y ni'htly e%cursions to stran'e and ancient cities 3eyond spaceA and lovelyA un3elieva3le 'arden lands across ethereal seasB 3ut as middle a'e hardened upon him he felt those li3erties slippin' a,ay little 3y littleA until at last he ,as cut off alto'ether. ;o more could his 'alleys sail up the river +u!ranos past the 'ilded spires of ThranA or his elephant caravans tramp throu'h perfumed Cun'les in 0ledA ,here for'otten palaces ,ith veined ivory columns sleep lovely and un3ro!en under the moon. 2e had read much of thin's as they areA and tal!ed ,ith too many people. Well1meanin' philosophers had tau'ht him to loo! into the lo'ical relations of thin'sA and analyse the processes ,hich shaped his thou'hts and fancies. Wonder had 'one a,ayA and he had for'otten that all life is only a set of pictures in the 3rainA amon' ,hich there is no difference 3et,i%t those 3orn of real thin's and those 3orn of in,ard dreamin'sA and no cause to value the one a3ove the other. Custom had dinned into his ears a superstitious reverence for that ,hich tan'i3ly and physically e%istsA and had made him secretly ashamed to d,ell in visions. Wise men told him his simple fancies ,ere inane and childishA and even more a3surd 3ecause their actors persist in fancyin' them full of meanin' and purpose as the 3lind cosmos 'rinds aimlessly on from nothin' to somethin' and from somethin' 3ac! to nothin' a'ainA neither heedin' nor !no,in' the ,ishes or e%istence of the minds that flic!er for a second no, and then in the dar!ness. They had chained him do,n to thin's that areA and had then e%plained the ,or!in's of those thin's till mystery had 'one out of the ,orld. When he complainedA and lon'ed to escape into t,ili'ht realms ,here ma'ic moulded all the little vivid fra'ments and prized associations of his mind into vistas of 3reathless e%pectancy and unDuencha3le deli'htA they turned him instead to,ard the ne,1found prodi'ies of scienceA 3iddin' him find ,onder in the atom<s vorte% and mystery in the s!y<s dimensions. And ,hen he had failed to find these 3oons in thin's ,hose la,s are !no,n and measura3leA they told him he lac!ed ima'inationA and ,as immature 3ecause he preferred dream1illusions to the illusions of our physical creation. So Carter had tried to do as others didA and pretended that the common events and emotions of earthy minds ,ere more important than the fantasies of rare and delicate souls. 2e did not dissent ,hen they told him that the animal pain of a stuc! pi' or dyspeptic plou'hman in real life is a 'reater thin' than the peerless 3eauty of ;arath ,ith its hundred carven 'ates and domes of chalcedonyA ,hich he dimly remem3ered from his dreamsB and under their 'uidance he cultivated a painsta!in' sense of pity and tra'edy. +nce in a ,hileA thou'hA he could not help seein' ho, shallo,A fic!leA and meanin'less all human aspirations areA and ho, emptily our real impulses contrast ,ith those pompous ideals ,e profess to hold. Then he ,ould have recourse to the polite lau'hter they had tau'ht him to use a'ainst the e%trava'ance and artificiality of dreamsB for he sa, that the daily life of our ,orld is every inch as e%trava'ant and artificialA and far less ,orthy of respect 3ecause of its poverty in 3eauty and its silly reluctance to admit its o,n lac! of reason and purpose. =n this ,ay he 3ecame a !ind of humoristA for he did not see that even

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Silver 0ey

)1)

humour is empty in a mindless universe devoid of any true standard of consistency or inconsistency. =n the first days of his 3onda'e he had turned to the 'entle churchly faith endeared to him 3y the naive trust of his fathersA for thence stretched mystic avenues ,hich seemed to promise escape from life. +nly on closer vie, did he mar! the starved fancy and 3eautyA the stale and prosy tritenessA and the o,lish 'ravity and 'rotesDue claims of solid truth ,hich rei'ned 3oresomely and over,helmin'ly amon' most of its professorsB or feel to the full the a,!,ardness ,ith ,hich it sou'ht to !eep alive as literal fact the out'ro,n fears and 'uesses of a primal race confrontin' the un!no,n. =t ,earied Carter to see ho, solemnly people tried to ma!e earthly reality out of old myths ,hich every step of their 3oasted science confutedA and this misplaced seriousness !illed the attachment he mi'ht have !ept for the ancient creeds had they 3een content to offer the sonorous rites and emotional outlets in their true 'uise of ethereal fantasy. But ,hen he came to study those ,ho had thro,n off the old mythsA he found them even more u'ly than those ,ho had not. They did not !no, that 3eauty lies in harmonyA and that loveliness of life has no standard amidst an aimless cosmos save only its harmony ,ith the dreams and the feelin's ,hich have 'one 3efore and 3lindly moulded our little spheres out of the rest of chaos. They did not see that 'ood and evil and 3eauty and u'liness are only ornamental fruits of perspectiveA ,hose sole value lies in their lin!a'e to ,hat chance made our fathers thin! and feelA and ,hose finer details are different for every race and culture. =nsteadA they either denied these thin's alto'ether or transferred them to the crudeA va'ue instincts ,hich they shared ,ith the 3easts and peasantsB so that their lives ,ere dra''ed malodorously out in painA u'linessA and disproportionA yet filled ,ith a ludicrous pride at havin' escaped from somethin' no more unsound than that ,hich still held them. They had traded the false 'ods of fear and 3lind piety for those of license and anarchy. Carter did not taste deeply of these modern freedomsB for their cheapness and sDualor sic!ened a spirit lovin' 3eauty alone ,hile his reason re3elled at the flimsy lo'ic ,ith ,hich their champions tried to 'ild 3rute impulse ,ith a sacredness stripped from the idols they had discarded. 2e sa, that most of themA in common ,ith their cast1off priestcraftA could not escape from the delusion that life has a meanin' apart from that ,hich men dream into itB and could not lay aside the crude notion of ethics and o3li'ations 3eyond those of 3eautyA even ,hen all ;ature shrie!ed of its unconsciousness and impersonal unmorality in the li'ht of their scientific discoveries. Warped and 3i'oted ,ith preconceived illusions of CusticeA freedomA and consistencyA they cast off the old lore and the old ,ay ,ith the old 3eliefsB nor ever stopped to thin! that that lore and those ,ays ,ere the sole ma!ers of their present thou'hts and Cud'mentsA and the sole 'uides and standards in a meanin'less universe ,ithout fi%ed aims or sta3le points of reference. 2avin' lost these artificial settin'sA their lives 're, void of direction and dramatic interestB till at len'th they strove to dro,n their ennui in 3ustle and pretended usefulnessA noise and e%citementA 3ar3aric display and animal sensation. When these thin's palledA disappointedA or 're, nauseous throu'h revulsionA they cultivated irony and 3itternessA and found fault ,ith the social order. ;ever could they realize that their 3rute foundations ,ere as shiftin' and contradictory as the 'ods of their eldersA and that the satisfaction of one moment is the 3ane of the ne%t. CalmA lastin' 3eauty comes only in a dreamA and this solace the ,orld had thro,n a,ay ,hen in its ,orship of the real it thre, a,ay the secrets of childhood and innocence.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Silver 0ey

)"*

Amidst this chaos of hollo,ness and unrest Carter tried to live as 3efitted a man of !een thou'ht and 'ood herita'e. With his dreams fadin' under the ridicule of the a'e he could not 3elieve in anythin'A 3ut the love of harmony !ept him close to the ,ays of his race and station. 2e ,al!ed impassive throu'h the cities of menA and si'hed 3ecause no vista seemed fully realB 3ecause every flash of yello, sunli'ht on tall roofs and every 'limpse of 3alustraded plazas in the first lamps of evenin' served only to remind him of dreams he had once !no,nA and to ma!e him homesic! for ethereal lands he no lon'er !ne, ho, to find. Travel ,as only a moc!eryB and even the 7reat War stirred him 3ut littleA thou'h he served from the first in the 4orei'n 5e'ion of 4rance. 4or a ,hile he sou'ht friendsA 3ut soon 're, ,eary of the crudeness of their emotionsA and the sameness and earthiness of their visions. 2e felt va'uely 'lad that all his relatives ,ere distant and out of touch ,ith himA for they ,ould not have understood his mental life. That isA none 3ut his 'randfather and 'reat1uncle Christopher couldA and they ,ere lon' dead. Then he 3e'an once more the ,ritin' of 3oo!sA ,hich he had left off ,hen dreams first failed him. But hereA tooA ,as there no satisfaction or fulfillmentB for the touch of earth ,as upon his mindA and he could not thin! of lovely thin's as he had done of yore. =ronic humor dra''ed do,n all the t,ili'ht minarets he rearedA and the earthy fear of impro3a3ility 3lasted all the delicate and amazin' flo,ers in his faery 'ardens. The convention of assumed pity spilt ma,!ishness on his charactersA ,hile the myth of an important reality and si'nificant human events and emotions de3ased all his hi'h fantasy into thin1veiled alle'ory and cheap social satire. 2is ne, novels ,ere successful as his old ones had never 3eenB and 3ecause he !ne, ho, empty they must 3e to please an empty herdA he 3urned them and ceased his ,ritin'. They ,ere very 'raceful novelsA in ,hich he ur3anely lau'hed at the dreams he li'htly s!etchedB 3ut he sa, that their sophistication had sapped all their life a,ay. =t ,as after this that he cultivated deli3erate illusionA and da33led in the notions of the 3izarre and the eccentric as an antidote for the commonplace. 8ost of theseA ho,everA soon sho,ed their poverty and 3arrennessB and he sa, that the popular doctrines of occultism are as dry and infle%i3le as those of scienceA yet ,ithout even the slender palliative of truth to redeem them. 7ross stupidityA falsehoodA and muddled thin!in' are not dreamB and form no escape from life to a mind trained a3ove their o,n level. So Carter 3ou'ht stran'er 3oo!s and sou'ht out deeper and more terri3le men of fantastic eruditionB delvin' into arcana of consciousness that fe, have trodA and learnin' thin's a3out the secret pits of lifeA le'endA and immemorial antiDuity ,hich distur3ed him ever after,ard. 2e decided to live on a rarer planeA and furnished his Boston home to suit his chan'in' moodsB one room for eachA hun' in appropriate coloursA furnished ,ith 3efittin' 3oo!s and o3CectsA and provided ,ith sources of the proper sensations of li'htA heatA soundA tasteA and odour. +nce he heard of a man in the southA ,ho ,as shunned and feared for the 3lasphemous thin's he read in prehistoric 3oo!s and clay ta3lets smu''led from =ndia and Ara3ia. 2im he visitedA livin' ,ith him and sharin' his studies for seven yearsA till horror overtoo! them one midni'ht in an un!no,n and archaic 'raveyardA and only one emer'ed ,here t,o had entered. Then he ,ent 3ac! to Ar!hamA the terri3le ,itch1haunted old to,n of his forefathers in ;e, En'landA and had e%periences in the dar!A amidst the hoary ,illo,s and totterin' 'am3rel roofsA ,hich made him seal forever certain pa'es in the diary of a ,ild1 minded ancestor. But these horrors too! him only to the ed'e of realityA and ,ere not of the true dream country he had !no,n in youthB so that at fifty he despaired of any rest or contentment in a ,orld 'ro,n too 3usy for 3eauty and too shre,d for dreams.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Silver 0ey

)"1

2avin' perceived at last the hollo,ness and futility of real thin'sA Carter spent his days in retirementA and in ,istful disCointed memories of his dream1filled youth. 2e thou'ht it rather silly that he 3othered to !eep on livin' at allA and 'ot from a South American acDuaintance a very curious liDuid to ta!e him to o3livion ,ithout sufferin'. =nertia and force of ha3itA ho,everA caused him to defer actionB and he lin'ered indecisively amon' thou'hts of old timesA ta!in' do,n the stran'e han'in's from his ,alls and refittin' the house as it ,as in his early 3oyhood 1 purple panesA ?ictorian furnitureA and all. With the passa'e of time he 3ecame almost 'lad he had lin'eredA for his relics of youth and his cleava'e from the ,orld made life and sophistication seem very distant and unrealB so much so that a touch of ma'ic and e%pectancy stole 3ac! into his ni'htly slum3ers. 4or years those slum3ers had !no,n only such t,isted reflections of every1day thin's as the commonest slum3ers !no,A 3ut no, there returned a flic!er of somethin' stran'er and ,ilderB somethin' of va'uely a,esome imminence ,hich too! the form of tensely clear pictures from his childhood daysA and made him thin! of little inconseDuential thin's he had lon' for'otten. 2e ,ould often a,a!e callin' for his mother and 'randfatherA 3oth in their 'raves a Duarter of a century. Then one ni'ht his 'randfather reminded him of the !ey. The 'rey old scholarA as vivid as in lifeA spo!e lon' and earnestly of their ancient lineA and of the stran'e visions of the delicate and sensitive men ,ho composed it. 2e spo!e of the flame1eyed Crusader ,ho learnt ,ild secrets of the Saracens that held him captiveB and of the first Sir :andolph Carter ,ho studied ma'ic ,hen Eliza3eth ,as Dueen. 2e spo!eA tooA of that Edmund Carter ,ho had Cust escaped han'in' in the Salem ,itchcraftA and ,ho had placed in an antiDue 3o% a 'reat silver !ey handed do,n from his ancestors. Before Carter a,a!edA the 'entle visitant had told him ,here to find that 3o%B that carved oa! 3o% of archaic ,onder ,hose 'rotesDue lid no hand had raised for t,o centuries. =n the dust and shado,s of the 'reat attic he found itA remote and for'otten at the 3ac! of a dra,er in a tall chest. =t ,as a3out a foot sDuareA and its 7othic carvin's ,ere so fearful that he did not marvel no person since Edmund Carter had dared to open it. =t 'ave forth no noise ,hen sha!enA 3ut ,as mystic ,ith the scent of unremem3ered spices. That it held a !ey ,as indeed only a dim le'endA and :andolph Carter<s father had never !no,n such a 3o% e%isted. =t ,as 3ound in rusty ironA and no means ,as provided for ,or!in' the formida3le loc!. Carter va'uely understood that he ,ould find ,ithin it some !ey to the lost 'ate of dreamsA 3ut of ,here and ho, to use it his 'randfather had told him nothin'. An old servant forced the carven lidA sha!in' as he did so at the hideous faces leerin' from the 3lac!ened ,oodA and at some unplaced familiarity. =nsideA ,rapped in a discoloured parchmentA ,as a hu'e !ey of tarnished silver covered ,ith cryptical ara3esDuesB 3ut of any le'i3le e%planation there ,as none. The parchment ,as voluminousA and held only the stran'e hiero'lyphs of an un!no,n ton'ue ,ritten ,ith an antiDue reed. Carter reco'nized the characters as those he had seen on a certain papyrus scroll 3elon'in' to that terri3le scholar of the South ,ho had vanished one midm'ht in a nameless cemetery. The man had al,ays shivered ,hen he read this scrollA and Carter shivered no,. But he cleaned the !eyA and !ept it 3y him ni'htly in its aromatic 3o% of ancient oa!. 2is dreams ,ere mean,hile increasin' in vividnessA and thou'h sho,in' him none of the stran'e cities and incredi3le 'ardens of the old daysA ,ere assumin' a definite cast ,hose

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Silver 0ey

)""

purpose could not 3e mista!en. They ,ere callin' him 3ac! alon' the yearsA and ,ith the min'led ,ills of all his fathers ,ere pullin' him to,ard some hidden and ancestral source. Then he !ne, he must 'o into the past and mer'e himself ,ith old thin'sA and day after day he thou'ht of the hills to the north ,here haunted Ar!ham and the rushin' 8is!atonic and the lonely rustic homestead of his people lay. =n the 3roodin' fire of autumn Carter too! the old remem3ered ,ay past 'raceful lines of rollin' hill and stone1,alled meado,A distant vale and han'in' ,oodlandA curvin' road and nestlin' farmsteadA and the crystal ,indin's of the 8is!atonicA crossed here and there 3y rustic 3rid'es of ,ood or stone. At one 3end he sa, the 'roup of 'iant elms amon' ,hich an ancestor had oddly vanished a century and a half 3eforeA and shuddered as the ,ind 3le, meanin'ly throu'h them. Then there ,as the crum3lin' farmhouse of old 7oody 4o,ler the ,itchA ,ith its little evil ,indo,s and 'reat roof slopin' nearly to the 'round on the north side. 2e speeded up his car as he passed itA and did not slac!en till he had mounted the hill ,here his mother and her fathers 3efore her ,ere 3ornA and ,here the old ,hite house still loo!ed proudly across the road at the 3reathlessly lovely panorama of roc!y slope and verdant valleyA ,ith the distant spires of 0in'sport on the horizonA and hints of the archaicA dream1laden sea in the farthest 3ac!'round. Then came the steeper slope that held the old Carter place he had not seen in over forty years. Afternoon ,as far 'one ,hen he reached the footA and at the 3end half ,ay up he paused to scan the outspread countryside 'olden and 'lorified in the slantin' floods of ma'ic poured out 3y a ,estern sun. All the stran'eness and e%pectancy of his recent dreams seemed present in this hushed and unearthly landscapeA and he thou'ht of the un!no,n solitudes of other planets as his eyes traced out the velvet and deserted la,ns shinin' undulant 3et,een their tum3led ,allsA and clumps of faery forest settin' off far lines of purple hills 3eyond hillsA and the spectral ,ooded valley dippin' do,n in shado, to dan! hollo,s ,here tric!lin' ,aters crooned and 'ur'led amon' s,ollen and distorted roots. Somethin' made him feel that motors did not 3elon' in the realm he ,as see!in'A so he left his car at the ed'e of the forestA and puttin' the 'reat !ey in his coat poc!et ,al!ed on up the hill. Woods no, en'ulfed him utterlyA thou'h he !ne, the house ,as on a hi'h !noll that cleared the trees e%cept to the north. 2e ,ondered ho, it ,ould loo!A for it had 3een left vacant and untended throu'h his ne'lect since the death of his stran'e 'reat1uncle Christopher thirty years 3efore. =n his 3oyhood he had revelled throu'h lon' visits thereA and had found ,eird marvels in the ,oods 3eyond the orchard. Shado,s thic!ened around himA for the ni'ht ,as near. +nce a 'ap in the trees opened up to the ri'htA so that he sa, off across lea'ues of t,ili'ht meado, and spied the old Con're'ational steeple on Central 2ill in 0in'sportB pin! ,ith the last flush of dayA the panes of the little round ,indo,s 3lazin' ,ith reflected fire. ThenA ,hen he ,as in deep shado, a'ainA he recalled ,ith a start that the 'limpse must have come from childish memory aloneA since the old ,hite church had lon' 3een torn do,n to ma!e room for the Con're'ational 2ospital. 2e had read of it ,ith interestA for the paper had told a3out some stran'e 3urro,s or passa'es found in the roc!y hill 3eneath. Throu'h his puzzlement a voice pipedA and he started a'ain at its familiarity after lon' years. +ld BeniCah Corey had 3een his (ncle Christopher<s hired manA and ,as a'ed even in those far1off times of his 3oyhood visits. ;o, he must 3e ,ell over a hundredA 3ut that

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Silver 0ey

)"&

pipin' voice could come from no one else. 2e could distin'uish no ,ordsA yet the tone ,as hauntin' and unmista!a3le. To thin! that L+ld BeniCyL should still 3e aliveF L8ister :andyF 8ister :andyF Whar3e yeG $<ye ,ant to s!eer yer Aunt 8arthy plum3 to deathG 2ain<t she tuld ye to !eep ni'h the place in the arternoon an< 'it 3ac! afur dar!G :andyF :an... deeF... 2e<s the 3eatin<est 3oy fer runnin< off in the ,oods = ever seeB haff the time a1settin< moonin< raound that sna!e1den in the upper tim3erlotF . .. 2ey ye,A :an ... deeFL :andolph Carter stopped in the pitch dar!ness and ru33ed his hand across his eyes. Somethin' ,as Dueer. 2e had 3een some,here he ou'ht not to 3eB had strayed very far a,ay to places ,here he had not 3elon'edA and ,as no, ine%cusa3ly late. 2e had not noticed the time on the 0in'sport steepleA thou'h he could easily have made it out ,ith his poc!et telescopeB 3ut he !ne, his lateness ,as somethin' very stran'e and unprecedented. 2e ,as not sure he had his little telescope ,ith himA and put his hand in his 3louse poc!et to see. ;oA it ,as not thereA 3ut there ,as the 3i' silver !ey he had found in a 3o% some,here. (ncle Chris had told him somethin' odd once a3out an old unopened 3o% ,ith a !ey in itA 3ut Aunt 8artha had stopped the story a3ruptlyA sayin' it ,as no !ind of thin' to tell a child ,hose head ,as already too full of Dueer fancies. 2e tried to recall Cust ,here he had found the !eyA 3ut somethin' seemed very confused. 2e 'uessed it ,as in the attic at home in BostonA and dimly remem3ered 3ri3in' >ar!s ,ith half his ,ee!<s allo,ance to help him open the 3o% and !eep Duiet a3out itB 3ut ,hen he remem3ered thisA the face of >ar!s came up very stran'elyA as if the ,rin!les of lon' years had fallen upon the 3ris! little Coc!ney. L:an ... deeF :an ... deeF 2iF 2iF :andyFL A s,ayin' lantern came around the 3lac! 3endA and old BeniCah pounced on the silent and 3e,ildered form of the pil'rim. L$urn yeA 3oyA so thar ye 3eF Ain<t ye 'ot a ton'ue in yer headA that ye can<t ans,er a 3odyF = 3en callin< this haff hourA an< ye must a heerd me lon' a'oF $un<t ye !no, yer Aunt 8arthy<s all a1fid'et over yer 3ein< off arter dar!G Wait till = tell yer (ncle Chris ,hen he 'its humF .e<d orta !no, these here ,oods ain<t no fitten place to 3e traipsin< this hourF They<s thin's a3road ,hat dun<t do no3ody no 'oodA as my 'ran<1sir !no,ed afur me. ComeA 8ister :andyA or 2annah ,unt !eep supper no lon'erFL So :andolph Carter ,as marched up the road ,here ,onderin' stars 'limmered throu'h hi'h autumn 3ou'hs. And do's 3ar!ed as the yello, li'ht of small1paned ,indo,s shone out at the farther turnA and the >leiades t,in!led across the open !noll ,here a 'reat 'am3rel roof stood 3lac! a'ainst the dim ,est. Aunt 8artha ,as in the door,ayA and did not scold too hard ,hen BeniCah shoved the truant in. She !ne, (ncle Chris ,ell enou'h to e%pect such thin's of the Carter 3lood. :andolph did not sho, his !eyA 3ut ate his supper in silence and protested only ,hen 3edtime came. 2e sometimes dreamed 3etter ,hen a,a!eA and he ,anted to use that !ey. =n the mornin' :andolph ,as up earlyA and ,ould have run off to the upper tim3er1lot if (ncle Chris had not cau'ht him and forced him into his chair 3y the 3rea!fast ta3le. 2e loo!ed impatiently around the lo,1pitched room ,ith the ra' carpet and e%posed 3eams and comer1postsA and smiled only ,hen the orchard 3ou'hs scratched at the leaded panes

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Silver 0ey

)"#

of the rear ,indo,. The trees and the hills ,ere close to himA and formed the 'ates of that timeless realm ,hich ,as his true country. ThenA ,hen he ,as freeA he felt in his 3louse poc!et for the !eyB and 3ein' reassuredA s!ipped off across the orchard to the rise 3eyondA ,here the ,ooded hill clim3ed a'ain to hei'hts a3ove even the treeless !noll The floor of the forest ,as mossy and mysteriousA and 'reat lichened roc!s rose va'uely here and there in the dim li'ht li!e $ruid monoliths amon' the s,ollen and t,isted trun!s of a sacred 'rove. +nce in his ascent :andolph crossed a rushin' stream ,hose falls a little ,ay off san' runic incantations to the lur!in' fauns and ae'ipans and dryads. Then he came to the stran'e cave in the forest slopeA the dreaded Lsna!e1denL ,hich country fol! shunnedA and a,ay from ,hich BeniCah had ,arned him a'ain and a'ain. =t ,as deepB far deeper than anyone 3ut :andolph suspectedA for the 3oy had found a fissure in the farthermost 3lac! corner that led to a loftier 'rotto 3eyond 1 a hauntin' sepulchral place ,hose 'ranite ,alls held a curious illusion of conscious artifice. +n this occasion he cra,led in as usualA li'htin' his ,ay ,ith matches filched from the sittin'1room matchsafeA and ed'in' throu'h the final crevice ,ith an ea'erness hard to e%plain even to himself. 2e could not tell ,hy he approached the farther ,all so confidentlyA or ,hy he instinctively dre, forth the 'reat silver !ey as he did so. But on he ,entA and ,hen he danced 3ac! to the house that ni'ht he offered no e%cuses for his latenessA nor heeded in the least the reproofs he 'ained for i'norin' the noon1tide dinner1horn alto'ether. ;o, it is a'reed 3y all the distant relatives of :andolph Carter that somethin' occurred to hei'hten his ima'ination in his tenth year. 2is cousinA Ernest B. Aspin,allA EsD.A of Chica'oA is fully ten years his seniorB and distinctly recalls a chan'e in the 3oy after the autumn of 188&. :andolph had loo!ed on scenes of fantasy that fe, others can ever have 3eheldA and stran'er still ,ere some of the Dualities ,hich he sho,ed in relation to very mundane thin's. 2e seemedA in fineA to have pic!ed up an odd 'ift of prophecyB and reacted unusually to thin's ,hichA thou'h at the time ,ithout meanin'A ,ere later found to Custify the sin'ular impressions. =n su3seDuent decades as ne, inventionsA ne, namesA and ne, events appeared one 3y one in the 3oo! of historyA people ,ould no, and then recall ,onderin'ly ho, Carter had years 3efore let fall some careless ,ord of undou3ted connection ,ith ,hat ,as then far in the future. 2e did not himself understand these ,ordsA or !no, ,hy certain thin's made him feel certain emotionsB 3ut fancied that some unremem3ered dream must 3e responsi3le. =t ,as as early as 18)7 that he turned pale ,hen some traveller mentioned the 4rench to,n of Belloy1en1SanterreA and friends remem3ered it ,hen he ,as almost mortally ,ounded there in 1)1-A ,hile servin' ,ith the 4orei'n 5e'ion in the 7reat War. Carter<s relatives tal! much of these thin's 3ecause he has lately disappeared. 2is little old servant >ar!sA ,ho for years 3ore patiently ,ith his va'ariesA last sa, him on the mornin' he drove off alone in his car ,ith a !ey he had recently found. >ar!s had helped him 'et the !ey from the old 3o% containin' itA and had felt stran'ely affected 3y the 'rotesDue carvin's on the 3o%A and 3y some other odd Duality he could not name. When Carter leftA he had said he ,as 'oin' to visit his old ancestral country around Ar!ham. 2alf ,ay up Elm 8ountainA on the ,ay to the ruins of the old Carter placeA they found his motor set carefully 3y the roadsideB and in it ,as a 3o% of fra'rant ,ood ,ith carvin's that fri'htened the countrymen ,ho stum3led on it. The 3o% held only a Dueer parchment

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Silver 0ey

)"

,hose characters no lin'uist or palaeo'rapher has 3een a3le to decipher or identify. :ain had lon' effaced any possi3le footprintsA thou'h Boston investi'ators had somethin' to say a3out evidences of distur3ances amon' the fallen tim3ers of the Carter place. =t ,asA they averredA as thou'h someone had 'roped a3out the ruins at no distant period. A common ,hite hand!erchief found amon' forest roc!s on the hillside 3eyond cannot 3e identified as 3elon'in' to the missin' man. There is tal! of apportionin' :andolph Carter<s estate amon' his heirsA 3ut = shall stand firmly a'ainst this course 3ecause = do not 3elieve he is dead. There are t,ists of time and spaceA of vision and realityA ,hich only a dreamer can divineB and from ,hat = !no, of Carter = thin! he has merely found a ,ay to traverse these mazes. Whether or not he ,ill ever come 3ac!A = cannot say. 2e ,anted the lands of dream he had lostA and yearned for the days of his childhood. Then he found a !eyA and = someho, 3elieve he ,as a3le to use it to stran'e advanta'e. = shall as! him ,hen = see himA for = e%pect to meet him shortly in a certain dream1city ,e 3oth used to haunt. =t is rumoured in (ltharA 3eyond the :iver S!aiA that a ne, !in' rei'ns on the opal throne of =le!1?adA that fa3ulous to,n of turrets atop the hollo, cliffs of 'lass overloo!in' the t,ili'ht sea ,herein the 3earded and finny 7norri 3uild their sin'ular la3yrinthsA and = 3elieve = !no, ho, to interpret this rumour. CertainlyA = loo! for,ard impatiently to the si'ht of that 'reat silver !eyA for in its cryptical ara3esDues there may stand sym3olised all the aims and mysteries of a 3lindly impersonal cosmos.

The St teme#t o! R #$ol*h C rter

A'ain = sayA = do not !no, ,hat has 3ecome of 2arley WarrenA thou'h = thin!11almost hope11that he is in peaceful o3livionA if there 3e any,here so 3lessed a thin'. =t is true that = have for five years 3een his closest friendA and a partial sharer of his terri3le researches into the un!no,n. = ,ill not denyA thou'h my memory is uncertain and indistinctA that this ,itness of yours may have seen us to'ether as he saysA on the 7ainsville pi!eA ,al!in' to,ard Bi' Cypress S,ampA at half past 11 on that a,ful ni'ht. That ,e 3ore electric lanternsA spadesA and a curious coil of ,ire ,ith attached instrumentsA = ,ill even affirmB for these thin's all played a part in the sin'le hideous scene ,hich remains 3urned into my sha!en recollection. But of ,hat follo,edA and of the reason = ,as found alone and dazed on the ed'e of the s,amp ne%t mornin'A = must insist that = !no, nothin' save ,hat = have told you over and over a'ain. .ou say to me that there is nothin' in the s,amp or near it ,hich could form the settin' of that fri'htful episode. = reply that = !ne, nothin' 3eyond ,hat = sa,. ?ision or ni'htmare it may have 3een11vision or ni'htmare = fervently hope it ,as11yet it is all that my mind retains of ,hat too! place in those shoc!in' hours after ,e left the si'ht of men. And ,hy 2arley Warren did not returnA he or his shade11or some nameless thin' = cannot descri3e11 alone can tell. As = have said 3eforeA the ,eird studies of 2arley Warren ,ere ,ell !no,n to meA and to some e%tent shared 3y me. +f his vast collection of stran'eA rare 3oo!s on for3idden su3Cects = have read all that are ,ritten in the lan'ua'es of ,hich = am masterB 3ut these are fe, as compared ,ith those in lan'ua'es = cannot understand. 8ostA = 3elieveA are in Ara3icB and the fiend1inspired 3oo! ,hich 3rou'ht on the end11the 3oo! ,hich he carried in his poc!et out of the ,orld11,as ,ritten in characters ,hose li!e = never sa, else,here. Warren ,ould never tell me Cust ,hat ,as in that 3oo!. As to the nature of our studies11 must = say a'ain that = no lon'er retain full comprehensionG =t seems to me rather merciful that = do notA for they ,ere terri3le studiesA ,hich = pursued more throu'h reluctant fascination than throu'h actual inclination. Warren al,ays dominated meA and sometimes = feared him. = remem3er ho, = shuddered at his facial e%pression on the ni'ht 3efore the a,ful happenin'A ,hen he tal!ed so incessantly of his theoryA ,hy certain corpses never decayA 3ut rest firm and fat in their tom3s for a thousand years. But = do not fear him no,A for = suspect that he has !no,n horrors 3eyond my !en. ;o, = fear for him. +nce more = say that = have no clear idea of our o3Cect on that ni'ht. CertainlyA it had much to do ,ith somethin' in the 3oo! ,hich Warren carried ,ith him11that ancient 3oo! in undeciphera3le characters ,hich had come to him from =ndia a month 3efore113ut = s,ear = do not !no, ,hat it ,as that ,e e%pected to find. .our ,itness says he sa, us at half past 11 on the 7ainsville pi!eA headed for Bi' Cypress S,amp. This is pro3a3ly trueA 3ut = have no distinct memory of it. The picture seared into my soul is of one scene onlyA and the hour must have 3een lon' after midni'htB for a ,anin' crescent moon ,as hi'h in the vaporous heavens. The place ,as an ancient cemeteryB so ancient that = trem3led at the manifold si'ns of immemorial years. =t ,as in a deepA damp hollo,A over'ro,n ,ith ran! 'rassA mossA and curious creepin' ,eedsA and filled ,ith a va'ue stench ,hich my idle fancy associated a3surdly ,ith rottin' stone. +n every hand ,ere the si'ns of ne'lect and decrepitudeA and =

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Statement of :andolph Carter

)"7

seemed haunted 3y the notion that Warren and = ,ere the first livin' creatures to invade a lethal silence of centuries. +ver the valley<s rim a ,anA ,anin' crescent moon peered throu'h the noisome vapors that seemed to emanate from unheard of catacom3sA and 3y its fee3leA ,averin' 3eams = could distin'uish a repellent array of antiDue sla3sA urnsA cenotaphsA and mausoleum facadesB all crum3lin'A moss1'ro,nA and moisture1stainedA and partly concealed 3y the 'ross lu%uriance of the unhealthy ve'etation. 8y first vivid impression of my o,n presence in this terri3le necropolis concerns the act of pausin' ,ith Warren 3efore a certain half1 o3literated sepulcher and of thro,in' do,n some 3urdens ,hich ,e seemed to have 3een carryin'. = no, o3served that = had ,ith me an electric lantern and t,o spadesA ,hilst my companion ,as supplied ,ith a similar lantern and a porta3le telephone outfit. ;o ,ord ,as utteredA for the spot and the tas! seemed !no,n to usB and ,ithout delay ,e seized our spades and commenced to clear a,ay the 'rassA ,eedsA and drifted earth from the flatA archaic mortuary. After uncoverin' the entire surfaceA ,hich consisted of three immense 'ranite sla3sA ,e stepped 3ac! some distance to survey the charnel sceneB and Warren appeared to ma!e some mental calculations. Then he returned to the sepulcherA and usin' his spade as a leverA sou'ht to pry up the sla3 lyin' nearest to a stony ruin ,hich may have 3een a monument in its day. 2e did not succeedA and motioned to me to come to his assistance. 4inally our com3ined stren'th loosened the stoneA ,hich ,e raised and tipped to one side. The removal of the sla3 revealed a 3lac! apertureA from ,hich rushed an effluence of miasmal 'ases so nauseous that ,e started 3ac! in horror. After an intervalA ho,everA ,e approached the pit a'ainA and found the e%halations less un3eara3le. +ur lanterns disclosed the top of a fli'ht of stone stepsA drippin' ,ith some detesta3le ichor of the inner earthA and 3ordered 3y moist ,alls encrusted ,ith niter. And no, for the first time my memory records ver3al discourseA Warren addressin' me at len'th in his mello, tenor voiceB a voice sin'ularly unpertur3ed 3y our a,esome surroundin's. L=<m sorry to have to as! you to stay on the surfaceAL he saidA L3ut it ,ould 3e a crime to let anyone ,ith your frail nerves 'o do,n there. .ou can<t ima'ineA even from ,hat you have read and from ,hat =<ve told youA the thin's = shall have to see and do. =t<s fiendish ,or!A CarterA and = dou3t if any man ,ithout ironclad sensi3ilities could ever see it throu'h and come up alive and sane. = don<t ,ish to offend youA and 2eaven !no,s =<d 3e 'lad enou'h to have you ,ith meB 3ut the responsi3ility is in a certain sense mineA and = couldn<t dra' a 3undle of nerves li!e you do,n to pro3a3le death or madness. = tell youA you can<t ima'ine ,hat the thin' is really li!eF But = promise to !eep you informed over the telephone of every move11you see =<ve enou'h ,ire here to reach to the center of the earth and 3ac!FL = can still hearA in memoryA those coolly spo!en ,ordsB and = can still remem3er my remonstrances. = seemed desperately an%ious to accompany my friend into those sepulchral depthsA yet he proved infle%i3ly o3durate. At one time he threatened to a3andon the e%pedition if = remained insistentB a threat ,hich proved effectiveA since he alone held the !ey to the thin'. All this = can still remem3erA thou'h = no lon'er !no, ,hat manner of thin' ,e sou'ht. After he had o3tained my reluctant acDuiescence in his desi'nA Warren pic!ed up the reel of ,ire and adCusted the instruments. At his nod = too! one of the latter and seated myself upon an a'edA discolored 'ravestone close 3y the ne,ly uncovered aperture. Then he shoo! my handA shouldered the coil of ,ireA and disappeared ,ithin that indescri3a3le ossuary.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Statement of :andolph Carter

)"8

4or a minute = !ept si'ht of the 'lo, of his lanternA and heard the rustle of the ,ire as he laid it do,n after himB 3ut the 'lo, soon disappeared a3ruptlyA as if a turn in the stone staircase had 3een encounteredA and the sound died a,ay almost as Duic!ly. = ,as aloneA yet 3ound to the un!no,n depths 3y those ma'ic strands ,hose insulated surface lay 'reen 3eneath the stru''lin' 3eams of that ,anin' crescent moon. = constantly consulted my ,atch 3y the li'ht of my electric lanternA and listened ,ith feverish an%iety at the receiver of the telephoneB 3ut for more than a Duarter of an hour heard nothin'. Then a faint clic!in' came from the instrumentA and = called do,n to my friend in a tense voice. Apprehensive as = ,asA = ,as nevertheless unprepared for the ,ords ,hich came up from that uncanny vault in accents more alarmed and Duiverin' than any = had heard 3efore from 2arley Warren. 2e ,ho had so calmly left me a little ,hile previouslyA no, called from 3elo, in a sha!y ,hisper more portentous than the loudest shrie!9 L7odF =f you could see ,hat = am seein'FL = could not ans,er. SpeechlessA = could only ,ait. Then came the frenzied tones a'ain9 LCarterA it<s terri3le11monstrous11un3elieva3leFL This time my voice did not fail meA and = poured into the transmitter a flood of e%cited Duestions. TerrifiedA = continued to repeatA LWarrenA ,hat is itG What is itGL +nce more came the voice of my friendA still hoarse ,ith fearA and no, apparently tin'ed ,ith despair9 L= can<t tell youA CarterF =t<s too utterly 3eyond thou'ht11= dare not tell you11no man could !no, it and live117reat 7odF = never dreamed of thisFL Stillness a'ainA save for my no, incoherent torrent of shudderin' inDuiry. Then the voice of Warren in a pitch of ,ilder consternation9 LCarterF for the love of 7odA put 3ac! the sla3 and 'et out of this if you canF /uic!F11 leave everythin' else and ma!e for the outside11it<s your only chanceF $o as = sayA and don<t as! me to e%plainFL = heardA yet ,as a3le only to repeat my frantic Duestions. Around me ,ere the tom3s and the dar!ness and the shado,sB 3elo, meA some peril 3eyond the radius of the human ima'ination. But my friend ,as in 'reater dan'er than =A and throu'h my fear = felt a va'ue resentment that he should deem me capa3le of desertin' him under such circumstances. 8ore clic!in'A and after a pause a piteous cry from Warren9 LBeat itF 4or 7od<s sa!eA put 3ac! the sla3 and 3eat itA CarterFL Somethin' in the 3oyish slan' of my evidently stric!en companion unleashed my faculties. = formed and shouted a resolutionA LWarrenA 3race upF =<m comin' do,nFL But at this offer the tone of my auditor chan'ed to a scream of utter despair9 L$on<tF .ou can<t understandF =t<s too late11and my o,n fault. >ut 3ac! the sla3 and run11 there<s nothin' else you or anyone can do no,FL

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Statement of :andolph Carter

)")

The tone chan'ed a'ainA this time acDuirin' a softer DualityA as of hopeless resi'nation. .et it remained tense throu'h an%iety for me. L/uic!113efore it<s too lateFL = tried not to heed himB tried to 3rea! throu'h the paralysis ,hich held meA and to fulfil my vo, to rush do,n to his aid. But his ne%t ,hisper found me still held inert in the chains of star! horror. LCarter11hurryF =t<s no use11you must 'o113etter one than t,o11the sla311L A pauseA more clic!in'A then the faint voice of Warren9 L;early over no,11don<t ma!e it harder11cover up those damned steps and run for your life11you<re losin' time11so lon'A Carter11,on<t see you a'ain.L 2ere Warren<s ,hisper s,elled into a cryB a cry that 'radually rose to a shrie! frau'ht ,ith all the horror of the a'es11 LCurse these hellish thin's11le'ions118y 7odF Beat itF Beat itF BEAT =TFL After that ,as silence. = !no, not ho, many intermina3le eons = sat stupefiedB ,hisperin'A mutterin'A callin'A screamin' into that telephone. +ver and over a'ain throu'h those eons = ,hispered and mutteredA calledA shoutedA and screamedA LWarrenF WarrenF Ans,er me11are you thereGL And then there came to me the cro,nin' horror of all11the un3elieva3leA unthin!a3leA almost unmentiona3le thin'. = have said that eons seemed to elapse after Warren shrie!ed forth his last despairin' ,arnin'A and that only my o,n cries no, 3ro!e the hideous silence. But after a ,hile there ,as a further clic!in' in the receiverA and = strained my ears to listen. A'ain = called do,nA LWarrenA are you thereGL and in ans,er heard the thin' ,hich has 3rou'ht this cloud over my mind. = do not tryA 'entlemenA to account for that thin'11that voice11nor can = venture to descri3e it in detailA since the first ,ords too! a,ay my consciousness and created a mental 3lan! ,hich reaches to the time of my a,a!enin' in the hospital. Shall = say that the voice ,as deepB hollo,B 'elatinousB remoteB unearthlyB inhumanB disem3odiedG What shall = sayG =t ,as the end of my e%perienceA and is the end of my story. = heard itA and !ne, no more11heard it as = sat petrified in that un!no,n cemetery in the hollo,A amidst the crum3lin' stones and the fallin' tom3sA the ran! ve'etation and the miasmal vapors11 heard it ,ell up from the innermost depths of that damna3le open sepulcher as = ,atched amorphousA necropha'ous shado,s dance 3eneath an accursed ,anin' moon. And this is ,hat it said9 L.ou foolA Warren is $EA$FL

The Str #-e Hi-h Ho%se i# the Mist

=n the mornin'A mist comes up from the sea 3y the cliffs 3eyond 0in'sport. White and feathery it comes from the deep to its 3rothers the cloudsA full of dreams of dan! pastures and caves of leviathan. And laterA in still summer rains on the steep roofs of poetsA the clouds scatter 3its of those dreamsA that men shall not live ,ithout rumor of old stran'e secretsA and ,onders that planets tell planets alone in the ni'ht. When tales fly thic! in the 'rottoes of tritonsA and conchs in sea,eed cities 3lo, ,ild tunes learned from the Elder +nesA then 'reat ea'er mists floc! to heaven laden ,ith loreA and ocean,ard eyes on tile roc!s see only a mystic ,hitenessA as if the cliff<s rim ,ere the rim of all earthA and the solemn 3ells of 3uoys tolled free in the aether of faery. ;o, north of archaic 0in'sport the cra's clim3 lofty and curiousA terrace on terraceA till the northernmost han's in the s!y li!e a 'ray frozen ,ind1cloud. Alone it isA a 3lea! point Cuttin' in limitless spaceA for there the coast turns sharp ,here the 'reat 8is!atonic pours out of the plains past Ar!hamA 3rin'in' ,oodland le'ends and little Duaint memories of ;e, En'land<s hills. The sea1fol! of 0in'sport loo! up at that cliff as other sea1fol! loo! up at the pole1starA and time the ni'ht<s ,atches 3y the ,ay it hides or sho,s the 7reat BearA Cassiopeia and the $ra'on. Amon' them it is one ,ith the firmamentA and trulyA it is hidden from them ,hen the mist hides the stars or the sun. Some of the cliffs they loveA as that ,hose 'rotesDue profile they call 4ather ;eptuneA or that ,hose pillared steps they term LThe Cause,ayLB 3ut this one they fear 3ecause it is so near the s!y. The >ortu'uese sailors comin' in from a voya'e cross themselves ,hen they first see itA and the old .an!ees 3elieve it ,ould 3e a much 'raver matter than death to clim3 itA if indeed that ,ere possi3le. ;everthcless there is an ancient house on that cliffA and at evenin' men see li'hts in the small1paned ,indo,s. The ancient house has al,ays 3een thereA and people say +ne d,ells ,ithin ,ho tal!s ,ith the mornin' mists that come up from the deepA and perhaps sees sin'ular thin's ocean,ard at those times ,hen the cliff<s rim 3ecomes the rim of all earthA and solemn 3uoys toll free in the ,hite aether of faery. This they tell from hearsayA for that for3iddin' cra' is al,ays unvisitedA and natives disli!e to train telescopes on it. Summer 3oarders have indeed scanned it ,ith Caunty 3inocularsA 3ut have never seen more than the 'ray primeval roofA pea!ed and shin'ledA ,hose eaves come nearly to the 'ray foundationsA and the dim yello, li'ht of the little ,indo,s peepin' out from under those eaves in the dus!. These summer people do not 3elieve that the same +ne has lived in the ancient house for hundreds of yearsA 3ut can not prove their heresy to any real 0in'sporter. Even the Terri3le +ld 8an ,ho tal!s to leaden pendulums in 3ottlesA 3uys 'roceries ,ith centuried Spanish 'oldA and !eeps stone idols in the yard of his antediluvian cotta'e in Water Street can only say these thin's ,ere the same ,hen his 'randfather ,as a 3oyA and that must have 3een inconceiva3le a'es a'oA ,hen Belcher or Shirley or >o,nall or Bernard ,as 7overnor of 2is 8aCesty<s >rovince of the 8assachusetts1Bay. Then one summer there came a philosopher into 0in'sport. 2is name ,as Thomas +lneyA and he tau'ht ponderous thin's in a colle'e 3y ;arra'ansett Bay. With stout ,ife and rompin' children he cameA and his eyes ,ere ,eary ,ith seein' the same thin's for many yearsA and thin!in' the same ,ell1disciplined thou'hts. 2e loo!ed at the mists from

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Stran'e 2i'h 2ouse in the 8ist

)&1

the diadem of 4ather ;eptuneA and tried to ,al! into their ,hite ,orld of mystery alon' the titan steps of The Cause,ay. 8ornin' after mornin' he ,ould lie on the cliffs and loo! over the ,orld<s rim at the cryptical aether 3eyondA listenin' to spectral 3ells and the ,ild cries of ,hat mi'ht have 3een 'ulls. ThenA ,hen the mist ,ould lift and the sea stand out prosy ,ith the smo!e of steamersA he ,ould si'h and descend to the to,nA ,here he loved to thread the narro, olden lanes up and do,n hillA and study the crazy totterin' 'a3les and odd1pillared door,ays ,hich had sheltered so many 'enerations of sturdy sea1fol!. And he even tal!ed ,ith the Terri3le +ld 8anA ,ho ,as not fond of stran'ersA and ,as invited into his fearsomely archaic cotta'e ,here lo, ceilin's and ,ormy panellin' hear the echoes of disDuietin' soliloDuies in the dar! small hours. +f course it ,as inevita3le that +lney should mar! the 'ray unvisited cotta'e in the s!yA on that sinister north,ard cra' ,hich is one ,ith the mists and the firmament. Al,ays over 0in'sport it hun'A and al,ays its mystery sounded in ,hispers throu'h 0in'sport<s croo!ed alleys. The Terri3le +ld 8an ,heezed a tale that his father had told himA of li'htnin' that shot one ni'ht up from that pea!ed cotta'e to the clouds of hi'her heavenB and 7ranny +rneA ,hose tiny 'am3rel1roofed a3ode in Ship Street is all covered ,ith moss and ivyA croa!ed over somethin' her 'randmother had heard at second1handA a3out shapes that flapped out of the eastern mists strai'ht into the narro, sin'le door of that unreacha3le place 1 for the door is set close to the ed'e of the cra' to,ard the oceanA and 'limpsed only from ships at sea. At len'thA 3ein' avid for ne, stran'e thin's and held 3ac! 3y neither the 0in'sporter<s fear nor the summer 3oarder<s usual indolenceA +lney made a very terri3le resolve. $espite a conservative trainin' 1 or 3ecause of itA for humdrum lives 3reed ,istful lon'in's of the un!no,n 1 he s,ore a 'reat oath to scale that avoided northern cliff and visit the a3normally antiDue 'ray cotta'e in the s!y. ?ery plausi3ly his saner self ar'ued that the place must 3e tenanted 3y people ,ho reached it from inland alon' the easier rid'e 3eside the 8is!atonic<s estuary. >ro3a3ly they traded in Ar!hamA !no,in' ho, little 0in'sport li!ed their ha3itation or perhaps 3ein' una3le to clim3 do,n the cliff on the 0in'sport side. +lney ,al!ed out alon' the lesser cliffs to ,here the 'reat cra' leaped insolently up to consort ,ith celestial thin'sA and 3ecame very sure that no human feet could mount it or descend it on that 3eetlin' southern slope. East and north it rose thousands of feet perpendicular from the ,ater so only the ,estern sideA inland and to,ard Ar!hamA remained. +ne early mornin' in Au'ust +lney set out to find a path to the inaccessi3le pinnacle. 2e ,or!ed north,est alon' pleasant 3ac! roadsA past 2ooper<s >ond and the old 3ric! po,der1house to ,here the pastures slope up to the rid'e a3ove the 8is!atonic and 'ive a lovely vista of Ar!ham<s ,hite 7eor'ian steeples across lea'ues of river and meado,. 2ere he found a shady road to Ar!hamA 3ut no trail at all in the sea,ard direction he ,ished. Woods and fields cro,ded up to the hi'h 3an! of the river<s mouthA and 3ore not a si'n of man<s presenceB not even a stone ,all or a strayin' co,A 3ut only the tall 'rass and 'iant trees and tan'les of 3riars that the first =ndian mi'ht have seen. As he clim3ed slo,ly eastA hi'her and hi'her a3ove the estuary on his left and nearer and nearer the seaA he found the ,ay 'ro,in' in difficulty till he ,ondered ho, ever the d,ellers in that disli!ed place mana'ed to reach the ,orld outsideA and ,hether they came often to mar!et in Ar!ham. Then the trees thinnedA and far 3elo, him on his ri'ht he sa, the hills and antiDue roofs and spires of 0in'sport. Even Central 2ill ,as a d,arf from this hei'htA and he could Cust

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Stran'e 2i'h 2ouse in the 8ist

)&"

ma!e out the ancient 'raveyard 3y the Con're'ational 2ospital 3eneath ,hich rumor said some terri3le caves or 3urro,s lur!ed. Ahead lay sparse 'rass and scru3 3lue3erry 3ushesA and 3eyond them the na!ed roc! of the cra' and the thin pea! of the dreaded 'ray cotta'e. ;o, the rid'e narro,edA and +lney 're, dizzy at his loneness in the s!yA south of him the fri'htful precipice a3ove 0in'sportA north of him the vertical drop of nearly a mile to the river<s mouth. Suddenly a 'reat chasm opened 3efore himA ten feet deepA so that he had to let himself do,n 3y his hands and drop to a slantin' floorA and then cra,l perilously up a natural defile in the opposite ,all. So this ,as the ,ay the fol! of the uncanny house Courneyed 3et,i%t earth and s!yF When he clim3ed out of the chasm a mornin' mist ,as 'atherin'A 3ut he clearly sa, the lofty and unhallo,ed cotta'e aheadB ,alls as 'ray as the roc!A and hi'h pea! standin' 3old a'ainst the mil!y ,hite of the sea,ard vapors. And he perceived that there ,as no door on this land,ard endA 3ut only a couple of small lattice ,indo,s ,ith din'y 3ull<s1eye panes leaded in seventeenth century fashion. All around him ,as cloud and chaosA and he could see nothin' 3elo, the ,hiteness of illimita3le space. 2e ,as alone in the s!y ,ith this Dueer and very distur3in' houseB and ,hen he sidled around to the front and sa, that the ,all stood flush ,ith the cliff<s ed'eA so that the sin'le narro, door ,as not to 3e reached save from the empty aetherA he felt a distinct terror that altitude could not ,holly e%plain. And it ,as very odd that shin'les so ,orm1eaten could surviveA or 3ric!s so crum3led still form a standin' chimney. As the mist thic!enedA +lney crept around to the ,indo,s on the north and ,est and south sidesA tryin' them 3ut findin' them all loc!ed. 2e ,as va'uely 'lad they ,ere loc!edA 3ecause the more he sa, of that house the less he ,ished to 'et in. Then a sound halted him. 2e heard a loc! rattle and a 3olt shootA and a lon' crea!in' follo, as if a heavy door ,ere slo,ly and cautiously opened. This ,as on the ocean,ard side that he could not seeA ,here the narro, portal opened on 3lan! space thousands of feet in the misty s!y a3ove the ,aves. Then there ,as heavyA deli3erate trampin' in the cotta'eA and +lney heard the ,indo,s openin'A first on the north side opposite himA and then on the ,est Cust around the corner. ;e%t ,ould come the south ,indo,sA under the 'reat lo, eaves on the side ,here he stoodB and it must 3e said that he ,as more than uncomforta3le as he thou'ht of the detesta3le house on one side and the vacancy of upper air on the other. When a fum3lin' came in the nearer casements he crept around to the ,est a'ainA flattenin' himself a'ainst the ,all 3eside the no, opened ,indo,s. =t ,as plain that the o,ner had come homeB 3ut he had not come from the landA nor from any 3alloon or airship that could 3e ima'ined. Steps sounded a'ainA and +lney ed'ed round to the northB 3ut 3efore he could find a haven a voice called softlyA and he !ne, he must confront his host. Stuc! out of the ,est ,indo, ,as a 'reat 3lac!13earded face ,hose eyes ,ere phosphorescent ,ith the imprint of unheard1of si'hts. But the voice ,as 'entleA and of a Duaint olden !indA so that +lney did not shudder ,hen a 3ro,n hand reached out to help him over the sill and into that lo, room of 3lac! oa! ,ainscots and carved Tudor furnishin's. The man ,as clad in very ancient 'armentsA and had a3out him an unplacea3le nim3us of sea1lore and dreams of tall 'alleons. +lney does not recall many of the ,onders he toldA or even ,ho he ,asB 3ut says that he ,as stran'e and !indlyA and filled ,ith the ma'ic of unfathomed voids of time and space. The small room seemed 'reen ,ith a dim

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Stran'e 2i'h 2ouse in the 8ist

)&&

aDueous li'htA and +lney sa, that the far ,indo,s to the east ,ere not openA 3ut shut a'ainst the misty aether ,ith dull panes li!e the 3ottoms of old 3ottles. That 3earded host seemed youn'A yet loo!ed out of eyes steeped in the elder mysteriesB and from the tales of marvelous ancient thin's he relatedA it must 3e 'uessed that the villa'e fol! ,ere ri'ht in sayin' he had communed ,ith the mists of the sea and the clouds of the s!y ever since there ,as any villa'e to ,atch his taciturn d,ellin' from the plain 3elo,. And the day ,ore onA and still +lney listened to rumors of old times and far placesA and heard ho, the !in's of Atlantis fou'ht ,ith the slippery 3lasphemies that ,ri''led out of rifts in ocean<s floorA and ho, the pillared and ,eedy temple of >oseidon is still 'limpsed at midni'ht 3y lost shipsA ,ho !ne, 3y its si'ht that they are lost. .ears of the Titans ,ere recalledA 3ut the host 're, timid ,hen he spo!e of the dim first a'e of chaos 3efore the 'ods or even the Elder +nes ,ere 3ornA and ,hen t"e ot"er gods came to dance on the pea! of 2athe'10ia in the stony desert near (ltharA 3eyond the :iver S!ai. =t ,as at this point that there came a !noc!in' on the doorB that ancient door of nail1 studded oa! 3eyond ,hich lay only the a3yss of ,hite cloud. +lney started in fri'htA 3ut the 3earded man motioned him to 3e stillA and tiptoed to the door to loo! out throu'h a very small peephole. What he sa, he did not li!eA so pressed his fin'ers to his lips and tiptoed around to shut and loc! all the ,indo,s 3efore returnin' to the ancient settle 3eside his 'uest. Then +lney sa, lin'erin' a'ainst the translucent sDuares of each of the little dim ,indo,s in succession a Dueer 3lac! outline as the caller moved inDuisitively a3out 3efore leavin'B and he ,as 'lad his host had not ans,ered the !noc!in'. 4or there are stran'e o3Cects in the 'reat a3yssA and the see!er of dreams must ta!e care not to stir up or meet the ,ron' ones. Then the shado,s 3e'an to 'atherB first little furtive ones under the ta3leA and then 3older ones in the dar! panelled corners. And the 3earded man made eni'matical 'estures of prayerA and lit tall candles in curiously ,rou'ht 3rass candle1stic!s. 4reDuently he ,ould 'lance at the door as if he e%pected some oneA and at len'th his 'lance seemed ans,ered 3y a sin'ular rappin' ,hich must have follo,ed some very ancient and secret code. This time he did not even 'lance t3rou'h the peep1holeA 3ut s,un' the 'reat oa! 3ar and shot the 3oltA unlatchin' the heavy door and flin'in' it ,ide to the stars and the mist. And then to the sound of o3scure harmonies there floated into that room from the deep all the dreams and memories of earth<s sun!en 8i'hty +nes. And 'olden flames played a3out ,eedy loc!sA so that +lney ,as dazzled as he did them homa'e. Trident13earin' ;eptune ,as thereA and sportive tritons and fantastic nereidsA and upon dolphins< 3ac!s ,as 3alanced a vast crenulate shell ,herein rode the 'ay and a,ful form of primal ;odensA 5ord of the 7reat A3yss. And the conchs of the tritons 'ave ,eird 3lastsA and the nereids made stran'e sounds 3y stri!in' on the 'rotesDue resonant shells of un!no,n lur!ers in 3lac! seacaves. Then hoary ;odens reached forth a ,izened hand and helped +lney and his host into the vast shellA ,hereat the conchs and the 'on's set up a ,ild and a,esome clamor. And out into the limitless aether reeled that fa3ulous trainA the noise of ,hose shoutin' ,as lost in the echoes of thunder. All ni'ht in 0in'sport they ,atched that lofty cliff ,hen the storm and the mists 'ave them 'limpses of itA and ,hen to,ard the small hours the little dim ,indo,s ,ent dar! they ,hispered of dread and disaster. And +lney<s children and stout ,ife prayed to the 3land proper 'od of BaptistsA and hoped that the traveller ,ould 3orro, an um3rella and

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The Stran'e 2i'h 2ouse in the 8ist

)&#

ru33ers unless the rain stopped 3y mornin'. Then da,n s,am drippin' and mist1,reathed out of the seaA and the 3uoys tolled solemn in vortices of ,hite aether. And at noon elfin horns ran' over the ocean as +lneyA dry and li'htfootedA clim3ed do,n from the cliffs to antiDue 0in'sport ,ith the loo! of far places in his eyes. 2e could not recall ,hat he had dreamed in the s!yperched hut of that still nameless hermitA or say ho, he had crept do,n that cra' untraversed 3y other feet. ;or could he tal! of these matters at all save ,ith the Terri3le +ld 8anA ,ho after,ard mum3led Dueer thin's in his lon' ,hite 3eardB vo,in' that the man ,ho came do,n from that cra' ,as not ,holly the man ,ho ,ent upA and that some,here under that 'ray pea!ed roofA or amidst inconceiva3le reaches of that sinister ,hite mistA there lin'ered still the lost spirit of him ,ho ,as Thomas +3ey. And ever since that hourA throu'h dull dra''in' years of 'rayness and ,earinessA the philosopher has la3ored and eaten and slept and done uncomplainin' the suita3le deeds of a citizen. ;ot any more does he lon' for the ma'ic of farther hillsA or si'h for secrets that peer li!e 'reen reefs from a 3ottomless sea. The sameness of his days no lon'er 'ives him sorro, and ,ell1disciplined thou'hts have 'ro,n enou'h for his ima'ination. 2is 'ood ,ife ,a%es stouter and his children older and prosier and more usefulA and he never fails to smile correctly ,ith pride ,hen the occasion calls for it. =n his 'lance there is not any restless li'htA and all he ever listens for solemn 3ells or far elfin horns it is only at ni'ht ,hen old dreams are ,anderin'. 2e has never seen 0in'sport a'ainA for his family disli!ed the funny old houses and complained that the drains ,ere impossi3ly 3ad. They have a trim 3un'alo, no, at Bristol 2i'hlandsA ,here no tall cra's to,erA and the nei'h3ors are ur3an and modern. But in 0in'sport stran'e tales are a3roadA and even the Terri3le +ld 8an admits a thin' untold 3y his 'randfather. 4or no,A ,hen the ,ind s,eeps 3oisterous out of the north past the hi'h ancient house that is one ,ith the firmamentA there is 3ro!en at last that ominousA 3roodin' silence ever 3efore the 3ane of 0in'sport<s maritime cotters. And old fol! tell of pleasin' voices heard sin'in' thereA and of lau'hter that s,ells ,ith Coys 3eyond earth<s CoysB and say that at evenin' the little lo, ,indo,s are 3ri'hter than formerly. They sayA tooA that the fierce aurora comes oftener to that spotA shinin' 3lue in the north ,ith visions of frozen ,orlds ,hile the cra' and the cotta'e han' 3lac! and fantastic a'ainst ,ild coruscations. And the mists of the da,n are thic!erA and sailors are not Duite so sure that all the muffled sea,ard rin'in' is that of the solemn 3uoys. Worst of allA thou'hA is the shrivellin' of old fears in the hearts of 0in'sport<s youn' menA ,ho 'ro, prone to listen at ni'ht to the north ,ind<s faint distant sounds. They s,ear no harm or pain can inha3it that hi'h pea!ed cotta'eA for in the ne, voices 'ladness 3eatsA and ,ith them the tin!le of lau'hter and music. What tales the sea1mists may 3rin' to that haunted and northernmost pinnacle they do not !no,A 3ut they lon' to e%tract some hint of the ,onders that !noc! at the cliff1ya,nin' door ,hen clouds are thic!est. And patriarchs dread lest some day one 3y one they see! out that inaccessi3le pea! in the s!yA and learn ,hat centuried secrets hide 3eneath the steep shin'led roof ,hich is part of the roc!s and the stars and the ancient fears of 0in'sport. That those venturesome youths ,ill come 3ac! they do not dou3tA 3ut they thin! a li'ht may 3e 'one from their eyesA and a ,ill from their hearts. And they do not ,ish Duaint 0in'sport ,ith its clim3in' lanes and archaic 'a3les to dra' listless do,n the years ,hile voice 3y voice the lau'hin' chorus 'ro,s stron'er and ,ilder in that un!no,n and terri3le eyrie ,here mists and the dreams of mists stop to rest on their ,ay from the sea to the s!ies.

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The Stran'e 2i'h 2ouse in the 8ist

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They do not ,ish the souls of their youn' men to leave the pleasant hearths and 'am3rel1roofed taverns of old 0in'sportA nor do they ,ish the lau'hter and son' in that hi'h roc!y place to 'ro, louder. 4or as the voice ,hich has come has 3rou'ht fresh mists from the sea and from the north fresh li'htsA so do they say that still other voices ,ill 3rin' more mists and more li'htsA till perhaps the olden 'ods J,hose e%istence they hint only in ,hispers for fear the Con're'ational parson shall hearp may come out of the deep and from un!no,n 0adath in the cold ,aste and ma!e their d,ellin' on that evilly appropriate cra' so close to the 'entle hills and valleys of DuietA simple fisher fol!. This they do not ,ishA for to plain people thin's not of earth are un,elcomeB and 3esidesA the Terri3le +ld 8an often recalls ,hat +lney said a3out a !noc! that the lone d,eller fearedA and a shape seen 3lac! and inDuisitive a'ainst the mist throu'h those Dueer translucent ,indo,s of leaded 3ull<s1eyes. All these thin'sA ho,everA the Elder +nes only may decideB and mean,hile the mornin' mist still comes up 3y that lovely verti'inous pea! ,ith the steep ancient houseA that 'rayA lo,1eaved house ,here none is seen 3ut ,here evenin' 3rin's furtive li'hts ,hile the north ,ind tells of stran'e revels. ,hite and feathery it comes from the deep to its 3rothers the cloudsA full of dreams of dan! pastures and caves of leviathan. And ,hen tales fly thic! in the 'rottoes of tritonsA and conchs in sea,eed cities 3lo, ,ild tunes learned from the Elder +nesA then 'reat ea'er vapors floc! to heaven laden ,ith loreB and 0in'sportA nestlin' uneasy in its lesser cliffs 3elo, that a,esome han'in' sentinel of roc!A sees ocean,ard only a mystic ,hitenessA as if the cliff<s rim ,ere the rim of all earthA and the solemn 3ells of the 3uoys tolled free in the aether of faery.

The Street
There 3e those ,ho say that thin's and places have soulsA and there 3e those ,ho say they have notB = dare not sayA myselfA 3ut = ,ill tell of the Street. 8en of stren'th and honour fashioned that Street9 'ood valiant men of our 3lood ,ho had come from the Blessed =sles across the sea. At first it ,as 3ut a path trodden 3y 3earers of ,ater from the ,oodland sprin' to the cluster of houses 3y the 3each. ThenA as more men came to the 'ro,in' cluster of houses and loo!ed a3out for places to d,ellA they 3uilt ca3ins alon' the north sideA ca3ins of stout oa!en lo's ,ith masonry on the side to,ard the forestA for many =ndians lur!ed there ,ith fire1arro,s. And in a fe, years moreA men 3uilt ca3ins on the south side of the Street. (p and do,n the Street ,al!ed 'rave men in conical hatsA ,ho most of the time carried mus!ets or fo,lin' pieces. And there ,ere also their 3onneted ,ives and so3er children. =n the evenin' these men ,ith their ,ives and children ,ould sit a3out 'i'antic hearths and read and spea!. ?ery simple ,ere the thin's of ,hich they read and spo!eA yet thin's ,hich 'ave them coura'e and 'oodness and helped them 3y day to su3due the forest and till the fields. And the children ,ould listen and learn of the la,s and deeds of oldA and of that dear En'land ,hich they had never seen or could not remem3er. There ,as ,arA and thereafter no more =ndians trou3led the Street. The menA 3usy ,ith la3ourA ,a%ed prosperous and as happy as they !ne, ho, to 3e. And the children 're, up comforta3leA and more families came from the 8other 5and to d,ell on the Street. And the childrenTs childrenA and the ne,comersT childrenA 're, up. The to,n ,as no, a cityA and one 3y one the ca3ins 'ave place to housesUsimpleA 3eautiful houses of 3ric! and ,oodA ,ith stone steps and iron railin's and fanli'hts over the doors. ;o flimsy creations ,ere these housesA for they ,ere made to serve many a 'eneration. Within there ,ere carven mantels and 'raceful stairsA and sensi3leA pleasin' furnitureA chinaA and silverA 3rou'ht from the 8other 5and. So the Street dran! in the dreams of a youn' people and reCoiced as its d,ellers 3ecame more 'raceful and happy. Where once had 3een only stren'th and honourA taste and learnin' no, a3ode as ,ell. Boo!s and paintin's and music came to the housesA and the youn' men ,ent to the university ,hich rose a3ove the plain to the north. =n the place of conical hats and small1s,ordsA of lace and sno,y peri,i'sA there ,ere co33lestones over ,hich clattered many a 3looded horse and rum3led many a 'ilded coachB and 3ric! side,al!s ,ith horse 3loc!s and hitchin'1posts. There ,ere in that Street many trees9 elms and oa!s and maples of di'nityB so that in the summerA the scene ,as all soft verdure and t,itterin' 3ird1son'. And 3ehind the houses ,ere ,alled rose1'ardens ,ith hed'ed paths and sundialsA ,here at evenin' the moon and stars ,ould shine 3e,itchin'ly ,hile fra'rant 3lossoms 'listened ,ith de,. So the Street dreamed onA past ,arsA calamitiesA and chan'e. +nceA most of the youn' men ,ent a,ayA and some never came 3ac!. That ,as ,hen they furled the old fla' and put up a ne, 3anner of stripes and stars. But thou'h men tal!ed of 'reat chan'esA the Street felt them notA for its fol! ,ere still the sameA spea!in' of the old familiar thin's in the old

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Street

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familiar accounts. And the trees still sheltered sin'in' 3irdsA and at evenin' the moon and stars loo!ed do,n upon de,y 3lossoms in the ,alled rose1'ardens. =n time there ,ere no more s,ordsA three1cornered hatsA or peri,i's in the Street. 2o, stran'e seemed the inha3itants ,ith their ,al!in'1stic!sA tall 3eaversA and cropped headsF ;e, sounds came from the distanceUfirst stran'e puffin's and shrie!s from the river a mile a,ayA and thenA many years laterA stran'e puffin's and shrie!s and rum3lin's from other directions. The air ,as not Duite so pure as 3eforeA 3ut the spirit of the place had not chan'ed. The 3lood and soul of their ancestors had fashioned the Street. ;or did the spirit chan'e ,hen they tore open the earth to lay do,n stran'e pipesA or ,hen they set up tall posts 3earin' ,eird ,ires. There ,as so much ancient lore in that StreetA that the past could not easily 3e for'otten. Then came days of evilA ,hen many ,ho had !no,n the Street of old !ne, it no moreA and many !ne, it ,ho had not !no,n it 3eforeA and ,ent a,ayA for their accents ,ere coarse and stridentA and their mien and faces unpleasin'. Their thou'htsA tooA fou'ht ,ith the ,iseA Cust spirit of the StreetA so that the Street pined silently as its houses fell into decayA and its trees died one 3y oneA and its rose1'ardens 're, ran! ,ith ,eeds and ,aste. But it felt a stir of pride one day ,hen a'ain marched forth youn' menA some of ,hom never came 3ac!. These youn' men ,ere clad in 3lue. With the yearsA ,orse fortune came to the Street. =ts trees ,ere all 'one no,A and its rose1'ardens ,ere displaced 3y the 3ac!s of cheapA u'ly ne, 3uildin's on parallel streets. .et the houses remainedA despite the rava'es of the years and the storms and ,ormsA for they had 3een made to serve many a 'eneration. ;e, !inds of faces appeared in the StreetA s,arthyA sinister faces ,ith furtive eyes and odd featuresA ,hose o,ners spo!e unfamiliar ,ords and placed si'ns in !no,n and un!no,n characters upon most of the musty houses. >ush1carts cro,ded the 'utters. A sordidA undefina3le stench settled over the placeA and the ancient spirit slept. 7reat e%citement once came to the Street. War and revolution ,ere ra'in' across the seasB a dynasty had collapsedA and its de'enerate su3Cects ,ere floc!in' ,ith du3ious intent to the Western 5and. 8any of these too! lod'in's in the 3attered houses that had once !no,n the son's of 3irds and the scent of roses. Then the Western 5and itself a,o!e and Coined the 8other 5and in her titanic stru''le for civilization. +ver the cities once more floated the old fla'A companioned 3y the ne, fla'A and 3y a plainerA yet 'lorious tricolour. But not many fla's floated over the StreetA for therein 3rooded only fear and hatred and i'norance. A'ain youn' men ,ent forthA 3ut not Duite as did the youn' men of those other days. Somethin' ,as lac!in'. And the sons of those youn' men of other daysA ,ho did indeed 'o forth in olive1dra3 ,ith the true spirit of their ancestorsA ,ent from distant places and !ne, not the Street and its ancient spirit. +ver the seas there ,as a 'reat victoryA and in triumph most of the youn' men returned. Those ,ho had lac!ed somethin' lac!ed it no lon'erA yet did fear and hatred and i'norance still 3rood over the StreetB for many had stayed 3ehindA and many stran'ers had come from distance places to the ancient houses. And the youn' men ,ho had returned d,elt there no lon'er. S,arthy and sinister ,ere most of the stran'ersA yet amon' them one mi'ht find a fe, faces li!e those ,ho fashioned the Street and moulded its spirit. 5i!e and yet unli!eA for there ,as in the eyes of all a ,eirdA unhealthy 'litter as of 'reedA am3itionA vindictivenessA or mis'uided zeal. (nrest and treason ,ere a3road amon'st an evil fe,

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Street

)&8

,ho plotted to stri!e the Western 5and its death 3lo,A that they mi'ht mount to po,er over its ruinsA even as assassins had mounted in that unhappyA frozen land from ,hence most of them had come. And the heart of that plottin' ,as in the StreetA ,hose crum3lin' houses teemed ,ith alien ma!ers of discord and echoed ,ith the plans and speeches of those ,ho yearned for the appointed day of 3loodA flame and crime. +f the various odd assem3la'es in the StreetA the 5a, said much 3ut could prove little. With 'reat dili'ence did men of hidden 3ad'es lin'er and listen a3out such places as >etrovitchTs Ba!eryA the sDualid :if!in School of 8odern EconomicsA the Circle Social Clu3A and the 5i3erty Cafe. There con're'ated sinister men in 'reat num3ersA yet al,ays ,as their speech 'uarded or in a forei'n ton'ue. And still the old houses stoodA ,ith their for'otten lore of no3lerA departed centuriesB of sturdy Colonial tenants and de,y rose1 'ardens in the moonli'ht. Sometimes a lone poet or traveler ,ould come to vie, themA and ,ould try to picture them in their vanished 'loryB yet of such travelers and poets there ,ere not many. The rumour no, spread ,idely that these houses contained the leaders of a vast 3and of terroristsA ,ho on a desi'nated day ,ere to launch an or'y of slau'hter for the e%termination of America and of all the fine old traditions ,hich the Street had loved. 2and3ills and papers fluttered a3out filthy 'uttersB hand3ills and papers printed in many ton'ues and in many charactersA yet all 3earin' messa'es of crime and re3ellion. =n these ,ritin's the people ,ere ur'ed to tear do,n the la,s and virtues that our fathers had e%altedA to stamp out the soul of the old AmericaUthe soul that ,as 3eDueathed throu'h a thousand and a half years of An'lo1Sa%on freedomA CusticeA and moderation. =t ,as said that the s,art men ,ho d,elt in the Street and con're'ated in its rottin' edifices ,ere the 3rains of a hideous revolutionA that at their ,ord of command many millions of 3rainlessA 3esotted 3easts ,ould stretch forth their noisome talons from the slums of a thousand citiesA 3urnin'A slayin'A and destroyin' till the land of our fathers should 3e no more. All this ,as said and repeatedA and many loo!ed for,ard in dread to the fourth day of 6ulyA a3out ,hich the stran'e ,ritin's hinted muchB yet could nothin' 3e found to place the 'uilt. ;one could tell Cust ,hose arrest mi'ht cut off the damna3le plottin' at its source. 8any times came 3ands of 3lue1coated police to search the sha!y housesA thou'h at last they ceased to comeB for they too had 'ro,n tired of la, and orderA and had a3andoned all the city to its fate. Then men in olive1dra3 cameA 3earin' mus!etsA till it seemed as if in its sad sleep the Street must have some hauntin' dreams of those other daysA ,hen mus!et3earin' men in conical hats ,al!ed alon' it from the ,oodland sprin' to the cluster of houses 3y the 3each. .et could no act 3e performed to chec! the impendin' cataclysmA for the s,artA sinister men ,ere old in cunnin'. So the Street slept uneasily onA till one ni'ht there 'athered in >etrovitchTs Ba!eryA and the :if!in School of 8odern EconomicsA and the Circle Social Clu3A and 5i3erty CafeA and in other places as ,ellA vast hordes of men ,hose eyes ,ere 3i' ,ith horri3le triumph and e%pectation. +ver hidden ,ires stran'e messa'es traveledA and much ,as said of still stran'er messa'es yet to travelB 3ut most of this ,as not 'uessed till after,ardA ,hen the Western 5and ,as safe from the peril. The men in olive1dra3 could not tell ,hat ,as happenin'A or ,hat they ou'ht to doB for the s,artA sinister men ,ere s!illed in su3tlety and concealment. And yet the men in olive1dra3 ,ill al,ays remem3er that ni'htA and ,ill spea! of the Street as they tell of it to their 'randchildrenB for many of them ,ere sent there to,ard mornin' on a mission unli!e that ,hich they had e%pected. =t ,as !no,n that this nest of anarchy ,as oldA and that the houses ,ere totterin' from the rava'es of the years and the

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Street

)&)

storms and ,ormsB yet ,as the happenin' of that summer ni'ht a surprise 3ecause of its very Dueer uniformity. =t ,asA indeedA an e%ceedin'ly sin'ular happenin'A thou'h after allA a simple one. 4or ,ithout ,arnin'A in one of the small hours 3eyond midni'htA all the rava'es of the years and the storms and the ,orms came to a tremendous clima%B and after the crash there ,as nothin' left standin' in the Street save t,o ancient chimneys and part of a stout 3ric! ,all. ;or did anythin' that had 3een alive come alive from the ruins. A poet and a travelerA ,ho came ,ith the mi'hty cro,d that sou'ht the sceneA tell odd stories. The poet says that all throu'h the hours 3efore da,n he 3eheld sordid ruins indistinctly in the 'lare of the arc1li'htsB that there loomed a3ove the ,rec!a'e another picture ,herein he could descri3e moonli'ht and fair houses and elms and oa!s and maples of di'nity. And the traveler declares that instead of the placeTs ,onted stench there lin'ered a delicate fra'rance as of roses in full 3loom. But are not the dreams of poets and the tales of travelers notoriously falseG There 3e those ,ho say that thin's and places have soulsA and there 3e those ,ho say they have notB = dare not sayA myselfA 3ut = have told you of the Street.

S2eet Erme#- r$e

or; The He rt o! Co%#tr& )irl

Ch *ter ,
A Simple *ustic Maid Ermen'arde Stu33s ,as the 3eauteous 3londe dau'hter of 2iram Stu33sA a poor 3ut honest farmer13ootle''er of 2o'tonA ?t. 2er name ,as ori'inally Ethyl Ermen'ardeA 3ut her father persuaded her to drop the praenomen after the passa'e of the 18th AmendmentA averrin' that it made him thirsty 3y remindin' him of ethyl alcoholA C"2 +2. 2is o,n products contained mostly methyl or ,ood alcoholA C2&+2. Ermen'arde confessed to si%teen summersA and 3randed as mendacious all reports to the effect that she ,as thirty. She had lar'e 3lac! eyesA a prominent :oman noseA li'ht hair ,hich ,as never dar! at the roots e%cept ,hen the local dru' store ,as short on suppliesA and a 3eautiful 3ut ine%pensive comple%ion. She ,as a3out ft .&&...in tallA ,ei'hed 11 .#7 l3s. on her father<s copy scales 1 also off them 1 and ,as adCud'ed most lovely 3y all the villa'e s,ains ,ho admired her father<s farm and li!ed his liDuid crops. Ermen'arde<s hand ,as sou'ht in matrimony 3y t,o ardent lovers. <SDuire 2ardmanA ,ho had a mort'a'e on the old homeA ,as very rich and elderly. 2e ,as dar! and cruelly handsomeA and al,ays rode horse3ac! and carried a ridin'1crop. 5on' had he sou'ht the radiant Ermen'ardeA and no, his ardour ,as fanned to fever heat 3y a secret !no,n to him alone 1 for upon the hum3le acres of 4armer Stu33s he had discovered a vein of rich 7+5$FF LAhaFL said heA L= ,ill ,in the maiden ere her parent !no,s of his unsuspected ,ealthA and Coin to my fortune a 'reater fortune stillFL And so he 3e'an to call t,ice a ,ee! instead of once as 3efore. But alas for the sinister desi'ns of a villain 1 <SDuire 2ardman ,as not the only suitor for the fair one. Close 3y the villa'e d,elt another the handsome 6ac! 8anlyA ,hose curly yello, hair had ,on the s,eet Ermen'arde<s affection ,hen 3oth ,ere toddlin' youn'sters at the villa'e school. 6ac! had lon' 3een too 3ashful to declare his passionA 3ut one day ,hile strollin' alon' a shady lane 3y the old mill ,ith Ermen'ardeA he had found coura'e to utter that ,hich ,as ,ithin his heart. L+ li'ht of my lifeAL said heA Lmy soul is so over3urdened that = must spea!F Ermen'ardeA my ideal Hhe pronounced it i1deelFIA life has 3ecome an empty thin' ,ithout you. Beloved of my spiritA 3ehold a suppliant !neelin' in the dust 3efore thee. Ermen'arde 1 ohA Ermen'ardeA raise me to an heaven of Coy and say that you ,ill some day 3e mineF =t is true that = am poorA 3ut have = not youth and stren'th to fi'ht my ,ay to fameG This = can do only for youA dear Ethyl pardon meA Ermen'arde 1 my onlyA my most precious 1 < 3ut here he paused to ,ipe his eyes and mop his 3ro,A and the fair responded9 L6ac! 1 my an'el 1 at last 1 = meanA this is so une%pected and Duite unprecedentedF = had never dreamed that you entertained sentiments of affection in conne%ion ,ith one so lo,ly

H.P.Lovecr !t

S,eet Ermen'arde

)#1

as 4armer Stu33s< child 1 for = am still 3ut a childF Such is your natural no3ility that = had feared 1 = mean thou'ht 1 you ,ould 3e 3lind to such sli'ht charms as = possessA and that you ,ould see! your fortune in the 'reat cityB there meetin' and ,eddin' one of those more comely damsels ,hose splendour ,e o3serve in fashion 3oo!s. LButA 6ac!A since it is really = ,hom you adoreA let us ,aive all needless circumlocution. 6ac! 1 my darlin' 1 my heart has lon' 3een suscepti3le to your manly 'races. = cherish an affection for thee 1 consider me thine o,n and 3e sure to 3uy the rin' at >er!ins< hard,are store ,here they have such nice imitation diamonds in the ,indo,.L LErmen'ardeA me loveFL L6ac! 1 my preciousFL L8y darlin'FL L8y o,nFL L8y 7a,dFL

Ch *ter ,,
And t"e .illain Still ,ursued 9er But these tender passa'esA sacred thou'h their fervourA did not pass uno3served 3y profane eyesB for crouched in the 3ushes and 'rittin' his teeth ,as the dastardly <SDuire 2ardmanF When the lovers had finally strolled a,ay he leapt out into the laneA viciously t,irlin' his moustache and ridin'1cropA and !ic!in' an unDuestiona3ly innocent cat ,ho ,as also out strollin'. LCursesFL he cried 1 2ardmanA not the cat 1 L= am foiled in my plot to 'et the farm and the 'irlF But 6ac! 8anly shall never succeedF = am a man of po,er 1 and ,e shall seeFL Thereupon he repaired to the hum3le Stu33s< cotta'eA ,here he found the fond father in the still1cellar ,ashin' 3ottles under the supervision of the 'entle ,ife and motherA 2annah Stu33s. Comin' directly to the pointA the villain spo!e9 L4armer Stu33sA = cherish a tender affection of lon' standin' for your lovely offsprin'A Ethyl Ermen'arde. = am consumed ,ith loveA and ,ish her hand in matrimony. Al,ays a man of fe, ,ordsA = ,ill not descend to euphemism. 7ive me the 'irl or = ,ill foreclose the mort'a'e and ta!e the old homeFL LButA SirAL pleaded the distracted Stu33s ,hile his stric!en spouse merely 'lo,eredA L= am sure the child<s affections are else,here placed.L LShe must 3e mineFL sternly snapped the sinister <SDuire. L= ,ill ma!e her love me 1 none shall resist my ,illF Either she 3ecomes muh ,ife or the old homestead 'oesFL And ,ith a sneer and flic! of his ridin'1crop <SDuire 2ardman strode out into the ni'ht.

H.P.Lovecr !t

S,eet Ermen'arde

)#"

Scarce had he departedA ,hen there entered 3y the 3ac! door the radiant loversA ea'er to tell the senior Stu33ses of their ne,1found happiness. =ma'ine the universal consternation ,hich rei'ned ,hen all ,as !no,nF Tears flo,ed li!e ,hite aleA till suddenly 6ac! remem3ered he ,as the hero and raised his headA declaimin' in appropriately virile accents9 L;ever shall the fair Ermen'arde 3e offered up to this 3east as a sacrifice ,hile = liveF = shall protect her 1 she is mineA mineA mine 1 and then someF 4ear notA dear father and mother to 3e 1 = ,ill defend you allF .ou shall have the old home still Hadver3A not noun 1 althou'h 6ac! ,as 3y no means out of sympathy ,ith Stu33s< !ind of farm produceI and = shall lead to the altar the 3eauteous Ermen'ardeA loveliest of her se%F To perdition ,ith the crool <SDuire and his ill1'otten 'old 1 the ri'ht shall al,ays ,inA and a hero is al,ays in the ri'htF = ,ill 'o to the 'reat city and there ma!e a fortune to save you all ere the mort'a'e fall dueF 4are,ellA my love 1 = leave you no, in tearsA 3ut = shall return to pay off the mort'a'e and claim you as my 3rideFL L6ac!A my protectorFL LErmieA my s,eet rollFL L$earestFL L$arlin'F 1 and don<t for'et that rin' at >er!ins<.L L+hFL LAhFL

Ch *ter ,,,
A #astardly Act
But the resourceful <SDuire 2ardman ,as not so easily to 3e foiled. Close 3y the villa'e lay a disreputa3le settlement of un!empt shac!sA populated 3y a shiftless scum ,ho lived 3y thievin' and other odd Co3s. 2ere the devilish villain secured t,o accomplices 1 ill1favoured fello,s ,ho ,ere very clearly no 'entlemen. And in the ni'ht the evil three 3ro!e into the Stu33s cotta'e and a3ducted the fair Ermen'ardeA ta!in' her to a ,retched hovel in the settlement and placin' her under the char'e of 8other 8ariaA a hideous old ha'. 4armer Stu33s ,as Duite distractedA and ,ould have advertised in the papers if the cost had 3een less than a cent a ,ord for each insertion. Ermen'arde ,as firmA and never ,avered in her refusal to ,ed the villain. LAhaA my proud 3eautyAL Duoth heA L= have ye in me po,erA and sooner or later = ,ill 3rea! that ,ill of thineF 8ean,hile thin! of your poor old father and mother as turned out of hearth and home and ,anderin' helpless throu'h the meado,sFL L+hA spare themA spare themFL said the maiden. L;everr . . . ha ha ha haFL leered the 3rute. And so the cruel days sped onA ,hile all in i'norance youn' 6ac! 8anly ,as see!in' fame and fortune in the 'reat city.

H.P.Lovecr !t

S,eet Ermen'arde

)#&

Ch *ter ,V
Subtle .illainy +ne day as <SDuire 2ardman sat in the front parlour of his e%pensive and palatial homeA indul'in' in his favourite pastime of 'nashin' his teeth and s,ishin' his ridin'1cropA a 'reat thou'ht came to himB and he cursed aloud at the statue of Satan on the ony% mantelpiece. L4ool that = amFL he cried. LWhy did = ever ,aste all this trou3le on the 'irl ,hen = can 'et the farm 3y simply foreclosin'G = never thou'ht of thatF = ,ill let the 'irl 'oA ta!e the farmA and 3e free to ,ed some fair city maid li!e the leadin' lady of that 3urlesDue troupe ,hich played last ,ee! at the To,n 2allFL And so he ,ent do,n to the settlementA apolo'ised to Ermen'ardeA let her 'o homeA and ,ent home himself to plot ne, crimes and invent ne, modes of villainy. The days ,ore onA and the Stu33ses 're, very sad over the comin' loss of their home and still 3ut no3ody seemed a3le to do anythin' a3out it. +ne day a party of hunters from the city chanced to stray over the old farmA and one of them found the 'oldFF 2idin' his discovery from his companionsA he fei'ned rattlesna!e13ite and ,ent to the Stu33s< cotta'e for aid of the usual !ind. Ermen'arde opened the door and sa, him. 2e also sa, herA and in that moment resolved to ,in her and the 'old. L4or my old mother<s sa!e = mustL 1 he cried loudly to himself. L;o sacrifice is too 'reatFL

Ch *ter V
T"e City C"ap Al'ernon :e'inald 6ones ,as a polished man of the ,orld from the 'reat cityA and in his sophisticated hands our poor little Ermen'arde ,as as a mere child. +ne could almost 3elieve that si%teen1year1old stuff. Al'y ,as a fast ,or!erA 3ut never crude. 2e could have tau'ht 2ardman a thin' or t,o a3out finesse in shei!in'. Thus only a ,ee! after his advent to the Stu33s family circleA ,here he lur!ed li!e the vile serpent that he ,asA he had persuaded the heroine to elopeF =t ,as in the ni'ht that she ,ent leavin' a note for her parentsA sniffin' the familiar mash for the last timeA and !issin' the cat 'ood3ye 1 touchin' stuffF +n the train Al'ernon 3ecame sleepy and slumped do,n in his seatA allo,in' a paper to fall out of his poc!et 3y accident. Ermen'ardeA ta!in' advanta'e of her supposed position as a 3ride1electA pic!ed up the folded sheet and read its perfumed e%panse 1 ,hen loF she almost faintedF =t ,as a love letter from another ,omanFF L>erfidious deceiverFL she ,hispered at the sleepin' Al'ernonA Lso this is all that your 3oasted fidelity amounts toF = am done ,ith you for all eternityFL So sayin'A she pushed him out the ,indo, and settled do,n for a much needed rest.

H.P.Lovecr !t

S,eet Ermen'arde

)##

Ch *ter V,
Alone in t"e Great City When the noisy train pulled into the dar! station at the cityA poor helpless Ermen'arde ,as all alone ,ithout the money to 'et 3ac! to 2o'ton. L+h ,hyAL she si'hed in innocent re'retA Ldidn<t = ta!e his poc!et3oo! 3efore = pushed him outG +h ,ellA = should ,orryF 2e told me all a3out the city so = can easily earn enou'h to 'et home if not to pay off the mort'a'eFL But alas for our little heroine 1 ,or! is not easy for a 'reenhorn to secureA so for a ,ee! she ,as forced to sleep on par! 3enches and o3tain food from the 3read1line. +nce a ,ily and ,ic!ed personA perceivin' her helplessnessA offered her a position as dish1,asher in a fashiona3le and depraved ca3aretB 3ut our heroine ,as true to her rustic ideals and refused to ,or! in such a 'ilded and 'litterin' palace of frivolity 1 especially since she ,as offered only d&.** per ,ee! ,ith meals 3ut no 3oard. She tried to loo! up 6ac! 8anlyA her one1 time loverA 3ut he ,as no,here to 3e found. >erchanceA tooA he ,ould not have !no,n herB for in her poverty she had perforce 3ecome a 3runette a'ainA and 6ac! had not 3eheld her in that state since school days. +ne day she found a neat 3ut costly purse in the dar!B and after seein' that there ,as not much in itA too! it to the rich lady ,hose card proclaimed her o,nership. $eli'hted 3eyond ,ords at the honesty of this forlorn ,aifA the aristocratic 8rs. ?an =tty adopted Ermen'arde to replace the little one ,ho had 3een stolen from her so many years a'o. L2o, li!e my precious 8audeAL she si'hedA as she ,atched the fair 3runette return to 3londeness. And so several ,ee!s passedA ,ith the old fol!s at home tearin' their hair and the ,ic!ed <SDuire 2ardman chuc!lin' devilishly.

Ch *ter V,,
9appy !er After$ard +ne day the ,ealthy heiress Ermen'arde S. ?an =tty hired a ne, second assistant chauffeur. Struc! 3y somethin' familiar in his faceA she loo!ed a'ain and 'asped. 5oF it ,as none other than the perfidious Al'ernon :e'inald 6onesA ,hom she had pushed from a car ,indo, on that fateful dayF 2e had survived 1 this much ,as almost immediately evident. AlsoA he had ,ed the other ,omanA ,ho had run a,ay ,ith the mil!man and all the money in the house. ;o, ,holly hum3ledA he as!ed for'iveness of our heroineA and confided to her the ,hole tale of the 'old on her father<s farm. 8oved 3eyond ,ordsA she raised his salary a dollar a month and resolved to 'ratify at last that al,ays unDuencha3le an%iety to relieve the ,orry of the old fol!s. So one 3ri'ht day Ermen'arde motored 3ac! to 2o'ton and arrived at the farm Cust as <SDuire 2ardman ,as foreclosin' the mort'a'e and orderin' the old fol!s out. LStayA villainFL she criedA flashin' a colossal roll of 3ills. L.ou are foiled at lastF 2ere is your money 1 no, 'oA and never dar!en our hum3le door a'ainFL Then follo,ed a Coyous reunionA ,hilst the SDuire t,isted his moustache and ridin'1 crop in 3afflement and dismay. But har!F What is thisG 4ootsteps sound on the old 'ravel

H.P.Lovecr !t

S,eet Ermen'arde

)#

,al!A and ,ho should appear 3ut our heroA 6ac! 8anly 1 ,orn and seedyA 3ut radiant of face. See!in' at once the do,ncast villainA he said9 LSDuire 1 lend me a ten1spotA ,ill youG = have Cust come 3ac! from the city ,ith my 3eauteous 3rideA the fair Brid'et 7oldsteinA and need somethin' to start thin's on the old farm.L Then turnin' to the Stu33sesA he apolo'ised for his ina3ility to pay off the mort'a'e as a'reed. L$on t mention itAL said Ermen'ardeA Lprosperity has come to usA and = ,ill consider it sufficient payment if you ,ill for'et forever the foolish fancies of our childhood.L All this time 8rs. ?an =tty had 3een sittin' in the motor ,aitin' for Ermen'ardeB 3ut as she lazily eyed the sharp1faced 2annah Stu33s a va'ue memory started from the 3ac! of her 3rain. Then it all came to herA and she shrie!ed accusin'ly at the a'restic matron. L.ou 1 you 1 2annah Smith 1 = !no, you no,F T,enty1ei'ht years a'o you ,ere my 3a3y 8aude<s nurse and stole her from the cradleFF WhereA ohA ,here is my childGL Then a thou'ht came as the li'htnin' in a mur!y s!y. LErmen'arde 1 you say she is your dau'hter.... She is mineF 4ate has restored to me my old chee1ild 1 my tiny 8audieF Ermen'arde 1 8aude 1 come to your mother<s lovin' armsFFFL But Ermen'arde ,as doin' some tall thin!in'. 2o, could she 'et a,ay ,ith the si%teen1year1old stuff if she had 3een stolen t,enty1ei'ht years a'oG And if she ,as not Stu33s< dau'hter the 'old ,ould never 3e hers. 8rs. ?an =tty ,as richA 3ut <SDuire 2ardman ,as richer. SoA approachin' the deCected villainA she inflicted upon him the last terri3le punishment. L<SDuireA dearAL she murmuredA L= have reconsidered all. = love you and your naive stren'th. 8arry me at once or = ,ill have you prosecuted for that !idnappin' last year. 4oreclose your mort'a'e and enCoy ,ith me the 'old your cleverness discovered. ComeA dearFL And the poor du3 did. HT2E E;$I

The Tem*le
M #%scri*t Fo%#$ O# The Co st O! .%c t # +n Au'ust"*A 1)17A =A 0arl 2einrichA 7raf von Alt3er'1EhrensteinA 5ieutenant1 Commander in the =mperial 7erman ;avy and in char'e of the su3marine (1")A deposit this 3ottle and record in the Atlantic +cean at a point to me un!no,n 3ut pro3a3ly a3out ;. 5atitude "* de'reesA W. 5on'itude & de'reesA ,here my ship lies disa3led on the ocean floor. = do so 3ecause of my desire to set certain unusual facts 3efore the pu3licB a thin' = shall not in all pro3a3ility survive to accomplish in personA since the circumstances surroundin' me are as menacin' as they are e%traordinaryA and involve not only the hopeless cripplin' of the (1")A 3ut the impairment of my iron 7erman ,ill in a manner most disastrous. +n the afternoon of 6une 18A as reported 3y ,ireless to the (1-1A 3ound for 0ielA ,e torpedoed the British frei'hter .ictoryA ;e, .or! to 5iverpoolA in ;. 5atitude # de'rees 1- minutesA W. 5on'itude "8 de'rees &# minutesB permittin' the cre, to leave in 3oats in order to o3tain a 'ood cinema vie, for the admiralty records. The ship san! Duite picturesDuelyA 3o, firstA the stem risin' hi'h out of the ,ater ,hilst the hull shot do,n perpendicularly to the 3ottom of the sea. +ur camera missed nothin'A and = re'ret that so fine a reel of film should never reach Berlin. After that ,e san! the life3oats ,ith our 'uns and su3mer'ed. When ,e rose to the surface a3out sunsetA a seaman<s 3ody ,as found on the dec!A hands 'rippin' the railin' in curious fashion. The poor fello, ,as youn'A rather dar!A and very handsomeB pro3a3ly an =talian or 7ree!A and undou3tedly of the .ictory<s cre,. 2e had evidently sou'ht refu'e on the very ship ,hich had 3een forced to destroy his o,n 1 one more victim of the unCust ,ar of a''ression ,hich the En'lish pi'1do's are ,a'in' upon the 4atherland. +ur men searched him for souvenirsA and found in his coat poc!et a very odd 3it of ivory carved to represent a youth<s head cro,ned ,ith laurel. 8y fello,1 officerA 5ieutenant 0ienzeA 3elieved that the thin' ,as of 'reat a'e and artistic valueA so too! it from the men for himself. 2o, it had ever come into the possession of a common sailor neither he nor = could ima'ine. As the dead man ,as thro,n over3oard there occurred t,o incidents ,hich created much distur3ance amon'st the cre,. The fello,<s eyes had 3een closedB 3ut in the dra''in' of his 3ody to the rail they ,ere Carred openA and many seemed to entertain a Dueer delusion that they 'azed steadily and moc!in'ly at Schmidt and @immerA ,ho ,ere 3ent over the corpse. The Boats,ain 8ullerA an elderly man ,ho ,ould have !no,n 3etter had he not 3een a superstitious Alsatian s,ineA 3ecame so e%cited 3y this impression that he ,atched the 3ody in the ,aterB and s,ore that after it san! a little it dre, its lim3s into a s,iinmin' position and sped a,ay to the south under the ,aves. 0ienze and = did not li!e these displays of peasant i'noranceA and severely reprimanded the menA particularly 8uller. The ne%t day a very trou3lesome situation ,as created 3y the indisposition of some of the cre,. They ,ere evidently sufferin' from the nervous strain of our lon' voya'eA and had had 3ad dreams. Several seemed Duite dazed and stupidB and after satisfyin' myself

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Temple

)#7

that they ,ere not fei'nin' their ,ea!nessA = e%cused them from their duties. The sea ,as rather rou'hA so ,e descended to a depth ,here the ,aves ,ere less trou3lesome. 2ere ,e ,ere comparatively calmA despite a some,hat puzzlin' south,ard current ,hich ,e could not identify from our oceano'raphic charts. The moans of the sic! men ,ere decidedly annoyin'B 3ut since they did not appear to demoralize the rest of the cre,A ,e did not resort to e%treme measures. =t ,as our plan to remain ,here ,e ,ere and intercept the liner #aciaA mentioned in information from a'ents in ;e, .or!. =n the early evenin' ,e rose to the surfaceA and found the sea less heavy. The smo!e of a 3attleship ,as on the northern horizonA 3ut our distance and a3ility to su3mer'e made us safe. What ,orried us more ,as the tal! of Boats,ain 8ullerA ,hich 're, ,ilder as ni'ht came on. 2e ,as in a detesta3ly childish stateA and 3a33led of some illusion of dead 3odies driftin' past the undersea portholesB 3odies ,hich loo!ed at him intenselyA and ,hich he reco'nized in spite of 3loatin' as havin' seen dyin' durin' some of our victorious 7erman e%ploits. And he said that the youn' man ,e had found and tossed over3oard ,as their leader. This ,as very 'ruesome and a3normalA so ,e confined 8uller in irons and had him soundly ,hipped. The men ,ere not pleased at his punishmentA 3ut discipline ,as necessary. We also denied the reDuest of a dele'ation headed 3y Seaman @immerA that the curious carved ivory head 3e cast into the sea. +n 6une "*A Seaman Bohin and SchmidtA ,ho had 3een ill the day 3eforeA 3ecame violently insane. = re'retted that no physician ,as included in our complement of officersA since 7erman lives are preciousB 3ut the constant ravin's of the t,o concernin' a terri3le curse ,ere most su3versive of disciplineA so drastic steps ,ere ta!en. The cre, accepted the event in a sullen fashionA 3ut it seemed to Duiet 8ullerB ,ho thereafter 'ave us no trou3le. =n the evenin' ,e released himA and he ,ent a3out his duties silently. =n the ,ee! that follo,ed ,e ,ere all very nervousA ,atchin' for the #acia. The tension ,as a''ravated 3y the disappearance of 8uller and @immerA ,ho undou3tedly committed suicide as a result of the fears ,hich had seemed to harass themA thou'h they ,ere not o3served in the act of Cumpin' over3oard. = ,as rather 'lad to 3e rid of 8ullerA for even his silence had unfavora3ly affected the cre,. Everyone seemed inclined to 3e silent no,A as thou'h holdin' a secret fear. 8any ,ere illA 3ut none made a distur3ance. 5ieutenant 0ienze chafed under the strainA and ,as annoyed 3y the merest trifle 1 such as the school of dolphins ,hich 'athered a3out the (1") in increasin' num3ersA and the 'ro,in' intensity of that south,ard current ,hich ,as not on our chart. =t at len'th 3ecame apparent that ,e had missed the #acia alto'ether. Such failures are not uncommonA and ,e ,ere more pleased than disappointedA since our return to Wilhelmshaven ,as no, in order. At noon 6une "8 ,e turned northeast,ardA and despite some rather comical entan'lements ,ith the unusual masses of dolphinsA ,ere soon under ,ay. The e%plosion in the en'ine room at " A.8. ,as ,holly a surprise. ;o defect in the machinery or carelessness in the men had 3een noticedA yet ,ithout ,arnin' the ship ,as rac!ed from end to end ,ith a colossal shoc!. 5ieutenant 0ienze hurried to the en'ine roomA findin' the fuel1tan! and most of the mechanism shatteredA and En'ineers :aa3e and Schneider instantly !illed. +ur situation had suddenly 3ecome 'rave indeedB for thou'h the chemical air re'enerators ,ere intactA and thou'h ,e could use the devices for raisin' and su3mer'in' the ship and openin' the hatches as lon' as compressed air and stora'e

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Temple

)#8

3atteries mi'ht hold outA ,e ,ere po,erless to propel or 'uide the su3marine. To see! rescue in the life13oats ,ould 3e to deliver ourselves into the hands of enemies unreasona3ly em3ittered a'ainst our 'reat 7erman nationA and our ,ireless had failed ever since the .ictory affair to put us in touch ,ith a fello, (13oat of the =mperial ;avy. 4rom the hour of the accident till 6uly " ,e drifted constantly to the southA almost ,ithout plans and encounterin' no vessel. $olphins still encircled the (1")A a some,hat remar!a3le circumstance considerin' the distance ,e had covered. +n the mornin' of 6uly " ,e si'hted a ,arship flyin' American colorsA and the men 3ecame very restless in their desire to surrender. 4inally 5ieutenant 8enze had to shoot a seaman named Trau3eA ,ho ur'ed this un17erman act ,ith especial violence. This Duieted the cre, for the timeA and ,e su3mer'ed unseen. The ne%t afternoon a dense floc! of sea13irds appeared from the southA and the ocean 3e'an to heave ominously. Closin' our hatchesA ,e a,aited developments until ,e realized that ,e must either su3mer'e or 3e s,amped in the mountin' ,aves. +ur air pressure and electricity ,ere diminishin'A and ,e ,ished to avoid all unnecessary use of our slender mechanical resourcesB 3ut in this case there ,as no choice. We did not descend farA and ,hen after several hours the sea ,as calmerA ,e decided to return to the surface. 2ereA ho,everA a ne, trou3le developedB for the ship failed to respond to our direction in spite of all that the mechanics could do. As the men 're, more fri'htened at this undersea imprisonmentA some of them 3e'an to mutter a'ain a3out 5ieutenant 0ienze<s ivory ima'eA 3ut the si'ht of an automatic pistol calmed them. We !ept the poor devils as 3usy as ,e couldA tin!erin' at the machinery even ,hen ,e !ne, it ,as useless. 0ienze and = usually slept at different timesB and it ,as durin' my sleepA a3out A.8.A 6uly #A that the 'eneral mutiny 3ro!e loose. The si% remainin' pi's of seamenA suspectin' that ,e ,ere lostA had suddenly 3urst into a mad fury at our refusal to surrender to the .an!ee 3attleship t,o days 3eforeA and ,ere in a delirium of cursin' and destruction. They roared li!e the animals they ,ereA and 3ro!e instruments and furniture indiscriminatelyB screamin' a3out such nonsense as the curse of the ivory ima'e and the dar! dead youth ,ho loo!ed at them and s,am a,ay. 5ieutenant 0ienze seemed paralyzed and inefficientA as one mi'ht e%pect of a softA ,omanish :hinelander. = shot all si% menA for it ,as necessaryA and made sure that none remained alive. We e%pelled the 3odies throu'h the dou3le hatches and ,ere alone in the (1"). 0ienze seemed very nervousA and dran! heavily. =t ,as decided that ,e remain alive as lon' as possi3leA usin' the lar'e stoc! of provisions and chemical supply of o%y'enA none of ,hich had suffered from the crazy antics of those s,ine1hound seamen. +ur compassesA depth 'au'esA and other delicate instruments ,ere ruinedB so that henceforth our only rec!onin' ,ould 3e 'uess ,or!A 3ased on our ,atchesA the calendarA and our apparent drift as Cud'ed 3y any o3Cects ,e mi'ht spy throu'h the portholes or from the connin' to,er. 4ortunately ,e had stora'e 3atteries still capa3le of lon' useA 3oth for interior li'htin' and for the searchli'ht. We often cast a 3eam around the shipA 3ut sa, only dolphinsA s,immin' parallel to our o,n driftin' course. = ,as scientifically interested in those dolphinsB for thou'h the ordinary #elp"inus delp"is is a cetacean mammalA una3le to su3sist ,ithout airA = ,atched one of the s,immers closely for t,o hoursA and did not see him alter his su3mer'ed condition.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Temple

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With the passa'e of time 0ienze and = decided that ,e ,ere still driftin' southA mean,hile sin!in' deeper and deeper. We noted the marine fauna and floraA and read much on the su3Cect in the 3oo!s = had carried ,ith.me for spare moments. = could not help o3servin'A ho,everA the inferior scientific !no,led'e of my companion. 2is mind ,as not >russianA 3ut 'iven to ima'inin's and speculations ,hich have no value. The fact of our comin' death affected him curiouslyA and he ,ould freDuently pray in remorse over the menA ,omenA and children ,e had sent to the 3ottomB for'ettin' that all thin's are no3le ,hich serve the 7erman state. After a time he 3ecame noticea3ly un3alancedA 'azin' for hours at his ivory ima'e and ,eavin' fanciful stories of the lost and for'otten thin's under the sea. SometimesA as a psycholo'ical e%perimentA = ,ould lead him on in the ,anderin'sA and listen to his endless poetical Duotations and tales of sun!en ships. = ,as very sorry for himA for = disli!e to see a 7erman sufferB 3ut he ,as not a 'ood man to die ,ith. 4or myself = ,as proudA !no,in' ho, the 4atherland ,ould revere my memory and ho, my sons ,ould 3e tau'ht to 3e men li!e me. +n Au'ust )A ,e espied the ocean floorA and sent a po,erful 3eam from the searchli'ht over it. =t ,as a vast undulatin' plainA mostly covered ,ith sea,eedA and stre,n ,ith the shells of small moflus!s. 2ere and there ,ere slimy o3Cects of puzzlin' contourA draped ,ith ,eeds and encrusted ,ith 3arnaclesA ,hich 0ienze declared must 3e ancient ships lyin' in their 'raves. 2e ,as puzzled 3y one thin'A a pea! of solid matterA protrudin' a3ove the ocean3ed nearly four feet at its ape%B a3out t,o feet thic!A ,ith flat sides and smooth upper surfaces ,hich met at a very o3tuse an'le. = called the pea! a 3it of outcroppin' roc!A 3ut 0ienze thou'ht he sa, carvin's on it. After a ,hile he 3e'an to shudderA and turned a,ay from the scene. as if fri'htenedB yet could 'ive no e%planation save that he ,as overcome ,ith the vastnessA dar!nessA remotenessA antiDuityA and mystery of the oceanic a3ysses. 2is mind ,as tiredA 3ut = am al,ays a 7ermanA and ,as Duic! to notice t,o thin's9 that the (1") ,as standin' the deep1sea pressure splendidlyA and that the peculiar dolphins ,ere still a3out usA even at a depth ,here the e%istence of hi'h or'anisms is considered impossi3le 3y most naturalists. That = had previously overestimated our depthA = ,as sureB 3ut none the less ,e must still have 3een deep enou'h to ma!e these phenomena remar!a3le. +ur south,ard speedA as 'au'ed 3y the ocean floorA ,as a3out as = had estimated from the or'anisms passed at hi'her levels. =t ,as at &91 >8.A Au'ust 1"A that poor 0ienze ,ent ,holly mad. 2e had 3een in the connin' to,er usin' the searchli'ht ,hen = sa, him 3ound into the li3rary compartment ,here = sat readin'A and his face at once 3etrayed him. = ,ill repeat here ,hat he saidA underlinin' the ,ords he emphasized9 L9e is callin'F 9e is callin'F = hear himF We must 'oFL As he spo!e he too! his ivory ima'e from the ta3leA poc!eted itA and seized my arm in an effort to dra' me up the companion,ay to the dec!. =n a moment = understood that he meant to open the hatch and plun'e ,ith me into the ,ater outsideA a va'ary of suicidal and homicidal mania for ,hich = ,as scarcely prepared. As = hun' 3ac! and attempted to soothe him he 're, more violentA sayin'9 LCome no$ 1 do not ,ait until laterB it is 3etter to repent and 3e for'iven than to defy and 3e condemned.L Then = tried the opposite of the soothin' planA and told him he ,as mad 1 pitifully demented. But he ,as unmovedA and cried9 L=f = am madA it is mercy. 8ay the 'ods pity the man ,ho in his callousness can remam sane to the hideous endF Come and 3e mad ,hilst "e still calls ,ith mercyFL This out3urst seemed to relieve a pressure in his 3rainB for as he finished he 're, much milderA as!in' me to let him depart alone if = ,ould not accompany him. 8y course at once 3ecame clear. 2e ,as a 7ermanA 3ut only a :hinelander and a commonerB and he ,as no,

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a potentially dan'erous madman. By complyin' ,ith his suicidal reDuest = could immediately free myself from one ,ho ,as no lon'er a companion 3ut a menace. = as!ed him to 'ive me the ivory ima'e 3efore he ,entA 3ut this reDuest 3rou'ht from him such uncanny lau'hter that = did not repeat it. Then = as!ed him if he ,ished to leave any !eepsa!e or loc! of hair for his family in 7ermany in case = should 3e rescuedA 3ut a'ain he 'ave me that stran'e lau'h. So as he clim3ed the ladder = ,ent to the levers andA allo,in' proper time1intervalsA operated the machinery ,hich sent him to his death. After = sa, that he ,as no lon'er in the 3oat = thre, the searchli'ht around the ,ater in an effort to o3tain a last 'limpse of him since = ,ished to ascertain ,hether the ,ater1pressure ,ould flatten him as it theoretically shouldA or ,hether the 3ody ,ould 3e unaffectedA li!e those e%traordinary dolphins. = did notA ho,everA succeed in findin' my late companionA for the dolphins ,ere massed thic!ly and o3scurin'ly a3out the connin' to,er. That evenin' = re'retted that = had not ta!en the ivory ima'e surreptitiously from poor 0ienze<s poc!et as he leftA for the memory of it fascinated me. = could not for'et the youthfulA 3eautiful head ,ith its leafy cro,nA thou'h = am not 3y nature an artist. = ,as also sorry that = had no one ,ith ,hom to converse. 0ienzeA thou'h not my mental eDualA ,as much 3etter than no one. = did not sleep ,ell that ni'htA and ,ondered e%actly ,hen the end ,ould come. SurelyA = had little enou'h chance of rescue. The ne%t day = ascended to the connin' to,er and commenced the customary searchli'ht e%plorations. ;orth,ard the vie, ,as much the same as it had 3een all the four days since ,e had si'hted the 3ottomA 3ut = perceived that the driftin' of the (1") ,as less rapid. As = s,un' the 3eam around to the southA = noticed that the ocean floor ahead fell a,ay in a mar!ed declivityA and 3ore curiously re'ular 3loc!s of stone in certain placesA disposed as if in accordance ,ith definite patterns. The 3oat did not at once descend to match the 'reater ocean depthA so = ,as soon forced to adCust the searchli'ht to cast a sharply do,n,ard 3eam. +,in' to the a3ruptness of the chan'e a ,ire ,as disconnectedA ,hich necessitated a delay of many minutes for repairsB 3ut at len'th the li'ht streamed on a'ainA floodin' the marine valley 3elo, me. = am not 'iven to emotion of any !indA 3ut my amazement ,as very 'reat ,hen = sa, ,hat lay revealed in that electrical 'lo,. And yet as one reared in the 3est 3ultur of >russiaA = should not have 3een amazedA for 'eolo'y and tradition ali!e tell us of 'reat transpositions in oceanic and continental areas. What = sa, ,as an e%tended and ela3orate array of ruined edificesB all of ma'nificent thou'h unclassified architectureA and in various sta'es of preservation. 8ost appeared to 3e of mar3leA 'leamin' ,hitely in the rays of the searchli'htA and the 'eneral plan ,as of a lar'e city at the 3ottom of a narro, valleyA ,ith numerous isolated temples and villas on the steep slopes a3ove. :oofs ,ere fallen and columns ,ere 3ro!enA 3ut there still remained an air of immemorially ancient splendor ,hich nothin' could efface. Confronted at last ,ith the Atlantis = had formerly deemed lar'ely a mythA = ,as the most ea'er of e%plorers. At the 3ottom of that valley a river once had flo,edB for as = e%amined the scene more closely = 3eheld the remains of stone and mar3le 3rid'es and sea1 ,allsA and terraces and em3an!ments once verdant and 3eautiful. =n my enthusiasm = 3ecame nearly as idiotic and sentimental as poor 0ienzeA and ,as very tardy in noticin' that the south,ard current had ceased at lastA allo,in' the (1") to settle slo,ly do,n upon the sun!en city as an airplane settles upon a to,n of the upper earth. = ,as slo,A toA in realizin' that the school of unusual dolphins had vanished.

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=n a3out t,o hours the 3oat rested in a paved plaza close to the roc!y ,all of the valley. +n one side = could vie, the entire city as it sloped from the plaza do,n to the old river1 3an!B on the other sideA in startlin' pro%imityA = ,as confronted 3y the richly ornate and perfectly preserved facade of a 'reat 3uildin'A evidently a templeA hollo,ed from the solid roc!. +f the ori'inal ,or!manship of this titanic thin' = can only ma!e conCectures. The facadeA of immense ma'nitudeA apparently covers a continuous hollo, recessB for its ,indo,s are many and ,idely distri3uted. =n the center ya,ns a 'reat open doorA reached 3y an impressive fli'ht of stepsA and surrounded 3y e%Duisite carvin's li!e the fi'ures of Bacchanals in relief. 4oremost of all are the 'reat columns and friezeA 3oth decorated ,ith sculptures of ine%pressi3le 3eautyB o3viously portrayin' idealized pastoral scenes and processions of priests and priestesses 3earin' stran'e ceremonial devices in adoration of a radiant 'od. The art is of the most phenomenal perfectionA lar'ely 2ellenic in ideaA yet stran'ely individual. =t imparts an impression of terri3le antiDuityA as thou'h it ,ere the remotest rather than the immediate ancestor of 7ree! art. ;or can = dou3t that every detail of this massive product ,as fashioned from the vir'in hillside roc! of our planet. =t is palpa3ly a part of the valley ,allA thou'h ho, the vast interior ,as ever e%cavated = cannot ima'ine. >erhaps a cavern or series of caverns furnished the nucleus. ;either a'e nor su3mersion has corroded the pristine 'randeur of this a,ful fane 1 for fane indeed it must 3e 1 and today after thousands of years it rests untarnished and inviolate in the endless ni'ht and silence of an ocean1chasm. = cannot rec!on the num3er of hours = spent in 'azin' at the sun!en city ,ith its 3uildin'sA archesA statuesA and 3rid'esA and the colossal temple ,ith its 3eauty and mystery. Thou'h = !ne, that death ,as nearA my curiosity ,as consumin'B and = thre, the searchli'ht 3eam a3out in ea'er Duest. The shaft of li'ht permitted me to learn many detailsA 3ut refused to sho, anythin' ,ithin the 'apin' door of the roc!1he,n templeB and after a time = turned off the currentA conscious of the need of conservin' po,er. The rays ,ere no, percepti3ly dimmer than they had 3een durin' the ,ee!s of driftin'. And as if sharpened 3y the comin' deprivation of li'htA my desire to e%plore the ,atery secrets 're,. =A a 7ermanA should 3e the first to tread those eon1for'otten ,aysF = produced and e%amined a deep1sea divin' suit of Cointed metalA and e%perimented ,ith the porta3le li'ht and air re'enerator. Thou'h = should have trou3le in mana'in' the dou3le hatches aloneA = 3elieved = could overcome all o3stacles ,ith my scientific s!ill and actually ,al! a3out the dead city in person. +n Au'ust 1- = effected an e%it from the (1")A and la3oriously made my ,ay throu'h the ruined and mud1cho!ed streets to the ancient river. = found no s!eletons or other human remainsA 3ut 'leaned a ,ealth of archeolo'ical lore from sculptures and coins. +f this = cannot no, spea! save to utter my a,e at a culture in the full noon of 'lory ,hen cave1 d,ellers roamed Europe and the ;ile flo,ed un,atched to the sea. +thersA 'uided 3y this manuscript if it shall ever 3e foundA must unfold the mysteries at ,hich = can only hint. = returned to the 3oat as my electric 3atteries 're, fee3leA resolved to e%plore the roc! temple on the follo,in' day. +n the 17thA as my impulse to search out the mystery of the temple ,a%ed still more insistentA a 'reat disappointment 3efell meB for = found that the materials needed to replenish the porta3le li'ht had perished in the mutiny of those pi's in 6uly. 8y ra'e ,as un3oundedA yet my 7erman sense for3ade me to venture unprepared into an utterly 3lac! interior ,hich mi'ht prove the lair of some indescri3a3le marine monster or a la3yrinth of

H.P.Lovecr !t

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passa'es from ,hose ,indin's = could never e%tricate myself. All = could do ,as to turn on the ,anin' searchli'ht of the (1")A and ,ith its aid ,al! up the temple steps and study the e%terior carvin's. The shaft of li'ht entered the door at an up,ard an'leA and = peered in to see if = could 'limpse anythin'A 3ut all in vain. ;ot even the roof ,as visi3leB and thou'h = too! a step or t,o inside after testin' the floor ,ith a staffA = dared not 'o farther. 8oreoverA for the first time in my life = e%perienced the emotion of dread. = 3e'an to realize ho, some of poor 0ienze<s moods had arisenA for as the temple dre, me more and moreA = feared its aDueous a3ysses ,ith a 3lind and mountin' terror. :eturnin' to the su3marineA = turned off the li'hts and sat thin!in' in the dar!. Electricity must no, 3e saved for emer'encies. Saturday the 18th = spent in total dar!nessA tormented 3y thou'hts and memories that threatened to overcome my 7erman ,ill. 0ienze 3ad 'one mad and perished 3efore reachin' this sinster remnant of a past un,holesomely remoteA and had advised me to 'o ,ith him. WasA indeedA 4ate preservin' my reason only to dra, me irresisti3ly to an end more horri3le and unthin!a3le than any man has dreamed ofG ClearlyA my nerves ,ere sorely ta%edA and = must cast off these impressions of ,ea!er men. = could not sleep Saturday ni'htA and turned on the li'hts re'ardless of the future. =t ,as annoyin' that the electricity should not last out the air and provisions. = revived my thou'hts of euthanasiaA and e%amined my automatic pistol. To,ard mornin' = must have dropped asleep ,ith the li'hts onA for = a,o!e in dar!ness yesterday afternoon to find the 3atteries dead. = struc! several matches in successionA and desperately re'retted the improvidence ,hich had caused us lon' a'o to use up the fe, candles ,e carried. After the fadin' of the last match = dared to ,asteA = sat very Duietly ,ithout a li'ht. As = considered the inevita3le end my mind ran over precedin' eventsA and developed a hitherto dormant impression ,hich ,ould have caused a ,ea!er and more superstitious man to shudder. T"e "ead of t"e radiant god in t"e sculptures on t"e rock temple is t"e same as t"at car!en bit of i!ory $"ic" t"e dead sailor broug"t from t"e sea and $"ic" poor 3ien2e carried back into t"e sea% = ,as a little dazed 3y this coincidenceA 3ut did not 3ecome terrified. =t is only the inferior thin!er ,ho hastens to e%plain the sin'ular and the comple% 3y the primitive shortcut of supernaturalism. The coincidence ,as stran'eA 3ut = ,as too sound a reasoner to connect circumstances ,hich admit of no lo'ical connectionA or to associate in any uncanny fashion the disastrous events ,hich had led from the .ictory affair to my present pli'ht. 4eelin' the need of more restA = too! a sedative and secured some more sleep. 8y nervous condition ,as reflected in my dreamsA for = seemed to hear the cries of dro,nin' personsA and to see dead faces pressin' a'ainst the portholes of the 3oat. And amon' the dead faces ,as the livin'A moc!in' face of the youth ,ith the ivory ima'e. = must 3e careful ho, = record my a,a!enin' todayA for = am unstrun'A and much hallucination is necessarily mi%ed ,ith fact. >sycholo'ically my case is most interestin'A and = re'ret that it cannot 3e o3served scientifically 3y a competent 7erman authority. (pon openin' my eyes my first sensation ,as an overmasterin' desire to visit the roc! templeB a desire ,hich 're, every instantA yet ,hich = automatically sou'ht to resist throu'h some emotion of fear ,hich operated in the reverse direction. ;e%t there came to me the impression of lig"t amidst the dar!ness of dead 3atteriesA and = seemed to see a sort of phosphorescent 'lo, in the ,ater throu'h the porthole ,hich opened to,ard the temple.

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This aroused my curiosityA for = !ne, of no deep1sea or'anism capa3le of emittin' such luminosity. But 3efore = could investi'ate there came a third impression ,hich 3ecause of its irrationality caused me to dou3t the o3Cectivity of anythin' my senses mi'ht record. =t ,as an aural delusionB a sensation of rhythmicA melodic sound as of some ,ild yet 3eautiful chant or choral hymnA comin' from the outside throu'h the a3solutely sound1proof hull of the (1"). Convinced of my psycholo'ical and nervous a3normalltyA = li'hted some matches and poured a stiff dose of sodium 3romide solutionA ,hich seemed to calm me to the e%tent of dispellin' the illusion of sound. But the phosphorescence remainedA and = had difficulty in repressin' a childish impulse to 'o to the porthole and see! its source. =t ,as horri3ly realisticA and = could soon distin'uish 3y its aid the familiar o3Cects around meA as ,ell as the empty sodium 3romide 'lass of ,hich = had had no former visual impression in its present location. This last circumstance made me ponderA and = crossed the room and touched the 'lass. =t ,as indeed in the place ,here = had seemed to see it. ;o, = !ne, that the li'ht ,as either real or part of an hallucination so fi%ed and consistent that = could not hope to dispel itA so a3andonin' all resistance = ascended to the connin' to,er to loo! for the luminous a'ency. 8i'ht it not actually 3e another (13oatA offerin' possi3ilities of rescueG =t is ,ell that the reader accept nothin' ,hich follo,s as o3Cective truthA for since the events transcend natural la,A they are necessily the su3Cective and unreal creations of my overta%ed mind. When = attained the connin' to,er = found the sea in 'eneral far less luminous than = had e%pected. There ,as no animal or ve'eta3le phosphorescence a3outA and the city that sloped do,n to the river ,as invisi3le in 3lac!ness. What = did see ,as not spectacularA not 'rotesDue or terrifyin'A yet it removed my last vesti'e of trust in my consciousness. 7or t"e door and $indo$s of t"e undersea temple "e$n from t"e rocky "ill $ere !i!idly aglo$ $it" a flickering radiance& as from a mig"ty altar-flame far $it"in% 5ater incidents are chaotic. As = stared at the uncannily li'hted door and ,indo,sA = 3ecame su3Cect to the most e%trava'ant visions 1 visions so e%trava'ant that = cannot even relate them. = fancied that = discerned o3Cects in the templeB o3Cects 3oth stationary and movin'B and seemed to hear a'ain the unreal chant that had floated to me ,hen first = a,a!ed. And over all rose thou'hts and fears ,hich centered in the youth from the sea and the ivory ima'e ,hose carvin' ,as duplicated on the frieze and columns of the temple 3efore me. = thou'ht of poor 0ienzeA and ,ondered ,here his 3ody rested ,ith the ima'e he had carried 3ac! into the sea. 2e had ,arned me of somethin'A and = had not heeded 1 3ut he ,as a soft1headed :hinelander ,ho ,ent mad at trou3les a >russian could 3ear ,ith ease. The rest is very simple. 8y impulse to visit and enter the temple has no, 3ecome an ine%plica3le and imperious command ,hich ultimately cannot 3e denied. 8y o,n 7erman ,ill no lon'er controls my actsA and volition is hencefor,ard possi3le only in minor matters. Such madness it ,as ,hich drove 0ienze to his deathA 3are1headed and unprotected in the oceanB 3ut = am a >russian and a man of senseA and ,ill use to the last ,hat little ,ill = have. When first = sa, that = must 'oA = prepared my divin' suitA helmetA and air re'enerator for instant donnin'A and immediately commenced to ,rite this hurried chronicle in the hope that it may some day reach the ,orld. = shall seal the manuscript in a 3ottle and entrust it to the sea as = leave the (1") for ever.

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= have no fearA not even from the prophecies of the madman 0ienze. What = have seen cannot 3e trueA and = !no, that this madness of my o,n ,ill at most lead only to suffocation ,hen my air is 'one. The li'ht in the temple is a sheer delusionA and = shall die calmly li!e a 7ermanA in the 3lac! and for'otten depths. This demoniac lau'hter ,hich = hear as = ,rite comes only from my o,n ,ea!enin' 3rain. So = ,ill carefully don my suit and ,al! 3oldly up the steps into the primal shrineA that silent secret of unfathomed ,aters and uncounted years.

The Terri6le Ol$ M #

=t ,as the desi'n of An'elo :icci and 6oe Czane! and 8anuel Silva to call on the Terri3le +ld 8an. This old man d,ells all alone in a very ancient house on Water Street near the seaA and is reputed to 3e 3oth e%ceedin'ly rich and e%ceedin'ly fee3leB ,hich forms a situation very attractive to men of the profession of 8essrs. :icciA Czane!A and SilvaA for that profession ,as nothin' less di'nified than ro33ery. The inha3itants of 0in'sport say and thin! many thin's a3out the Terri3le +ld 8an ,hich 'enerally !eep him safe from the attention of 'entlemen li!e 8r. :icci and his collea'uesA despite the almost certain fact that he hides a fortune of indefinite ma'nitude some,here a3out his musty and venera3le a3ode. 2e isA in truthA a very stran'e personA 3elieved to have 3een a captain of East =ndia clipper ships in his dayB so old that no one can remem3er ,hen he ,as youn'A and so taciturn that fe, !no, his real name. Amon' the 'narled trees in the front yard of his a'ed and ne'lected place he maintains a stran'e collection of lar'e stonesA oddly 'rouped and painted so that they resem3le the idols in some o3scure Eastern temple. This collection fri'htens a,ay most of the small 3oys ,ho love to taunt the Terri3le +ld 8an a3out his lon' ,hite hair and 3eardA or to 3rea! the small1paned ,indo,s of his d,ellin' ,ith ,ic!ed missilesB 3ut there are other thin's ,hich fri'hten the older and more curious fol! ,ho sometimes steal up to the house to peer in throu'h the dusty panes. These fol! say that on a ta3le in a 3are room on the 'round floor are many peculiar 3ottlesA in each a small piece of lead suspended pendulum1,ise from a strin'. And they say that the Terri3le +ld 8an tal!s to these 3ottlesA addressin' them 3y such names as 6ac!A Scar14aceA 5on' TomA Spanish 6oeA >etersA and 8ate EllisA and that ,henever he spea!s to a 3ottle the little lead pendulum ,ithin ma!es certain definite vi3rations as if in ans,er. Those ,ho have ,atched the tallA leanA Terri3le +ld 8an in these peculiar conversationsA do not ,atch him a'ain. But An'elo :icci and 6oe Czane! and 8anuel Silva ,ere not of 0in'sport 3loodB they ,ere of that ne, and hetero'eneous alien stoc! ,hich lies outside the charmed circle of ;e, En'land life and traditionsA and they sa, in the Terri3le +ld 8an merely a totterin'A almost helpless 'rey13eardA ,ho could not ,al! ,ithout the aid of his !notted caneA and ,hose thinA ,ea! hands shoo! pitifully. They ,ere really Duite sorry in their ,ay for the lonelyA unpopular old fello,A ,hom every3ody shunnedA and at ,hom all the do's 3ar!ed sin'ularly. But 3usiness is 3usinessA and to a ro33er ,hose soul is in his professionA there is a lure and a challen'e a3out a very old and very fee3le man ,ho has no account at the 3an!A and ,ho pays for his fe, necessities at the villa'e store ,ith Spanish 'old and silver minted t,o centuries a'o. 8essrs. :icciA Czane!A and Silva selected the ni'ht of April 11th for their call. 8r. :icci and 8r. Silva ,ere to intervie, the poor old 'entlemanA ,hilst 8r. Czane! ,aited for them and their presuma3le metallic 3urden ,ith a covered motor1car in Ship StreetA 3y the 'ate in the tall rear ,all of their hostTs 'rounds. $esire to avoid needless e%planations in case of une%pected police intrusions prompted these plans for a Duiet and unostentatious departure. As prearran'edA the three adventurers started out separately in order to prevent any evil1 minded suspicions after,ard. 8essrs. :icci and Silva met in Water Street 3y the old manTs front 'ateA and althou'h they did not li!e the ,ay the moon shone do,n upon the painted

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Terri3le +ld 8an

) -

stones throu'h the 3uddin' 3ranches of the 'narled treesA they had more important thin's to thin! a3out than mere idle superstition. They feared it mi'ht 3e unpleasant ,or! ma!in' the Terri3le +ld 8an loDuacious concernin' his hoarded 'old and silverA for a'ed sea1 captains are nota3ly stu33orn and perverse. StillA he ,as very old and very fee3leA and there ,ere t,o visitors. 8essrs. :icci and Silva ,ere e%perienced in the art of ma!in' un,illin' persons volu3leA and the screams of a ,ea! and e%ceptionally venera3le man can 3e easily muffled. So they moved up to the one li'hted ,indo, and heard the Terri3le +ld 8an tal!in' childishly to his 3ottles ,ith pendulums. Then they donned mas!s and !noc!ed politely at the ,eather1stained oa!en door. Waitin' seemed very lon' to 8r. Czane! as he fid'eted restlessly in the covered motor1 car 3y the Terri3le +ld 8anTs 3ac! 'ate in Ship Street. 2e ,as more than ordinarily tender1 heartedA and he did not li!e the hideous screams he had heard in the ancient house Cust after the hour appointed for the deed. 2ad he not told his collea'ues to 3e as 'entle as possi3le ,ith the pathetic old sea1captainG ?ery nervously he ,atched that narro, oa!en 'ate in the hi'h and ivy1clad stone ,all. 4reDuently he consulted his ,atchA and ,ondered at the delay. 2ad the old man died 3efore revealin' ,here his treasure ,as hiddenA and had a thorou'h search 3ecome necessaryG 8r. Czane! did not li!e to ,ait so lon' in the dar! in such a place. Then he sensed a soft tread or tappin' on the ,al! inside the 'ateA heard a 'entle fum3lin' at the rusty latchA and sa, the narro,A heavy door s,in' in,ard. And in the pallid 'lo, of the sin'le dim street1lamp he strained his eyes to see ,hat his collea'ues had 3rou'ht out of that sinister house ,hich loomed so close 3ehind. But ,hen he loo!edA he did not see ,hat he had e%pectedB for his collea'ues ,ere not there at allA 3ut only the Terri3le +ld 8an leanin' Duietly on his !notted cane and smilin' hideously. 8r. Czane! had never 3efore noticed the colour of that manTs eyesB no, he sa, that they ,ere yello,. 5ittle thin's ma!e considera3le e%citement in little to,nsA ,hich is the reason that 0in'sport people tal!ed all that sprin' and summer a3out the three unidentifia3le 3odiesA horri3ly slashed as ,ith many cutlassesA and horri3ly man'led as 3y the tread of many cruel 3oot1heelsA ,hich the tide ,ashed in. And some people even spo!e of thin's as trivial as the deserted motor1car found in Ship StreetA or certain especially inhuman criesA pro3a3ly of a stray animal or mi'ratory 3irdA heard in the ni'ht 3y ,a!eful citizens. But in this idle villa'e 'ossip the Terri3le +ld 8an too! no interest at all. 2e ,as 3y nature reservedA and ,hen one is a'ed and fee3leA oneTs reserve is dou3ly stron'. BesidesA so ancient a sea1captain must have ,itnessed scores of thin's much more stirrin' in the far1 off days of his unremem3ered youth.

The Thi#- i# the Moo#li-ht

T"e follo$ing is based& in places $ord for $ord& on a letter (o!ecraft $rote to #onald Wandrei on -o!ember LJ& <KL>% T"e first t"ree and last fi!e paragrap"s $ere added by J% C"apman Miske1 t"e remainder is almost !erbatim (o!ecraft% In t"e letter& (o!ecraft re!eals t"at "is )dreams occasionally approac"+d t"e p"antastical in c"aracter& t"o+ falling some$"at s"ort of co"erence%) Many of "is stories $ere inspired by dreams% 8or'an is not a literary manB in fact he cannot spea! En'lish ,ith any de'ree of coherency. That is ,hat ma!es me ,onder a3out the ,ords he ,roteA thou'h others have lau'hed. 2e ,as alone the evenin' it happened. Suddenly an unconDuera3le ur'e to ,rite came over himA and ta!in' pen in hand he ,rote the follo,in'9 8y name is 2o,ard >hillips. = live at -- Colle'e StreetA in >rovidenceA :hode =sland. +n ;ovem3er "#A 1)"711for = !no, not even ,hat the year may 3e no,11A = fell asleep and dreamedA since ,hen = have 3een una3le to a,a!en. 8y dream 3e'an in a dan!A reed1cho!ed marsh that lay under a 'ray autumn s!yA ,ith a ru''ed cliff of lichen1crusted stone risin' to the north. =mpelled 3y some o3scure DuestA = ascended a rift or cleft in this 3eetlin' precipiceA notin' as = did so the 3lac! mouths of many fearsome 3urro,s e%tendin' from 3oth ,alls into the depths of the stony plateau. At several points the passa'e ,as roofed over 3y the cho!in' of the upper parts of the narro, fissureB these places 3ein' e%ceedin' dar!A and for3iddin' the perception of such 3urro,s as may have e%isted there. =n one such dar! space = felt conscious of a sin'ular accession of fri'htA as if some su3tle and 3odiless emanation from the a3yss ,ere en'ulfin' my spiritB 3ut the 3lac!ness ,as too 'reat for me to perceive the source of my alarm. At len'th = emer'ed upon a ta3leland of moss1'ro,n roc! and scanty soilA lit 3y a faint moonli'ht ,hich had replaced the e%pirin' or3 of day. Castin' my eyes a3outA = 3eheld no livin' o3CectB 3ut ,as sensi3le of a very peculiar stirrin' far 3elo, meA amon'st the ,hisperin' rushes of the pestilential s,amp = had lately Duitted. After ,al!in' for some distanceA = encountered the rusty trac!s of a street rail,ayA and the ,orm1eaten poles ,hich still held the limp and sa''in' trolley ,ire. 4ollo,in' this lineA = soon came upon a yello,A vesti3uled car num3ered 18 "11of a plainA dou3le1truc!ed type common from 1)** to 1)1*. =t ,as untenantedA 3ut evidently ready to startB the trolley 3ein' on the ,ire and the air1 3ra!e no, and then thro33in' 3eneath the floor. = 3oarded it and loo!ed vainly a3out for the li'ht s,itch11notin' as = did so the a3sence of the controller handleA ,hich thus implied the 3rief a3sence of the motorman. Then = sat do,n in one of

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Thin' in the 8oonli'ht

) 8

the cross seats of the vehicle. >resently = heard a s,ishin' in the sparse 'rass to,ard the leftA and sa, the dar! forms of t,o men loomin' up in the moonli'ht. They had the re'ulation caps of a rail,ay companyA and = could not dou3t 3ut that they ,ere conductor and motorman. Then one of them sniffed ,ith sin'ular sharpnessA and raised his face to ho,l to the moon. The other dropped on all fours to run to,ard the car. = leaped up at once and raced madly out of that car and across endless lea'ues of plateau till e%haustion forced me to stop11doin' this not 3ecause the conductor had dropped on all foursA 3ut 3ecause the face of the motorman ,as a mere ,hite cone taperin' to one 3lood1red1tentacle... = ,as a,are that = only dreamedA 3ut the very a,areness ,as not pleasant. Since that fearful ni'htA = have prayed only for a,a!enin'11it has not comeF =nstead = have found myself an inha3itant of this terri3le dream1,orldF That first ni'ht 'ave ,ay to da,nA and = ,andered aimlessly over the lonely s,amp1lands. When ni'ht cameA = still ,anderedA hopin' for a,a!enin'. But suddenly = parted the ,eeds and sa, 3efore me the ancient rail,ay car11and to one side a cone1faced thin' lifted its head and in the streamin' moonli'ht ho,led stran'elyF =t has 3een the same each day. ;i'ht ta!es me al,ays to that place of horror. = have tried not movin'A ,ith the comin' of ni'htfallA 3ut = must ,al! in my slum3erA for al,ays = a,a!en ,ith the thin' of dread ho,lin' 3efore me in the pale moonli'htA and = turn and flee madly. 7odF ,hen ,ill = a,a!enG That is ,hat 8or'an ,rote. = ,ould 'o to -- Colle'e Street in >rovidenceA 3ut = fear for ,hat = mi'ht find there.

The Thi#- o# the /oorste*

,.
=t is true that = have sent si% 3ullets throu'h the head of my 3est friendA and yet = hope to sho, 3y this statement that = am not his murderer. At first = shall 3e called a madman 1 madder than the man = shot in his cell at the Ar!ham Sanitarium. 5ater some of my readers ,ill ,ei'h each statementA correlate it ,ith the !no,n factsA and as! themselves ho, = could have 3elieved other,ise than = did after facin' the evidence of that horror 1 that thin' on the doorstep. (ntil then = also sa, nothin' 3ut madness in the ,ild tales = have acted on. Even no, = as! myself ,hether = ,as misled 1 or ,hether = am not mad after all. = do not !no, 1 3ut others have stran'e thin's to tell of Ed,ard and Asenath $er3yA and even the stolid police are at their ,its< ends to account for that last terri3le visit. They have tried ,ea!ly to concoct a theory of a 'hastly Cest or ,arnin' 3y dischar'ed servantsA yet they !no, in their hearts that the truth is somethin' infinitely more terri3le and incredi3le. So = say that = have not murdered Ed,ard $er3y. :ather have = aven'ed himA and in so doin' pur'ed the earth of a horror ,hose survival mi'ht have loosed untold terrors on all man!ind. There are 3lac! zones of shado, close to our daily pathsA and no, and then some evil soul 3rea!s a passa'e throu'h. When that happensA the man ,ho !no,s must stri!e 3efore rec!onin' the conseDuences. = have !no,n Ed,ard >ic!man $er3y all his life. Ei'ht years my CuniorA he ,as so precocious that ,e had much in common from the time he ,as ei'ht and = ,as si%teen. 2e ,as the most phenomenal child scholar = have ever !no,nA and at seven ,as ,ritin' verse of a som3reA fantasticA almost mor3id cast ,hich astonished the tutors surroundin' him. >erhaps his private education and coddled seclusion had somethin' to do ,ith his premature flo,erin'. An only childA he had or'anic ,ea!nesses ,hich startled his dotin' parents and caused them to !eep him closely chained to their side. 2e ,as never allo,ed out ,ithout his nurseA and seldom had a chance to play unconstrainedly ,ith other children. All this dou3tless fostered a stran'e secretive life in the 3oyA ,ith ima'ination as his one avenue of freedom. At any rateA his Cuvenile learnin' ,as prodi'ious and 3izarreB and his facile ,ritin's such as to captivate me despite my 'reater a'e. A3out that time = had leanin's to,ard art of a some,hat 'rotesDue castA and = found in this youn'er child a rare !indred spirit. What lay 3ehind our Coint love of shado,s and marvels ,asA no dou3tA the ancientA moulderin'A and su3tly fearsome to,n in ,hich ,e live 1 ,itch1cursedA le'end1haunted Ar!hamA ,hose huddledA sa''in' 'am3rel roofs and crum3lin' 7eor'ian 3alustrades 3rood out the centuries 3eside the dar!ly mutterin' 8is!atonic. As time ,ent 3y = turned to architecture and 'ave up my desi'n of illustratin' a 3oo! of Ed,ard<s demoniac poemsA yet our comradeship suffered no lessenin'. .oun' $er3y<s odd 'enius developed remar!a3lyA and in his ei'hteenth year his collected ni'htmare1lyrics

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Thin' on the $oorstep

)-*

made a real sensation ,hen issued under the title A2at"ot" and 't"er 9orrors. 2e ,as a close correspondent of the notorious Baudelairean poet 6ustin 7eoffreyA ,ho ,rote T"e ,eople of t"e Monolit" and died screamin' in a madhouse in 1)"- after a visit to a sinisterA ill1re'arded villa'e in 2un'ary. =n self1reliance and practical affairsA ho,everA $er3y ,as 'reatly retarded 3ecause of his coddled e%istence. 2is health had improvedA 3ut his ha3its of childish dependence ,ere fostered 3y over1careful parentsA so that he never travelled aloneA made independent decisionsA or assumed responsi3ilities. =t ,as early seen that he ,ould not 3e eDual to a stru''le in the 3usiness or professional arenaA 3ut the family fortune ,as so ample that this formed no tra'edy. As he 're, to years of manhood he retained a deceptive aspect of 3oyishness. Blond and 3lue1eyedA he had the fresh comple%ion of a childB and his attempt to raise a moustache ,ere discerni3le only ,ith difficulty. 2is voice ,as soft and li'htA and his une%ercised life 'ave him a Cuvenile chu33iness rather than the paunchiness of premature middle a'e. 2e ,as of 'ood hei'htA and his handsome face ,ould have made him a nota3le 'allant had not his shyness held him to seclusion and 3oo!ishness. $er3y<s parents too! him a3road every summerA and he ,as Duic! to seize on the surface aspects of European thou'ht and e%pression. 2is >oe1li!e talents turned more and more to,ard the decadentA and other artistic sensitiveness and yearnin's ,ere half1aroused in him. We had 'reat discussions in those days. = had 3een throu'h 2arvardA had studied in a Boston architect<s officeA had marriedA and had finally returned to Ar!ham to practise my profession 1 settlin' in the family homestead in Saltonstall Street since my father had moved to 4lorida for his health. Ed,ard used to call almost every evenin'A till = came to re'ard him as one of the household. 2e had a characteristic ,ay of rin'in' the door3ell or soundin' the !noc!er that 're, to 3e a verita3le code si'nalA so that after dinner = al,ays listened for the familiar three 3ris! stro!es follo,ed 3y t,o more after a pause. 5ess freDuently = ,ould visit at his house and note ,ith envy the o3scure volumes in his constantly 'ro,in' li3rary. $er3y ,ent throu'h 8is!atonic (niversity in Ar!ahm since his parents ,ould not let him 3oard a,ay from them. 2e entered at si%teen and completed his course in three yearsA maCorin' in En'lish and 4rench literature and receivin' hi'h mar!s in everythin' 3ut mathematics and the sciences. 2e min'led very little ,ith the other studentsA thou'h loo!in' enviously at the Ldarin'L or LBohemianL set 1 ,hose superficially LsmartL lan'ua'e and meanin'less ironic pose he apedA and ,hose du3ious conduct he ,ished he dared adopt. What he did do ,as to 3ecome an almost fanatical devotee of su3terranean ma'ical loreA for ,hich 8is!atonic<s li3rary ,as and is famous. Al,ays a d,eller on the surface of phantasy and stran'enessA he no, delved deep into the actual runes and riddles left 3y a fa3ulous past for the 'uidance or puzzlement of posterity. 2e read thin's li!e the fri'htful Book of ibonA the 5naussprec"lic"en 3ulten of von 6unztA and the for3idden -ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul AlhazredA thou'h he did not tell his parents he had seen them. Ed,ard ,as t,enty ,hen my son and only child ,as 3ornA and seemed pleased ,hen = named the ne,comer Ed,ard $er3y (pton after him By the time he ,as t,enty five Ed,ard $er3y ,as a prodi'iously learned man and a fairly ,ell !no,n poet and fantaisiste thou'h his lac! of contacts and responsi3ilities had slo,ed do,n his literary 'ro,th 3y ma!in' his products derivative and over13oo!ish. =

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Thin' on the $oorstep

)-1

,as perhaps his closest friend 1 findin' him an ine%hausti3le mine of vital theoretical topicsA ,hile he relied on me for advice in ,hatever matters he did not ,ish to refer to his parents. 2e remained sin'le 1 more throu'h shynessA inertiaA and parental protectiveness than throu'h inclination 1 and moved in society only to the sli'htest and most perfunctory e%tent. When the ,ar came 3oth health and in'rained timidity !ept him at home. = ,ent to >latts3ur' for a commission 3ut never 'ot overseas. So the years ,ore on. Ed,ard<s mother died ,hen he ,as thirty four and for months he ,as incapacitated 3y some odd psycholo'ical malady. 2is father too! him to EuropeA ho,everA and he mana'ed to pull out of his trou3le ,ithout visi3le effects. After,ard he seemed to feel a sort of 'rotesDue e%hilarationA as if of partial escape from some unseen 3onda'e. 2e 3e'an to min'le in the more LadvancedL colle'e set despite his middle a'eA and ,as present at some e%tremely ,ild doin's 1 on one occasion payin' heavy 3lac!mail J,hich he 3orro,ed of meK to !eep his presence at a certain affair from his father<s notice. Some of the ,hispered rumors a3out the ,ild 8is!atonic set ,ere e%tremely sin'ular. There ,as even tal! of 3lac! ma'ic and of happenin's utterly 3eyond credi3ility.

,,.
Ed,ard ,as thirty1ei'ht ,hen he met Asenath Waite. She ,asA = Cud'eA a3out t,enty1 three at the timeB and ,as ta!in' a special course in mediaeval metaphysics at 8is!atonic. The dau'hter of a friend of mine had met her 3efore 1 in the 2all School at 0in'sport 1 and had 3een inclined to shun her 3ecause of her odd reputation. She ,as dar!A smallishA and very 'ood1loo!in' e%cept for overprotu3erant eyesB 3ut somethin' in her e%pression alienated e%tremely sensitive people. =t ,asA ho,everA lar'ely her ori'in and conversation ,hich caused avera'e fol! to avoid her. She ,as one of the =nnsmouth WaitesA and dar! le'ends have clustered for 'enerations a3out crum3lin'A half1deserted =nnsmouth and its people. There are tales of horri3le 3ar'ains a3out the year 18 *A and of a stran'e element Lnot Duite humanL in the ancient families of the run1do,n fishin' port 1 tales such as only old1time .an!ees can devise and repeat ,ith proper a,esomeness. Asenath<s case ,as a''ravated 3y the fact that she ,as Ephraim Waite<s dau'hter 1 the child of his old a'e 3y an un!no,n ,ife ,ho al,ays ,ent veiled. Ephraim lived in a half1 decayed mansion in Washin'ton StreetA =nnsmouthA and those ,ho had seen the place JAr!ham fol! avoid 'oin' to =nnsmouth ,henever they canK declared that the attic ,indo,s ,ere al,ays 3oardedA and that stran'e sounds sometimes floated from ,ithin as evenin' dre, on. The old man ,as !no,n to have 3een a prodi'ious ma'ical student in his dayA and le'end averred that he could raise or Duell storms at sea accordin' to his ,him. = had seen him once or t,ice in my youth as he came to Ar!ham to consult for3idden tomes at the colle'e li3raryA and had hated his ,olfishA saturnine face ,ith its tan'le of iron1'rey 3eard. 2e had died insane 1 under rather Dueer circumstances 1 Cust 3efore his dau'hter J3y his ,ill made a nominal ,ard of the principalK entered the 2all SchoolA 3ut she had 3een his mor3idly avid pupil and loo!ed fiendishly li!e him at times. The friend ,hose dau'hter had 'one to school ,ith Asenath Waite repeated many curious thin's ,hen the ne,s of Ed,ard<s acDuaintance ,ith her 3e'an to spread a3out. AsenathA it seemedA had posed as a !ind of ma'ician at schoolB and had really seemed a3le to accomplish some hi'hly 3afflin' marvels. She professed to 3e a3le to raise

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Thin' on the $oorstep

)-"

thunderstormsA thou'h her seemin' success ,as 'enerally laid to some uncanny !nac! at prediction. All animals mar!edly disli!ed herA and she could ma!e any do' ho,l 3y certain motions of her ri'ht hand. There ,ere times ,hen she displayed snatches of !no,led'e and lan'ua'e very sin'ular 1 and very shoc!in' 1 for a youn' 'irlB ,hen she ,ould fri'hten her schoolmates ,ith leers and ,in!s of an ine%plica3le !indA and ,ould seem to e%tract an o3scene zestful irony from her present situation. 8ost unusualA thou'hA ,ere the ,ell1attested cases of her influence over other persons. She ,asA 3eyond DuestionA a 'enuine hypnotist. By 'azin' peculiarly at a fello,1student she ,ould often 'ive the latter a distinct feelin' of e%chan'ed personality 1 as if the su3Cect ,ere placed momentarily in the ma'ician<s 3ody and a3le to stare half across the room at her real 3odyA ,hose eyes 3lazed and protruded ,ith an alien e%pression. Asenath often made ,ild claims a3out the nature of consciousness and a3out its independence of the physical frame 1 or at least from the life1processes of the physical frame. 2er cro,nin' ra'eA ho,everA ,as that she ,as not a manB since she 3elieved a male 3rain had certain uniDue and far1reachin' cosmic po,ers. 7iven a man<s 3rainA she declaredA she could not only eDual 3ut surpass her father in mastery of un!no,n forces. Ed,ard met Asenath at a 'atherin' of Lintelli'entsiaL held in one of the students< roomsA and could tal! of nothin' else ,hen he came to see me the ne%t day. 2e had found her full of the interests and erudition ,hich en'rossed him mostA and ,as in addition ,ildly ta!en ,ith her appearance. = had never seen the youn' ,omanA and recalled casual references only faintlyA 3ut = !ne, ,ho she ,as. =t seemed rather re'retta3le that $er3y should 3ecome so upheaved a3out herB 3ut = said nothin' to discoura'e himA since infatuation thrives on opposition. 2e ,as notA he saidA mentionin' her to his father. =n the ne%t fe, ,ee!s = heard of very little 3ut Asenath from youn' $er3y. +thers no, remar!ed Ed,ard<s autumnal 'allantryA thou'h they a'reed that he did not loo! even nearly his actual a'eA or seem at all inappropriate as an escort for his 3izarre divinity. 2e ,as only a trifle paunchy despite his indolence and self1indul'enceA and his face ,as a3solutely ,ithout lines. AsenathA on the other handA had the premature cro,<s feet ,hich come from the e%ercises of an intense ,ill. A3out this time Ed,ard 3rou'ht the 'irl to call on meA and = at once sa, that his interest ,as 3y no means one1sided. She eyed him continually ,ith an almost predatory airA and = perceived that their intimacy ,as 3eyond untan'lin'. Soon after,ard = had a visit from old 8r. $er3yA ,hom = had al,ays admired and respected. 2e had heard the tales of his son<s ne, friendshipA and had ,ormed the ,hole truth out of Lthe 3oy.L Ed,ard meant to marry AsenathA and had even 3een loo!in' at houses in the su3ur3s. 0no,in' my usually 'reat influence ,ith his sonA the father ,ondered if = could help to 3rea! the ill1advised affair offB 3ut = re'retfully e%pressed my dou3ts. This time it ,as not a Duestion of Ed,ard<s ,ea! ,ill 3ut of the ,oman<s stron' ,ill. The perennial child had transferred his dependence from the parental ima'e to a ne, and stron'er ima'eA and nothin' could 3e done a3out it. The ,eddin' ,as performed a month later 1 3y a Custice of the peaoeA accordin' to the 3ride<s reDuest. 8r. $er3yA at my adviceA offered no oppositionA and heA my ,ifeA my sonA and = attended the 3rief ceremony 1 the other 'uests 3ein' ,ild youn' people from the colle'e. Asenath had 3ou'ht the old Cro,ninshield place in the country at the end of 2i'h StreetA and they proposed to settle there after a short trip to =nnsmouthA ,hence three

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servants and some 3oo!s and household 'oods ,ere to 3e 3rou'ht. =t ,as pro3a3ly not so much consideration for Ed,ard and his father as a personal ,ish to 3e near the colle'eA its li3raryA and its cro,d of LsophisticatesAL that made Asenath settle in Ar!ham instead of returnin' permanently home. When Ed,ard called on me after the honeymoon = thou'ht he loo!ed sli'htly chan'ed. Asenath had made him 'et rid of the undeveloped moustacheA 3ut there ,as more than that. 2e loo!ed so3erer and more thou'htfulA his ha3itual pout of childish re3elliousness 3ein' e%chan'ed for a loo! almost of 'enuine sadness. = ,as puzzled to decide ,hether = li!ed or disli!ed the chan'e. Certainly he seemed for the moment more normally adult than ever 3efore. >erhaps the marria'e ,as a 'ood thin' 1 mi'ht not the chan'e of dependence form a start to,ard actual neutralisatonA leadin' ultimately to responsi3le independenceG 2e came aloneA for Asenath ,as very 3usy. She had 3rou'ht a vast store of 3oo!s and apparatus from =nnsmouth J$er3y shuddered as he spo!e the nameKA and ,as finishin' the restoration of the Cro,ninshield house and 'rounds. 2er home 1 in that to,n 1 ,as a rather dis'ustin' placeA 3ut certain o3Cects in it had tau'ht him some surprisin' thin's. 2e ,as pro'ressin' fast in esoteric lore no, that he had Asenath<s 'uidance. Some of the e%periments she proposed ,ere very darin' and radical 1 he did not feel at li3erty to descri3e them 1 3ut he had confidence in her po,ers and intentions. The three servants ,ere very Dueer 1 an incredi3ly a'ed couple ,ho had 3een ,ith old Ephraim and referred occasionally to him and to Asenath<s dead mother in a cryptic ,ayA and a s,arthy youn' ,ench ,ho had mar!ed anomalies of feature and seemed to e%ude a perpetual odour of fish.

,,,.
4or the ne%t t,o years = sa, less and less of $er3y. A fortni'ht ,ould sometimes slip 3y ,ithout the familiar three1and1t,o stro!es at the front doorB and ,hen he did call 1 or ,henA as happened ,ith increasin' infreDuencyA = called on him 1 he ,as very little disposed to converse on vital topics. 2e had 3ecome secretive a3out those occult studies ,hich he used to descri3e and discuss so minutelyA and preferred not to tal! of his ,ife. She had a'ed tremendously since her marria'eA till no, 1 oddly enou'h 1 she seemed the elder of the t,o. 2er face held the most concentratedly determined e%pression = had ever seenA and her ,hole aspect seemed to 'ain a va'ueA unplacea3le repulsiveness. 8y ,ife and son noticed it as much as =A and ,e all ceased 'radually to call on her 1 for ,hichA Ed,ard admitted in one of his 3oyishly tactless momentsA she ,as unmiti'atedly 'rateful. +ccasionally the $er3ys ,ould 'o on lon' trips 1 ostensi3ly to EuropeA thou'h Ed,ard sometimes hinted at o3scurer destinations. =t ,as after the first year that people 3e'an tal!in' a3out the chan'e in Ed,ard $er3y. =t ,as very casual tal!A for the chan'e ,as purely psycholo'icalB 3ut it 3rou'ht up some interestin' points. ;o, and thenA it seemed Ed,ard ,as o3served to ,ear an e%pression and to do thin's ,holly incompati3le ,ith his usual fla33y nature. 4or e%ample 1 althou'h in the old days he could not drive a carA he ,as no, seen occasionally to dash into or out of the old Cro,ninshield drive,ay ,ith Asenath<s po,erful >ac!ardA handlin' it li!e a masterA and meetin' traffic entan'lements ,ith a s!ill and determination utterly alien to his accustomed nature. =n such cases he seemed al,ays to 3e Cust 3ac! from some trip or Cust

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startin' on one 1 ,hat sort of tripA no one could 'uessA althou'h he mostly favoured the =nnsmouth road. +ddlyA the metamorphosis did not seem alto'ether pleasin'. >eople said he loo!ed too much li!e his ,ifeA or li!e old Ephraim Waite himselfA in these moments 1 or perhaps these moments seemed unnatural 3ecause they ,ere so rare. SometimesA hours after startin' out in this ,ayA he ,ould return listlessly spra,led on the rear seat of the car ,hile an o3viously hired chauffeur or mechanic drove. AlsoA his preponderant aspect on the streets durin' his decreasin' round of social contacts Jincludin'A = may sayA his calls on meK ,as the old1time indecisive one 1 its irresponsi3le childishness even more mar!ed than in the past. While Asenath<s face a'edA Ed,ard 1 aside from those e%ceptional occasion 1 actually rela%ed into a !ind of e%a''erated immaturityA save ,hen a trace of the ne, sadness or understandin' ,ould flash across it. =t ,as really very puzzlin'. 8ean,hile the $er3ys almost dropped out of the 'ay colle'e circle 1 not throu'h their o,n dis'ustA ,e heardA 3ut 3ecause somethin' a3out their present studies shoc!ed even the most callous of the other decadents. =t ,as in the third year of the marria'e that Ed,ard 3e'an to hint openly to me of a certain fear and dissatisfaction. 2e ,ould let fall remar!s a3out thin's L'oin' too farAL and ,ould tal! dar!ly a3out the need of L'ainin' his identity.L At first = i'nored such referencesA 3ut in time = 3e'an to Duestion him 'uardedlyA remem3erin' ,hat my friend<sA dau'hter had said a3out Asenath<s hypnotic influence over the other 'irls at school 1 the cases ,here students had thou'ht they ,ere in her 3ody loo!in' across the room at themselves. This Duestionin' seemed to ma!e him at once alarmed and 'ratefulA and once he mum3led somethin' a3out havin' a serious tal! ,ith me later. A3out this time old 8r. $er3y diedA for ,hich = ,as after,ard very than!ful. Ed,ard ,as 3adly upsetA thou'h 3y no means disor'anized. 2e had seen astonishin'ly little of his parent since his marria'eA for Asenath had concentrated in herself all his vital sense of family lin!a'e. Some called him callous in his loss 1 especially since those Caunty and confident moods in the car 3e'an to increase. 2e no, ,ished to move 3ac! into the old family mansionA 3ut Asenath insisted on stayin' in the Cro,ninshield house to ,hich she had 3ecome ,ell adCusted. ;ot lon' after,ard my ,ife heard a curious thin' from a friend 1 one of the fe, ,ho had not dropped the $er3ys. She had 3een out to the end of 2i'h Street to call on the coupleA and had seen a car shoot 3ris!ly out of the drive ,ith Ed,ard<s oddly confident and almost sneerin' face a3ove the ,heel. :in'in' the 3ellA she had 3een told 3y the repulsive ,ench that Asenath ,as also outB 3ut had chanced to loo! at the house in leavin'. ThereA at one of Ed,ard<s li3rary ,indo,sA she had 'limpsed a hastily ,ithdra,n face 1 a face ,hose e%pression of painA defeatA and ,istful hopelessness ,as poi'nant 3eyond description. =t ,as 1 incredi3ly enou'h in vie, of its usual domineerin' cast 1 Asenath<sB yet the caller had vo,ed that in that instant the sadA muddled eyes of poor Ed,ard ,ere 'azin' out from it. Ed,ard<s calls no, 're, a trifle more freDuentA and his hints occasionally 3ecame concrete. What he said ,as not to 3e 3elievedA even in centuried and le'end1haunted Ar!hamB 3ut he thre, out his dar! lore ,ith a sincerity and convincin'ness ,hich made one fear for his sanity. 2e tal!ed a3out terri3le meetin's in lonely placesA of cyclopean ruins in the heart of the 8aine ,oods 3eneath ,hich vast staircases led do,n to a3ysses of ni'hted secretsA of comple% an'les that led throu'h invisi3le ,alls to other re'ions of space

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and timeA and of hideous e%chan'es of personality that permitted e%plorations in remote and for3idden placesA on other ,orldsA and in different space1time continua. 2e ,ould no, and then 3ac! up certain crazy hints 3y e%hi3itin' o3Cects ,hich utterly nonplussed 1 elusively coloured and 3afflin'ly te%tured o3Cects li!e nothin' ever heard of on earthA ,hose insane curves and surfaces ans,ered no conceiva3le purposeA and follo,ed no conceiva3le 'eometry. These thin'sA he saidA came Lfrom outsideLB and his ,ife !ne, ho, to 'et them. Sometimes 1 3ut al,ays in fri'htened and am3i'uous ,hisper 1 he ,ould su''est thin's a3out old Ephraim WaiteA ,hom he had seen occasionally at the colle'e li3rary in the old days. These adum3rations ,ere never specificA 3ut seemed to revolve around some especially horri3le dou3t as to ,hether the old ,izard ,ere really dead 1 in a spiritual as ,ell as corporeal sense. At times $er3y ,ould halt a3ruptly in his revelationsA and = ,ondered ,hether Asenath could possi3ly have divined his speech at a distance and cut him off throu'h some un!no,n sort of telepathic mesmerism 1 some po,er of the !ind she had displayed at schoolA CertainlyA she suspected that he told me thin'sA for as the ,ee!s passed she tried to stop his visits ,ith ,ords and 'lances of a most ine%plica3le potency. +nly ,ith difficulty could he 'et to see meA for althou'h he ,ould pretend to 3e 'oin' some,here elseA some invisi3le force ,ould 'enerally clo' his motions or ma!e him for'et his destination for the time 3ein'. 2is visits usually came ,hen Asenath ,as ,ay 1 La,ay in her o,n 3odyAL as he once oddly put it. She al,ays found out later 1 the servants ,atched his 'oin's and comin' 1 3ut evidently she thou'ht it ine%pedient to do anythin' drastic.

,V.
$er3y had 3een married more than three years on that Au'ust day ,hen = 'ot that tele'ram from 8aine. = had not seen him for t,o monthsA 3ut had heard he ,as a,ay Lon 3usiness.L Asenath ,as supposed to 3e ,ith himA thou'h ,atchful 'ossip declared there ,as someone upstairs in the house 3ehind the dou3ly curtained ,indo,s. They had ,atched the purchases made 3y the servants. And no, the to,n marshal of Chesuncoo! had ,ired of the dra''led madman ,ho stum3led out of the ,oods ,ith delirious ravin's and screamed to me for protection. =t ,as Ed,ard and he had 3een Cust a3le to recall his o,n name and address. Chesuncoo! is close to the ,ildestA deepestA and least e%plored forest 3elt in 8aineA and it too! a ,hole day of feverish Coltin' throu'h fantastic and for3iddin' scenery to 'et there in a car. = found $er3y in a cell at the to,n farmA vacillatin' 3et,een frenzy and apathy. 2e !ne, me at onceA and 3e'an pourin' out a meanin'lessA half1incoherent torrent of ,ords in my direction. L$anA for 7od<s sa!eF The pit of the sho''othsF $o,n the si% thousand steps... the a3omination of a3ominations... = never ,ould let her ta!e meA and then = found myself there 1 =aF Shu31;i''urathF 1 The shape rose up from the altarA and there ,ere five hundred that ho,led 1 The 2ooded Thin' 3leated <0amo'F 0amo'F< 1 that ,as old Ephraim<s secret name in the coven 1 = ,as thereA ,here she promised she ,ouldn<t ta!e me 1 A minute 3efore = ,as loc!ed in the li3raryA and then = ,as there ,here she had 'one ,ith my 3ody 1 in the place of utter 3lasphemyA the unholy pit ,here the 3lac! realm 3e'ins and the

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,atcher 'uards the 'ate 1 = sa, a sho''oth 1 it chan'ed shape 1 = can<t stand it 1 =<ll !ill her if she ever sends me there a'ain 1 l<ll !ill that entity 1 herA himA it 1 =<ll !ill itF =<ll !ill it ,ith my o,n handsFL =t too! me an hour to Duiet himA 3ut he su3sided at last. The ne%t day = 'ot him decent clothes in the villa'eA and set out ,ith him for Ar!ham. 2is fury of hysteria ,as spentA and he ,as inclined to 3e silentA thou'h he 3e'an mutterin' dar!ly to himself ,hen the car passed throu'h Au'usta 1 as if the si'ht of a city aroused unpleasant memories. =t ,as clear that he did not ,ish to 'o homeB and considerin' the fantastic delusions he seemed to have a3out his ,ife 1 delusions undou3tedly sprin'in' from some actual hypnotic ordeal to ,hich he had 3een su3Cected 1 = thou'ht it ,ould 3e 3etter if he did not. = ,ouldA = resolvedA put him up myself for a timeB no matter ,hat unpleasantness it ,ould ma!e ,ith Asenath. 5ater = ,ould help him 'et a divorceA for most assuredly there ,ere mental factors ,hich made this marria'e suicidal for him. When ,e struc! open country a'ain $er3y<s mutterin' faded a,ayA and = let him nod and dro,se on the seat 3eside me as = drove. $urin' our sunset dash throu'h >ortland the mutterin' commenced a'ainA more distinctly than 3eforeA and as = listened = cau'ht a stream of utterly insane drivel a3out Asenath. The e%tent to ,hich she had preyed on Ed,ard<s nerves ,as plainA for he had ,oven a ,hole set of hallucinations around her. 2is present predicamentA he mum3led furtivelyA ,as only one of a lon' series. She ,as 'ettin' hold of himA and he !ne, that some day she ,ould never let 'o. Even no, she pro3a3ly let him 'o only ,hen she had toA 3ecause she couldn<t hold on lon' at a time. She constantly too! his 3ody and ,ent to nameless places for nameless ritesA leavin' him in her 3ody and loc!in' him upstairs 1 3ut sometimes she couldn<t hold onA and he ,ould find himself suddenly in his o,n 3ody a'ain in some far1offA horri3leA and perhaps un!no,n place. Sometimes she<d 'et hold of him a'ain and sometimes she couldn<t. +ften he ,as left stranded some,here as = had found him 1 time and a'ain he had to find his ,ay home from fri'htful distancesA 'ettin' some3ody to drive the car after he found it. The ,orst thin' ,as that she ,as holdin' on to him lon'er and lon'er at a time. She ,anted to 3e a man 1 to 3e fully human 1 that ,as ,hy she 'ot hold of him. She had sensed the mi%ture of fine1,rou'ht 3rain and ,ea! ,ill in him. Some day she ,ould cro,d him out and disappear ,ith his 3ody 1 disappear to 3ecome a 'reat ma'ician li!e her father and leave him marooned in that female shell that ,asn<t even Duite human. .esA he !ne, a3out the =nnsmouth 3lood no,. There had 3een traffic! ,ith thin's from the sea 1 it ,as horri3le... And old Ephraim 1 he had !no,n the secretA and ,hen he 're, old did a hideous thin' to !eep alive 1 he ,anted to live forever 1 Asenath ,ould succeed 1 one successful demonstration had ta!en place already. As $er3y muttered on = turned to loo! at him closelyA verifyin' the impression of chan'e ,hich an earlier scrutiny had 'iven me. >arado%icallyA he seemed in 3etter shape than usual 1 harderA more normally developedA and ,ithout the trace of sic!ly fla33iness caused 3y his indolent ha3its. =t ,as as if he had 3een really active and properly e%ercised for the first time in his coddled lifeA and = Cud'ed that Asenath<s force must have pushed him into un,onted channels of motion and alertness. But Cust no, his mind ,as in a pitia3le stateB for he ,as mum3lin' ,ild e%trava'ances a3out his ,ifeA a3out 3lac! ma'icA a3out old EphraimA and a3out some revelation ,hich ,ould convince even me. 2e repeated names ,hich = reco'nized from 3y'one 3ro,sin's in for3idden volumesA and at

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times made me shudder ,ith a certain thread of mytholo'ical consistency 1 or convincin' coherence 1 ,hich ran throu'h his maunderin'. A'ain and a'ain he ,ould pauseA as if to 'ather coura'e for some final and terri3le disclosure. L$anA $anA don<t you remem3er him 1 ,ild eyes and the un!empt 3eard that never turned ,hiteG 2e 'lared at me onceA and = never for'ot it. ;o, she 'lares that ,ay. And = !no, ,hyF 2e found it in the ;ecronomicon 1 the formula. = don<t dare tell you the pa'e yetA 3ut ,hen = do you can read and understand. Then you ,ill !no, ,hat has en'ulfed me. +nA onA onA on 1 3ody to 3ody to 3ody 1 he means never to die. The life1'lo, 1 he !no,s ho, to 3rea! the lin!... it can flic!er on a ,hile even ,hen the 3ody is dead. =<ll 'ive you hints and may3e you<ll 'uess. 5istenA $an 1 do you !no, ,hy my ,ife al,ays ta!es such pains ,ith that silly 3ac!hand ,ritin'G 2ave you ever seen a manuscript of old Ephraim<sG $o you ,ant to !no, ,hy = shivered ,hen = sa, some hasty notes Asenath had Cotted do,nG LAsenath 1 is there such a personG Why did they half1thin! there ,as poison in old Ephraim<s stomachG Why do the 7ilmans ,hisper a3out the ,ay he shrie!ed 1 li!e a fri'htened child 1 ,hen he ,ent mad and Asenath loc!ed him up in the padded attic room ,here 1 the other 1 had 3eenG Was it old p"raim+s soul t"at $as locked in/ W"o locked in $"om/ Why had he 3een loo!in' for months for someone ,ith a fine mind and a ,ea! ,illG 1 Why did he curse that his dau'hter ,asn<t a sonG Tell meG $aniel (pton 1 $"at de!ilis" e@c"ange $as perpetrated in t"e "ouse of "orror $"ere t"at blasp"emous monster "ad "is trusting& $eak-$illed "alf-"uman c"ild at "is mercy/ $idn<t he ma!e it permanent 1 as she<ll do in the end ,ith meG Tell me ,hy that thin' that calls itself Asenath ,rites differently off 'uardA so that you can<t tell its script from 1 L Then the thin' happened. $er3y<s voice ,as risin' to a thin tre3le scream as he ravedA ,hen suddenly it ,as shut off ,ith an almost mechanical clic!. = thou'ht of those other occasions at my home ,hen his confidences had a3ruptly ceased 1 ,hen = had half1fancied that some o3scure telepathic ,ave of Asenath<s mental force ,as intervenin' to !eep him silent. ThisA thou'hA ,as somethin' alto'ether different 1 andA = feltA infinitely more horri3le. The face 3eside me ,as t,isted almost unreco'niza3ly for a momentA ,hile throu'h the ,hole 3ody there passed a shiverin' motion 1 as if all the 3onesA or'ansA musclesA nervesA and 'lands ,ere adCustin' themselves to a radically different postureA set of stressesA and 'eneral personality. 6ust ,here the supreme horror layA = could not for my life tellB yet there s,ept over me such a s,ampin' ,ave of sic!ness and repulsion 1 such a freezin'A petrifyin' sense of utter aliena'e and a3normality 1 that my 'rasp of the ,heel 're, fee3le and uncertain. The fi'ure 3eside me seemed less li!e a lifelon' friend than li!e some monstrous intrusion from outer space 1 some damna3leA utterly accursed focus of un!no,n and mali'n cosmic forces. = had faltered only a momentA 3ut 3efore another moment ,as over my companion had seized the ,heel and forced me to chan'e places ,ith him. The dus! ,as no, very thic!A and the li'hts of >ortland far 3ehindA so = could not see much of his face. The 3laze of his eyesA thou'hA ,as phenomenalB and = !ne, that he must no, 3e in that Dueerly ener'ized state 1 so unli!e his usual self 1 ,hich so many people had noticed. =t seemed odd and incredi3le that listless Ed,ard $er3y 1 he ,ho could never assert himselfA and ,ho had never learned to drive 1 should 3e orderin' me a3out and ta!in' the ,heel of my o,n carA

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yet that ,as precisely ,hat had happened. 2e did not spea! for some timeA and in my ine%plica3le horror = ,as 'lad he did not. =n the li'hts of Biddeford and Saco = sa, his firmly set mouthA and shivered at the 3laze of his eyes. The people ,ere ri'ht 1 he did loo! damna3ly li!e his ,ife and li!e old Ephraim ,hen in these moods. = did not ,onder that the moods ,ere disli!ed 1 there ,as certainly somethin' unnatural in themA and = felt the sinister element all the more 3ecause of the ,ild ravin's = had 3een hearin'. This manA for all my lifelon' !no,led'e of Ed,ard >ic!man $er3yA ,as a stran'er 1 an intrusion of some sort from the 3lac! a3yss. 2e did not spea! until ,e ,ere on a dar! stretch of roadA and ,hen he did his voice seemed utterly unfamiliar. =t ,as deeperA firmerA and more decisive than = had ever !no,n it to 3eB ,hile its accent and pronunciation ,ere alto'ether chan'ed 1 thou'h va'uelyA remotelyA and rather distur3in'ly recallin' somethin' = could not Duite place. There ,asA = thou'htA a trace of very profound and very 'enuine irony in the tim3re 1 not the flashyA meanin'lessly Caunty pseudo1irony of the callo, LsophisticateAL ,hich $er3y had ha3itually affectedA 3ut somethin' 3rimA 3asicA pervasiveA and potentially evil. = marvelled at the self1possession so soon follo,in' the spell of panic1struc! mutterin'. L= hope you<ll for'et my attac! 3ac! thereA (ptonAL he ,as sayin'. L.ou !no, ,hat my nerves areA and = 'uess you can e%cuse such thin's. =<m enormously 'ratefulA of courseA for this lift home. LAnd you must for'etA tooA any crazy thin's = may have 3een sayin' a3out my ,ife 1 and a3out thin's in 'eneral. That<s ,hat comes from overstudy in a field li!e mine. 8y philosophy is full of 3izarre conceptsA and ,hen the mind 'ets ,orn out it coo!s up all sorts of ima'inary concrete applications. = shall ta!e a rest from no, on 1 you pro3a3ly ,on<t see me for some timeA and you needn<t 3lame Asenath for it. LThis trip ,as a 3it DueerA 3ut it<s really very simple. There are certain =ndian relics in the north ,ood 1 standin' stonesA and all that 1 ,hich mean a 'ood deal in fol!loreA and Asenath and = are follo,in' that stuff up. =t ,as a hard searchA so = seem to have 'one off my head. = must send some3ody for the car ,hen = 'et home. A month<s rela%ation ,ill put me on my feet.L = do not recall Cust ,hat my o,n part of the conversation ,asA for the 3afflin' aliena'e of my seatmate filled all my consciousness. With every moment my feelin' of elusive cosmic horror increasedA till at len'th = ,as in a virtual delirium of lon'in' for the end of the drive. $er3y did not offer to relinDuish the ,heelA and = ,as 'lad of the speed ,ith ,hich >ortsmouth and ;e,3uryport flashed 3y. At the Cunction ,here the main hi'h,ay runs inland and avoids =nnsmouthA = ,as half1 afraid my driver ,ould ta!e the 3lea! shore road that 'oes throu'h that damna3le place. 2e did notA ho,everA 3ut darted rapidly past :o,ley and =ps,ich to,ard our destination. We reached Ar!ham 3efore midni'htA and found the li'hts still on at the old Cro,ninshield house. $er3y left the car ,ith a hasty repetition of his than!sA and = drove home alone ,ith a curious feelin' of relief. =t had 3een a terri3le drive 1 all the more terri3le 3ecause = could not Duite tell ,hy 1 and = did not re'ret $er3y<s forecast of a lon' a3sence from my company.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Thin' on the $oorstep

)-)

The ne%t t,o months ,ere full of rumours. >eople spo!e of seein' $er3y more and more in his ne, ener'ized stateA and Asenath ,as scarcely ever in to her callers. = had only one visit from Ed,ardA ,hen he called 3riefly in Asenath<s car 1 duly reclaimed from ,herever he had left it in 8ain 1 to 'et some 3oo!s he had lent me. 2e ,as in his ne, stateA and paused only lon' enou'h for some evasively polite remar!s. =t ,as plain that he had nothin' to discuss ,ith me ,hen in this condition 1 and = noticed that he did not even trou3le to 'ive the old three1and1t,o si'nal ,hen rin'in' the door3ell. As on that evenin' in the carA = felt a faintA infinitely deep horror ,hich = could not e%plainB so that his s,ift departure ,as a prodi'ious relief. =n mid1Septem3er $er3y ,as a,ay for a ,ee!A and some of the decadent colle'e set tal!ed !no,in'ly of the matter 1 hintin' at a meetin' ,ith a notorious cult1leaderA lately e%pelled from En'landA ,ho had esta3lished headDuarters in ;e, .or!. 4or my part = could not 'et that stran'e ride from 8aine out of my head. The transformation = had ,itnessed had affected me profoundlyA and = cau'ht myself a'ain and a'ain tryin' to account for the thin' 1 and for the e%treme horror it had inspired in me. But the oddest rumours ,ere those a3out the so33in' in the old Cro,ninshield house. The voice seemed to 3e a ,oman<sA and some of the youn'er people thou'ht it sounded li!e Asenath<s. =t ,as heard only at rare intervalsA and ,ould sometimes 3e cho!ed off as if 3y force. There ,as tal! of an investi'ationA 3ut this ,as dispelled one day ,hen Asenath appeared in the streets and chatted in a spri'htly ,ay ,ith a lar'e num3er of acDuaintances 1 apolo'izin' for her recent a3sence and spea!in' incidentally a3out the nervous 3rea!do,n and hysteria of a 'uest from Boston. The 'uest ,as never seenA 3ut Asenath<s appearance left nothin' to 3e said. And then someone complicated matters 3y ,hisperin' that the so3s had once or t,ice 3een in a man<s voice. +ne evenin' in mid1+cto3erA = heard the familiar three1and1t,o rin' at the front door. Ans,erin' it myselfA = found Ed,ard on the stepsA and sa, in a moment that his personality ,as the old one ,hich = had not encountered since the day of his ravin's on that terri3le ride from Chesuncoo!. 2is face ,as t,itchin' ,ith a mi%ture of odd emotions in ,hich fear and triumph seemed to share dominionA and he loo!ed furtively over his shoulder as = closed the door 3ehind him. 4ollo,in' me clumsily to the studyA he as!ed for some ,his!ey to steady his nerves. = for3ore to Duestion himA 3ut ,aited till he felt li!e 3e'innin' ,hatever he ,anted to say. At len'th he ventured some information in a cho!in' voice. LAsenath has 'oneA $an. We had a lon' tal! last ni'ht ,hile the servants ,ere outA and = made her promise to stop preyin' on me. +f course = had certain 1 certain occult defenses = never told you a3out. She had to 'ive inA 3ut 'ot fri'htfully an'ry. 6ust pac!ed up and started for ;e, .or! 1 ,al!ed ri'ht out to catch the ei'ht1t,enty in to Boston. = suppose people ,ill tal!A 3ut = can<t help that. .ou needn<t mention that there ,as any trou3le 1 Cust say she<s 'one on a lon' research trip. LShe<s pro3a3ly 'oin' to stay ,ith one of her horri3le 'roups of devotees. = hope she<ll 'o ,est and 'et a divorce 1 anyho,A =<ve made her promise to !eep a,ay and let me alone. =t ,as horri3leA $an 1 she ,as stealin' my 3ody 1 cro,din' me out 1 ma!in' a prisoner of me. = lay lo, and pretended to let her do itA 3ut = had to 3e on the ,atch. = could plan if = ,as carefulA for she can<t read my mind literallyA or in detail. All she could read of my

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The Thin' on the $oorstep

)7*

plannin' ,as a sort of 'eneral mood of re3ellion 1 and she al,ays thou'ht = ,as helpless. ;ever thou'ht = could 'et the 3est of her... 3ut = had a spell or t,o that ,or!ed.L $er3y loo!ed over his shoulder and too! some more ,his!ey. L= paid off those damned servants this mornin' ,hen they 'ot 3ac!. They ,ere u'ly a3out itA and as!ed DuestionsA 3ut they ,ent. They<re her !in 1 =nnsmouth people 1 and ,ere hand and 'love ,ith her. = hope they<ll let me alone 1 = didn<t li!e the ,ay they lau'hed ,hen they ,al!ed a,ay. = must 'et as many of $ad<s old servants a'ain as = can. =<ll move 3ac! home no,. L= suppose you thin! =<m crazyA $an 1 3ut Ar!ham history ou'ht to hint at thin's that 3ac! up ,hat =<ve told you 1 and ,hat =<m 'oin' to tell you. .ou<ve seen one of the chan'esA to 1 in your car after = told you a3out Asenath that day comin' home from 8aine. That ,as ,hen she 'ot me 1 drove me out of my 3ody. The last thin' = remem3er ,as ,hen = ,as all ,or!ed up tryin' to tell you ,hat that she1devil is. Then she 'ot meA and in a flash = ,as 3ac! at the house 1 in the li3rary ,here those damned servants had me loc!ed up 1 and in that cursed fiend<s 3ody that isn<t even human... .ou !no, it ,as she you must have ridden home ,ith 1 that preyin' ,olf in my 3ody 1 .ou ou'ht to have !no,n the differenceFL = shuddered as $er3y paused. SurelyA = had !no,n the difference 1 yet could = accept an e%planation as insane as thisG But my distracted caller ,as 'ro,in' even ,ilder. L= had to save myself 1 = had toA $anF She<d have 'ot me for 'ood at 2allo,mass 1 they hold a Sa33at up there 3eyond Chesuncoo!A and the sacrifice ,ould have clinched thin's. She<d have 'ot me for 'ood 1 she<d have 3een =A and =<d have 3een she 1 forever 1 too late 1 8y 3ody<d have 3een hers for 'ood 1 She<d have 3een a manA and fully humanA Cust as she ,anted to 3e 1 = suppose she<d have put me out of the ,ay 1 !illed her o,n e%13ody ,ith me in itA damn herA Fust as s"e did before 1 Cust as she didA or it did 3efore 1 L Ed,ard<s face ,as no, atrociously distortedA and he 3ent it uncomforta3ly close to mine as his voice fell to a ,hisper. L.ou must !no, ,hat = hinted in the car 1 that she isn<t Asenath at allA 3ut really old Ephraim himself. = suspected it a year and a half a'oA and = !no, it no,. 2er hand,ritin' sho,s it ,hen she 'oes off 'uard 1 sometimes she Cots do,n a note in ,ritin' that<s Cust li!e her father<s manuscriptsA stro!e for stro!e 1 and sometimes she says thin's that no3ody 3ut an old man li!e Ephraim could say. 2e chan'ed forms ,ith her ,hen he felt death comin' 1 she ,as the only one he could find ,ith the ri'ht !ind of 3rain and a ,ea! enou'h ,ill 1 he 'ot her 3ody permanentlyA Cust as she almost 'ot mineA and then poisoned the old 3ody he<d put her into. 2aven<t you seen old Ephraim<s soul 'larin' out of that she1 devil<s eyes dozens of times 1 and out of mine ,hen she has control of my 3odyGL The ,hisperer ,as pantin'A and paused for 3reath. = said nothin'B and ,hen he resumed his voice ,as nearer normal. ThisA = reflectedA ,as a case for the asylumA 3ut = ,ould not 3e the one to send him there. >erhaps time and freedom from Asenath ,ould do its ,or!. = could see that he ,ould never ,ish to da33le in mor3id occultism a'ain. L=<ll tell you more later 1 = must have a lon' rest no,. =<ll tell you somethin' of the for3idden horrors she led me into 1 somethin' of the a'e1old horrors that even no, are

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festerin' in out1of1the1,ay comers ,ith a fe, monstrous priests to !eep them alive. Some people !no, thin's a3out the universe that no3ody ou'ht to !no,A and can do thin's that no3ody ou'ht to 3e a3le to do. =<ve 3een in it up to my nec!A 3ut that<s the end. Today =<d 3urn that damned ;ecronomicon and all the rest if = ,ere li3rarian at 8is!atonic. LBut she can<t 'et me no,. = must 'et out of that accursed house as soon as = canA and settle do,n at home. .ou<ll help meA = !no,A if = need help. Those devilish servantsA you !no, 1 and if people should 'et too inDuisitive a3out Asenath. .ou seeA = can<t 'ive them her address... Then there are certain 'roups of searchers 1 certain cultsA you !no, 1 that mi'ht misunderstand our 3rea!in' up... some of them have damna3ly curious ideas and methods. = !no, you<ll stand 3y me if anythin' happens 1 even if = have to tell you a lot that ,ill shoc! you...L = had Ed,ard stay and sleep in one of the 'uest1cham3ers that ni'htA and in the mornin' he seemed calmer. We discussed certain possi3le arran'ements for his movin' 3ac! into the $er3y mansionA and = hoped he ,ould lose no time in ma!in' the chan'e. 2e did not call the ne%t evenin'A 3ut = sa, him freDuently durin' the ensuin' ,ee!s. We tal!ed as little as possi3le a3out stran'e and unpleasant thin'sA 3ut discussed the renovation of the old $er3y houseA and the travels ,hich Ed,ard promised to ta!e ,ith my son and me the follo,in' summer. +f Asenath ,e said almost nothin'A for = sa, that the su3Cect ,as a peculiarly distur3in' one. 7ossipA of courseA ,as rifeB 3ut that ,as no novelty in connection ,ith the stran'e mena'e at the old Cro,ninshield house. +ne thin' = did not li!e ,as ,hat $er3y<s 3an!er let fall in an over1e%pansive mood at the 8is!atonic Clu3 1 a3out the cheDues Ed,ard ,as sendin' re'ularly to a 8oses and A3i'ail Sar'ent and a Eunice Ba3son in =nnsmouth. That loo!ed as if those evil1faced servants ,ere e%tortin' some !ind of tri3ute from him 1 yet he had not mentioned the matter to me. = ,ished that the summer 1 and my son<s 2arvard vacation 1 ,ould comeA so that ,e could 'et Ed,ard to Europe. 2e ,as notA = soon sa,A mendin' as rapidly as = had hoped he ,ouldB for there ,as somethin' a 3it hysterical in his occasional e%hilarationA ,hile his moods of fri'ht and depression ,ere alto'ether too freDuent. The old $er3y house ,as ready 3y $ecem3erA yet Ed,ard constantly put off movin'. Thou'h he hated and seemed to fear the Cro,ninshield placeA he ,as at the same time Dueerly enslaved 3y it. 2e could not seem to 3e'in dismantlin' thin'sA and invented every !ind of e%cuse to postpone action. When = pointed this out to him he appeared unaccounta3ly fri'htened. 2is father<s old 3utler 1 ,ho ,as there ,ith other reacDuired servant 1 told me one day that Ed,ard<s occasional pro,lin's a3out the houseA and especially do,n cellarA loo!ed odd and un,holesome to him. = ,ondered if Asenath had 3een ,ritin' distur3in' lettersA 3ut the 3utler said there ,as no mail ,hich could have come from her. =t ,as a3out Christmas that $er3y 3ro!e do,n one evenin' ,hile callin' on me. = ,as steerin' the conversation to,ard ne%t summer<s travels ,hen he suddenly shrie!ed and leaped up from his chair ,ith a loo! of shoc!in'A uncontrolla3le fri'ht 1 a cosmic panic and loathin' such as only the nether 'ulfs of ni'htmare could 3rin' to any sane mind. L8y 3rainF 8y 3rainF 7odA $an 1 it<s tu''in' 1 from 3eyond 1 !noc!in' 1 cla,in' 1 that she1devil 1 even no, 1 Ephraim 1 0amo'F 0amo'F 1 The pit of the sho''oths 1 =aF Shu31 ;i''urathF The 7oat ,ith a Thousand .oun'F...

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The Thin' on the $oorstep

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LThe flame 1 the flame 1 3eyond 3odyA 3eyond life 1 in the earth 1 ohA 7odFL = pulled him 3ac! to his chair and poured some ,ine do,n his throat as his frenzy san! to a dull apathy. 2e did not resistA 3ut !ept his lips movin' as if tal!in' to himself. >resently = realized that he ,as tryin' to tal! to meA and 3ent my ear to his mouth to catch the fee3le ,ords. LA'ainA a'ain 1 she<s tryin' 1 = mi'ht have !no,n 1 nothin' can stop that forceB not distance nor ma'icA nor death 1 it comes and comesA mostly in the ni'ht 1 = can<t leave 1 it<s horri3le 1 ohA 7odA $anA if you only kne$ as I do Fust "o$ "orrible it is%%%L When he had slumped do,n into a stupor = propped him ,ith pillo,s and let normal sleep overta!e him. = did not call a doctorA for = !ne, ,hat ,ould 3e said of his sanityA and ,ished to 'ive nature a chance if = possi3ly could. 2e ,a!ed at midni'htA and = put him to 3ed upstairsA 3ut he ,as 'one 3y mornin'. 2e had let himself Duietly out of the house 1 and his 3utlerA ,hen called on the ,ireA sail he ,as at home pacin' a3out the li3rary. Ed,ard ,ent to pieces rapidly after that. 2e did not call a'ainA 3ut = ,ent daily to see him. 2e ,ould al,ays 3e sittin' in his li3raryA starin' at nothin' and havin' an air of a3normal listenin'. Sometimes he tal!ed rationallyA 3ut al,ays on trivial topics. Any mention of his trou3leA of future plansA or of Asenath ,ould send him into a frenzy. 2is 3utler said he had fri'htful seizures at ni'htA durin' ,hich he mi'ht eventually do himself harm. = had a lon' tal! ,ith his doctorA 3an!erA and la,yerA and finally too! the physician ,ith t,o specialist collea'ues to visit him. The spasms that resulted from the first Duestions ,ere violent and pitia3le 1 and that evenin' a closed car too! his poor stru''lin' 3ody to the Ar!ham Sanitarium. = ,as made his 'uardian and called on him t,ice ,ee!ly 1 almost ,eepin' to hear his ,ild shrie!sA a,esome ,hispersA and dreadfulA dronin' repetitions of such phrases as L= had to do it 1 = had to do it 1 it<ll 'et me 1 it<ll 'et me 1 do,n there 1 do,n there in the dar! 1 8otherF 8otherF $anF Save me 1 save me 1L 2o, much hope of recovery there ,asA no one could sayA 3ut = tried my 3est to 3e optimistic. Ed,ard must have a home if he emer'edA so = transferred his servants to the $er3y mansionA ,hich ,ould surely 3e his sane choice. What to do a3out the Cro,ninshield place ,ith its comple% arran'ements and collections of utterly ine%plica3le o3Cects = could not decideA so left it momentarily untouched 1 tellin' the $er3y household to 'o over and dust the chief rooms once a ,ee!A and orderin' the furnace man to have a fire on those days. The final ni'htmare came 3efore Candlemas 1 heraldedA in cruel ironyA 3y a false 'leam of hope. +ne mornin' late in 6anuary the sanitarium telephoned to report that Ed,ard<s reason had suddenly come 3ac!. 2is continuous memoryA they saidA ,as 3adly impairedB 3ut sanity itself ,as certain. +f course he must remain some time for o3servationA 3ut there could 3e little dou3t of the outcome. All 'oin' ,ellA he ,ould surely 3e free in a ,ee!. = hastened over in a flood of deli'htA 3ut stood 3e,ildered ,hen a nurse too! me to Ed,ard<s room. The patient rose to 'reet meA e%tendin' his hand ,ith a polite smileB 3ut = sa, in an instant that he 3ore the stran'ely ener'ized personality ,hich had seemed so forei'n to his o,n nature 1 the competent personality = had found so va'uely horri3leA and

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The Thin' on the $oorstep

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,hich Ed,ard himself had once vo,ed ,as the intrudin' soul of his ,ife. There ,as the same 3lazin' vision 1 so li!e Asenath<s and old Ephraim<s 1 and the same firm mouthB and ,hen he spo!e = could sense the same 'rimA pervasive irony in his voice 1 the deep irony so redolent of potential evil. This ,as the person ,ho had driven my car throu'h the ni'ht five months 3efore 1 the person = had not seen since that 3rief call ,hen he had for'otten the oldtime door3ell si'nal and stirred such ne3ulous fears in me 1 and no, he filled me ,ith the same dim feelin' of 3lasphemous aliena'e and ineffa3le cosmic hideousness. 2e spo!e affa3ly of arran'ements for release 1 and there ,as nothin' for me to do 3ut assentA despite some remar!a3le 'aps in his recent memories. .et = felt that somethin' ,as terri3lyA ine%plica3ly ,ron' and a3normal. There ,ere horrors in this thin' that = could not reach. This ,as a sane person 1 3ut ,as it indeed the Ed,ard $er3y = had !no,nG =f notA ,ho or ,hat ,as it 1 and ,here ,as Ed,ardG +u'ht it to 3e free or confined 1 or ou'ht it to 3e e%tirpated from the face of the earthG There ,as a hint of the a3ysmally sardonic in everythin' the creature said 1 the Asenath1li!e eyes lent a special and 3afflin' moc!ery to certain ,ords a3out the early li3erty earned 3y an especially close confinementF = must have 3ehaved very a,!,ardlyA and ,as 'lad to 3eat a retreat. All that day and the ne%t = rac!ed my 3rain over the pro3lem. What had happenedG What sort of mind loo!ed out throu'h those alien eyes in Ed,ard<s faceG = could thin! of nothin' 3ut this dimly terri3le eni'maA and 'ave up all efforts to perform my usual ,or!. The second mornin' the hospital called up to say that the recovered patient ,as unchan'edA and 3y evenin' = ,as close to a nervous collapse1a state = admitA thou'h others ,ill vo, it coloured my su3seDuent vision. = have nothin' to say on this point e%cept that no madness of mine could account for all the evidence.

V.
=t ,as in the ni'ht1after that second evenin' 1 that star!A utter horror 3urst over me and ,ei'hted my spirit ,ith a 3lac!A clutchin' panic from ,hich it can never sha!e free. =t 3e'an ,ith a telephone call Cust 3efore midni'ht. = ,as the only one upA and sleepily too! do,n the receiver in the li3rary. ;o one seemed to 3e on the ,ireA and = ,as a3out to han' up and 'o to 3ed ,hen my ear cau'ht a very faint suspicion of sound at the other end. Was someone tryin' under 'reat difficulties to tal!G As = listened = thou'ht = heard a sort of half1liDuid 3u33lin' noisd 1 L'lu3... 'lu3... 'lu3L 1 ,hich had an odd su''estion of inarticulateA unintelli'i3le ,ord and sylla3le divisions. = called LWho is itGL But the only ans,er ,as L'lu3... 'lu3... 'lu31'lu3.L = could only assume that the noise ,as mechanicalB 3ut fancyin' that it mi'ht 3e a case of a 3ro!en instrument a3le to receive 3ut not to sendA = addedA L= can<t hear you. Better han' up and try =nformation.L =mmediately = heard the receiver 'o on the hoo! at the other end. ThisA = sayA ,as Cust a3out midni'ht. When the call ,as traced after,ard it ,as found to come from the old Cro,ninshield houseA thou'h it ,as fully half a ,ee! from the housemaid<s day to 3e there. = shall only hint ,hat ,as found at that house 1 the upheaval in a remote cellar storeroomA the trac!sA the dirtA the hastily rifled ,ardro3eA the 3afflin' mar!s on the telephoneA the clumsily used stationeryA and the detesta3le stench lin'erin' over everythin'. The policeA poor foolsA have their smu' little theoriesA and are still searchin' for those sinister dischar'ed servants 1 ,ho have dropped out of si'ht amidst the

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The Thin' on the $oorstep

)7#

present furore. They spea! of a 'houlish reven'e for thin's that ,ere doneA and say = ,as included 3ecause = ,as Ed,ard<s 3est friend and adviser. =diotsF $o they fancy those 3rutish clo,ns could have for'ed that hand,ritin'G $o they fancy they could have 3rou'ht ,hat later cameG Are they 3lind to the chan'es in that 3ody that ,as Ed,ard<sG As for meA I no$ belie!e all t"at d$ard #erby e!er told me% There are horrors 3eyond life<s ed'e that ,e do not suspectA and once in a ,hile man<s evil pryin' calls them Cust ,ithin our ran'e. Ephraim 1 Asenat 1 that devil called them inA and they en'ulfed Ed,ard as they are en'ulfin' me. Can = 3e sure that = am safeG Those po,ers survive the life of the physical form. The ne%t day 1 in the afternoonA ,hen = pulled out of my prostration and ,as a3le to ,al! and tal! coherently 1 = ,ent to the madhouse and shot him dead for Ed,ard<s and the ,orld<s sa!eA 3ut can = 3e sure till he is crematedG They are !eepin' the 3ody for some silly autopsies 3y different doctors 1 3ut = say he must 3e cremated. 2e must 3e cremated 1 "e $"o $as not d$ard #erby $"en I s"ot "im% = shall 'o mad if he is notA for = may 3e the ne%t. But my ,ill is not ,ea! 1 and = shall not let it 3e undermined 3y the terrors = !no, are seethin' around it. +ne life 1 EphraimA AsenathA and Ed,ard 1 ,ho no,G = ,ill not 3e driven out of my 3ody... = $ill not chan'e souls ,ith that 3ullet1ridden lich in the madhouseF But let me try to tell coherently of that final horror. = ,ill not spea! of ,hat the police persistently i'nored 1 the tales of that d,arfedA 'rotesDueA malodorous thin' met 3y at least three ,ayfarers in 2i'h Street Cust 3efore t,o o<cloc!A and the nature of the sin'le footprints in certain places. = ,ill say only that Cust a3out t,o the door3ell and !noc!er ,a!ed me 1 door3ell and !noc!er 3othA aplied alternately and uncertainly in a !ind of ,ea! desperationA and eac" trying to keep d$ard+s old signal of t"ree-and-t$o strokes% :oused from sound sleepA my mind leaped into a turmoil. $er3y at the door 1 and remem3erin' the old codeF That ne, personality had not remem3ered it... ,as Ed,ard suddenly 3ac! in his ri'htful stateG Why ,as he here in such evident stress and hasteG 2ad he 3een released ahead of timeA or had he escapedG >erhapsA = thou'ht as = flun' on a ro3e and 3ounded do,nstairsA his return to his o,n self had 3rou'ht ravin' and violenceA revo!in' his dischar'e and drivin' him to a desperate dash for freedom. Whatever had happenedA he ,as 'ood old Ed,ard a'ainA and = ,ould help himF When = opened the door into the elm1arched 3lac!ness a 'ust of insuffera3ly fetid ,ind almost flun' me prostrate. = cho!ed in nauseaA and for a second scarcely sa, the d,arfedA humped fi'ure on the steps. The summons had 3een Ed,ard<sA 3ut ,ho ,as this foulA stunted parodyG Where had Ed,ard had time to 'oG 2is rin' had sounded only a second 3efore the door opened. The caller had on one of Ed,ard<s overcoats 1 its 3ottom almost touchin' the 'roundA and its sleeves ro2ed 3ac! yet still coverin' the hands. +n the head ,as a slouch hat pulled lo,A ,hile a 3lac! sil! muffler concealed the face. As = stepped unsteadily for,ardA the fi'ure made a semi1liDuid sound li!e that = had heard over the telephone 1 L'lu3... 'lu3...L 1 and thrust at me a lar'eA closely ,ritten paper impaled on the end of a lon' pencil. Still reelin' from the mor3id and unaccounta3le foetorA = seized the paper and tried to read it in the li'ht from the door,ay.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Thin' on the $oorstep

)7

Beyond DuestionA it ,as in Ed,ard<s script. But ,hy had he ,ritten ,hen he ,as close enou'h to rin' 1 and ,hy ,as the script so a,!,ardA coarse and sha!yG = could ma!e out nothin' in the dim half li'htA so ed'ed 3ac! into the hallA the d,arf fi'ure clumpin' mechanically after 3ut pausin' on the inner door<s threshold. The odour of this sin'ular messen'er ,as really appallin'A and = hoped Jnot in vainA than! 7odFK that my ,ife ,ould not ,a!e and confront it. ThenA as = read the paperA = felt my !nees 'ive under me and my <vision 'o 3lac!. = ,as lyin' on the floor ,hen = came toA that accursed sheet still clutched in my fear1ri'id hand. This is ,hat it said. L$an 1 'o to the sanitarium and !ill it. E%terminate it. =t isn<t Ed,ard $er3y any more. She 'ot me 1 it<s Asenath 1 and s"e "as been dead t"ree mont"s and a "alf% = lied ,hen = said she had 'one a,ay. = !illed her. = had to. =t ,as suddenA 3ut ,e ,ere alone and = ,as in my ri'ht 3ody. = sa, a candlestic! and smashed her head in. She ,ould have 'ot me for 'ood at 2allo,mass. L= 3uried her in the farther cellar storeroom under some old 3o%es and cleaned up all the traces. The servants suspected ne%t mornin'A 3ut they have such secrets that they dare not tell the police. = sent them offA 3ut 7od !no,s ,hat they 1 and others of the cult 1 ,ill do. L= thou'ht for a ,hile = ,as all ri'htA and then = felt the tu''in' at my 3rain. = !ne, ,hat it ,as 1 = ou'ht to have remem3ered. A soul li!e hers 1 or Ephraim<s 1 is half detachedA and !eeps ri'ht on after death as lon' as the 3ody lasts. She ,as 'ettin' me 1 ma!in' me chan'e 3odies ,ith her1seizin' my 3ody and purtin' me in that corpse of hers 3uried in the cellar. L= !ne, ,hat ,as comin' 1 that<s ,hy = snapped and had to 'o to the asylum. Then it came 1 = found myself cho!ed in the dar! 1 in Asenath<s rottin' carcass do,n there in the cellar under the 3o%es ,here = put it. And = !ne, she must 3e in my 3ody at the sanitarium 1 permanentlyA for it ,as after 2allo,massA and the sacrifice ,ould ,or! even ,ithout her 3ein' there 1 saneA and ready for release as a menace to the ,orld. = ,as desperateA and in spite of everythin' = cla,ed my ,ay +ut. L=<m too far 'one to tal! 1 = couldn<t mana'e to telephone 1 3ut = can still ,rite. =<ll 'et fi%ed up someho, and 3rin' this last ,ord and ,arnin'. 0ill that fiend if you value the peace and comfort of the ,orld. See that it is cremated. =f you don<tA it ,ill live on and onA 3ody to 3ody foreverA and = can<t tell you ,hat it ,ill do. 0eep clear of 3lac! ma'icA $anA it<s the devil<s 3usiness. 7ood3ye 1 you<ve 3een a 'reat friend. Tell the police ,hatever they<ll 3elieve 1 and =<m damna3ly sorry to dra' all this on you. =<ll 3e at peace 3efore lon' 1 this thin' ,on<t hold to'ether much more. 2ope you can read this. And !ill that thin' 1 !ill it. .ours 1 Ed.L =t ,as only after,ard that = read the last half of this paperA for = had fainted at the end of the third para'raph. = fainted a'ain ,hen = sa, and smelled ,hat cluttered up the threshold ,here the ,arm air had struc! it. The messen'er ,ould not move or have consciousness any more.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Thin' on the $oorstep

)7-

The 3utlerA tou'her1fi3red than =A did not faint at ,hat met him in the hall in the mornin'. =nsteadA he telephoned the police. When they came = had 3een ta!en upstairs to 3edA 3ut the 1 other mass 1 lay ,here it had collapsed in the ni'ht. The men put hand!erchiefs to their noses. What they finally found inside Ed,ard<s oddly1assorted clothes ,as mostly liDuescent horror. There ,ere 3onesA to 1 and a crushed1in s!ull. Some dental ,or! positively identified the s!ull as Asenath<s.

Thro%-h the ) tes o! the Silver Ke&

Ch *ter O#e
=n a vast room hun' ,ith stran'ely fi'ured arras and carpeted ,ith Bon!hata ru's of impressive a'e and ,or!manshipA four men ,ere sittin' around a document1stre,n ta3le. 4rom the far cornersA ,here odd tripods of ,rou'ht iron ,ere no, and then replenished 3y an incredi3ly a'ed ;e'ro in som3er liveryA came the hypnotic fumes of oli3anumB ,hile in a deep niche on one side there tic!ed a curiousA coffin1shaped cloc! ,hose dial 3ore 3afflin' hiero'lyphs and ,hose four hands did not move in consonance ,ith any time system !no,n on this planet. =t ,as a sin'ular and distur3in' roomA 3ut ,ell fitted to the 3usiness then at hand. 4or thereA in the ;e, +rleans home of this continent<s 'reatest mysticA mathematician and orientalistA there ,as 3ein' settled at last the estate of a scarcely less 'reat mysticA scholarA author and dreamer ,ho had vanished from the face of the earth four years 3efore. :andolph CarterA ,ho had all his life sou'ht to escape from the tedium and limitations of ,a!in' reality in the 3ec!onin' vistas of dreams and fa3led avenues of other dimensionsA disappeared from the si'ht of man on the seventh of +cto3erA 1)"8A at the a'e of fifty1four. 2is career had 3een a stran'e and lonely oneA and there ,ere those ,ho inferred from his curious novels many episodes more 3izarre than any in his recorded history. 2is association ,ith 2arley WarrenA the South Carolina mystic ,hose studies in the primal ;aacal lan'ua'e of the 2imalayan priests had led to such outra'eous conclusionsA had 3een close. =ndeedA it ,as he ,ho 1 one mist1madA terri3le ni'ht in an ancient 'raveyard 1 had seen Warren descend into a dan! and nitrous vaultA never to emer'e. Carter lived in BostonA 3ut it ,as from the ,ildA haunted hills 3ehind hoary and ,itch1accursed Ar!ham that all his fore3ears had come. And it ,as amid these ancientA cryptically 3roodin' hills that he had ultimately vanished. 2is old servantA >ar!s 1 ,ho died early in 1)&* 1 had spo!en of the stran'ely aromatic and hideously carven 3o% he had found in the atticA and of the indeciphera3le parchments and Dueerly fi'ured silver !ey ,hich that 3o% had contained9 matters of ,hich Carter had also ,ritten to others. CarterA he saidA had told him that this !ey had come do,n from his ancestorsA and that it ,ould help him to unloc! the 'ates to his lost 3oyhoodA and to stran'e dimensions and fantastic realms ,hich he had hitherto visited only in va'ueA 3riefA and elusive dreams. Then one day Carter too! the 3o% and its contents and rode a,ay in his carA never to return. 5ater onA people found the car at the side of an oldA 'rass1'ro,n road in the hills 3ehind crum3lin' Ar!ham 1 the hills ,here Carter<s fore3ears had once d,eltA and ,here the ruined cellar of the 'reat Carter homestead still 'aped to the s!y. =t ,as in a 'rove of tall elms near 3y that another of the Carters had mysteriously vanished in 1781A and not far a,ay ,as the half1rotted cotta'e ,here 7oody 4o,lerA the ,itchA had 3re,ed her ominous potions still earlier. The re'ion had 3een settled in 1-)" 3y fu'itives from the ,itchcraft trials in SalemA and even no, it 3ore a name for va'uely ominous thin's scarcely to 3e envisa'ed. Edmund Carter had fled from the shado, of 7allo,s 2ill Cust in timeA and the

H.P.Lovecr !t

Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

)78

tales of his sorceries ,ere many. ;o,A it seemedA his lone descendant had 'one some,here to Coin himF =n the car they found the hideously carved 3o% of fra'rant ,oodA and the parchment ,hich no man could read. The silver !ey ,as 'one 1 presuma3ly ,ith Carter. 4urther than that there ,as no certain clue. $etectives from Boston said that the fallen tim3ers of the old Carter place seemed oddly distur3edA and some3ody found a hand!erchief on the roc!1 rid'edA sinisterly ,ooded slope 3ehind the ruins near the dreaded cave called the Sna!e $en. =t ,as then that the country le'ends a3out the Sna!e $en 'ained a ne, vitality. 4armers ,hispered of the 3lasphemous uses to ,hich old Edmund Carter the ,izard had put that horri3le 'rottoA and added later tales a3out the fondness ,hich :andolph Carter himself hid had for it ,hen a 3oy. =n Carter<s 3oyhood the venera3le 'am3rel1roofed homestead ,as still standin' and tenanted 3y his 'reat1uncle Christopher. 2e had visited there oftenA and had tal!ed sin'ularly a3out the Sna!e $en. >eople remem3ered ,hat he had said a3out a deep fissure and an un!no,n inner cave 3eyondA and speculated on the chan'e he had sho,n after spendin' one ,hole memora3le day in the cavern ,hen he ,as nine. That ,as in +cto3erA too 1 and ever after that he had seemed to have a uncanny !nac! at prophesyin' future events. =t had rained late in the ni'ht that Carter vanishedA and no one ,as Duite a3le to trace his footprints from the car. =nside the Sna!e $en all ,as amorphous liDuid mudA o,in' to the copious seepa'e. +nly the i'norant rustics ,hispered a3out the prints they thou'ht they spied ,here the 'reat elms overhan' the roadA and on the sinister hillside near the Sna!e $enA ,here the hand!erchief ,as found. Who could pay attention to ,hispers that spo!e of stu33y little trac!s li!e those ,hich :andolph Carter<s sDuare1toed 3oots made ,hen he ,as a small 3oyG =t ,as as crazy a notion as that other ,hisper 1 that the trac!s of old BeniCah Corey<s peculiar heelless 3oots had met the stu33y little trac!s in the road. +ld BeniCah had 3een the Carters< hired man ,hen :andolph ,as youn'B 3ut he had died thirty years a'o. =t must have 3een these ,hispers plus Carter<s o,n statement to >ar!s and others that the Dueerly ara3esDued silver !ey ,ould help him unloc! the 'ates of his lost 3oyhood 1 ,hich caused a num3er of mystical students to declare that the missin' man had actually dou3led 3ac! on the trail of time and returned throu'h forty1five years to that other +cto3er day in 188& ,hen he had stayed in the Sna!e $en as a small 3oy. When he came out that ni'htA they ar'uedA he had someho, made the ,hole trip to 1)"8 and 3ac!B for did he not thereafter !no, of thin's ,hich ,ere to happen laterG And yet he had never spo!en of anythin' to happen after 1)"8. +ne student 1 an elderly eccentric of >rovidenceA :hode =slandA ,ho had enCoyed a lon' and close correspondence ,ith Carter 1 had a still more ela3orate theoryA and 3elieved that Carter had not only returned to 3oyhoodA 3ut achieved a further li3erationA rovin' at ,ill throu'h the prismatic vistas of 3oyhood dream. After a stran'e vision this man pu3lished a tale of Carter<s vanishin' in ,hich he hinted that the lost one no, rei'ned as !in' on the opal throne of =le!1?adA that fa3ulous to,n of turrets atop the hollo, cliffs of 'lass overloo!in' the t,ili'ht sea ,herein the 3earded and finny 7niorri 3uild their sin'ular la3yrinths.

H.P.Lovecr !t

Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

)7)

=t ,as this old manA Ward >hillipsA ,ho pleaded most loudly a'ainst the apportionment of Carter<s estate to his heirs 1 all distant cousins 1 on the 'round that he ,as still alive in another time1dimension and mi'ht ,ell return some day. A'ainst him ,as arrayed the le'al talent of one of the cousinsA Ernest 0. Aspin,all of Chica'oA a man ten years Carter<s seniorA 3ut !een as a youth in forensic 3attles. 4or four years the contest had ra'edA 3ut no, the time for apportionment had comeA and this vastA stran'e room in ;e, +rleans ,as to 3e the scene of the arran'ement. =t ,as the home of Carter<s literary and financial e%ecutor 1 the distin'uished Creole student of mysteries and Eastern antiDuitiesA Etienne15aurent de 8ari'ny. Carter had met de 8ari'ny durin' the ,arA ,hen they 3oth served in the 4rench 4orei'n 5e'ionA and had at once cleaved to him 3ecause of their similar tastes and outloo!. WhenA on a memora3le Coint furlou'hA the learned youn' Creole had ta!en the ,istful Boston dreamer to BayonneA in the south of 4ranceA and had sho,n him certain terri3le secrets in the ni'hted and immemorial crypts that 3urro, 3eneath that 3roodin'A eon1,ei'hted cityA the friendship ,as forever sealed. Carter<s ,ill had named de 8ari'ny as e%ecutorA and no, that avid scholar ,as reluctantly presidin' over the settlement of the estate. =t ,as sad ,or! for himA for li!e the old :hode =slander he did not 3elieve that Carter ,as dead. But ,hat ,ei'ht had the dreams of mystics a'ainst the harsh ,isdom of the ,orldG Around the ta3le in that stran'e room in the old 4rench /uarter sat the men ,ho claimed an interest in the proceedin's. There had 3een the usual le'al advertisements of the conference in papers ,herever Carter<s heirs ,ere thou'ht to liveB yet only four no, sat listenin' to the a3normal tic!in' of that coffin1shaped cloc! ,hich told no earthly timeA and to the 3u33lin' of the courtyard fountain 3eyond half1curtainedA fan1li'hted ,indo,s. As the hours ,ore onA the faces of the four ,ere half shrouded in the curlin' fumes from the tripodsA ,hichA piled rec!lessly ,ith fuelA seemed to need less and less attention from the silently 'lidin' and increasin'ly nervous old ;e'ro. There ,as Etienne de 8ari'ny himself 1 slimA dar!A handsomeA mustachedA and still youn'. Aspin,allA representin' the heirsA ,as ,hite1hairedA apoplectic1facedA side1 ,his!eredA and portly. >hillipsA the >rovidence mysticA ,as leanA 'rayA lon'1nosedA clean1 shavenA and stoop1shouldered. The fourth man ,as non1committal in a'e 1 leanA ,ith a dar!A 3eardedA sin'ularly immo3ile face of very re'ular contourA 3ound ,ith the tur3an of a hi'h1caste Brahman and havin' ni'ht13lac!A 3urnin'A almost irisless eyes ,hich seemed to 'aze out from a vast distance 3ehind the features. 2e had announced himself as the S,ami ChandraputraA an adept from BenaresA ,ith important information to 'iveB and 3oth de 8ari'ny and >hillips 1 ,ho had corresponded ,ith him 1 had 3een Duic! to reco'nize the 'enuineness of his mystical pretensions. 2is speech had an oddly forcedA hollo,A metallic DualityA as if the use of En'lish ta%ed his vocal apparatusB yet his lan'ua'e ,as as easyA correct and idiomatic as any native An'lo1Sa%on<s. =n 'eneral attire he ,as the normal European civilianA 3ut his loose clothes sat peculiarly 3adly on himA ,hile his 3ushy 3lac! 3eardA Eastern tur3anA and lar'eA ,hite mittens 'ave him an air of e%otic eccentricity. $e 8ari'nyA fin'erin' the parchment found in Carter<s carA ,as spea!in'. L;oA = have not 3een a3le to ma!e anythin' of the parchment. 8r. >hillipsA hereA also 'ives it up. Colonel Church,ard declares it is not ;aacalA and it loo!s nothin' at all li!e the hiero'lyphics on that Easter =sland ,ar1clu3. The carvin's on that 3o%A thou'hA do stran'ely su''est Easter =sland ima'es. The nearest thin' = can recall to these parchment

H.P.Lovecr !t

Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

)8*

characters 1 notice ho, all the letters seem to han' do,n from horizontal ,ord13ar 1 is the ,ritin' in a 3oo! poor 2arley Warren once had. =t came from =ndia ,hile Carter and = ,ere visitin' him in 1)1)A and he never ,ould tell us anythin' a3out it 1 said it ,ould 3e 3etter if ,e didn<t !no,A and hinted that it mi'ht have come ori'inally from some place other than the Earth. 2e too! it ,ith him in $ecem3erA ,hen he ,ent do,n into the vault in that old 'raveyard 1 3ut neither he nor the 3oo! ever came to the surface a'ain. Some time a'o = sent our friend here 1 the S,ami Chandraputra 1 a memory1s!etch of some of those lettersA and also a photostatic copy of the Carter parchment. 2e 3elieves he may 3e a3le to shed li'ht on them after certain references and consultations. LBut the !ey 1 Carter sent me a photo'raph of that. =ts curious ara3esDues ,ere not lettersA 3ut seem to have 3elon'ed to the same culture1tradition as the parchment Carter al,ays spo!e of 3ein' on the point of solvin' the mysteryA thou'h he never 'ave details. +nce he 're, almost poetic a3out the ,hole 3usiness. That antiDue silver !eyA he saidA ,ould unloc! the successive doors that 3ar our free march do,n the mi'hty corridors of space and time to the very Border ,hich no man has crossed since Shaddad ,ith his terrific 'enius 3uilt and concealed in the sands of Ara3ia >ettraea the prodi'ious domes and uncounted minarets of thousand1pillared =rem. 2alf1starved dervishes 1 ,rote Carter 1 and thirst1crazed nomads have returned to tell of that monumental portalA and of the hand that is sculptured a3ove the !eystone of the archA 3ut no man has passed and retraced his steps to say that his footprints on the 'arnet1stre,n sands ,ithin 3ear ,itness to his visit. The !eyA he surmisedA ,as that for ,hich the cyclopean sculptured hand vainly 'rasps. LWhy Carter didn<t ta!e the parchment as ,ell as the !eyA ,e can not say. >erhaps he for'ot it 1 or perhaps he for3ore to ta!e it throu'h recollection of one ,ho had ta!en a 3oo! of li!e characters into a vault and never returned. +r perhaps it ,as really immaterial to ,hat he ,ished to do.L As de 8ari'ny pausedA old 8r. >hillips spo!e a harshA shrill voice. LWe can !no, of :andolph Carter<s ,anderin' only ,hat ,e dream. = have 3een to many stran'e places in dreamsA and have heard many stran'e and si'nificant thin's in (ltharA 3eyond the :iver S!ai. =t does not appear that the parchment ,as neededA for certainly Carter reentered the ,orld of his 3oyhood dreamsA and is no, a !in' in =le!1?ad.L 8r. Aspin,all 're, dou3ly apoplectic1loo!in' as he sputtered9 LCan<t some3ody shut the old fool upG We<ve had enou'h of these moonin's. The pro3lem is to divide the propertyA and it<s a3out time ,e 'ot to it.L 4or the first time S,ami Chandraputra spo!e in his Dueerly alien voice. L7entlemenA there is more to this matter than you thin!. 8r. Aspin,all does not do ,ell to lau'h at the evidence of dreams. 8r. >hillips has ta!en an incomplete vie, 1 perhaps 3ecause he has not dreamed enou'h. =A myselfA have done much dreamin'. We in =ndia have al,ays done thatA Cust as all the Carters seem to have done it. .ouA 8r. Aspin,allA as a maternal cousinA are naturally not a Carter. 8y o,n dreamsA and certain other sources of informationA have told me a 'reat deal ,hich you still find o3scure. 4or e%ampleA :andolph Carter for'ot that parchment ,hich he couldn<t decipher 1 yet it ,ould have 3een ,ell for him had he remem3ered to ta!e it. .ou seeA = have really learned pretty much ,hat

H.P.Lovecr !t

Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

)81

happened to Carter after he left his car ,ith the silver !ey at sunset on that seventh of +cto3erA four years a'o.L Aspin,all audi3ly sneeredA 3ut the others sat up ,ith hei'htened interest. The smo!e from the tripods increasedA and the crazy tic!in' of that coffin1shaped cloc! seemed to fall into 3izarre patterns li!e the dots and dashes of some alien and insolu3le tele'raph messa'e from outer space. The 2indoo leaned 3ac!A half closed his eyesA and continued in that oddly la3ored yet idiomatic speechA ,hile 3efore his audience there 3e'an to float a picture of ,hat had happened to :andolph Carter.

Ch *ter T2o
The hills 3eyond Ar!ham are full of a stran'e ma'ic 1 somethin'A perhapsA ,hich the old ,izard Edmund Carter called do,n from the stars and up from the crypts of nether earth ,hen he fled there from Salem in 1-)". As soon as :andolph Carter ,as 3ac! amon' them he !ne, that he ,as close to one of the 'ates ,hich a fe, audaciousA a3horred and alien1souled men have 3lasted throu'h titan ,alls 3et,i%t the ,orld and the outside a3solute. 2ereA he feltA and on this day of the yearA he could carry out ,ith success the messa'e he had deciphered months 3efore from the ara3esDues of that tarnished and incredi3ly ancient silver !ey. 2e !ne, no, ho, it must 3e rotatedA and ho, it must 3e held up to the settin' sunA and ,hat sylla3les of ceremony must 3e intoned into the void at the ninth and last turnin'. =n a spot as close to a dar! polarity and induced 'ate as thisA it could not fail in its primary functions CertainlyA he ,ould rest that ni'ht in the lost 3oyhood for ,hich he had never ceased to mourn. 2e 'ot out of the car ,ith the !ey in his poc!etA ,al!in' up1hill deeper and deeper into the shado,y core of that 3roodin'A haunted countryside of ,indin' roadA vine1'ro,n stone ,allA 3lac! ,oodlandA 'narledA ne'lected orchardA 'apin'1,indo,edA deserted farm1houseA and nameless nun. At the sunset hourA ,hen the distant spires of 0in'sport 'leamed in the ruddy 3lazeA he too! out the !ey and made the needed turnin's and intonations. +nly later did he realize ho, soon the ritual had ta!en effect. Then in the deepenin' t,ili'ht he had heard a voice out of the past9 +ld BeniCah CoreyA his 'reat1uncle<s hired man. 2ad not old BeniCah 3een dead for thirty yearsG Thirty years 3efore ,hen. What ,as timeG Where had he 3eenG Why ,as it stran'e that BeniCah should 3e callin' him on this seventh of +cto3er 188&G Was he not out later than Aunt 8artha had told him to stayG What ,as this !ey in his 3louse poc!etA ,here his little telescope 1 'iven him 3y his father on his ninth 3irthdayA t,o months 3efore 1 ou'ht to 3eG 2ad he found it in the attic at homeG Would it unloc! the mystic pylon ,hich his sharp eye had traced amidst the Ca''ed roc!s at the 3ac! of that inner cave 3ehind the Sna!e $en on the hillG That ,as the place they al,ays coupled ,ith old Edmund Carter the ,izard. >eople ,ouldn<t 'o thereA and no3ody 3ut him had ever noticed or sDuirmed throu'h the root1cho!ed fissure to that 'reat 3lac! inner cham3er ,ith the pylon. Whose hands had carved that hint of a pylon out of the livin' roc!G +ld Wizard Edmund<s 1 or others that he had conCured up and commandedG That evenin' little :andolph ate supper ,ith (ncle Chris and Aunt 8artha in the old 'am3rel1roofed farm1house.

H.P.Lovecr !t

Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

)8"

;e%t mornin' he ,as up early and out throu'h the t,isted13ou'hed apple orchard to the upper tim3er lot ,here the mouth of the Sna!e $en lur!ed 3lac! and for3iddin' amon'st 'rotesDueA overnourished oa!s. A nameless e%pectancy ,as upon himA and he did not even notice the loss of his hand!erchief as he fum3led in his 3louse poc!et to see if the Dueer silver !ey ,as safe. 2e cra,led throu'h the dar! orifice ,ith tenseA adventurous assuranceA li'htin' his ,ay ,ith matches ta!en from the sittin'1room. =n another moment he had ,ri''led throu'h the root1cho!ed fissure at the farther endA and ,as in the vastA un!no,n inner 'rotto ,hose ultimate roc! ,all seemed half li!e a monstrous and consciously shapen pylon. Before that dan!A drippin' ,all he stood silent and a,estruc!A li'htin' one match after another as he 'azed. Was that stony 3ul'e a3ove the !eystone of the ima'ined arch really a 'i'antic sculptured handG Then he dre, forth the silver !eyA and made motions and intonations ,hose source he could only dimly remem3er. Was anythin' for'ottenG 2e !ne, only that he ,ished to cross the 3arrier to the untrammeled land of his dreams and the 'ulfs ,here all dimensions dissolved in the a3solute.

Ch *ter Three
What happened then is scarcely to 3e descri3ed in ,ords. =t is full of those parado%esA contradictions and anomalies ,hich have no place in ,a!in' lifeA 3ut ,hich fill our more fantastic dreams and are ta!en as matters of course till ,e return to our narro,A ri'idA o3Cective ,orld of limited causation and tri1dimensional lo'ic. As the 2indoo continued his taleA he had difficulty in avoidin' ,hat seemed 1 even more than the notion of a man transferred throu'h the years to 3oyhood 1 an air of trivialA puerile e%trava'ance. 8r. Aspin,allA in dis'ustA 'ave an apoplectic snort and virtually stopped listenin'. 4or the rite of the silver !eyA as practiced 3y :andolph Carter in that 3lac!A haunted cave ,ithin a caveA did not prove unavailin'. 4rom the first 'esture and sylla3le an aura of stran'eA a,esome mutation ,as apparent 1 a sense of incalcula3le distur3ance and confusion in time and spaceA yet one ,hich held no hint of ,hat ,e reco'nize as motion and duration. =mpercepti3lyA such thin's as a'e and location ceased to have any si'nificance ,hatever. The day 3eforeA :andolph Carter had miraculously leaped a 'ulf of years. ;o, there ,as no distinction 3et,een 3oy and man. There ,as only the entity :andolph CarterA ,ith a certain store of ima'es ,hich had lost all connection ,ith terrestrial scenes and circumstances of acDuisition. A moment 3eforeA there had 3een an inner cave ,ith va'ue su''estions of a monstrous arch and 'i'antic sculptured hand on the farther ,all. ;o, there ,as neither cave nor a3sence of caveB neither ,all nor a3sence of ,all. There ,as only a flu% of impressions not so much visual as cere3ralA amidst ,hich the entity that ,as :andolph Carter e%perienced perceptions or re'istrations of all that his mind revolved onA yet ,ithout any clear consciousness of the ,ay in ,hich he received them. By the time the rite ,as overA Carter !ne, that he ,as in no re'ion ,hose place could 3e told 3y Earth<s 'eo'raphersA and in no a'e ,hose date history could fi%B for the nature of ,hat ,as happenin' ,as not ,holly unfamiliar to him. There ,ere hints of it in the cryptical >na!otic fra'mentsA and a ,hole chapter in the for3idden -ecronomicon of the mad Ara3A A3dul AlhazredA had ta!en on si'nificance ,hen he had deciphered the desi'ns 'raven on the silver !ey. A 'ate had 3een unloc!ed 1 notA indeedA the (ltimate 7ateA 3ut one leadin' from Earth and time to that e%tension of Earth ,hich is outside timeA and from

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,hich in turn the (ltimate 7ate leads fearsomely and perilously to the last ?oid ,hich is outside all earthsA all universesA and all matter. There ,ould 3e a 7uide 1 and a very terri3le oneB a 7uide ,ho had 3een an entity of Earth millions of years 3eforeA ,hen man ,as undreamed ofA and ,hen for'otten shapes moved on a steamin' planet 3uildin' stran'e cities amon' ,hose lastA crum3lin' ruins the first mammals ,ere to play. Carter remem3ered ,hat the monstrous -ecronomicon had va'uely and disconcertin'ly adum3rated concernin' that 7uide9 )And $"ile t"ere are t"ose&) the mad Ara3 had ,rittenA )$"o "a!e dared to seek glimpses beyond t"e .eil& and to accept 9IM as guide& t"ey $ould "a!e been more prudent "ad t"ey a!oided commerce $it" 9IM1 for it is $ritten in t"e Book of T"ot" "o$ terrific is t"e price of a single glimpse% -or may t"ose $"o pass e!er return& for in t"e !astnesses transcending our $orld are s"apes of darkness t"at sei2e and bind% T"e Affair t"at s"amblet" about in t"e nig"t& t"e e!il t"at defiet" t"e lder Sign& t"e 9erd t"at stand $atc" at t"e secret portal eac" tomb is kno$n to "a!e and t"at t"ri!e on t"at $"ic" gro$et" out of t"e tenants t"ereof8 - all t"ese Blacknesses are lesser t"an 9 W9' guardet" t"e Gate$ay8 9 W9' $ill guide t"e ras" one beyond all t"e $orlds into t"e Abyss of unnamable de!ourers% 7or 9e is +5M* AT-TAWI(& t"e Most Ancient 'ne& $"ic" t"e scribe renderet" as T9 ,*'('-G # '7 (I7 %) 8emory and ima'ination shaped dim half1pictures ,ith uncertain outlines amidst the seethin' chaosA 3ut Carter !ne, that they ,ere of memory and ima'ination only. .et he felt that it ,as not chance ,hich 3uilt these thin's in his consciousnessA 3ut rather some vast realityA ineffa3le and undimensionedA ,hich surrounded him and strove to translate itself into the only sym3ols he ,as capa3le of 'raspin'. 4or no mind of Earth may 'rasp the e%tensions of shape ,hich inter,eave in the o3liDue 'ulfs outside time and the dimensions ,e !no,. There floated 3efore Carter a cloudy pa'eantry of shapes and scenes ,hich he someho, lin!ed ,ith Earth<s primalA eon1for'otten past. 8onstrous livin' thin's moved deli3erately throu'h vistas of fantastic handi,or! that no sane dream ever heldA and landscapes 3ore incredi3le ve'etation and cliffs and mountains and masonry of no human pattern. There ,ere cities under the seaA and denizens thereofB and to,ers in 'reat deserts ,here 'lo3es and cylinders and nameless ,in'ed entities shot off into spaceA or hurtled do,n out of space. All this Carter 'raspedA thou'h the ima'es 3ore no fi%ed relation to one another or to him. 2e himself had no sta3le form or positionA 3ut only such shiftin' hints of form and position as his ,hirlin' fancy supplied. 2e had ,ished to find the enchanted re'ions of his 3oyhood dreamsA ,here 'alleys sail up the river +u!ranos past the 'ilded spires of ThranA and elephant caravans tramp throu'h perfumed Cun'les in 0iedA 3eyond for'otten palaces ,ith veined ivory columns that sleep lovely and un3ro!en under the moon. ;o,A into%icated ,ith ,ider visionsA he scarcely !ne, ,hat he sou'ht. Thou'hts of infinite and 3lasphemous darin' rose in his mindA and he !ne, he ,ould face the dreaded 7uide ,ithout fearA as!in' monstrous and terri3le thin's of him. All at once the pa'eant of impressions seemed to achieve a va'ue !ind of sta3ilization. There ,ere 'reat masses of to,erin' stoneA carven into alien and incomprehensi3le desi'ns and disposed accordin' to the la,s of some un!no,nA inverse 'eometry. 5i'ht filtered

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from a s!y of no assi'na3le colour in 3afflin'A contradictory directionsA and played almost sentiently over ,hat seemed to 3e a curved line of 'i'antic hiero'lyphed pedestals more he%a'onal than other,iseA and surmounted 3y cloa!edA ill1defined shapes. There ,as another shapeA tooA ,hich occupied no pedestalA 3ut ,hich seemed to 'lide or float over the cloudyA floor1li!e lo,er level. =t ,as not e%actly permanent in outlineA 3ut held transient su''estions of somethin' remotely precedin' or parallelin' the human formA thou'h half as lar'e a'ain as an ordinary man. =t seemed to 3e heavily cloa!edA li!e the shapes on the pedestalsA ,ith some neutral1coloured fa3ricB and Carter could not detect any eye1holes throu'h ,hich it mi'ht 'aze. >ro3a3ly it did not need to 'azeA for it seemed to 3elon' to an order of 3ein's far outside the merely physical in or'anization and faculties. A moment later Carter !ne, that this ,as soA for the Shape had spo!en to his mind ,ithout sound or lan'ua'e. And thou'h the name it uttered ,as a dreaded and terri3le oneA :andolph Carter did not flinch in fear. =nsteadA he spo!e 3ac!A eDually ,ithout sound or lan'ua'eA and made those o3eisances ,hich the hideous ;ecronomicon had tau'ht him to ma!e. 4or this shape ,as nothin' less than that ,hich all the ,orld has feared since 5omar rose out of the seaA and the Children of the 4ire 8ist came to Earth to teach the Elder 5ore to man. =t ,as indeed the fri'htful 7uide and 7uardian of the 7ate 1 <(8: AT1TAW=5A the ancient oneA ,hich the scri3e rendereth the >:+5+;7E$ +4 5=4E. The 7uide !ne,A as he !ne, all thin'sA of Carter<s Duest and comin'A and that this see!er of dreams and secrets stood 3efore him unafraid. There ,as no horror or mali'nity in ,hat he radiatedA and Carter ,ondered for a moment ,hether the mad Ara3<s terrific 3lasphemous hints came from envy and a 3affled ,ish to do ,hat ,as no, a3out to 3e done. +r perhaps the 7uide reserved his horror and mali'nity for those ,ho feared. As the radiations continuedA Carter eventually interpreted them in the form of ,ords. L= am indeed that 8ost Ancient +neAL said the 7uideA Lof ,hom you !no,. We have a,aited you 1 the Ancient +nes and =. .ou are ,elcomeA even thou'h lon' delayed. .ou have the !eyA and have unloc!ed the 4irst 7ate. ;o, the (ltimate 7ate is ready for your trial. =f you fearA you need not advance. .ou may still 'o 3ac! unharmedA the ,ay you came. But if you chose to advance 11L The pause ,as ominousA 3ut the radiations continued to 3e friendly. Carter hesitated not a momentA for a 3urnin' curiosity drove him on. L= ,ill advanceAL he radiated 3ac!A Land = accept you as my 7uide.L At this reply the 7uide seemed to ma!e a si'n 3y certain motions of his ro3e ,hich may or may not have involved the liftin' of an arm or some homolo'ous mem3er. A second si'n follo,edA and from his ,ell1learned lore Carter !ne, that he ,as at last very close to the (ltimate 7ate. The li'ht no, chan'ed to another ine%plica3le colourA and the shapes on the Duasi1he%a'onal pedestals 3ecame more clearly defined. As they sat more erectA their outlines 3ecame more li!e those of menA thou'h Carter !ne, that they could not 3e men. (pon their cloa!ed heads there no, seemed to rest tallA uncertainly coloured mitersA stran'ely su''estive of those on certain nameless fi'ures chiseled 3y a for'otten sculptor alon' the livin' cliffs of a hi'hA for3idden mountain in TartaryB ,hile 'rasped in certain

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)8

folds of their s,athin's ,ere lon' sceptres ,hose carven heads 3odied forth a 'rotesDue and archaic mystery. Carter 'uessed ,hat they ,ere and ,hence they cameA and Whom they servedB and 'uessedA tooA the price of their service. But he ,as still contentA for at one mi'hty venture he ,as to learn all. $amnationA he reflectedA is 3ut a ,ord 3andied a3out 3y those ,hose 3lindness leads them to condemn all ,ho can seeA even ,ith a sin'le eye. 2e ,ondered at the vast conceit of those ,ho had 3a33led of the malignant Ancient +nesA as if They could pause from their everlastin' dreams to ,reac! a ,rath on man!ind. As ,ellA he mi'ht a mammoth pause to visit frantic ven'eance on an an'le,orm. ;o, the ,hole assem3la'e on the va'uely he%a'onal pillars ,as 'reetin' him ,ith a 'esture of those oddly carven sceptres and radiatin' a messa'e ,hich he understood9 LWe salute youA 8ost Ancient +neA and youA :andolph CarterA ,hose darin' has made you one of us.L Carter sa, no, that one of the pedestals ,as vacantA and a 'esture of the 8ost Ancient +ne told him it ,as reserved for him. 2e sa, also another pedestalA taller than the restA and at the center of the oddly curved line 1 neither semicircle nor ellipseA para3ola nor hyper3ola 1 ,hich they formedA ThisA he 'uessedA ,as the 7uide<s o,n throne. 8ovin' and risin' in a manner hardly defina3leA Carter too! his seatB and as he did so he sa, that the 7uide had seated himself. 7radually and mistily it 3ecame apparent that the 8ost Ancient +ne ,as holdin' somethin' 1 some o3Cect clutched in the outflun' folds of his ro3e as if for the si'htA or ,hat ans,ered for si'htA of the cloa!ed Companions. =t ,as a lar'e sphereA or apparent sphereA of some o3scurely iridescent metalA and as the 7uide put it for,ard a lo,A pervasive half1impression of sound 3e'an to rise and fall in intervals ,hich seemed to 3e rhythmic even thou'h they follo,ed no rhythm of Earth. There ,as a su''estion of chantin' or ,hat human ima'ination mi'ht interpret as chantin'. >resently the Duasi1 sphere 3e'an to 'ro, luminousA and as it 'leamed up into a coldA pulsatin' li'ht of unassi'na3le colourA Carter sa, that its flic!erin's conformed to the alien rhythm of the chant. Then all the miteredA scepter13earin' Shapes on the pedestals commenced a sli'htA curious s,ayin' in the same ine%plica3le rhythmA ,hile nim3uses of unclassifia3le li'ht 1 resem3lin' that of the Duasi1sphere 1 played around their shrouded heads. The 2indoo paused in his tale and loo!ed curiously at the tallA coffin1shaped cloc! ,ith the four hands and hiero'lyphed dialA ,hose crazy tic!in' follo,ed no !no,n rhythm of Earth. L.ouA 8r. de 8ari'nyAL he suddenly said to his learned hostA Ldo not need to 3e told the particularly alien rhythm to ,hich those co,led Shapes on the he%a'onal pillars chanted and nodded. .ou are the only one else 1 in America 1 ,ho has had a taste of the +uter E%tension. That cloc! 1 = suppose it ,as sent to you 3y the .o'i poor 2arley Warren used to tal! a3out 11 the seer ,ho said that he alone of livin' men had 3een to .ian12oA the hidden le'acy of eon1old 5en'A and had 3orne certain thin's a,ay from that dreadful and for3idden city. = ,onder ho, many of its su3tler properties you !no,G =f my dreams and readin's 3e correctA it ,as made 3y those ,ho !ne, much of the 4irst 7ate,ay. But let me 'o on ,ith my tale.L

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Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

)8-

At lastA continued the S,amiA the s,ayin' and the su''estion of chantin' ceasedA the lam3ent nim3uses around the no, droopin' and motionless heads fadedA ,hile the cloa!ed shapes slumped curiously on their pedestals. The Duasi1sphereA ho,everA continued to pulsate ,ith ine%plica3le li'ht. Carter felt that the Ancient +nes ,ere sleepin' as they had 3een ,hen he first sa, themA and he ,ondered out of ,hat cosmic dreams his comin' had aroused them. Slo,ly there filtered into his mind the truth that this stran'e chantin' ritual had 3een one of instructionA and that the Companions had 3een chanted 3y the 8ost Ancient +ne into a ne, and peculiar !ind of sleep in order that their dreams mi'ht open the (ltimate 7ate to ,hich the silver !ey ,as a passport. 2e !ne, that in the profundity of this deep sleep they ,ere contemplatin' unplum3ed vastnesses of utter and a3solute outsidenessA and that they ,ere to accomplish that ,hich his presence had demanded. The 7uide did not share this sleepA 3ut seemed still to 3e 'ivin' instructions in some su3tleA soundless ,ay. Evidently he ,as implantin' ima'es of those thin's ,hich he ,ished the Companions to dream9 and Carter !ne, that as each of the Ancient +nes pictured the prescri3ed thou'htA there ,ould 3e 3orn the nucleus of a manifestation visi3le to his earthly eyes. When the dreams of all the Shapes had achieved a onenessA that manifestation ,ould occurA and everythin' he reDuired 3e materializedA throu'h concentration. 2e had seen such thin's on Earth 1 in =ndiaA ,here the com3inedA proCected ,ill of a circle of adepts can ma!e a thou'ht ta!e tan'i3le su3stanceA and in hoary AtlaanatA of ,hich fe, even dare spea!. 6ust ,hat the (ltimate 7ate ,asA and ho, it ,as to 3e passedA Carter could not 3e certainB 3ut a feelin' of tense e%pectancy sur'ed over him. 2e ,as conscious of havin' a !ind of 3odyA and of holdin' the fateful silver !ey in his hand. The masses of to,erin' stone opposite him seemed to possess the evenness of a ,allA to,ard the centre of ,hich his eyes ,ere irresisti3ly dra,n. And then suddenly he felt the mental currents of the 8ost Ancient +ne cease to flo, forth. 4or the first time Carter realized ho, terrific utter silenceA mental and physicalA may 3e. The earlier moments had never failed to contain some percepti3le rhythmA if only the faintA cryptical pulse of the Earth<s dimensional e%tensionA 3ut no, the hush of the a3yss seemed to fall upon everythin'. $espite his intimations of 3odyA he had no audi3le 3reathA and the 'lo, of <(mr at1Ta,il<s Duasi1sphere had 'ro,n petrifiedly fi%ed and unpulsatin'. A potent nim3usA 3ri'hter than those ,hich had played round the heads of the ShapesA 3lazed frozenly over the shrouded s!ull of the terri3le 7uide. A dizziness assailed CarterA and his sense of lost orientation ,a%ed a thousandfold. The stran'e li'hts seemed to hold the Duality of the most impenetra3le 3lac!nesses heaped upon 3lac!nesses ,hile a3out the Ancient +nesA so close on their pseudo1he%a'onal thronesA there hovered an air of the most stupefyin' remoteness. Then he felt himself ,afted into immeasura3le depthsA ,ith ,aves of perfumed ,armth lappin' a'ainst his face. =t ,as as if he floated in a torridA rose1tinctured seaB a sea of dru''ed ,ine ,hose ,aves 3ro!e foamin' a'ainst shores of 3razen fire. A 'reat fear clutched him as he half sa, that vast e%panse of sur'in' sea lappin' a'ainst its far off coast. But the moment of silence ,as 3ro!en 1 the sur'in's ,ere spea!in' to him in a lan'ua'e that ,as not of physical sound or articulate ,ords.

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)T"e Man of Trut" is beyond good and e!il&) intoned the voice that ,as not a voice. +T"e Man of Trut" "as ridden to All-Is-'ne% T"e Man of Trut" "as learned t"at Illusion is t"e 'ne *eality& and t"at Substance is t"e Great Impostor%) And no,A in that rise of masonry to ,hich his eyes had 3een so irresisti3ly dra,nA there appeared the outline of a titanic arch not unli!e that ,hich he thou'ht he had 'limpsed so lon' a'o in that cave ,ithin a caveA on the farA unreal surface of the three1dimensioned Earth. 2e realized that he had 3een usin' the silver !ey 1 movin' it in accord ,ith an unlearned and instinctive ritual closely a!in to that ,hich had opened the =nner 7ate. That rose1drun!en sea ,hich lapped his chee!s ,asA he realizedA no more or less than the adamantine mass of the solid ,all yieldin' 3efore his spellA and the vorte% of thou'ht ,ith ,hich the Ancient +nes had aided his spell. Still 'uided 3y instinct and 3lind determinationA he floated for,ard 1 and throu'h the (ltimate 7ate.

Ch *ter Fo%r
:andolph Carter<s advance throu'h the cyclopean 3ul! of masonry ,as li!e a dizzy precipitation throu'h the measureless 'ulfs 3et,een the stars. 4rom a 'reat distance he felt triumphantA 'odli!e sur'es of deadly s,eetnessA and after that the rustlin' of 'reat ,in'sA and impressions of sound li!e the chirpin's and murmurin's of o3Cects un!no,n on Earth or in the solar system. 7lancin' 3ac!,ardA he sa, not one 'ate alone 3ut a multiplicity of 'atesA at some of ,hich clamoured 4orms he strove not to remem3er. And thenA suddenlyA he felt a 'reater terror than that ,hich any of the 4orms could 'ive 1 a terror from ,hich he could not flee 3ecause it ,as connected ,ith himself. Even the 4irst 7ate,ay had ta!en somethin' of sta3ility from himA leavin' him uncertain a3out his 3odily form and a3out his relationship to the mistily defined o3Cects around himA 3ut it had not distur3ed his sense of unity. 2e had still 3een :andolph CarterA a fi%ed point in the dimensional seethin'. ;o,A 3eyond the (ltimate 7ate,ayA he realized in a moment of consumin' fri'ht that he ,as not one personA 3ut many persons. 2e ,as in many places at the same time. +n EarthA on +cto3er 7A 188&A a little 3oy named :andolph Carter ,as leavin' the Sna!e $en in the hushed evenin' li'ht and runnin' do,n the roc!y slopeA and throu'h the t,isted13ou'hed orchard to,ard his (ncle Christopher<s house in the hills 3eyond Ar!hamB yet at that same momentA ,hich ,as also someho, in the earthly year of 1)"8A a va'ue shado, not less :andolph Carter ,as sittin' on a pedestal amon' the Ancient +nes in Earth<s transdimensional e%tensionA 2ereA tooA ,as a third :andolph CarterA in the un!no,n and formless cosmic a3yss 3eyond the (ltimate 7ate. And else,hereA in a chaos of scenes ,hose infinite multiplicity and monstrous diversity 3rou'ht him close to the 3rin! of madnessA ,ere a limitless confusion of 3ein's ,hich he !ne, ,ere as much himself as the local manifestation no, 3eyond the (ltimate 7ate. There ,ere Carters in settin's 3elon'in' to every !no,n and suspected a'e of Earth<s historyA and to remoter a'es of earthly entity transcendin' !no,led'eA suspicionA and credi3ilityB Carters of forms 3oth human and non1humanA verte3rate and inverte3rateA conscious and mindlessA animal and ve'eta3le. And moreA there ,ere Carters havin' nothin' in common ,ith earthly lifeA 3ut movin' outra'eously amidst 3ac!'rounds of

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other planets and systems and 'ala%ies and cosmic continuaB spores of eternal life driftin' from ,orld to ,orldA universe to universeA yet all eDually himself. Some of the 'limpses recalled dreams 1 3oth faint and vividA sin'le and persistent 1 ,hich he had had throu'h the lon' years since he first 3e'an to dreamB and a fe, possessed a hauntin'A fascinatin' and almost horri3le familiarity ,hich no earthly lo'ic could e%plain. 4aced ,ith this realizationA :andolph Carter reeled in the clutch of supreme horror 1 horror such as had not 3een hinted even at the clima% of that hideous ni'ht ,hen t,o had ventured into an ancient and a3horred necropolis under a ,anin' moon and only one had emer'ed. ;o deathA no doomA no an'uish can arouse the surpassin' despair ,hich flo,s from a loss of identity. 8er'in' ,ith nothin'ness is peaceful o3livionB 3ut to 3e a,are of e%istence and yet to !no, that one is no lon'er a definite 3ein' distin'uished from other 3ein's 1 that one no lon'er has a self 1 that is the nameless summit of a'ony and dread. 2e !ne, that there had 3een a :andolph Carter of BostonA yet could not 3e sure ,hether he 1 the fra'ment or facet of an entity 3eyond the (ltimate 7ate 1 had 3een that one or some other. 2is self had 3een annihilatedB and yet he 1 if indeed there couldA in vie, of that utter nullity of individual e%istenceA 3e such a thin' as "e 1 ,as eDually a,are of 3ein' in some inconceiva3le ,ay a le'ion of selves. =t ,as as thou'h his 3ody had 3een suddenly transformed into one of those many1lim3ed and many1headed effi'ies sculptured in =ndian templesA and he contemplated the a''re'ation in a 3e,ildered attempt to discern ,hich ,as the ori'inal and ,hich the additions 1 if indeed Jsupremely monstrous thou'htFK there $ere any ori'inal as distin'uished from other em3odiments. ThenA in the midst of these devastatin' reflectionsA Carter<s 3eyond1the1'ate fra'ment ,as hurled from ,hat had seemed the nadir of horror to 3lac!A clutchin' pits of a horror still more profound. This time it ,as lar'ely e%ternal 1 a force of personality ,hich at once confronted and surrounded and pervaded himA and ,hich in addition to its local presenceA seemed also to 3e a part of himselfA and li!e,ise to 3e co1e%istent ,ith all time and conterminous ,ith all space. There ,as no visual ima'eA yet the sense of entity and the a,ful concept of com3ined localism and identity and infinity lent a paralyzin' terror 3eyond anythin' ,hich any Carter1fra'ment had hitherto deemed capa3le of e%istin'. =n the face of that a,ful ,onderA the Duasi1Carter for'ot the horror of destroyed individuality. =t ,as an All1in1+ne and +ne1in1All of limitless 3ein' and self 1 not merely a thin' of one space1time continuumA 3ut allied to the ultimate animatin' essence of e%istence<s ,hole un3ounded s,eep 1 the lastA utter s,eep ,hich has no confines and ,hich outreaches fancy and mathematics ali!e. =t ,as perhaps that ,hich certain secret cults of Earth had ,hispered of as .o'1SothothA and ,hich has 3een a deity under other namesB that ,hich the crustaceans of .u''oth ,orship as the Beyond1+neA and ,hich the vaporous 3rains of the spiral ne3ulae !no, 3y an untranslata3le si'n 1 yet in a flash the Carter1facet realized ho, sli'ht and fractional all these conceptions are. And no, the Bein' ,as addressin' the Carter1facet in prodi'ious ,aves that smote and 3urned and thundered 1 a concentration of ener'y that 3lasted its recipient ,ith ,ell1ni'h unendura3le violenceA and that paralleled in an unearthly rhythm the curious s,ayin' of the Ancient +nesA and the flic!erin' of the monstrous li'htsA in that 3afflin' re'ion 3eyond the 4irst 7ate. =t ,as as thou'h suns and ,orlds and universes had conver'ed upon one point ,hose very position in space they had conspired to annihilate ,ith an impact of resistless fury. But amidst the 'reater terror one lesser terror ,as diminishedB for the

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searin' ,aves appeared someho, to isolate the Beyond1the17ate Carter from his infinity of duplicates 1 to restoreA as it ,ereA a certain amount of the illusion of identity. After a time the hearer 3e'an to translate the ,aves into speech1forms !no,n to himA and his sense of horror and oppression ,aned. 4ri'ht 3ecame pure a,eA and ,hat had seemed 3lasphemously a3normal seemed no, only ineffa3ly maCestic. L:andolph CarterAL it seemed to sayA Lmy manifestations on your planet<s e%tensionA the Ancient +nesA have sent you as one ,ho ,ould lately have returned to small lands of dream ,hich he had lostA yet ,ho ,ith 'reater freedom has risen to 'reater and no3ler desires and curiosities. .ou ,ished to sail up 'olden +u!ranosA to search out for'otten ivory cities in orchid1heavy 0iedA and to rei'n on the opal throne of =le!1?adA ,hose fa3ulous to,ers and num3erless domes rise mi'hty to,ard a sin'le red star in a firmament alien to your Earth and to all matter. ;o,A ,ith the passin' of t,o 7atesA you ,ish loftier thin's. .ou ,ould not flee li!e a child from a scene disli!ed to a dream 3elovedA 3ut ,ould plun'e li!e a man into that last and inmost of secrets ,hich lies 3ehind all scenes and dreams. LWhat you ,ishA = have found 'oodB and = am ready to 'rant that ,hich = have 'ranted eleven times only to 3ein's of your planet 1 five times only to those you call menA or those resem3lin' them. = am ready to sho, you the (ltimate 8ysteryA to loo! on ,hich is to 3last a fee3le spirit. .et 3efore you 'aze full at that last and first of secrets you may still ,ield a free choiceA and return if you ,ill throu'h the t,o 7ates ,ith the ?eil still unrent 3efore our eyes.L

Ch *ter Five
A sudden shuttin'1off of the ,aves left Carter in a chillin' and a,esome silence full of the spirit of desolation. +n every hand pressed the illimita3le vastness of the voidB yet the see!er !ne, that the Bein' ,as still there. After a moment he thou'ht of ,ords ,hose mental su3stance he flun' into the a3yss9 L= accept. = ,ill not retreat.L The ,aves sur'ed forth a'ainA and Carter !ne, that the Bein' had heard. And no, there poured from that limitless 8ind a flood of !no,led'e and e%planation ,hich opened ne, vistas to the see!erA and prepared him for such a 'rasp of the cosmos as he had never hoped to possess. 2e ,as told ho, childish and limited is the notion of a tri1dimensional ,orldA and ,hat an infinity of directions there are 3esides the !no,n directions of up1do,nA for,ard13ac!,ardA ri'ht1left. 2e ,as sho,n the smallness and tinsel emptiness of the little Earth 'odsA ,ith their pettyA human interests and connections 1 their hatredsA ra'esA loves and vanitiesB their cravin' for praise and sacrificeA and their demands for faiths contrary to reason and nature. While most of the impressions translated themselves to Carter as ,ords there ,ere others to ,hich other senses 'ave interpretation. >erhaps ,ith eyes and perhaps ,ith ima'ination he perceived that he ,as in a re'ion of dimensions 3eyond those conceiva3le to the eye and 3rain of man. 2e sa, no,A in the 3roodin' shado,s of that ,hich had 3een first a vorte% of po,er and then an illimita3le voidA a s,eep of creation that dizzied his senses. 4rom some inconceiva3le vanta'epoint he loo!ed upon prodi'ious forms ,hose multiple e%tensions transcended any conception of 3ein'A size and 3oundaries ,hich his

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mind had hitherto 3een a3le to holdA despite a lifetime of cryptical study. 2e 3e'an to understand dimly ,hy there could e%ist at the same time the little 3oy :andolph Carter in the Ar!ham farm1house in 188&A the misty form on the va'uely he%a'onal pillar 3eyond the 4irst 7ateA the fra'ment no, facin' the >resence in the limitless a3yssA and all the other Carters his fancy or perception envisa'ed. Then the ,aves increased in stren'th and sou'ht to improve his understandin'A reconcilin' him to the multiform entity of ,hich his present fra'ment ,as an infinitesimal part. They told him that every fi'ure of space is 3ut the result of the intersection 3y a plane of some correspondin' fi'ure of one more dimension 1 as a sDuare is cut from a cu3eA or a circle from a sphere. The cu3e and sphereA of three dimensionsA are thus cut from correspondin' forms of four dimensionsA ,hich men !no, only throu'h 'uesses and dreamsB and these in turn are cut from forms of five dimensionsA and so on up to the dizzy and reachless hei'hts of archetypal infinity. The ,orld of men and of the 'ods of men is merely an infinitesimal phase of an infinitesimal thin' 1 the three1dimensional phase of that small ,holeness reached 3y the 4irst 7ateA ,here <(mr at1Ta,il dictates dreams to the Ancient +nes. Thou'h men hail it as realityA and 3and thou'hts of its many1dimensioned ori'inal as unrealityA it is in truth the very opposite. That ,hich ,e call su3stance and reality is shado, and illusionA and that ,hich ,e call shado, and illusion is su3stance and reality. TimeA the ,aves ,ent onA is motionlessA and ,ithout 3e'innin' or end. That it has motion and is the cause of chan'e is an illusion. =ndeedA it is itself really an illusionA for e%cept to the narro, si'ht of 3ein's in limited dimensions there are no such thin's as pastA present and future. 8en thin! of time only 3ecause of ,hat they call chan'eA yet that too is illusion. All that ,asA and isA and is to 3eA e%ists simultaneously. These revelations came ,ith a 'od li!e solemnity ,hich left Carter una3le to dou3t. Even thou'h they lay almost 3eyond his comprehensionA he felt that they must 3e true in the li'ht of that final cosmic reality ,hich 3elies all local perspectives and narro, partial vie,sB and he ,as familiar enou'h ,ith profound speculations to 3e free from the 3onda'e of local and partial conceptions. 2ad his ,hole Duest not 3een 3ased upon a faith in the unreality of the local and partialG After an impressive pause the ,aves continuedA sayin' that ,hat the denizens of fe,1 dimensioned zones call chan'e is merely a function of their consciousnessA ,hich vie,s the e%ternal ,orld from various cosmic an'les. As the Shapes produced 3y the cuttin' of a cone seem to vary ,ith the an'les of cuttin' 1 3ein' circleA ellipseA para3ola or hyper3ola accordin' to that an'leA yet ,ithout any chan'e in the cone itself 1 so do the local aspects of an unchan'ed 1 and endless reality seem to chan'e ,ith the cosmic an'le of re'ardin'. To this variety of an'les +f consciousness the fee3le 3ein's of the inner ,orlds are slavesA since ,ith rare e%ceptions they can not learn to control them. +nly a fe, students of for3idden thin's have 'ained in!lin's of this controlA and have there3y conDuered time and chan'e. But the entities outside the 7ates command all an'lesA and vie, the myriad parts of the cosmos in terms of fra'mentary chan'e1involvin' perspectiveA or of the chan'eless totality 3eyond perspectiveA in accordance ,ith their ,ill. As the ,aves paused a'ainA Carter 3e'an to comprehendA va'uely and terrifiedlyA the ultimate 3ac!'round of that riddle of lost individuality ,hich had at first so horrified him. 2is intuition pieced to'ether the fra'ments of revelationA and 3rou'ht him closer and closer

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to a 'rasp of the secret. 2e understood that much of the fri'htful revelation ,ould have come upon him 1 splittin' up his e'o amon'st myriads of earthly counterparts inside the 4irst 7ateA had not the ma'ic of <(mr at1Ta,il !ept it from him in order that he mi'ht use the silver !ey ,ith precision for the (ltimate 7ate<s openin'. An%ious for clearer !no,led'eA he sent out ,aves of thou'htA as!in' more of the e%act relationship 3et,een his various facets 1 the fra'ment no, 3eyond the (ltimate 7ateA the fra'ment still on the Duasi1he%a'onal pedestal 3eyond the 4irst 7ateA the 3oy of 188&A the man of 1)"8A the various ancestral 3ein's ,ho had formed his herita'e and the 3ul,ar! of his e'oA amid the nameless denizens of the other eons and other ,orlds ,hich that first hideous flash ultimate perception had identified ,ith him. Slo,ly the ,aves of the Bein' sur'ed out in replyA tryin' to ma!e plain ,hat ,as almost 3eyond the reach of an earthly mind. All descended lines of 3ein's of the finite dimensionsA continued the ,avesA and all sta'es of 'ro,th in each one of these 3ein'sA are merely manifestations of one archetypal and eternal 3ein' in the space outside dimensions. Each local 3ein' 1 sonA fatherA 'randfatherA and so on 1 and each sta'e of individual 3ein' 1 infantA childA 3oyA man 1 is merely one of the infinite phases of that same archetypal and eternal 3ein'A caused 3y a variation in the an'le of the consciousness1plane ,hich cuts it. :andolph Carter at all a'esB :andolph Carter and all his ancestorsA 3oth human and pre1humanA terrestrial and pre1 terrestrialB all these ,ere only phases of one ultimateA eternal LCarterL outside space and time 1 phantom proCections differentiated only 3y the an'le at ,hich the plane of consciousness happened to cut the eternal archetype in each case. A sli'ht chan'e of an'le could turn the student of today into the child of yesterdayB could turn :andolph Carter into that ,izardA Edmund Carter ,ho fled from Salem to the hills 3ehind Ar!ham in 1-)"A or that >ic!man Carter ,ho in the year "1-) ,ould use stran'e means in repellin' the 8on'ol hordes from AustraliaB could turn a human Carter into one of those earlier entities ,hich had d,elt in primal 2yper3orea and ,orshipped 3lac!A plastic Tsatho''ua after flyin' do,n from 0ythamilA the dou3le planet that once revolved around ArcturusB could turn a terrestrial Carter to a remotely ancestral and dou3tfully shaped d,eller on 0ythamil itselfA or a still remoter creature of trans1'alactic StrontiA or a four1dimensioned 'aseous consciousness in an older space1time continuumA or a ve'eta3le 3rain of the future on a dar!A radioactive comet of inconceiva3le or3it 1 so onA in endless cosmic cycle. The archetypeA thro33ed the ,avesA are the people of the (ltimate A3yss 1 formlessA ineffa3leA and 'uessed at only 3y rare dreamers on the lo,1dimensioned ,orlds. Chief amon' such ,as this informin' Bein' itself... $"ic" indeed $as Carter+s o$n arc"etype% The 'utless zeal of Carter and all his fore3ears for for3idden cosmic secrets ,as a natural result of derivation from the Supreme Archetype. +n every ,orld all 'reat ,izardsA all 'reat thin!ersA all 'reat artistsA are facets of =t. Almost stunned ,ith a,eA and ,ith a !ind of terrifyin' deli'htA :andolph Carter<s consciousness did homa'e to that transcendent Entity from ,hich it ,as derived. As the ,aves paused a'ain he pondered in the mi'hty silenceA thin!in' of stran'e tri3utesA stran'er DuestionsA and still stran'er reDuests. Curious concepts flo,ed conflictin'ly throu'h a 3rain dazed ,ith unaccustomed vistas and unforeseen disclosures. =t occurred to him thatA if these disclosures ,ere literally trueA he mi'ht 3odily visit all those infinitely distant a'es and parts of the universe ,hich he had hitherto !no,n only in dreamsA could he 3ut command the ma'ic to chan'e the an'le of his consciousness1plane. And did not the

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silver !ey supply that ma'icG 2ad it not first chan'ed him from a man in 1)"8 to a 3oy in 188&A and then to somethin' Duite outside timeG +ddlyA despite his present apparent a3sence of 3odyB he !ne, that the !ey ,as still ,ith him. While the silence still lastedA :andolph Carter radiated forth the thou'hts and Duestions ,hich assailed him. 2e !ne, that in this ultimate a3yss he ,as eDuidistant from every facet of his archetype 1 human or non1humanA terrestrial or ertra1terrestrialA 'alactic or tran1 'alacticB and his curiosity re'ardin' the other phases of his 3ein' 1 especially those phases ,hich ,ere farthest from an earthly 1)"8 in time and spaceA or ,hich had most persistently haunted his dreams throu'hout life 1 ,as at fever 3eat 2e felt that his archetypal Entity could at ,ill send him 3odily to any of these phases of 3y'one and distant life 3y chan'in' his consciousness1plane and despite the marvels he had under'one he 3urned for the further marvel of ,al!in' in the flesh throu'h those 'rotesDue and incredi3le scenes ,hich visions of the ni'ht had fra'mentarily 3rou'ht him. Without definite intention 3e ,as as!in' the >resence for access to a dimA fantastic ,orld ,hose five multi1coloured sunsA alien constellationsA dizzily 3lac! cra'sA cla,edA tapir1snouted denizensA 3izarre metal to,ersA une%plained tunnelsA and cryptical floatin' cylinders had intruded a'ain and a'ain upon his slum3ers. That ,orldA he felt va'uelyA ,as in all the conceiva3le cosmos the one most freely in touch ,ith othersB and he lon'ed to e%plore the vistas ,hose 3e'innin's he had 'limpsedA and to em3ar! throu'h space to those still remoter ,orlds ,ith ,hich the cla,edA snouted denizens traffic!ed. There ,as no time for fear. As at all crises of his stran'e lifeA sheer cosmic curiosity triumphed over everythin' else. When the ,aves resumed their a,esome pulsin'A Carter !ne, that his terri3le reDuest ,as 'ranted. The Bein' ,as tellin' him of the ni'hted 'ulfs throu'h ,hich he ,ould have to pass of the un!no,n Duintuple star in an unsuspected 'ala%y around ,hich the alien ,orld revolvedA and of the 3urro,in' inner horrors a'ainst ,hich the cla,edA snouted race of that ,orld perpetually fou'ht. =t told himA tooA of ho, the an'le of his personal consciousness1planeA and the an'le of his consciousness1plane re'ardin' the space1time elements of the sou'ht1for ,orldA ,ould have to 3e tilted simultaneously in order to restore to that ,orld the Carter1facet ,hich had d,elt there. The >resence ,anted him to 3e sure of his sym3ols if he ,ished ever to return from the remote and alien ,orld he had chosenA and he radiated 3ac! an impatient affirmationB confident that the silver !eyA ,hich he felt ,as ,ith him and ,hich he !ne, had tilted 3oth ,orld and personal planes in thro,in' him 3ac! to 188&A contained those sym3ols ,hich ,ere meant. And no, the Bein'A 'raspin' his impatience si'nified its readiness to accomplish the monstrous precipitation. The ,aves a3ruptly ceasedA and there supervened a momentary stillness tense ,ith nameless and dreadful e%pectancy. ThenA ,ithout ,arnin'A came a ,hirrin' and drummin' that s,elled to a terrific thunderin'. +nce a'ain Carter felt himself the focal point of an intense concentration of ener'y ,hich smote and hammered and seared un3eara3ly in the no,1familiar rhythm of outer spaceA and ,hich he could not classify as either the 3lastin' heat of a 3lazin' starA or the all1petrifyin' cold of the ultimate a3yss. Bands and rays of colour utterly forei'n to any spectrum of our universe played and ,ove and interlaced 3efore himA and he ,as conscious of a fri'htful velocity of motion. 2e cau'ht one fleetin' 'limpse of a fi'ure sittin' alone upon a cloudy throne more he%a'onal than other,ise...

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Ch *ter Si1
As the 2indoo paused in his story he sa, that de 8ari'ny and >hillips ,ere ,atchin' him a3sor3edly. Aspin,all pretended to i'nore the narrative and !ept his eyes ostentatiously on the papers 3efore him. The alien1rhythmed tic!in' of the coffin1shaped cloc! too! on a ne, and portentous meanin'A ,hile the fumes from the cho!edA ne'lected tripods ,ove themselves into fantastic and ine%plica3le shapesA and formed distur3in' com3inations ,ith the 'rotesDue fi'ures of the draft1s,ayed tapestries. The old ;e'ro ,ho had tended them ,as 'one 1 perhaps some 'ro,in' tension had fri'htened him out of the house. An almost apolo'etic hesitancy hampered the spea!er as he resumed in his oddly la3ored yet idiomatic voice. L.ou have found these thin's of the a3yss hard to 3elieveAL he saidA L3ut you ,ill find the tan'i3le and material thin's ahead still 3arer. That is the ,ay of our minds. 8arvels are dou3ly incredi3le ,hen 3rou'ht into three dimensions from the va'ue re'ions of possi3le dream. = shall not try to tell you much 1 that ,ould 3e another and very different story. = ,ill tell only ,hat you a3solutely have to !no,.L CarterA after that final vorte% of alien and polychromatic rhythmA had found himself in ,hat for a moment he thou'ht ,as his old insistent dream. 2e ,asA as many a ni'ht 3eforeA ,al!in' amidst thron's of cla,edA snouted 3ein's throu'h the streets of a la3yrinth of ine%plica3ly fashioned metal under a plate of diverse solar colourB and as he loo!ed do,n he sa, that his 3ody ,as li!e those of the others 1 ru'oseA partly sDuamousA and curiously articulated in a fashion mainly insect1li!e yet not ,ithout a caricaturish resem3lance to the human outline. The silver !ey ,as still in his 'raspA thou'h held 3y a no%ious1loo!in' cla,. =n another moment the dream1sense vanishedA and he felt rather as one Cust a,a!ened from a dream. The ultimate a3yss 1 the Bein' 1 the entity of a3surdA outlandish race called :andolph Carter on a ,orld of the future not yet 3orn 1 some of these thin's ,ere parts of the persistent recurrent dreams of the ,izard @!au3a on the planet .addith. They ,ere too persistent 1 they interfered ,ith his duties in ,eavin' spells to !eep the fri'htful $holes in their 3urro,sA and 3ecame mi%ed up ,ith his recollections of the myriad real ,orlds he had visited in li'ht13eam envelopes. And no, they had 3ecome Duasi1real as never 3efore. This heavyA material silver !ey in his ri'ht upper cla,A e%act ima'e of one he had dreamt a3out meant no 'ood. 2e must rest and reflectA and consult the ta3lets of ;hin' for advice on ,hat to do. Clim3in' a metal ,all in a lane off the main concourseA he entered his apartment and approached the rac! of ta3lets. Seven day1fractions later @!au3a sDuatted on his prism in a,e and half despairA for the truth had opened up a ne, and conflictin' set of memories. ;evermore could he !no, the peace of 3ein' one entity. 4or all time and space he ,as t,o9 @!au3a the ,izard of .addithA dis'usted ,ith the thou'ht of the repellent earth1mammal Carter that he ,as to 3e and had 3eenA and :andolph CarterA of Boston on the EarthA shiverin' ,ith fri'ht at the cla,edA mantel thin' ,hich he had once 3eenA and had 3ecome a'ain. The time units spent on .addithA croa!ed the S,ami 1 ,hose la3oured voice ,as 3e'innin' to sho, si'ns of fati'ue 1 made a tale in themselves ,hich could not 3e related in 3rief compass. There ,ere trips to Stronti and 8thura and 0athA and other ,orlds in the

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t,enty1ei'ht 'ala%ies accessi3le to the li'ht13eam envelopes of the creatures of .addithA and trips 3ac! and forth throu'h eons of time ,ith the aid of the silver !ey and various other sym3ols !no,n to .addith<s ,izards. There ,ere hideous stru''les ,ith the 3leached viscous $holes in the primal tunnels that honeycom3ed the planet. There ,ere a,ed sessions in li3raries amon'st the massed lore of ten thousand ,orlds livin' and dead. There ,ere tense conferences ,ith other minds of .addithA includin' that of the Arch1Ancient Buo. @!au3a told no one of ,hat had 3efallen his personalityA 3ut ,hen the :andolph Carter facet ,as uppermost he ,ould study furiously every possi3le means of returnin' to the Earth and to human formA and ,ould desperately practice human speech ,ith the alien throat1or'ans so ill adapted to it. The Carter1facet had soon learned ,ith horror that the silver !ey ,as una3le to effect his return to human form. =t ,asA as he deduced too late from thin's he remem3eredA thin's he dreamedA and thin's he inferred from the lore of .addithA a product of 2yper3orea on EarthB ,ith po,er over the personal consciousness1an'les of human 3ein's alone. =t couldA ho,everA chan'e the planetary an'le and send the user at ,ill throu'h time in an unchan'ed 3ody. There had 3een an added spell ,hich 'ave it limitless po,ers it other,ise lac!edB 3ut thisA tooA ,as a human discovery 1 peculiar to a spatially unreacha3le re'ionA and not to 3e duplicated 3y the ,izards of .addith. =t had 3een ,ritten on the undeciphera3le parchment in the hideously carven 3o% ,ith the silver !eyA and Carter 3itterly lamented that he had left it 3ehind. The no, inaccessi3le Bein' of the a3yss had ,arned him to 3e sure of his sym3olsA and had dou3tless thou'ht he lac!ed nothin'. As time ,ore on he strove harder and harder to utilize the monstrous lore of .addith in findin' a ,ay 3ac! to the a3yss and the omnipotent Entity. With his ne, !no,led'e 3e could have done much to,ard readin' the cryptic parchmentB 3ut that po,erA under present conditionsA ,as merely ironic. There ,ere timesA ho,everA ,hen the @!au3a1facet ,as uppermost and ,hen he strove to erase the conflictin' Carter1memories ,hich trou3led him. Thus lon' spaces of time ,ore on 1 a'es lon'er than the 3rain of man could 'raspA since the 3ein's of .addith die only after prolon'ed cycles. After many hundreds of revolutions the Carter1facet seemed to 'ain on the @!au3a1facetA and ,ould spend vast periods calculatin' the distance of .addith in space and time from the human Earth that ,as to 3e. The fi'ures ,ere sta''erin' eons of li'ht1years 3eyond countin' 3ut the immemorial lore of .addith fitted Carter to 'rasp such thin's. 2e cultivated the po,er of dreamin' himself momentarily Earth,ardA and learned many thin's a3out our planet that he had never !no,n 3efore. But he could not dream the needed formula on the missin' parchment. Then at last he conceived a ,ild plan of escape from .addith 1 ,hich 3e'an ,hen 3e found a dru' that ,ould !eep his @!au3a1facet al,ays dormantA yet ,ith out dissolution of the !no,led'e and memories of @!au3a. 2e thou'ht that his calculations ,ould let him perform a voya'e ,ith a li'ht1,ave envelope such as no 3ein' of .addidi had ever performed 1 a 3odily voya'e throu'h nameless eons and across incredi3le 'alactic reaches to the solar system and the Earth itself. +nce on EarthA thou'h in the 3ody of a cla,edA snouted thin'A he mi'ht 3e a3le someho, to find and finish decipherin'1the stran'ely hiero'lyphed parchment he had left in the car at Ar!hamB and ,ith its aid 1 and the !ey<s 1 resume his normal terrestrial sem3lance.

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2e ,as not 3lind to the perils of the attempt. 2e !ne, that ,hen he had 3rou'ht the planet1an'le to the ri'ht eon Ja thin' impossi3le to do ,hile hurtlin' throu'h spaceKA .addith ,ould 3e a dead ,orld dominated 3y triumphant $holesA and that his escape in the li'ht1,ave envelope ,ould 3e a matter of 'rave dou3t. 5i!e,ise ,as he a,are of ho, he must achieve suspended animationA in the manner of an adeptA to endure the eon lon' fli'ht throu'h fathomless a3ysses. 2e !ne,A tooA that 1 assumin' his voya'e succeeded 1 he must immunize himself to the 3acterial and other earthly conditions hostile to a 3ody from .addith. 4urthermoreA he must provide a ,ay of fei'nin' human shape on Earth until he mi'ht recover and decipher the parchment and resume that shape in truth. +ther,ise he ,ould pro3a3ly 3e discovered and destroyed 3y the people in horror as a thin' that should not 3e. And there must 3e some 'old 1 luc!ily o3taina3le on .addid 1 to tide him over that period of Duest Slo,ly Carter<s plans ,ent for,ard. 2e prepared a li'ht1,ave envelope of a3normal tou'hnessA a3le to stand 3oth the prodi'ious time1transition and the une%ampled fli'ht throu'h space. 2e tested all his calculationsA and sent forth his Earth,ard dreams a'ain and a'ainA 3rin'in' them as close as possi3le to 1)"8. 2e practiced suspended animation ,ith marvelous success. 2e discovered Cust the 3acterial a'ent he neededA and ,or!ed out the varyin' 'ravity1stress to ,hich he must 3ecome used. 2e artfully fashioned a ,a%en mas! and loose costume ena3lin' him to pass amon' men as a human 3ein' of a sortA and devised a dou3ly potent spell ,ith ,hich to hold 3ac! the $holes at the moment of his startin' from the deadA 3lac! .addith of the inconceiva3le future. 2e too! careA tooA to assem3le a lar'e supply of the dru's 1 uno3taina3le on Earth 1 ,hich ,ould !eep his @!au3a1facet in a3eyance till he mi'ht shed the .addith 3odyA nor did he ne'lect a small store of 'old for earthly use. The startin'1day ,as a time of dou3t and apprehension. Carter clim3ed up to his envelope1platformA on the prete%t of sailin' for the triple star ;ythonA and cra,led into the sheath of shinin' metal. 2e had Cust room to perform the ritual of the silver !eyA and as he did so he slo,ly started the levitation of his envelope. There ,as an appallin' seethin' and dar!enin' of the dayA and hideous rac!in' of pain. The cosmos seemed to reel irresponsi3lyA and the other constellations danced in a 3lac! s!y. All at once Carter felt a ne, eDuili3rium. The cold of interstellar 'ulfs 'na,ed at the outside of his envelopeA and he could see that he floated free in space 1 the metal 3uildin' from ,hich he had started havin' decayed years 3efore. Belo, him the 'round ,as festerin' ,ith 'i'antic $holesB and even as he loo!edA one reared up several hundred feet and leveled a 3leachedA viscous end at him. But his spells ,ere effectiveA and in another moment he ,as allin' a,ay from .addithA unharmed.

Ch *ter Seve#
=n that 3izarre room in ;e, +rleansA from ,hich the old 3lac! servant had instinctively fledA the odd voice of S,ami Chandraputta 're, hoarser still. L7entlemenAL he continuedA L= ,ill not as! you to 3elieve these thin's until = have sho,n you special proof. Accept itA thenA as a mythA ,hen = tell you of the t"ousands of lig"t-years - t"ousands of years of time& and uncounted billions of miles that :andolph

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Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

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Carter hurtled throu'h space as a namelessA alien entity in a thin envelope of electron1 activated metal. 2e timed his period of suspended animation ,ith utmost careA plannin' to have it end only a fe, years 3efore the time of landin' on the Earth in or near 1)"8. L2e ,ill never for'et that a,a!enin'. :emem3erA 'entlemenA that 3efore that eon long sleep "e "ad li!ed consciously for t"ousands of terrestrial years amidst t"e alien and "orrible $onders of ;addit"% There ,as a hideous 'na,in' of coldA a cessation of menacin' dreamsA and a 'lance throu'h the eye1plates of the envelope. StarsA clustersA ne3ulaeA on every hand 1 and at last t"eir outline bore some kins"ip to t"e constellations of art" t"at "e kne$% LSome day his descent into the solar system may 3e told. 2e sa, 0ynath and .u''oth on the rimA passed close to ;eptune and 'limpsed the hellish ,hite fun'i that spot itA learned an untella3le secret from the close 'limpsed mists of 6upiterA and sa, the horror on one of the satellitesA and 'azed at the cyclopean ruins that spra,l over 8ars< ruddy disc. When the Earth dre, near he sa, it as a thin crescent ,hich s,elled alarmin'ly in size. 2e slac!ened speedA thou'h his sensations of homecomin' made him ,ish to lose not a moment. = ,ill not try to tell you of these sensations as = learned them from Carter. LWellA to,ard the last Carter hovered a3out in the Earth<s upper air ,aitin' till dayli'ht came over the Western 2emisphere. 2e ,anted to land ,here he had left 1 near the Sna!e $en in the hills 3ehind Ar!ham. =f any of you have 3een a,ay from home lon' 1 and = !no, one of you has 1 = leave it to you ho, the si'ht of ;e, En'land<s rollin' hills and 'reat elms and 'narled orchards and ancient stone ,alls must have affected him. L2e came do,n at da,n in the lo,er meado, of the old Carter placeA and ,as than!ful for the silence and solitude. =t ,as autumnA as ,hen he had leftA and the smell of the hills ,as 3alm to his soul. 2e mana'ed to dra' the metal envelope up the slope of the tim3er lot into the Sna!e $enA thou'h it ,ould not 'o throu'h the ,eed1cho!ed fissure to the inner cave. =t ,as there also that he covered his alien 3ody ,ith the human clothin' and ,a%en mas! ,hich ,ould 3e necessary. 2e !ept the envelope here for over a yearA till certain circumstances made a ne, hidin'1place necessary. L2e ,al!ed to Ar!ham 1 incidentally practicin' the mana'ement of his 3ody in human posture and a'ainst terrestrial 'ravity 1 and his 'old chan'ed to money at a 3an!. 2e also made some inDuiries 1 posin' as a forei'ner i'norant of much En'lish 1 and found that the year ,as 1)&*A only t,o years after the 'oal he had aimed at. L+f courseA his position ,as horri3le. (na3le to assert his identityA forced to live on 'uard every momentA ,ith certain difficulties re'ardin' foodA and ,ith a need to conserve the alien dru' ,hich !ept his @!au3a1facet dormantA he felt that he must act as Duic!ly as possi3le. 7oin' to Boston and ta!in' a room in the decayin' West EndA ,here he could live cheaply and inconspicuouslyA he at once esta3lished inDuiries concernin' :andolph Carter<s estate and effects. =t ,as then that he learned ho, an%ious 8r. Aspin,allA hereA ,as to have the estate dividedA and ho, valiantly 8r. de 8ari'ny and 8r. >hillips strove to !eep it intact.L The 2indoo 3o,edA thou'h no e%pression crossed his dar!A tranDuilA and thic!ly 3earded face.

H.P.Lovecr !t

Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

))7

L=ndirectlyAL he continuedA LCarter secured a 'ood copy of the missin' parchment and 3e'an ,or!in' on its decipherin'. = am 'lad to say that = ,as a3le to help in all this 1 for he appealed to me Duite earlyA and throu'h me came in touch ,ith other mystics throu'hout the ,orld. = ,ent to live ,ith him in Boston 1 a ,retched place in Cham3ers Street. As for the parchment 1 = am pleased to help 8r. de 8ari'ny in his perple%ity. To him let me say that the lan'ua'e of those hiero'lyphics is not ;aacalA 3ut :<lyehianA ,hich ,as 3rou'ht to Earth 3y the spa,n of Cthulhu countless a'es a'o. =t isA of coarseA a translation 1 there ,as an 2yper3orean ori'inal millions of years earlier in the primal ton'ue of Tsath1yo. LThere ,as more to decipher than Carter had loo!ed forA 3ut at no time did he 'ive up hope. Early this year he made 'reat strides throu'h a 3oo! he imported from ;epalA and there is no Duestion 3ut that he ,ill ,in 3efore lon'. (nfortunatelyA ho,everA one handicap has developed 1 the e%haustion of the alien dru' ,hich !eeps the @!au3a1facet dormant. This is notA ho,everA as 'reat a calamity as ,as feared. Carter<s personality is 'ainin' in the 3odyA and ,hen @!au3a comes upper most 1 for shorter and shorter periodsA and no, only ,hen evo!ed 3y some unusual e%citement 1 he is 'enerally too dazed to undo any of Carter<s ,or!. 2e can not find the metal envelope that ,ould ta!e him hac! to .addithA for althou'h he almost didA onceA Carter hid it ane, at a time ,hen the @!an3a1facet ,as ,holly latent. All the harm he has done is to fri'hten a fe, people and create certain ni'htmare rumors amon' the >oles and 5ithuanians of Boston<s West End. So farA he had never inCured the careful dis'uise prepared 3y the Carter1facetA thou'h he sometimes thro,s it off so that parts have to 3e replaced. = have seen ,hat lies 3eneath 1 and it is not 'ood to see. LA month a'o Carter sa, the advertisement of this meetin'A and !ne, that he must act Duic!ly to save his estate. 2e could not ,ait to decipher the parchment and resume his human form. ConseDuently he deputed me to act for him. L7entlemenA = say to you that :andolph Carter is not deadB that he is temporarily in an anomalous conditionA 3ut that ,ithin t,o or three months at the outside he ,ill 3e a3le to appear in proper form and demand the custody of his estate. = am prepared to offer proof if necessary. Therefore = 3e' that you ,ill adCourn this meetin' for an indefinite period.L

Ch *ter Ei-ht
$e 8ari'ny and >hillips stared at the 2indoo as if hypnotizedA ,hile Aspin,all emitted a series of snorts and 3ello,s. The old attorney<s dis'ust had 3y no, sur'ed into open ra'e and he pounded the ta3le ,ith an apoplectically veined fit When he spo!eA it ,as in a !ind of 3ar!. L2o, lon' is this foolery to 3e 3orneG =<ve listened an hour to this madman 1 this fa!er 1 and no, he has the damned effrontery to say :andolph Carter is alive 1 to as! us to postpone the settlement for no 'ood reasonF Why don<t you thro, the scoundrel outA de 8ari'nyG $o you mean to ma!e us all the 3utts of a charlatan or idiotGL $e 8ari'ny Duietly raised his hand and spo!e softly. L5et us thin! slo,ly and dearly. This has 3een a very sin'ular taleA and there are thin's in it ,hich =A as a mystic not alto'ether i'norantA reco'nize as far from impossi3le.

H.P.Lovecr !t

Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

))8

4urthermore 1 since 1)&* = have received letters from the S,ami ,hich tally ,ith his account.L As he pausedA old 8r. >hillips ventured a ,ord. LS,ami Chandraputra spo!e of proofs. =A tooA reco'nize much that is si'nificant in this storyA and = have myself had many oddly corro3orative letters from the S,ami durin' the last t,o yearsB 3ut some of these statements are very e%treme. =s there not somethin' tan'i3le ,hich can 3e sho,nGL At last the impassive1faced S,ami repliedA slo,ly and hoarselyA and dra,in' an o3Cect from the poc!et of his loose coat as he spo!e. LWhile none of you here has ever seen the silver !ey itselfA 8essrs. de 8ari'ny and >hillips have seen photo'raphs of it. #oes t"is look familiar to you/L 2e fum3lin'ly laid on the ta3leA ,ith his lar'eA ,hite1mittened handA a heavy !ey of tarnished silver 1 nearly five inches lon'A of un!no,n and utterly e%otic ,or!manshipA and covered from end to end ,ith hiero'lyphs of the most 3izarre description. $e 8ari'ny and >hillips 'asped. LThat<s itFL cried de 8ari'ny. LThe camera doesn<t lie = couldn<t 3e mista!enFL But Aspin,all had already launched a reply. L4oolsF What does it proveG =f that<s really the !ey that 3elon'ed to my cousinA it<s up to this forei'ner 1 this damned ni''er 1 to e%plain ho, he 'ot itF :andolph Carter vanished ,ith the !ey four years a'o. 2o, do ,e !no, he ,asn<t ro33ed and murderedG 2e ,as half crazy himselfA and in touch ,ith still crazier people. L5oo! hereA you ni''er 1 ,here did you 'et that !eyG $id you !ill :andolph CarterGL The S,ami<s featuresA a3normally placidA did not chan'eB 3ut the remoteA irisless 3lac! eyes 3ehind them 3lazed dan'erously. 2e spo!e ,ith 'reat difficulty. L>lease control yourselfA 8r. Aspin,all. There is another form of poof that = could 'iveA 3ut its effect upon every3ody ,ould not 3e pleasant. 5et us 3e reasona3le. 2ere are some papers o3viously ,ritten since 1)&*A and in the unmista!a3le style of :andolph Carter.L 2e clumsily dre, a lon' envelope from inside his loose coat and handed it to the sputterin' attorney as de 8ari'ny and >hillips ,atched ,ith chaotic thou'hts and a da,nin' feelin' of supernal ,onder. L+f course the hand,ritin' is almost ille'i3le 1 3ut remem3er that :andolph Carter no, has no hands ,ell adapted to formin' human script.L Aspin,all loo!ed throu'h the papers hurriedlyA and ,as visi3ly perple%edA 3ut he did not chan'e his demeanor. The room ,as tense ,ith e%citement and nameless dread and the alien rhythm of the coffin1shaped cloc! had an utterly dia3olic sound to de 8ari'ny and >hillipsA thou'h the la,yer seemed affected not at all.

H.P.Lovecr !t

Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

)))

Aspin,all spo!e a'ain. LThese loo! li!e clever for'eries. =f they aren<tA they may mean that :andolph Carter has 3een 3rou'ht under the control of people ,ith no 'ood purpose. There<s only one thin' to do 1 have this fa!er arrested. $e 8ari'nyA ,ill you telephone for the policeGL L5et us ,aitAL ans,ered their host. L= do not thin! this case calls for the police. = have a certain idea. 8r. Aspin,allA this 'entleman is a mystic of real attainments. 2e says he is in the confidence of :andolph Carter. Will it satisfy you if he can ans,er certain Duestions ,hich could 3e ans,ered only 3y one in such confidenceG = !no, CarterA and can as! such Duestions. 5et me 'et a 3oo! ,hich = thin! ,ill ma!e a 'ood test.L 2e turned to,ard the door to the li3raryA >hillips dazedly follo,in' in a !ind of automatic ,ay. Aspin,all remained ,here he ,asA studyin' closely the 2indoo ,ho confronted him ,ith a3normally impassive face. SuddenlyA as Chandraputra clumsily restored the silver !ey to his poc!et the la,yer emitted a 'uttural shout. L2eyA 3y 2eaven =<ve 'ot itF This rascal is in dis'uise. = don<t 3elieve he<s an East =ndian at all. That face 1 it isn<t a faceA 3ut a maskC = 'uess his story put that into my headA 3ut it<s true. =t never movesA and that tur3an and 3eard hide the ed'es. This fello,<s a common croo!F 2e isn<t even a forei'ner 1 =<ve 3een ,atchin' his lan'ua'e. 2e<s a .an!ee of some sort. And loo! at those mittens 1 he !no,s his fin'erprints could 3e spotted. $amn youA =<ll pull that thin' off 1L LStopFL The hoarseA oddly alien voice of the S,ami held a tone 3eyond all mere earthly fri'ht L= told you there $as anot"er form of proof $"ic" I could gi!e if necessaryA and = ,arned you not to provo!e me to it. This red1faced old meddler is ri'htB =<m not really an East =ndian. T"is face is a mask& and $"at it co!ers is not "uman. .ou others have 'uessed 1 = felt that minutes a'o. =t ,ouldn<t 3e pleasant if = too! that mas! off 1 let it alone. ErnestA = may as ,ell tell you that = am :andolph Carter.L
;o one moved. Aspin,all snorted and made va'ue motions. $e 8ari'ny and >hillipsA across the roomA ,atched the ,or!in's of the red face and studied the 3ac! of the tur3aned fi'ure that confronted him. The cloc!<s a3normal tic!in' ,as hideous and the tripod fumes and s,ayin' arras danced a dance of death. The half1cho!in' la,yer 3ro!e the silence. L;o you don<tA you croo! 1 you can<t scare meF .ou<ve reasons of your o,n for not ,antin' that mas! off. 8ay3e ,e<d !no, ,ho you are. +ff ,ith it 1 L As he reached for,ardA the S,ami seized his hand ,ith one of his o,n clumsily mittened mem3ersA evo!in' a curious cry of mi%ed pain and surprise. $e 8ari'ny started to,ard the t,oA 3ut paused confused as the pseudo12indoo<s shout of protest chan'ed to a ,holly ine%plica3le rattlin' and 3uzzin' sound. Aspin,all<s red face ,as furiousA and ,ith his free hand he made another lun'e at his opponent<s 3ushy 3eard. This time he succeeded in 'ettin' a holdA and at his frantic tu' the ,hole ,a%en visa'e came loose from the tur3an and clun' to the la,yer<s apoplectic fist. As it did soA Aspin,all uttered a fri'htful 'ur'lin' cryA and >hillips and de 8ai'ny sa, his face convulsed ,ith a ,ilderA deep and more hideous epilepsy of star! panic than ever they had seen on human countenance 3efore. The pseudo1S,ami had mean,hile released his other hand and ,as standin' as if dazedA ma!in' 3uzzin' noises of a most a3normal Duality. Then the tur3aned fi'ure slumped oddly into a posture scarcely humanA and 3e'an a curiousA fascinated

H.P.Lovecr !t

Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

1***

sort of shuffle to,ard the coffin1shaped cloc! that tic!ed out its cosmic and a3normal rhythm. 2is no, uncovered face ,as turned a,ayA and de 8ari'ny and >hillips could not see ,hat the la,yer<s act had disclosure. Then their attention ,as turned to Aspin,allA ,ho ,as sin!in' ponderously to the floor. The spell ,as 3ro!en13ut ,hen they reached the old man he ,as dead. Turnin' Duic!ly to the shufflin' S,ami<s recedin' 3ac!A de 8ari'ny sa, one of the 'reat ,hite mittens drop listlessly off a dan'lin' arm. The fumes of the oli3anum ,ere thic!A and all that could 3e 'limpsed of the revealed hand ,as somethin' lon' and 3lac!... Before the Creole could reach the retreatin' fi'ureA old 8r. >hillips laid a hand on his shoulder. L$on<tFL he ,hisperedA LWe don<t !no, ,hat ,e<re up a'ainst. That other facetA you !no, 1 @!au3aA the ,izard of .addith... L The tur3aned fi'ure had no, reached the a3normal cloc!A and the ,atchers sa, thou'h the dense fumes a 3lurred 3lac! cla, fum3lin' ,ith the tallA hiero'lyphed door. The fum3lin' made a DueerA clic!in' sound. Then the fi'ure entered the coffin1shaped case and pulled the door shut after it. $e 8ari'ny could no lon'er 3e restrainedA 3ut ,hen he reached and opened the cloc! it ,as empty. The a3normal tic!in' ,ent onA 3eatin' out the dar!A cosmic rhythm ,hich underlies all mystical 'ate1openin's. +n the floor the 'reat ,hite mittenA and the dead man ,ith a 3earded mas! clutched in his handA had nothin' further to reveal.

E*ilo-%e
A year passedA and nothin' has 3een heard of :andolph Carter. 2is estate is still unsettled. The Boston address from ,hich one LS,ami ChandraputraL sent inDuiries to various mystics in 1)&*1&11&" ,as indeed tenanted 3y a stran'e 2indooA 3ut he left shortly 3efore the date of the ;e, +rleans conference and has never 3een seen since. 2e ,as said to 3e dar!A e%pressionlessA and 3eardedA and his landlord thin!s the s,arthy mas! 1 ,hich ,as duly e%hi3ited 1 loo!ed very much li!e him. 2e ,as neverA ho,everA suspected of any connection ,ith the ni'htmare apparitions ,hispered of 3y local Slavs. The hills 3ehind Ar!ham ,ere searched for the Lmetal envelopeAL 3ut nothin' of the sort ,as ever found. 2o,everA a cler! in Ar!ham<s 4irst ;ational Ban! does recall a Dueer tur3aned man ,ho cashed an odd 3it of 'old 3ullion in +cto3erA 1)&*. $e 8ari'ny and >hillips scarcely !no, ,hat to ma!e of the 3usiness. After allA ,hat ,as provedG There ,as a story. There ,as a !ey ,hich mi'ht have 3een for'ed from one of the pictures Carter had freely distri3uted in 1)"8. There ,ere papers 1 all indecisive. There ,as a mas!ed stran'erA 3ut ,ho no, livin' sa, 3ehind the mas!G Amidst the strain and the oli3anum fumes that act of vanishin' in the cloc! mi'ht easily have 3een a dual hallucination. 2indoos !no, much of hypnotism. :eason proclaims the LS,amiL a criminal ,ith desi'ns on :andolph Carter<s estate. But the autopsy said that Aspin,all had died of shoc!. Was it ra'e alone ,hich caused itG And some thin's in that story...

H.P.Lovecr !t

Throu'h the 7ates of the Silver 0ey

1**1

=n a vast room hun' ,ith stran'ely fi'ured arras and filled ,ith oli3anum fumesA Etienne 5aurent de 8ari'ny often sits listenin' ,ith va'ue sensations to the a3normal rhythm of that hiero'lyphedA coffin1shaped cloc!.

Till A9 the Se s
,.
(pon an eroded cliff1top rested the manA 'azin' far across the valley. 5yin' thusA he could see a 'reat distanceA 3ut in all the sere e%panse there ,as no visi3le motion. ;othin' stirred the dusty plainA the disinte'rated sand of lon'1dry river13edsA ,here once coursed the 'ushin' streams of Earth<s youth. There ,as little 'reenery in this ultimate ,orldA this final sta'e of man!ind<s prolon'ed presence upon the planet. 4or unnum3ered aeons the drou'ht and sandstorms had rava'ed all the lands. The trees and 3ushes had 'iven ,ay to smallA t,isted shru3s that persisted lon' throu'h their sturdinessB 3ut theseA in turnA perished 3efore the onslau'ht of coarse 'rasses and strin'yA tou'h ve'etation of stran'e evolution. The ever1present heatA as Earth dre, nearer to the sunA ,ithered and !illed ,ith pitiless rays. =t had not come at onceB lon' aeons had 'one 3efore any could feel the chan'e. And all throu'h those first a'es man<s adapta3le form had follo,ed the slo, mutation and modelled itself to fit the more and more torrid air. then the day had come ,hen men could 3ear their hot cities 3ut illA and a 'radual recession 3e'anA slo, yet deli3erate. Those to,ns and settlements closest to the eDuator had 3een firstA of courseA 3ut later there ,ere others. 8anA softened and e%haustedA could cope no lon'er ,ith the ruthlessly mountin' heat. =t seared him as he ,asA and evolution ,as too slo, to mould ne, resistances in him. .et not at first ,ere the 'reat cities of the eDuator left to the spider and the scorpion. =n the early years there ,ere many ,ho stayed onA devisin' curious shields and armours a'ainst the heat and the deadly dryness. These fearless soulsA screenin' certain 3uildin's a'ainst the encroachin' sunA made miniature ,orlds of marvellously in'enious thin'sA so that for a ,hile men persisted in the rustin' to,ersA hopin' there3y to clin' to old lands till the searin' should 3e over. 4or many ,ould not 3elieve ,hat the astronomers saidA and loo!ed for a comin' of the mild olden ,orld a'ain. But one day the men of $athA from the ne, city of ;iyaraA made si'nals to .uanarioA their immemorially ancient capitalA and 'ained no ans,er from the fe, ,ho remained therein. And ,hen e%plorers reached that millennial city of 3rid'e1lin!ed to,ers they found only silence. There ,as not even the horror of corruptionA for the scaven'er lizards had 3een s,ift. +nly then did the people fully realize that these cities ,ere lost to themB !no, that they must forever a3andon them to nature. The other colonists in the hot lands fled from their 3rave postsA and total silence rei'ned ,ithin the hi'h 3asalt ,alls of a thousand empty to,ns. +f the denser thron's and multitudinous activities of the pastA nothin' finally remained. There no, loomed a'ainst the rainless deserts only the 3listered to,ers of vacant housesA factoriesA and structures of every sortA reflectin' the sun<s dazzlin' radiance and parchin' in the more and more intolera3le heat. 8any landsA ho,everA had still escaped the scorchin' 3li'htA so that the refu'ees ,ere soon a3sor3ed in the life of a ne,er ,orld. $urin' stran'ely prosperous centuries the hoary deserted cities of the eDuator 're, half1for'otten and ent,ined ,ith fantastic fa3les.

H.P.Lovecr !t

Till A< the Seas

1**&

4e, thou'ht of those spectralA rottin' to,ers...those huddles of sha33y ,alls and cactus1 cho!ed streetsA dar!ly silent and a3andoned... Wars cameA sinful and prolon'edA 3ut the times of peace ,ere 'reater. .et al,ays the s,ollen sun increased its radiance as Earth dre, closer to its fiery parent. =t ,as as if the planet meant to return to that source ,hence it ,as snatchedA aeons a'oA throu'h the accidents of cosmic 'ro,th. After a time the 3li'ht crept out,ard from the central 3elt. Southern .arat 3urned as a tenantless desert 1 and then the north. =n >erath and Balin'A those ancient cities ,here 3roodin' centuries d,eltA there moved only the scaly shapes of the serpent and the salamanderA and at last 5oron echoed only to the fitful fallin' of totterin' spires and crum3lin' domes. SteadyA universalA and ine%ora3le ,as the 'reat eviction of man from the realms he had al,ays !no,n. ;o land ,ithin the ,idenin' stric!en 3elt ,as sparedB no people left unrouted. =t ,as an epicA a titan tra'edy ,hose plot ,as unrevealed to the actors 1 this ,holesale desertion of the cities of men. =t too! not years or even centuriesA 3ut millennia of ruthless chan'e. And still it !ept on 1 sullenA inevita3leA sava'ely devastatin'. A'riculture ,as at a standstillA the ,orld fast 3ecame too arid for crops. This ,as remedied 3y artificial su3stitutesA soon universally used. And as the old places that had !no,n the 'reat thin's of mortals ,ere leftA the loot salva'ed 3y the fu'itives 're, smaller and smaller. Thin's of the 'reatest value and importance ,ere left in dead museums 1 lost amid the centuries 1 and in the end the herita'e of the immemorial past ,as a3andoned. A de'eneracy 3oth physical and cultural set in ,ith the insidious heat. 4or man had so lon' d,elt in comfort and security that this e%odus from past scenes ,as difficult. ;or ,ere these events received phle'maticallyB their very slo,ness ,as terrifyin'. $e'radation and de3auchery ,ere soon commonB 'overnment ,as disor'anizedA and the civilization aimlessly slid 3ac! to,ard 3ar3arism. WhenA forty1nine centuries after the 3li'ht from the eDuatorial 3eltA the ,hole ,estern hemisphere ,as left unpeopledA chaos ,as complete. There ,as no trace of order or decency in the last scenes of this titanicA ,ildly impressive mi'ration. 8adness and frenzy stal!ed throu'h themA and fanatics screamed of an Arma'eddon close at hand. 8an!ind ,as no, a pitiful remnant of the elder racesA a fu'itive not only from the prevailin' conditionsA 3ut from his o,n de'eneracy. =nto the northland and the antarctic ,ent those ,ho couldB the rest lin'ered for years in an incredi3le saturnaliaA va'uely dou3tin' the forthcomin' disasters. =n the city of Borli'o a ,holesale e%ecution of the ne, prophets too! placeA after months of unfulfilled e%pectations. They thou'ht the fli'ht to the northland unnecessaryA and no lon'er loo!ed for the threatened endin'. 2o, they perished must have 3een terri3le indeed 1 those vainA foolish creatures ,ho thou'ht to defy the universe. But the 3lac!enedA scorched to,ers are mute... These eventsA ho,everA must not 3e chronicled 1 for there are lar'er thin's to consider then this comple% and unhastenin' do,nfall of a lost civilization. $urin' a lon' period morale ,as at lo,est e33 amon' the coura'eous fe, ,ho settled upon the alien arctic and antarctic shoresA no, mild as ,ere those of southern .arat in the lon'1dead past. But here

H.P.Lovecr !t

Till A< the Seas

1**#

there ,as respite. The soil ,as fertileA and for'otten pastoral arts ,ere called into use ane,. There ,asA for a lon' timeA a contented little epitome of the lost landsB thou'h here ,ere no vast thron's or 'reat 3uildin's. +nly a sparse remnant of humanity survived the aeons of chan'e and peopled those scattered villa'es of the later ,orld.
2o, many millenia this continued is not !no,n. The sun ,as slo, in invadin' this last retreatB and as the eras passed there developed a soundA sturdy raceA 3earin' no memories or le'ends of the oldA lost lands. 5ittle navi'ation ,as practiced 3y this ne, peopleA and the flyin' machine ,as ,holly for'otten. Their devices ,ere of the simplest typeA and their culture ,as simple and primitive. .et they ,ere contentedA and accepted the ,arm climate as somethin' natural and accustomed. But un!no,n to these simple peasant1fol!A still further ri'ours of nature ,ere slo,ly preparin' themselves. As the 'enerations passedA the ,aters of the vast and unplum3ed ocean ,asted slo,ly a,ayB enrichin' the air and the desiccated soilA 3ut sin!in' lo,er and lo,er each century. The splashin' surf still 'listened 3ri'htA and the s,irlin' eddies ,ere still thereA 3ut a doom of dryness hun' over the ,hole ,atery e%panse. 2o,everA the shrin!a'e could not have 3een detected save 3y instruments more delicate than any then !no,n to the race. Even had the people realized the ocean<s contractionA it is not li!ely that any vast alarm or 'reat distur3ace ,ould have resultedA for the losses ,ere so sli'htA and the sea so 'reat...+nly a fe, inches durin' many centuries 1 3ut in many centuriesB increasin' 1 ooo So at last the oceans ,entA and ,ater 3ecame a rarity on a 'lo3e of sun13a!ed drou'ht. 8an had slo,ly spread over all the arctic and antarctic landsB the eDuatorial citiesA and many of later ha3itationA ,ere for'otten even to le'end. And no, a'ain the peace ,as distur3edA for ,ater ,as scarceA and found only in deep caverns. There ,as little enou'hA even of thisB and men died of thirst ,anderin' in far places. .et so slo, ,ere those deadly chan'esA that each ne, 'eneration of man ,as loath to 3elieve ,hat it heard from its parents. ;one ,ould admit that the heat had 3een less or the ,ater more plentiful in the old daysA or ta!e ,arnin' that days of 3itterer 3urnin' and drou'ht ,ere to come. Thus it ,as even at the endA ,hen only a fe, hundred human creatures panted for 3reath 3eneath the cruel sunB a piteous huddled handful out of all the unnum3ered millions ,ho had once d,elt on the doomed planet. And the hundreds 3ecame smallA till man ,as to 3e rec!oned only in tens. These tens clun' to the shrin!in' dampness of the cavesA and !ne, at last at the end ,as near. So sli'ht ,as their ran'e that none had ever seen the tinyA fa3led spots of ice left close to the parent<s poles 1 if indeed such remained. Even had they e%isted and 3een !no,n to manA none could have reached them across the trac!less and formida3le deserts. And so the last pathetic fe, d,indled... =t cannot 3e descri3edA this a,esome chain of events that depopulated the ,hole EarthB the ran'e is too tremendous for any to picture or encompass. +f the people of Earth<s fortunate a'esA 3illions of years 3eforeA only a fe, prophets and madmen could have conceived that ,hich ,as to come 1 could have 'rasped visions of the stillA dead landsA and lon'1empty sea1 3eds. The rest ,ould have dou3ted...dou3ted ali!e the shado, of chan'e upon the planet and the shado, of doom upon the race. 4or man has al,ays thou'ht himself the immortal master of natural thin's...

H.P.Lovecr !t

Till A< the Seas

1**

,,.
When he had eased the dyin' pan's of the old ,omanA (ll ,andered in a fearful daze out into the dazzlin' sands. She had 3een a fearsome thin'A shrivelled and so dryB li!e ,ithered leaves. 2er face had 3een the colour of the sic!ly yello, 'rasses that rustled in the hot ,indA and she ,as loathsomely old. But she had 3een a companionB someone to stammer out va'ue fears toA to tal! to a3out this incredi3le thin'B a comrade to share one<s hopes for succour from those silent other colonies 3eyond the mountains. 2e could not 3elieve none lived else,hereA for (ll ,as youn'A and not certain as are the old. 4or many years he had !no,n none 3ut the old ,oman 1 her name ,as 8laddna. She had come that day in his eleventh yearA ,hen all the hunters ,ent to see! foodA and did not return. (ll had no mother that he could remem3erA and there ,ere fe, ,omen in the tiny 'roup. When the men had vanishedA those three ,omenA the youn' one and the t,o oldA had screamed fearfullyA and moaned lon'. Then the youn' one had 'one madA and !illed herself ,ith a sharp stic!. The old ones 3uried her in a shallo, hole du' ,ith their nailsA so (ll had 3een alone ,hen this still older 8laddna came. She ,al!ed ,ith the aid of a !notty poleA a priceless reliDue of the old forestsA hard and shiny ,ith years of use. She did not say ,hence she cameA 3ut stum3led into the ca3in ,hile the youn' suicide ,as 3ein' 3uried. There she ,aited till the t,o returnedA and they accepted her incuriously. That ,as the ,ay it had 3een for many ,ee!sA until the t,o fell sic!A and 8laddna could not cure them. stran'e that those youn'er t,o should have 3een stric!enA ,hile sheA infirm and ancientA lived on. 8laddna had cared for them many daysA and at len'th they diedA so that (ll ,as left ,ith only the stran'er. 2e screamed all the ni'htA so she 3ecame at len'th out of patienceA and threatened to die too. ThenA hear!enin'A he 3ecame Duiet at onceB for he ,as not desirous of complete solitude. After that he lived ,ith 8laddna and they 'athered roots to eat. 8laddna<s rotten teeth ,ere ill suited to the food they 'atheredA 3ut they continued to chop it up till she could mana'e it. This ,eary routine of see!in' and eatin' ,as (ll<s childhood. ;o, he ,as stron'A and firmA in his nineteenth yearA and the old ,oman ,as dead. There ,as nau'ht to stay forA so he determined at once to see! out those fa3led huts 3eyond the mountainsA and live ,ith the people there. There ,as nothin' to ta!e on the Courney. (ll closed the door of his ca3in 1 ,hyA he could not have toldA for no animals had 3een there for many years 1 and left the dead ,oman ,ithin. 2alf1dazedA and fearful at his o,n audacityA he ,al!ed lon' hours in the dry 'rassesA and at len'th reached the first of the foothills. The afternoon cameA and he clim3ed until he ,as ,earyA and lay do,n on the 'rasses. Spra,led thereA he thou'ht of many thin's. 2e ,ondered at the stran'e lifeA passionately an%ious to see! out the lost colony 3eyond the mountainsB 3ut at last he slept. When he a,o!e there ,as starli'ht on his faceA and he felt refreshed. ;o, that the sun ,as 'one for a timeA he travelled more Duic!lyA eatin' littleA and determinin' to hasten

H.P.Lovecr !t

Till A< the Seas

1**-

3efore the lac! of ,ater 3ecame difficult to 3ear. 2e had 3rou'ht noneB for the last peopleA d,ellin' in one place and never havin' occasion to 3ear their precious ,ater a,ayA made no vessels of any !ind. (ll hoped to reach his 'oal ,ithin a dayA and thus escape thirstB so he hurried on 3eneath the 3ri'ht starsA runnin' at times in the ,arm airA and at other times lapsin' into a do'trot. So he continued until the sun aroseA yet still he ,as ,ithin the small hillsA ,ith three 'reat pea!s loomin' ahead. =n their shade he rested a'ain. then he clim3ed all the mornin'A and at mid1day surmounted the first pea!A ,here he lay for a timeA surveyin' the space 3efore the ne%t ran'e. (pon an eroded cliff1top rested the manA 'azin' far across the valley. 5yin' thus he could see a 'reat distanceA 3ut in all the sere e%panse there ,as no visi3le motion... The second ni'ht cameA and found (ll amid the rou'h pea!sA the valley and the place ,here he had rested far 3ehind. 2e ,as nearly out of the second ran'e no,A and hurryin' still. Thirst had come upon him that dayA and he re'retted his folly. .et he could not have stayed there ,ith the corpseA alone in the 'rasslands. 2e sou'ht to convince himself thusA and hastened ever onA tiredly strainin'. And no, there only a fe, steps 3efore the cliff ,all ,ould part and allo, a vie, of the land 3eyond. (ll stum3led ,earily do,n the stony ,ayA tum3lin' and 3ruisin' himself even more. =t ,as nearly 3efore himA this land of ,hich he had heard tales in his youth. The ,ay ,as lon'A 3ut the 'oal ,as 'reat. A 3oulder of 'iant circumference cut off his vie,B upon this he scram3led an%iously. ;o, at last he could 3ehold 3y the sin!in' or3 his lon'1sou'ht destinationA and his thirst and achin' muscles ,ere for'otten as he sa, Coyfully that a small huddle of 3uildin's clun' to the 3ase of the farther cliff. (ll rested notB 3utA spurred on 3y ,hat he sa,A ran and sta''ered and cra,led the half mile remainin'. 2e fancied that he could detect forms amon' the rude ca3ins. The sun ,as nearly 'oneB the hatefulA devastatin' sun that had slain humanity. 2e could not 3e sure of detailsA 3ut soon the ca3ins ,ere near. They ,ere very oldA for clay 3loc!s lasted lon' in the still dryness of the dyin' ,orld. 5ittleA indeedA chan'ed 3ut the livin' thin's 1 the 'rasses and these last men. Before him an open door s,un' upon rude pe's. =n the fadin' li'h (ll enteredA ,eary unto deathA see!in' painfully the e%pected faces. Then he fell upon the floor and ,eptA for at the ta3le ,as propped a dry and ancient s!eleton. ooo 2e rose at lastA crazed 3y thirstA achin' un3eara3lyA and sufferin' the 'reatest disappointment nay mortal could !no,. 2e ,asA thenA the last livin' thin' upon the 'lo3e. 2is the herita'e of the Earth... all the landsA and all to him eDually useless. 2e sta''ered upA not loo!in' at the dim ,hite form in the reflected moonli'htA and ,ent throu'h the door. A3out the empty villa'e he ,anderedA searchin' for ,ater and sadly inspectin' this lon'1empty place so spectrally preserved 3y the chan'eless air. here there ,as a d,ellin'A

H.P.Lovecr !t

Till A< the Seas

1**7

there a rude place ,here thin's had 3een made 1 clay vessels holdin' only dustA and no,here any liDuid to Duench his 3urnin' thirst. ThenA in the centre of the little to,nA (ll sa, a ,ell1cur3. 2e !ne, ,hat it ,asA for he had heard tales of such thin' from 8laddna. With pitiful CoyA he reeled for,ard and leaned upon the ed'e. ThereA at lastA ,as the end of his search. Water 1 slimyA sta'nantA and shallo,A 3ut ,ater 1 3efore his si'ht. (ll cried out in the voice of a tortured animalA 'ropin' for the chain and 3uc!et. 2is hand slipped on the slimy ed'eB and he fell upon his chest across the 3rin!. 4or a moment he lay there 1 then soundlessly his 3ody ,as precipitated do,n the 3lac! shaft. There ,as a sli'ht splash in the mur!y shallo,ness as he struc! some lon'1sun!en stoneA dislod'ed aeons a'o from the massive copin'. The distur3ed ,ater su3sided into Duietness. And no, at last the Earth ,as dead. The finalA pitiful survivor had perished. All the teemin' 3illionsB the slo, aeonsB the empires and civilizations of man!ind ,ere summed up in this poor t,isted form 1 and ho, titanically meanin'less it all had 3eenF ;o, indeed had come an end and clima% to all the efforts of humanity 1 ho, monstrous and incredi3le a clima% in the eyes of those poor complacent fools of the prosperous daysF ;ot ever a'ain ,ould the planet !no, the thunderous rampa'in' of human millions 1 or even the cra,lin' of lizards and the 3uzz of insectsA for theyA tooA had 'one. no, ,as come the rei'n of sapless 3ranches and endless fields of tou'h 'rasses. EarthA li!e its coldA impertur3a3le moonA ,as 'iven over to silence and 3lac!ness forever. The stars ,hirred onB the ,hole careless plan ,ould continue for infinities un!no,n. This trivial end of a ne'li'i3le episode mattered not to distant ne3ulae or to suns ne,13ornA flourishin'A and dyin'. The race of manA too puny and momentary to have a real function or purposeA ,as as if it had never e%isted. To such a conclusion the aeons of its farcically toilsome evolution had led. But ,hen the deadly sun<s first rays darted across the valleyA a li'ht found its ,ay to the ,eary face of a 3ro!en fi'ure that lay in the slime.

The Tom6
=n relatin' the circumstances ,hich have led to my confinement ,ithin this refu'e for the dementedA = am a,are that my present position ,ill create a natural dou3t of the authenticity of my narrative. =t is an unfortunate fact that the 3ul! of humanity is too limited in its mental vision to ,ei'h ,ith patience and intelli'ence those isolated phenomenaA seen and felt only 3y a psycholo'ically sensitive fe,A ,hich lie outside its common e%perience. 8en of 3roader intellect !no, that there is no sharp distinction 3et,i%t the real and the unrealB that all thin's appear as they do only 3y virtue of the delicate individual physical and mental media throu'h ,hich ,e are made conscious of themB 3ut the prosaic materialism of the maCority condemns as madness the flashes of supersi'ht ,hich penetrate the common veil of o3vious empricism. 8y name is 6ervas $udleyA and from earliest childhood = have 3een a dreamer and a visionary. Wealthy 3eyond the necessity of a commercial lifeA and temperamentally unfitted for the formal studies and social recreation of my acDuaintancesA = have d,elt ever in realms apart from the visi3le ,orldB spendin' my youth and adolescence in ancient and little !no,n 3oo!sA and in roamin' the fields and 'roves of the re'ion near my ancestral home. = do not thin! that ,hat = read in these 3oo!s or sa, in these fields and 'roves ,as e%actly ,hat other 3oys read and sa, thereB 3ut of this = must say littleA since detailed speech ,ould 3ut confirm those cruel slanders upon my intellect ,hich = sometimes overhear from the ,hispers of the stealthy attendants around me. =t is sufficient for me to relate events ,ithout analyzin' causes. = have said that = d,elt apart from the visi3le ,orldA 3ut = have not said that = d,elt alone. This no human creature may doB for lac!in' the fello,ship of the livin'A he inevita3ly dra,s upon the companionship of thin's that are notA or are no lon'erA livin'. Close 3y my home there lies a sin'ular ,ooded hollo,A in ,hose t,ili'ht deeps = spent most of my timeB readin'A thin!in'A and dreamin'. $o,n its moss1covered slopes my first steps of infancy ,ere ta!enA and around its 'rotesDuely 'narled oa! trees my first fancies of 3oyhood ,ere ,oven. Well did = come to !no, the presidin' dryads of those treesA and often have = ,atched their ,ild dances in the stru''lin' 3eams of a ,anin' moon 3ut of these thin's = must not no, spea!. = ,ill tell only of the lone tom3 in the dar!est of the hillside thic!etsB the deserted tom3 of the 2ydesA an old and e%alted family ,hose last direct descendant had 3een laid ,ithin its 3lac! recesses many decades 3efore my 3irth. The vault to ,hich = refer is of ancient 'raniteA ,eathered and discolored 3y the mists and dampness of 'enerations. E%cavated 3ac! into the hillsideA the structure is visi3le only at the entrance. The doorA a ponderous and for3iddin' sla3 of stoneA han's upon rusted iron hin'esA and is fastened aCar in a Dueerly sinister ,ay 3y means of heavy iron chains and padloc!sA accordin' to a 'ruesome fashion of half a century a'o. The a3ode of the race ,hose scions are here inurned had once cro,ned the declivity ,hich holds the tom3A 3ut had lon' since fallen victim to the flames ,hich spran' up from a stro!e of li'htnin'. +f the midni'ht storm ,hich destroyed this 'loomy mansionA the older inha3itants of the re'ion sometimes spea! in hushed and uneasy voicesB alludin' to ,hat they call Edivine ,rath< in a manner that in later years va'uely increased the al,ays stron' fascination ,hich = had felt for the forest1dar!ened sepulcher. +ne man only had perished in the fire.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Tom3

1**)

When the last of the 2ydes ,as 3uried in this place of shade and stillnessA the sad urnful of ashes had come from a distant landA to ,hich the family had repaired ,hen the mansion 3urned do,n. ;o one remains to lay flo,ers 3efore the 'ranite portalA and fe, care to 3rave the depressin' shado,s ,hich seem to lin'er stran'ely a3out the ,ater1,orn stones. = shall never for'et the afternoon ,hen first = stum3led upon the half1hidden house of death. =t ,as in midsummerA ,hen the alchemy of nature transmutes the sylvan landscape to one vivid and almost homo'eneous mass of 'reenB ,hen the senses are ,ell1ni'h into%icated ,ith the sur'in' seas of moist verdure and the su3tly indefina3le odors of the soil and the ve'etation. =n such surroundin's the mind loses its perspectiveB time and space 3ecome trivial and unrealA and echoes of a for'otten prehistoric past 3eat insistently upon the enthralled consciousness. All day = had 3een ,anderin' throu'h the mystic 'roves of the hollo,B thin!in' thou'hts = need not discussA and conversin' ,ith thin's = need not name. =n years a child of tenA = had seen and heard many ,onders un!no,n to the thron'B and ,as oddly a'ed in certain respects. WhenA upon forcin' my ,ay 3et,een t,o sava'e clumps of 3riarsA = suddenly encountered the entrance of the vaultA = had no !no,led'e of ,hat = had discovered. The dar! 3loc!s of 'raniteA the door so curiously aCarA and the funeral carvin's a3ove the archA aroused in me no associations of mournful or terri3le character. +f 'raves and tom3s = !ne, and ima'ined muchA 3ut had on account of my peculiar temperament 3een !ept from all personal contact ,ith churchyards and cemeteries. The stran'e stone house on the ,oodland slope ,as to me only a source of interest and speculationB and its coldA damp interiorA into ,hich = vainly peered throu'h the aperture so tantalizin'ly leftA contained for me no hint of death or decay. But in that instant of curiosity ,as 3orn the madly unreasonin' desire ,hich has 3rou'ht me to this hell of confinement. Spurred on 3y a voice ,hich must have come from the hideous soul of the forestA = resolved to enter the 3ec!onin' 'loom in spite of the ponderous chains ,hich 3arred my passa'e. =n the ,anin' li'ht of day = alternately rattled the rusty impediments ,ith a vie, to thro,in' ,ide the stone doorA and essayed to sDueeze my sli'ht form throu'h the space already providedB 3ut neither plan met ,ith success. At first curiousA = ,as no, franticB and ,hen in the thic!enin' t,ili'ht = returned to my homeA = had s,orn to the hundred 'ods of the 'rove that at any cost = ,ould some day force an entrance to the 3lac!A chilly depths that seemed callin' out to me. The physician ,ith the iron1'rey 3eard ,ho comes each day to my roomA once told a visitor that this decision mar!ed the 3e'innin' of a pitiful monomaniaB 3ut = ,ill leave final Cud'ment to my readers ,hen they shall have learnt all. The months follo,in' my discovery ,ere spent in futile attempts to force the complicated padloc! of the sli'htly open vaultA and in carefully 'uarded inDuiries re'ardin' the nature and history of the structure. With the traditionally receptive ears of the small 3oyA = learned muchB thou'h an ha3itual secretiveness caused me to tell no one of my information or my resolve. =t is perhaps ,orth mentionin' that = ,as not at all surprised or terrified on learnin' of the nature of the vault. 8y rather ori'inal ideas re'ardin' life and death had caused me to associate the cold clay ,ith the 3reathin' 3ody in a va'ue fashionB and = felt that the 'reat and sinister family of the 3urned1do,n mansion ,as in some ,ay represented ,ithin the stone space = sou'ht to e%plore. 8um3led tales of the ,eird rites and 'odless revels of 3y'one years in the ancient hall 'ave to me a ne, and potent interest in the tom3A 3efore ,hose door = ,ould sit for hours at a time each day. +nce = thrust a candie ,ithin the nearly closed entranceA 3ut could see nothin' save a fli'ht of damp stone steps leadin' do,n,ard. The odor of the place repelled yet 3e,itched me. = felt = had

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Tom3

1*1*

!no,n it 3eforeA in a past remote 3eyond all recollectionB 3eyond even my tenancy of the 3ody = no, possess. The year after = first 3eheld the tom3A = stum3led upon a ,orm1eaten translation of >lutarch<s (i!es in the 3oo!1filled attic of my home. :eadin' the life of TheseusA = ,as much impressed 3y that passa'e tellin' of the 'reat stone 3eneath ,hich the 3oyish hero ,as to find his to!ens of destiny ,henever he should 3ecome old enou'h to lift its enormous ,ei'ht. The le'end had the effect of dispellin' my !eenest impatience to enter the vaultA for it made me feel that the time ,as not yet ripe. 5aterA = told myselfA = should 'ro, to a stren'th and in'enuity ,hich mi'ht ena3le me to unfasten the heavily chained door ,ith easeB 3ut until then = ,ould do 3etter 3y conformin' to ,hat seemed the ,ill of 4ate. Accordin'ly my ,atches 3y the dan! portal 3ecame less persistentA and much of my time ,as spent in other thou'h eDually stran'e pursuits. = ,ould sometimes rise very Duietly in the ni'htA stealin' out to ,al! in those church1yards and places of 3urial from ,hich = had 3een !ept 3y my parents. What = did there = may not sayA for = am not no, sure of the reality of certain thin'sB 3ut = !no, that on the day after such a nocturnal ram3le = ,ould often astonish those a3out me ,ith my !no,led'e of topics almost for'otten for many 'enerations. =t ,as after a ni'ht li!e this that = shoc!ed the community ,ith a Dueer conceit a3out the 3urial of the rich and cele3rated SDuire Bre,sterA a ma!er of local history ,ho ,as interred in 1711A and ,hose slate headstoneA 3earin' a 'raven s!ull and cross3onesA ,as slo,ly crum3lin' to po,der. =n a moment of childish ima'ination = vo,ed not only that the underta!erA 7oodman SimpsonA had stolen the silver13uc!led shoesA sil!en hoseA and satin small1clothes of the deceased 3efore 3urialB 3ut that the SDuire himselfA not fully inanimateA had turned t,ice in his mound1covered coffin on the day after interment. But the idea of enterin' the tom3 never left my thou'htsB 3ein' indeed stimulated 3y the une%pected 'enealo'ical discovery that my o,n maternal ancestry possessed at least a sli'ht lin! ,ith the supposediy e%tinct family of the 2ydes. 5ast of my paternal raceA = ,as li!e,ise the last of this older and more mysterious line. = 3e'an to feel that the tom3 ,as mineA and to loo! for,ard ,ith hot ea'erness to the time ,hen = mi'ht pass ,ithin that stone door and do,n those slimy stone steps in the dar!. = no, formed the ha3it of listenin' very intently at the sli'htly open portalA choosin' my favorite hours of midni'ht stillness for the odd vi'il. By the time = came of a'eA = had made a small clearin' in the thic!et 3efore the mold1stained facade of the hillsideA allo,in' the surroundin' ve'etation to encircle and overhan' the space li!e the ,alls and roof of a sylvan 3o,er. This 3o,er ,as my templeA the fastened door my shrineA and here = ,ould lie outstretched on the mossy 'roundA thin!in' stran'e thou'hts and dreamin' stran'e dreams. The ni'ht of the first revelation ,as a sultry one. = must have fallen asleep from fati'ueA for it ,as ,ith a distinct sense of a,a!enin' that = heard the voices. +f these tones and accents = hesitate to spea!B of their Duality = ,ill not spea!B 3ut = may say that they presented certain uncanny differences in voca3ularyA pronunciationA and mode of utterance. Every shade of ;e, En'land dialectA from the uncouth sylla3les of the >uritan colonists to the precise rhetoric of fifty years a'oA seemed represented in that shado,y colloDuyA thou'h it ,as only later that = noticed the fact. At the timeA indeedA my attention ,as distracted from this matter 3y another phenomenonB a phenomenon so fleetin' that = could not ta!e oath upon its reality. = 3arely fancied that as = a,o!eA a lig"t had 3een hurriedly e%tin'uished ,ithin the sun!en sepulcher. = do not thin! = ,as either astounded or panic1

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Tom3

1*11

stric!enA 3ut = !no, that = ,as 'reatly and permanently c"anged that ni'ht. (pon returnin' home = ,ent ,ith much directness to a rottin' chest in the atticA ,herein = found the !ey ,hich ne%t day unloc!ed ,ith ease the 3arrier = had so lon' stormed in vain. =t ,as in the soft 'lo, of late afternoon that = first entered the vault on the a3andoned slope. A spell ,as upon meA and my heart leaped ,ith an e%ultation = can 3ut ill descri3e. As = closed the door 3ehind me and descended the drippin' steps 3y the li'ht of my lone candleA = seemed to !no, the ,ayB and thou'h the candle sputtered ,ith the stiflin' ree! of the placeA = felt sin'ularly at home in the mustyA charnel1house air. 5oo!in' a3out meA = 3eheld many mar3le sla3s 3earin' coffinsA or the remains of coffins. Some of these ,ere sealed and intactA 3ut others had nearly vanishedA leavin' the silver handles and plates isolated amidst certain curious heaps of ,hitish dust. (pon one plate = read the name of Sir 7eoffrey 2ydeA ,ho had come from Susse% in 1-#* and died here a fe, years later. =n a conspicuous alcove ,as one fairly ,ell preserved and untenanted cas!etA adorned ,ith a sin'le name ,hich 3rou'ht me 3oth a smile and a shudder. An odd impulse caused me to clim3 upon the 3road sla3A e%tin'uish my candleA and lie do,n ,ithin the vacant 3o%. =n the 'ray li'ht of da,n = sta''ered from the vault and loc!ed the chain of the door 3ehind me. = ,as no lon'er a youn' manA thou'h 3ut t,enty1one ,inters had chilled my 3odily frame. Early1risin' villa'ers ,ho o3served my home,ard pro'ress loo!ed at me stran'elyA and marveled at the si'ns of ri3ald revelry ,hich they sa, in one ,hose life ,as !no,n to 3e so3er and solitary. = did not appear 3efore my parents till after a lon' and refreshin' sleep. 2encefor,ard = haunted the tom3 each ni'htB seein'A hearin'A and doin' thin's = must never recall. 8y speechA al,ays suscepti3le to environmental influencesA ,as the first thin' to succum3 to the chan'eB and my suddenly acDuired archaism of diction ,as soon remar!ed upon. 5ater a Dueer 3oldness and rec!lessness came into my demeanorA till = unconsciously 're, to possess the 3earin' of a man of the ,orld despite my lifelon' seclusion. 8y formerly silent ton'ue ,a%ed volu3le ,ith the easy 'race of a Chesterfield or the 'odless cynicism of a :ochester. = displayed a peculiar erudition utterly unli!e the fantasticA mon!ish lore over ,hich = had pored in youthB and covered the fly1leaves of my 3oo!s ,ith facile impromptu epi'rams ,hich 3rou'ht up su''estions of 7ayA >riorA and the spri'htliest of the Au'ustan ,its and rimesters. +ne mornin' at 3rea!fast = came close to disaster 3y declaimin' in palpa3ly liDuorish accents an effusion of Ei'hteenth Century 3acchanalian mirthA a 3it of 7eor'ian playfulness never recorded in a 3oo!A ,hich ran somethin' li!e this9 Come "it"er& my lads& $it" your tankards of ale& And drink to t"e present before it s"all fail1 ,ile eac" on your platter a mountain of beef& 7or Ttis eating and drinking t"at bring us relief8 So fill up your glass& 7or life $ill soon pass1 W"en you+re dead ye+ll ne+er drink to your king or your lassC Anacreon "ad a red nose& so t"ey say1 But $"at+s a red nose if ye+re "appy and gay/ Gad split meC I+d rat"er be red $"ilst I+m "ere& T"an $"ite as a lily and dead "alf a yearC

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Tom3

1*1"

So Betty& my miss& Come gi!e me a kiss1 In "ell t"ere+s no innkeeper+s daug"ter like t"isC ;oung 9arry& propp+d up Fust as straig"t as "e+s able& Will soon lose "is $ig and slip under t"e table& But fill up your goblets and pass Tem around Better under t"e table t"an under t"e groundC So re!el and c"aff As ye t"irstily 0uaff8 5nder si@ feet of dirt Ttis less easy to laug"C T"e fiend strike me blueC l+m scarce able to $alk& And damn me if I can stand uprig"t or talkC 9ere& landlord& bid Betty to summon a c"air1 l+ll try "ome for a $"ile& for my $ife is not t"ereC So lend me a "and1 I+m not able to stand& But I+m gay $"ilst I linger on top of t"e landC A3out this time = conceived my present fear of fire and thunderstorms. >reviously indifferent to such thin'sA = had no, an unspea!a3le horror of themB and ,ould retire to the innermost recesses of the house ,henever the heavens threatened an electrical display. A favorite haunt of mine durin' the day ,as the ruined cellar of the mansion that had 3urned do,nA and in fancy = ,ould picture the structure as it had 3een in its prime. +n one occasion = startled a villa'er 3y leadin' him confidently to a shallo, su3cellarA of ,hose e%istence = seemed to !no, in spite of the fact that it had 3een unseen and for'otten for many 'enerations. At last came that ,hich = had lon' feared. 8y parentsA alarmed at the altered manner and appearance of their only sonA commenced to e%ert over my movements a !indly espiona'e ,hich threatened to result in disaster. = had told no one of my visits to the tom3A havin' 'uarded my secret purpose ,ith reli'ious zeal since childhoodB 3ut no, = ,as forced to e%ercise care in threadin' the mazes of the ,ooded hollo,A that = mi'ht thro, off a possi3le pursuer. 8y !ey to the vault = !ept suspended from a cord a3out my nec!A its presence !no,n only to me. = never carried out of the sepulcher any of the thin's = came upon ,hilst ,ithin its ,alls. +ne mornin' as = emer'ed from the damp tom3 and fastened the chain of the portal ,ith none too steady handA = 3eheld in an adCacent thic!et the dreaded face of a ,atcher. Surely the end ,as nearB for my 3o,er ,as discoveredA and the o3Cective of my nocturnal Courneys revealed. The man did not accost meA so = hastened home in an effort to overhear ,hat he mi'ht report to my care,orn father. Were my soCourns 3eyond the chained door a3out to 3e proclaimed to the ,orldG =ma'ine my deli'hted astonishment on hearin' the spy inform my parent in a cautious ,hisper that I "ad spent t"e nig"t in t"e bo$er outside t"e tombB my sleep1filmed eyes fi%ed upon the crevice ,here the padloc!ed portal stood aCarF By ,hat miracle had the ,atcher 3een thus deludedG = ,as no, convinced that a supernatural a'ency protected me. 8ade 3old 3y this heaven1sent circumstanceA = 3e'an to resume perfect openness in 'oin' to the vaultB confident that no one could ,itness my entrance. 4or a ,ee! = tasted to the full Coys of that charnel conviviality ,hich = must not

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Tom3

1*1&

descri3eA ,hen the t"ing happenedA and = ,as 3orne a,ay to this accursed a3ode of sorro, and monotony. = should not have ventured out that ni'htB for the taint of thunder ,as in the cloudsA and a hellish phosphoresence rose from the ran! s,amp at the 3ottom of the hollo,. The call of the deadA tooA ,as different. =nstead of the hillside tom3A it ,as the charred cellar on the crest of the slope ,hose presidin' demon 3ec!oned to me ,ith unseen fin'ers. As = emer'ed from an intervenin' 'rove upon the plain 3efore the ruin. = 3eheld in the misty moonli'ht a thin' = had al,ays va'uely e%pected. The mansionA 'one for a centuryA once more reared its stately hei'ht to the raptured visionB every ,indo, a3laze ,ith the splendor of many candles. (p the lon' drive rolled the coaches of the Boston 'entryA ,hilst on foot came a numerous assem3la'e of po,dered e%Duisites from the nei'h3orin' mansions. With this thron' = min'ledA thou'h = !ne, = 3elon'ed ,ith the hosts rather than ,ith the 'uests. =nside the hall ,ere musicA lau'hterA and ,ine on every hand. Several faces = reco'nizedB thou'h = should have !no,n them 3etter had they 3een shriveled or eaten a,ay 3y death and decomposition. Amidst a ,ild and rec!less thron' = ,as the ,ildest and most a3andoned. 7ay 3lasphemy poured in torrents from my lipsA and in shoc!in' sallies = heeded no la, of 7odA or nature. Suddenly a peal of thunderA resonant even a3ove the din of the s,inish revelryA clave the very roof and laid a hush of fear upon the 3oisterous company. :ed ton'ues of flame and searin' 'usts of heat en'ulfed the houseB and the roysterersA struc! ,ith terror at the descent of a calamity ,hich seemed to transcend the 3ounds of un'uided natureA fled shrie!in' into the ni'ht. = alone remainedA riveted to my seat 3y a 'rovelin' fear ,hich = had never felt 3efore. And then a second horror too! possession of my soul. Burnt alive to ashesA my 3ody dispersed 3y the four ,indsA = mi'ht never lie in the tom3 of the 2ydesi Was not my coffin prepared for meG 2ad = not a ri'ht to rest till eternity amon'st the descendants of Sir 7eoffrey 2ydeG AyeF = ,ould claim my herita'e of deathA even thou'h my soul 'o see!in' throu'h the a'es for another corporeal tenement to represent it on that vacant sla3 in the alcove of the vault. 6ervas 2yde should never share the sad fate of >alinurusF As the phantom of the 3urnin' house fadedA = found myself screamin' and stru''lin' madly in the arms of t,o menA one of ,hom ,as the spy ,ho had follo,ed me to the tom3. :ain ,as pourin' do,n in torrentsA and upon the southern horizon ,ere flashes of li'htnin' that had so lately passed over our heads. 8y fatherA his face lined ,ith sorro,A stood 3y as = shouted my demands to 3e laid ,ithin the tom3A freDuently admonishin' my captors to treat me as 'ently as they could. A 3lac!ened circle on the floor of the ruined cellar told of a violent stro!e from the heavensB and from this spot a 'roup of curious villa'ers ,ith lanterns ,ere pryin' a small 3o% of antiDue ,or!manshipA ,hich the thunder3olt had 3rou'ht to li'ht. Ceasin' my futile and no, o3Cectless ,rithin'A = ,atched the spectators as they vie,ed the treasure1troveA and ,as permitted to share in their discoveries. The 3o%A ,hose fastenin's ,ere 3ro!en 3y the stro!e ,hich had unearthed itA contained many papers and o3Cects of valueA 3ut = had eyes for one thin' alone. =t ,as the porcelain miniature of a youn' man in a smartly curled 3a'1,i'A and 3ore the initials E6. 2.< The face ,as such that as = 'azedA = mi'ht ,ell have 3een studyin' my mirror.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Tom3

1*1#

+n the follo,in' day = ,as 3rou'ht to this room ,ith the 3arred ,indo,sA 3ut = have 3een !ept informed of certain thin's throu'h an a'ed and simple1minded servitorA for ,hom = 3ore a fondness in infancyA and ,hoA li!e meA loves the churchyard. What = have dared relate of my e%periences ,ithin the vault has 3rou'ht me only pityin' smiles. 8y fatherA ,ho visits me freDuentlyA declares that at no time did = pass the chained portalA and s,ears that the rusted padloc! had not 3een touched for fifty years ,hen he e%amined it. 2e even says that all the villa'e !ne, of my Courneys to the tom3A and that = ,as often ,atched as = slept in the 3o,er outside the 'rim facadeA my half1open eyes fi%ed on the crevice that leads to the interior. A'ainst these assertions = have no tan'i3le proof to offerA since my !ey to the padloc! ,as lost in the stru''le on that ni'ht of horrors. The stran'e thin's of the past ,hich = have learned durin' those nocturnal meetin's ,ith the dead he dismisses as the fruits of my lifelon' and omnivorous 3ro,sin' amon'st the ancient volumes of the family li3rary. 2ad it not 3een for my old servant 2iramA = should have 3y this time 3ecome Duite convinced of my madness. But 2iramA loyal to the lastA has held faith in meA and has done that ,hich impels me to ma!e pu3lic at least part of my story. A ,ee! a'o he 3urst open the loc! ,hich chains the door of the tom3 perpetually aCarA and descended ,ith a lantern into the mur!y depths. +n a sla3 in an alcove he found an old 3ut empty coffin ,hose tarnished plate 3ears the sin'le ,ord9 6ervas. =n that coffin and in that vault they have promised me = shall 3e 3uried.

The Tr #sitio# o! 7% # Romero

+f the events ,hich too! place at the ;orton 8ine on +cto3er ei'hteenth and nineteenthA 18)#A = have no desire to spea!. A sense of duty to science is all that impels me to recallA in the last years of my lifeA scenes and happenin's frau'ht ,ith a terror dou3ly acute 3ecause = cannot ,holly define it. But = 3elieve that 3efore = die = should tell ,hat = !no, of the 1 shall = say transition 1 of 6uan :omero. 8y name and ori'in need not 3e related to posterityB in factA = fancy it is 3etter that they should not 3eA for ,hen a man suddenly mi'rates to the States or the ColoniesA he leaves his past 3ehind him. BesidesA ,hat = once ,as is not in the least relevant to my narrativeB save perhaps the fact that durin' my service in =ndia = ,as more at home amon'st ,hite1 3earded native teachers than amon'st my 3rother1officers. = had delved not a little into odd Eastern lore ,hen overta!en 3y the calamities ,hich 3rou'ht a3out my ne, life in AmericaTs vast West 1 a life ,herein = found it ,ell to accept a name 1 my present one 1 ,hich is very common and carries no meanin'. =n the summer and autumn of 18)# = d,elt in the drear e%panses of the Cactus 8ountainsA employed as a common la3ourer at the cele3rated ;orton 8ineA ,hose discovery 3y an a'ed prospector some years 3efore had turned the surroundin' re'ion from a nearly unpeopled ,aste to a seethin' cauldron of sordid life. A cavern of 'oldA lyin' deep 3eneath a mountain la!eA had enriched its venera3le finder 3eyond his ,ildest dreamsA and no, formed the seat of e%tensive tunnelin' operations on the part of the corporation to ,hich it had finally 3een sold. Additional 'rottoes had 3een foundA and the yield of yello, metal ,as e%ceedin'ly 'reatB so that a mi'hty and hetero'eneous army of miners toiled day and ni'ht in the numerous passa'es and roc! hollo,s. The SuperintendentA a 8r. ArthurA often discussed the sin'ularity of the local 'eolo'ical formationsB speculatin' on the pro3a3le e%tent of the chain of cavesA and estimatin' the future of the titanic minin' enterprises. 2e considered the auriferous cavities the result of the action of ,aterA and 3elieved the last of them ,ould soon 3e opened. =t ,as not lon' after my arrival and employment that 6uan :omero came to the ;orton 8ine. +ne of the lar'e herd of un!empt 8e%icans attracted thither from the nei'h3ourin' countryA he at first attracted attention only 3ecause of his featuresB ,hich thou'h plainly of the :ed =ndian typeA ,ere yet remar!a3le for their li'ht colour and refined conformationA 3ein' vastly unli!e those of the avera'e L'reaserL or >iute of the locality. =t is curious that althou'h he differed so ,idely from the mass of 2ispanicised and tri3al =ndiansA :omero 'ave not the least impression of Caucasian 3lood. =t ,as not the Castilian conDuistador or the American pioneerA 3ut the ancient and no3le AztecA ,hom ima'ination called to vie, ,hen the silent peon ,ould rise in the early mornin' and 'aze in fascination at the sun as it crept a3ove the eastern hillsA mean,hile stretchin' out his arms to the or3 as if in the performance of some rite ,hose nature he did not himself comprehend. But save for his faceA :omero ,as not in any ,ay su''estive of no3ility. ='norant and dirtyA he ,as at home amon'st the other 3ro,n1s!inned 8e%icansB havin' come Jso = ,as after,ard toldK from the very lo,est sort of surroundin's. 2e had 3een found as a child in a crude mountain hutA the only survivor of an epidemic ,hich had stal!ed lethally 3y. ;ear the hutA close to a rather unusual roc! fissureA had lain t,o s!eletonsA ne,ly pic!ed 3y vulturesA and

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Transition of 6uan :omero

1*1-

presuma3ly formin' the sole remains of his parents. ;o one recalled their identityA and they ,ere soon for'otten 3y the many. =ndeedA the crum3lin' of the ado3e hut and the closin' of the roc!1fissure 3y a su3seDuent avalanche had helped to efface even the scene from recollection. :eared 3y a 8e%ican cattle1thief ,ho had 'iven him his nameA 6uan differed little from his fello,s. The attachment ,hich :omero manifested to,ard me ,as undou3tedly commenced throu'h the Duaint and ancient 2indoo rin' ,hich = ,ore ,hen not en'a'ed in active la3our. +f its natureA and manner of comin' into my possessionA = cannot spea!. =t ,as my last lin! ,ith a chapter of my life forever closedA and = valued it hi'hly. Soon = o3served that the odd1loo!in' 8e%ican ,as li!e,ise interestedB eyein' it ,ith an e%pression that 3anished all suspicion of mere covetousness. =ts hoary hiero'lyphs seemed to stir some faint recollection in his untutored 3ut active mindA thou'h he could not possi3ly have 3eheld their li!e 3efore. Within a fe, ,ee!s after his adventA :omero ,as li!e a faithful servant to meB this not,ithstandin' the fact that = ,as myself 3ut an ordinary miner. +ur conversation ,as necessarily limited. 2e !ne, 3ut a fe, ,ords of En'lishA ,hile = found my +%onian Spanish ,as somethin' Duite different from the patois of the peon of ;e, Spain. The event ,hich = am a3out to relate ,as unheralded 3y lon' premonitions. Thou'h the man :omero had interested meA and thou'h my rin' had affected him peculiarlyA = thin! that neither of us had any e%pectation of ,hat ,as to follo, ,hen the 'reat 3last ,as set off. 7eolo'ical considerations had dictated an e%tension of the mine directly do,n,ard from the deepest part of the su3terranean areaB and the 3elief of the Superintendent that only solid roc! ,ould 3e encounteredA had led to the placin' of a prodi'ious char'e of dynamite. With this ,or! :omero and = ,ere not connectedA ,herefore our first !no,led'e of e%traordinary conditions came from others. The char'eA heavier perhaps than had 3een estimatedA had seemed to sha!e the entire mountain. Windo,s in shanties on the slope outside ,ere shattered 3y the shoc!A ,hilst miners throu'hout the nearer passa'es ,ere !noc!ed from their feet. 6e,el 5a!eA ,hich lay a3ove the scene of actionA heaved as in a tempest. (pon investi'ation it ,as seen that a ne, a3yss ya,ned indefinitely 3elo, the seat of the 3lastB an a3yss so monstrous that no handy line mi'ht fathom itA nor any lamp illuminate it. BaffledA the e%cavators sou'ht a conference ,ith the SuperintendentA ,ho ordered 'reat len'ths of rope to 3e ta!en to the pitA and spliced and lo,ered ,ithout cessation till a 3ottom mi'ht 3e discovered. Shortly after,ard the pale1faced ,or!men apprised the Superintendent of their failure. 4irmly thou'h respectfullyA they si'nified their refusal to revisit the chasm or indeed to ,or! further in the mine until it mi'ht 3e sealed. Somethin' 3eyond their e%perience ,as evidently confrontin' themA for so far as they could ascertainA the void 3elo, ,as infinite. The Superintendent did not reproach them. =nsteadA he pondered deeplyA and made plans for the follo,in' day. The ni'ht shift did not 'o on that evenin'. At t,o in the mornin' a lone coyote on the mountain 3e'an to ho,l dismally. 4rom some,here ,ithin the ,or!s a do' 3ar!ed an ans,erB either to the coyote 1 or to somethin' else. A storm ,as 'atherin' around the pea!s of the ran'eA and ,eirdly shaped clouds scudded horri3ly across the 3lurred patch of celestial li'ht ,hich mar!ed a 'i33ous moonTs attempts to shine throu'h many layers of cirro1stratus vapours. =t ,as :omeroTs voiceA comin' from the 3un! a3oveA that a,a!ened meA a voice e%cited and tense ,ith some va'ue e%pectation = could not understand9

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Transition of 6uan :omero

1*17

)Madre de #iosC - el sonido - ese sonido - orga .dC - lo oyte .d/ - senor& T2AT S+(;$FL = listenedA ,onderin' ,hat sound he meant. The coyoteA the do'A the stormA all ,ere audi3leB the last named no, 'ainin' ascendancy as the ,ind shrie!ed more and more frantically. 4lashes of li'htnin' ,ere visi3le throu'h the 3un!1house ,indo,. = Duestioned the nervous 8e%icanA repeatin' the sounds = had heard9 ) l coyote - el perro - el !ien to/) But :omero did not reply. Then he commenced ,hisperin' as in a,e9 ) l ritmo& se"or - el ritmo de la tierra - T2AT T2:+B $+W; =; T2E 7:+(;$FL And no, = also heardB heard and shivered and ,ithout !no,in' ,hy. $eepA deepA 3elo, me ,as a sound 1 a rhythmA Cust as the peon had said 1 ,hichA thou'h e%ceedin'ly faintA yet dominated even the do'A the coyoteA and the increasin' tempest. To see! to descri3e it ,as useless 1 for it ,as such that no description is possi3le. >erhaps it ,as li!e the pulsin' of the en'ines far do,n in a 'reat linerA as sensed from the dec!A yet it ,as not so mechanicalB not so devoid of the element of the life and consciousness. +f all its DualitiesA remoteness in the earth most impressed me. To my mind rushed fra'ments of a passa'e in 6oseph 7lanvil ,hich >oe has Duoted ,ith tremendous effect19 L..... the vastnessA profundityA and unsearcha3leness of 2is ,or!sA $"ic" "a!e a dept" in t"em greater t"an t"e $ell of #emocritus%) Suddenly :omero leaped from his 3un!A pausin' 3efore me to 'aze at the stran'e rin' on my handA ,hich 'listened Dueerly in every flash of li'htnin'A and then starin' intently in the direction of the mine shaft. = also roseA and 3oth of us stood motionless for a timeA strainin' our ears as the uncanny rhythm seemed more and more to ta!e on a vital Duality. Then ,ithout apparent volition ,e 3e'an to move to,ard the doorA ,hose rattlin' in the 'ale held a comfortin' su''estion of earthly reality. The chantin' in the depths 1 for such the sound no, seemed to 3e 1 're, in volume and distinctnessB and ,e felt irresisti3ly ur'ed out into the storm and thence to the 'apin' 3lac!ness of the shaft. We encountered no livin' creatureA for the men of the ni'ht shift had 3een released from dutyA and ,ere dou3tless at the $ry 7ulch settlement pourin' sinister rumours into the ear of some dro,sy 3artender. 4rom the ,atchmanTs ca3inA ho,everA 'leamed a small sDuare of yello, li'ht li!e a 'uardian eye. = dimly ,ondered ho, the rhythmic sound had affected the ,atchmanB 3ut :omero ,as movin' more s,iftly no,A and = follo,ed ,ithout pausin'. As ,e descended the shaftA the sound 3eneath 're, definitely composite. =t struc! me as horri3ly li!e a sort of +riental ceremonyA ,ith 3eatin' of drums and chantin' of many voices. = haveA as you are a,areA 3een much in =ndia. :omero and = moved ,ithout material hesitancy throu'h drifts and do,n laddersB ever to,ard the thin' that allured usA yet ever ,ith a pitifully helpless fear and reluctance. At one time = fancied = had 'one mad 1 this ,as ,henA on ,onderin' ho, our ,ay ,as li'hted in the a3sence of lamp or candleA = realized that the ancient rin' on my fin'er ,as 'lo,in' ,ith eerie radianceA diffusin' a pallid lustre throu'h the dampA heavy air around.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Transition of 6uan :omero

1*18

=t ,as ,ithout ,arnin' that :omeroA after clam3erin' do,n one of the many ,ide laddersA 3ro!e into a run and left me alone. Some ne, and ,ild note in the drummin' and chantin'A percepti3le 3ut sli'htly to meA had acted on him in a startlin' fashionB and ,ith a ,ild outcry he for'ed ahead un'uided in the cavernTs 'loom. = heard his repeated shrie!s 3efore meA as he stum3led a,!,ardly alon' the level places and scram3led madly do,n the ric!ety ladders. And fri'htened as = ,asA = yet retained enou'h of my perception to note that his speechA ,hen articulateA ,as not of any sort !no,n to me. 2arsh 3ut impressive polysylla3les had replaced the customary mi%ture of 3ad Spanish and ,orse En'lishA and of theseA only the oft repeated cry )9uit2ilopotc"li) seemed in the least familiar. 5ater = definitely placed that ,ord in the ,or!s of a 'reat historian" 1 and shuddered ,hen the association came to me. The clima% of that a,ful ni'ht ,as composite 3ut fairly 3riefA 3e'innin' Cust as = reached the final cavern of the Courney. +ut of the dar!ness immediately ahead 3urst a final shrie! from the 8e%icanA ,hich ,as Coined 3y such a chorus of uncouth sound as = could never hear a'ain and survive. =n that moment it seemed as if all the hidden terrors and monstrosities of earth had 3ecome articulate in an effort to over,helm the human race. Simultaneously the li'ht from my rin' ,as e%tin'uishedA and = sa, a ne, li'ht 'limmerin' from lo,er space 3ut a fe, yards ahead of me. = had arrived at the a3yssA ,hich ,as no, redly a'lo,A and ,hich had evidently s,allo,ed up the unfortunate :omero. Advancin'A = peered over the ed'e of that chasm ,hich no line could fathomA and ,hich ,as no, a pandemonium of flic!erin' flame and hideous uproar. At first = 3eheld nothin' 3ut a seethin' 3lur of luminosityB 3ut then shapesA all infinitely distantA 3e'an to detach themselves from the confusionA and = sa, 1 ,as it 6uan :omeroG 1 but GodC I dare not tell you $"at I sa$C ...Some po,er from heavenA comin' to my aidA o3literated 3oth si'hts and sounds in such a crash as may 3e heard ,hen t,o universes collide in space. Chaos supervenedA and = !ne, the peace of o3livion. = hardly !no, ho, to continueA since conditions so sin'ular are involvedB 3ut = ,ill do my 3estA not even tryin' to differentiate 3et,i%t the real and the apparent. When = a,a!enedA = ,as safe in my 3un! and the red 'lo, of da,n ,as visi3le at the ,indo,. Some distance a,ay the lifeless 3ody of 6uan :omero lay upon a ta3leA surrounded 3y a 'roup of menA includin' the camp doctor. The men ,ere discussin' the stran'e death of the 8e%ican as he lay asleepB a death seemin'ly connected in some ,ay ,ith the terri3le 3olt of li'htnin' ,hich had struc! and sha!en the mountain. ;o direct cause ,as evidentA and an autopsy failed to sho, any reason ,hy :omero should not 3e livin'. Snatches of conversation indicated 3eyond a dou3t that neither :omero nor = had left the 3un!1house durin' the ni'htB that neither of us had 3een a,a!e durin' the fri'htful storm ,hich had passed over the Cactus ran'e. That stormA said men ,ho had ventured do,n the mine shaftA had caused e%tensive cavin'1inA and had completely closed the deep a3yss ,hich had created so much apprehension the day 3efore. When = as!ed the ,atchman ,hat sounds he had heard prior to the mi'hty thunder13oltB he mentioned a coyoteA a do'A and the snarlin' mountain ,ind 1 nothin' more. ;or do = dou3t his ,ord. (pon the resumption of ,or!A Superintendent Arthur called upon some especially dependa3le men to ma!e a fe, investi'ations around the spot ,here the 'ulf had appeared. Thou'h hardly ea'erA they o3eyedA and a deep 3orin' ,as made. :esults ,ere very curious. The roof of the voidA as seen ,hen it ,as openA ,as not 3y any means thic!B yet no, the drills of the investi'ators met ,hat appeared to 3e a limitless e%tent of solid roc!.

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4indin' nothin' elseA not even 'oldA the Superintendent a3andoned his attemptsB 3ut a perple%ed loo! occasionally steals over his countenance as he sits thin!in' at his des!. +ne other thin' is curious. Shortly after ,a!in' on that mornin' after the stormA = noticed the unaccounta3le a3sence of my 2indoo rin' from my fin'er. = had prized it 'reatlyA yet nevertheless felt a sensation of relief at its disappearance. =f one of my fello,1 miners appropriated itA he must have 3een Duite clever in disposin' of his 3ootyA for despite advertisements and a police searchA the rin' ,as never seen a'ain. Someho, = dou3t if it ,as stolen 3y mortal handsA for many stran'e thin's ,ere tau'ht me in =ndia. 8y opinion of my ,hole e%perience varies from time to time. =n 3road dayli'htA and at most seasons = am apt to thin! the 'reater part of it a mere dreamB 3ut sometimes in the autumnA a3out t,o in the mornin' ,hen the ,inds and animals ho,l dismallyA there comes from inconceiva3le depths 3elo, a damna3le su''estion of rhythmical thro33in' ...and = feel that the transition of 6uan :omero ,as a terri3le one indeed.

The Tr *
=t ,as on a certain Thursday mornin' in $ecem3er that the ,hole thin' 3e'an ,ith that unaccounta3le motion = thou'ht = sa, in my antiDue Copenha'en mirror. Somethin'A it seemed to meA stirred 1 somethin' reflected in the 'lassA thou'h = ,as alone in my Duarters. = paused and loo!ed intentlyA thenA decidin' that the effect must 3e a pure illusionA resumed the interrupted 3rushin' of my hair. = had discovered the old mirrorA covered ,ith dust and co3,e3sA in an out3uildin' of an a3andoned estate1house in Santa Cruz<s sparsely settled ;orthside territoryA and had 3rou'ht it to the (nited States from the ?ir'in =slands. The venera3le 'lass ,as dim from more than t,o hundred years< e%posure to a tropical climateA and the 'raceful ornamentation alon' the top of the 'ilt frame had 3een 3adly smashed. = had had the detached pieces set 3ac! into the frame 3efore placin' it in stora'e ,ith my other 3elon'in's. ;o,A several years laterA = ,as stayin' half as a 'uest and half as a tutor at the private school of my old friend Bro,ne on a ,indy Connecticut hillside 1 occupyin' an unused ,in' in one of the dormitoriesA ,here = had t,o rooms and a hall,ay to myself. The old mirrorA sto,ed securely in mattressesA ,as the first of my possessions to 3e unpac!ed on my arrivalB and = had set it up maCestically in the livin'1roomA on top of an old rose,ood console ,hich had 3elon'ed to my 'reat1'randmother. The door of my 3edroom ,as Cust opposite that of the livin'1roomA ,ith a hall,ay 3et,eenB and = had noticed that 3y loo!in' into my chiffonier 'lass = could see the lar'er mirror throu'h the t,o door,ays 1 ,hich ,as e%actly li!e 'lancin' do,n an endlessA thou'h diminishin'A corridor. +n this Thursday mornin' = thou'ht = sa, a curious su''estion of motion do,n that normally empty corridor 1 3utA as = have saidA soon dismissed the notion. When = reached the dinin'1room = found everyone complainin' of the coldA and learned that the school<s heatin'1plant ,as temporarily out of order. Bein' especially sensitive to lo, temperaturesA = ,as myself an acute suffererB and at once decided not to 3rave any freezin' schoolroom that day. Accordin'ly = invited my class to come over to my livin'1 room for an informal session around my 'rate1fire 1 a su''estion ,hich the 3oys received enthusiastically. After the session one of the 3oysA :o3ert 7randisonA as!ed if he mi'ht remainB since he had no appointment for the second mornin' period. = told him to stayA and ,elcome. 2e sat do,n to study in front of the fireplace in a comforta3le chair. =t ,as not lon'A ho,everA 3efore :o3ert moved to another chair some,hat farther a,ay from the freshly replenished 3lazeA this chan'e 3rin'in' him directly opposite the old mirror. 4rom my o,n chair in another part of the room = noticed ho, fi%edly he 3e'an to loo! at the dimA cloudy 'lassA andA ,onderin' ,hat so 'reatly interested himA ,as reminded of my o,n e%perience earlier that mornin'. As time passed he continued to 'azeA a sli'ht fro,n !nittin' his 3ro,s.

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At last = Duietly as!ed him ,hat had attracted his attention. Slo,lyA and still ,earin' the puzzled fro,nA he loo!ed over and replied rather cautiously9 L=t<s the corru'ations in the 'lass 1 or ,hatever they areA 8r. Canevin. = ,as noticin' ho, they all seem to run from a certain point. 5oo! 1 =<ll sho, you ,hat = mean.L The 3oy Cumped upA ,ent over to the mirrorA and placed his fin'er on a point near its lo,er left1hand corner. L=t<s ri'ht hereA sirAL he e%plainedA turnin' to loo! to,ard me and !eepin' his fin'er on the chosen spot. 2is muscular action in turnin' may have pressed his fin'er a'ainst the 'lass. Suddenly he ,ithdre, his hand as thou'h ,ith some sli'ht effortA and ,ith a faintly muttered L+uch.L Then he loo!ed at the 'lass in o3vious mystification. LWhat happenedGL = as!edA risin' and approachin'. LWhy 1 it...L 2e seemed em3arrassed. L=t 1 = 1 felt 1 ,ellA as thou'h it ,ere pullin' my fin'er into it. Seems 1 er 1 perfectly foolishA sirA 3ut 1 ,ell 1 it ,as a most peculiar sensation.L :o3ert had an unusual voca3ulary for his fifteen years. = came over and had him sho, me the e%act spot he meant. L.ou<ll thin! =<m rather a foolA sirAL he said shamefacedlyA L3ut 1 ,ellA from ri'ht here = can<t 3e a3solutely sure. 4rom the chair it seemed to 3e clear enou'h.L ;o, thorou'hly interestedA = sat do,n in the chair :o3ert had occupied and loo!ed at the spot he selected on the mirror. =nstantly the thin' LCumped out at me.L (nmista!a3lyA from that particular an'leA all the many ,horls in the ancient 'lass appeared to conver'e li!e a lar'e num3er of spread strin's held in one hand and radiatin' out in streams. 7ettin' up and crossin' to the mirrorA = could no lon'er see the curious spot. +nly from certain an'lesA apparentlyA ,as it visi3le. $irectly vie,edA that portion of the mirror did not even 'ive 3ac! a normal reflection 1 for = could not see my face in it. 8anifestly = had a minor puzzle on my hands. >resently the school 'on' soundedA and the fascinated :o3ert 7randison departed hurriedlyA leavin' me alone ,ith my odd little pro3lem in optics. = raised several ,indo,1 shadesA crossed the hall,ayA and sou'ht for the spot in the chiffonier mirror<s reflection. 4indin' it readilyA = loo!ed very intently and thou'ht = a'ain detected somethin' of the Lmotion.L = craned my nec!A and at lastA at a certain an'le of visionA the thin' a'ain LCumped out at me.L The va'ue LmotionL ,as no, positive and definite 1 an appearance of torsional movementA or of ,hirlin'B much li!e a minute yet intense ,hirl,ind or ,aterspoutA or a huddle of autumn leaves dancin' circularly in an eddy of ,ind alon' a level la,n. =t ,asA li!e the earth<sA a dou3le motion 1 around and aroundA and at the same time in,ardA as if the ,horls poured themselves endlessly to,ard some point inside the 'lass. 4ascinatedA yet realizin' that the thin' must 3e an illusionA = 'rasped an impression of Duite distinct

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suctionA and thou'ht of :o3ert<s em3arrassed e%planation9 L= felt as thou'h it ,ere pullin' my fin'er into it.L A !ind of sli'ht chill ran suddenly up and do,n my 3ac!3one. There ,as somethin' here distinctly ,orth loo!in' into. And as the idea of investi'ation came to meA = recalled the rather ,istful e%pression of :o3ert 7randison ,hen the 'on' called him to class. = remem3ered ho, he had loo!ed 3ac! over his shoulder as he ,al!ed o3ediently out into the hall,ayA and resolved that he should 3e included in ,hatever analysis = mi'ht ma!e of this little mystery. E%citin' events connected ,ith that same :o3ertA ho,everA ,ere soon to chase all thou'hts of the mirror from my consciousness for a time. = ,as a,ay all that afternoonA and did not return to the school until the five1fifteen LCall1+verL 1 a 'eneral assem3ly at ,hich the 3oys< attendance ,as compulsory. $roppin' in at this function ,ith the idea of pic!in' :o3ert up for a session ,ith the mirrorA = ,as astonished and pained to find him a3sent 1 a very unusual and unaccounta3le thin' in his case. That evenin' Bro,ne told me that the 3oy had actually disappearedA a search in his roomA in the 'ymnasiumA and in all other accustomed places 3ein' unavailin'A thou'h all his 3elon'in's 1 includin' his outdoor clothin' 1 ,ere in their proper places. 2e had not 3een encountered on the ice or ,ith any of the hi!in' 'roups that afternoonA and telephone calls to all the school1caterin' merchants of the nei'h3orhood ,ere in vain. There ,asA in shortA no record of his havin' 3een seen since the end of the lesson periods at t,o1fifteenB ,hen he had turned up the stairs to,ard his room in $ormitory ;um3er Three. When the disappearance ,as fully realizedA the resultin' sensation ,as tremendous throu'hout the school. Bro,neA as headmasterA had to 3ear the 3runt of itB and such an unprecedented occurrence in his ,ell1re'ulatedA hi'hly or'anized institution left him Duite 3e,ildered. =t ,as learned that :o3ert had not run a,ay to his home in ,estern >ennsylvaniaA nor did any of the searchin'1parties of 3oys and masters find any trace of him in the sno,y countryside around the school. So far as could 3e seenA he had simply vanished. :o3ert<s parents arrived on the afternoon of the second day after his disappearance. They too! their trou3le DuietlyA thou'hA of courseA they ,ere sta''ered 3y this une%pected disaster. Bro,ne loo!ed ten years older for itA 3ut there ,as a3solutely nothin' that could 3e done. By the fourth day the case had settled do,n in the opinion of the school as an insolu3le mystery. 8r. and 8rs. 7randison ,ent reluctantly 3ac! to their homeA and on the follo,in' mornin' the ten days< Christmas vacation 3e'an. Boys and masters departed in anythin' 3ut the usual holiday spiritB and Bro,ne and his ,ife ,ere leftA alon' ,ith the servantsA as my only fello,1occupants of the 3i' place. Without the masters and 3oys it seemed a very hollo, shell indeed. That afternoon = sat in front of my 'rate1fire thin!in' a3out :o3ert<s disappearance and evolvin' all sorts of fantastic theories to account for it. By evenin' = had acDuired a 3ad headacheA and ate a li'ht supper accordin'ly. ThenA after a 3ris! ,al! around the massed 3uildin'sA = returned to my livin'1room and too! up the 3urden of thou'ht once more.

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A little after ten o<cloc! = a,a!ened in my armchairA stiff and chilledA from a doze durin' ,hich = had let the fire 'o out. = ,as physically uncomforta3leA yet mentally aroused 3y a peculiar sensation of e%pectancy and possi3le hope. +f course it had to do ,ith the pro3lem that ,as harassin' me. 4or = had started from that inadvertent nap ,ith a curiousA persistent idea 1 the odd idea that a tenuousA hardly reco'niza3le :o3ert 7randison had 3een tryin' desperately to communicate ,ith me. = finally ,ent to 3ed ,ith one conviction unreasonin'ly stron' in my mind. Someho, = ,as sure that youn' :o3ert 7randison ,as still alive. That = should 3e receptive of such a notion ,ill not seem stran'e to those ,ho !no, my lon' residence in the West =ndies and my close contact ,ith une%plained happenin's there. =t ,ill not seem stran'eA eitherA that = fell asleep ,ith an ur'ent desire to esta3lish some sort of mental communication ,ith the missin' 3oy. Even the most prosaic scientists affirmA ,ith 4reudA 6un'A and AdlerA that the su3conscious mind is most open to e%ternal impressions in sleepB thou'h such impressions are seldom carried over intact into the ,a!in' state. 7oin' a step further and 'rantin' the e%istence of telepathic forcesA it follo,s that such forces must act most stron'ly on a sleeperB so that if = ,ere ever to 'et a definite messa'e from :o3ertA it ,ould 3e durin' a period of profoundest slum3er. +f courseA = mi'ht lose the messa'e in ,a!in'B 3ut my aptitude for retainin' such thin's has 3een sharpened 3y types of mental discipline pic!ed up in various o3scure corners of the 'lo3e. = must have dropped asleep instantaneouslyA and from the vividness of my dreams and the a3sence of ,a!eful intervals = Cud'e that my sleep ,as a very deep one. =t ,as si%1 forty1five ,hen = a,a!enedA and there still lin'ered ,ith me certain impressions ,hich = !ne, ,ere carried over from the ,orld of somnolent cere3ration. 4illin' my mind ,as the vision of :o3ert 7randison stran'ely transformed to a 3oy of a dull 'reenish dar!13lue colorB :o3ert desperately endeavorin' to communicate ,ith me 3y means of speechA yet findin' some almost insupera3le difficulty in so doin'. A ,all of curious spatial separation seemed to stand 3et,een him and me 1 a mysteriousA invisi3le ,all ,hich completely 3affled us 3oth. = had seen :o3ert as thou'h at some distanceA yet Dueerly enou'h he seemed at the same time to 3e Cust 3eside me. 2e ,as 3oth lar'er and smaller than in real lifeA his apparent size varyin' directlyA instead of inverselyA ,ith the distance as he advanced and retreated in the course of conversation. That isA he 're, lar'er instead of smaller to my eye ,hen he stepped a,ay or 3ac!,ardsA and vice versaB as if the la,s of perspective in his case had 3een ,holly reversed. 2is aspect ,as misty and uncertain 1 as if he lac!ed sharp or permanent outlinesB and the anomalies of his colorin' and clothin' 3affled me utterly at first. At some point in my dream :o3ert<s vocal efforts had finally crystallized into audi3le speech 1 al3eit speech of an a3normal thic!ness and dullness. = could not for a time understand anythin' he saidA and even in the dream rac!ed my 3rain for a clue to ,here he ,asA ,hat he ,anted to tellA and ,hy his utterance ,as so clumsy and unintelli'i3le. Then little 3y little = 3e'an to distin'uish ,ords and phrasesA the very first of ,hich sufficed to thro, my dreamin' self into the ,ildest e%citement and to esta3lish a certain mental connection ,hich had previously refused to ta!e conscious form 3ecause of the utter incredi3ility of ,hat it implied.

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= do not !no, ho, lon' = listened to those haltin' ,ords amidst my deep slum3erA 3ut hours must have passed ,hile the stran'ely remote spea!er stru''led on ,ith his tale. There ,as revealed to me such a circumstance as = cannot hope to ma!e others 3elieve ,ithout the stron'est corro3orative evidenceA yet ,hich = ,as Duite ready to accept as truth 1 3oth in the dream and after ,a!in' 1 3ecause of my former contacts ,ith uncanny thin's. The 3oy ,as o3viously ,atchin' my face 1 mo3ile in receptive sleep 1 as he cho!ed alon'B for a3out the time = 3e'an to comprehend himA his o,n e%pression 3ri'htened and 'ave si'ns of 'ratitude and hope. Any attempt to hint at :o3ert<s messa'eA as it lin'ered in my ears after a sudden a,a!enin' in the coldA 3rin's this narrative to a point ,here = must choose my ,ords ,ith the 'reatest care. Everythin' involved is so difficult to record that one tends to flounder helplessly. = have said that the revelation esta3lished in my mind a certain connection ,hich reason had not allo,ed me to formulate consciously 3efore. This connectionA = need no lon'er hesitate to hintA had to do ,ith the old Copenha'en mirror ,hose su''estions of motion had so impressed me on the mornin' of the disappearanceA and ,hose ,horl1li!e contours and apparent illusions of suction had later e%erted such a disDuietin' fascination on 3oth :o3ert and me. :esolutelyA thou'h my outer consciousness had previously reCected ,hat my intuition ,ould have li!ed to implyA it could reCect that stupendous conception no lon'er. What ,as fantasy in the tale of LAliceL no, came to me as a 'rave and immediate reality. That loo!in'1'lass had indeed possessed a mali'nA a3normal suctionB and the stru''lin' spea!er in my dream made clear the e%tent to ,hich it violated all the !no,n precedents of human e%perience and all the a'e1old la,s of our three sane dimensions. =t ,as more than a mirror 1 it ,as a 'ateB a trapB a lin! ,ith spatial recesses not meant for the denizens of our visi3le universeA and realiza3le only in terms of the most intricate non1Euclidean mathematics. And in some outra'eous fashion :o3ert 7randison had passed out of our !en into the 'lass and ,as there immuredA ,aitin' for release. =t is si'nificant that upon a,a!enin' = har3ored no 'enuine dou3t of the reality of the revelation. That = had actually held conversation ,ith a transdimensional :o3ertA rather than evo!ed the ,hole episode from my 3roodin's a3out his disappearance and a3out the old illusions of the mirrorA ,as as certain to my utmost instincts as any of the instinctive certainties commonly reco'nized as valid. The tale thus unfolded to me ,as of the most incredi3ly 3izarre character. As had 3een clear on the mornin' of his disappearanceA :o3ert ,as intensely fascinated 3y the ancient mirror. All throu'h the hours of schoolA he had it in mind to come 3ac! to my livin'1room and e%amine it further. When he did arriveA after the close of the school dayA it ,as some,hat later than t,o1t,entyA and = ,as a3sent in to,n. 4indin' me out and !no,in' that = ,ould not mindA he had come into my livin'1room and 'one strai'ht to the mirrorB standin' 3efore it and studyin' the place ,hereA as ,e had notedA the ,horls appeared to conver'e. ThenA Duite suddenlyA there had come to him an overpo,erin' ur'e to place his hand upon this ,horl1center. Almost reluctantlyA a'ainst his 3etter Cud'mentA he had done soB and upon ma!in' the contact had felt at once the stran'eA almost painful suction ,hich had perple%ed him that mornin'. =mmediately thereafter 1 Duite ,ithout ,arnin'A 3ut ,ith a ,rench ,hich seemed to t,ist and tear every 3one and muscle in his 3ody and to 3ul'e and

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press and cut at every nerve 1 he had 3een a3ruptly dra,n throu'h and found himself inside. +nce throu'hA the e%cruciatin'ly painful stress upon his entire system ,as suddenly released. 2e feltA he saidA as thou'h he had Cust 3een 3orn 1 a feelin' that made itself evident every time he tried to do anythin'B ,al!A stoopA turn his headA or utter speech. Everythin' a3out his 3ody seemed a misfit. These sensations ,ore off after a lon' ,hileA :o3ert<s 3ody 3ecomin' an or'anized ,hole rather than a num3er of protestin' parts. +f all the forms of e%pressionA speech remained the most difficultB dou3tless 3ecause it is complicatedA 3rin'in' into play a num3er of different or'ansA musclesA and tendons. :o3ert<s feetA on the other handA ,ere the first mem3ers to adCust themselves to the ne, conditions ,ithin the 'lass. $urin' the mornin' hours = rehearsed the ,hole reason1defyin' pro3lemB correlatin' everythin' = had seen and heardA dismissin' the natural scepticism of a man of senseA and schemin' to devise possi3le plans for :o3ert<s release from his incredi3le prison. As = did so a num3er of ori'inally perple%in' points 3ecame clear 1 or at leastA clearer 1 to me. There ,asA for e%ampleA the matter of :o3ert<s colorin'. 2is face and handsA as = have indicatedA ,ere a !ind of dull 'reenish dar!13lueB and = may add that his familiar 3lue ;orfol! Cac!et had turned to a pale lemon1yello, ,hile his trousers remained a neutral 'ray as 3efore. :eflectin' on this after ,a!in'A = found the circumstance closely allied to the reversal of perspective ,hich made :o3ert seem to 'ro, lar'er ,hen recedin' and smaller ,hen approachin'. 2ereA tooA ,as a physical reversal 1 for every detail of his colorin' in the un!no,n dimension ,as the e%act reverse or complement of the correspondin' color detail in normal life. =n physics the typical complementary colors are 3lue and yello,A and red and 'reen. These pairs are oppositesA and ,hen mi%ed yield 'ray. :o3ert<s natural color ,as a pin!ish13uffA the opposite of ,hich is the 'reenish13lue = sa,. 2is 3lue coat had 3ecome yello,A ,hile the 'ray trousers remained 'ray. This latter point 3affled me until = remem3ered that 'ray is itself a mi%ture of opposites. There is no opposite for 'ray 1 or ratherA it is its o,n opposite. Another clarified point ,as that pertainin' to :o3ert<s curiously dulled and thic!ened speech 1 as ,ell as to the 'eneral a,!,ardness and sense of misfit 3odily parts of ,hich he complained. ThisA at the outsetA ,as a puzzle indeedB thou'h after lon' thou'ht the clue occurred to me. 2ere a'ain ,as the same reversal ,hich affected perspective and coloration. Anyone in the fourth dimension must necessarily 3e reversed in Cust this ,ay 1 hands and feetA as ,ell as colors and perspectivesA 3ein' chan'ed a3out. =t ,ould 3e the same ,ith all the other dual or'ansA such as nostrilsA earsA and eyes. Thus :o3ert had 3een tal!in' ,ith a reversed ton'ueA teethA vocal cordsA and !indred speech1apparatusB so that his difficulties in utterance ,ere little to 3e ,ondered at. As the mornin' ,ore onA my sense of the star! reality and maddenin' ur'ency of the dream1disclosed situation increased rather than decreased. 8ore and more = felt that somethin' must 3e doneA yet realized that = could not see! advice or aid. Such a story as mine 1 a conviction 3ased upon mere dreamin' 1 could not conceiva3ly 3rin' me anythin' 3ut ridicule or suspicions as to my mental state. And ,hatA indeedA could = doA aided or unaidedA ,ith as little ,or!in' data as my nocturnal impressions had providedG = mustA = finally reco'nizedA have more information 3efore = could even thin! of a possi3le plan for

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releasin' :o3ert. This could come only throu'h the receptive conditions of sleepA and it heartened me to reflect that accordin' to every pro3a3ility my telepathic contact ,ould 3e resumed the moment = fell into deep slum3er a'ain. = accomplished sleepin' that afternoonA after a midday dinner at ,hichA throu'h ri'id self1controlA = succeeded in concealin' from Bro,ne and his ,ife the tumultuous thou'hts that crashed throu'h my mind. 2ardly had my eyes closed ,hen a dim telepathic ima'e 3e'an to appearB and = soon realized to my infinite e%citement that it ,as identical ,ith ,hat = had seen 3efore. =f anythin'A it ,as more distinctB and ,hen it 3e'an to spea! = seemed a3le to 'rasp a 'reater proportion of the ,ords. $urin' this sleep = found most of the mornin'<s deductions confirmedA thou'h the intervie, ,as mysteriously cut off lon' prior to my a,a!enin'. :o3ert had seemed apprehensive Cust 3efore communication ceasedA 3ut had already told me that in his stran'e fourth1dimensional prison colors and spatial relationships ,ere indeed reversed 1 3lac! 3ein' ,hiteA distance increasin' apparent sizeA and so on. 2e had also intimated thatA not,ithstandin' his possession of full physical form and sensationsA most human vital properties seemed curiously suspended. ;utrimentA for e%ampleA ,as Duite unnecessary 1 a phenomenon really more sin'ular than the omnipresent reversal of o3Cects and attri3utesA since the latter ,as a reasona3le and mathematically indicated state of thin's. Another si'nificant piece of information ,as that the only e%it from the 'lass to the ,orld ,as the entrance1,ayA and that this ,as permanently 3arred and impenetra3ly sealedA so far as e'ress ,as concerned. That ni'ht = had another visitation from :o3ertB nor did such impressionsA received at odd intervals ,hile = slept receptively mindedA cease durin' the entire period of his incarceration. 2is efforts to communicate ,ere desperate and often pitifulB for at times the telepathic 3ond ,ould ,ea!enA ,hile at other times fati'ueA e%citementA or fear of interruption ,ould hamper and thic!en his speech. = may as ,ell narrate as a continuous ,hole all that :o3ert told me throu'hout the ,hole series of transient mental contacts 1 perhaps supplementin' it at certain points ,ith facts directly related after his release. The telepathic information ,as fra'mentary and often nearly inarticulateA 3ut = studied it over and over durin' the ,a!in' intervals of three intense daysB classifyin' and co'itatin' ,ith feverish dili'enceA since it ,as all that = had to 'o upon if the 3oy ,ere to 3e 3rou'ht 3ac! into our ,orld. The fourth1dimensional re'ion in ,hich :o3ert found himself ,as notA as in scientific romanceA an un!no,n and infinite realm of stran'e si'hts and fantastic denizensB 3ut ,as rather a proCection of certain limited parts of our o,n terrestrial sphere ,ithin an alien and normally inaccessi3le aspect or direction of space. =t ,as a curiously fra'mentaryA intan'i3leA and hetero'eneous ,orld 1 a series of apparently dissociated scenes mer'in' indistinctly one into the otherB their constituent details havin' an o3viously different status from that of an o3Cect dra,n into the ancient mirror as :o3ert had 3een dra,n. These scenes ,ere li!e dream1vistas or ma'ic1lantern ima'es 1 elusive visual impressions of ,hich the 3oy ,as not really a partA 3ut ,hich formed a sort of panoramic 3ac!'round or ethereal environment a'ainst ,hich or amidst ,hich he moved. 2e could not touch any of the parts of these scenes 1 ,allsA treesA furnitureA and the li!e 1 3ut ,hether this ,as 3ecause they ,ere truly non1materialA or 3ecause they al,ays receded

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at his approachA he ,as sin'ularly una3le to determine. Everythin' seemed fluidA muta3leA and unreal. When he ,al!edA it appeared to 3e on ,hatever lo,er surface the visi3le scene mi'ht have 1 floorA pathA 'reens,ardA or suchB 3ut upon analysis he al,ays found that the contact ,as an illusion. There ,as never any difference in the resistin' force met 3y his feet 1 and 3y his hands ,hen he ,ould stoop e%perimentally 1 no matter ,hat chan'es of apparent surface mi'ht 3e involved. 2e could not descri3e this foundation or limitin' plane on ,hich he ,al!ed as anythin' more definite than a virtually a3stract pressure 3alancin' his 'ravity. +f definite tactile distinctiveness it had noneA and supplementin' it there seemed to 3e a !ind of restricted levitational force ,hich accomplished transfers of altitude. 2e could never actually clim3 stairsA yet ,ould 'radually ,al! up from a lo,er level to a hi'her. >assa'e from one definite scene to another involved a sort of 'lidin' throu'h a re'ion of shado, or 3lurred focus ,here the details of each scene min'led curiously. All the vistas ,ere distin'uished 3y the a3sence of transient o3CectsA and the indefinite or am3i'uous appearance of such semi1transient o3Cects as furniture or details of ve'etation. The li'htin' of every scene ,as diffuse and perple%in'A and of course the scheme of reversed colors 1 3ri'ht red 'rassA yello, s!y ,ith confused 3lac! and 'ray cloud1formsA ,hite tree1trun!sA and 'reen 3ric! ,alls 1 'ave to everythin' an air of un3elieva3le 'rotesDuerie. There ,as an alteration of day and ni'htA ,hich turned out to 3e a reversal of the normal hours of li'ht and dar!ness at ,hatever point on the earth the mirror mi'ht 3e han'in'. This seemin'ly irrelevant diversity of the scenes puzzled :o3ert until he realized that they comprised merely such places as had 3een reflected for lon' continuous periods in the ancient 'lass. This also e%plained the odd a3sence of transient o3CectsA the 'enerally ar3itrary 3oundaries of visionA and the fact that all e%teriors ,ere framed 3y the outlines of door,ays or ,indo,s. The 'lassA it appearedA had po,er to store up these intan'i3le scenes throu'h lon' e%posureB thou'h it could never a3sor3 anythin' corporeallyA as :o3ert had 3een a3sor3edA e%cept 3y a very different and particular process. But 1 to me at least 1 the most incredi3le aspect of the mad phenomenon ,as the monstrous su3version of our !no,n la,s of space involved in the relation of various illusory scenes to the actual terrestrial re'ions represented. = have spo!en of the 'lass as storin' up the ima'es of these re'ionsA 3ut this is really an ine%act definition. =n truthA each of the mirror scenes formed a true and Duasi1permanent fourth1dimensional proCection of the correspondin' mundane re'ionB so that ,henever :o3ert moved to a certain part of a certain sceneA as he moved into the ima'e of my room ,hen sendin' his telepathic messa'esA he ,as actually in that place itselfA on earth 1 thou'h under spatial conditions ,hich cut off all sensory communicationA in either directionA 3et,een him and the present tri1dimensional aspect of the place. Theoretically spea!in'A a prisoner in the 'lass could in a fe, moments 'o any,here on our planet 1 into any placeA that isA ,hich had ever 3een reflected in the mirror<s surface. This pro3a3ly applied even to places ,here the mirror had not hun' lon' enou'h to produce a clear illusory sceneB the terrestrial re'ion 3ein' then represented 3y a zone of more or less formless shado,. +utside the definite scenes ,as a seemin'ly limitless ,aste of neutral 'ray shado, a3out ,hich :o3ert could never 3e certainA and into ,hich he never dared stray far lest he 3ecome hopelessly lost to the real and mirror ,orlds ali!e.

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Amon' the earliest particulars ,hich :o3ert 'aveA ,as the fact that he ,as not alone in his confinement. ?arious othersA all in antiDue 'ar3A ,ere in there ,ith him 1 a corpulent middle1a'ed 'entleman ,ith tied Dueue and velvet !nee13reeches ,ho spo!e En'lish fluently thou'h ,ith a mar!ed Scandinavian accentB a rather 3eautiful small 'irl ,ith very 3londe hair ,hich appeared a 'lossy dar! 3lueB t,o apparently mute ;e'roes ,hose features contrasted 'rotesDuely ,ith the pallor of their reversed1colored s!insB three youn' menB one youn' ,omanB a very small childA almost an infantB and a leanA elderly $ane of e%tremely distinctive aspect and a !ind of half1mali'n intellectuality of countenance. This last1named individual 1 A%el 2olmA ,ho ,ore the satin small1clothesA flared1 s!irted coatA and voluminous full13ottomed peri,i' of an a'e more than t,o centuries in the past 1 ,as nota3le amon' the little 3and as 3ein' the one responsi3le for the presence of them all. 2e it ,as ,hoA s!illed eDually in the arts of ma'ic and 'lass ,or!in'A had lon' a'o fashioned this stran'e dimensional prison in ,hich himselfA his slavesA and those ,hom he chose to invite or allure thither ,ere immured unchan'in'ly for as lon' as the mirror mi'ht endure. 2olm ,as 3orn early in the seventeenth centuryA and had follo,ed ,ith tremendous competence and success the trade of a 'lass13lo,er and molder in Copenha'en. 2is 'lassA especially in the form of lar'e dra,in'1room mirrorsA ,as al,ays at a premium. But the same 3old mind ,hich had made him the first 'lazier of Europe also served to carry his interests and am3itions far 3eyond the sphere of mere material craftsmanship. 2e had studied the ,orld around himA and chafed at the limitations of human !no,led'e and capa3ility. Eventually he sou'ht for dar! ,ays to overcome those limitationsA and 'ained more success than is 'ood for any mortal. 2e had aspired to enCoy somethin' li!e eternityA the mirror 3ein' his provision to secure this end. Serious study of the fourth dimension ,as far from 3e'innin' ,ith Einstein in our o,n eraB and 2olmA more than erudite in all the methods of his dayA !ne, that a 3odily entrance into that hidden phase of space ,ould prevent him from dyin' in the ordinary physical sense. :esearch sho,ed him that the principle of reflection undou3tedly forms the chief 'ate to all dimensions 3eyond our familiar threeB and chance placed in his hands a small and very ancient 'lass ,hose cryptic properties he 3elieved he could turn to advanta'e. +nce LinsideL this mirror accordin' to the method he had envisa'edA he felt that LlifeL in the sense of form and consciousness ,ould 'o on virtually foreverA provided the mirror could 3e preserved indefinitely from 3rea!a'e or deterioration. 2olm made a ma'nificent mirrorA such as ,ould 3e prized and carefully preservedB and in it deftly fused the stran'e ,horl1confi'ured relic he had acDuired. 2avin' thus prepared his refu'e and his trapA he 3e'an to plan his mode of entrance and conditions of tenancy. 2e ,ould have ,ith him 3oth servitors and companionsB and as an e%perimental 3e'innin' he sent 3efore him into the 'lass t,o dependa3le ;e'ro slaves 3rou'ht from the West =ndies. What his sensations must have 3een upon 3eholdin' this first concrete demonstration of his theoriesA only ima'ination can conceive. (ndou3tedly a man of his !no,led'e realized that a3sence from the outside ,orldA if deferred 3eyond the natural span of life of those ,ithinA must mean instant dissolution at the first attempt to return to that ,orld. ButA 3arrin' that misfortune or accidental 3rea!a'eA those ,ithin ,ould remain forever as they ,ere at the time of entrance. They ,ould never 'ro, oldA and ,ould need neither food nor drin!.

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To ma!e his prison tolera3le he sent ahead of him certain 3oo!s and ,ritin' materialsA a chair and ta3le of stoutest ,or!manshipA and a fe, other accessories. 2e !ne, that the ima'es ,hich the 'lass ,ould reflect or a3sor3 ,ould not 3e tan'i3leA 3ut ,ould merely e%tend around him li!e a 3ac!'round of dream. 2is o,n transition in 1-87 ,as a momentous e%perienceB and must have 3een attended 3y mi%ed sensations of triumph and terror. 2ad anythin' 'one ,ron'A there ,ere fri'htful possi3ilities of 3ein' lost in dar! and inconceiva3le multiple dimensions. 4or over fifty years he had 3een una3le to secure any additions to the little company of himself and slavesA 3ut later on he had perfected his telepathic method of visualizin' small sections of the outside ,orld close to the 'lassA and attractin' certain individuals in those areas throu'h the mirror<s stran'e entrance. Thus :o3ertA influenced into a desire to press upon the LdoorAL had 3een lured ,ithin. Such visualizations depended ,holly on telepathyA since no one inside the mirror could see out into the ,orld of men. =t ,asA in truthA a stran'e life that 2olm and his company had lived inside the 'lass. Since the mirror had stood for fully a century ,ith its face to the dusty stone ,all of the shed ,here = found itA :o3ert ,as the first 3ein' to enter this lim3o after all that interval. 2is arrival ,as a 'ala eventA for he 3rou'ht ne,s of the outside ,orld ,hich must have 3een of the most startlin' impressiveness to the more thou'htful of those ,ithin. 2eA in his turn 1 youn' thou'h he ,as 1 felt over,helmin'ly the ,eirdness of meetin' and tal!in' ,ith persons ,ho had 3een alive in the seventeenth and ei'hteenth centuries. The deadly monotony of life for the prisoners can only 3e va'uely conCectured. As mentionedA its e%tensive spatial variety ,as limited to localities ,hich had 3een reflected in the mirror for lon' periodsB and many of these had 3ecome dim and stran'e as tropical climates had made inroads on the surface. Certain localities ,ere 3ri'ht and 3eautifulA and in these the company usually 'athered. But no scene could 3e fully satisfyin'B since the visi3le o3Cects ,ere all unreal and intan'i3leA and often of perple%in'ly indefinite outline. When the tedious periods of dar!ness cameA the 'eneral custom ,as to indul'e in memoriesA reflectionsA or conversations. Each one of that stran'eA pathetic 'roup had retained his or her personality unchan'ed and unchan'ea3leA since 3ecomin' immune to the time effects of outside space. The num3er of inanimate o3Cects ,ithin the 'lassA aside from the clothin' of the prisonersA ,as very smallB 3ein' lar'ely limited to the accessories 2olm had provided for himself. The rest did ,ithout even furnitureA since sleep and fati'ue had vanished alon' ,ith most other vital attri3utes. Such inor'anic thin's as ,ere presentA seemed as e%empt from decay as the livin' 3ein's. The lo,er forms of animal life ,ere ,holly a3sent. :o3ert derived most of his information from 2err ThieleA the 'entleman ,ho spo!e En'lish ,ith a Scandinavian accent. This portly $ane had ta!en a fancy to himA and tal!ed at considera3le len'th. The othersA tooA had received him ,ith courtesy and 'ood,illB 2olm himselfA seemin' ,ell1disposedA had told him a3out various matters includin' the door of the trap. The 3oyA as he told me laterA ,as sensi3le enou'h never to attempt communication ,ith me ,hen 2olm ,as near3y. T,iceA ,hile thus en'a'edA he had seen 2olm appearB and had accordin'ly ceased at once. At no time could = see the ,orld 3ehind the mirror<s surface. :o3ert<s visual ima'eA ,hich included his 3odily form and the clothin' connected ,ith itA

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,as 1 li!e the aural ima'e of his haltin' voice and li!e his o,n visualization of myself 1 a case of purely telepathic transmissionB and did not involve true interdimensional si'ht. 2o,everA had :o3ert 3een as trained a telepathist as 2olmA he mi'ht have transmitted a fe, stron' ima'es apart from his immediate person. Throu'hout this period of revelation = hadA of courseA 3een desperately tryin' to devise a method for :o3ert<s release. +n the fourth day 1 the ninth after the disappearance 1 = hit on a solution. Everythin' consideredA my la3oriously formulated process ,as not a very complicated oneB thou'h = could not tell 3eforehand ho, it ,ould ,or!A ,hile the possi3ility of ruinous conseDuences in case of a slip ,as appallin'. This process dependedA 3asicallyA on the fact that there ,as no possi3le e%it from inside the 'lass. =f 2olm and his prisoners ,ere permanently sealed inA then release must come ,holly from outside. +ther considerations included the disposal of the other prisonersA if any survivedA and especially of A%el 2olm. What :o3ert had told me of him ,as anythin' 3ut reassurin'B and = certainly did not ,ish him loose in my apartmentA free once more to ,or! his evil ,ill upon the ,orld. The telepathic messa'es had not made fully clear the effect of li3eration on those ,ho had entered the 'lass so lon' a'o. There ,asA tooA a final thou'h minor pro3lem in case of success 1 that of 'ettin' :o3ert 3ac! into the routine of school life ,ithout havin' to e%plain the incredi3le. =n case of failureA it ,as hi'hly inadvisa3le to have ,itnesses present at the release operations 1 and lac!in' theseA = simply could not attempt to relate the actual facts if = should succeed. Even to me the reality seemed a mad one ,henever = let my mind turn from the data so compellin'ly presented in that tense series of dreams. When = had thou'ht these pro3lems throu'h as far as possi3leA = procured a lar'e ma'nifyin'1'lass from the school la3oratory and studied minutely every sDuare millimeter of that ,horl1center ,hich presuma3ly mar!ed the e%tent of the ori'inal ancient mirror used 3y 2olm. Even ,ith this aid = could not Duite trace the e%act 3oundary 3et,een the old area and the surface added 3y the $anish ,izardB 3ut after a lon' study decided on a conCectural oval 3oundary ,hich = outlined very precisely ,ith a soft 3lue pencil. = then made a trip to StamfordA ,here = procured a heavy 'lass1cuttin' toolB for my primary idea ,as to remove the ancient and ma'ically potent mirror from its later settin'. 8y ne%t step ,as to fi'ure out the 3est time of day to ma!e the crucial e%periment. = finally settled on t,o1thirty a.m. 1 3oth 3ecause it ,as a 'ood season for uninterrupted ,or!A and 3ecause it ,as the LoppositeL of t,o1thirty p.m.A the pro3a3le moment at ,hich :o3ert had entered the mirror. This form of LoppositenessL may or may not have 3een relevantA 3ut = !ne, at least that the chosen hour ,as as 'ood as any 1 and perhaps 3etter than most. = finally set to ,or! in the early mornin' of the eleventh day after the disappearanceA havin' dra,n all the shades of my livin'1room and closed and loc!ed the door into the hall,ay. 4ollo,in' ,ith 3reathless care the elliptical line = had tracedA = ,or!ed around the ,horl1section ,ith my steel1,heeled cuttin' tool. The ancient 'lassA half an inch thic!A crac!led crisply under the firmA uniform pressureB and upon completin' the circuit = cut around it a second timeA crunchin' the roller more deeply into the 'lass. ThenA very carefully indeedA = lifted the heavy mirror do,n from its console and leaned it face1in,ard a'ainst the ,allB pryin' off t,o of the thinA narro, 3oards nailed to the 3ac!.

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With eDual caution = smartly tapped the cut1around space ,ith the heavy ,ooden handle of the 'lass1cutter. At the very first tap the ,horl1containin' section of 'lass dropped out on the Bo!hara ru' 3eneath. = did not !no, ,hat mi'ht happenA 3ut ,as !eyed up for anythin'A and too! a deep involuntary 3reath. = ,as on my !nees for convenience at the momentA ,ith my face Duite near the ne,ly made apertureB and as = 3reathed there poured into my nostrils a po,erful dusty odor 1 a smell not compara3le to any other = have ever encountered. Then everythin' ,ithin my ran'e of vision suddenly turned to a dull 'ray 3efore my failin' eyesi'ht as = felt myself overpo,ered 3y an invisi3le force ,hich ro33ed my muscles of their po,er to function. = remem3er 'raspin' ,ea!ly and futilely at the ed'e of the nearest ,indo, drapery and feelin' it rip loose from its fastenin'. Then = san! slo,ly to the floor as the dar!ness of o3livion passed over me. When = re'ained consciousness = ,as lyin' on the Bo!hara ru' ,ith my le's held unaccounta3ly up in the air. The room ,as full of that hideous and ine%plica3le dusty smell 1 and as my eyes 3e'an to ta!e in definite ima'es = sa, that :o3ert 7randison stood in front of me. =t ,as he 1 fully in the flesh and ,ith his colorin' normal 1 ,ho ,as holdin' my le's aloft to 3rin' the 3lood 3ac! to my head as the school<s first1aid course had tau'ht him to do ,ith persons ,ho had fainted. 4or a moment = ,as struc! mute 3y the stiflin' odor and 3y a 3e,ilderment ,hich Duic!ly mer'ed into a sense of triumph. Then = found myself a3le to move and spea! collectedly. = raised a tentative hand and ,aved fee3ly at :o3ert. LAll ri'htA old manAL = murmuredA Lyou can let my le's do,n no,. 8any than!s. =<m all ri'ht a'ainA = thin!. =t ,as the smell 1 = ima'ine 1 that 'ot me. +pen that farthest ,indo,A please 1 ,ide 1 from the 3ottom. That<s it 1 than!s. ;o 1 leave the shade do,n the ,ay it ,as.L = stru''led to my feetA my distur3ed circulation adCustin' itself in ,avesA and stood upri'ht han'in' to the 3ac! of a 3i' chair. = ,as still L'ro''yAL 3ut a 3last of freshA 3itterly cold air from the ,indo, revived me rapidly. = sat do,n in the 3i' chair and loo!ed at :o3ertA no, ,al!in' to,ard me. L4irstAL = said hurriedlyA Ltell meA :o3ert 1 those others 1 2olmG What happened to themA ,hen = 1 opened the e%itGL :o3ert paused half1,ay across the room and loo!ed at me very 'ravely. L= sa, them fade a,ay 1 into nothin'ness 1 8r. CanevinAL he said ,ith solemnityB Land ,ith them 1 everythin'. There isn<t any more <insideA< sir 1 than! 7odA and youA sirFL And youn' :o3ertA at last yieldin' to the sustained strain ,hich he had 3orne throu'h all those terri3le eleven daysA suddenly 3ro!e do,n li!e a little child and 3e'an to ,eep hysterically in 'reatA stiflin'A dry so3s. = pic!ed him up and placed him 'ently on my davenportA thre, a ru' over himA sat do,n 3y his sideA and put a calmin' hand on his forehead.

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LTa!e it easyA old fello,AL = said soothin'ly. The 3oy<s sudden and very natural hysteria passed as Duic!ly as it had come on as = tal!ed to him reassurin'ly a3out my plans for his Duiet restoration to the school. The interest of the situation and the need of concealin' the incredi3le truth 3eneath a rational e%planation too! hold of his ima'ination as = had e%pectedB and at last he sat up ea'erlyA tellin' the details of his release and listenin' to the instructions = had thou'ht out. 2e hadA it seemsA 3een in the LproCected areaL of my 3edroom ,hen = opened the ,ay 3ac!A and had emer'ed in that actual room 1 hardly realizin' that he ,as Lout.L (pon hearin' a fall in the livin'1room he had hastened thitherA findin' me on the ru' in my faintin' spell. = need mention only 3riefly my method of restorin' :o3ert in a seemin'ly normal ,ay 1 ho, = smu''led him out of the ,indo, in an old hat and s,eater of mineA too! him do,n the road in my Duietly started carA coached him carefully in a tale = had devisedA and returned to arouse Bro,ne ,ith the ne,s of his discovery. 2e hadA = e%plainedA 3een ,al!in' alone on the afternoon of his disappearanceB and had 3een offered a motor ride 3y t,o youn' men ,hoA as a Co!e and over his protests that he could 'o no farther than Stamford and 3ac!A had 3e'un to carry him past that to,n. 6umpin' from the car durin' a traffic stop ,ith the intention of hitch1hi!in' 3ac! 3efore Call1+verA he had 3een hit 3y another car Cust as the traffic ,as released 1 a,a!enin' ten days later in the 7reen,ich home of the people ,ho had hit him. +n learnin' the dateA = addedA he had immediately telephoned the schoolB and =A 3ein' the only one a,a!eA had ans,ered the call and hurried after him in my car ,ithout stoppin' to notify anyone. Bro,neA ,ho at once telephoned to :o3ert<s parentsA accepted my story ,ithout DuestionB and for3ore to interro'ate the 3oy 3ecause of the latter<s manifest e%haustion. =t ,as arran'ed that he should remain at the school for a restA under the e%pert care of 8rs. Bro,neA a former trained nurse. = naturally sa, a 'ood deal of him durin' the remainder of the Christmas vacationA and ,as thus ena3led to fill in certain 'aps in his fra'mentary dream1story. ;o, and then ,e ,ould almost dou3t the actuality of ,hat had occurredB ,onderin' ,hether ,e had not 3oth shared some monstrous delusion 3orn of the mirror<s 'litterin' hypnotismA and ,hether the tale of the ride and accident ,ere not after all the real truth. But ,henever ,e did so ,e ,ould 3e 3rou'ht 3ac! to 3elief 3y some monstrous and hauntin' memoryB ,ith meA of :o3ert<s dream1fi'ure and its thic! voice and inverted colorsB ,ith himA of the ,hole fantastic pa'eantry of ancient people and dead scenes that he had ,itnessed. And then there ,as that Coint recollection of that damna3le dusty odor. . . . We !ne, ,hat it meant9 the instant dissolution of those ,ho had entered an alien dimension a century and more a'o. There areA in additionA at least t,o lines of rather more positive evidenceB one of ,hich comes throu'h my researches in $anish annals concernin' the sorcererA A%el 2olm. Such a personA indeedA left many traces in fol!lore and ,ritten recordsB and dili'ent li3rary sessionsA plus conferences ,ith various learned $anesA have shed much more li'ht on his evil fame. At present = need say only that the Copenha'en 'lass13lo,er 1 3orn in 1-1" 1 ,as a notorious 5uciferian ,hose pursuits and final vanishin' formed a matter of a,ed de3ate over t,o centuries a'o. 2e had 3urned ,ith a desire to !no, all thin's and to conDuer every limitation of man!ind 1 to ,hich end he had delved deeply into occult and for3idden fields ever since he ,as a child.

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2e ,as commonly held to have Coined a coven of the dreaded ,itch1cultA and the vast lore of ancient Scandinavian myth 1 ,ith its 5o!i the Sly +ne and the accursed 4enris1Wolf 1 ,as soon an open 3oo! to him. 2e had stran'e interests and o3CectivesA fe, of ,hich ,ere definitely !no,nA 3ut some of ,hich ,ere reco'nized as intolera3ly evil. =t is recorded that his t,o ;e'ro helpersA ori'inally slaves from the $anish West =ndiesA had 3ecome mute soon after their acDuisition 3y himB and that they had disappeared not lon' 3efore his o,n disappearance from the !en of man!ind. ;ear the close of an already lon' life the idea of a 'lass of immortality appears to have entered his mind. That he had acDuired an enchanted mirror of inconceiva3le antiDuity ,as a matter of common ,hisperin'B it 3ein' alle'ed that he had purloined it from a fello,1 sorcerer ,ho had entrusted it to him for polishin'. This mirror 1 accordin' to popular tales a trophy as potent in its ,ay as the 3etter1!no,n Ae'is of 8inerva or 2ammer of Thor 1 ,as a small oval o3Cect called L5o!i<s 7lassAL made of some polished fusi3le mineral and havin' ma'ical properties ,hich included the divination of the immediate future and the po,er to sho, the possessor his enemies. That it had deeper potential propertiesA realiza3le in the hands of an erudite ma'icianA none of the common people dou3tedB and even educated persons attached much fearful importance to 2olm<s rumored attempts to incorporate it in a lar'er 'lass of immortality. Then had come the ,izard<s disappearance in 1-87A and the final sale and dispersal of his 'oods amidst a 'ro,in' cloud of fantastic le'endry. =t ,asA alto'etherA Cust such a story as one ,ould lau'h at if possessed of no particular !eyB yet to meA remem3erin' those dream messa'es and havin' :o3ert 7randison<s corro3oration 3efore meA it formed a positive confirmation of all the 3e,ilderin' marvels that had 3een unfolded. But as = have saidA there is still another line of rather positive evidence 1 of a very different character 1 at my disposal. T,o days after his releaseA as :o3ertA 'reatly improved in stren'th and appearanceA ,as placin' a lo' on my livin'1room fireA = noticed a certain a,!,ardness in his motions and ,as struc! 3y a persistent idea. Summonin' him to my des! = suddenly as!ed him to pic! up an in!1stand 1 and ,as scarcely surprised to note thatA despite lifelon' ri'ht1handednessA he o3eyed unconsciously ,ith his left hand. Without alarmin' himA = then as!ed that he un3utton his coat and let me listen to his cardiac action. What = found upon placin' my ear to his chest 1 and ,hat = did not tell him for some time after,ard 1 ,as that his heart ,as 3eatin' on his ri'ht side. 2e had 'one into the 'lass ri'ht1handed and ,ith all or'ans in their normal positions. ;o, he ,as left1handed and ,ith or'ans reversedA and ,ould dou3tless continue so for the rest of his life. ClearlyA the dimensional transition had 3een no illusion 1 for this physical chan'e ,as tan'i3le and unmista!a3le. 2ad there 3een a natural e%it from the 'lassA :o3ert ,ould pro3a3ly have under'one a thorou'h re1reversal and emer'ed in perfect normality 1 as indeed the color1scheme of his 3ody and clothin' did emer'e. The forci3le nature of his releaseA ho,everA undou3tedly set somethin' a,ryB so that dimensions no lon'er had a chance to ri'ht themselves as chromatic ,ave1freDuencies still did. = had not merely opened 2olm<s trapB = had destroyed itB and at the particular sta'e of destruction mar!ed 3y :o3ert<s escape some of the reversin' properties had perished. =t is si'nificant that in escapin' :o3ert had felt no pain compara3le to that e%perienced in enterin'. 2ad the destruction 3een still more suddenA = shiver to thin! of the monstrosities of color the 3oy ,ould al,ays have 3een forced to 3ear. = may add that after discoverin'

H.P.Lovecr !t

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:o3ert<s reversal = e%amined the rumpled and discarded clothin' he had ,orn in the 'lassA and foundA as = had e%pectedA a complete reversal of poc!etsA 3uttonsA and all other correspondin' details. At this moment 5o!i<s 7lassA Cust as it fell on my Bo!hara ru' from the no, patched and harmless mirrorA ,ei'hs do,n a sheaf of papers on my ,ritin'1ta3le here in St. ThomasA venera3le capital of the $anish West =ndies 1 no, the American ?ir'in =slands. ?arious collectors of old Sand,ich 'lass have mista!en it for an odd 3it of that early American product 1 3ut = privately realize that my paper1,ei'ht is an antiDue of far su3tler and more paleo'ean craftsmanship. StillA = do not disillusion such enthusiasts.

The Tree
+n a verdant slope of 8ount 8aenalusA in ArcadiaA there stands an olive 'rove a3out the ruins of a villa. Close 3y is a tom3A once 3eautiful ,ith the su3limest sculpturesA 3ut no, fallen into as 'reat decay as the house. At one end of that tom3A its curious roots displacin' the time1stained 3loc!s of >anhellic mar3leA 'ro,s an unnaturally lar'e olive tree of oddly repellent shapeB so li!e to some 'rotesDue manA or death1distorted 3ody of a manA that the country fol! fear to pass it at ni'ht ,hen the moon shines faintly throu'h the croo!ed 3ou'hs. 8ount 8aenalus is a chosen haunt of dreaded >anA ,hose Dueer companions are manyA and simple s,ains 3elieve that the tree must have some hideous !inship to these ,eird >anisciB 3ut an old 3ee1!eeper ,ho lives in the nei'h3orin' cotta'e told me a different story. 8any years a'oA ,hen the hillside villa ,as ne, and resplendentA there d,elt ,ithin it the t,o sculptors 0alos and 8usides. 4rom 5ydia to ;eapolis the 3eauty of their ,or! ,as praisedA and none dared say that the one e%celled the other in s!ill. The 2ermes of 0alos stood in a mar3le shrine in CorinthA and the >allas of 8usides surmounted a pillar in Athens near the >arthenon. All men paid homa'e to 0alos and 8usidesA and marvelled that no shado, of artistic Cealousy cooled the ,armth of their 3rotherly friendship. But thou'h 0alos and 8usides d,elt in un3ro!en harmonyA their natures ,ere not ali!e. Whilst 8usides revelled 3y ni'ht amidst the ur3an 'aieties of Te'eaA Saios ,ould remain at homeB stealin' a,ay from the si'ht of his slaves into the cool recesses of the olive 'rove. There he ,ould meditate upon the visions that filled his mindA and there devise the forms of 3eauty ,hich later 3ecame immortal in 3reathin' mar3le. =dle fol!A indeedA said that 0alos conversed ,ith the spirits of the 'roveA and that his statues ,ere 3ut ima'es of the fauns and dryads he met there for he patterned his ,or! after no livin' model. So famous ,ere 0alos and 8usidesA that none ,ondered ,hen the Tyrant of Syracuse sent to them deputies to spea! of the costly statue of Tyche ,hich he had planned for his city. +f 'reat size and cunnin' ,or!manship must the statue 3eA for it ,as to form a ,onder of nations and a 'oal of travellers. E%alted 3eyond thou'ht ,ould 3e he ,hose ,or! should 'ain acceptanceA and for this honor 0alos and 8usides ,ere invited to compete. Their 3rotherly love ,as ,ell !no,nA and the crafty Tyrant surmised that eachA instead of concealin' his ,or! from the otherA ,ould offer aid and adviceB this charity producin' t,o ima'es of unheard of 3eautyA the lovelier of ,hich ,ould eclipse even the dreams of poets. With Coy the sculptors hailed the Tyrant<s offerA so that in the days that follo,ed their slaves heard the ceaseless 3lo,s of chisels. ;ot from each other did 0alos and 8usides conceal their ,or!A 3ut the si'ht ,as for them alone. Savin' theirsA no eyes 3eheld the t,o divine fi'ures released 3y s!illful 3lo,s from the rou'h 3loc!s that had imprisoned them since the ,orld 3e'an. At ni'htA as of yoreA 8usides sou'ht the 3anDuet halls of Te'ea ,hilst 0alos ,andered alone in the olive 7rove. But as time passedA men o3served a ,ant of 'aiety in the once spar!lin' 8usides. =t ,as stran'eA they said amon'st themselves that depression should thus seize one ,ith so 'reat a chance to ,in art<s loftiest re,ard. 8any months passed yet

H.P.Lovecr !t

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in the sour face of 8usides came nothin' of the sharp e%pectancy ,hich the situation should arouse. Then one day 8usides spo!e of the illness of 0alosA after ,hich none marvelled a'ain at his sadnessA since the sculptors< attachment ,as !no,n to 3e deep and sacred. Su3seDuently many ,ent to visit 0alosA and indeed noticed the pallor of his faceB 3ut there ,as a3out him a happy serenity ,hich made his 'lance more ma'ical than the 'lance of 8usides ,ho ,as clearly distracted ,ith an%iety and ,ho pushed aside all the slaves in his ea'erness to feed and ,ait upon his friend ,ith his o,n hands. 2idden 3ehind heavy curtains stood the t,o unfinished fi'ures of TycheA little touched of late 3y the sic! man and his faithful attendant. As 0alos 're, ine%plica3ly ,ea!er and ,ea!er despite the ministrations of puzzled physicians and of his assiduous friendA he desired to 3e carried often to the 'rove ,hich he so loved. There he ,ould as! to 3e left aloneA as if ,ishin' to spea! ,ith unseen thin's. 8usides ever 'ranted his reDuestsA thou'h his eyes filled ,ith visi3le tears at the thou'ht that 0alos should care more for the fauns and the dryads than for him. At last the end dre, nearA and 0alos discoursed of thin's 3eyond this life. 8usidesA ,eepin'A promised him a sepulchre more lovely than the tom3 of 8ausolusB 3ut 0alos 3ade him spea! no more of mar3le 'lories. +nly one ,ish no, haunted the mind of the dyin' manB that t,i's from certain olive trees in the 'rove 3e 3uried 3y his restin' place1close to his head. And one ni'htA sittin' alone in the dar!ness of the olive 'roveA 0alos died. Beautiful 3eyond ,ords ,as the mar3le sepulchre ,hich stric!en 8usides carved for his 3eloved friend. ;one 3ut 0alos himself could have fashioned such 3asreliefsA ,herein ,ere displayed all the splendours of Elysium. ;or did 8usides fail to 3ury close to 0alos< head the olive t,i's from the 'rove. As the first violence of 8usides< 'rief 'ave place to resi'nationA he la3ored ,ith dili'ence upon his fi'ure of Tyche. All honour ,as no, hisA since the Tyrant of Syracuse ,ould have the ,or! of none save him or 0alos. 2is tas! proved a vent for his emotion and he toiled more steadily each dayA shunnin' the 'aieties he once had relished. 8ean,hile his evenin's ,ere spent 3eside the tom3 of his friendA ,here a youn' olive tree had sprun' up near the sleeper<s head. So s,ift ,as the 'ro,th of this treeA and so stran'e ,as its formA that all ,ho 3eheld it e%claimed in surpriseB and 8usides seemed at once fascinated and repelled. Three years after the death of 0alosA 8usides despatched a messen'er to the TyrantA and it ,as ,hispered in the a'ora at Te'ea that the mi'hty statue ,as finished. By this time the tree 3y the tom3 had attained amazin' proportionsA e%ceedin' all other trees of its !indA and sendin' out a sin'ularly heavy 3ranch a3ove the apartment in ,hich 8usides la3ored. As many visitors came to vie, the prodi'ious treeA as to admire the art of the sculptorA so that 8usides ,as seldom alone. But he did not mind his multitude of 'uestsB indeedA he seemed to dread 3ein' alone no, that his a3sor3in' ,or! ,as done. The 3lea! mountain ,indA si'hin' throu'h the olive 'rove and the tom31treeA had an uncanny ,ay of formin' va'uely articulate sounds. The s!y ,as dar! on the evenin' that the Tyrant<s emissaries came to Te'ea. =t ,as definitely !no,n that they had come to 3ear a,ay the 'reat ima'e of Tyche and 3rin' eternal honour to 8usidesA so their reception 3y the pro%enoi ,as of 'reat ,armth. As the ni'ht ,ore on a violent storm of ,ind 3ro!e over the crest of 8aenalusA and the men from

H.P.Lovecr !t

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1*&7

far Syracuse ,ere 'lad that they rested snu'ly in the to,n. They tal!ed of their illustrious TyrantA and of the splendour of his capital and e%ulted in the 'lory of the statue ,hich 8usides had ,rou'ht for him. And then the men of Te'ea spo!e of the 'oodness of 8usidesA and of his heavy 'rief for his friend and ho, not even the comin' laurels of art could console him in the a3sence of 0alosA ,ho mi'ht have ,orn those laurels instead. +f the tree ,hich 're, 3y the tom3A near the head of 0alosA they also spo!e. The ,ind shrie!ed more horri3lyA and 3oth the Syracusans and the Arcadians prayed to Aiolos. =n the sunshine of the mornin' the pro%enoi led the Tyrant<s messen'ers up the slope to the a3ode of the sculptorA 3ut the ni'ht ,ind had done stran'e thin's. Slaves< cries ascended from a scene of desolationA and no more amidst the olive 'rove rose the 'leamin' colonnades of that vast hall ,herein 8usides had dreamed and toiled. 5one and sha!en mourned the hum3le courts and the lo,er ,allsA for upon the sumptuous 'reater peri1style had fallen sDuarely the heavy overhan'in' 3ou'h of the stran'e ne, treeA reducin' the stately poem in mar3le ,ith odd completeness to a mound of unsi'htly ruins. Stran'ers and Te'eans stood a'hastA loo!in' from the ,rec!a'e to the 'reatA sinister tree ,hose aspect ,as so ,eirdly human and ,hose roots reached so Dueerly into the sculptured sepulchre of 0alos. And their fear and dismay increased ,hen they searched the fallen apartmentA for of the 'entle 8usidesA and of the marvellously fashioned ima'e of TycheA no trace could 3e discovered. Amidst such stupendous ruin only chaos d,eltA and the representatives of t,o cities left disappointedB Syracusans that they had no statue to 3ear homeA Te'eans that they had no artist to cro,n. 2o,everA the Syracusans o3tained after a ,hile a very splendid statue in AthensA and the Te'eans consoled themselves 3y erectin' in the a'ora a mar3le temple commemoratin' the 'iftsA virtuesA and 3rotherly piety of 8usides. But the olive 'rove still standsA as does the tree 'ro,in' out of the tom3 of 0alosA and the old 3ee1!eeper told me that sometimes the 3ou'hs ,hisper to one another in the ni'ht ,indA sayin' over and over a'ain. L+idaF +idaF 1= !no,F = !no,FL

The Tree O# The Hill

,.
Southeast of 2ampdenA near the tortuous Salmon :iver 'or'eA is a ran'e of steepA roc!y hills ,hich have defied all efforts of sturdy homesteaders. The canyons are too deep and the slopes too precipitous to encoura'e anythin' save seasonal livestoc! 'razin'. The last time = visited 2ampden the re'ion 1 !no,n as 2ell<s Acres 1 ,as part of the Blue 8ountain 4orest :eserve. There are no roads lin!in' this inaccessi3le locality ,ith the outside ,orldA and the hillfol! ,ill tell you that it is indeed a spot transplanted from his Satanic 8aCesty<s front yard. There is a local superstition that the area is haunted 1 3ut 3y ,hat or 3y ,hom no one seems to !no,. ;atives ,ill not venture ,ithin its mysterious depthsA for they 3elieve the stories handed do,n to them 3y the ;ez >erce =ndiansA ,ho have shunned the re'ion for untold 'enerationsA 3ecauseA accordin' to themA it is a play'round of certain 'iant devils from the +utside. These su''estive tales made me very curious. 8y first e%cursion 1 and my lastA than! 7odF 1 into those hills occurred ,hile Constantine Theunis and = ,ere livin' in 2ampden the summer of 1)&8. 2e ,as ,ritin' a treatise on E'yptian mytholo'yA and = found myself alone much of the timeA despite the fact that ,e shared a modest ca3in on Beacon StreetA ,ithin si'ht of the infamous >irate 2ouseA 3uilt 3y E%er 6ones over si%ty years a'o. The mornin' of 6une "&rd found me ,al!in' in those oddly shaped hillsA ,hich hadA since seven o<cloc!A seemed very ordinary indeed. = must have 3een a3out seven miles south of 2ampden 3efore = noticed anythin' unusual. = ,as clim3in' a 'rassy rid'e overloo!in' a particularly deep canyonA ,hen = came upon an area totally devoid of the usual 3unch1'rass and 'rease,eed. =t e%tended south,ardA over numerous hills and valleys. At first = thou'ht the spot had 3een 3urned over the previous fallA 3ut upon e%aminin' the turfA = found no si'ns of a 3laze. The near3y slopes and ravines loo!ed terri3ly scarred and searedA as if some 'i'antic torch had 3lasted themA ,ipin' a,ay all ve'etation. And yet there ,as no evidence of fire... = moved on over richA 3lac! soil in ,hich no 'rass flourished. As = headed for the appro%imate center of this desolate areaA = 3e'an to notice a stran'e silence. There ,ere no lar!sA no ra33itsA and even the insects seemed to have deserted the place. = 'ained the summit of a lofty !noll and tried to 'uess at the size of that 3lea!A ine%plica3le re'ion. Then = sa, the lone tree. =t stood on a hill some,hat hi'her than its companionsA and attracted the eye 3ecause it ,as so utterly une%pected. = had seen no trees for miles9 thorn and hac!3erry 3ushes clustered the shallo,er ravinesA 3ut there had 3een no mature trees. Stran'e to find one standin' on the crest of the hill. = crossed t,o steep canyons 3efore = came to itB and a surprise a,aited me. =t ,as not a pine treeA nor a fir treeA nor a hac!3erry tree. = had neverA in all my lifeA seen one to compare ,ith it 1 and = never have to this dayA for ,hich = am eternally than!fulF

H.P.Lovecr !t

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1*&)

8ore than anythin' it resem3led an oa!. =t had a hu'eA t,isted trun!A fully a yard in diameterA and the lar'e lim3s 3e'an spreadin' out,ard scarcely seven feet from the 'round. The leaves ,ere roundA and curiously ali!e in size and desi'n. =t mi'ht have 3een a tree painted on a canvasA 3ut = ,ill s,ear that it ,as real. = shall al,ays !no, that it ,as realA despite ,hat Theunis said later. = recall that = 'lanced at the sun and Cud'ed the time to 3e a3out ten o<cloc! a.m.A althou'h = did not loo! at my ,atch. The day ,as 3ecomin' ,armA and = sat for a ,hile in the ,elcome shade of the hu'e tree. Then = re'arded the ran! 'rass that flourished 3eneath it 1 another sin'ular phenomenon ,hen = remem3ered the 3lea! terrain throu'h ,hich = had passed. A ,ild maze of hillsA ravinesA and 3luffs hemmed me in on all sidesA althou'h the rise on ,hich = sat ,as rather hi'her than any other ,ithin miles. = loo!ed far to the east 1 and = Cumped to my feetA startled and amazed. Shimmerin' throu'h a 3lue haze of distance ,ere the Bitterroot 8ountainsF There is no other ran'e of sno,1capped pea!s ,ithin three hundred miles of 2ampdenB and = !ne, 1 at this altitude 1 that = shouldn<t 3e seein' them at all. 4or several minutes = 'azed at the marvelB then = 3ecame dro,sy. = lay in the ran! 'rassA 3eneath the tree. = unstrapped my cameraA too! off my hatA and rela%edA starin' s!y,ard throu'h the 'reen leaves. = closed my eyes. Then a curious phenomenon 3e'an to assail me 1 a va'ueA cloudy sort of vision 1 'limpsin' or day1dreamin' seemin'ly ,ithout relevance to anythin' familiar. = thou'ht = sa, a 'reat temple 3y a sea of oozeA ,here three suns 'leamed in a pale red s!y. The vast tom3A or templeA ,as an anomalous color 1 a nameless 3lue1violet shade. 5ar'e 3easts fle, in the cloudy s!yA and = seemed to hear the poundin' of their scaly ,in's. = ,ent nearer the stone templeA and a hu'e door,ay loomed in front of me. Within that portal ,ere s,irlin' shado,s that seemed to dart and leer and try to snatch me inside that a,ful dar!ness. = thou'ht = sa, three flamin' eyes in the shiftin' void of a door,ayA and = screamed ,ith mortal fear. =n that noisome depthA = !ne,A lur!ed utter destruction 1 a livin' hell even ,orse than death. = screamed a'ain. The vision faded. = sa, the round leaves and the sane earthly s!y. = stru''led to rise. = ,as trem3lin'B cold perspiration 3eaded my 3ro,. = had a mad impulse to fleeB run insanely from that sinister tree on the hill 1 3ut = chec!ed the a3surd intuition and sat do,nA tryin' to collect my senses. ;ever had = dreamed anythin' so realisticB so horrifyin'. What had caused the visionG = had 3een readin' several of Theunis< tomes on ancient E'ypt. ... = mopped my foreheadA and decided that it ,as time for lunch. But = did not feel li!e eatin'. Then = had an inspiration. = ,ould ta!e a fe, snapshots of the treeA for Theunis. They mi'ht shoc! him out of his ha3itual air of unconcern. >erhaps = ,ould tell him a3out the dream. . . . +penin' my cameraA = too! half a dozen shots of the treeA and every aspect of the landscape as seen from the tree. AlsoA = included one of the 'leamin'A sno,1crested pea!s. = mi'ht ,ant to returnA and these photos ,ould help. . . . 4oldin' the cameraA = returned to my cushion of soft 'rass. 2ad that spot 3eneath the tree a certain alien enchantmentG = !no, that = ,as reluctant to leave it. ... = 'azed up,ard at the curious round leaves. = closed my eyes. A 3reeze stirred the 3ranchesA and their ,hispered music lulled me into tranDuil o3livion. And suddenly = sa, a'ain the pale red s!y and the three suns. The land of three shado,sF A'ain the 'reat temple came into vie,. = seemed to 3e floatin' on the air 1 a disem3odied spirit e%plorin'

H.P.Lovecr !t

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1*#*

the ,onders of a madA multi1dimensional ,orldF The temple<s oddly an'led cornices fri'htened meA and = !ne, that this place ,as one that no man on earth had ever seen in his ,ildest dreams. A'ain the vast door,ay ya,ned 3efore meB and = ,as suc!ed ,ithin that 3lac!A ,rithin' cloud. = seemed to 3e starin' at space unlimited. = sa, a void 3eyond my voca3ulary to descri3eB a dar!A 3ottomless 'ulf teemin' ,ith nameless shapes and entities 1 thin's of madness and deliriumA as tenuous as a mist from Sham3allah. 8y soul shran!. = ,as terri3ly afraid. = screamed and screamedA and felt that = ,ould soon 'o mad. Then in my dream = ran and ran in a fever of utter terrorA 3ut = did not !no, ,hat = ,as runnin' from. ... = left that hideous temple and that hellish voidA yet = !ne, = mustA 3arrin' some miracleA return. . . . At last my eyes fle, open. = ,as not 3eneath the tree. = ,as spra,led on a roc!y slopeA my clothin' torn and disordered. 8y hands ,ere 3leedin'. = stood upA pain sta33in' throu'h me. = reco'nized the spot 1 the rid'e ,here = had first seen the 3lasted areaF = must have ,al!ed miles 1 unconsciousF The tree ,as not in si'htA and = ,as 'lad. . . . Even the !nees of my trousers ,ere tornA as if = had cra,led part of the ,ay. . . . = 'lanced at the sun. 5ate afternoonF Where had = 3eenG = snatched out my ,atch. =t had stopped at 1*9&#. . . .

,,.
LSo you have the snapshotsGL Theunis dra,led. = met his 'ray eyes across the 3rea!fast ta3le. Three days had slipped 3y since my return from 2ell<s Acres. = had told him a3out the dream 3eneath the treeA and he had lau'hed. L.esAL = replied. LThey came last ni'ht. 2aven<t had a chance to open them yet. 7ive <em a 'oodA careful study 1 if they aren<t all failures. >erhaps you<ll chan'e your mind.L Theunis smiledB sipped his coffee. = 'ave him the unopened envelope and he Duic!ly 3ro!e the seal and ,ithdre, the pictures. 2e 'lanced at the first oneA and the smile faded from his leonine face. 2e crushed out his ci'arette. L8y 7odA manF 5oo! at thisFL = seized the 'lossy rectan'le. =t ,as the first picture of the treeA ta!en at a distance of fifty feet or so. The cause of Theunis< e%citement escaped me. There it ,asA standin' 3oldly on the hillA ,hile 3elo, it 're, the Cun'le of 'rass ,here = had lain. =n the distance ,ere my sno,1capped mountainsF LThere you areAL = cried. LThe proof of my story... L L5oo! at itFL Theunis snapped. LThe shado,s... there are three for every roc!A 3ushA and treeFL

H.P.Lovecr !t

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2e ,as ri'ht... Belo, the treeA spread in fanli!e incon'ruityA lay three overlappin' shado,s. Suddenly = realized that the picture held an a3normal and inconsistent element. The leaves on the thin' ,ere too lush for the ,or! of sane natureA ,hile the trun! ,as 3ul'ed and !notted in the most a3horrent shapes. Theunis dropped the picture on the ta3le. LThere is somethin' ,ron'AL = muttered. LThe tree = sa, didn<t loo! as repulsive as that... L LAre you sureGL Theunis 'rated. LThe fact isA you may have seen many thin's not recorded on this film.L L=t sho,s more than = sa,FL LThat<s the point. There is somethin' damna3ly out of place in this landscapeB somethin' = can<t understand. The tree seems to su''est a thou'ht 1 3eyond my 'rasp. ... =t is too mistyB too uncertainB too unreal to 3e naturalFL 2e rapped nervous fin'ers on the ta3le. 2e snatched the remainin' films and shuffled throu'h themA rapidly. = reached for the snapshot he had droppedA and sensed a touch of 3izarre uncertainty and stran'eness as my eyes a3sor3ed its every detail. The flo,ers and ,eeds pointed at varyin' an'lesA ,hile some of the 'rass 're, in the most 3e,ilderin' fashion. The tree seemed too veiled and clouded to 3e readily distin'uishedA 3ut = noted the hu'e lim3s and the half13ent flo,er stems that ,ere ready to fall overA yet did not fall. And the manyA overlappin' shado,s. . . . They ,ereA alto'etherA very disDuietin' shado,s 1 too lon' or short ,hen compared to the stems they fell 3elo, to 'ive one a feelin' of comforta3le normality. The landscape hadn<t shoc!ed me the day of my visit. . . . There ,as a dar! familiarity and moc!in' su''estion in itB somethin' tan'i3leA yet distant as the stars 3eyond the 'ala%y. Theunis came 3ac! to earth. L$id you mention three suns in your dreamin' or'yGL = noddedA fran!ly puzzled. Then it da,ned on me. 8y fin'ers trem3led sli'htly as = stared at the picture a'ain. 8y dreamF +f course... LThe others are Cust li!e itAL Theunis said. LThat same uncertainnessB that su''estion. = should 3e a3le to catch the mood of the thin'B see it in its real li'htA 3ut it is too. . . . >erhaps later = shall find outA if = loo! at it lon' enou'h.L We sat in silence for some time. A thou'ht came to meA suddenlyA prompted 3y a stran'eA ine%plica3le lon'in' to visit the tree a'ain. L5et<s ma!e an e%cursion. = thin! = can ta!e you there in half a day.L L.ou<d 3etter stay a,ayAL replied TheunisA thou'htfully. L= dou3t if you could find the place a'ain if you ,anted to.L L;onsenseAL = replied. LSurelyA ,ith these photos to 'uide us... L L$id you see any familiar landmar!s in themGL 2is o3servation ,as uncanny. After loo!in' throu'h the remainin' snaps carefullyA = had to admit that there ,ere none.

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Theunis muttered under his 3reath and dre, viciously on his ci'arette. LA perfectly normal 1 or nearly so 1 picture of a spot apparently dropped from no,here. Seein' mountains at this lo, altitude is preposterous . . . 3ut ,aitFL 2e spran' from the chair as a hunted animal and raced from the room. = could hear him movin' a3out in our ma!eshift li3raryA cursin' volu3ly. Before lon' he reappeared ,ith an oldA leather13ound volume. Theunis opened it reverentlyA and peered over the odd characters. LWhat do you call thatGL = inDuired. LThis is an early En'lish translation of the Chronicle of ;athA ,ritten 3y :udolf .er'lerA a 7erman mystic and alchemist ,ho 3orro,ed some of his lore from 2ermes Trisme'istusA the ancient E'yptian sorcerer. There is a passa'e here that mi'ht interest you 1 mi'ht ma!e you understand ,hy this 3usiness is even further from the natural than you suspect. 5isten.L LSo in the year of the Blac! 7oat there came unto ;ath a shado, that should not 3e on EarthA and that had no form !no,n to the eyes of Earth. And it fed on the souls of menB they that it 'na,ed 3ein' lured and 3linded ,ith dreams till the horror and the endless ni'ht lay upon them. ;or did they see that ,hich 'na,ed themB for the shado, too! false shapes that men !no, or dream ofA and only freedom seemed ,aitin' in the 5and of the Three Suns. But it ,as told 3y priests of the +ld Boo! that he ,ho could see the shado,<s true shapeA and live after the seein'A mi'ht shun its doom and send it 3ac! to the starless 'ulf of its spa,nin'. This none could do save throu'h the 7emB ,herefore did 0a1;efer the 2i'h1>riest !eep that 'em sacred in the temple. And ,hen it ,as lost ,ith >hrenesA he ,ho 3raved the horror and ,as never seen moreA there ,as ,eepin' in ;ath. .et did the Shado, depart sated at lastA nor shall it hun'er a'ain till the cycles roll 3ac! to the year of the Blac! 7oat.L Theunis paused ,hile = staredA 3e,ildered. 4inally he spo!e. L;o,A Sin'leA = suppose you can 'uess ho, all this lin!s up. There is no need of 'oin' deep into the primal lore 3ehind this 3usinessA 3ut = may as ,ell tell you that accordin' to the old le'ends this is the so1called <.ear of the Blac! 7oat< 1 ,hen certain horrors from the fathomless +utside are supposed to visit the earth and do infinite harm. We don<t !no, ho, they<ll 3e manifestA 3ut there<s reason to thin! that stran'e mira'es and hallucinations ,ill 3e mi%ed up in the matter. = don<t li!e the thin' you<ve run up a'ainst 1 the story or the pictures. =t may 3e pretty 3adA and = ,arn you to loo! out. But first = must try to do ,hat old .er'ler says 1 to see if = can 'limpse the matter as it is. 4ortunately the old 7em he mentions has 3een rediscovered 1 = !no, ,here = can 'et at it. We must use it on the photo'raphs and see ,hat ,e see. L=t<s more or less li!e a lens or prismA thou'h one can<t ta!e photo'raphs ,ith it. Someone of peculiar sensitiveness mi'ht loo! throu'h and s!etch ,hat he sees. There<s a

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3it of dan'erA and the loo!er may have his consciousness sha!en a trifleB for the real shape of the shado, isn<t pleasant and doesn<t 3elon' on this earth. But it ,ould 3e a lot more dan'erous not to do anythin' a3out it. 8ean,hileA if you value your life and sanityA !eep a,ay from that hill 1 and from the thin' you thin! is a tree on it.L = ,as more 3e,ildered than ever. L2o, can there 3e or'anized 3ein's from the +utside in our midstGL = cried. L2o, do ,e !no, that such thin's e%istGL L.ou reason in terms of this tiny earthAL Theunis said. LSurely you don<t thin! that the ,orld is a rule for measurin' the universe. There are entities ,e never dream of floatin' under our very noses. 8odern science is thrustin' 3ac! the 3orderland of the un!no,n and provin' that the mystics ,ere not so far off the trac!... L Suddenly = !ne, that = did not ,ant to loo! at the picture a'ainB = ,anted to destroy it. = ,anted to run from it. Theunis ,as su''estin' somethin' 3eyond. ... A trem3lin'A cosmic fear 'ripped me and dre, me a,ay from the hideous pictureA for = ,as afraid = ,ould reco'nize some o3Cect in it. . . . = 'lanced at my friend. 2e ,as porin' over the ancient 3oo!A a stran'e e%pression on his face. 2e sat up strai'ht. L5et<s call the thin' off for today. =<m tired of this endless 'uessin' and ,onderin'. = must 'et the loan of the 'em from the museum ,here it isA and do ,hat is to 3e done.L LAs you sayAL = replied. LWill you have to 'o to CroydonGL 2e nodded. LThen ,e<ll 3oth 'o homeAL = said decisively.

,,,.
= need not chronicle the events of the fortni'ht that follo,ed. With me they formed a constant and enervatin' stru''le 3et,een a mad lon'in' to return to the cryptic tree of dreams and freedomA and a frenzied dread of that selfsame thin' and all connected ,ith it. That = did not return is perhaps less a matter of my o,n ,ill than a matter of pure chance. 8ean,hile = !ne, that Theunis ,as desperately active in some investi'ation of the stran'est nature 1 somethin' ,hich included a mysterious motor trip and a return under circumstances of the 'reatest secrecy. By hints over the telephone = ,as made to understand that he had some,here 3orro,ed the o3scure and primal o3Cect mentioned in the ancient volume as LThe 7emAL and that he ,as 3usy devisin' a means of applyin' it to the photo'raphs = had left ,ith him. 2e spo!e fra'mentarily of LrefractionAL LpolarizationAL and Lun!no,n an'les of space and timeAL and indicated that he ,as 3uildin' a !ind of 3o% or camera o3scura for the study of the curious snapshots ,ith the 'em<s aid. =t ,as on the si%teenth day that = received the startlin' messa'e from the hospital in Croydon. Theunis ,as thereA and ,anted to see me at once. 2e had suffered some odd sort of seizureB 3ein' found prone and unconscious 3y friends ,ho found their ,ay into his house after hearin' certain cries of mortal a'ony and fear. Thou'h still ,ea! and helplessA he had no, re'ained his senses and seemed frantic to tell me somethin' and have me

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perform certain important duties. This much the hospital informed me over the ,ireB and ,ithin half an hour = ,as at my friend<s 3edsideA marvelin' at the inroads ,hich ,orry and tension had made on his features in so 3rief a time. 2is first act ,as to move a,ay the nurses in order to spea! in utter confidence. LSin'le 1 = sa, itFL 2is voice ,as strained and hus!y. L.ou must destroy them all 1 those pictures. = sent it 3ac! 3y seein' itA 3ut the pictures had 3etter 'o. That tree ,ill never 3e seen on the hill a'ain 1 at leastA = hope not 1 till thousands of eons 3rin' 3ac! the .ear of the Blac! 7oat. .ou are safe no, 1 man!ind is safe.L 2e pausedA 3reathin' heavilyA and continued. LTa!e the 7em out of the apparatus and put it in the safe 1 you !no, the com3ination. =t must 'o 3ac! ,here it came fromA for there<s a time ,hen it may 3e needed to save the ,orld. They ,on<t let me leave here yetA 3ut = can rest if = !no, it<s safe. $on<t loo! throu'h the 3o% as it is 1 it ,ould fi% you as it<s fi%ed me. And 3urn those damned photo'raphs . . . the one in the 3o% and the others. . . .L But Theunis ,as e%hausted no,A and the nurses advanced and motioned me a,ay as he leaned 3ac! and closed his eyes. =n another half1hour = ,as at his house and loo!in' curiously at the lon' 3lac! 3o% on the li3rary ta3le 3eside the overturned chair. Scattered papers 3le, a3out in a 3reeze from the open ,indo,A and close to the 3o% = reco'nized ,ith a Dueer sensation the envelope of pictures = had ta!en. =t reDuired only a moment for me to e%amine the 3o% and detach at one end my earliest picture of the treeA and at the other end a stran'e 3it of am3er1colored crystalA cut in devious an'les impossi3le to classify. The touch of the 'lass fra'ment seemed curiously ,arm and electricA and = could scarcely 3ear to put it out of si'ht in Theunis< ,all safe. The snapshot = handled ,ith a disconcertin' mi%ture of emotions. Even after = had replaced it in the envelope ,ith the rest = had a mor3id lon'in' to save it and 'loat over it and rush out and up the hill to,ard its ori'inal. >eculiar line1arran'ements spran' out of its details to assault and puzzle my memory . . . pictures 3ehind pictures . . . secrets lur!in' in half1familiar shapes. . . . But a saner contrary instinctA operatin' at the same timeA 'ave me the vi'or and avidity of unplacea3le fear as = hastily !indled a fire in the 'rate and ,atched the pro3lematic envelope 3urn to ashes. Someho, = felt that the earth had 3een pur'ed of a horror on ,hose 3rin! = had trem3ledA and ,hich ,as none the less monstrous 3ecause = did not !no, ,hat it ,as. +f the source of Theunis< terrific shoc! = could form no coherent 'uessA nor did = dare to thin! too closely a3out it. =t is nota3le that = did not at any time have the least impulse to loo! throu'h the 3o% 3efore removin' the 'em and photo'raph. What ,as sho,n in the picture 3y the antiDue crystal<s lens or prism1li!e po,er ,as notA = felt curiously certainA anythin' that a normal 3rain ou'ht to 3e called upon to face. Whatever it ,asA = had myself 3een close to it 1 had 3een completely under the spell of its allurement 1 as it 3rooded on that remote hill in the form of a tree and an unfamiliar landscape. And = did not ,ish to !no, ,hat = had so narro,ly escaped. Would that my i'norance mi'ht have remained completeF = could sleep 3etter at ni'ht. As it ,asA my eye ,as arrested 3efore = left the room 3y the pile of scattered papers rustlin' on the ta3le 3eside the 3lac! 3o%. All 3ut one ,ere 3lan!A 3ut that one 3ore a crude dra,in' in pencil. Suddenly recallin' ,hat Theunis had once said a3out s!etchin' the horror revealed 3y the 'emA = strove to turn a,ayB 3ut sheer curiosity defeated my sane desi'n. 5oo!in' a'ain almost furtivelyA = o3served the nervous haste of the stro!esA and the

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unfinished ed'e left 3y the s!etcher<s terrified seizure. ThenA in a 3urst of perverse 3oldnessA = loo!ed sDuarely at the dar! and for3idden desi'n 1 and fell in a faint. = shall never descri3e fully ,hat = sa,. After a time = re'ained my sensesA thrust the sheet into the dyin' fireA and sta''ered out throu'h the Duiet streets to my home. = than!ed 7od that = had not loo!ed throu'h the crystal at the photo'raphA and prayed fervently that = mi'ht for'et the dra,in'<s terri3le hint of ,hat Theunis had 3eheld. Since then = have never 3een Duite the same. Even the fairest scenes have seemed to hold some va'ueA am3i'uous hint of the nameless 3lasphemies ,hich may underlie them and form their masDueradin' essence. And yet the s!etch ,as so sli'ht... so little indicative of all that TheunisA to Cud'e from his 'uarded accounts later onA must have discernedF +nly a fe, 3asic elements of the landscape ,ere in the thin'. 4or the most part a cloudyA e%otic1loo!in' vapor dominated the vie,. Every o3Cect that mi'ht have 3een familiar ,as seen to 3e part of somethin' va'ue and un!no,n and alto'ether un1terrestrial 1 somethin' infinitely vaster than any human eye could 'raspA and infinitely alienA monstrousA and hideous as 'uessed from the fra'ment ,ithin ran'e. Where = hadA in the landscape itselfA seen the t,istedA half1sentient treeA there ,as here visi3le only a 'narledA terri3le hand or talon ,ith fin'ers or feelers shoc!in'ly distended and evidently 'ropin' to,ard somethin' on the 'round or in the spectator<s direction. And sDuarely 3elo, the ,rithin'A 3loated di'its = thou'ht = sa, an outline in the 'rass ,here a man had lain. But the s!etch ,as hastyA and = could not 3e sure.

T2o Bl c+ Bottles
;ot all of the fe, remainin' inha3itants of $aal3er'enA that dismal little villa'e in the :amapo 8ountainsA 3elieve that my uncleA old $ominie ?anderhoofA is really dead. Some of them 3elieve he is suspended some,here 3et,een heaven and hell 3ecause of the old se%ton<s curse. =f it had not 3een for that old ma'icianA he mi'ht still 3e preachin' in the little damp church across the moor. After ,hat has happened to me in $aal3er'enA = can almost share the opinion of the villa'ers. = am not sure that my uncle is deadA 3ut = am very sure that he is not alive upon this earth. There is no dou3t that the old se%ton 3uried him onceA 3ut he is not in that 'rave no,. = can almost feel him 3ehind me as = ,riteA impellin' me to tell the truth a3out those stran'e happenin's in $aal3er'en so many years a'o. =t ,as the fourth day of +cto3er ,hen = arrived at $aal3er'en in ans,er to a summons. The letter ,as from a former mem3er of my uncle<s con're'ationA ,ho ,rote that the old man had passed a,ay and that there should 3e some small estate ,hich =A as his only livin' relativeA mi'ht inherit. 2avin' reached the secluded little hamlet 3y a ,earyin' series of chan'es on 3ranch rail,aysA = found my ,ay to the 'rocery store of 8ar! 2ainesA ,riter of the letterA and heA leadin' me into a stuffy 3ac! roomA told me a peculiar tale concernin' $ominie ?anderhoof<s death. L.< should 3e carefulA 2offmanAL 2aines told meA L,hen y< meet that old se%tonA A3el 4oster. 2e<s in lea'ue ,ith the devilA sure<s you<re alive <T,a<n<t t,o ,ee!s a'o Sam >ryorA ,hen he passed the old 'raveyardA heared him mum3lin< t< the dead there. <T,a<n<t ri'ht 3e should tal! that ,ay 1 an< Sam does vo, that there ,as a voice ans,ered him 1 a !ind o< half1voiceA hollo, and muffled1li!eA as thou'h it come out o< th< 'round. There<s othersA tooA as could tell y< a3out seein< him standin< afore old $ominie Slott<s 'rave 1 that one ri'ht a'in< the church ,all 1 a1,rin'in< his hands an< a1tal!in< t< th< moss on th< tom3stone as thou'h it ,as the old $ominie himself.L +ld 4osterA 2aines saidA had come to $aal3er'en a3out ten years 3eforeA and had 3een immediately en'a'ed 3y ?anderhoof to ta!e care of the damp stone church at ,hich most of the villa'ers ,orshipped. ;o one 3ut ?anderhoof seemed to li!e himA for his presence 3rou'ht a su''estion almost of the uncanny. 2e ,ould sometimes stand 3y the door ,hen the people came to churchA and the men ,ould coldly return his servile 3o, ,hile the ,omen 3rushed past in hasteA holdin' their s!irts aside to avoid touchin' him. 2e could 3e seen on ,ee! days cuttin' the 'rass in the cemetery and tendin' the flo,ers around the 'ravesA no, and then croonin' and mutterin' to himself. And fe, failed to notice the particular attention he paid to the 'rave of the :everend 7uilliam SlottA first pastor of the church in 17*1. =t ,as not lon' after 4oster<s esta3lishment as a villa'e fi%ture that disaster 3e'an to lo,er. 4irst came the failure of the mountain mine ,here most of the men ,or!ed. The vein of iron had 'iven outA and many of the people moved a,ay to 3etter localitiesA ,hile those ,ho had lar'e holdin's of land in the vicinity too! to farmin' and mana'ed to ,rest a mea'er livin' from the roc!y hillsides. Then came the distur3ances in the church. =t ,as ,hispered a3out that the :everend 6ohannes ?anderhoof had made a compact ,ith the

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devilA and ,as preachin' his ,ord in the house of 7od. 2is sermons had 3ecome ,eird and 'rotesDue 1 redolent ,ith sinister thin's ,hich the i'norant people of $aal3er'en did not understand. 2e transported them 3ac! over a'es of fear and superstition to re'ions of hideousA unseen spiritsA and peopled their fancy ,ith ni'ht1hauntin' 'houls. +ne 3y one the con're'ation d,indledA ,hile the elders and deacons vainly pleaded ,ith ?anderhoof to chan'e the su3Cect of his sermons. Thou'h the old man continually promised to complyA he seemed to 3e enthralled 3y some hi'her po,er ,hich forced him to do its ,ill. A 'iant in statureA 6ohannes ?anderhoof ,as !no,n to 3e ,ea! and timid at heartA yet even ,hen threatened ,ith e%pulsion he continued his eerie sermonsA until scarcely a handful of people remained to listen to him on Sunday mornin'. Because of ,ea! financesA it ,as found impossi3le to call a ne, pastorA and 3efore lon' not one of the villa'ers dared venture near the church or the parsona'e ,hich adCoined it. Every,here there ,as fear of those spectral ,raiths ,ith ,hom ?anderhoof ,as apparently in lea'ue. 8y uncleA 8ar! 2aines told meA had continued to live in the parsona'e 3ecause there ,as no one ,ith sufficient coura'e to tell him to move out of it. ;o one ever sa, him a'ainA 3ut li'hts ,ere visi3le in the parsona'e at ni'htA and ,ere even 'limpsed in the church from time to time. =t ,as ,hispered a3out the to,n that ?anderhoof preached re'ularly in the church every Sunday mornin'A una,are that his con're'ation ,as no lon'er there to listen. 2e had only the old se%tonA ,ho lived in the 3asement of the churchA to ta!e care of himA and 4oster made a ,ee!ly visit to ,hat remained of the 3usiness section of the villa'e to 3uy provisions. 2e no lon'er 3o,ed servilely to everyone he metA 3ut instead seemed to har3or a demoniac and ill1concealed hatred. 2e spo!e to no one e%cept as ,as necessary to ma!e his purchasesA and 'lanced from left to ri'ht out of evil1 filled eyes as he ,al!ed the street ,ith his cane tappin' the uneven pavements. Bent and shriveled ,ith e%treme a'eA his presence could actually 3e felt 3y anyone near himA so po,erful ,as that personality ,hichA said the to,nspeopleA had made ?anderhoof accept the devil as his master. ;o person in $aal3er'en dou3ted that A3el 4oster ,as at the 3ottom of all the to,n<s ill luc!A 3ut not a one dared lift a fin'er a'ainst himA or could even approach him ,ithout a tremor of fear. 2is nameA as ,ell as ?anderhoof<sA ,as never mentioned aloud. Whenever the matter of the church across the moor ,as discussedA it ,as in ,hispersB and if the conversation chanced to 3e nocturnalA the ,hisperers ,ould !eep 'lancin' over their shoulders to ma!e sure that nothin' shapeless or sinister crept out of the dar!ness to 3ear ,itness to their ,ords. The churchyard continued to 3e !ept Cust as 'reen and 3eautiful as ,hen the church ,as in useA and the flo,ers near the 'raves in the cemetery ,ere tended Cust as carefully as in times 'one 3y. The old se%ton could occasionally 3e seen ,or!in' thereA as if still 3ein' paid for his servicesA and those ,ho dared venture near said that he maintained a continual conversation ,ith the devil and ,ith those spirits ,hich lur!ed ,ithin the 'raveyard ,alls. +ne mornin'A 2aines ,ent on to sayA 4oster ,as seen di''in' a 'rave ,here the steeple of the church thro,s its shado, in the afternoonA 3efore the sun 'oes do,n 3ehind the mountain and puts the entire villa'e in semi1t,ili'ht. 5aterA the church 3ellA silent for monthsA tolled solemnly for a half1hour. And at sun1do,n those ,ho ,ere ,atchin' from a distance sa, 4oster 3rin' a coffin from the parsona'e on a ,heel3arro,A dump it into the 'rave ,ith slender ceremonyA and replace the earth in the hole.

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The se%ton came to the villa'e the ne%t mornin'A ahead of his usual ,ee!ly scheduleA and in much 3etter spirits than ,as customary. 2e seemed ,illin' to tal!A remar!in' that ?anderhoof had died the day 3eforeA and that he had 3uried his 3ody 3eside that of $ominie Slott near the church ,all. 2e smiled from time to timeA and ru33ed his hands in an untimely and unaccounta3le 'lee. =t ,as apparent that he too! a perverse and dia3olic deli'ht in ?anderhoof<s death. The villa'ers ,ere conscious of an added uncanniness in his presenceA and avoided him as much as they could. With ?anderhoof 'one they felt more insecure than everA for the old se%ton ,as no, free to cast his ,orst spells over the to,n from the church across the moor. 8utterin' somethin' in a ton'ue ,hich no one understoodA 4oster made his ,ay 3ac! alon' the road over the s,amp. =t ,as then that 8ar! 2aines remem3ered havin' heard $ominie ?anderhoof spea! of me as his nephe,. 2aines accordin'ly sent for meA in the hope that = mi'ht !no, somethin' ,hich ,ould clear up the mystery of my uncle<s last years. = assured my summonerA ho,everA that = !ne, nothin' a3out my uncle or his pastA e%cept that my mother had mentioned him as a man of 'i'antic physiDue 3ut ,ith little coura'e or po,er of ,ill. 2avin' heard all that 2aines had to tell meA = lo,ered the front le's of my chair to the floor and loo!ed at my ,atch. =t ,as late afternoon. L2o, far is it out to the churchGL = inDuired. LThin! = can ma!e it 3efore sunsetGL LSureA ladA y< ain<t 'oin< out there t<ni'htF ;ot t< that placeFL The old man trem3led noticea3ly in every lim3 and half rose from his chairA stretchin' out a leanA detainin' handA LWhyA it<s plum3 foolishnessFL he e%claimed. = lau'hed aside his fears and informed him thatA come ,hat mayA = ,as determined to see the old se%ton that evenin' and 'et the ,hole matter over as soon as possi3le. = did not intend to accept the superstitions of i'norant country fol! as truthA for = ,as convinced that all = had Cust heard ,as merely a chain of events ,hich the over1ima'inative people of $aal3er'en had happened to lin! ,ith their ill1luc!. = felt no sense of fear or horror ,hatever. Seein' that = ,as determined to reach my uncle<s house 3efore ni'htfallA 2aines ushered me out of his office and reluctantly 'ave me the fe, reDuired directionsA pleadin' from time to time that = chan'e my mind. 2e shoo! my hand ,hen = leftA as thou'h he never e%pected to see me a'ain. LTa!e !eer that old devilA 4osterA don<t 'it yeFL he ,arned a'ain and a'ain. L= ,ouldn<t 'o near him after dar! fer love n<r money. ;o sireeFL 2e re1entered his storeA solemnly sha!in' his headA ,hile = set out alon' a road leadin' to the outs!irts of the to,n. = had ,al!ed 3arely t,o minutes 3efore = si'hted the moor of ,hich 2aines had spo!en. The roadA flan!ed 3y a ,hite,ashed fenceA passed over the 'reat s,ampA ,hich ,as over'ro,n ,ith clumps of under3rush dippin' do,n into the dan!A slimy ooze. An odor of deadness and decay filled the airA and even in the sunlit afternoon little ,isps of vapor could 3e seen risin' from the unhealthful spot.

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+n the opposite side of the moor = turned sharply to the leftA as = had 3een directedA 3ranchin' from the main road. There ,ere several houses in the vicinityA = noticedB houses ,hich ,ere scarcely more than hutsA reflectin' the e%treme poverty of their o,ners. The road here passed under the droopin' 3ranches of enormous ,illo,s ,hich almost completely shut out the rays of the sun. The miasmal odor of the s,amp ,as still in my nostrilsA and the air ,as damp and chilly. = hurried my pace to 'et out of that dismal tunnel as soon as possi3le. >resently = found myself in the li'ht a'ain. The sunA no, han'in' li!e a red 3all upon the crest of the mountainA ,as 3e'innin' to dip lo,A and thereA some distance ahead of meA 3athed in its 3loody iridescenceA stood the lonely church. = 3e'an to sense that uncanniness ,hich 2aines had mentionedA that feelin' of dread ,hich made all $aal3er'en shun the place. The sDuatA stone hul! of the church itselfA ,ith its 3lunt steepleA seemed li!e an idol to ,hich the tom3stones that surrounded it 3o,ed do,n and ,orshippedA each ,ith an arched top li!e the shoulders of a !neelin' personA ,hile over the ,hole assem3la'e the din'yA 'ray parsona'e hovered li!e a ,raith. = had slo,ed my pace a trifle as = too! in the scene. The sun ,as disappearin' 3ehind the mountain very rapidly no,A and the damp air chilled me. Turnin' my coat collar up a3out my nec!A = plodded on. Somethin' cau'ht my eye as = 'lanced up a'ain. =n the shado, of the church ,all ,as somethin' ,hite 1 a thin' ,hich seemed to have no definite shape. Strainin' my eyes as = came nearerA = sa, that it ,as a cross of ne, tim3erA surmountin' a mound of freshly1turned earth. The discovery sent a ne, chill throu'h me. = realized that this must 3e my uncle<s 'raveA 3ut somethin' told me that it ,as not li!e the other 'raves near it. =t did not seem li!e a dead 'rave. =n some intan'i3le ,ay it appeared to 3e livin'A if a 'rave can 3e said to live. ?ery close to itA = sa, as = came nearerA ,as another 'rave 1 an old mound ,ith a crum3lin' stone a3out it. $ominie Slott<s tom3A = thou'htA remem3erin' 2aines< story. There ,as no si'n of life any,here a3out the place. =n the semi1t,ili'ht = clim3ed the lo, !noll upon ,hich the parsona'e stoodA and hammered upon the door. There ,as no ans,er. = s!irted the house and peered into the ,indo,s. The ,hole place seemed deserted. The lo,erin' mountains had made ni'ht fall ,ith disarmin' suddenness the minute the sun ,as fully hidden. = realized that = could see scarcely more than a fe, feet ahead of me. 4eelin' my ,ay carefullyA = rounded a corner of the house and pausedA ,onderin' ,hat to do ne%t. Everythin' ,as Duiet. There ,as not a 3reath of ,indA nor ,ere there even the usual noises made 3y animals in their nocturnal ram3lin's. All dread had 3een for'otten for a timeA 3ut in the presence of that sepulchral calm my apprehensions returned. = ima'ined the air peopled ,ith 'hastly spirits that pressed around meA ma!in' the air almost un3reatha3le. = ,onderedA for the hundredth timeA ,here the old se%ton mi'ht 3e. As = stood thereA half e%pectin' some sinister demon to creep from the shado,sA = noticed t,o li'hted ,indo,s 'larin' from the 3elfry of the church. = then remem3ered ,hat 2aines had told me a3out 4oster<s livin' in the 3asement of the 3uildin'. Advancin' cautiously throu'h the 3lac!nessA = found a side door of the church aCar.

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The interior had a musty and milde,ed odor. Everythin' = touched ,as covered ,ith a coldA clammy moistore. = struc! a match and 3e'an to e%ploreA to discoverA if = couldA ho, to 'et into the 3elfry. Suddenly = stopped in my trac!s. A snatch of son'A loud and o3sceneA sun' in a voice that ,as 'uttural and thic! ,ith drin!A came from a3ove me. The match 3urned my fin'ersA and = dropped it. T,o pin1 points of li'ht pierced the dar!ness of the farther ,all of the churchA and 3elo, themA to one sideA = could see a door outlined ,here li'ht filtered throu'h its crac!s. The son' stopped as a3ruptly as it had commencedA and there ,as a3solute silence a'ain. 8y heart ,as thumpin' and 3lood raced throu'h my temples. 2ad = not 3een petrified ,ith fearA = should have fled immediately. ;ot carin' to li'ht another matchA = felt my ,ay amon' the pe,s until = stood in front of the door. So deep ,as the feelin' of depression ,hich had come over me that = felt as thou'h = ,ere actin' in a dream. 8y actions ,ere almost involuntary. The door ,as loc!edA as = found ,hen = turned the !no3. = hammered upon it for some timeA 3ut there ,as no ans,er. The silence ,as as complete as 3efore. 4eelin' around the ed'e of the doorA = found the hin'esA removed the pins from themA and allo,ed the door to fall to,ard me. $im li'ht flooded do,n a steep fli'ht of steps. There ,as a sic!enin' odor of ,his!ey. = could no, hear someone stirrin' in the 3elfry room a3ove. ?enturin' a lo, hallooA = thou'ht = heard a 'roan in replyA and cautiously clim3ed the stairs. 8y first 'lance into that unhallo,ed place ,as indeed startlin'. Stre,n a3out the little room ,ere old and dusty 3oo!s and manuscripts 1 stran'e thin's that 3espo!e almost un3elieva3le a'e. +n ro,s of shelves ,hich reached to the ceilin' ,ere horri3le thin's in 'lass Cars and 3ottles 1 sna!es and lizards and 3ats. $ust and mold and co3,e3s encrusted everythin'A =n the centerA 3ehind a ta3le upon ,hich ,as a li'hted candleA a nearly empty 3ottle of ,his!yA and a 'lassA ,as a motionless fi'ure ,ith a thinA scra,nyA ,rin!led face and ,ild eyes that stared 3lan!ly throu'h me. = reco'nized A3el 4oster the old se%tonA in an instant. 2e did not move or spea! as = came slo,ly and fearfully to,ard him. L8r. 4osterGL = as!edA trem3lin' ,ith unaccounta3le fear ,hen = heard my voice echo ,ithin the close confines of the room. There ,as no replyA and no movement from the fi'ure 3ehind the ta3le. = ,ondered if he had not drun! himself to insensi3ilityA and ,ent 3ehind the ta3le to sha!e him. At the mere touch of my arm upon his shoulderA the stran'e old man started from his chair as thou'h terrified. 2is eyesA still havin' in them that same 3lan! stareA ,ere fi%ed upon me. S,in'in' his arms li!e flailsA he 3ac!ed a,ay. L$on<tFL he screamed. L$on<t touch meF 7o 3ac! 1 'o 3ac!FL = sa, that he ,as 3oth drun! and struc! ,ith some !ind of a nameless terror. (sin' a soothin' toneA = told him ,ho = ,as and ,hy = had come. 2e seemed to understand va'uely and san! 3ac! into his chairA sittin' limp and motionless. L= thou'ht ye ,as himAL he mum3led. L= thou'ht ye ,as him come 3ac! fer it. 2e<s 3een a1tryin< t< 'et out 1 a1tryin< t< 'et out sence = put him in there.L 2is voice a'ain rose to a scream and he clutched his chair. L8ay3e he<s 'ot out no,F 8ay3e he<s outFL

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= loo!ed a3outA half e%pectin' to see some spectral shape comin' up the stairs. L8ay3e ,ho<s outGL = inDuired. L?anderhoofFL he shrie!ed. LTh< cross over his 'rave !eeps fallin< do,n in th< ni'htF Every mornin' the earth is looseA and 'ets harder t< pat do,n. 2e<ll come out an< = ,on<t 3e a3le t< do nothin<.L 4orcin' him 3ac! into the chairA = seated myself on a 3o% near him. 2e ,as trem3lin' in mortal terrorA ,ith the saliva drippin' from the corners of his mouth. 4rom time to time = felt that sense of horror ,hich 2aines had descri3ed ,hen he told me of the old se%ton. TrulyA there ,as somethin' uncanny a3out the man. 2is head had no, sun! for,ard upon his 3reastA and he seemed calmerA mum3lin' to himself. = Duietly arose and opened a ,indo, to let out the fumes of ,his!y and the musty odor of dead thin's. 5i'ht from a dim moonA Cust risenA made o3Cects 3elo, 3arely visi3le. = could Cust see $ominie ?anderhoof<s 'rave from my position in the 3elfryA and 3lin!ed my eyes as = 'azed at it. That cross ,as tiltedF = remem3ered that it had 3een vertical an hour a'o. 4ear too! possession of me a'ain. = turned Duic!ly. 4oster sat in his chair ,atchin' me. 2is 'lance ,as saner than 3efore. LSo y<re ?anderhoof<s nephe,AL he mum3led in a nasal tone. LWaalA ye mi'ht<s ,ell !no, it all. 2e<ll 3e 3ac! after me afore lon'A he ,ill Cus< as soon as he can 'et out o< that there 'rave. .e mi'ht<s ,ell !no, all a3out it no,.L 2is terror appeared to have left him. 2e seemed resi'ned to some horri3le fate ,hich he e%pected any minute. 2is head dropped do,n upon his chest a'ainA and he ,ent on mutterin' in that nasal monotone. L.e see all them there 3oo!s and papersG WaalA they ,as once $ominie Slott<s 1 $ominie SlottA ,ho ,as here years a'o. All them thin's is 'ot t< do ,ith ma'ic 1 3lac! ma'ic that th< old dominie !ne, afore he come t< this country. They used t< 3urn <em an< 3oil <em in oil fer !no,in'< that over thereA they did. But old Slott !ne,A and he didn<t 'o fer t< tell no3ody. ;o sirA old Slott used to preach here 'enerations a'oA an< he used to come up here an< study them 3oo!sA an< use all them dead thin's in CarsA an< pronounce ma'ic curses an< thin'sA 3ut he didn<t let no3ody !no, it ;oA no3ody !no,ed it 3ut $ominie Slott an< me.L L.ouGL = eCaculatedA leanin' across the ta3le to,ard him. LThat isA me after = learned it.L 2is face sho,ed lines of tric!ery as he ans,ered me. L= found all this stuff here ,hen = come t< 3e church se%tonA an< = used t< read it ,hen = ,a<n<t at ,or!. An< = soon 'ot t< !no, all a3out it.L The old man droned onA ,hile = listenedA spell3ound. 2e told a3out learnin' the difficult formulae of demonolo'yA so thatA 3y means of incantationsA he could cast spells over human 3ein's. 2e had performed horri3le occult rites of his hellish creedA callin' do,n anathema upon the to,n and its inha3itants. Crazed 3y his desiresA he tried to 3rin' the church under his spellA 3ut the po,er of 7od ,as too stron'A 4indin' 6ohannes ?anderhoof very ,ea!1,illedA he 3e,itched him so that he preached stran'e and mystic sermons ,hich

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struc! fear into the simple hearts of the country fol!. 4rom his position in the 3elfry roomA he saidA 3ehind a paintin' of the temptation of Christ ,hich adorned the rear ,all of the churchA he ,ould 'lare at ?anderhoof ,hile he ,as preachin'A throu'h holes ,hich ,ere the eyes of the $evil in the picture. Terrified 3y the uncanny thin's ,hich ,ere happenin' in their midstA the con're'ation left one 3y oneA and 4oster ,as a3le to do ,hat he pleased ,ith the church and ,ith ?anderhoof. LBut ,hat did you do ,ith himGL = as!ed in a hollo, voice as the old se%ton paused in his confession. 2e 3urst into a cac!le of lau'hterA thro,in' 3ac! his head in drun!en 'lee. L= too! his soulFL he ho,led in a tone that set me trem3lin'. L= too! his soul and put it in a 3ottle 1 in a little 3lac! 3ottleF And = 3uried himF Bul he ain<t 'ot his soulA an< he can<t 'o neither t< heaven n<r hellF But he<s a1comm< 3ac! after it. 2e<s a1tryin'< t< 'et out o< his 'rave no,. = can hear him pushin< his ,ay up throu'h the 'roundA he<s that stron'FL As the old man had proceeded ,ith his storyA = had 3ecome more and more convinced that he must 3e tellin' me the truthA and not merely 'i33erin' in drun!enness. Every detail fitted ,hat 2aines had told me. 4ear ,as 'ro,in' upon me 3y de'rees. With the old ,izard no, shoutin' ,ith demoniac lau'hterA = ,as tempted to 3olt do,n the narro, stair,ay and leave that accursed nei'h3orhood. To calm myselfA = rose and a'ain loo!ed out of the ,indo,. 8y eyes nearly started from their soc!ets ,hen = sa, that the cross a3ove ?anderhoof<s 'rave had fallen percepti3ly since = had last loo!ed at it. =t ,as no, tilted to an an'le of forty1five de'reesF LCan<t ,e di' up ?anderhoof and restore his soulGL = as!ed almost 3reathlesslyA feelin' that somethin' must 3e done in a hurry. The old man rose from his chair in terror. L;oA noA noFL he screamed. L2e<d !ill meF =<ve fer'ot th< formulaA an< if he 'ets out he<ll 3e aliveA ,ithout a soul. 2e<d !ill us 3othFL LWhere is the 3ottle that contains his soulGL = as!edA advancin' threatenin'ly to,ard him. = felt that some 'hastly thin' ,as a3out to happenA ,hich = must do all in my po,er to prevent. L= ,on<t tell yeA ye youn' ,helpFL he snarled. = feltA rather than sa,A a Dueer li'ht in his eyes as he 3ac!ed into a corner. LAn< don<t ye touch meA eitherA or ye<ll ,ish ye hadn<tFL = moved a step for,ardA noticin' that on a lo, stool 3ehind him there ,ere t,o 3lac! 3ottles. 4oster muttered some peculiar ,ords in a lo,A sin'son' voice. Everythin' 3e'an to turn 'ray 3efore my eyesA and somethin' ,ithin me seemed to 3e dra''ed up,ardA tryin' to 'et out at my throat = felt my !nees 3ecome ,ea!. 5urchin' for,ardA = cau'ht the old se%ton 3y the throatA and ,ith my free arm reached for the 3ottles on the stool. But the old man fell 3ac!,ardA stri!in' the stool ,ith his footA and one 3ottle fell to the floor as = snatched the other. There ,as a flash of 3lue flameA and a sulfurous smell filled the room. 4rom the little heap of 3ro!en 'lass a ,hite vapor rose and follo,ed the draft out the ,indo,.

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LCurse yeA ye rascalFL sounded a voice that seemed faint and far a,ay. 4osterA ,hom = had released ,hen the 3ottle 3ro!eA ,as crouchin' a'ainst the ,allA loo!in' smaller and more shriveled than 3efore. 2is face ,as slo,ly turnin' 'reenish13lac!. LCurse yeFL said the voice a'ainA hardly soundin' as thou'h it came from his lips. L=<m done ferF That one in there ,as mineF $ominie Slott too! it out t,o hundred years a'oFL 2e slid slo,ly to,ard the floorA 'azin' at me ,ith hatred in eyes that ,ere rapidly dimmin'. 2is flesh chan'ed from ,hite to 3lac!A and then to yello,. = sa, ,ith horror that his 3ody seemed to 3e crum3lin' a,ay and his clothin' fallin' into limp folds. The 3ottle in my hand ,as 'ro,in' ,arm. = 'lanced at itA fearfully. =t 'lo,ed ,ith a faint phosphorescence. Stiff ,ith fri'htA = set it upon the ta3leA 3ut could not !eep my eyes from it There ,as an ominous moment of silence as its 'lo, 3ecame 3ri'hterA and then there came distinctly to my ears the sound of slidin' earth. 7aspin' for 3reathA = loo!ed out of the ,indo,. The moon ,as no, ,ell up in the s!yA and 3y its li'ht = could see that the fresh cross a3ove ?anderhoof<s 'rave had completely fallen. +nce a'ain there came the sound of tric!lin' 'ravelA and no lon'er a3le to control myselfA = stum3led do,n the stairs and found my ,ay out of doors. 4allin' no, and then as = raced over the uneven 'roundA = ran on in a3Cect terror. When = had reached the foot of the !nollA at the entrance to that 'loomy tunnel 3eneath the ,illo,sA = heard a horri3le roar 3ehind me. Turnin'A = 'lanced 3ac! to,ard the church. =ts ,all reflected the li'ht of the moonA and silhouetted a'ainst it ,as a 'i'anticA loathsomeA 3lac! shado, clim3in' from my uncle<s 'rave and flounderin' 'ruesomely to,ard the church. = told my story to a 'roup of villa'ers in 2aines< store the ne%t mornin'. They loo!ed from one to the other ,ith little smiles durin' the taleA = noticedA 3ut ,hen = su''ested that they accompany me to the spotA 'ave various e%cuses for not carin' to 'o. Thou'h there seemed to 3e a limit to their credulityA they cared to run no ris!s. = informed them that = ,ould 'o aloneA thou'h = must confess that the proCect did not appeal to me. As = left the storeA one old man ,ith a lon'A ,hite 3eard hurried after me and cau'ht my arm.
L=<ll 'o ,i< yeA ladAL he saidA L=t do seem that = once heared my 'ran<pap tell o< su<thin< o< the sort concernin< old $ominie Slott. A Dueer old man =<ve heared he ,ereA 3ut ?anderhoof<s 3een ,orse.L $ominie ?anderhoof<s 'rave ,as open and deserted ,hen ,e arrived. +f course it could have 3een 'rave1ro33ersA the t,o of us a'reedA and yet... =n the 3elfry the 3ottle ,hich = had left upon the ta3le ,as 'oneA thou'h the fra'ments of the 3ro!en one ,ere found on the floor. And upon the heap of yello, dust and crumpled clothin' that had once 3een A3el 4oster ,ere certain immense footprints. After 'lancin' at some of the 3oo!s and papers stre,n a3out the 3elfry roomA ,e carried them do,n the stairs and 3urned themA as somethin' unclean and unholy. With a spade ,hich ,e found in the church 3asement ,e filled in the 'rave of 6ohannes ?anderhoofA andA as an afterthou'htA flun' the fallen cross upon the flames.

+ld ,ives say that no,A ,hen the moon is fullA there ,al!s a3out the churchyard a 'i'antic and 3e,ildered fi'ure clutchin' a 3ottle and see!in' some unremem3ered 'oal.

The 0## m 6le

We ,ere sittin' on a dilapidated seventeenth1century tom3 in the late afternoon of an autumn day at the old 3uryin' 'round in Ar!hamA and speculatin' a3out the unnama3le. 5oo!in' to,ard the 'iant ,illo, in the cemeteryA ,hose trun! had nearly en'ulfed an ancientA ille'i3le sla3A = had made a fantastic remar! a3out the spectral and unmentiona3le nourishment ,hich the colossal roots must 3e suc!in' from that hoaryA charnel earthB ,hen my friend chided me for such nonsense and told me that since no interments had occurred there for over a centuryA nothin' could possi3ly e%ist to nourish the tree in other than an ordinary manner. BesidesA he addedA my constant tal! a3out Lunnama3leL and Lunmentiona3leL thin's ,as a very puerile deviceA Duite in !eepin' ,ith my lo,ly standin' as an author. = ,as too fond of endin' my stories ,ith si'hts or sounds ,hich paralyzed my heroes< faculties and left them ,ithout coura'eA ,ordsA or associations to tell ,hat they had e%perienced. We !no, thin'sA he saidA only throu'h our five senses or our intuitionsB ,herefore it is Duite impossi3le to refer to any o3Cect or spectacle ,hich cannot 3e clearly depicted 3y the solid definitions of fact or the correct doctrines of theolo'y 1 prefera3ly those of the Con're'ationalistA ,ith ,hatever modifications tradition and Sir Arthur Conan $oyle may supply. With this friendA 6oel 8antonA = had often lan'uidly disputed. 2e ,as principal of the East 2i'h SchoolA 3orn and 3red in Boston and sharin' ;e, En'land<s self1satisfied deafness to the delicate overtones of life. =t ,as his vie, that only our normalA o3Cective e%periences possess any esthetic si'nificanceA and that it is the province of the artist not so much to rouse stron' emotion 3y actionA ecstasyA and astonishmentA as to maintain a placid interest and appreciation 3y accurateA detailed transcripts of everyday affairs. Especially did he o3Cect to my preoccupation ,ith the mystical and the une%plainedB for althou'h 3elievin' in the supernatural much more fully than =A he ,ould not admit that it is sufficiently commonplace for literary treatment. That a mind can find its 'reatest pleasure in escapes from the daily treadmillA and in ori'inal and dramatic recom3inations of ima'es usually thro,n 3y ha3it and fati'ue into the hac!neyed patterns of actual e%istenceA ,as somethin' virtually incredi3le to his clearA practicalA and lo'ical intellect. With him all thin's and feelin's had fi%ed dimensionsA propertiesA causesA and effectsB and althou'h he va'uely !ne, that the mind sometimes holds visions and sensations of far less 'eometricalA classifia3leA and ,or!a3le natureA he 3elieved himself Custified in dra,in' an ar3itrary line and rulin' out of court all that cannot 3e e%perienced and understood 3y the avera'e citizen. BesidesA he ,as almost sure that nothin' can 3e really Lunnama3le.L =t didn<t sound sensi3le to him. Thou'h = ,ell realized the futility of ima'inative and metaphysical ar'uments a'ainst the complacency of an orthodo% sun1d,ellerA somethin' in the scene of this afternoon colloDuy moved me to more than usual contentiousness. The crum3lin' slate sla3sA the patriarchal treesA and the centuried 'am3rel roofs of the ,itch1haunted old to,n that stretched aroundA all com3ined to rouse my spirit in defense of my ,or!B and = ,as soon carryin' my thrusts into the enemy<s o,n country. =t ,as notA indeedA difficult to 3e'in a counter1attac!A for = !ne, that 6oel 8anton actually half clun' to many old1,ives< superstitions ,hich sophisticated people had lon' out'ro,nB 3eliefs in the appearance of dyin' persons at distant placesA and in the impressions left 3y old faces on the ,indo,s

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throu'h ,hich they had 'azed all their lives. To credit these ,hisperin's of rural 'randmothersA = no, insistedA ar'ued a faith in the e%istence of spectral su3stances on the earth apart from and su3seDuent to their material counterparts. =t ar'ued a capa3ility of 3elievin' in phenomena 3eyond all normal notionsB for if a dead man can transmit his visi3le or tan'i3le ima'e half across the ,orldA or do,n the stretch of the centuriesA ho, can it 3e a3surd to suppose that deserted houses are full of Dueer sentient thin'sA or that old 'raveyards teem ,ith the terri3leA un3odied intelli'ence of 'enerationsG And since spiritA in order to cause all the manifestations attri3uted to itA cannot 3e limited 3y any of the la,s of matterA ,hy is it e%trava'ant to ima'ine psychically livin' dead thin's in shapes 1 or a3sences of shapes 1 ,hich must for human spectators 3e utterly and appallin'ly Lunnama3leLG LCommon senseL in reflectin' on these su3CectsA = assured my friend ,ith some ,armthA is merely a stupid a3sence of ima'ination and mental fle%i3ility. T,ili'ht had no, approachedA 3ut neither of us felt any ,ish to cease spea!in'. 8anton seemed unimpressed 3y my ar'umentsA and ea'er to refute themA havin' that confidence in his o,n opinions ,hich had dou3tless caused his success as a teacherB ,hilst = ,as too sure of my 'round to fear defeat. The dus! fellA and li'hts faintly 'leamed in some of the distant ,indo,sA 3ut ,e did not move. +ur seat on the tom3 ,as very comforta3leA and = !ne, that my prosaic friend ,ould not mind the cavernous rift in the ancientA root1distur3ed 3ric!,or! close 3ehind usA or the utter 3lac!ness of the spot 3rou'ht 3y the intervention of a totterin'A deserted seventeenth1century house 3et,een us and the nearest li'hted road. There in the dar!A upon that riven tom3 3y the deserted houseA ,e tal!ed on a3out the Lunnama3leL and after my friend had finished his scoffin' = told him of the a,ful evidence 3ehind the story at ,hich he had scoffed the most. 8y tale had 3een called The Attic Windo,A and appeared in the 6anuaryA 1)""A issue of Whispers. =n a 'ood many placesA especially the South and the >acific coastA they too! the ma'azines off the stands at the complaints of silly mil!1sopsB 3ut ;e, En'land didn<t 'et the thrill and merely shru''ed its shoulders at my e%trava'ance. The thin'A it ,as averredA ,as 3iolo'ically impossi3le to start ,ithB merely another of those crazy country mutterin's ,hich Cotton 8ather had 3een 'ulli3le enou'h to dump into his chaotic 8a'nalia Christi AmericanaA and so poorly authenticated that even he had not ventured to name the locality ,here the horror occurred. And as to the ,ay = amplified the 3are Cottin' of the old mystic 1 that ,as Duite impossi3leA and characteristic of a fli'hty and notional scri33lerF 8ather had indeed told of the thin' as 3ein' 3ornA 3ut no3ody 3ut a cheap sensationalist ,ould thin! of havin' it 'ro, upA loo! into people<s ,indo,s at ni'htA and 3e hidden in the attic of a houseA in flesh and in spiritA till someone sa, it at the ,indo, centuries later and couldn<t descri3e ,hat it ,as that turned his hair 'ray. All this ,as fla'rant trashinessA and my friend 8anton ,as not slo, to insist on that fact. Then = told him ,hat = had found in an old diary !ept 3et,een 17*- and 17"&A unearthed amon' family papers not a mile from ,here ,e ,ere sittin'B thatA and the certain reality of the scars on my ancestor<s chest and 3ac! ,hich the diary descri3ed. = told himA tooA of the fears of others in that re'ionA and ho, they ,ere ,hispered do,n for 'enerationsB and ho, no mythical madness came to the 3oy ,ho in 17)& entered an a3andoned house to e%amine certain traces suspected to 3e there. =t had 3een an eldritch thin' 1 no ,onder sensitive students shudder at the >uritan a'e in 8assachusetts. So little is !no,n of ,hat ,ent on 3eneath the surface 1 so littleA yet such a 'hastly festerin' as it 3u33les up putrescently in occasional 'houlish 'limpses. The ,itchcraft terror is a horri3le ray of li'ht on ,hat ,as ste,in' in men<s crushed 3rainsA 3ut

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even that is a trifle. There ,as no 3eautyB no freedom 1 ,e can see that from the architectural and household remainsA and the poisonous sermons of the cramped divines. And inside that rusted iron straitCac!et lur!ed 'i33erin' hideousnessA perversionA and dia3olism. 2ereA trulyA ,as the apotheosis of The (nnama3le. Cotton 8atherA in that demoniac si%th 3oo! ,hich no one should read after dar!A minced no ,ords as he flun' forth his anathema. Stern as a 6e,ish prophetA and laconically un1amazed as none since his day could 3eA he told of the 3east that had 3rou'ht forth ,hat ,as more than 3east 3ut less than man 1 the thin' ,ith the 3lemished eye 1 and of the screamin' drun!en ,retch that han'ed for havin' such an eye. This much he 3aldly toldA yet ,ithout a hint of ,hat came after. >erhaps he did not !no,A or perhaps he !ne, and did not dare to tell. +thers !ne,A 3ut did not dare to tell 1 there is no pu3lic hint of ,hy they ,hispered a3out the loc! on the door to the attic stairs in the house of a childlessA 3ro!enA em3ittered old man ,ho had put up a 3lan! slate sla3 3y an avoided 'raveA althou'h one may trace enou'h evasive le'ends to curdle the thinnest 3lood. =t is all in that ancestral diary = foundB all the hushed innuendoes and furtive tales of thin's ,ith a 3lemished eye seen at ,indo,s in the ni'ht or in deserted meado,s near the ,oods. Somethin' had cau'ht my ancestor on a dar! valley roadA leavin' him ,ith mar!s of horns on his chest and of apeli!e cla,s on his 3ac!B and ,hen they loo!ed for prints in the trampled dust they found the mi%ed mar!s of split hooves and va'uely anthropoid pa,s. +nce a post1rider said he sa, an old man chasin' and callin' to a fri'htful lopin'A nameless thin' on 8eado, 2ill in the thinly moonlit hours 3efore da,nA and many 3elieved him. CertainlyA there ,as stran'e tal! one ni'ht in 171* ,hen the childlessA 3ro!en old man ,as 3uried in the crypt 3ehind his o,n house in si'ht of the 3lan! slate sla3. They never unloc!ed that attic doorA 3ut left the ,hole house as it ,asA dreaded and deserted. When noises came from itA they ,hispered and shiveredB and hoped that the loc! on that attic door ,as stron'. Then they stopped hopin' ,hen the horror occurred at the parsona'eA leavin' not a soul alive or in one piece. With the years the le'ends ta!e on a spectral character 1 = suppose the thin'A if it ,as a livin' thin'A must have died. The memory had lin'ered hideously 1 all the more hideous 3ecause it ,as so secret. $urin' this narration my friend 8anton had 3ecome very silentA and = sa, that my ,ords had impressed him. 2e did not lau'h as = pausedA 3ut as!ed Duite seriously a3out the 3oy ,ho ,ent mad in 17)&A and ,ho had presuma3ly 3een the hero of my fiction. = told him ,hy the 3oy had 'one to that shunnedA deserted houseA and remar!ed that he ou'ht to 3e interestedA since he 3elieved that ,indo,s latent ima'es of those ,ho had sat at them. The 3oy had 'one to loo! at the ,indo,s of that horri3le atticA 3ecause of tales of thin's seen 3ehind themA and had come 3ac! screamin' maniacally. 8anton remained thou'htful as = said thisA 3ut 'radually reverted to his analytical mood. 2e 'ranted for the sa!e of ar'ument that some unnatural monster had really e%istedA 3ut reminded me that even the most mor3id perversion of nature need not 3e unnama3le or scientifically indescri3a3le. = admired his clearness and persistenceA and added some further revelations = had collected amon' the old people. Those later spectral le'endsA = made plainA related to monstrous apparitions more fri'htful than anythin' or'anic could 3eB apparitions of 'i'antic 3estial forms sometimes visi3le and sometimes only tan'i3leA ,hich floated a3out on moonless ni'hts and haunted the old houseA the crypt 3ehind itA and the 'rave ,here a saplin' had sprouted 3eside an ille'i3le sla3. Whether or not such apparitions had ever 'ored or smothered people to deathA as told in uncorro3orated

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traditionsA they had produced a stron' and consistent impressionB and ,ere yet dar!ly feared 3y very a'ed nativesA thou'h lar'ely for'otten 3y the last t,o 'enerations 1 perhaps dyin' for lac! of 3ein' thou'ht a3out. 8oreoverA so far as esthetic theory ,as involvedA if the psychic emanations of human creatures 3e 'rotesDue distortionsA ,hat coherent representation could e%press or portray so 'i33ous and infamous a ne3ulosity as the specter of a mali'nA chaotic perversionA itself a mor3id 3lasphemy a'ainst natureG 8olded 3y the dead 3rain of a hy3rid ni'htmareA ,ould not such a vaporous terror constitute in all loathsome truth the e%DuisitelyA the shrie!in'ly unnama3leG The hour must no, have 'ro,n very late. A sin'ularly noiseless 3at 3rushed 3y meA and = 3elieve it touched 8anton alsoA for althou'h = could not see him = felt him raise his arm. >resently he spo!e. LBut is that house ,ith the attic ,indo, still standin' and desertedGL L.esAL = ans,eredA L= have seen it.L LAnd did you find anythin' there 1 in the attic or any,here elseGL LThere ,ere some 3ones up under the eaves. They may have 3een ,hat that 3oy sa, 1 if he ,as sensitive he ,ouldn<t have needed anythin' in the ,indo,1'lass to unhin'e him. =f they all came from the same o3Cect it must have 3een an hystericalA delirious monstrosity. =t ,ould have 3een 3lasphemous to leave such 3ones in the ,orldA so = ,ent 3ac! ,ith a sac! and too! them to the tom3 3ehind the house. There ,as an openin' ,here = could dump them in. $on<t thin! = ,as a fool 1 you ou'ht to have seen that s!ull. =t had four1inch hornsA 3ut a face and Ca, somethin' li!e yours and mine.L At last = could feel a real shiver run throu'h 8antonA ,ho had moved very near. But his curiosity ,as undeterred. LAnd ,hat a3out the ,indo,1panesGL LThey ,ere all 'one. +ne ,indo, had lost its entire frameA and in all the others there ,as not a trace of 'lass in the little diamond apertures. They ,ere that !ind 1 the old lattice ,indo,s that ,ent out of use 3efore 17**. = don<t 3elieve they<ve had any 'lass for a hundred years or more 1 may3e the 3oy 3ro!e <em if he 'ot that farB the le'end doesn<t say.L 8anton ,as reflectin' a'ain. L=<d li!e to see that houseA Carter. Where is itG 7lass or no 'lassA = must e%plore it a little. And the tom3 ,here you put those 3onesA and the other 'rave ,ithout an inscription 1 the ,hole thin' must 3e a 3it terri3le.L L.ou did see it 1 until it 'ot dar!L 8y friend ,as more ,rou'ht upon than = had suspectedA for at this touch of harmless theatricalism he started neurotically a,ay from me and actually cried out ,ith a sort of 'ulpin' 'asp ,hich released a strain of previous repression. =t ,as an odd cryA and all the more terri3le 3ecause it ,as ans,ered. 4or as it ,as still echoin'A = heard a crea!in' sound throu'h the pitchy 3lac!nessA and !ne, that a lattice ,indo, ,as openin' in that accursed

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old house 3eside us. And 3ecause all the other frames ,ere lon' since fallenA = !ne, that it ,as the 'risly 'lassless frame of that demoniac attic ,indo,. Then came a no%ious rush of noisomeA fri'id air from that same dreaded directionA follo,ed 3y a piercin' shrie! Cust 3eside me on that shoc!in' rifted tom3 of man and monster. =n another instant = ,as !noc!ed from my 'ruesome 3ench 3y the devilish threshin' of some unseen entity of titanic size 3ut undetermined natureB !noc!ed spra,lin' on the root1clutched mold of that a3horrent 'raveyardA ,hile from the tom3 came such a stifled uproar of 'aspin' and ,hirrin' that my fancy peopled the rayless 'loom ,ith 8iltonic le'ions of the misshapen damned. There ,as a vorte% of ,itherin'A ice1cold ,indA and then the rattle of loose 3ric!s and plasterB 3ut = had mercifully fainted 3efore = could learn ,hat it meant. 8antonA thou'h smaller than =A is more resilientB for ,e opened our eyes at almost the same instantA despite his 'reater inCuries. +ur couches ,ere side 3y sideA and ,e !ne, in a fe, seconds that ,e ,ere in St. 8ary<s 2ospital. Attendants ,ere 'rouped a3out in tense curiosityA ea'er to aid our memory 3y tellin' us ho, ,e came thereA and ,e soon heard of the farmer ,ho had found us at noon in a lonely field 3eyond 8eado, 2illA a mile from the old 3uryin' 'roundA on a spot ,here an ancient slau'hterhouse is reputed to have stood. 8anton had t,o mali'nant ,ounds in the chestA and some less severe cuts or 'ou'in's in the 3ac!. = ,as not so seriously hurtA 3ut ,as covered ,ith ,elts and contusions of the most 3e,ilderin' characterA includin' the print of a split hoof. =t ,as plain that 8anton !ne, more than =A 3ut he told nothin' to the puzzled and interested physicians till he had learned ,hat our inCuries ,ere. Then he said ,e ,ere the victims of a vicious 3ull 1 thou'h the animal ,as a difficult thin' to place and account for. After the doctors and nurses had leftA = ,hispered an a,e struc! Duestion9 L7ood 7odA 8antonA 3ut ,hat ,as itG Those scars 1 ,as it li!e thatGL And = ,as too dazed to e%ult ,hen he ,hispered 3ac! a thin' = had half e%pected 1 L;o 1 it ,asn<t that ,ay at all. =t ,as every,here 1 a 'elatin 1 a slime yet it had shapesA a thousand shapes of horror 3eyond all memory. There ,ere eyes 1 and a 3lemish. =t ,as the pit 1 the maelstrom 1 the ultimate a3omination. CarterA it ,as the unnama3leF

The Ver& Ol$ Fol+

7rom a letter $ritten to )Melmot") A#onald WandreiB on T"ursday& -o!ember S& <KL> =t ,as a flamin' sunset or late afternoon in the tiny provincial to,n of >ompeloA at the foot of the >yrenees in 2ispania Citerior. The year must have 3een in the late repu3licA for the province ,as still ruled 3y a senatorial proconsul instead of a prbtorian le'ate of Au'ustusA and the day ,as the first 3efore the 0alends of ;ovem3er. The hills rose scarlet and 'old to the north of the little to,nA and the ,esterin' sun shone ruddily and mystically on the crude ne, stone and plaster 3uildin's of the dusty forum and the ,ooden ,alls of the circus some distance to the east. 7roups of citizens 1 3road13ro,ed :oman colonists and coarse1haired :omanised nativesA to'ether ,ith o3vious hy3rids of the t,o strainsA ali!e clad in cheap ,oollen to'as 1 and sprin!lin's of helmeted le'ionaries and coarse1 mantledA 3lac!13earded tri3esmen of the circumam3ient ?ascones 1 all thron'ed the fe, paved streets and forumB moved 3y some va'ue and ill1defined uneasiness. = myself had Cust ali'hted from a litterA ,hich the =llyrian 3earers seemed to have 3rou'ht in some haste from Cala'urrisA across the =3erus to the south,ard. =t appeared that = ,as a provincial Dubstor named 5. Cblius :ufusA and that = had 3een summoned 3y the proconsulA >. Scri3onius 5i3oA ,ho had come from Tarraco some days 3efore. The soldiers ,ere the fifth cohort of the R==th le'ionA under the military tri3une Se%. AselliusB and the le'atus of the ,hole re'ionA Cn. Bal3utiusA had also come from Cala'urrisA ,here the permanent station ,as. The cause of the conference ,as a horror that 3rooded on the hills. All the to,nsfol! ,ere fri'htenedA and had 3e''ed the presence of a cohort from Cala'urris. =t ,as the Terri3le Season of the autumnA and the ,ild people in the mountains ,ere preparin' for the fri'htful ceremonies ,hich only rumour told of in the to,ns. They ,ere the very old fol! ,ho d,elt hi'her up in the hills and spo!e a choppy lan'ua'e ,hich the ?ascones could not understand. +ne seldom sa, themB 3ut a fe, times a year they sent do,n little yello,A sDuint1eyed messen'ers J,ho loo!ed li!e ScythiansK to trade ,ith the merchants 3y means of 'esturesA and every sprin' and autumn they held the infamous rites on the pea!sA their ho,lin's and altar1fires thro,in' terror into the villa'es. Al,ays the same 1 the ni'ht 3efore the 0alends of 8aius and the ni'ht 3efore the 0alends of ;ovem3er. To,nsfol! ,ould disappear Cust 3efore these ni'htsA and ,ould never 3e heard of a'ain. And there ,ere ,hispers that the native shepherds and farmers ,ere not ill1disposed to,ard the very old fol! 1 that more than one thatched hut ,as vacant 3efore midni'ht on the t,o hideous Sa33aths. This year the horror ,as very 'reatA for the people !ne, that the ,rath of the very old fol! ,as upon >ompelo. Three months previously five of the little sDuint1eyed traders had come do,n from the hillsA and in a mar!et 3ra,l three of them had 3een !illed. The remainin' t,o had 'one 3ac! ,ordlessly to their mountains 1 and this autumn not a sin'le villa'er had disappeared. There ,as menace in this immunity. =t ,as not li!e the very old fol! to spare their victims at the Sa33ath. =t ,as too 'ood to 3e normalA and the villa'ers ,ere afraid.

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4or many ni'hts there had 3een a hollo, drummin' on the hillsA and at last the bdile Ti3. Annbus Stilpo Jhalf native in 3loodK had sent to Bal3utius at Cala'urris for a cohort to stamp out the Sa33ath on the terri3le ni'ht. Bal3utius had carelessly refusedA on the 'round that the villa'ers< fears ,ere emptyA and that the loathsome rites of hill fol! ,ere of no concern to the :oman >eople unless our o,n citizens ,ere menaced. =A ho,everA ,ho seemed to 3e a close friend of Bal3utiusA had disa'reed ,ith himB averrin' that = had studied deeply in the 3lac! for3idden loreA and that = 3elieved the very old fol! capa3le of visitin' almost any nameless doom upon the to,nA ,hich after all ,as a :oman settlement and contained a 'reat num3er of our citizens. The complainin' bdile<s o,n mother 2elvia ,as a pure :omanA the dau'hter of 8. 2elvius CinnaA ,ho had come over ,ith Scipio<s army. Accordin'ly = had sent a slave 1 a nim3le little 7ree! called Antipater 1 to the proconsul ,ith lettersA and Scri3onius had heeded my plea and ordered Bal3utius to send his fifth cohortA under AselliusA to >ompeloB enterin' the hills at dus! on the eve of ;ovem3er<s 0alends and stampin' out ,hatever nameless or'ies he mi'ht find 1 3rin'in' such prisoners as he mi'ht ta!e to Tarraco for the ne%t proprbtor<s court. Bal3utiusA ho,everA had protestedA so that more correspondence had ensued. = had ,ritten so much to the proconsul that he had 3ecome 'ravely interestedA and had resolved to ma!e a personal inDuiry into the horror. 2e had at len'th proceeded to >ompelo ,ith his lictors and attendantsB there hearin' enou'h rumours to 3e 'reatly impressed and distur3edA and standin' firmly 3y his order for the Sa33ath<s e%tirpation. $esirous of conferrin' ,ith one ,ho had studied the su3CectA he ordered me to accompany Asellius< cohort 1 and Bal3utius had also come alon' to press his adverse adviceA for he honestly 3elieved that drastic military action ,ould stir up a dan'erous sentiment of unrest amon'st the ?ascones 3oth tri3al and settled. So here ,e all ,ere in the mystic sunset of the autumn hills 1 old Scri3onius 5i3o in his to'a prbte%taA the 'olden li'ht 'lancin' on his shiny 3ald head and ,rin!led ha,! faceA Bal3utius ,ith his 'leamin' helmet and 3reastplateA 3lue1shaven lips compressed in conscientiously do''ed oppositionA youn' Asellius ,ith his polished 'reaves and superior sneerA and the curious thron' of to,nsfol!A le'ionariesA tri3esmenA peasantsA lictorsA slavesA and attendants. = myself seemed to ,ear a common to'aA and to have no especially distin'uishin' characteristic. And every,here horror 3rooded. The to,n and country fol! scarcely dared spea! aloudA and the men of 5i3o<s entoura'eA ,ho had 3een there nearly a ,ee!A seemed to have cau'ht somethin' of the nameless dread. +ld Scri3onius himself loo!ed very 'raveA and the sharp voices of us later comers seemed to hold somethin' of curious inappropriatenessA as in a place of death or the temple of some mystic 'od. We entered the prbtorium and held 'rave converse. Bal3utius pressed his o3CectionsA and ,as sustained 3y AselliusA ,ho appeared to hold all the natives in e%treme contempt ,hile at the same time deemin' it inadvisa3le to e%cite them. Both soldiers maintained that ,e could 3etter afford to anta'onise the minority of colonists and civilised natives 3y inactionA than to anta'onise a pro3a3le maCority of tri3esmen and cotta'ers 3y stampin' out the dread rites. =A on the other handA rene,ed my demand for actionA and offered to accompany the cohort on any e%pedition it mi'ht underta!e. = pointed out that the 3ar3arous ?ascones ,ere at 3est tur3ulent and uncertainA so that s!irmishes ,ith them ,ere inevita3le sooner or later ,hichever course ,e mi'ht ta!eB that they had not in the past proved dan'erous adversaries to our le'ionsA and that it ,ould ill 3ecome the representatives of the :oman

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>eople to suffer 3ar3arians to interfere ,ith a course ,hich the Custice and presti'e of the :epu3lic demanded. ThatA on the other handA the successful administration of a province depended primarily upon the safety and 'ood1,ill of the civilised element in ,hose hands the local machinery of commerce and prosperity reposedA and in ,hose veins a lar'e mi%ture of our o,n =talian 3lood coursed. TheseA thou'h in num3ers they mi'ht form a minorityA ,ere the sta3le element ,hose constancy mi'ht 3e relied onA and ,hose cooperation ,ould most firmly 3ind the province to the =mperium of the Senate and the :oman >eople. =t ,as at once a duty and an advanta'e to afford them the protection due to :oman citizensB even Jand here = shot a sarcastic loo! at Bal3utius and AselliusK at the e%pense of a little trou3le and activityA and of a sli'ht interruption of the drau'ht1playin' and coc!1fi'htin' at the camp in Cala'urris. That the dan'er to the to,n and inha3itants of >ompelo ,as a real oneA = could not from my studies dou3t. = had read many scrolls out of Syria and a'yptusA and the cryptic to,ns of EtruriaA and had tal!ed at len'th ,ith the 3loodthirsty priest of $iana Aricina in his temple in the ,oods 3orderin' 5acus ;emorensis. There ,ere shoc!in' dooms that mi'ht 3e called out of the hills on the Sa33athsB dooms ,hich ou'ht not to e%ist ,ithin the territories of the :oman >eopleB and to permit or'ies of the !ind !no,n to prevail at Sa33aths ,ould 3e 3ut little in consonance ,ith the customs of those ,hose forefathersA A. >ostumius 3ein' consulA had e%ecuted so many :oman citizens for the practice of the Bacchanalia 1 a matter !ept ever in memory 3y the Senatus Consultum de Bacchanali3usA 'raven upon 3ronze and set open to every eye. Chec!ed in timeA 3efore the pro'ress of the rites mi'ht evo!e anythin' ,ith ,hich the iron of a :oman pilum mi'ht not 3e a3le to dealA the Sa33ath ,ould not 3e too much for the po,ers of a sin'le cohort. +nly participants need 3e apprehendedA and the sparin' of a 'reat num3er of mere spectators ,ould considera3ly lessen the resentment ,hich any of the sympathisin' country fol! mi'ht feel. =n shortA 3oth principle and policy demanded stern actionB and = could not dou3t 3ut that >u3lius Scri3oniusA 3earin' in mind the di'nity and o3li'ations of the :oman >eopleA ,ould adhere to his plan of despatchin' the cohortA me accompanyin'A despite such o3Cections as Bal3utius and Asellius 1 spea!in' indeed more li!e provincials than :omans 1 mi'ht see fit to offer and multiply. The slantin' sun ,as no, very lo,A and the ,hole hushed to,n seemed draped in an unreal and mali'n 'lamour. Then >. Scri3onius the proconsul si'nified his approval of my ,ordsA and stationed me ,ith the cohort in the provisional capacity of a centurio primipilusB Bal3utius and Asellius assentin'A the former ,ith 3etter 'race than the latter. As t,ili'ht fell on the ,ild autumnal slopesA a measuredA hideous 3eatin' of stran'e drums floated do,n from afar in terri3le rhythm. Some fe, of the le'ionarii she,ed timidityA 3ut sharp commands 3rou'ht them into lineA and the ,hole cohort ,as soon dra,n up on the open plain east of the circus. 5i3o himselfA as ,ell as Bal3utiusA insisted on accompanyin' the cohortB 3ut 'reat difficulty ,as suffered in 'ettin' a native 'uide to point out the paths up the mountain. 4inally a youn' man named ?ercelliusA the son of pure :oman parentsA a'reed to ta!e us at least past the foothills. We 3e'an to march in the ne, dus!A ,ith the thin silver sic!le of a youn' moon trem3lin' over the ,oods on our left. That ,hich disDuieted us most ,as t"e fact t"at t"e Sabbat" $as to be "eld at all% :eports of the comin' cohort must have reached the hillsA and even the lac! of a final decision could not ma!e the rumour less alarmin' 1 yet there ,ere the sinister drums as of yoreA as if the cele3rants had some peculiar reason to 3e indifferent ,hether or not the forces of the :oman >eople marched a'ainst them. The sound 're, louder as ,e entered a risin' 'ap in the hillsA steep ,ooded 3an!s enclosin' us narro,ly on either sideA and displayin' curiously fantastic tree1trun!s in the li'ht of our 3o33in' torches. All ,ere afoot save 5i3oA

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Bal3utiusA AselliusA t,o or three of the centurionesA and myselfA and at len'th the ,ay 3ecame so steep and narro, that those ,ho had horses ,ere forced to leave themB a sDuad of ten men 3ein' left to 'uard themA thou'h ro33er 3ands ,ere not li!ely to 3e a3road on such a ni'ht of terror. +nce in a ,hile it seemed as thou'h ,e detected a s!ul!in' form in the ,oods near3yA and after a half1hour<s clim3 the steepness and narro,ness of the ,ay made the advance of so 'reat a 3ody of men 1 over &**A all told 1 e%ceedin'ly cum3rous and difficult. Then ,ith utter and horrifyin' suddenness ,e heard a fri'htful sound from 3elo,. =t ,as from the tethered horses 1 they had screamedA not nei'hedA 3ut screamed... and there ,as no li'ht do,n thereA nor the sound of any human thin'A to she, ,hy they had done so. At the same moment 3onfires 3lazed out on all the pea!s aheadA so that terror seemed to lur! eDually ,ell 3efore and 3ehind us. 5oo!in' for the youth ?ercelliusA our 'uideA ,e found only a crumpled heap ,elterin' in a pool of 3lood. =n his hand ,as a short s,ord snatched from the 3elt of $. ?i3ulanusA a su3centurioA and on his face ,as such a loo! of terror that the stoutest veterans turned pale at the si'ht. 2e had !illed himself ,hen the horses screamed... heA ,ho had 3een 3orn and lived all his life in that re'ionA and !ne, ,hat men ,hispered a3out the hills. All the torches no, 3e'an to dimA and the cries of fri'htened le'ionaries min'led ,ith the unceasin' screams of the tethered horses. The air 're, percepti3ly colderA more suddenly so than is usual at ;ovem3er<s 3rin!A and seemed stirred 3y terri3le undulations ,hich = could not help connectin' ,ith the 3eatin' of hu'e ,in's. The ,hole cohort no, remained at a standstillA and as the torches faded = ,atched ,hat = thou'ht ,ere fantastic shado,s outlined in the s!y 3y the spectral luminosity of the ?ia 5actea as it flo,ed throu'h >erseusA CassiopeiaA CepheusA and Cy'nus. Then suddenly all the stars ,ere 3lotted from the s!y 1 even 3ri'ht $ene3 and ?e'a aheadA and the lone Altair and 4omalhaut 3ehind us. And as the torches died out alto'etherA there remained a3ove the stric!en and shrie!in' cohort only the no%ious and horri3le altar1flames on the to,erin' pea!sB hellish and redA and no, silhouettin' the madA leapin'A and colossal forms of such nameless 3easts as had never a >hry'ian priest or Campanian 'randam ,hispered of in the ,ildest of furtive tales. And a3ove the ni'hted screamin' of men and horses that dbmonic drummin' rose to louder pitchA ,hilst an ice1cold ,ind of shoc!in' sentience and deli3erateness s,ept do,n from those for3idden hei'hts and coiled a3out each man separatelyA till all the cohort ,as stru''lin' and screamin' in the dar!A as if actin' out the fate of 5aocoQn and his sons. +nly old Scri3onius 5i3o seemed resi'ned. 2e uttered ,ords amidst the screamin'A and they echo still in my ears. )Malitia !etus - malitia !etus est %%% !enit %%% tandem !enit %%%)< And t"en I $aked% It $as t"e most !i!id dream in years& dra$ing upon $ells of t"e subconscious long untouc"ed and forgotten% 'f t"e fate of t"at co"ort no record e@ists& but t"e to$n at least $as sa!ed - for encyclopUdias tell of t"e sur!i!al of ,ompelo to t"is day& under t"e modern Spanis" name of ,ompelona%%% ;rs for Got"ick Supremacy - C % I.(I.S % . *.S % MANIMI-.S%

Wh t the Moo# Bri#-s

= hate the moon 1 = am afraid of it 1 for ,hen it shines on certain scenes familiar and loved it sometimes ma!es them unfamiliar and hideous. =t ,as in the spectral summer ,hen the moon shone do,n on the old 'arden ,here = ,anderedB the spectral summer of narcotic flo,ers and humid seas of folia'e that 3rin' ,ild and many1coloured dreams. And as = ,al!ed 3y the shallo, crystal stream = sa, un,onted ripples tipped ,ith yello, li'htA as if those placid ,aters ,ere dra,n on in resistless currents to stran'e oceans that are not in the ,orld. Silent and spar!lin'A 3ri'ht and 3alefulA those moon1cursed ,aters hurried = !ne, not ,hitherB ,hilst from the em3o,ered 3an!s ,hite lotos13lossoms fluttered one 3y one in the opiate ni'ht1,ind and dropped despairin'ly into the streamA s,irlin' a,ay horri3ly under the archedA carven 3rid'eA and starin' 3ac! ,ith the sinister resi'nation of calmA dead faces. And as = ran alon' the shoreA crushin' sleepin' flo,ers ,ith heedless feet and maddened ever 3y the fear of un!no,n thin's and the lure of the dead facesA = sa, that the 'arden had no end under that moonB for ,here 3y day the ,alls ,ereA there stretched no, only ne, vistas of trees and pathsA flo,ers and shru3sA stone idols and pa'odasA and 3endin's of the yello,1litten stream past 'rassy 3an!s and under 'rotesDue 3rid'es of mar3le. And the lips of the dead lotos1faces ,hispered sadlyA and 3ade me follo,A nor did = cease my steps till the stream 3ecame a riverA and Coined amidst marshes of s,ayin' reeds and 3eaches of 'leamin' sand the shore of a vast and nameless sea. (pon that sea the hateful moon shoneA and over its unvocal ,aves ,eird perfumes 3reeded. And as = sa, therein the lotos1faces vanishA = lon'ed for nets that = mi'ht capture them and learn from them the secrets ,hich the moon had 3rou'ht upon the ni'ht. But ,hen that moon ,ent over to the ,est and the still tide e33ed from the sullen shoreA = sa, in that li'ht old spires that the ,aves almost uncoveredA and ,hite columns 'ay ,ith festoons of 'reen sea,eed. And !no,in' that to this sun!en place all the dead had comeA = trem3led and did not ,ish a'ain to spea! ,ith the lotos1faces. .et ,hen = sa, afar out in the sea a 3lac! condor descend from the s!y to see! rest on a vast reefA = ,ould fain have Duestioned himA and as!ed him of those ,hom = had !no,n ,hen they ,ere alive. This = ,ould have as!ed him had he not 3een so far a,ayA 3ut he ,as very farA and could not 3e seen at all ,hen he dre, ni'h that 'i'antic reef. So = ,atched the tide 'o out under that sin!in' moonA and sa, 'leamin' the spiresA the to,ersA and the roofs of that deadA drippin' city. And as = ,atchedA my nostrils tried to close a'ainst the perfume1conDuerin' stench of the ,orld<s deadB for trulyA in this unplaced and for'otten spot had all the flesh of the churchyards 'athered for puffy sea1,orms to 'na, and 'lut upon. +ver these horrors the evil moon no, hun' very lo,A 3ut the puffy ,orms of the sea need no moon to feed 3y. And as = ,atched the ripples that told of the ,rithin' of ,orms 3eneathA = felt a ne, chill from afar out ,hither the condor had flo,nA as if my flesh had cau'ht a horror 3efore my eyes had seen it. ;or had my flesh trem3led ,ithout causeA for ,hen = raised my eyes = sa, that the ,aters had e33ed very lo,A she,in' much of the vast reef ,hose rim = had seen 3efore. And ,hen = sa, that the reef ,as 3ut the 3lac! 3asalt

H.P.Lovecr !t

What the 8oon Brin's

1*-#

cro,n of a shoc!in' ei!on ,hose monstrous forehead no, sho,n in the dim moonli'ht and ,hose vile hooves must pa, the hellish ooze miles 3elo,A = shrie!ed and shrie!ed lest the hidden face rise a3ove the ,atersA and lest the hidden eyes loo! at me after the slin!in' a,ay of that leerin' and treacherous yello, moon. And to escape this relentless thin' = plun'ed 'ladly and unhesitantly into the stin!in' shallo,s ,here amidst ,eedy ,alls and sun!en streets fat sea1,orms feast upon the ,orld<s dead.

The Whis*erer i# / r+#ess

,.
Bear in mind closely that = did not see any actual visual horror at the end. To say that a mental shoc! ,as the cause of ,hat = inferred 1 that last stra, ,hich sent me racin' out of the lonely A!eley farmhouse and throu'h the ,ild domed hills of ?ermont in a commandeered motor at ni'ht 1 is to i'nore the plainest facts of my final e%perience. ;ot,ithstandin' the deep thin's = sa, and heardA and the admitted vividness the impression produced on me 3y these thin'sA = cannot prove even no, ,hether = ,as ri'ht or ,ron' in my hideous inference. 4or after all A!eley<s disappearance esta3lishes nothin'. >eople found nothin' amiss in his house despite the 3ullet1mar!s on the outside and inside. =t ,as Cust as thou'h he had ,al!ed out casually for a ram3le in the hills and failed to return. There ,as not even a si'n that a 'uest had 3een thereA or that those horri3le cylinders and machines had 3een stored in the study. That he had mortally feared the cro,ded 'reen hills and endless tric!le of 3roo!s amon' ,hich he had 3een 3orn and rearedA means nothin' at allA eitherB for thousands are su3Cect to Cust such mor3id fears. EccentricityA moreoverA could easily account for his stran'e acts and apprehensions to,ard the last. The ,hole matter 3e'anA so far as = am concernedA ,ith the historic and unprecedented ?ermont floods of ;ovem3er &A 1)"7. = ,as thenA as no,A an instructor of literature at 8is!atonic (niversity in Ar!hamA 8assachusettsA and an enthusiastic amateur student of ;e, En'land fol!lore. Shortly after the floodA amidst the varied reports of hardshipA sufferin'A and or'anized relief ,hich filled the pressA there appeared certain odd stories of thin's found floatin' in some of the s,ollen riversB so that many of my friends em3ar!ed on curious discussions and appealed to me to shed ,hat li'ht = could on the su3Cect. = felt flattered at havin' my fol!lore study ta!en so seriouslyA and did ,hat = could to 3elittle the ,ildA va'ue tales ,hich seemed so clearly an out'ro,th of old rustic superstitions. =t amused me to find several persons of education ,ho insisted that some stratum of o3scureA distorted fact mi'ht underlie the rumors. The tales thus 3rou'ht to my notice came mostly throu'h ne,spaper cuttin'sB thou'h one yarn had an oral source and ,as repeated to a friend of mine in a letter from his mother in 2ard,ic!A ?ermont. The type of thin' descri3ed ,as essentially the same in all casesA thou'h there seemed to 3e three separate instances involved 1 one connected ,ith the Winoos!i :iver near 8ontpelierA another attached to the West :iver in Windham County 3eyond ;e,faneA and a third centerin' in the >assumpsic in Caledonia County a3ove 5yndonville. +f course many of the stray items mentioned other instancesA 3ut on analysis they all seemed to 3oil do,n to these three. =n each case country fol! reported seein' one or more very 3izarre and distur3in' o3Cects in the sur'in' ,aters that poured do,n from the unfreDuented hillsA and there ,as a ,idespread tendency to connect these si'hts ,ith a primitiveA half1for'otten cycle of ,hispered le'end ,hich old people resurrected for the occasion.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Whisperer in $ar!ness

1*--

What people thou'ht they sa, ,ere or'anic shapes not Duite li!e any they had ever seen 3efore. ;aturallyA there ,ere many human 3odies ,ashed alon' 3y the streams in that tra'ic periodB 3ut those ,ho descri3ed these stran'e shapes felt Duite sure that they ,ere not humanA despite some superficial resem3lances in size and 'eneral outline. ;orA said the ,itnessesA could they have 3een any !ind of animal !no,n to ?ermont. They ,ere pin!ish thin's a3out five feet lon'B ,ith crustaceous 3odies 3earin' vast pairs of dorsal fins or mem3ranous ,in's and several sets of articulated lim3sA and ,ith a sort of convoluted ellipsoidA covered ,ith multitudes of very short antennaeA ,here a head ,ould ordinarily 3e. =t ,as really remar!a3le ho, closely the reports from different sources tended to coincideB thou'h the ,onder ,as lessened 3y the fact that the old le'endsA shared at one time throu'hout the hill countryA furnished a mor3idly vivid picture ,hich mi'ht ,ell have coloured the ima'inations of all the ,itnesses concerned. =t ,as my conclusion that such ,itnesses 1 in every case naive and simple 3ac!,oods fol! 1 had 'limpsed the 3attered and 3loated 3odies of human 3ein's or farm animals in the ,hirlin' currentsB and had allo,ed the half1remem3ered fol!lore to invest these pitiful o3Cects ,ith fantastic attri3utes. The ancient fol!loreA ,hile cloudyA evasiveA and lar'ely for'otten 3y the present 'enerationA ,as of a hi'hly sin'ular characterA and o3viously reflected the influence of still earlier =ndian tales. = !ne, it ,ellA thou'h = had never 3een in ?ermontA throu'h the e%ceedin'ly rare mono'raph of Eli $avenportA ,hich em3races material orally o3tained prior to 18&) amon' the oldest people of the state. This materialA moreoverA closely coincided ,ith tales ,hich = had personally heard from elderly rustics in the mountains of ;e, 2ampshire. Briefly summarizedA it hinted at a hidden race of monstrous 3ein's ,hich lur!ed some,here amon' the remoter hills 1 in the deep ,oods of the hi'hest pea!sA and the dar! valleys ,here streams tric!le from un!no,n sources. These 3ein's ,ere seldom 'limpsedA 3ut evidences of their presence ,ere reported 3y those ,ho had ventured farther than usual up the slopes of certain mountains or into certain deepA steep1sided 'or'es that even the ,olves shunned. There ,ere Dueer footprints or cla,1prints in the mud of 3roo!1mar'ins and 3arren patchesA and curious circles of stonesA ,ith the 'rass around them ,orn a,ayA ,hich did not seem to have 3een placed or entirely shaped 3y ;ature. There ,ereA tooA certain caves of pro3lematical depth in the sides of the hillsB ,ith mouths closed 3y 3oulders in a manner scarcely accidentalA and ,ith more than an avera'e Duota of the Dueer prints leadin' 3oth to,ard and a,ay from them 1 if indeed the direction of these prints could 3e Custly estimated. And ,orst of allA there ,ere the thin's ,hich adventurous people had seen very rarely in the t,ili'ht of the remotest valleys and the dense perpendicular ,oods a3ove the limits of normal hill1clim3in'. =t ,ould have 3een less uncomforta3le if the stray accounts of these thin's had not a'reed so ,ell. As it ,asA nearly all the rumors had several points in commonB averrin' that the creatures ,ere a sort of hu'eA li'ht1red cra3 ,ith many pairs of le's and ,ith t,o 'reat 3atli!e ,in's in the middle of the 3ac!. They sometimes ,al!ed on all their le'sA and sometimes on the hindmost pair onlyA usin' the others to convey lar'e o3Cects of indeterminate nature. +n one occasion they ,ere spied in considera3le num3ersA a detachment of them ,adin' alon' a shallo, ,oodland ,atercourse three a3reast in evidently disciplined formation. +nce a specimen ,as seen flyin' 1 launchin' itself from the top of a 3aldA lonely hill at ni'ht and vanishin' in the s!y after its 'reat flappin' ,in's had 3een silhouetted an instant a'ainst the full moon

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Whisperer in $ar!ness

1*-7

These thin's seemed contentA on the ,holeA to let man!ind aloneB thou'h they ,ere at times held responsi3le for the disappearance of venturesome individuals 1 especially persons ,ho 3uilt houses too close to certain valleys or too hi'h up on certain mountains. 8any localities came to 3e !no,n as inadvisa3le to settle inA the feelin' persistin' lon' after the cause ,as for'otten. >eople ,ould loo! up at some of the nei'h3ourin' mountain1 precipices ,ith a shudderA even ,hen not recallin' ho, many settlers had 3een lostA and ho, many farmhouses 3urnt to ashesA on the lo,er slopes of those 'rimA 'reen sentinels. But ,hile accordin' to the earliest le'ends the creatures ,ould appear to have harmed only those trespassin' on their privacyB there ,ere later accounts of their curiosity respectin' menA and of their attempts to esta3lish secret outposts in the human ,orld. There ,ere tales of the Dueer cla,1prints seen around farmhouse ,indo,s in the mornin'A and of occasional disappearances in re'ions outside the o3viously haunted areas. TalesA 3esidesA of 3uzzin' voices in imitation of human speech ,hich made surprisin' offers to lone travelers on roads and cart1paths in the deep ,oodsA and of children fri'htened out of their ,its 3y thin's seen or heard ,here the primal forest pressed close upon their door1 yards. =n the final layer of le'ends 1 the layer Cust precedin' the decline of superstition and the a3andonment of close contact ,ith the dreaded places 1 there are shoc!ed references to hermits and remote farmers ,ho at some period of life appeared to have under'one a repellent mental chan'eA and ,ho ,ere shunned and ,hispered a3out as mortals ,ho had sold themselves to the stran'e 3ein's. =n one of the northeastern counties it seemed to 3e a fashion a3out 18** to accuse eccentric and unpopular recluses of 3ein' allies or representatives of the a3horred thin's. As to ,hat the thin's ,ere 1 e%planations naturally varied. The common name applied to them ,as Lthose onesAL or Lthe old onesAL thou'h other terms had a local and transient use. >erhaps the 3ul! of the >uritan settlers set them do,n 3luntly as familiars of the devilA and made them a 3asis of a,ed theolo'ical speculation. Those ,ith Celtic le'endry in their herita'e 1 mainly the Scotch1=rish element of ;e, 2ampshireA and their !indred ,ho had settled in ?ermont on 7overnor Went,orth<s colonial 'rants 1 lin!ed them va'uely ,ith the mali'n fairies and Llittle peopleL of the 3o's and rathsA and protected themselves ,ith scraps of incantation handed do,n throu'h many 'enerations. But the =ndians had the most fantastic theories of all. While different tri3al le'ends differedA there ,as a mar!ed consensus of 3elief in certain vital particularsB it 3ein' unanimously a'reed that the creatures ,ere not native to this earth. The >ennacoo! mythsA ,hich ,ere the most consistent and picturesDueA tau'ht that the Win'ed +nes came from the 7reat Bear in the s!yA and had mines in our earthly hills ,hence they too! a !ind of stone they could not 'et on any other ,orld. They did not live hereA said the mythsA 3ut merely maintained outposts and fle, 3ac! ,ith vast car'oes of stone to their o,n stars in the north. They harmed only those earth1people ,ho 'ot too near them or spied upon them. Animals shunned them throu'h instinctive hatredA not 3ecause of 3ein' hunted. They could not eat the thin's and animals of earthA 3ut 3rou'ht their o,n food from the stars. =t ,as 3ad to 'et near themA and sometimes youn' hunters ,ho ,ent into their hills never came 3ac!. =t ,as not 'oodA eitherA to listen to ,hat they ,hispered at ni'ht in the forest ,ith voices li!e a 3ee<s that tried to 3e li!e the voices of men. They !ne, the speech of all !inds of men 1 >ennacoo!sA 2uronsA men of the 4ive ;ations 1 3ut did not seem to have or need any speech of their o,n. They tal!ed ,ith their headsA ,hich chan'ed colour in different ,ays to mean different thin's.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Whisperer in $ar!ness

1*-8

All the le'endryA of courseA ,hite and =ndian ali!eA died do,n durin' the nineteenth centuryA e%cept for occasional atavistical flareups. The ,ays of the ?ermonters 3ecame settledB and once their ha3itual paths and d,ellin's ,ere esta3lished accordin' to a certain fi%ed planA they remem3ered less and less ,hat fears and avoidances had determined that planA and even that there had 3een any fears or avoidances. 8ost people simply !ne, that certain hilly re'ions ,ere considered as hi'hly unhealthyA unprofita3leA and 'enerally unluc!y to live inA and that the farther one !ept from them the 3etter off one usually ,as. =n time the ruts of custom and economic interest 3ecame so deeply cut in approved places that there ,as no lon'er any reason for 'oin' outside themA and the haunted hills ,ere left deserted 3y accident rather than 3y desi'n. Save durin' infreDuent local scaresA only ,onder1lovin' 'randmothers and retrospective nona'enarians ever ,hispered of 3ein's d,ellin' in those hillsB and even such ,hispers admitted that there ,as not much to fear from those thin's no, that they ,ere used to the presence of houses and settlementsA and no, that human 3ein's let their chosen territory severely alone. All this = had lon' !no,n from my readin'A and from certain fol! tales pic!ed up in ;e, 2ampshireB hence ,hen the flood1time rumours 3e'an to appearA = could easily 'uess ,hat ima'inative 3ac!'round had evolved them. = too! 'reat pains to e%plain this to my friendsA and ,as correspondin'ly amused ,hen several contentious souls continued to insist on a possi3le element of truth in the reports. Such persons tried to point out that the early le'ends had a si'nificant persistence and uniformityA and that the virtually une%plored nature of the ?ermont hills made it un,ise to 3e do'matic a3out ,hat mi'ht or mi'ht not d,ell amon' themB nor could they 3e silenced 3y my assurance that all the myths ,ere of a ,ell1!no,n pattern common to most of man!ind and determined 3y early phases of ima'inative e%perience ,hich al,ays produced the same type of delusion. =t ,as of no use to demonstrate to such opponents that the ?ermont myths differed 3ut little in essence from those universal le'ends of natural personification ,hich filled the ancient ,orld ,ith fauns and dryads and satyrsA su''ested the kallikan2arai of modern 7reeceA and 'ave to ,ild Wales and =reland their dar! hints of stran'eA smallA and terri3le hidden races of tro'lodytes and 3urro,ers. ;o useA eitherA to point out the even more startlin'ly similar 3elief of the ;epalese hill tri3es in the dreaded Mi-Go or LA3omina3le Sno,18enL ,ho lur! hideously amidst the ice and roc! pinnacles of the 2imalayan summits. When = 3rou'ht up this evidenceA my opponents turned it a'ainst me 3y claimin' that it must imply some actual historicity for the ancient talesB that it must ar'ue the real e%istence of some Dueer elder earth1raceA driven to hidin' after the advent and dominance of man!indA ,hich mi'ht very conceiva3ly have survived in reduced num3ers to relatively recent times 1 or even to the present. The more = lau'hed at such theoriesA the more these stu33orn friends asseverated themB addin' that even ,ithout the herita'e of le'end the recent reports ,ere too clearA consistentA detailedA and sanely prosaic in manner of tellin'A to 3e completely i'nored. T,o or three fanatical e%tremists ,ent so far as to hint at possi3le meanin's in the ancient =ndian tales ,hich 'ave the hidden 3ein's a nonterrestrial ori'inB citin' the e%trava'ant 3oo!s of Charles 4ort ,ith their claims that voya'ers from other ,orlds and outer space have often visited the earth. 8ost of my foesA ho,everA ,ere merely romanticists ,ho insisted on tryin' to transfer to real life the fantastic lore of lur!in' Llittle peopleL made popular 3y the ma'nificent horror1fiction of Arthur 8achen.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Whisperer in $ar!ness

1*-)

,,.
As ,as only natural under the circumstancesA this piDuant de3atin' finally 'ot into print in the form of letters to the Ark"am Ad!ertiser1 some of ,hich ,ere copied in the press of those ?ermont re'ions ,hence the flood1stories came. The *utland 9erald 'ave half a pa'e of e%tracts from the letters on 3oth sidesA ,hile the Brattleboro *eformer reprinted one of my lon' historical and mytholo'ical summaries in fullA ,ith some accompanyin' comments in LThe >endrifter<sL thou'htful column ,hich supported and applauded my s!eptical conclusions. By the sprin' of 1)"8 = ,as almost a ,ell1!no,n fi'ure in ?ermontA not,ithstandin' the fact that = had never set foot in the state. Then came the challen'in' letters from 2enry A!eley ,hich impressed me so profoundlyA and ,hich too! me for the first and last time to that fascinatin' realm of cro,ded 'reen precipices and mutterin' forest streams. 8ost of ,hat = !no, of 2enry Went,orth A!eley ,as 'athered 3y correspondence ,ith his nei'h3oursA and ,ith his only son in CaliforniaA after my e%perience in his lonely farmhouse. 2e ,asA = discoveredA the last representative on his home soil of a lon'A locally distin'uished line of CuristsA administratorsA and 'entlemen1a'riculturists. =n himA ho,everA the family mentally had veered a,ay from practical affairs to pure scholarshipB so that he had 3een a nota3le student of mathematicsA astronomyA 3iolo'yA anthropolo'yA and fol!lore at the (niversity of ?ermont. = had never previously heard of himA and he did not 'ive many auto3io'raphical details in his communicationsB 3ut from the first = sa, he ,as a man of characterA educationA and intelli'enceA al3eit a recluse ,ith very little ,orldly sophistication. $espite the incredi3le nature of ,hat he claimedA = could not help at once ta!in' A!eley more seriously than = had ta!en any of the other challen'ers of my vie,s. 4or one thin'A he ,as really close to the actual phenomena 1 visi3le and tan'i3le 1 that he speculated so 'rotesDuely a3outB and for another thin'A he ,as amazin'ly ,illin' to leave his conclusions in a tenative state li!e a true man of science. 2e had no personal preferences to advanceA and ,as al,ays 'uided 3y ,hat he too! to 3e solid evidence. +f course = 3e'an 3y considerin' him mista!enA 3ut 'ave him credit for 3ein' intelli'ently mista!enB and at no time did = emulate some of his friends in attri3utin' his ideasA and his fear of the lonely 'reen hillsA to insanity. = could see that there ,as a 'reat deal to the manA and !ne, that ,hat he reported must surely come from stran'e circumstance deservin' investi'ationA ho,ever little it mi'ht have to do ,ith the fantastic causes he assi'ned. 5ater on = received from him certain material proofs ,hich placed the matter on a some,hat different and 3e,ilderin'ly 3izarre 3asis. = cannot do 3etter than transcri3e in fullA so far as is possi3leA the lon' letter in ,hich A!eley introduced himselfA and ,hich formed such an important landmar! in my o,n intellectual history. =t is no lon'er in my possessionA 3ut my memory holds almost every ,ord of its portentous messa'eB and a'ain = affirm my confidence in the sanity of the man ,ho ,rote it. 2ere is the te%t 1 a te%t ,hich reached me in the crampedA archaic1loo!in' scra,l of one ,ho had o3viously not min'led much ,ith the ,orld durin' his sedateA scholarly life.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Whisperer in $ar!ness

1*7*

:.4.$. m"A To,nshendA Windham Co.A ?ermont. 8ay A1)"8 Al3ert ;. WilmarthA EsD.A 118 Saltonstall St.A Ar!hamA 8ass. 8y $ear Sir9 = have read ,ith 'reat interest the Brattleboro *eformer+s reprint JApr. "&A <"8K of your letter on the recent stories of stran'e 3odies seen floatin' in our flooded streams last fallA and on the curious fol!lore they so ,ell a'ree ,ith. =t is easy to see ,hy an outlander ,ould ta!e the position you ta!eA and even ,hy L>endrifterL a'rees ,ith you. That is the attitude 'enerally ta!en 3y educated persons 3oth in and out of ?ermontA and ,as my o,n attitude as a youn' man J= am no, 7K 3efore my studiesA 3oth 'eneral and in $avenport<s 3oo!A led me to do some e%plorin' in parts of the hills herea3outs not usually visited. = ,as directed to,ard such studies 3y the Dueer old tales = used to hear from elderly farmers of the more i'norant sortA 3ut no, = ,ish = had let the ,hole matter alone. = mi'ht sayA ,ith all proper modestyA that the su3Cect of anthropolo'y and fol!lore is 3y no means stran'e to me. = too! a 'ood deal of it at colle'eA and am familiar ,ith most of the standard authorities such as TylorA 5u33oc!A 4razerA /uatrefa'esA 8urrayA +s3ornA 0eithA BouleA 7. Elliott SmithA and so on. =t is no ne,s to me that tales of hidden races are as old as all man!ind. = have seen the reprints of letters from youA and those a'reein' ,ith youA in the *utland 9erald& and 'uess = !no, a3out ,here your controversy stands at the present time. What = desire to say no, isA that = am afraid your adversaries are nearer ri'ht than yourselfA even thou'h all reason seems to 3e on your side. They are nearer ri'ht than they realise themselves 1 for of course they 'o only 3y theoryA and cannot !no, ,hat = !no,. =f = !ne, as little of the matter as theyA = ,ould feel Custified in 3elievin' as they do. = ,ould 3e ,holly on your side. .ou can see that = am havin' a hard time 'ettin' to the pointA pro3a3ly 3ecause = really dread 'ettin' to the pointB 3ut the upshot of the matter is that I "a!e certain e!idence t"at monstrous t"ings do indeed li!e in t"e $oods on t"e "ig" "ills $"ic" nobody !isits% = have not seen any of the thin's floatin' in the riversA as reportedA 3ut = have seen thin's li!e them under circumstances = dread to repeat. = have seen footprintsA and of late have seen them nearer my o,n home J= live in the old A!eley place south of To,nshend ?illa'eA on the side of $ar! 8ountainK than = dare tell you no,. And = have overheard voices in the ,oods at certain points that = ,ill not even 3e'in to descri3e on paper. At one place = heard them so much that = too! a phono'raph there,ith a dictaphone attachment and ,a% 3lan! 1 and = shall try to arran'e to have you hear the record = 'ot. = have run it on the machine for some of the old people up hereA and one of the voices had nearly scared them paralysed 3y reason of its li!eness to a certain voice Jthat 3uzzin' voice in the ,oods ,hich $avenport mentionsK that

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their 'randmothers have told a3out and mimic!ed for them. = !no, ,hat most people thin! of a man ,ho tells a3out Lhearin' voicesL 1 3ut 3efore you dra, conclusions Cust listen to this record and as! some of the older 3ac!,oods people ,hat they thin! of it. =f you can account for it normallyA very ,ellB 3ut there must 3e somethin' 3ehind it. @ ni"ilo ni"il fit& you !no,. ;o, my o3Cect in ,ritin' you is not to start an ar'ument 3ut to 'ive you information ,hich = thin! a man of your tastes ,ill find deeply interestin'. T"is is pri!ate% ,ublicly I am on your side& for certain thin's sho, me that it does not do for people to !no, too much a3out these matters. 8y o,n studies are no, ,holly privateA and = ,ould not thin! of sayin' anythin' to attract people<s attention and cause them to visit the places = have e%plored. =t is true 1 terri3ly true 1 that there are non-"uman creatures $atc"ing us all t"e time1 ,ith spies amon' us 'atherin' information. =t is from a ,retched man ,hoA if he ,as sane Jas = thin! he ,asK $as one of t"ose spies& that = 'ot a lar'e part of my clues to the matter. 2e later !illed himselfA 3ut = have reason to thin! there are others no,. T"e t"ings come from anot"er planet& being able to li!e in interstellar space and fly t"roug" it on clumsyA po,erful ,in's ,hich have a ,ay of resistin' the aether 3ut ,hich are too poor at steerin' to 3e of much use in helpin' them a3out on earth. = ,ill tell you a3out this later if you do not dismiss me at once as a madman. They come here to 'et metals from mines that 'o deep under the hillsA and I t"ink I kno$ $"ere t"ey come from% They ,ill not hurt us if ,e let them aloneA 3ut no one can say ,hat ,ill happen if ,e 'et too curious a3out them. +f course a 'ood army of men could ,ipe out their minin' colony. That is ,hat they are afraid of. But if that happenedA more ,ould come from outside - any num3er of them. They could easily conDuer the earthA 3ut have not tried so far 3ecause they have not needed to. They ,ould rather leave thin's as they are to save 3other. = thin! they mean to 'et rid of me 3ecause of ,hat = have discovered. There is a 'reat 3lac! stone ,ith un!no,n hiero'lyphics half ,orn a,ay ,hich = found in the ,oods on :ound 2illA east of hereB and after = too! it home everythin' 3ecame different. =f they thin! = suspect too much they ,ill either !ill me or take me off t"e eart" to $"ere t"ey come from% They li!e to ta!e a,ay men of learnin' once in a ,hileA to !eep informed on the state of thin's in the human ,orld. This leads me to my secondary purpose in addressin' you 1 namelyA to ur'e you to hush up the present de3ate rather than 'ive it more pu3licity. ,eople must be kept a$ay from t"ese "ills& and in order to effect thisA their curiosity ou'ht not to 3e aroused any further. 2eaven !no,s there is peril enou'h any,ayA ,ith promoters and real estate men floodin' ?ermont ,ith herds of summer people to overrun the ,ild places and cover the hills ,ith cheap 3un'alo,s. = shall ,elcome further communication ,ith youA and shall try to send you that phono'raph record and 3lac! stone J,hich is so ,orn that photo'raphs don<t sho, muchK 3y e%press if you are ,illin'. = say LtryL 3ecause = thin! those creatures have a ,ay of tamperin' ,ith thin's around here. There is a sullen furtive fello, named Bro,nA on a farm near the villa'eA ,ho = thin! is their spy. 5ittle 3y little they are tryin' to cut me off from our ,orld 3ecause = !no, too much a3out their ,orld.

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They have the most amazin' ,ay of findin' out ,hat = do. .ou may not even 'et this letter. = thin! = shall have to leave this part of the country and 'o live ,ith my son in San $ie'oA Cal.A if thin's 'et any ,orseA 3ut it is not easy to 'ive up the place you ,ere 3orn inA and ,here your family has lived for si% 'enerations. AlsoA = ,ould hardly dare sell this house to any3ody no, that the creatures have ta!en notice of it. They seem to 3e tryin' to 'et the 3lac! stone 3ac! and destroy the phono'raph recordA 3ut = shall not let them if = can help it. 8y 'reat police do's al,ays hold them 3ac!A for there are very fe, here as yetA and they are clumsy in 'ettin' a3out. As = have saidA their ,in's are not much use for short fli'hts on earth. = am on the very 3rin! of decipherin' that stone 1 in a very terri3le ,ay 1 and ,ith your !no,led'e of fol!lore you may 3e a3le to supply the missin' lin!s enou'h to help me. = suppose you !no, all a3out the fearful myths antedatin' the comin' of man to the earth 1 the .o'1Sothoth and Cthulhu cycles 1 ,hich are hinted at in the -ecronomicon. = had access to a copy of that onceA and hear that you have one in your colle'e li3rary under loc! and !ey. To concludeA 8r. WilmarthA = thin! that ,ith our respective studies ,e can 3e very useful to each other. = don<t ,ish to put you in any perilA and suppose = ou'ht to ,arn you that possession of the stone and the record ,on<t 3e very safeB 3ut = thin! you ,ill find any ris!s ,orth runnin' for the sa!e of !no,led'e. = ,ill drive do,n to ;e,fane or Brattle3oro to send ,hatever you authorize me to sendA for the e%press offices there are more to 3e trusted. = mi'ht say that = live Duite alone no,A since = can<t !eep hired help any more. They ,on<t stay 3ecause of the thin's that try to 'et near the house at ni'htA and that !eep the do's 3ar!in' continually. = am 'lad = didn<t 'et as deep as this into the 3usiness ,hile my ,ife ,as aliveA for it ,ould have driven her mad. 2opin' that = am not 3otherin' you undulyA and that you ,ill decide to 'et in touch ,ith me rather than thro, this letter into the ,aste 3as!et as a madman<s ravin'A = am .rs. very trulyA 2enry W. A!eley >.S. = am ma!in' some e%tra prints of certain photo'raphs ta!en 3y meA ,hich = thin! ,ill help to prove a num3er of the points = have touched on. The old people thin! they are monstrously true. = shall send you these very soon if you are interested. 2.W.A. =t ,ould 3e difficult to descri3e my sentiments upon readin' this stran'e document for the first time. By all ordinary rulesA = ou'ht to have lau'hed more loudly at these e%trava'ances than at the far milder theories ,hich had previously moved me to mirthB yet somethin' in the tone of the letter made me ta!e it ,ith parado%ical seriousness. ;ot that = 3elieved for a moment in the hidden race from the stars ,hich my correspondent spo!e ofB 3ut thatA after some 'rave preliminary dou3tsA = 're, to feel oddly sure of his sanity and sincerityA and of his confrontation 3y some 'enuine thou'h sin'ular and a3normal phenomenon ,hich he could not e%plain e%cept in this ima'inative ,ay. =t could not 3e as he thou'ht itA = reflectedA yet on the other handA it could not 3e other,ise than ,orthy of

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investi'ation. The man seemed unduly e%cited and alarmed a3out somethin'A 3ut it ,as hard to thin! that all cause ,as lac!in'. 2e ,as so specific and lo'ical in certain ,ays 1 and after allA his yarn did fit in so perple%in'ly ,ell ,ith some of the old myths 1 even the ,ildest =ndian le'ends. That he had really overheard distur3in' voices in the hillsA and had really found the 3lac! stone he spo!e a3outA ,as ,holly possi3le despite the crazy inferences he had made 1 inferences pro3a3ly su''ested 3y the man ,ho had claimed to 3e a spy of the outer 3ein's and had later !illed himself. =t ,as easy to deduce that this man must have 3een ,holly insaneA 3ut that he pro3a3ly had a strea! of perverse out,ard lo'ic ,hich made the naive A!eley 1 already prepared for such thin's 3y his fol!lore studies 1 3elieve his tale. As for the latest developments 1 it appeared from his ina3ility to !eep hired help that A!eley<s hum3ler rustic nei'h3ours ,ere as convinced as he that his house ,as 3esie'ed 3y uncanny thin's at ni'ht. The do's really 3ar!edA too. And then the matter of that phono'raph recordA ,hich = could not 3ut 3elieve he had o3tained in the ,ay he said. =t must mean somethin'B ,hether animal noises deceptively li!e human speechA or the speech of some hiddenA ni'ht1hauntin' human 3ein' decayed to a state not much a3ove that of lo,er animals. 4rom this my thou'hts ,ent 3ac! to the 3lac! hiero'lyphed stoneA and to speculations upon ,hat it mi'ht mean. ThenA tooA ,hat of the photo'raphs ,hich A!eley said he ,as a3out to sendA and ,hich the old people had found so convincin'ly terri3leG As = re1read the cramped hand,ritin' = felt as never 3efore that my credulous opponents mi'ht have more on their side than = had conceded. After allA there mi'ht 3e some Dueer and perhaps hereditarily misshapen outcasts in those shunned hillsA even thou'h no such race of star13orn monsters as fol!lore claimed. And if there ,ereA then the presence of stran'e 3odies in the flooded streams ,ould not 3e ,holly 3eyond 3elief. Was it too presumptuous to suppose that 3oth the old le'ends and the recent reports had this much of reality 3ehind themG But even as = har3oured these dou3ts = felt ashamed that so fantastic a piece of 3izarrerie as 2enry A!eley<s ,ild letter had 3rou'ht them up. =n the end = ans,ered A!eley<s letterA adoptin' a tone of friendly interest and solicitin' further particulars. 2is reply came almost 3y return mailB and containedA true to promiseA a num3er of 0oda! vie,s of scenes and o3Cects illustratin' ,hat he had to tell. 7lancin' at these pictures as = too! them from the envelopeA = felt a curious sense of fri'ht and nearness to for3idden thin'sB for in spite of the va'ueness of most of themA they had a damna3ly su''estive po,er ,hich ,as intensified 3y the fact of their 3ein' 'enuine photo'raphs 1 actual optical lin!s ,ith ,hat they portrayedA and the product of an impersonal transmittin' process ,ithout preCudiceA falli3ilityA or mendacity. The more = loo!ed at themA the more = sa, that my senous estimate of A!eley and his story had not 3een unCustified. CertainlyA these pictures carried conclusive evidence of somethin' in the ?ermont hills ,hich ,as at least vastly outside the radius of our common !no,led'e and 3elief. The ,orst thin' of all ,as the footprint 1 a vie, ta!en ,here the sun shone on a mud patch some,here in a deserted upland. This ,as no cheaply counterfeited thin'A = could see at a 'lanceB for the sharply defined pe33les and 'rass3lades in the field of vision 'ave a clear inde% of scale and left no possi3ility of a tric!y dou3le e%posure. = have called the thin' a LfootprintAL 3ut Lcla,1printL ,ould 3e a 3etter term. Even no, = can scarcely descri3e it save to say that it ,as hideously cra3li!eA and that there seemed to 3e

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some am3i'uity a3out its direction. =t ,as not a very deep or fresh printA 3ut seemed to 3e a3out the size of an avera'e man<s foot. 4rom a central padA pairs of sa,1toothed nippers proCected in opposite directions 1 Duite 3afflin' as to functionA if indeed the ,hole o3Cect ,ere e%clusively an or'an of locomotion. Another photo'raph 1 evidently a time1e%posure ta!en in deep shado, 1 ,as of the mouth of a ,oodland caveA ,ith a 3oulder ofA rounded re'ularity cho!in' the aperture. +n the 3are 'round in front ofA it one could Cust discern a dense net,or! of curious trac!sA and ,hen = studied the picture ,ith a ma'nifier = felt uneasily sure that the trac!s ,ere li!e the one in the other vie,. A third pictured sho,ed a druid1li!e circle of standin' stones on the summit of a ,ild hill. Around the cryptic circle the 'rass ,as very much 3eaten do,n and ,orn a,ayA thou'h = could not detect any footprints even ,ith the 'lass. The e%treme remoteness of the place ,as apparent from the verita3le sea of tenantless9 mountains ,hich formed the 3ac!'round and stretched a,ay to,ard a. misty horizon. But if the most distur3in' of all the vie,s ,as that of the footprintA the< most curiously su''estive ,as that of the 'reat 3lac! stone found in the :ound 2ill ,oods. A!eley had photo'raphed it on ,hat ,as evidently his study ta3leA for = could see ro,s of 3oo!s and a 3ust of 8ilton in the 3ac!'round. The thin'A as nearly as one mi'ht 'uessA had faced the camera vertically ,ith a some,hat irre'ularly curved surface of one 3y t,o feetB 3ut to say anythin' definite a3out that surfaceA or a3out the 'eneral shape of the ,hole massA almost defies the po,er of lan'ua'e. What outlandish 'eometrical principles had 'uided its cuttin' 1 for artificially cut it surely ,as 1 = could not even 3e'in to 'uessB and never 3efore had = seen anythin' ,hich struc! me as so stran'ely and unmista!a3ly alien to this ,orld. +f the hiero'lyphics on the surface = could discern very fe,A 3ut one or t,o that = did see 'ave rather a shoc!. +f course they mi'ht 3e fraudulentA for others 3esides myself had read the monstrous and a3horred ;ecronomicon of the mad Ara3 A3dul AlhazredB 3ut it nevertheless made me shiver to reco'nise certain ideo'raphs ,hich study had tau'ht me to lin! ,ith the most 3lood1curdlin' and 3lasphemous ,hispers of thin's that had had a !ind of mad half1e%istence 3efore the earth and the other inner ,orlds of the solar system ,ere made. +f the five remainin' picturesA three ,ere of s,amp and hill scenes ,hich seemed to 3ear traces of hidden and un,holesome tenancy. Another ,as of a Dueer mar! in the 'round very near A!eley<s houseA ,hich he said he had photo'raphed the mornin' after a ni'ht on ,hich the do's had 3ar!ed more violently than usual. =t ,as very 3lurredA and one could really dra, no certain conclusions from itB 3ut it did seem fiendishly li!e that other mar! or cla,1print photo'raphed on the deserted upland. The final picture ,as of the A!eley place itselfB a trim ,hite house of t,o stories and atticA a3out a century and a Duarter oldA and ,ith a ,ell1!ept la,n and stone13ordered path leadin' up to a tastefully carved 7eor'ian door,ay. There ,ere several hu'e police do's on the la,nA sDuattin' near a pleasant1faced man ,ith a close1cropped 'rey 3eard ,hom = too! to 3e A!eley himself 1 his o,n photo'rapherA one mi'ht infer from the tu3e1connected 3ul3 in his ri'ht hand. 4rom the pictures = turned to the 3ul!yA closely1,ritten letter itselfB and for the ne%t three hours ,as immersed in a 'ulf of unuttera3le horror. Where A!eley had 'iven only outlines 3eforeA he no, entered into minute detailsB presentin' lon' transcripts of ,ords overheard in the ,oods at ni'htA lon' accounts of monstrous pin!ish forms spied in thic!ets at t,ili'ht on the hillsA and a terri3le cosmic narrative derived from the application of profound and varied scholarship to the endless 3y'one discourses of the mad self1styled

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spy ,ho had !illed himself. = found myself faced 3y names and terms that = had heard else,here in the most hideous of connections 1 .u''othA 7reat CthulhuA Tsatho''uaA .o'SothothA :<lyehA ;yarlathotepA AzathothA 2asturA .ianA 5en'A the 5a!e of 2aliA BethmooraA the .ello, Si'nA 5<mur10athulosA BranA and the 8a'num =nnominandum 1 and ,as dra,n 3ac! throu'h nameless aeons and inconceiva3le dimensions to ,orlds of elderA outer entity at ,hich the crazed author of the ;ecronomicon had only 'uessed in the va'uest ,ay. = ,as told of the pits of primal lifeA and of the streams that had tric!led do,n therefromB and finallyA of the tiny rivulets from one of those streams ,hich had 3ecome entan'led ,ith the destinies of our o,n earth. 8y 3rain ,hirledB and ,here 3efore = had attempted to e%plain thin's a,ayA = no, 3e'an to 3elieve in the most a3normal and incredi3le ,onders. The array of vital evidence ,as damna3ly vast and over,helmin'B and the coolA scientific attitude of A!eley 1 an attitude removed as far as ima'ina3le from the dementedA the fanaticalA the hystericalA or even the. e%trava'antly speculative 1 had a tremendous effect on my thou'ht and Cud'ment. By the time = laid the fri'htful letter aside = could understand the fears he had come to entertainA and ,as ready to do anythin' in my po,er to !eep people a,ay from those ,ildA haunted hills. Even no,A ,hen time has dulled the impression and made me half1Duestion my o,n e%perience and horri3le dou3tsA there are thin's in that letter of A!eley<s ,hich = ,ould not DuoteA or even form into ,ords on paper. = am almost 'lad that the letter and record and photo'raphs are 'one no, 1 and = ,ishA for reasons = shall soon ma!e clearA that the ne, planet 3eyond ;eptune had not 3een discovered. With the readin' of that letter my pu3lic de3atin' a3out the ?ermont horror permanently ended. Ar'uments from opponents remained unans,ered or put off ,ith promisesA and eventually the controversy petered out into o3livion. $urin' late 8ay and 6une = ,as in constant correspondence ,ith A!eleyB thou'h once in a ,hile a letter ,ould 3e lostA so that ,e ,ould have to retrace our 'round and perform considera3le la3orious copyin'. What ,e ,ere tryin' to doA as a ,holeA ,as to compare notes in matters of o3scure mytholo'ical scholarship and arrive at a clearer correlation of the ?ermont horrors ,ith the 'eneral 3ody of primitive ,orld le'end. 4or one thin'A ,e virtually decided that these mor3idities and the hellish 2imalayan 8i1 7o ,ere one and the same order of incarnated ni'htmare. There ,as also a3sor3in' zoolo'ical conCecturesA ,hich = ,ould have referred to >rofessor $e%ter in my o,n colle'e 3ut for A!eley<s imperative command to tell no one of the matter 3efore us. =f = seem to diso3ey that command no,A it is only 3ecause = thin! that at this sta'e a ,arnin' a3out those farther ?ermont hills 1 and a3out those 2imalayan pea!s ,hich 3old e%plorers are more and more determined to ascend 1 is more conducive to pu3lic safety than silence ,ould 3e. +ne specific thin' ,e ,ere leadin' up to ,as a decipherin' of the hiero'lyphics on that infamous 3lac! stone 1 a decipherin' ,hich mi'ht ,ell place us in possession of secrets deeper and more dizzyin' than any formerly !no,n to man.

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,,,.
To,ard the end of 6une the phono'raph record came 1 shipped from Brattle3oroA since A!eley ,as un,illin' to trust conditions on the 3ranch line north of there. 2e had 3e'un to feel an increased sense of espiona'eA a''ravated 3y the loss of some of our lettersB and said much a3out the insidious deeds of certain men ,hom he considered tools and a'ents of the hidden 3ein's. 8ost of all he suspected the surly farmer Walter Bro,nA ,ho lived alone on a run1do,n hillside place near the deep ,oodsA and ,ho ,as often seen loafin' around corners in Brattle3oroA Bello,s 4allsA ;e,faneA and South 5ondonderry in the most ine%plica3le and seemin'ly unmotivated ,ay. Bro,n<s voiceA he felt convincedA ,as one of those he had overheard on a certain occasion in a very terri3le conversationB and he had once found a footprint or cla,print near Bro,n<s house ,hich mi'ht possess the most ominous si'nificance. =t had 3een curiously near some of Bro,n<s o,n footprints 1 footprints that faced to,ard it. So the record ,as shipped from Brattle3oroA ,hither A!eley drove in his 4ord car alon' the lonely ?ermont 3ac! roads. 2e confessed in an accompanyin' note that he ,as 3e'innin' to 3e afraid of those roadsA and that he ,ould not even 'o into To,nshend for supplies no, e%cept in 3road dayli'ht. =t did not payA he repeated a'ain and a'ainA to !no, too much unless one ,ere very remote from those silent and pro3lematical hills. 2e ,ould 3e 'oin' to California pretty soon to live ,ith his sonA thou'h it ,as hard to leave a place ,here all one<s memories and ancestral feelin's centered. Before tryin' the record on the commercial machine ,hich = 3orro,ed from the colle'e administration 3uildin' = carefully ,ent over all the e%planatory matter in A!eley<s various letters. This recordA he had saidA ,as o3tained a3out 1 A.8. on the 1st of 8ayA 1)1 A near the closed mouth of a cave ,here the ,ooded ,est slope of $ar! 8ountain rises out of 5ee<s s,amp. The place had al,ays 3een unusually pla'ued ,ith stran'e voicesA this 3ein' the reason he had 3rou'ht the phono'raphA dictaphoneA and 3lan! in e%pectation of results. 4ormer e%perience had told him that 8ay Eve 1 the hideous Sa33at1ni'ht of under'round European le'end 1 ,ould pro3a3ly 3e more fruitful than any other dateA and he ,as not disappointed. =t ,as note,orthyA thou'hA that he never a'ain heard voices at that particular spot. (nli!e most of the overheard forest voicesA the su3stance of the record ,as Duasi1 ritualisticA and included one palpa3ly human voice ,hich A!eley had never 3een a3le to place. =t ,as not Bro,n<sA 3ut seemed to 3e that of a man of 'reater cultivation. The second voiceA ho,everA ,as the real cru% of the thin' 1 for this ,as the accursed 3uzzin' ,hich had no li!eness to humanity despite the human ,ords ,hich it uttered in 'ood En'lish 'rammar and a scholarly accent. The recordin' phono'raph and dictaphone had not ,or!ed uniformly ,ellA and had of course 3een at a 'reat disadvanta'e 3ecause of the remote and muffled nature of the overheard ritualB so that the actual speech secured ,as very fra'mentary. A!eley had 'iven me a transcript of ,hat he 3elieved the spo!en ,ords to 3eA and = 'lanced throu'h this a'ain as = prepared the machine for action. The te%t ,as dar!ly mysterious rather than openly horri3leA thou'h a !no,led'e of its ori'in and manner of 'atherin' 'ave it all the associative horror ,hich any ,ords could ,ell possess. = ,ill present it here in full as = remem3er it 1 and = am fairly confident that = !no, it correctly 3y heartA not only from

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readin' the transcriptA 3ut from playin' the record itself over and over a'ain. =t is not a thin' ,hich one mi'ht readily for'etF AIndistinguis"able SoundsB AA Culti!ated Male 9uman .oiceB ...is the 5ord of the WoodA even to... and the 'ifts of the men of 5en'... so from the ,ells of ni'ht to the 'ulfs of spaceA and from the 'ulfs of space to the ,ells of ni'htA ever the praises of 7reat CthulhuA of Tsatho''uaA and of 2im Who is not to 3e ;amed. Ever Their praisesA and a3undance to the Blac! 7oat of the Woods. =aF Shu31;i''urathF The 7oat ,ith a Thousand .oun'F AA Bu22ing Imitation of 9uman Speec"B IaC S"ub--iggurat"C T"e Black Goat of t"e Woods $it" a T"ousand ;oungC A9uman .oiceB And it has come to pass that the 5ord of the WoodsA 3ein'... seven and nineA do,n the ony% steps . . . JtriK3utes to 2im in the 7ulfA AzathothA 2e of Whom Thou has tau'ht us marvJelsK. . . on the ,in's of ni'ht out 3eyond spaceA out 3eyond th... to That ,hereof .u''oth is the youn'est childA rollin' alone in 3lac! aether at the rim... ABu22ing .oiceB ...'o out amon' men and find the ,ays thereofA that 2e in the 7ulf may !no,. To ;yarlathotepA 8i'hty 8essen'erA must all thin's 3e told. And 2e shall put on the sem3lance of menA the ,a%en mas! and the ro3e that hidesA and come do,n from the ,orld of Seven Suns to moc!... A9uman .oiceB J;yarlKathotepA 7reat 8essen'erA 3rin'er of stran'e Coy to .u''oth throu'h the voidA 4ather of the 8illion 4avoured +nesA Stal!er amon'... ASpeec" Cut 'ff by nd of *ecordB Such ,ere the ,ords for ,hich = ,as to listen ,hen = started the phono'raph. =t ,as ,ith a trace of 'enuine dread and reluctance that = pressed the lever and heard the preliminary scratchin' of the sapphire pointA and = ,as 'lad that the first faintA fra'mentary ,ords ,ere in a human voice 1 a mello,A educated voice ,hich seemed va'uely Bostonian in accentA and ,hich ,as certainly not that of any native of the ?ermont hills. As = listened to the tantalisin'ly fee3le renderin'A = seemed to find the speech identical ,ith A!eley<s carefully prepared transcript. +n it chantedA in that mello, Bostonian voice. . . L=aF Shu31 ;i''urathF The 7oat ,ith a Thousand .oun'F...L And then = heard the other voice. To this hour = shudder retrospectively ,hen = thin! of ho, it struc! meA prepared thou'h = ,as 3y A!eley<s accounts. Those to ,hom = have since descri3ed the record profess to find nothin' 3ut cheap imposture or madness in itB 3ut

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could they have the accursed thin' itselfA or read the 3ul! of A!eley<s correspondenceA Jespecially that terri3le and encyclopaedic second letterKA = !no, they ,ould thin! differently. =t isA after allA a tremendous pity that = did not diso3ey A!eley and play the record for others 1 a tremendous pityA tooA that all of his letters ,ere lost. To meA ,ith my first1hand impression of the actual soundsA and ,ith my !no,led'e of the 3ac!'round and surroundin' circumstancesA the voice ,as a monstrous thin'. =t s,iftly follo,ed the human voice in ritualistic responseA 3ut in my ima'ination it ,as a mor3id echo ,in'in' its ,ay across unima'ina3le a3ysses from unima'ina3le outer hells. =t is more than t,o years no, since = last ran off that 3lasphemous ,a%en cylinderB 3ut at this momentA and at all other momentsA = can still hear that fee3leA fiendish 3uzzin' as it reached me for the first time. )IaC S"ub--iggurat"C T"e Black Goat of t"e Woods $it" a T"ousand ;oungC) But thou'h the voice is al,ays in my earsA = have not even yet 3een a3le to analyse it ,ell enou'h for a 'raphic description. =t ,as li!e the drone of some loathsomeA 'i'antic insect ponderously shaped into the articulate speech of an alien speciesA and = am perfectly certain that the or'ans producin' it can have no resem3lance to the vocal or'ans of manA or indeed to those of any of the mammalia. There ,ere sin'ularities in tim3reA ran'eA and overtones ,hich placed this phenomenon ,holly outside the sphere of humanity and earth1 life. =ts sudden advent that first time almost stunned meA and = heard the rest of the record throu'h in a sort of a3stracted daze. When the lon'er passa'e of 3uzzin' cameA there ,as a sharp intensification of that feelin' of 3lasphemous infinity ,hich had struc! me durin' the shorter and earlier passa'e. At last the record ended a3ruptlyA durin' an unusually clear speech of the human and Bostonian voiceB 3ut = sat stupidly starin' lon' after the machine had automatically stopped. = hardly need say that = 'ave that shoc!in' record many another playin'A and that = made e%haustive attempts at analysis and comment in comparin' notes ,ith A!eley. =t ,ould 3e 3oth useless and distur3in' to repeat here all that ,e concludedB 3ut = may hint that ,e a'reed in 3elievin' ,e had secured a clue to the source of some of the most repulsive primordial customs in the cryptic elder reli'ions of man!ind. =t seemed plain to usA alsoA that there ,ere ancient and ela3orate allianceB 3et,een the hidden outer creatures and certain mem3ers of the human race. 2o, e%tensive these alliances ,ereA and ho, their state today mi'ht compare ,ith their state in earlier a'esA ,e had no means ofT 'uessin'B yet at 3est there ,as room for a limitless amount of horrified speculation. There seemed to 3e an a,fulA immemorial lin!a'e in several definite sta'es 3et,i%t man and nameless infinity. The 3lasphemies ,hich appeared on earthA it ,as hintedA came from the dar! planet .u''othA at the rim of the solar systemB 3ut this ,as itself merely the populous outpost of a fri'htful interstellar race ,hose ultimate source must lie far outside even the Einsteinian space1time continuum or 'reatest !no,n cosmos. 8ean,hile ,e continued to discuss the 3lac! stone and the 3est ,ay of 'ettin' it to Ar!ham 1 A!eley deemin' it inadvisa3le to have me visit him at the scene of his ni'htmare studies. 4or some reason or otherA A!eley ,as afraid to trust the thin' to any ordinary or e%pected transportation route. 2is final idea ,as to ta!e it across country to Bello,s 4alls and ship it on the Boston and 8aine system throu'h 0eene and Winchendon and 4itch3ur'A even thou'h this ,ould necessitate his drivin' alon' some,hat lonelier and more forest1traversin' hill roads than the main hi'h,ay to Brattle3oro. 2e said he had noticed a man around the e%press office at Brattle3oro ,hen he had sent the phono'raph recordA ,hose actions and e%pression had 3een far from reassurin'. This man had seemed

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too an%ious to tal! ,ith the cler!sA and had ta!en the train on ,hich the record ,as shipped. A!eley confessed that he had not felt strictly at ease a3out that record until he heard from me of its safe receipt. A3out this time 1 the second ,ee! in 6uly 1 another letter of mine ,ent astrayA as = learned throu'h an an%ious communication from A!eley. After that he told me to address him no more at To,nshendA 3ut to send all mail in care of the 7eneral $elivery at Brattle3oroB ,hither he ,ould ma!e freDuent trips either in his car or on the motor1coach line ,hich had lately replaced passen'er service on the la''in' 3ranch rail,ay. = could see that he ,as 'ettin' more and more an%iousA for he ,ent into much detail a3out the increased 3ar!in' of the do's on moonless ni'htsA and a3out the fresh cla,1prints he sometimes found in the road and in the mud at the 3ac! of his farmyard ,hen mornin' came. +nce he told a3out a verita3le army of prints dra,n up in a line facin' an eDually thic! and resolute line of do'1trac!sA and sent a loathsomely distur3in' 0oda! picture to prove it. That ,as after a ni'ht on ,hich the do's had outdone themselves in 3ar!in' and ho,lin'. +n the mornin' of WednesdayA 6uly 18A = received a tele'ram from Bello,s 4allsA in ,hich A!eley said he ,as e%pressin' the 3lac! stone over the B. N 8. on Train ;o. *8A leavin' Bello,s 4alls at 1"91 >.8.A standard timeA and due at the ;orth Station in Boston at #91" >.8. =t ou'htA = calculatedA to 'et up to Ar!ham at least 3y the ne%t noonB and accordin'ly = stayed in all Thursday mornin' to receive it. But noon came and ,ent ,ithout its adventA and ,hen = telephoned do,n to the e%press office = ,as informed that no shipment for me had arrived. 8y ne%t actA performed amidst a 'ro,in' alarmA ,as to 'ive a lon'1distance call to the e%press a'ent at the Boston ;orth StationB and = ,as scarcely surprised to learn that my consi'nment had not appeared. Train ;o. *8 had pulled in only & minutes late on the day 3eforeA 3ut had contained no 3o% addressed to me. The a'ent promisedA ho,everA to institute a searchin' inDuiryB and = ended the day 3y sendin' A!eley a ni'ht1letter outlinin' the situation. With commenda3le promptness a report came from the Boston office on the follo,in' afternoonA the a'ent telephonin' as soon as he learned the facts. =t seemed that the rail,ay e%press cler! on ;o. *8 had 3een a3le to recall an incident ,hich mi'ht have much 3earin' on my loss 1 an ar'ument ,ith a very curious1voiced manA leanA sandyA and rustic1 loo!in'A ,hen the train ,as ,aitin' at 0eeneA ;. 2.A shortly after one oTcloc! standard time. The manA he saidA ,as 'reatly e%cited a3out a heavy 3o% ,hich he claimed to e%pectA 3ut ,hich ,as neither on the train nor entered on the companyTs 3oo!s. 2e had 'iven the name of Stanley AdamsA and had had such a Dueerly thic! dronin' voiceA that it made the cler! a3normally dizzy and sleepy to listen to him. The cler! could not remem3er Duite ho, the conversation had endedA 3ut recalled startin' into a fuller a,a!eness ,hen the train 3e'an to move. The Boston a'ent added that this cler! ,as a youn' man of ,holly unDuestioned veracity and relia3ilityA of !no,n antecedents and lon' ,ith the company. That evenin' = ,ent to Boston to intervie, the cler! in personA havin' o3tained his name and address from the office. 2e ,as a fran!A prepossessin' fello,A 3ut = sa, that he could add nothin' to his ori'inal account. +ddlyA he ,as scarcely sure that he could even reco'nise the stran'e inDuirer a'ain. :ealisin' that he had no more to tellA = returned to Ar!ham and sat up till mornin' ,ritin' letters to A!eleyA to the e%press company and to the police department and station a'ent in 0eene. = felt that the stran'e1voiced man ,ho had so Dueerly affected the cler! must have a pivotal place in the ominous 3usinessA and hoped

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that 0eene station employees and tele'raph1office records mi'ht tell somethin' a3out him and a3out ho, he happened to ma!e his inDuiry ,hen and ,here he did. = must admitA ho,everA that all my investi'ations came to nothin'. The Dueer1voiced man had indeed 3een noticed around the 0eene station in the early afternoon of 6uly 18A and one loun'er seemed to couple him va'uely ,ith a heavy 3o%B 3ut he ,as alto'ether un!no,nA and had not 3een seen 3efore or since. 2e had not visited the tele'raph office or received any messa'e so far as could 3e learnedA nor had any messa'e ,hich mi'ht Custly 3e considered a notice of the 3lac! stoneTs presence on ;o. *8 come throu'h the office for anyone. ;aturally A!eley Coined ,ith me in conductin' these inDuiriesA and even made a personal trip to 0eene to Duestion the people around the stationB 3ut his attitude to,ard the matter ,as more fatalistic than mine. 2e seemed to find the loss of the 3o% a portentous and menacin' fulfillment of inevita3le tendenciesA and had no real hope at all of its recovery. 2e spo!e of the undou3ted telepathic and hypnotic po,ers of the hill creatures and their a'entsA and in one letter hinted that he did not 3elieve the stone ,as on this earth any lon'er. 4or my partA = ,as duly enra'edA for = had felt there ,as at least a chance of learnin' profound and astonishin' thin's from the oldA 3lurred hiero'lyphs. The matter ,ould have ran!led 3itterly in my mind had not A!eleyTs immediately su3seDuent letters 3rou'ht up a ne, phase of the ,hole horri3le hill pro3lem ,hich at once seized all my attention.

,V.
The un!no,n thin'sA A!eley ,rote in a script 'ro,n pitifully tremulousA had 3e'un to close in on him ,ith a ,holly ne, de'ree of determination. The nocturnal 3ar!in' of the do's ,henever the moon. ,as dim or a3sent ,as hideous no,A and there had 3een attempts to molest him on the lonely roads he had to traverse 3y day. +n the second of Au'ustA ,hile 3ound for the villa'e in his carA he had found a tree1trun! laid in his path at a point ,here the hi'h,ay ran throu'h a deep patch of ,oodsB ,hile the sava'e 3ar!in' of the t,o 'reat do's he had ,ith him told all too ,ell of the thin's ,hich must have 3een lur!in' near. What ,ould have happened had the do's not 3een thereA he did not dare 'uess 1 3ut he never ,ent out no, ,ithout at least t,o of his faithful and po,erful pac!. +ther road e%periences had occurred on Au'ust fifth and si%thB a shot 'razin' his car on one occasionA and the 3ar!in' of the do's tellin' of unholy ,oodland presences on the other. +n Au'ust fifteenth = received a frantic letter ,hich distur3ed me 'reatlyA and ,hich made me ,ish A!eley could put aside his lonely reticence and call in the aid of the la,. There had 3een fri'htful happenin' on the ni'ht of the 1"11&thA 3ullets flyin' outside the farmhouseA and three of the t,elve 'reat do's 3ein' found shot dead in the mornin'. There ,ere myriads of cla,1prints in the roadA ,ith the human prints of Walter Bro,n amon' them. A!eley had started to telephone to Brattle3oro for more do'sA 3ut the ,ire had 'one dead 3efore he had a chance to say much. 5ater he ,ent to Brattle3oro in his carA and learned there that linemen had found the main ca3le neatly cut at a point ,here it ran throu'h the deserted hills north of ;e,fane. But he ,as a3out to start home ,ith four fine ne, do'sA and several cases of ammunition for his 3i'1'ame repeatin' rifle. The letter ,as ,ritten at the post office in Brattle3oroA and came throu'h to me ,ithout delay.

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8y attitude to,ard the matter ,as 3y this time Duic!ly slippin' from a scientific to an alarmedly personal one. = ,as afraid for A!eley in his remoteA lonely farmhouseA and half afraid for myself 3ecause of my no, definite connection ,ith the stran'e hill pro3lem. The thin' ,as reac"ing out so% Would it suc! me in and en'ulf meG =n replyin' to his letter = ur'ed him to see! helpA and hinted that = mi'ht ta!e action myself if he did not. = spo!e of visitin' ?ermont in person in spite of his ,ishesA and of helpin' him e%plain the situation to the proper authorities. =n returnA ho,everA = received only a tele'ram from Bello,s 4alls ,hich read thus9 A>>:EC=ATE .+(: >+S=T=+; B(T CA; $+ ;+T2=;7 TA0E ;+ ACT=+; .+(:SE54 4+: =T C+(5$ +;5. 2A:8 B+T2 WA=T 4+: ER>5A;AT=+; 1 2E;:. A0E5. But the affair ,as steadily deepenin'. (pon my replyin' to the tele'ram = received a sha!y note from A!eley ,ith the astonishin' ne,s that he had not only never sent the ,ireA 3ut had not received the letter from me to ,hich it ,as an o3vious reply. 2asty inDuiries 3y him at Bello,s 4alls had 3rou'ht out that the messa'e ,as deposited 3y a stran'e sandy1 haired man ,ith a curiously thic!A dronin' voiceA thou'h more than this he could not learn. The cler! sho,ed him the ori'inal te%t as scra,led in pencil 3y the senderA 3ut the hand,ritin' ,as ,holly unfamiliar. =t ,as noticea3le that the si'nature ,as misspelled 1 A1 01E151.A ,ithout the second LE.L Certain conCectures ,ere inevita3leA 3ut amidst the o3vious crisis he did not stop to ela3orate upon themA 2e spo!e of the death of more do's and the purchase of still othersA and of the e%chan'e of 'unfire ,hich had 3ecome a settled feature each moonless ni'ht. Bro,nTs printsA and the prints of at least one or t,o more shod human fi'uresA ,ere no, found re'ularly amon' the cla,1prints in the roadA and at the 3ac! of the farmyard. =t ,asA A!eley admittedA a pretty 3ad 3usinessB and 3efore lon' he ,ould pro3a3ly have to 'o to live ,ith his California son ,hether or not he could sell the old place. But it ,as not easy to leave the only spot one could really thin! of as home. 2e must try to han' on a little lon'erB perhaps he could scare off the intruders 1 especially if he openly 'ave up all further attempts to penetrate their secrets. Writin' A!eley at onceA = rene,ed my offers of aidA and spo!e a'ain of visitin' him and helpin' him convince the authorities of his dire peril. =n his reply he seemed less set a'ainst that plan than his past attitude ,ould have led one to predictA 3ut said he ,ould li!e to hold off a little ,hile lon'er 1 lon' enou'h to 'et his thin's in order and reconcile himself to the idea of leavin' an almost mor3idly cherished 3irthplace. >eople loo!ed as!ance at his studies and speculations and it ,ould 3e 3etter to 'et Duietly off ,ithout settin' the countryside in a turmoil and creatin' ,idespread dou3ts of his o,n sanity. 2e had had enou'hA he admittedA 3ut he. ,anted to ma!e a di'nified e%it if he could. This letter reached me on the "8th of Au'ustA and = prepared and mailed as encoura'in' a reply as = could. Apparently the encoura'ement had effectA for A!eley had fe,er terrors to report ,hen he ac!no,led'ed my note. 2e ,as not very optimisticA thou'hA and e%pressed the 3elief that it ,as only the full moon season ,hich ,as holdin' the creatures off. 2e hoped there ,ould not 3e many densely cloudy ni'htsA and tal!ed va'uely of 3oardin' in Brattle3oro ,hen the moon ,aned. A'ain = ,rote him encoura'in'ly 3ut on Septem3er th there came a fresh communication ,hich had o3viously crossed my letter in

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the mailsB and to this = could not 'ive any such hopeful response. =n vie, of its importance = 3elieve = had 3etter 'ive it in full 1 as 3est = can do from memory of the sha!y script. =t ran su3stantially as follo,s9 Monday $ear Wilmarth A rather discoura'in' >. S. to my last. 5ast ni'ht ,as thic!ly cloudy 1 thou'h no rain 1 and not a 3it of moonli'ht 'ot throu'h. Thin's ,ere pretty 3adA and = thin! the end is 'ettin' nearA in spite of all ,e have hoped. After midni'ht somethin' landed on the roof of the houseA and the do's all rushed up to see ,hat it ,as. = could hear them snappin' and tearin' aroundA and then one mana'ed to 'et on the roof 3y Cumpin' from the lo, ell. There ,as a terri3le fi'ht up thereA and = heard a fri'htful bu22ing ,hich =Tll never for'et. And then there ,as a shoc!in' smell. A3out the same time 3ullets came throu'h the ,indo, and nearly 'razed me. = thin! the main line of the hill creatures had 'ot close to the house ,hen the do's divided 3ecause of the roof 3usiness. What ,as up there = donTt !no, yetA 3ut =Tm afraid the creatures are learnin' to steer 3etter ,ith their space ,in's. = put out the li'ht and used the ,indo,s for loopholesA and ra!ed all around the house ,ith rifle fire aimed Cust hi'h enou'h not to hit the do's. That seemed to end the 3usinessA 3ut in the mornin' = found 'reat pools of 3lood in the yardA 3esides pools of a 'reen stic!y stuff that had the ,orst odour = have ever smelled. = clim3ed up on the roof and found more of the stic!y stuff there. 4ive of the do's ,ere !illed 1 =Tm afraid = hit one myself 3y aimin' too lo,A for he ,as shot in the 3ac!. ;o, = am settin' the panes the shots 3ro!eA and am 'oin' to Brattle3oro for more do's. = 'uess the men at the !ennels thin! = am crazy. Will drop another note later. Suppose =Tll 3e ready for movin' in a ,ee! or t,oA thou'h it nearly !ills me to thin! of it. 2astily 1 A!eley But this ,as not the only letter from A!eley to cross mine. +n the ne%t mornin' 1 Septem3er -th 1 still another cameB this time a frantic scra,l ,hich utterly unnerved me and put me at a loss ,hat to say or do ne%t. A'ain = cannot do 3etter than Duote the te%t as faithfully as memory ,ill let me. Tuesday #Clouds didnTt 3rea!A so no moon a'ain 1 and 'oin' into the ,ane anyho,. =Td have the house ,ired for electricity and put in a searchli'ht if = didnTt !no, theyTd cut the ca3les as fast as they could 3e mended. = thin! = am 'oin' crazy. =t may 3e that all = have ever ,ritten you is a dream or madness. =t ,as 3ad enou'h 3eforeA 3ut this time it is too much. T"ey talked to me last nig"t - talked in that cursed 3uzzin' voice and told me thin's t"at I dare not repeat to you% = heard them plainly a3ove the 3ar!in' of the do'sA and once ,hen they ,ere dro,ned out a "uman !oice "elped t"em% 0eep out of thisA Wilmarth 1 it is ,orse than either you or = ever suspected. T"ey donHt mean to let me get to California no$ - t"ey $ant to take me off ali!e& or $"at t"eoretically and mentally amounts to ali!e - not only to .u''othA 3ut 3eyond that 1 a,ay outside the 'ala%y

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and possibly beyond t"e last cur!ed rim of space% = told them = ,ouldnTt 'o ,here they ,ishA or in the terri3le ,ay they propose to ta!e meA 3ut =Tm afraid it ,ill 3e no use. 8y place is so far out that they may come 3y day as ,ell as 3y ni'ht 3efore lon'. Si% more do's !illedA and = felt presences all alon' the ,ooded parts of the road ,hen = drove to Brattle3oro today. =t ,as a mista!e for me to try to send you that phono'raph record and 3lac! stone. Better smash the record 3efore itTs too late. Will drop you another line tomorro, if =Tm still here. Wish = could arran'e to 'et my 3oo!s and thin's to Brattle3oro and 3oard there. = ,ould run off ,ithout anythin' if = could 3ut somethin' inside my mind holds me 3ac!. = can slip out to Brattle3oroA ,here = ou'ht to 3e safeA 3ut = feel Cust as much a prisoner there as at the house. And = seem to !no, that = couldnTt 'et much farther even if = dropped everythin' and tried. =t is horri3le 1 donTt 'et mi%ed up in this. .rs 1 A!eley = did not sleep at all the ni'ht after receivin' this terri3le thin'A and ,as utterly 3affled as to A!eleyTs remainin' de'ree of sanity. The su3stance of the note ,as ,holly insaneA yet the manner of e%pression 1 in vie, of all that had 'one 3efore 1 had a 'rimly potent Duality of convincin'ness. = made no attempt to ans,er itA thin!in' it 3etter to ,ait until A!eley mi'ht have time to reply to my latest communication. Such a reply indeed came on the follo,in' dayA thou'h the fresh material in it Duite overshado,ed any of the points 3rou'ht up 3y the letter nominally ans,ered. 2ere is ,hat = recall of the te%tA scra,led and 3lotted as it ,as in the course of a plainly frantic and hurried composition. Wednesday W1 .our letter cameA 3ut itTs no use to discuss anythin' any more. = am fully resi'ned. Wonder that = have even enou'h ,ill po,er left to fi'ht them off. CanTt escape even if = ,ere ,illin' to 'ive up everythin' and run. TheyTll 'et me. 9ad a letter from t"em yesterday - *%7%#% man 3rou'ht it ,hile = ,as at Brattle3oro. Typed and postmar!ed Bello,s 4alls. Tells ,hat they ,ant to do ,ith me 1 = canTt repeat it. 5oo! out for yourselfA tooF Smash that record. Cloudy ni'hts !eep upA and moon ,anin' all the time. Wish = dared to 'et help 1 it mi'ht 3race up my ,ill po,er 1 3ut everyone ,ho ,ould dare to come at all ,ould call me crazy unless there happened to 3e some proof. CouldnTt as! people to come for no reason at all 1 am all out of touch ,ith every3ody and have 3een for years. But = havenTt told you the ,orstA Wilmarth. Brace up to read thisA for it ,ill 'ive you a shoc!. = am tellin' the truthA thou'h. =t is this 1 I "a!e seen and touc"ed one of t"e t"ings& or part of one of t"e t"ings% 7odA manA 3ut itTs a,fulF =t ,as deadA of course. +ne of the do's had itA and = found it near the !ennel this mornin'. = tried to save it in the ,oodshed to convince people of the ,hole thin'A 3ut it all evaporated in a fe, hours. ;othin' left. .ou !no,A all those thin's in the rivers ,ere seen only on the first mornin' after the flood. And hereTs the ,orst. = tried to photo'raph it for youA 3ut ,hen = developed the film t"ere $asnHt anyt"ing !isible e@cept t"e $oods"ed% What can the thin' have 3een made ofG = sa, it and felt itA and they all leave footprints. =t ,as surely made of matter 1 3ut ,hat !ind of matterG The shape

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canTt 3e descri3ed. =t ,as a 'reat cra3 ,ith a lot of pyramided fleshy rin's or !nots of thic!A ropy stuff covered ,ith feelers ,here a manTs head ,ould 3e. That 'reen stic!y stuff is its 3lood or Cuice. And there are more of them due on earth any minute. Walter Bro,n is missin' 1 hasnTt 3een seen loafin' around any of his usual corners in the villa'es herea3outs. = must have 'ot him ,ith one of my shotsA thou'h the creatures al,ays seem to try to ta!e their dead and ,ounded a,ay. 7ot into to,n this afternoon ,ithout any trou3leA 3ut am afraid theyTre 3e'innin' to hold off 3ecause theyTre sure of me. Am ,ritin' this in Brattle3oro >. *. This may 3e 'ood3ye 1 if it isA ,rite my son 7eor'e 7oodenou'h A!eleyA 17>leasant St.A San $ie'oA Cal.A but donHt come up "ere% Write the 3oy if you donTt hear from me in a ,ee!A and ,atch the papers for ne,s. =Tm 'oin' to play my last t,o cards no, 1 if = have the ,ill po,er left. 4irst to try poison 'as on the thin's J=Tve 'ot the ri'ht chemicals and have fi%ed up mas!s for myself and the do'sK and then if that doesnTt ,or!A tell the sheriff. They can loc! me in a madhouse if they ,ant to 1 itTll 3e 3etter than ,hat the other creatures ,ould do. >erhaps = can 'et them to pay attention to the prints around the house 1 they are faintA 3ut = can find them every mornin'. SupposeA thou'hA police ,ould say = fa!ed them someho,B for they all thin! =Tm a Dueer character. 8ust try to have a state policeman spend a ni'ht here and see for himself 1 thou'h it ,ould 3e Cust li!e the creatures to learn a3out it and hold off that ni'ht. They cut my ,ires ,henever = try to telephone in the ni'ht 1 the linemen thin! it is very DueerA and may testify for me if they donTt 'o and ima'ine = cut them myself. = havenTt tried to !eep them repaired for over a ,ee! no,. = could 'et some of the i'norant people to testify for me a3out the reality of the horrorsA 3ut every3ody lau'hs at ,hat they sayA and any,ayA they have shunned my place for so lon' that they donTt !no, any of the ne, events. .ou couldnTt 'et one of those rundo,n farmers to come ,ithin a mile of my house for love or money. The mail1carrier hears ,hat they say and Co!es me a3out it 1 7odF =f = only dared tell him ho, real it isF = thin! =Tll try to 'et him to notice the printsA 3ut he comes in the afternoon and theyTre usually a3out 'one 3y that time. =f = !ept one 3y settin' a 3o% or pan over itA heTd thin! surely it ,as a fa!e or Co!e. Wish = hadnTt 'otten to 3e such a hermitA so fol!s donTt drop around as they used to. =Tve never dared sho, the 3lac! stone or the 0oda! picturesA or play that recordA to any3ody 3ut the i'norant people. The others ,ould say = fa!ed the ,hole 3usiness and do nothin' 3ut lau'h. But = may yet try sho,in' the pictures. They 'ive those cla,1prints clearlyA even if the thin's that made them canTt 3e photo'raphed. What a shame no3ody else sa, that thin' this mornin' 3efore it ,ent to nothin'F But = donTt !no, as = care. After ,hat =Tve 3een throu'hA a madhouse is as 'ood a place as any. The doctors can help me ma!e up my mind to 'et a,ay from this houseA and that is all that ,ill save me.

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Write my son 7eor'e if you donTt hear soon. 7ood3yeA smash that recordA and donTt mi% up in this. .rs 1 A!eley This letter fran!ly plun'ed me into the 3lac!est of terror. = did not !no, ,hat to say in ans,erA 3ut scratched off some incoherent ,ords of advice and encoura'ement and sent them 3y re'istered mail. = recall ur'in' A!eley to move to Brattle3oro at onceA and place himself under the protection of the authoritiesB addin' that = ,ould come to that to,n ,ith the phono'raph record and help convince the courts of his sanity. =t ,as timeA tooA = thin! = ,roteA to alarm the people 'enerally a'ainst this thin' in their midst. =t ,ill 3e o3served that at this moment of stress my o,n 3elief in all A!eley had told and claimed ,as virtually completeA thou'h = did thin! his failure to 'et a picture of the dead monster ,as due not to any frea! of ;ature 3ut to some e%cited slip of his o,n.

V.
ThenA apparently crossin' my incoherent note and reachin' me Saturday afternoonA Septem3er 8thA came that curiously different and calmin' letter neatly typed on a ne, machineB that stran'e letter of reassurance and invitation ,hich must have mar!ed so prodi'ious a transition in the ,hole ni'htmare drama of the lonely hills. A'ain = ,ill Duote from memory 1 see!in' for special reasons to preserve as much of the flavour of the style as = can. =t ,as postmar!ed Bello,s 4allsA and the si'nature as ,ell as the 3ody of the letter ,as typed 1 as is freDuent ,ith 3e'inners in typin'. The te%tA thou'hA ,as marvellously accurate for a tyroTs ,or!B and = concluded that A!eley must have used a machine at some previous period 1 perhaps in colle'e. To say that the letter relieved me ,ould 3e only fairA yet 3eneath my relief lay a su3stratum of uneasiness. =f A!eley had 3een sane in his terrorA ,as he no, sane in his deliveranceG And the sort of Limproved rapportL mentioned . . . ,hat ,as itG The entire thin' implied such a diametrical reversal of A!eleyTs previous attitudeF But here is the su3stance of the te%tA carefully transcri3ed from a memory in ,hich = ta!e some pride. To,nshendA ?ermontA ThursdayA Sept. -A 1)"8. 8y dear Wilmarth9 1 =t 'ives me 'reat pleasure to 3e a3le to set you at rest re'ardin' all the silly thin's =Tve 3een ,ritin' you. = say LsillyAL althou'h 3y that = mean my fri'htened attitude rather than my descriptions of certain phenomena. Those phenomena are real and important enou'hB my mista!e had 3een in esta3lishin' an anomalous attitude to,ard them. = thin! = mentioned that my stran'e visitors ,ere 3e'innin' to communicate ,ith meA and to attempt such communication. 5ast ni'ht this e%chan'e of speech 3ecame actual. =n response to certain si'nals = admitted to the house a messen'er from those outside 1 a fello,1humanA let me hasten to say. 2e told me much that neither you nor = had even 3e'un to 'uessA and sho,ed clearly ho, totally ,e had

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misCud'ed and misinterpreted the purpose of the +uter +nes in maintainin' their secret colony on this planet. =t seems that the evil le'ends a3out ,hat they have offered to menA and ,hat they ,ish in connection ,ith the earthA are ,holly the result of an i'norant misconception of alle'orical speech 1 speechA of courseA moulded 3y cultural 3ac!'rounds and thou'ht1ha3its vastly different from anythin' ,e dream of. 8y o,n conCecturesA = freely o,nA shot as ,idely past the mar! as any of the 'uesses of illiterate farmers and sava'e =ndians. What = had thou'ht mor3id and shameful and i'nominious is in reality a,esome and mind1e%pandin' and even 'lorious 1 my previous estimate 3ein' merely a phase of manTs eternal tendency to hate and fear and shrin! from the utterly different% ;o, = re'ret the harm = have inflicted upon these alien and incredi3le 3ein's in the course of our ni'htly s!irmishes. =f only = had consented to tal! peacefully and reasona3ly ,ith them in the first placeF But they 3ear me no 'rud'eA their emotions 3ein' or'anised very differently from ours. =t is their misfortune to have had as their human a'ents in ?ermont some very inferior specimens 1 the late Walter Bro,nA for e%ample. 2e preCudiced me vastly a'ainst them. ActuallyA they have never !no,in'ly harmed menA 3ut have often 3een cruelly ,ron'ed and spied upon 3y our species. There is a ,hole secret cult of evil men Ja man of your mystical erudition ,ill understand me ,hen = lin! them ,ith 2astur and the .ello, Si'nK devoted to the purpose of trac!in' them do,n and inCurin' them on 3ehalf of monstrous po,ers from other dimensions. =t is a'ainst these a''ressors 1 not a'ainst normal humanity 1 that the drastic precautions of the +uter +nes are directed. =ncidentallyA = learned that many of our lost letters ,ere stolen not 3y the +uter +nes 3ut 3y the emissaries of this mali'n cult. All that the +uter +nes ,ish of man is peace and non1molestation and an increasin' intellectual rapport. This latter is a3solutely necessary no, that our inventions and devices are e%pandin' our !no,led'e and motionsA and ma!in' it more and more impossi3le for the +uter +nesT necessary outposts to e%ist secretly on this planet. The alien 3ein's desire to !no, man!ind more fullyA and to have a fe, of man!indTs philosophic and scientific leaders !no, more a3out them. With such an e%chan'e of !no,led'e all perils ,ill passA and a satisfactory modus !i!endi 3e esta3lished. The very idea of any attempt to ensla!e or degrade man!ind is ridiculous. As a 3e'innin' of this improved rapportA the +uter +nes have naturally chosen me 1 ,hose !no,led'e of them is already so considera3le 1 as their primary interpreter on earth. 8uch ,as told me last ni'ht 1 facts of the most stupendous and vista1openin' nature 1 and more ,ill 3e su3seDuently communicated to me 3oth orally and in ,ritin'. = shall not 3e called upon to ma!e any trip outside Cust yetA thou'h = shall pro3a3ly ,ish to do so later on 1 employin' special means and transcendin' everythin' ,hich ,e have hitherto 3een accustomed to re'ard as human e%perience. 8y house ,ill 3e 3esie'ed no lon'er. Everythin' has reverted to normalA and the do's ,ill have no further occupation. =n place of terror = have 3een 'iven a rich 3oon of !no,led'e and intellectual adventure ,hich fe, other mortals have ever shared.

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The +uter Bein's are perhaps the most marvellous or'anic thin's in or 3eyond all space and time1mem3ers of a cosmos1,ide race of ,hich all other life1forms are merely de'enerate variants. They are more ve'eta3le than animalA if these terms can 3e applied to the sort of matter composin' themA and have a some,hat fun'oid structureB thou'h the presence of a chlorophyll1li!e su3stance and a very sin'ular nutritive system differentiate them alto'ether from true cormophytic fun'i. =ndeedA the type is composed of a form of matter totally alien to our part of space 1 ,ith electrons havin' a ,holly different vi3ration1rate. That is ,hy the 3ein's cannot 3e photo'raphed on the ordinary camera films and plates of our !no,n universeA even thou'h our eyes can see them. With proper !no,led'eA ho,everA any 'ood chemist could ma!e a photo'raphic emulsion ,hich ,ould record their ima'es. The 'enus is uniDue in its a3ility to traverse the heatless and airless interstellar void in full corporeal formA and some of its variants cannot do this ,ithout mechanical aid or curious sur'ical transpositions. +nly a fe, species have the ether1resistin' ,in's characteristic of the ?ermont variety. Those inha3itin' certain remote pea!s in the +ld World ,ere 3rou'ht in other ,ays. Their e%ternal resem3lance to animal lifeA and to the sort of structure ,e understand as materialA is a matter of parallel evolution rather than of close !inship. Their 3rain1capacity e%ceeds that of any other survivin' life1formA althou'h the ,in'ed types of our hill country are 3y no means the most hi'hly developed. Telepathy is their usual means of discourseA thou'h ,e have rudimentary vocal or'ans ,hichA after a sli'ht operation Jfor sur'ery is an incredi3ly e%pert and everyday thin' amon' themKA can rou'hly duplicate the speech of such types of or'anism as still use speech. Their main immediate a3ode is a still undiscovered and almost li'htless planet at the very ed'e of our solar system 1 3eyond ;eptuneA and the ninth in distance from the sun. =t isA as ,e have inferredA the o3Cect mystically hinted at as L.u''othL in certain ancient and for3idden ,ritin'sB and it ,ill soon 3e the scene of a stran'e focussin' of thou'ht upon our ,orld in an effort to facilitate mental rapport. = ,ould not 3e surprised if astronomers 3ecome sufficiently sensitive to these thou'ht1currents to discover .u''oth ,hen the +uter +nes ,ish them to do so. But .u''othA of courseA is only the steppin'1stone. The main 3ody of the 3ein's inha3its stran'ely or'anized a3ysses ,holly 3eyond the utmost reach of any human ima'ination. The space1time 'lo3ule ,hich ,e reco'nize as the totality of all cosmic entity is only an atom in the 'enuine infinity ,hich is theirs. And as muc" of t"is infinity as any "uman brain can "old is e!entually to be opened up to me& as it "as been to not more t"an fifty ot"er men since t"e "uman race "as e@isted% .ou ,ill pro3a3ly call this ravin' at firstA WilmarthA 3ut in time you ,ill appreciate the titanic opportunity = have stum3led upon. = ,ant you to share as much of it as is possi3leA and to that end must tell you thousands of thin's that ,onTt 'o on paper. =n the past = have ,arned you not to come to see me. ;o, that all is safeA = ta!e pleasure in rescindin' that ,arnin' and invitin' you. CanTt you ma!e a trip up here 3efore your colle'e term opensG =t ,ould 3e marvelously deli'htful if you could. Brin' alon' the phono'raph record and all my letters to you as consultative data 1 ,e shall need them in piecin' to'ether the ,hole tremendous story. .ou mi'ht 3rin' the 0oda! printsA tooA since = seem to have mislaid the ne'atives and my o,n prints in all this recent e%citement. But

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,hat a ,ealth of facts = have to add to all this 'ropin' and tentative material 1 and $"at a stupendous de!ice I "a!e to supplement my additionsC $onTt hesitate 1 = am free from espiona'e no,A and you ,ill not meet anythin' unnatural or distur3in'. 6ust come alon' and let my car meet you at the Brattle3oro station 1 prepare to stay as lon' as you canA and e%pect many an evenin' of discussion of thin's 3eyond all human conCecture. $onTt tell anyone a3out itA of course 1 for this matter must not 'et to the promiscuous pu3lic. The train service to Brattle3oro is not 3ad 1 you can 'et a timeta3le in Boston. Ta!e the B. N 8. to 7reenfieldA and then chan'e for the 3rief remainder of the ,ay. = su''est your ta!in' the convenient #91* >.8. 1 standard1from Boston. This 'ets into 7reenfield at 79& A and at )91) a train leaves there ,hich reaches Brattle3oro at 1*9*1. That is ,ee!days. 5et me !no, the date and =Tll have my car on hand at the station. >ardon this typed letterA 3ut my hand,ritin' has 'ro,n sha!y of lateA as you !no,A and = donTt feel eDual to lon' stretches of script. = 'ot this ne, Corona in Brattle3oro yesterday 1 it seems to ,or! very ,ell. A,aitin' ,ordA and hopin' to see you shortly ,ith the phono'raph record and all my letters 1 and the 0oda! prints 1 = am .ours in anticipationA 2enry W. A!eley T+ A5BE:T ;. W=58A:T2A ES/.A 8=S0AT+;=C (;=?E:S=T.A A:02A8A 8ASS. The comple%ity of my emotions upon readin'A re1readin'A and ponderin' over this stran'e and unloo!ed1for letter is past adeDuate description. = have said that = ,as at once relieved and made uneasyA 3ut this e%presses only crudely the overtones of diverse and lar'ely su3conscious feelin's ,hich comprised 3oth the relief and the uneasiness. To 3e'in ,ithA the thin' ,as so antipodally at variance ,ith the ,hole chain of horrors precedin' it 1 the chan'e of mood from star! terror to cool complacency and even e%ultation ,as so unheraldedA li'htnin'1li!eA and completeF = could scarcely 3elieve that a sin'le day could so alter the psycholo'ical perspective of one ,ho had ,ritten that final frenzied 3ulletin of WednesdayA no matter ,hat relievin' disclosures that day mi'ht have 3rou'ht. At certain moments a sense of conflictin' unrealities made me ,onder ,hether this ,hole distantly reported drama of fantastic forces ,ere not a !ind of half1illusory dream created lar'ely ,ithin my o,n mind. Then = thou'ht of the phono'raph record and 'ave ,ay to still 'reater 3e,ilderment. The letter seemed so unli!e anythin' ,hich could have 3een e%pectedF As = analysed my impressionA = sa, that it consisted of t,o distinct phases. 4irstA 'rantin' that A!eley had 3een sane 3efore and ,as still saneA the indicated chan'e in the situation itself ,as so s,ift and unthin!a3le. And secondlyA the chan'e in A!eleyTs o,n mannerA attitudeA and lan'ua'e ,as so vastly 3eyond the normal or the predicta3le. The manTs ,hole personality

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seemed to have under'one an insidious mutation 1 a mutation so deep that one could scarcely reconcile his t,o aspects ,ith the supposition that 3oth represented eDual sanity. Word1choiceA spellin' 1 all ,ere su3tly different. And ,ith my academic sensitiveness to prose styleA = could trace profound diver'ences in his commonest reactions and rhythm1 responses. CertainlyA the emotional cataclysm or revelation ,hich could produce so radical an overturn must 3e an e%treme one indeedF .et in another ,ay the letter seemed Duite characteristic of A!eley. The same old passion for infinity 1 the same old scholarly inDuisitiveness. = could not a moment 1 or more than a moment 1 credit the idea of spuriousness or mali'n su3stitution. $id not the invitation 1 the ,illin'ness to have me test the truth of the letter in person 1 prove its 'enuinenessG = did not retire Saturday ni'htA 3ut sat up thin!in' of the shado,s and marvels 3ehind the letter = had received. 8y mindA achin' from the Duic! succession of monstrous conceptions it had 3een forced to confront durin' the last four monthsA ,or!ed upon this startlin' ne, material in a cycle of dou3t and acceptance ,hich repeated most of the steps e%perienced in facin' the earlier ,ondersB till lon' 3efore da,n a 3urnin' interest and curiosity had 3e'un to replace the ori'inal storm of perple%ity and uneasiness. 8ad or saneA metamorphosed or merely relievedA the chances ,ere that A!eley had actually encountered some stupendous chan'e of perspective in his hazardous researchB some chan'e at once diminishin' his dan'er 1 real or fancied 1 and openin' dizzy ne, vistas of cosmic and superhuman !no,led'e. 8y o,n zeal for the un!no,n flared up to meet hisA and = felt myself touched 3y the conta'ion of the mor3id 3arrier13rea!in'. To sha!e off the maddenin' and ,earyin' limitations of time and space and natural la, 1 to 3e lin!ed ,ith the vast outside 1 to come close to the ni'hted and a3ysmal secrets of the infinite and the ultimate 1 surely such a thin' ,as ,orth the ris! of oneTs lifeA soulA and sanityF And A!eley had said there ,as no lon'er any peril 1 he had invited me to visit him instead of ,arnin' me a,ay as 3efore. = tin'led at the thou'ht of ,hat he mi'ht no, have to tell me 1 there ,as an almost paralysin' fascination in the thou'ht of sittin' in that lonely and lately1 3elea'uered farmhouse ,ith a man ,ho had tal!ed ,ith actual emissaries from outer spaceB sittin' there ,ith the terri3le record and the pile of letters in ,hich A!eley had summarised his earlier conclusions. So late Sunday mornin' = tele'raphed A!eley that = ,ould meet him in Brattle3oro on the follo,in' Wednesday 1 Septem3er 1"th 1 if that date ,ere convenient for him. =n only one respect did = depart from his su''estionsA and that concerned the choice of a train. 4ran!lyA = did not feel li!e arrivin' in that haunted ?ermont re'ion late at ni'htB so instead of acceptin' the train he chose = telephoned the station and devised another arran'ement. By risin' early and ta!in' the 89*7 A.8. JstandardK into BostonA = could catch the )9" for 7reenfieldB arrivin' there at 1"9"" noon. This connected e%actly ,ith a train reachin' Brattle3oro at 19*8 p.m. 1 a much more comforta3le hour than 1*9*1 for meetin' A!eley and ridin' ,ith him into the close1pac!edA secret1'uardin' hills. = mentioned this choice in my tele'ramA and ,as 'lad to learn in the reply ,hich came to,ard evenin' that it had met ,ith my prospective hostTs endorsement. 2is ,ire ran thus9 A::A;7E8E;T SAT=S4ACT+:. W=55 8EET +;E E=72T T:A=; WE$;ES$A. $+;T 4+:7ET :EC+:$ A;$ 5ETTE:S A;$ >:=;TS 0EE> $EST=;AT=+; /(=ET ER>ECT 7:EAT :E?E5AT=+;S 1 A0E5E.

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:eceipt of this messa'e in direct response to one sent to A!eley 1 and necessarily delivered to his house from the To,nshend station either 3y official messen'er or 3y a restored telephone service 1 removed any lin'erin' su3conscious dou3ts = may have had a3out the authorship of the perple%in' letter. 8y relief ,as mar!ed 1 indeedA it ,as 'reater than = could account for at the timeB since all such dou3ts had 3een rather deeply 3uried. But = slept soundly and lon' that ni'htA and ,as ea'erly 3usy ,ith preparations durin' the ensuin' t,o days.

V,.
+n Wednesday = started as a'reedA. ta!in' ,ith me a valise full of simple necessities and scientific dataA includin' the hideous phono'raph recordA the 0oda! printsA and the entire file of A!eleyTs correspondence. As reDuestedA = had told no one ,here = ,as 'oin'B for = could see that the matter demanded utmost privacyA even allo,in' for its most favoura3le turns. The thou'ht of actual mental contact ,ith alienA outside entities ,as stupefyin' enou'h to my trained and some,hat prepared mindB and this 3ein' soA ,hat mi'ht one thin! of its effect on the vast masses of uninformed laymenG = do not !no, ,hether dread or adventurous e%pectancy ,as uppermost in me as = chan'ed trains at Boston and 3e'an the lon' ,est,ard run out of familiar re'ions into those = !ne, less thorou'hly. Waltham 1 Concord 1 Ayer 1 4itch3ur' 1 7ardner 1 Athol 1 8y train reached 7reenfield seven minutes lateA 3ut the north3ound connectin' e%press had 3een held. Transferrin' in hasteA = felt a curious 3reathlessness as the cars rum3led on throu'h the early afternoon sunli'ht into territories = had al,ays read of 3ut had never 3efore visited. = !ne, = ,as enterin' an alto'ether older1fashioned and more primitive ;e, En'land than the mechanisedA ur3anised coastal and southern areas ,here all my life had 3een spentB an unspoiledA ancestral ;e, En'land ,ithout the forei'ners and factory1 smo!eA 3ill13oards and concrete roadsA of the sections ,hich modernity has touched. There ,ould 3e odd survivals of that continuous native life ,hose deep roots ma!e it the one authentic out'ro,th of the landscape 1 the continuous native life ,hich !eeps alive stran'e ancient memoriesA and fertilises the soil for shado,yA marvellousA and seldom1mentioned 3eliefs. ;o, and then = sa, the 3lue Connecticut :iver 'leamin' in the sunA and after leavin' ;orthfield ,e crossed it. Ahead loomed 'reen and cryptical hillsA and ,hen the conductor came around = learned that = ,as at last in ?ermont. 2e told me to set my ,atch 3ac! an hourA since the northern hill country ,ill have no dealin's ,ith ne,1fan'led dayli'ht time schemes. As = did so it seemed to me that = ,as li!e,ise turnin' the calendar 3ac! a century. The train !ept close to the riverA and across in ;e, 2ampshire = could see the approachin' slope of steep WantastiDuetA a3out ,hich sin'ular old le'ends cluster. Then streets appeared on my leftA and a 'reen island sho,ed in the stream on my ri'ht. >eople rose and filed to the doorA and = follo,ed them. The car stoppedA and = ali'hted 3eneath the lon' train1shed of the Brattle3oro station. 5oo!in' over the line of ,aitin' motors = hesitated a moment to see ,hich one mi'ht turn out to 3e the A!eley 4ordA 3ut my identity ,as divined 3efore = could ta!e the

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initiative. And yet it ,as clearly not A!eley himself ,ho advanced to meet me ,ith an outstretched hand and a mello,ly phrased Duery as to ,hether = ,as indeed 8r. Al3ert ;. Wilmarth of Ar!ham. This man 3ore no resem3lance to the 3eardedA 'rizzled A!eley of the snapshotB 3ut ,as a youn'er and more ur3ane personA fashiona3ly dressedA and ,earin' only a smallA dar! moustache. 2is cultivated voice held an odd and almost distur3in' hint of va'ue familiarityA thou'h = could not definitely place it in my memory. As = surveyed him = heard him e%plainin' that he ,as a friend of my prospective hostTs ,ho had come do,n from To,nshend in his stead. A!eleyA he declaredA had suffered a sudden attac! of some asthmatic trou3leA and did not feel eDual to ma!in' a trip in the outdoor air. =t ,as not seriousA ho,everA and there ,as to 3e no chan'e in plans re'ardin' my visit. = could not ma!e out Cust ho, much this 8r. ;oyes 1 as he announced himself 1 !ne, of A!eleyTs researches and discoveriesA thou'h it seemed to me that his casual manner stamped him as a comparative outsider. :emem3erin' ,hat a hermit A!eley had 3eenA = ,as a trifle surprised at the ready availa3ility of such a friendB 3ut did not let my puzzlement deter me from enterin' the motor to ,hich he 'estured me. =t ,as not the small ancient car = had e%pected from A!eleyTs descriptionsA 3ut a lar'e and immaculate specimen of recent pattern 1 apparently ;oyesTs o,nA and 3earin' 8assachusetts license plates ,ith the amusin' Lsacred codfishL device of that year. 8y 'uideA = concludedA must 3e a summer transient in the To,nshend re'ion. ;oyes clim3ed into the car 3eside me and started it at once. = ,as 'lad that he did not overflo, ,ith conversationA for some peculiar atmospheric tensity made me feel disinclined to tal!. The to,n seemed very attractive in the afternoon sunli'ht as ,e s,ept up an incline and turned to the ri'ht into the main street. =t dro,sed li!e the older ;e, En'land cities ,hich one remem3ers from 3oyhoodA and somethin' in the collocation of roofs and steeples and chimneys and 3ric! ,alls formed contours touchin' deep viol1 strin's of ancestral emotion. = could tell that = ,as at the 'ate,ay of a re'ion half1 3e,itched throu'h the pilin'1up of un3ro!en time1accumulationsB a re'ion ,here oldA stran'e thin's have had a chance to 'ro, and lin'er 3ecause they have never 3een stirred up. As ,e passed out of Brattle3oro my sense of constraint and fore3odin' increasedA for a va'ue Duality in the hill1cro,ded countryside ,ith its to,erin'A threatenin'A close1pressin' 'reen and 'ranite slopes hinted at o3scure secrets and immemorial survivals ,hich mi'ht or mi'ht not 3e hostile to man!ind. 4or a time our course follo,ed a 3roadA shallo, river ,hich flo,ed do,n from un!no,n hills in the northA and = shivered ,hen my companion told me it ,as the West :iver. =t ,as in this streamA = recalled from ne,spaper itemsA that one of the mor3id cra3li!e 3ein's had 3een seen floatin' after the floods. 7radually the country around us 're, ,ilder and more deserted. Archaic covered 3rid'es lin'ered fearsomely out of the past in poc!ets of the hillsA and the half1a3andoned rail,ay trac! parallelin' the river seemed to e%hale a ne3ulously visi3le air of desolation. There ,ere a,esome s,eeps of vivid valley ,here 'reat cliffs roseA ;e, En'landTs vir'in 'ranite sho,in' 'rey and austere throu'h the verdure that scaled the crests. There ,ere 'or'es ,here untamed streams leapedA 3earin' do,n to,ard the river the unima'ined secrets of a thousand pathless pea!s. Branchin' a,ay no, and then ,ere narro,A half1 concealed roads that 3ored their ,ay throu'h solidA lu%uriant masses of forest amon' ,hose primal trees ,hole armies of elemental spirits mi'ht ,ell lur!. As = sa, these =

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thou'ht of ho, A!eley had 3een molested 3y unseen a'encies on his drives alon' this very routeA and did not ,onder that such thin's could 3e. The DuaintA si'htly villa'e of ;e,faneA reached in less than an hourA ,as our last lin! ,ith that ,orld ,hich man can definitely call his o,n 3y virtue of conDuest and complete occupancy. After that ,e cast off all alle'iance to immediateA tan'i3leA and time1touched thin'sA and entered a fantastic ,orld of hushed unreality in ,hich the narro,A ri33on1li!e road rose and fell and curved ,ith an almost sentient and purposeful caprice amidst the tenantless 'reen pea!s and half1deserted valleys. E%cept for the sound of the motorA and the faint stir of the fe, lonely farms ,e passed at infreDuent intervalsA the only thin' that reached my ears ,as the 'ur'lin'A insidious tric!le of stran'e ,aters from num3erless hidden fountains in the shado,y ,oods. The nearness and intimacy of the d,arfedA domed hills no, 3ecame verita3ly 3reath1 ta!in'. Their steepness and a3ruptness ,ere even 'reater than = had ima'ined from hearsayA and su''ested nothin' in common ,ith the prosaic o3Cective ,orld ,e !no,. The denseA unvisited ,oods on those inaccessi3le slopes seemed to har3our alien and incredi3le thin'sA and = felt that the very outline of the hills themselves held some stran'e and aeon1 for'otten meanin'A as if they ,ere vast hiero'lyphs left 3y a rumoured titan race ,hose 'lories live only in rareA deep dreams. All the le'ends of the pastA and all the stupefyin' imputations of 2enry A!eleyTs letters and e%hi3itsA ,elled up in my memory to hei'hten the atmosphere of tension and 'ro,in' menace. The purpose of my visitA and the fri'htful a3normalities it postulated struc! at me all at once ,ith a chill sensation that nearly over1 3alanced my ardour for stran'e delvin's. 8y 'uide must have noticed my distur3ed attitudeB for as the road 're, ,ilder and more irre'ularA and our motion slo,er and more Coltin'A his occasional pleasant comments e%panded into a steadier flo, of discourse. 2e spo!e of the 3eauty and ,eirdness of the countryA and revealed some acDuaintance ,ith the fol!lore studies of my prospective host. 4rom his polite Duestions it ,as o3vious that he !ne, = had come for a scientific purposeA and that = ,as 3rin'in' data of some importanceB 3ut he 'ave no si'n of appreciatin' the depth and a,fulness of the !no,led'e ,hich A!eley had finally reached. 2is manner ,as so cheerfulA normalA and ur3ane that his remar!s ou'ht to have calmed and reassured meB 3ut oddly enou'h. = felt only the more distur3ed as ,e 3umped and veered on,ard into the un!no,n ,ilderness of hills and ,oods. At times it seemed as if he ,ere pumpin' me to see ,hat = !ne, of the monstrous secrets of the placeA and ,ith every fresh utterance that va'ueA teasin'A 3afflin' familiarity in his voice increased. =t ,as not an ordinary or healthy familiarity despite the thorou'hly ,holesome and cultivated nature of the voice. = someho, lin!ed it ,ith for'otten ni'htmaresA and felt that = mi'ht 'o mad if = reco'nised it. =f any 'ood e%cuse had e%istedA = thin! = ,ould have turned 3ac! from my visit. As it ,asA = could not ,ell do so 1 and it occurred to me that a coolA scientific conversation ,ith A!eley himself after my arrival ,ould help 'reatly to pull me to'ether. BesidesA there ,as a stran'ely calmin' element of cosmic 3eauty in the hypnotic landscape throu'h ,hich ,e clim3ed and plun'ed fantastically. Time had lost itself in the la3yrinths 3ehindA and around us stretched only the flo,erin' ,aves of faery and the recaptured loveliness of vanished centuries 1 the hoary 'rovesA the untainted pastures ed'ed ,ith 'ay autumnal 3lossomsA and at vast intervals the small 3ro,n farmsteads nestlin' amidst hu'e trees 3eneath vertical precipices of fra'rant 3rier and meado,1'rass. Even the

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sunli'ht assumed a supernal 'lamourA as if some special atmosphere or e%halation mantled the ,hole re'ion. = had seen nothin' li!e it 3efore save in the ma'ic vistas that sometimes form the 3ac!'rounds of =talian primitives. Sodoma and 5eonardo conceived such e%pansesA 3ut only in the distanceA and throu'h the vaultin's of :enaissance arcades. We ,ere no, 3urro,in' 3odily throu'h the midst of the pictureA and = seemed to find in its necromancy a thin' = had innately !no,n or inherited and for ,hich = had al,ays 3een vainly searchin'. SuddenlyA after roundin' an o3tuse an'le at the top of a sharp ascentA the car came to a standstill. +n my leftA across a ,ell1!ept la,n ,hich stretched to the road and flaunted a 3order of ,hite,ashed stonesA rose a ,hiteA t,o1and1a1half1story house of unusual size and ele'ance for the re'ionA ,ith a con'enes of conti'uous or arcade1lin!ed 3arnsA shedsA and ,indmill 3ehind and to the ri'ht. = reco'nised it at once from the snapshot = had receivedA and ,as not surprised to see the name of 2enry A!eley on the 'alvanised1iron mail3o% near the road. 4or some distance 3ac! of the house a level stretch of marshy and sparsely1 ,ooded land e%tendedA 3eyond ,hich soared a steepA thic!ly1forested hillside endin' in a Ca''ed leafy crest. This latterA = !ne,A ,as the summit of $ar! 8ountainA half ,ay up ,hich ,e must have clim3ed already. Ali'htin' from the car and ta!in' my valiseA ;oyes as!ed me to ,ait ,hile he ,ent in and notified A!eley of my advent. 2e himselfA he addedA had important 3usiness else,hereA and could not stop for more than a moment. As he 3ris!ly ,al!ed up the path to the house = clim3ed out of the car myselfA ,ishin' to stretch my le's a little 3efore settlin' do,n to a sedentary conversation. 8y feelin' of nervousness and tension had risen to a ma%imum a'ain no, that = ,as on the actual scene of the mor3id 3elea'uerin' descri3ed so hauntin'ly in A!eleyTs lettersA and = honestly dreaded the comin' discussions ,hich ,ere to lin! me ,ith such alien and for3idden ,orlds. Close contact ,ith the utterly 3izarre is often more terrifyin' than inspirin'A and it did not cheer me to thin! that this very 3it of dusty road ,as the place ,here those monstrous trac!s and that foetid 'reen ichor had 3een found after moonless ni'hts of fear and death. =dly = noticed that none of A!eleyTs do's seemed to 3e a3out. 2ad he sold them all as soon as the +uter +nes made peace ,ith himG Try as = mi'htA = could not have the same confidence in the depth and sincerity of that peace ,hich appeared in A!eleyTs final and Dueerly different letter. After allA he ,as a man of much simplicity and ,ith little ,orldly e%perience. Was there notA perhapsA some deep and sinister undercurrent 3eneath the surface of the ne, allianceG 5ed 3y my thou'htsA my eyes turned do,n,ard to the po,dery road surface ,hich had held such hideous testimonies. The last fe, days had 3een dryA and trac!s of all sorts cluttered the ruttedA irre'ular hi'h,ay despite the unfreDuented nature of the district. With a va'ue curiosity = 3e'an to trace the outline of some of the hetero'eneous impressionsA tryin' mean,hile to cur3 the fli'hts of maca3re fancy ,hich the place and its memories su''ested. There ,as somethin' menacin' and uncomforta3le in the funereal stillnessA in the muffledA su3tle tric!le of distant 3roo!sA and in the cro,din' 'reen pea!s and 3lac!1 ,ooded precipices that cho!ed the narro, horizon.
And then an ima'e shot into my consciousness ,hich made those va'ue menaces and fli'hts of fancy seem mild and insi'nificant indeed. = have said that = ,as scannin' the miscellaneous prints in the road ,ith a !ind of idle curiosity 1 3ut all at once that curiosity ,as

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shoc!in'ly snuffed out 3y a sudden and paralysin' 'ust of active terror. 4or thou'h the dust trac!s ,ere in 'eneral confused and overlappin'A and unli!ely to arrest any casual 'azeA my restless vision had cau'ht certain details near the spot ,here the path to the house Coined the hi'h,ayB and had reco'nised 3eyond dou3t or hope the fri'htful si'nificance of those details. =t ,as not for nothin'A alasA that = had pored for hours over the 0oda! vie,s of the +uter +nesT cla,1prints ,hich A!eley had sent. Too ,ell did = !no, the mar!s of those loathsome nippersA and that hint of am3i'uous direction ,hich stamped the horrors as no creatures of this planet. ;o chance had 3een left me for merciful mista!e. 2ereA indeedA in o3Cective form 3efore my o,n eyesA and surely made not many hours a'oA ,ere at least three mar!s ,hich stood out 3lasphemously amon' the surprisin' plethora of 3lurred footprints leadin' to and from the A!eley farmhouse. T"ey $ere t"e "ellis" tracks of t"e li!ing fungi from ;uggot"% = pulled myself to'ether in time to stifle a scream. After allA ,hat more ,as there than = mi'ht have e%pectedA assumin' that = had really 3elieved A!eleyTs lettersG 2e had spo!en of ma!in' peace ,ith the thin's. WhyA thenA ,as it stran'e that some of them had visited his houseG But the terror ,as stron'er than the reassurance. Could any man 3e e%pected to loo! unmoved for the first time upon the cla,1mar!s of animate 3ein's from outer depths of spaceG 6ust then = sa, ;oyes emer'e from the door and approach ,ith a 3ris! step. = mustA = reflectedA !eep command of myselfA for the chances ,ere that this 'enial friend !ne, nothin' of A!eleyTs profoundest and most stupendous pro3in's into the for3idden. A!eleyA ;oyes hastened to inform meA ,as 'lad and ready to see meB althou'h his sudden attac! of asthma ,ould prevent him from 3ein' a very competent host for a day or t,o. These spells hit him hard ,hen they cameA and ,ere al,ays accompanied 3y a de3ilitatin' fever and 'eneral ,ea!ness. 2e never ,as 'ood for much ,hile they lasted 1 had to tal! in a ,hisperA and ,as very clumsy and fee3le in 'ettin' a3out. 2is feet and an!les s,elledA tooA so that he had to 3anda'e them li!e a 'outy old 3eef1eater. Today he ,as in rather 3ad shapeA so that = ,ould have to attend very lar'ely to my o,n needsB 3ut he ,as none the less ea'er for conversation. = ,ould find him in the study at the left of the front hall 1 the room ,here the 3linds ,ere shut. 2e had to !eep the sunli'ht out ,hen he ,as illA for his eyes ,ere very sensitive. As ;oyes 3ade me adieu and rode off north,ard in his car = 3e'an to ,al! slo,ly to,ard the house. The door had 3een left aCar for meB 3ut 3efore approachin' and enterin' = cast a searchin' 'lance around the ,hole placeA tryin' to decide ,hat had struc! me as so intan'i3ly Dueer a3out it. The 3arns and sheds loo!ed trimly prosaic enou'hA and = noticed A!eleyTs 3attered 4ord in its capaciousA un'uarded shelter. Then the secret of the Dueerness reached me. =t ,as the total silence. +rdinarily a farm is at least moderately murmurous from its various !inds of livestoc!A 3ut here all si'ns of life ,ere missin'. What of the hens and the do'sG The co,sA of ,hich A!eley had said he possessed severalA mi'ht conceiva3ly 3e out to pastureA and the do's mi'ht possi3ly have 3een soldB 3ut the a3sence of any trace of cac!lin' or 'runtin' ,as truly sin'ular. = did not pause lon' on the pathA 3ut resolutely entered the open house door and closed it 3ehind me. =t had cost me a distinct psycholo'ical effort to do soA and no, that = ,as shut inside = had a momentary lon'in' for precipitate retreat. ;ot that the place ,as in the least sinister in visual su''estionB on the contraryA = thou'ht the 'raceful late1colonial hall,ay very tasteful and ,holesomeA and admired the evident 3reedin' of the man ,ho had furnished it. What made me ,ish to flee ,as somethin' very attenuated and indefina3le. >erhaps it ,as a certain odd odour ,hich = thou'ht = noticed 1 thou'h = ,ell !ne, ho, common musty odours are in even the 3est of ancient farmhouses.

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V,,.
:efusin' to let these cloudy Dualms overmaster meA = recalled ;oyesTs instructions and pushed open the si%1panelledA 3rass1latched ,hite door on my left. The room 3eyond ,as dar!ened as = had !no,n 3eforeB and as = entered it = noticed that the Dueer odour ,as stron'er there. There li!e,ise appeared to 3e some faintA half1ima'inary rhythm or vi3ration in the air. 4or a moment the closed 3linds allo,ed me to see very littleA 3ut then a !ind of apolo'etic hac!in' or ,hisperin' sound dre, my attention to a 'reat easy1chair in the fartherA dar!er corner of the room. Within its shado,y depths = sa, the ,hite 3lur of a manTs face and handsB and in a moment = had crossed to 'reet the fi'ure ,ho had tried to spea!. $im thou'h the li'ht ,asA = perceived that this ,as indeed my host. = had studied the 0oda! picture repeatedlyA and there could 3e no mista!e a3out this firmA ,eather1 3eaten face ,ith the croppedA 'rizzled 3eard. But as = loo!ed a'ain my reco'nition ,as mi%ed ,ith sadness and an%ietyB for certainlyA his face ,as that of a very sic! man. = felt that there must 3e somethin' more than asthma 3ehind that strainedA ri'idA immo3ile e%pression and un,in!in' 'lassy stareB and realised ho, terri3ly the strain of his fri'htful e%periences must have told on him. Was it not enou'h to 3rea! any human 3ein' 1 even a youn'er man than this intrepid delver into the for3iddenG The stran'e and sudden reliefA = fearedA had come too late to save him from somethin' li!e a 'eneral 3rea!do,n. There ,as a touch of the pitiful in the limpA lifeless ,ay his lean hands rested in his lap. 2e had on a loose dressin'1'o,nA and ,as s,athed around the head and hi'h around the nec! ,ith a vivid yello, scarf or hood. And then = sa, that he ,as tryin' to tal! in the same hac!in' ,hisper ,ith ,hich he had 'reeted me. =t ,as a hard ,hisper to catch at firstA since the 'rey moustache concealed all movements of the lipsA and somethin' in its tim3re distur3ed me 'reatlyB 3ut 3y concentratin' my attention = could soon ma!e out its purport surprisin'ly ,ell. The accent ,as 3y no means a rustic oneA and the lan'ua'e ,as even more polished than correspondence had led me to e%pect. L8r. WilmarthA = presumeG .ou must pardon my not risin'. = am Duite illA as 8r. ;oyes must have told youB 3ut = could not resist havin' you come Cust the same. .ou !no, ,hat = ,rote in my last letter 1 there is so much to tell you tomorro, ,hen = shall feel 3etter. = canTt say ho, 'lad = am to see you in person after all our many letters. .ou have the file ,ith youA of courseG And the 0oda! prints and recordsG ;oyes put your valise in the hall 1 = suppose you sa, it. 4or toni'ht = fear youTll have to ,ait on yourself to a 'reat e%tent. .our room is upstairs 1 the one over this 1 and youTll see the 3athroom door open at the head of the staircase. ThereTs a meal spread for you in the dinin'1room 1 ri'ht throu'h this door at your ri'ht 1 ,hich you can ta!e ,henever you feel li!e it. =Tll 3e a 3etter host tomorro, 1 3ut Cust no, ,ea!ness leaves me helpless. L8a!e yourself at home 1 you mi'ht ta!e out the letters and pictures and records and put them on the ta3le here 3efore you 'o upstairs ,ith your 3a'. =t is here that ,e shall discuss them 1 you can see my phono'raph on that corner stand. L;oA than!s 1 thereTs nothin' you can do for me. = !no, these spells of old. 6ust come 3ac! for a little Duiet visitin' 3efore ni'htA and then 'o to 3ed ,hen you please. =Tll rest ri'ht here 1 perhaps sleep here all ni'ht as = often do. =n the mornin' =Tll 3e far 3etter a3le

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to 'o into the thin's ,e must 'o into. .ou realiseA of courseA the utterly stupendous nature of the matter 3efore us. To usA as to only a fe, men on this earthA there ,ill 3e opened up 'ulfs of time and space and !no,led'e 3eyond anythin' ,ithin the conception of human science or philosophy. L$o you !no, that Einstein is ,ron'A and that certain o3Cects and forces can move ,ith a velocity 'reater than that of li'htG With proper aid = e%pect to 'o 3ac!,ard and for,ard in timeA and actually see and feel the earth of remote past and future epochs. .ou canTt ima'ine the de'ree to ,hich those 3ein's have carried science. There is nothin' they canTt do ,ith the mind and 3ody of livin' or'anisms. = e%pect to visit other planetsA and even other stars and 'ala%ies. The first trip ,ill 3e to .u''othA the nearest ,orld fully peopled 3y the 3ein's. =t is a stran'e dar! or3 at the very rim of our solar system 1 un!no,n to earthly astronomers as yet. But = must have ,ritten you a3out this. At the proper timeA you !no,A the 3ein's there ,ill direct thou'ht1currents to,ard us and cause it to 3e discovered 1 or perhaps let one of their human allies 'ive the scientists a hint. LThere are mi'hty cities on .u''oth 1 'reat tiers of terraced to,ers 3uilt of 3lac! stone li!e the specimen = tried to send you. That came from .u''oth. The sun shines there no 3ri'hter than a starA 3ut the 3ein's need no li'ht. They have other su3tler sensesA and put no ,indo,s in their 'reat houses and temples. 5i'ht even hurts and hampers and confuses themA for it does not e%ist at all in the 3lac! cosmos outside time and space ,here they came from ori'inally. To visit .u''oth ,ould drive any ,ea! man mad 1 yet = am 'oin' there. The 3lac! rivers of pitch that flo, under those mysterious cyclopean 3rid'es 1 thin's 3uilt 3y some elder race e%tinct and for'otten 3efore the 3ein's came to .u''oth from the ultimate voids 1 ou'ht to 3e enou'h to ma!e any man a $ante or >oe if he can !eep sane lon' enou'h to tell ,hat he has seen. LBut remem3er 1 that dar! ,orld of fun'oid 'ardens and ,indo,less cities isnTt really terri3le. =t is only to us that it ,ould seem so. >ro3a3ly this ,orld seemed Cust as terri3le to the 3ein's ,hen they first e%plored it in the primal a'e. .ou !no, they ,ere here lon' 3efore the fa3ulous epoch of Cthulhu ,as overA and remem3er all a3out sun!en :Tlyeh ,hen it ,as a3ove the ,aters. TheyTve 3een inside the earthA too 1 there are openin's ,hich human 3ein's !no, nothin' of 1 some of them in these very ?ermont hills 1 and 'reat ,orlds of un!no,n life do,n thereB 3lue1litten 0Tn1yanA red1litten .othA and 3lac!A li'htless ;T!ai. =tTs from ;T!ai that fri'htful Tsatho''ua came 1 you !no,A the amorphousA toad1li!e 'od1creature mentioned in the ,nakotic Manuscripts and the -ecronomicon and the Commoriom myth1cycle preserved 3y the Atlantean hi'h1priest 0lar!ash1Ton. LBut ,e ,ill tal! of all this later on. =t must 3e four or five oTcloc! 3y this time. Better 3rin' the stuff from your 3a'A ta!e a 3iteA and then come 3ac! for a comforta3le chat.L ?ery slo,ly = turned and 3e'an to o3ey my hostB fetchin' my valiseA e%tractin' and depositin' the desired articlesA and finally ascendin' to the room desi'nated as mine. With the memory of that roadside cla,1print fresh in my mindA A!eleyTs ,hispered para'raphs had affected me DueerlyB and the hints of familiarity ,ith this un!no,n ,orld of fun'ous life 1 for3idden .u''oth 1 made my flesh creep more than = cared to o,n. = ,as tremendously sorry a3out A!eleyTs illnessA 3ut had to confess that his hoarse ,hisper had a hateful as ,ell as pitiful Duality. =f only he ,ouldnTt 'loat so a3out .u''oth and its 3lac! secretsF

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8y room proved a very pleasant and ,ell1furnished oneA devoid ali!e of the musty odour and distur3in' sense of vi3rationB and after leavin' my valise there = descended a'ain to 'reet A!eley and ta!e the lunch he had set out for me. The dinin'1room ,as Cust 3eyond the studyA and = sa, that a !itchen el= e%tended still farther in the same direction. +n the dinin'1ta3le an ample array of sand,ichesA ca!eA and cheese a,aited meA and a Thermos13ottle 3eside a cup and saucer testified that hot coffee had not 3een for'otten. After a ,ell1relished meal = poured myself a li3eral cup of coffeeA 3ut found that the culinary standard had suffered a lapse in this one detail. 8y first spoonful revealed a faintly unpleasant acrid tasteA so that = did not ta!e more. Throu'hout the lunch = thou'ht of A!eley sittin' silently in the 'reat chair in the dar!ened ne%t room. +nce = ,ent in to 3e' him to share the repastA 3ut he ,hispered that he could eat nothin' as yet. 5ater onA Cust 3efore he sleptA he ,ould ta!e some malted mil! 1 all he ou'ht to have that day. After lunch = insisted on clearin' the dishes a,ay and ,ashin' them in the !itchen sin! 1 incidentally emptyin' the coffee ,hich = had not 3een a3le to appreciate. Then returnin' to the dar!ened study = dre, up a chair near my hostTs corner and prepared for such conversation as he mi'ht feel inclined to conduct. The lettersA picturesA and record ,ere still on the lar'e centre1ta3leA 3ut for the nonce ,e did not have to dra, upon them. Before lon' = for'ot even the 3izarre odour and curious su''estions of vi3ration. = have said that there ,ere thin's in some of A!eleyTs letters 1 especially the second and most voluminous one 1 ,hich = ,ould not dare to Duote or even form into ,ords on paper. This hesitancy applies ,ith still 'reater force to the thin's = heard ,hispered that evenin' in the dar!ened room amon' the lonely hills. +f the e%tent of the cosmic horrors unfolded 3y that raucous voice = cannot even hint. 2e had !no,n hideous thin's 3eforeA 3ut ,hat he had learned since ma!in' his pact ,ith the +utside Thin's ,as almost too much for sanity to 3ear. Even no, = a3solutely refused to 3elieve ,hat he implied a3out the constitution of ultimate infinityA the Cu%taposition of dimensionsA and the fri'htful position of our !no,n cosmos of space and time in the unendin' chain of lin!ed cosmos1atoms ,hich ma!es up the immediate super1cosmos of curvesA an'lesA and material and semi1material electronic or'anisation. ;ever ,as a sane man more dan'erously close to the arcana of 3asic entity 1 never ,as an or'anic 3rain nearer to utter annihilation in the chaos that transcends form and force and symmetry. = learned ,hence Cthulhu first cameA and ,hy half the 'reat temporary stars of history had flared forth. = 'uessed 1 from hints ,hich made even my informant pause timidly 1 the secret 3ehind the 8a'ellanic Clouds and 'lo3ular ne3ulaeA and the 3lac! truth veiled 3y the immemorial alle'ory of Tao. The nature of the $oels ,as plainly revealedA and = ,as told the essence Jthou'h not the sourceK of the 2ounds of Tindalos. The le'end of .i'A 4ather of SerpentsA remained fi'urative no lon'erA and = started ,ith loathin' ,hen told of the monstrous nuclear chaos 3eyond an'led space ,hich the ;ecronomicon had mercifully cloa!ed under the name of Azathoth. =t ,as shoc!in' to have the foulest ni'htmares of secret myth cleared up in concrete terms ,hose star!A mor3id hatefulness e%ceeded the 3oldest hints of ancient and mediaeval mystics. =nelucta3ly = ,as led to 3elieve that the first ,hisperers of these accursed tales must have had discourse ,ith A!eleyTs +uter +nesA and perhaps have visited outer cosmic realms as A!eley no, proposed visitin' them.

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= ,as told of the Blac! Stone and ,hat it impliedA and ,as 'lad that it had not reached me. 8y 'uesses a3out those hiero'lyphics had 3een all too correctF And yet A!eley no, seemed reconciled to the ,hole fiendish system he had stum3led uponB reconciled and ea'er to pro3e farther into the monstrous a3yss. = ,ondered ,hat 3ein's he had tal!ed ,ith since his last letter to meA and ,hether many of them had 3een as human as that first emissary he had mentioned. The tension in my head 're, insuffera3leA and = 3uilt up all sorts of ,ild theories a3out that DueerA persistent odour and those insidious hints of vi3ration in the dar!ened room. ;i'ht ,as fallin' no,A and as = recalled ,hat A!eley had ,ritten me a3out those earlier ni'hts = shuddered to thin! there ,ould 3e no moon. ;or did = li!e the ,ay the farmhouse nestled in the lee of that colossal forested slope leadin' up to $ar! 8ountainTs unvisited crest. With A!eleyTs permission = li'hted a small oil lampA turned it lo,A and set it on a distant 3oo!case 3eside the 'hostly 3ust of 8iltonB 3ut after,ard = ,as sorry = had done soA for it made my hostTs strainedA immo3ile face and listless hands loo! damna3ly a3normal and corpseli!e. 2e seemed half1incapa3le of motionA thou'h = sa, him nod stiffly once in a,hile. After ,hat he had toldA = could scarcely ima'ine ,hat profounder secrets he ,as savin' for the morro,B 3ut at last it developed that his trip to .u''oth and 3eyond 1 and my o$n possible participation in it 1 ,as to 3e the ne%t dayTs topic. 2e must have 3een amused 3y the start of horror = 'ave at hearin' a cosmic voya'e on my part proposedA for his head ,a33led violently ,hen = sho,ed my fear. Su3seDuently he spo!e very 'ently of ho, human 3ein's mi'ht accomplish 1 and several times had accomplished 1 the seemin'ly impossi3le fli'ht across the interstellar void. It seemed t"at complete "uman bodies did not indeed make t"e trip& 3ut that the prodi'ious sur'icalA 3iolo'icalA chemicalA and mechanical s!ill of the +uter +nes had found a ,ay to convey human 3rains ,ithout their concomitant physical structure. There ,as a harmless ,ay to e%tract a 3rainA and a ,ay to !eep the or'anic residue alive durin' its a3sence. The 3areA compact cere3ral matter ,as then immersed in an occasionally replenished fluid ,ithin an ether1ti'ht cylinder of a metal mined in .u''othA certain electrodes reachin' throu'h and connectin' at ,ill ,ith ela3orate instruments capa3le of duplicatin' the three vital faculties of si'htA hearin'A and speech. 4or the ,in'ed fun'us13ein's to carry the 3rain1cylinders intact throu'h space ,as an easy matter. ThenA on every planet covered 3y their civilisationA they ,ould find plenty of adCusta3le faculty1 instruments capa3le of 3ein' connected ,ith the encased 3rainsB so that after a little fittin' these travellin' intelli'ences could 3e 'iven a full sensory and articulate life 1 al3eit a 3odiless and mechanical one 1 at each sta'e of their Courneyin' throu'h and 3eyond the space1time continuum. =t ,as as simple as carryin' a phono'raph record a3out and playin' it ,herever a phono'raph of correspondin' ma!e e%ists. +f its success there could 3e no Duestion. A!eley ,as not afraid. 2ad it not 3een 3rilliantly accomplished a'ain and a'ainG 4or the first time one of the inertA ,asted hands raised itself and pointed stiffly to a hi'h shelf on the farther side of the room. ThereA in a neat ro,A stood more than a dozen cylinders of a metal = had never seen 3efore 1 cylinders a3out a foot hi'h and some,hat less in diameterA ,ith three curious soc!ets set in an isosceles trian'le over the front conve% surface of each. +ne of them ,as lin!ed at t,o of the soc!ets to a pair of sin'ular1 loo!in' machines that stood in the 3ac!'round. +f their purport = did not need to 3e toldA and = shivered as ,ith a'ue. Then = sa, the hand point to a much nearer corner ,here some

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intricate instruments ,ith attached cords and plu'sA several of them much li!e the t,o devices on the shelf 3ehind the cylindersA ,ere huddled to'ether. LThere are four !inds of instruments hereA WilmarthAL ,hispered the voice. L4our !inds 1 three faculties each 1 ma!es t,elve pieces in all. .ou see there are four different sorts of 3ein's represented in those cylinders up there. Three humansA si% fun'oid 3ein's ,ho canTt navi'ate space corporeallyA t,o 3ein's from ;eptune J7odF if you could see the 3ody this type has on its o,n planetFKA and the rest entities from the central caverns of an especially interestin' dar! star 3eyond the 'ala%y. =n the principal outpost inside :ound 2ill youTll no, and then find more cylinders and machines 1 cylinders of e%tra1cosmic 3rains ,ith different senses from any ,e !no, 1 allies and e%plorers from the uttermost +utside 1 and special machines for 'ivin' them impressions and e%pression in the several ,ays suited at once to them and to the comprehensions of different types of listeners. :ound 2illA li!e most of the 3ein'sT main outposts all throu'h the various universesA is a very cosmopolitan place. +f courseA only the more common types have 3een lent to me for e%periment. L2ere 1 ta!e the three machines = point to and set them on the ta3le. That tall one ,ith the t,o 'lass lenses in front 1 then the 3o% ,ith the vacuum tu3es and soundin'13oard 1 and no, the one ,ith the metal disc on top. ;o, for the cylinder ,ith the la3el nB1-7T pasted on it. 6ust stand in that Windsor chair to reach the shelf. 2eavyG ;ever mindF Be sure of the num3er 1 B1-7. $onTt 3other that freshA shiny cylinder Coined to the t,o testin' instruments 1 the one ,ith my name on it. Set B1-7 on the ta3le near ,here youTve put the machines 1 and see that the dial s,itch on all three machines is Cammed over to the e%treme left. L;o, connect the cord of the lens machine ,ith the upper soc!et on the cylinder 1 thereF 6oin the tu3e machine to the lo,er left1hand soc!etA and the disc apparatus to the outer soc!et. ;o, move all the dial s,itches on the machine over to the e%treme ri'ht 1 first the lens oneA then the disc oneA and then the tu3e one. ThatTs ri'ht. = mi'ht as ,ell tell you that this is a human 3ein' 1 Cust li!e any of us. =Tll 'ive you a taste of some of the others tomorro,.L To this day = do not !no, ,hy = o3eyed those ,hispers so slavishlyA or ,hether = thou'ht A!eley ,as mad or sane. After ,hat had 'one 3eforeA = ou'ht to have 3een prepared for anythin'B 3ut this mechanical mummery seemed so li!e the typical va'aries of crazed inventors and scientists that it struc! a chord of dou3t ,hich even the precedin' discourse had not e%cited. What the ,hisperer implied ,as 3eyond all human 3elief 1 yet ,ere not the other thin's still farther 3eyondA and less preposterous only 3ecause of their remoteness from tan'i3le concrete proofG As my mind reeled amidst this chaosA = 3ecame conscious of a mi%ed 'ratin' and ,hirrin' from all three of the machines lately lin!ed to the cylinder 1 a 'ratin' and ,hirrin' ,hich soon su3sided into a virtual noiselessness. What ,as a3out to happenG Was = to hear a voiceG And if soA ,hat proof ,ould = have that it ,as not some cleverly concocted radio device tal!ed into 3y a concealed 3ut closely ,atched spea!erG Even no, = am un,illin' to s,ear Cust ,hat = heardA or Cust ,hat phenomenon really too! place 3efore me. But somethin' certainly seemed to ta!e place. To 3e 3rief and plainA the machine ,ith the tu3es and sound13o% 3e'an to spea!A and ,ith a point and intelli'ence ,hich left no dou3t that the spea!er ,as actually present and

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o3servin' us. The voice ,as loudA metallicA lifelessA and plainly mechanical in every detail of its production. =t ,as incapa3le of inflection or e%pressivenessA 3ut scraped and rattled on ,ith a deadly precision and deli3eration. L8r. WilmarthAL it saidA L= hope = do not startle you. = am a human 3ein' li!e yourselfA thou'h my 3ody is no, restin' safely under proper vitalisin' treatment inside :ound 2illA a3out a mile and a half east of here. = myself am here ,ith you 1 my 3rain is in that cylinder and = seeA hearA and spea! throu'h these electronic vi3rators. =n a ,ee! = am 'oin' across the void as = have 3een many times 3eforeA and = e%pect to have the pleasure of 8r. A!eleyTs company. = ,ish = mi'ht have yours as ,ellB for = !no, you 3y si'ht and reputationA and have !ept close trac! of your correspondence ,ith our friend. = amA of courseA one of the men ,ho have 3ecome allied ,ith the outside 3ein's visitin' our planet. = met them first in the 2imalayasA and have helped them in various ,ays. =n return they have 'iven me e%periences such as fe, men have ever had. L$o you realise ,hat it means ,hen = say = have 3een on thirty1seven different celestial 3odies 1 planetsA dar! starsA and less defina3le o3Cects 1 includin' ei'ht outside our 'ala%y and t,o outside the curved cosmos of space and timeG All this has not harmed me in the least. 8y 3rain has 3een removed from my 3ody 3y fissions so adroit that it ,ould 3e crude to call the operation sur'ery. The visitin' 3ein's have methods ,hich ma!e these e%tractions easy and almost normal 1 and oneTs 3ody never a'es ,hen the 3rain is out of it. The 3rainA = may addA is virtually immortal ,ith its mechanical faculties and a limited nourishment supplied 3y occasional chan'es of the preservin' fluid. LAlto'etherA = hope most heartily that you ,ill decide to come ,ith 8r. A!eley and me. The visitors are ea'er to !no, men of !no,led'e li!e yourselfA and to sho, them the 'reat a3ysses that most of us have had to dream a3out in fanciful i'norance. =t may seem stran'e at first to meet themA 3ut = !no, you ,ill 3e a3ove mindin' that. = thin! 8r. ;oyes ,ill 'o alon'A too 1 the man ,ho dou3tless 3rou'ht you up here in his car. 2e has 3een one of us for years 1 = suppose you reco'nised his voice as one of those on the record 8r. A!eley sent you.L At my violent start the spea!er paused a moment 3efore concludin'. LSo 8r. WilmarthA = ,ill leave the matter to youB merely addin' that a man ,ith your love of stran'eness and fol!lore ou'ht never to miss such a chance as this. There is nothin' to fear. All transitions are painlessB and there is much to enCoy in a ,holly mechanised state of sensation. When the electrodes are disconnectedA one merely drops off into a sleep of especially vivid and fantastic dreams. LAnd no,A if you donTt mindA ,e mi'ht adCourn our session till tomorro,. 7ood ni'ht 1 Cust turn all the s,itches 3ac! to the leftB never mind the e%act orderA thou'h you mi'ht let the lens machine 3e last. 7ood ni'htA 8r. A!eley 1 treat our 'uest ,ellF :eady no, ,ith those s,itchesGL That ,as all. = o3eyed mechanically and shut off all three s,itchesA thou'h dazed ,ith dou3t of everythin' that had occurred. 8y head ,as still reelin' as = heard A!eleyTs ,hisperin' voice tellin' me that = mi'ht leave all the apparatus on the ta3le Cust as it ,as. 2e did not essay any comment on ,hat had happenedA and indeed no comment could have conveyed much to my 3urdened faculties. = heard him tellin' me = could ta!e the lamp to use in my roomA and deduced that he ,ished to rest alone in the dar!. =t ,as surely time he

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restedA for his discourse of the afternoon and evenin' had 3een such as to e%haust even a vi'orous man. Still dazedA = 3ade my host 'ood ni'ht and ,ent upstairs ,ith the lampA althou'h = had an e%cellent poc!et flashli'ht ,ith me. = ,as 'lad to 3e out of that do,nstairs study ,ith the Dueer odour and va'ue su''estions of vi3rationA yet could not of course escape a hideous sense of dread and peril and cosmic a3normality as = thou'ht of the place = ,as in and the forces = ,as meetin'. The ,ildA lonely re'ionA the 3lac!A mysteriously forested slope to,erin' so close 3ehind the houseB the footprint in the roadA the sic!A motionless ,hisperer in the dar!A the hellish cylinders and machinesA and a3ove all the invitations to stran'e sur'ery and stran'er voya'in's 1 these thin'sA all so ne, and in such sudden successionA rushed in on me ,ith a cumulative force ,hich sapped my ,ill and almost undermined my physical stren'th. To discover that my 'uide ;oyes ,as the human cele3rant in that monstrous 3y'one Sa33at1ritual on the phono'raph record ,as a particular shoc!A thou'h = had previously sensed a dimA repellent familiarity in his voice. Another special shoc! came from my o,n attitude to,ard my host ,henever = paused to analyse itB for much as = had instinctively li!ed A!eley as revealed in his correspondenceA = no, found that he filled me ,ith a distinct repulsion. 2is illness ou'ht to have e%cited my pityB 3ut insteadA it 'ave me a !ind of shudder. 2e ,as so ri'id and inert and corpseli!e 1 and that incessant ,hisperin' ,as so hateful and unhumanF =t occurred to me that this ,hisperin' ,as different from anythin' else of the !ind = had ever heardB thatA despite the curious motionlessness of the spea!erTs moustache1screened lipsA it had a latent stren'th and carryin'1po,er remar!a3le for the ,heezin' of an asthmatic. = had 3een a3le to understand the spea!er ,hen ,holly across the roomA and once or t,ice it had seemed to me that the faint 3ut penetrant sounds represented not so much ,ea!ness as deli3erate repression 1 for ,hat reason = could not 'uess. 4rom the first = had felt a distur3in' Duality in their tim3re. ;o,A ,hen = tried to ,ei'h the matterA = thou'ht = could trace this impression to a !ind of su3conscious familiarity li!e that ,hich had made ;oyesTs voice so hazily ominous. But ,hen or ,here = had encountered the thin' it hinted atA ,as more than = could tell. +ne thin' ,as certain 1 = ,ould not spend another ni'ht here. 8y scientific zeal had vanished amidst fear and loathin'A and = felt nothin' no, 3ut a ,ish to escape from this net of mor3idity and unnatural revelation. = !ne, enou'h no,. =t must indeed 3e true that stran'e cosmic lin!a'es do e%ist 1 3ut such thin's are surely not meant for normal human 3ein's to meddle ,ith. Blasphemous influences seemed to surround me and press cho!in'ly upon my senses. SleepA = decidedA ,ould 3e out of the DuestionB so = merely e%tin'uished the lamp and thre, myself on the 3ed fully dressed. ;o dou3t it ,as a3surdA 3ut = !ept ready for some un!no,n emer'encyB 'rippin' in my ri'ht hand the revolver = had 3rou'ht alon'A and holdin' the poc!et flashli'ht in my left. ;ot a sound came from 3elo,A and = could ima'ine ho, my host ,as sittin' there ,ith cadaverous stiffness in the dar!. Some,here = heard a cloc! tic!in'A and ,as va'uely 'rateful for the normality of the sound. =t reminded meA thou'hA of another thin' a3out the re'ion ,hich distur3ed me 1 the total a3sence of animal life. There ,ere certainly no farm 3easts a3outA and no, = realised that even the accustomed ni'ht1noises of ,ild livin' thin's ,ere a3sent. E%cept for the

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sinister tric!le of distant unseen ,atersA that stillness ,as anomalous 1 interplanetary 1 and = ,ondered ,hat star1spa,nedA intan'i3le 3li'ht could 3e han'in' over the re'ion. = recalled from old le'ends that do's and other 3easts had al,ays hated the +uter +nesA and thou'ht of ,hat those trac!s in the road mi'ht mean.

V,,,.
$o not as! me ho, lon' my une%pected lapse into slum3er lastedA or ho, much of ,hat ensued ,as sheer dream. =f = tell you that = a,a!ened at a certain timeA and heard and sa, certain thin'sA you ,ill merely ans,er that = did not ,a!e thenB and that everythin' ,as a dream until the moment ,hen = rushed out of the houseA stum3led to the shed ,here = had seen the old 4ordA and seized that ancient vehicle for a madA aimless race over the haunted hills ,hich at last landed me 1 after hours of Coltin' and ,indin' throu'h forest1threatened la3yrinths 1 in a villa'e ,hich turned out to 3e To,nshend. .ou ,ill alsoA of courseA discount everythin' else in my reportB and declare that all the picturesA record1soundsA cylinder1and1machine soundsA and !indred evidences ,ere 3its of pure deception practiced on me 3y the missin' 2enry A!eley. .ou ,ill even hint that he conspired ,ith other eccentrics to carry out a silly and ela3orate hoa% 1 that he had the e%press shipment removed at 0eeneA and that he had ;oyes ma!e that terrifyin' ,a% record. =t is oddA thou'hA that ;oyes has not ever yetT 3een identifiedB that he ,as un!no,n at any of the villa'es near A!eleyTs placeA thou'h he must have 3een freDuently in the re'ion. = ,ish = had stopped to memorize the license1num3er of his car 1 or perhaps it is 3etter after all that = did not. 4or =A despite all you can sayA and despite all = sometimes try to say to myselfA !no, that loathsome outside influences must 3e lur!in' there in the half1 un!no,n hills 1 and thatA those influences have spies and emissaries in the ,orld of men. To !eep as far as possi3le from such influences and such emissaries is all that = as! of life in future. When my frantic story sent a sheriffTs posse out to the farmhouseA A!eley ,as 'one ,ithout leavin' a trace. 2is loose dressin' 'o,nA yello, scarfA and foot13anda'es lay on the study floor near his corner. easy1chairA and it could not 3e decided ,hether any of his other apparel had vanished ,ith him. The do's and livestoc! ,ere indeed missin'A and there ,ere some curious 3ullet1holes 3oth on the houseTs e%terior and on some of the ,alls ,ithinB 3ut 3eyond this nothin' unusual could 3e detected. ;o cylinders or machinesA none of the evidences = had 3rou'ht in my valiseA no Dueer odour or vi3ration1senseA no foot1 prints in the roadA and none of the pro3lematical thin's = 'limpsed at the very last. = stayed a ,ee! in Brattle3oro after my escapeA ma!in' inDuiries amon' people of every !ind ,ho had !no,n A!eleyB and the results convince me that the matter is no fi'ment of dream or delusion.T A!eleyTs Dueer purchase of do's and ammunition and chemicalsA and the cuttin' of his telephone ,iresA are matters of recordB ,hile all ,ho !ne, him 1 includin' his son in California 1 concede that his occasional remar!s on stran'e studies had a certain consistency. Solid citizens 3elieve he ,as madA and unhesitatin'ly pronounce all reported evidences mere hoa%es devised ,ith insane cunnin' and perhaps a3etted 3y eccentric associatesB 3ut the lo,lier country fol! sustain his statements in every detail. 2e had sho,ed some of these rustics his photo'raphs and 3lac! stoneA and had played the

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hideous record for themB and they all said the footprints and 3uzzin' voice ,ere li!e those descri3ed in ancestral le'ends. They saidA tooA that suspicious si'hts and sounds had 3een noticed increasin'ly around A!eleyTs house after he found the 3lac! stoneA and that the place ,as no, avoided 3y every3ody e%cept the mail man and other casualA tou'h1minded people. $ar! 8ountain and :ound 2ill ,ere 3oth notoriously haunted spotsA and = could find no one ,ho had ever closely e%plored either. +ccasional disappearances of natives throu'hout the districtTs history ,ere ,ell attestedA and these no, included the semi1va'a3ond Walter Bro,nA ,hom A!eleyTs letters had mentioned. = even came upon one farmer ,ho thou'ht he had personally 'limpsed one of the Dueer 3odies at flood1time in the s,ollen West :iverA 3ut his tale ,as too confused to 3e really valua3le. When = left Brattle3oro = resolved never to 'o 3ac! to ?ermontA and = feel Duite certain = shall !eep my resolution. Those ,ild hills are surely the outpost of a fri'htful cosmic race 1 as = dou3t all the less since readin' that a ne, ninth planet has 3een 'limpsed 3eyond ;eptuneA Cust as those influences had said it ,ould 3e 'limpsed. AstronomersA ,ith a hideous appropriateness they little suspectA have named this thin' L>luto.L = feelA 3eyond DuestionA that it is nothin' less than ni'hted .u''oth 1 and = shiver ,hen = try to fi'ure out the real reason $"y its monstrous denizens ,ish it to 3e !no,n in this ,ay at this especial time. = vainly try to assure myself that these daemoniac creatures are not 'radually leadin' up to some ne, policy hurtful to the earth and its normal inha3itants. But = have still to tell of the endin' of that terri3le ni'ht in the farmhouse. As = have saidA = did finally drop into a trou3led dozeB a doze filled ,ith 3its of dream ,hich involved monstrous landscape1'limpses. 6ust ,hat a,a!ed me = cannot yet sayA 3ut that = did indeed a,a!e at this 'iven point = feel very certain. 8y first confused impression ,as of stealthily crea!in' floor13oards in the hall outside my doorA and of a clumsyA muffled fum3lin' at the latch. ThisA ho,everA ceased almost at onceB so that my really clear impressions 3e'in ,ith the voices heard from the study 3elo,. There seemed to 3e several spea!ersA and = Cud'ed that they ,ere controversially en'a'ed. By the time = had listened a fe, seconds = ,as 3road a,a!eA for the nature of the voices ,as such as to ma!e all thou'ht of sleep ridiculous. The tones ,ere curiously variedA and no one ,ho had listened to that accursed phono'raph record could har3our any dou3ts a3out the nature of at least t,o of them. 2ideous thou'h the idea ,asA = !ne, that = ,as under the same roof ,ith nameless thin's from a3ysmal spaceB for those t,o voices ,ere unmista!a3ly the 3lasphemous 3uzzin's ,hich the +utside Bein's used in their communication ,ith men. The t,o ,ere individually different 1 different in pitchA accentA and tempo 1 3ut they ,ere 3oth of the same damna3le 'eneral !ind. A third voice ,as indu3ita3ly that of a mechanical utterance1machine connected ,ith one of the detached 3rains in the cylinders. There ,as as little dou3t a3out that as a3out the 3uzzin'sB for the loudA metallicA lifeless voice of the previous evenin'A ,ith its inflectionlessA e%pressionless scrapin' and rattlin'A and its impersonal precision and deli3erationA had 3een utterly unfor'etta3le. 4or a time = did not pause to Duestion ,hether the intelli'ence 3ehind the scrapin' ,as the identical one ,hich had formerly tal!ed to meB 3ut shortly after,ard = reflected that any 3rain ,ould emit vocal sounds of the same Duality if lin!ed to the same mechanical speech1producerB the only possi3le differences 3ein' in lan'ua'eA rhythmA speedA and pronunciation. To complete the eldritch colloDuy there ,ere

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t,o actually human voices 1 one the crude speech of an un!no,n and evidently rustic manA and the other the suave Bostonian tones of my erst,hile 'uide ;oyes. As = tried to catch the ,ords ,hich the stoutly1fashioned floor so 3afflin'ly interceptedA = ,as also conscious of a 'reat deal of stirrin' and scratchin' and shufflin' in the room 3elo,B so that = could not escape the impression that it ,as full of livin' 3ein's 1 many more than the fe, ,hose speech = could sin'le out. The e%act nature of this stirrin' is e%tremely hard to descri3eA for very fe, 'ood 3ases of comparison e%ist. +3Cects seemed no, and then to move across the room li!e conscious entitiesB the sound of their footfalls havin' somethin' a3out it li!e a looseA hard1surfaced clatterin' 1 as of the contact of ill1 coordinated surfaces of horn or hard ru33er. =t ,asA to use a more concrete 3ut less accurate comparisonA as if people ,ith looseA splintery ,ooden shoes ,ere sham3lin' and rattlin' a3out on the polished 3oard floor. +f the nature and appearance of those responsi3le for the soundsA = did not care to speculate. Before lon' = sa, that it ,ould 3e impossi3le to distin'uish any connected discourse. =solated ,ords 1 includin' the names of A!eley and myself 1 no, and then floated upA especially ,hen uttered 3y the mechanical speech1producerB 3ut their true si'nificance ,as lost for ,ant of continuous conte%t. Today = refuse to form any definite deductions from themA and even their fri'htful effect on me ,as one of su''estion rather than of revelation. A terri3le and a3normal conclaveA = felt certainA ,as assem3led 3elo, meB 3ut for ,hat shoc!in' deli3erations = could not tell. =t ,as curious ho, this unDuestioned sense of the mali'n and the 3lasphemous pervaded me despite A!eleyTs assurances of the +utsiderTs friendliness. With patient listenin' = 3e'an to distin'uish clearly 3et,een voicesA even thou'h = could not 'rasp much of ,hat any of the voices said. = seemed to catch certain typical emotions 3ehind some of the spea!ers. +ne of the 3uzzin' voicesA for e%ampleA held an unmista!a3le note of authorityB ,hilst the mechanical voiceA not,ithstandin' its artificial loudness and re'ularityA seemed to 3e in a position of su3ordination and pleadin'. ;oyesTs tones e%uded a !ind of conciliatory atmosphere. The others = could ma!e no attempt to interpret. = did not hear the familiar ,hisper of A!eleyA 3ut ,ell !ne, that such a sound could never penetrate the solid floorin' of my room. = ,ill try to set do,n some of the fe, disCointed ,ords and other sounds = cau'htA la3ellin' the spea!ers of the ,ords as 3est = !no, ho,. =t ,as from the speech1machine that = first pic!ed up a fe, reco'nisa3le phrases. AT"e Speec"-Mac"ineB L...3rou'ht it on myself... sent 3ac! the letters and the record... end on it... ta!en in... seein' and hearin'... damn you... impersonal forceA after all... freshA shiny cylinder... 'reat 7od...L A7irst Bu22ing .oiceB L...time ,e stopped... small and human... A!eley... 3rain... sayin'...L ASecond Bu22ing .oiceB

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Whisperer in $ar!ness

11*

L;yarlathotep... Wilmarth... records and letters... cheap imposture...L A-oyesB L...Jan unpronouncea3le ,ord or nameA possi3ly ;T'ah10thunK harmless... peace... couple of ,ee!s... theatrical... told you that 3efore...L A7irst Bu22ing .oiceB L...no reason... ori'inal plan... effects... ;oyes can ,atch :ound 2ill... fresh cylinder... ;oyesTs car...L A-oyesB L...,ell... all yours... do,n here... rest... place...L ASe!eral .oices at 'nce in Indistinguis"able Speec"B J8any 4ootstepsA =ncludin' the >eculiar 5oose Stirrin' or Clatterin'K AA Curious Sort of 7lapping SoundB JThe Sound of an Automo3ile Startin' and :ecedin'K ASilenceB That is the su3stance of ,hat my ears 3rou'ht me as = lay ri'id upon that stran'e upstairs 3ed in the haunted farmhouse amon' the daemoniac hills 1 lay there fully dressedA ,ith a revolver clenched in my ri'ht hand and a poc!et flashli'ht 'ripped in my left. = 3ecameA as = have saidA 3road a,a!eB 3ut a !ind of o3scure paralysis nevertheless !ept me inert till lon' after the last echoes of the sounds had died a,ay. = heard the ,oodenA deli3erate tic!in' of the ancient Connecticut cloc! some,here far 3elo,A and at last made out the irre'ular snorin' of a sleeper. A!eley must have dozed off after the stran'e sessionA and = could ,ell 3elieve that he needed to do so. 6ust ,hat to thin! or ,hat to do ,as more than = could decide After allA ,hat had = heard 3eyond thin's ,hich previous information mi'ht have led me to e%pectG 2ad = not !no,n that the nameless +utsiders ,ere no, freely admitted to the farmhouseG ;o dou3t A!eley had 3een surprised 3y an une%pected visit from them. .et somethin' in that fra'mentary discourse had chilled me immeasura3lyA raised the most 'rotesDue and horri3le dou3tsA and made me ,ish fervently that = mi'ht ,a!e up and prove everythin' a dream. = thin! my su3conscious mind must have cau'ht somethin' ,hich my consciousness has not yet reco'nised. But ,hat of A!eleyG Was he not my friendA and ,ould he not have protested if any harm ,ere meant meG The peaceful snorin' 3elo, seemed to cast ridicule on all my suddenly intensified fears. Was it possi3le that A!eley had 3een imposed upon and used as a lure to dra, me into the hills ,ith the letters and pictures and phono'raph recordG $id those 3ein's mean to en'ulf us 3oth in a common destruction 3ecause ,e had come to !no, too muchG A'ain = thou'ht of the a3ruptness and unnaturalness of that chan'e in the situation ,hich must have occurred 3et,een A!eleyTs penultimate and final letters. Somethin'A my instinct told

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Whisperer in $ar!ness

11*-

meA ,as terri3ly ,ron'. All ,as not as it seemed. That acrid coffee ,hich = refused 1 had there not 3een an attempt 3y some hiddenA un!no,n entity to dru' itG = must tal! to A!eley at onceA and restore his sense of proportion. They had hypnotised him ,ith their promises of cosmic revelationsA 3ut no, he must listen to reason. We. must 'et out of this 3efore it ,ould 3e too late. =f he lac!ed the ,ill po,er to ma!e the 3rea! for li3erty. = ,ould supply it. +r if = could not persuade him to 'oA = could at least 'o myself. Surely he ,ould let me ta!e his 4ord and leave it in a 'ara'e in Brattle3oro. = had noticed it in the shed 1 the door 3ein' left unloc!ed and open no, that peril ,as deemed past 1 and = 3elieved there ,as a 'ood chance of its 3ein' ready for instant use. That momentary disli!e of A!eley ,hich = had felt durin' and after the evenin'Ts conversation ,as all 'one no,. 2e ,as in a position much li!e my o,nA and ,e must stic! to'ether. 0no,in' his indisposed conditionA = hated to ,a!e him at this CunctureA 3ut = !ne, that = must. = could not stay in this place till mornin' as matters stood. At last = felt a3le to actA and stretched myself vi'orously to re'ain command of my muscles. Arisin' ,ith a caution more impulsive than deli3erateA = found and donned my hatA too! my valiseA and started do,nstairs ,ith the flashli'htTs aid. =n my nervousness = !ept the revolver clutched in my ri'ht handA 3ein' a3le to ta!e care of 3oth valise and flashli'ht ,ith my left. Why = e%erted these precautions = do not really !no,A since = ,as even then on my ,ay to a,a!en the only other occupant of the house. As = half1tiptoed do,n the crea!in' stairs to the lo,er hall = could hear the sleeper more plainlyA and noticed that he must 3e in the room on my left 1 the livin'1room = had not entered. +n my ri'ht ,as the 'apin' 3lac!ness of the study in ,hich = had heard the voices. >ushin' open the unlatched door of the livin'1room = traced a path ,ith the flashli'ht to,ard the source of the snorin'A and finally turned the 3eams on the sleeperTs face. But in the ne%t second = hastily turned them a,ay and commenced a catli!e retreat to the hallA my caution this time sprin'in' from reason as ,ell as from instinct. 4or the sleeper on the couch ,as not A!eley at allA 3ut my Duondam 'uide ;oyes. 6ust ,hat the real situation ,asA = could not 'uessB 3ut common sense told me that the safest thin' ,as to find out as much as possi3le 3efore arousin' any3ody. :e'ainin' the hallA = silently closed and latched the livin'1room door after meB there3y lessenin' the chances of a,a!enin' ;oyes. = no, cautiously entered the dar! studyA ,here = e%pected to find A!eleyA ,hether asleep or a,a!eA in the 'reat corner chair ,hich ,as evidently his favorite restin'1place. As = advancedA the 3eams of my flashli'ht cau'ht the 'reat centre1 ta3leA revealin' one of the hellish cylinders ,ith si'ht and hearin' machines attachedA and ,ith a speech machine standin' close 3yA ready to 3e connected at any moment. ThisA = reflectedA must 3e the encased 3rain = had heard tal!in' durin' the fri'htful conferenceB and for a second = had a perverse impulse to attach the speech machine and see ,hat it ,ould say. =t mustA = thou'htA 3e conscious of my presence even no,B since the si'ht and hearin' attachments could not fail to disclose the rays of my flashli'ht and the faint crea!in' of the floor 3eneath my feet. But in the end = did not dare meddle ,ith the thin'. = idly sa, that it ,as the fresh shiny cylinder ,ith A!eleyTs name on itA ,hich = had noticed on the shelf earlier in the evenin' and ,hich my host had told me not to 3other. 5oo!in' 3ac! at that momentA = can only re'ret my timidity and ,ish that = had 3oldly caused the apparatus to spea!. 7od !no,s ,hat mysteries and horri3le dou3ts and Duestions of identity it mi'ht have cleared upF But thenA it may 3e merciful that = let it alone.

H.P.Lovecr !t

The Whisperer in $ar!ness

11*7

4rom the ta3le = turned my flashli'ht to the corner ,here = thou'ht A!eley ,asA 3ut found to my perple%ity that the 'reat easy1chair ,as empty of any human occupant asleep or a,a!e. 4rom the seat to the floor there trailed voluminously the familiar old dressin'1 'o,nA and near it on the floor lay the yello, scarf and the hu'e foot13anda'es = had thou'ht so odd. As = hesitatedA strivin' to conCecture ,here A!eley mi'ht 3eA and ,hy he had so suddenly discarded his necessary sic!1room 'armentsA = o3served that the Dueer odour and sense of vi3ration ,ere no lon'er in the room. What had 3een their causeG Curiously it occurred to me that = had noticed them only in A!eleyTs vicinity. They had 3een stron'est ,here he satA and ,holly a3sent e%cept in the room ,ith him or Cust outside the doors of that room. = pausedA lettin' the flashli'ht ,ander a3out the dar! study and rac!in' my 3rain for e%planations of the turn affairs had ta!en. Would to 2eaven = had Duietly left the place 3efore allo,in' that li'ht to rest a'ain on the vacant chair. As it turned outA = did not leave DuietlyB 3ut ,ith a muffled shrie! ,hich must have distur3edA thou'h it did not Duite a,a!eA the sleepin' sentinel across the hall. That shrie!A and ;oyesTs still1un3ro!en snoreA are the last sounds = ever heard in that mor3idity1cho!ed farmhouse 3eneath the 3lac!1,ooded crest of haunted mountain 1 that focus of transcosmic horror amidst the lonely 'reen hills and curse1mutterin' 3roo!s of a spectral rustic land. =t is a ,onder that = did not drop flashli'htA valiseA and revolver in my ,ild scram3leA 3ut someho, = failed to lose any of these. = actually mana'ed to 'et out of that room and that house ,ithout ma!in' any further noiseA to dra' myself and my 3elon'in's safely into the old 4ord in the shedA and to set that archaic vehicle in motion to,ard some un!no,n point of safety in the 3lac!A moonless ni'ht. The ride that follo,ed ,as a piece of delirium out of >oe or :im3aud or the dra,in's of $oreA 3ut finally = reached To,nshend. That is all. =f my sanity is still unsha!enA = am luc!y. Sometimes = fear ,hat the years ,ill 3rin'A especially since that ne, planet >luto has 3een so curiously discovered. As = have impliedA = let my flashli'ht return to the vacant easy1chair after its circuit of the roomB then noticin' for the first time the presence of certain o3Cects in the seatA made inconspicuous 3y the adCacent loose folds of the empty dressin'1'o,n. These are the o3CectsA three in num3erA ,hich the investi'ators did not find ,hen they came later on. As = said at the outsetA there ,as nothin' of actual visual horror a3out them. The trou3le ,as in ,hat they led one to infer. Even no, = have my moments of half1dou3t 1 moments in ,hich = half1accept the scepticism of those ,ho attri3ute my ,hole e%perience to dream and nerves and delusion. The three thin's ,ere damna3ly clever constructions of their !indA and ,ere furnished ,ith in'enious metallic clamps to attach them to or'anic developments of ,hich = dare not form any conCecture. = hope 1 devoutly hope1that they ,ere the ,a%en products of a master artistA despite ,hat my inmost fears tell me. 7reat 7odF That ,hisperer in dar!ness ,ith its mor3id odour and vi3rationsF SorcererA emissaryA chan'elin'A outsider.. . that hideous repressed 3uzzin'. . . and all the time in that freshA shiny cylinder on the shelf. . . poor devil . . . L>rodi'ious sur'icalA 3iolo'icalA chemicalA and mechanical s!ill.. . 4or the thin's in the chairA perfect to the lastA su3tle detail of microscopic resem3lance 1 or identity 1 ,ere the face and hands of 2enry Went,orth A!eley.

The White Shi*

= am Basil EltonA !eeper of the ;orth >oint li'ht that my father and 'randfather !ept 3efore me. 4ar from the shore stands the 'ray li'hthouseA a3ove sun!en slimy roc!s that are seen ,hen the tide is lo,A 3ut unseen ,hen the tide is hi'h. >ast that 3eacon for a century have s,ept the maCestic 3arDues of the seven seas. =n the days of my 'randfather there ,ere manyB in the days of my father not so manyB and no, there are so fe, that = sometimes feel stran'ely aloneA as thou'h = ,ere the last man on our planet. 4rom far shores came those ,hite1sailed ar'osies of oldB from far Eastern shores ,here ,arm suns shine and s,eet odors lin'er a3out stran'e 'ardens and 'ay temples. The old captains of the sea came often to my 'randfather and told him of these thin's ,hich in turn he told to my fatherA and my father told to me in the lon' autumn evenin's ,hen the ,ind ho,led eerily from the East. And = have read more of these thin'sA and of many thin's 3esidesA in the 3oo!s men 'ave me ,hen = ,as youn' and filled ,ith ,onder. But more ,onderful than the lore of old men and the lore of 3oo!s is the secret lore of ocean. BlueA 'reenA 'rayA ,hite or 3lac!B smoothA ruffledA or mountainousB that ocean is not silent. All my days have = ,atched it and listened to itA and = !no, it ,ell. At first it told to me only the plain little tales of calm 3eaches and near portsA 3ut ,ith the years it 're, more friendly and spo!e of other thin'sB of thin's more stran'e and more distant in space and time. Sometimes at t,ili'ht the 'ray vapors of the horizon have parted to 'rant me 'limpses of the ,ays 3eyondB and sometimes at ni'ht the deep ,aters of the sea have 'ro,n clear and phosphorescentA to 'rant me 'limpses of the ,ays 3eneath. And these 'limpses have 3een as often of the ,ays that ,ere and the ,ays that mi'ht 3eA as of the ,ays that areB for ocean is more ancient than the mountainsA and frei'hted ,ith the memories and the dreams of Time. +ut of the South it ,as that the White Ship used to come ,hen the moon ,as full and hi'h in the heavens. +ut of the South it ,ould 'lide very smoothly and silently over the sea. And ,hether the sea ,as rou'h or calmA and ,hether the ,ind ,as friendly or adverseA it ,ould al,ays 'lide smoothly and silentlyA its sails distant and its lon' stran'e tiers of oars movin' rhythmically. +ne ni'ht = espied upon the dec! a manA 3earded and ro3edA and he seemed to 3ec!on me to em3ar! for far un!no,n shores. 8any times after,ard = sa, him under the full moonA and never did he 3ec!on me. ?ery 3ri'htly did the moon shine on the ni'ht = ans,ered the callA and = ,al!ed out over the ,aters to the White Ship on a 3rid'e of moon3eams. The man ,ho had 3ec!oned no, spo!e a ,elcome to me in a soft lan'ua'e = seemed to !no, ,ellA and the hours ,ere filled ,ith soft son's of the oarsmen as ,e 'lided a,ay into a mysterious SouthA 'olden ,ith the 'lo, of that fullA mello, moon. And ,hen the day da,nedA rosy and efful'entA = 3eheld the 'reen shore of far landsA 3ri'ht and 3eautifulA and to me un!no,n. (p from the sea rose lordly terraces of verdureA tree1studdedA and she,in' here and there the 'leamin' ,hite roofs and colonnades of stran'e temples. As ,e dre, nearer the 'reen shore the 3earded man told me of that landA the land of @arA ,here d,ell all the dreams and thou'hts of 3eauty that come to men once and then are for'otten. And ,hen = loo!ed upon the terraces a'ain = sa, that ,hat he said

H.P.Lovecr !t

The White Ship

11*)

,as trueA for amon' the si'hts 3efore me ,ere many thin's = had once seen throu'h the mists 3eyond the horizon and in the phosphorescent depths of ocean. There too ,ere forms and fantasies more splendid than any = had ever !no,nB the visions of youn' poets ,ho died in ,ant 3efore the ,orld could learn of ,hat they had seen and dreamed. But ,e did not set foot upon the slopin' meado,s of @arA for it is told that he ,ho treads them may nevermore return to his native shore. As the White Ship sailed silently a,ay from the templed terraces of @arA ,e 3eheld on the distant horizon ahead the spires of a mi'hty cityB and the 3earded man said to meA WThis is ThalarionA the City of a Thousand WondersA ,herein reside all those mysteries that man has striven in vain to fathom.X And = loo!ed a'ainA at closer ran'eA and sa, that the city ,as 'reater than any city = had !no,n or dreamed of 3efore. =nto the s!y the spires of its temples reachedA so that no man mi'ht 3ehold their pea!sB and far 3ac! 3eyond the horizon stretched the 'rimA 'ray ,allsA over ,hich one mi'ht spy only a fe, roofsA ,eird and ominousA yet adorned ,ith rich friezes and allurin' sculptures. = yearned mi'htily to enter this fascinatin' yet repellent cityA and 3esou'ht the 3earded man to land me at the stone pier 3y the hu'e carven 'ate A!arielB 3ut he 'ently denied my ,ishA sayin'A W=nto ThalarionA the City of a Thousand WondersA many have passed 3ut none returned. Therein ,al! only daemons and mad thin's that are no lon'er menA and the streets are ,hite ,ith the un3uried 3ones of those ,ho have loo!ed upon the eidolon 5athiA that rei'ns over the city.X So the White Ship sailed on past the ,alls of ThalarionA and follo,ed for many days a south,ard1flyin' 3irdA ,hose 'lossy pluma'e matched the s!y out of ,hich it had appeared. Then came ,e to a pleasant coast 'ay ,ith 3lossoms of every hueA ,here as far inland as ,e could see 3as!ed lovely 'roves and radiant ar3ors 3eneath a meridian sun. 4rom 3o,ers 3eyond our vie, came 3ursts of son' and snatches of lyric harmonyA interspersed ,ith faint lau'hter so delicious that = ur'ed the ro,ers on,ard in my ea'erness to reach the scene. And the 3earded man spo!e no ,ordA 3ut ,atched me as ,e approached the lily1 lined shore. Suddenly a ,ind 3lo,in' from over the flo,ery meado,s and leafy ,oods 3rou'ht a scent at ,hich = trem3led. The ,ind 're, stron'erA and the air ,as filled ,ith the lethalA charnel odor of pla'ue1stric!en to,ns and uncovered cemeteries. And as ,e sailed madly a,ay from that damna3le coast the 3earded man spo!e at lastA sayin'A LThis is RuraA the 5and of >leasures (nattained.X So once more the White Ship follo,ed the 3ird of heavenA over ,arm 3lessed seas fanned 3y caressin'A aromatic 3reezes. $ay after day and ni'ht after ni'ht did ,e sailA and ,hen the moon ,as full ,e ,ould listen to soft son's of the oarsmenA s,eet as on that distant ni'ht ,hen ,e sailed a,ay from my far native land. And it ,as 3y moonli'ht that ,e anchored at last in the har3or of Sona1;ylA ,hich is 'uarded 3y t,in headlands of crystal that rise from the sea and meet in a resplendent arch. This is the 5and of 4ancyA and ,e ,al!ed to the verdant shore upon a 'olden 3rid'e of moon3eams. =n the 5and of Sona1;yl there is neither time nor spaceA neither sufferin' nor deathB and there = d,elt for many aeons. 7reen are the 'roves and pasturesA 3ri'ht and fra'rant the flo,ersA 3lue and musical the streamsA clear and cool the fountainsA and stately and 'or'eous the templesA castlesA and cities of Sona1;yl. +f that land there is no 3oundA for 3eyond each vista of 3eauty rises another more 3eautiful. +ver the countryside and amidst the splendor of cities can move at ,ill the happy fol!A of ,hom all are 'ifted ,ith unmarred 'race and unalloyed happiness. 4or the aeons that = d,elt there = ,andered

H.P.Lovecr !t

The White Ship

111*

3lissfully throu'h 'ardens ,here Duaint pa'odas peep from pleasin' clumps of 3ushesA and ,here the ,hite ,al!s are 3ordered ,ith delicate 3lossoms. = clim3ed 'entle hills from ,hose summits = could see entrancin' panoramas of lovelinessA ,ith steepled to,ns nestlin' in verdant valleysA and ,ith the 'olden domes of 'i'antic cities 'litterin' on the infinitely distant horizon. And = vie,ed 3y moonli'ht the spar!lin' seaA the crystal headlandsA and the placid har3or ,herein lay anchored the White Ship. =t ,as a'ainst the full moon one ni'ht in the immemorial year of Tharp that = sa, outlined the 3ec!onin' form of the celestial 3irdA and felt the first stirrin's of unrest. Then = spo!e ,ith the 3earded manA and told him of my ne, yearnin's to depart for remote CathuriaA ,hich no man hath seenA 3ut ,hich all 3elieve to lie 3eyond the 3asalt pillars of the West. =t is the 5and of 2opeA and in it shine the perfect ideals of all that ,e !no, else,hereB or at least so men relate. But the 3earded man said to meA WBe,are of those perilous seas ,herein men say Cathuria lies. =n Sona1;yl there is no pain or deathA 3ut ,ho can tell ,hat lies 3eyond the 3asalt pillars of the WestGX ;atheless at the ne%t full moon = 3oarded the White ShipA and ,ith the reluctant 3earded man left the happy har3or for untraveled seas. And the 3ird of heaven fle, 3eforeA and led us to,ard the 3asalt pillars of the WestA 3ut this time the oarsmen san' no soft son's under the full moon. =n my mind = ,ould often picture the un!no,n 5and of Cathuria ,ith its splendid 'roves and palacesA and ,ould ,onder ,hat ne, deli'hts there a,aited me. WCathuriaAX = ,ould say to myselfA Wis the a3ode of 'ods and the land of unnum3ered cities of 'old. =ts forests are of aloe and sandal,oodA even as the fra'rant 'roves of CamorinA and amon' the trees flutter 'ay 3irds s,eet ,ith son'. +n the 'reen and flo,ery mountains of Cathuria stand temples of pin! mar3leA rich ,ith carven and painted 'loriesA and havin' in their courtyards cool fountains of silverA ,here purr ,ith ravishin' music the scented ,aters that come from the 'rotto1 3orn river ;ar'. And the cities of Cathuria are cinctured ,ith 'olden ,allsA and their pavements also are of 'old. =n the 'ardens of these cities are stran'e orchidsA and perfumed la!es ,hose 3eds are of coral and am3er. At ni'ht the streets and the 'ardens are lit ,ith 'ay lanthorns fashioned from the three1colored shell of the tortoiseA and here resound the soft notes of the sin'er and the lutanist. And the houses of the cities of Cathuria are all palacesA each 3uilt over a fra'rant canal 3earin' the ,aters of the sacred ;ar'. +f mar3le and porphyry are the housesA and roofed ,ith 'litterin' 'old that reflects the rays of the sun and enhances the splendor of the cities as 3lissful 'ods vie, them from the distant pea!s. 4airest of all is the palace of the 'reat monarch $orie3A ,hom some say to 3e a demi1'od and others a 'od. 2i'h is the palace of $orie3A and many are the turrets of mar3le upon its ,alls. =n its ,ide halls many multitudes assem3leA and here han' the trophies of the a'es. And the roof is of pure 'oldA set upon tall pillars of ru3y and azureA and havin' such carven fi'ures of 'ods and heroes that he ,ho loo!s up to those hei'hts seems to 'aze upon the livin' +lympus. And the floor of the palace is of 'lassA under ,hich flo, the cunnin'ly li'hted ,aters of the ;ar'A 'ay ,ith 'audy fish not !no,n 3eyond the 3ounds of lovely Cathuria.X Thus ,ould = spea! to myself of CathuriaA 3ut ever ,ould the 3earded man ,arn me to turn 3ac! to the happy shore of Sona1;ylB for Sona1;yl is !no,n of menA ,hile none hath ever 3eheld Cathuria. And on the thirty1first day that ,e follo,ed the 3irdA ,e 3eheld the 3asalt pillars of the West. Shrouded in mist they ,ereA so that no man mi'ht peer 3eyond them or see their

H.P.Lovecr !t

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summits 11 ,hich indeed some say reach even to the heavens. And the 3earded man a'ain implored me to turn 3ac!A 3ut = heeded him notB for from the mists 3eyond the 3asalt pillars = fancied there came the notes of sin'ers and lutanistsB s,eeter than the s,eetest son's of Sona1;ylA and soundin' mine o,n praisesB the praises of meA ,ho had voya'ed far from the full moon and d,elt in the 5and of 4ancy. So to the sound of melody the White Ship sailed into the mist 3et,i%t the 3asalt pillars of the West. And ,hen the music ceased and the mist liftedA ,e 3eheld not the 5and of CathuriaA 3ut a s,ift1rushin' resistless seaA over ,hich our helpless 3arDue ,as 3orne to,ard some un!no,n 'oal. Soon to our ears came the distant thunder of fallin' ,atersA and to our eyes appeared on the far horizon ahead the titanic spray of a monstrous cataractA ,herein the oceans of the ,orld drop do,n to a3ysmal nothin'ness. Then did the 3earded man say to meA ,ith tears on his chee!A LWe have reCected the 3eautiful 5and of Sona1;ylA ,hich ,e may never 3ehold a'ain. The 'ods are 'reater than menA and they have conDuered.L And = closed my eyes 3efore the crash that = !ne, ,ould comeA shuttin' out the si'ht of the celestial 3ird ,hich flapped its moc!in' 3lue ,in's over the 3rin! of the torrent. +ut of that crash came dar!nessA and = heard the shrie!in' of men and of thin's ,hich ,ere not men. 4rom the East tempestuous ,inds aroseA and chilled me as = crouched on the sla3 of damp stone ,hich had risen 3eneath my feet. Then as = heard another crash = opened my eyes and 3eheld myself upon the platform of that li'hthouse ,hence = had sailed so many aeons a'o. =n the dar!ness 3elo, there loomed the vast 3lurred outlines of a vessel 3rea!in' up on the cruel roc!sA and as = 'lanced out over the ,aste = sa, that the li'ht had failed for the first time since my 'randfather had assumed its care. And in the later ,atches of the ni'htA ,hen = ,ent ,ithin the to,erA = sa, on the ,all a calendar ,hich still remained as ,hen = had left it at the hour = sailed a,ay. With the da,n = descended the to,er and loo!ed for ,rec!a'e upon the roc!sA 3ut ,hat = found ,as only this9 a stran'e dead 3ird ,hose hue ,as as of the azure s!yA and a sin'le shattered sparA of a ,hiteness 'reater than that of the ,ave1tips or of the mountain sno,. And thereafter the ocean told me its secrets no moreB and thou'h many times since has the moon shone full and hi'h in the heavensA the White Ship from the South came never a'ain.

Wi#-e$ /e th
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T2E +ran'e 2otel stands in 2i'h Street near the rail,ay station in BloemfonteinA South Africa. +n SundayA 6anuary "#A 1)&"A four men sat shiverin' from terror in a room on its third floor. +ne ,as 7eor'e C. Titterid'eA proprietor of the hotelB another ,as police consta3le =an $e Witt of the Central SationB a third ,as 6ohannes Bo'aertA the local coronerB the fourthA and apparently the least disor'anized of the 'roupA ,as $octor Cornelius ?an 0eulenA the coroner<s physician. +n the floorA uncomforta3ly evident amid the stiflin' summer heatA ,as the 3ody of a dead man113ut this ,as not ,hat the four ,ere afraid of. Their 'lances ,andered from the ta3leA on ,hich lay a curious assortment of thin'sA to the ceilin' overheadA across ,hose smooth ,hiteness a series of hu'eA falterin' alpha3etical characters had someho, 3een scra,led in in!B and every no, and then $octor ?an 0eulen ,ould 'lance half furtively at a ,orn leather 3lan!13oo!A the scra,led ,ords on the ceilin'A and a dead fly of peculiar aspect ,hich floated in a 3ottle of ammonia on the ta3le. Also on the ta3le ,ere an open in!,ellA a pen and ,ritin'1padA a physician<s medical caseA a 3ottle of hydrochloric acidA and a tum3ler a3out a Duarter full of 3lac! o%ide of man'anese. The ,orn leather 3oo! ,as the Cournal of the dead man on the floorA and had at once made clear that the name 4rederic! ;. 8asonA 8inin' >ropertiesA TorontoA CanadaA si'ned in the hotel re'isterA ,as a false one. There ,ere other thin's11terri3le thin's11,hich it li!e,ise made clearB and still other thin's of far 'reater terror at ,hich it hinted hideously ,ithout ma!in' them clear or even fully 3elieva3le. =t ,as the half13elief of the four menA fostered 3y lives spent close to the 3lac!A settled secrets of 3roodin' AfricaA ,hich made them shiver so violently in spite of the searin' 6anuary heat. The 3lan!13oo! ,as not a lar'e oneA and the entries ,ere in a fine hand,ritin'A ,hichA ho,everA 're, careless and nervous1loo!in' to,ard the last. =t consisted of a series of Cottin's at first rather irre'ularly spacedA 3ut finally 3ecomin' daily. To call it a diary ,ould not 3e Duite correctA for it chronicled only one set of its ,riter<s activities. $octor ?an 0eulen reco'nized the name of the dead man the moment he opened the coverA for it ,as that of an eminent mem3er of his o,n profession ,ho had 3een lar'ely connected ,ith African matters. =n another moment he ,as horrified to find his name lin!ed ,ith a dastardly crime officially unsolvedA ,hich had filled the ne,spapers some four months 3efore. And the farther he readA the deeper 're, his horrorA a,eA and sense of loathin' and panic. 2ereA in essenceA is the te%t ,hich the doctor read aloud in that sinister and increasin'ly noisome room ,hile the three men around him 3reathed hardA fid'eted in their chairsA and darted fri'htened 'lances at the ceilin'A the ta3leA the thin's on the floorA and one another9 6+(;:A5 +4 T2+8AS S5A(E;W=TEA 8.$.

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Touchin' punishment of 2enry Sar'ent 8ooreA >h.$.A of Broo!lynA ;e, .or!A >rofessor of =nverte3rate Biolo'y in Colum3ia (niversityA ;e, .or!A ;... >repared to 3e read after my deathA for the satisfaction of ma!in' pu3lic the accomplishment of my reven'eA ,hich may other,ise never 3e imputed to me even if it succeeds. 6anuary A 1)")11= have no, fully resolved to !ill $octor 2enry 8ooreA and a recent incident has sho,n me ho, = shall do it. 4rom no, onA = shall follo, a consistent line of actionB hence the 3e'innin' of this Cournal. =t is hardly necessary to repeat the circumstances ,hich have driven me to this courseA for the informed part of the pu3lic is familiar ,ith all the salient facts. = ,as 3orn in TrentonA ;e, 6erseyA on April 1"A 188 A the son of $octor >aul Slauen,iteA formerly of >retoriaA TransvaalA South Africa. Studyin' medicine as part of my family traditionA = ,as led 3y my father J,ho died in 1)1-A ,hile = ,as servin' in 4rance in a South African re'imentK to specialize in African feversB and after my 'raduation from Colum3ia spent much time in researches ,hich too! me from $ur3anA in ;atalA up to the eDuator itself. =n 8om3asa = ,or!ed out my ne, theory of the transmission and development of remittent feverA aided only sli'htly 3y the papers of the late 'overnment physicianA Sir ;orman SloaneA ,hich = found in the house = occupied. When = pu3lished my results = 3ecame at a sin'le stro!e a famous authority. = ,as told of the pro3a3ility of an almost supreme position in the South African health serviceA and even a pro3a3le !ni'hthoodA in the event of my 3ecomin' a naturalized citizenA and accordin'ly = too! the necessary steps. Then occurred the incident for ,hich = am a3out to !ill 2enry 8oore. This manA my classmate and friend of years in America and AfricaA chose deli3erately to undermine my claim to my o,n theoryB alle'in' that Sir ;orman Sloane had anticipated me in every essential detailA and implyin' that = had pro3a3ly found more of his papers than = had stated in my account of the matter. To 3uttress this a3surd accusation he produced certain personal letters from Sir ;orman ,hich indeed sho,ed that the older man had 3een over my 'roundA and that he ,ould have pu3lished his results very soon 3ut for his sudden death. This much = could only admit ,ith re'ret. What = could not e%cuse ,as the Cealous suspicion that = had stolen the theory from Sir ;orman<s papers. The British 'overnmentA sensi3ly enou'hA i'nored these aspersionsA 3ut ,itheld the half1promised appointment and !ni'hthood on the 'round that my theoryA ,hile ori'inal ,ith meA ,as not in fact ne,. = could see that my career in Africa percepti3ly chec!edB thou'h = had placed all my hopes on such a careerA even to the point of resi'nin' American citizenship. A distinct coolness to,ard me had arisien amon' the 7overnment set in 8om3asaA especially amon' those ,ho had !no,n Sir ;orman. =t ,as then that = resolved to 3e even ,ith 8oore sooner or laterA thou'h = did not !no, ho,. 2e had 3een Cealous of my early cele3rityA and had ta!en advanta'e of his old correspondence ,ith Sir ;orman to ruin me. This from the friend ,hom = had myself led to ta!e an interest in Africa11,hom = had coached and inspired till he achieved his present moderate fame as an authority on African entomolo'y. Even no,A thou'hA = ,ill not deny that his attainments are profound. = made himA and in return he has ruined me. ;o,11some day11= shall destroy him. When = sa, myself losin' 'round in 8om3asaA = applied for my present situation in the interior11at 8<'on'aA only fifty miles from the ('anda line. =t is a cotton and ivory tradin'1postA ,ith only ei'ht ,hite men 3esides myself. A 3eastly holeA almost on the

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eDuatorA and full of every sort of fever !no,n to man!ind. >oisonous sna!es and insects every,hereA and ni''ers ,ith diseases no3ody ever hears of outside medical colle'e. But my ,or! is not hardA and = have plenty of time to plan thin's to do to 2enry 8oore. =t amuses me to 'ive his #iptera of Central and Sout"ern Africa a prominent place on my shelf. = suppose it actually is a standard manual11they use it at Colum3iaA 2arvardA and Wisconsin113ut my o,n su''estions are really responsi3le for half its stron' points. 5ast ,ee! = encountered the thin' ,hich decided me ho, to !ill 8oore. A party from ('anda 3rou'ht in a 3lac! ,ith a Dueer illness ,hich = can<t yet dia'nose. 2e ,as lethar'icA ,ith a very lo, temperatureA and shuffled in a peculiar ,ay. 8ost of the others ,ere afraid of him and said he ,as under some !ind of ,itch1doctor spellB 3ut 7o3oA the interpreterA said he had 3een 3itten 3y an insect. What it ,asA = can<t ima'ine11for there is only a sli'ht puncture on the arm. =t is 3ri'ht redA thou'hA ,ith a purple rin' around it. Spectral1loo!in'11= don<t ,onder the 3oys lay it to 3lac! ma'ic. They seem to have seen cases li!e it 3eforeA and say there<s really nothin' to do a3out it. +ld ;<0oraA one of the 7alla 3oys at the postA says it must 3e the 3ite of a devil1flyA ,hich ma!es its victim ,aste a,ay 'radually and dieA and then ta!es hold of his soul and personality if it is still alive itself11flyin' around ,ith all his li!esA disli!es and consciousness. A Dueer le'end11and = don<t !no, of any local insect deadly enou'h to account for it. = 'ave this sic! 3lac!11his name is 8evana11a 'ood shot of Duinine and too! a sample of his 3lood for testin'A 3ut haven<t made much pro'ress. There certainly is a stran'e 'erm presentA 3ut = can<t even remotely identify it. The nearest thin' to it is the 3acillus one finds in o%enA horses and do's that the tsetse fly has 3ittenB 3ut tsetse1flies non<t infect human 3ein'sA and this is too far north for them any,ay. 2o,ever11the important thin' is that =<ve decided ho, to !ill 8oore. =f this interior re'ion has insects as poisonous as the natives sayA =<ll see that he 'ets a shipment of them from a source he ,on<t suspectA and ,ith plenty of assurances that they are harmless. Trust him to thro, over3oard all caution ,hen it comes to studyin' an un!no,n species11and then ,e<ll see ho, nature ta!es its courseF =t ou'ht not to 3e hard to find an insect that scares the 3lac!s so much. 4irst to see ho, poor 8evana turns out11and then to find my envoy of death. 6an. 7118evana is no 3etterA thou'h = have inCected all the antito%ins = !no, of. 2e has fits of trem3lin'A in ,hich he rants affri'htedly a3out the ,ay his soul ,ill pass ,hen he dies into the insect that 3it himA 3ut 3et,een them he remains in a !ind of half1stupor. 2eart action still stron'A so = may pull him throu'h. = shall try toA for he can pro3a3ly 'uide me 3etter than anyone to the re'ion ,here he ,as 3itten. 8ean,hile =<ll ,rite to $octor 5incolnA my predecessor hereA for AllenA the head factorA says he had a profound !no,led'e of the local sic!nesses. 2e ou'ht to !no, a3out the death1fly if any ,hite man does. 2e<s at ;airo3i no,A and a 3lac! runner ou'ht to 'et me a reply in a ,ee!11usin' the rail,ay for half the trip. 6an. 1*11>atient unchan'edA 3ut = have found ,hat = ,antF =t ,as in an old volume of the local health records ,hich =<ve 3een 'oin' over dili'ently ,hile ,aitin' to hear from 5incoln. Thirty years a'o there ,as an epidemic that !illed off thousands of natives in ('andaA and it ,as definitely traced to a rare fly called Glossina palpalis11a sort of cousin of the Glossina norsitansA or tsetse. =t lives in the 3ushes on the shores of la!es and riversA

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and feeds on the 3lood of crocodilesA antelopsA and lar'e mammals. When these food animals have the 'erm of trypanosomiasisA or sleepin'1sic!nessA it pic!s it up and develops acute infectivity after an incu3ation period of thirty1one days. Then for seventy1five days it is sure death to anyone or anythin' it 3ites. Without dou3tA this must 3e the Ldevil1flyL the ni''ers tal! a3out. ;o, = !no, ,hat =<m headin' for. 2ope 8evana pulls throu'h. +u'ht to hear from 5incoln in four or five days11he has a 'reat reputation for success in thin's li!e this. 8y ,orst pro3lem ,ill 3e to 'et the flies to 8oore ,ithout his reco'nizin' them. With his cursed ploddin' scholarship it ,ould 3e Cust li!e him to !no, all a3out them since they<re actually on record.

,,.
6an. 1 116ust heard from 5incolnA ,ho confirms all that the records say a3out Glossina palpalis. 2e has a remedy for sleepin'1sic!ness ,hich has succeeded in a 'reat num3er of cases ,hen not 'iven too late. =ntermuscular inCections of tryparsamide. Since 8evana ,as 3itten a3out t,o months a'oA = don<t !no, ho, it ,ill ,or!113ut 5incoln says cases have 3een !no,n to dra' on ei'hteen monthsA so possi3ly =<m not too late. 5incoln sent over some of his stuffA so =<ve Cust 'iven 8evana a stiff shot. =n a stupor no,. They<ve 3rou'ht his principal ,ife from the villa'eA 3ut he doesn<t even reco'nize her. =f he recoversA he can certainly sho, me ,here the flies are. 2e<s a 'reat crocodile hunterA accordin' to reportA and !no,s all ('anda li!e a 3oo!. =<ll 'ive him another shot tomorro,. 6an. 1-118evana seems a little 3ri'hter todayA 3ut his heart action is slo,in' up a 3it. =<ll !eep up the inCectionsA 3ut not overdo them. 6an. 1711:ecovery really pronounced today. 8evana opened his eyes and sho,ed si'ns of actual consciousnessA thou'h dazedA after the inCection. 2ope 8oore doesn<t !no, a3out the tryparsamide. There<s a 'ood chance he ,on<tA since he never leaned much to,ard medicine. 8evana<s ton'ue seems paralyzedA 3ut = fancy that ,ill pass off it = can only ,a!e him up. Wouldn<t mind a 'ood sleep myselfA 3ut not of this !indF 6an. " 118evana nearly curedF =n another ,ee! = can let him ta!e me into the Cun'le. 2e ,as fri'htened ,hen he first came to11a3out havin' the fly ta!e his personality after he died113ut 3ri'htened up finally ,hen = told him he ,as 'oin' to 'et ,ell. 2is ,ifeA ('o,eA ta!es 'ood care of him no,A and = can rest a 3it. Then for the envoys of deathF 4e3. &118evana is ,ell no,A and = have tal!ed ,ith him a3out a hunt for flies. 2e dreads to 'o near the place ,here they 'ot himA 3ut = am playin' on his 'raditude. BesidesA he has an idea that = can ,ard off disease as ,ell as cure it. 2is pluc! ,ould shame a ,hite man11 there<s no dou3t that he<ll 'o. = can 'et off 3y tellin' the head factor the trip is in the interest of local health ,or!. 8arch 1"11=n ('anda at lastF 2ave five 3oys 3eside 8evanaA 3ut they are all 7allas. The local 3lac! couldn<t 3e hired to come near the re'ion after the tal! of ,hat had happened to 8evana. This Cun'le is a pestilential place11steamin' ,ith miasmal vapors. All the la!es loo! sta'nat. =n one spot ,e came upon a trace of Cyclopean ruins ,hich made even the 7allas run past in a ,ide circle. They say these me'aliths are older than manA and that they

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used to 3e a haunt or outpost of LThe 4ishers from +utsideL11,hatever that means11and of the evil 7ods Tsado',a and Clulu. To this day they are said to have a mali'n influenceA and to 3e connected someho, ,ith the devil1flies. 8arch 1 11Struc! 5a!e 8lolo this mornin'11,here 8evana ,as 3itten. A hellishA 'reen1 scummed affairA full of crocodiles. 8evana has fi%ed up a flytrap of fine ,ire nettin' 3aited ,ith crocodile meat. =t has a small entranceA and once the Duarry 'et inA they don<t !no, enou'h to 'et out. As stupid as they are deadlyA and ravenous for fresh meat or a 3o,l of 3lood. 2ope ,e can 'et a 'ood supply. =<ve decided that = must e%periment ,ith them11findin' a ,ay to chan'e their appearance so that 8oore ,on<t reco'nize them. >ossi3ly = can cross them ,ith some other speciesA producin' a stran'e hy3rid ,hose infection1carryin' capacity ,ill 3e undiminished. We<ll see. = must ,aitA 3ut am in no hurry no,. When = 'et ready =<ll have 8evana 'et me some infected meat to feed my envoys of death11and then for the post1office. +u'ht to 3e no trou3le 'ettin' infectionA for this country is a verita3le pest1hole. 8arch 1-117ood luc!. T,o ca'es full. 4ive vi'orous specimens ,ith ,in's 'listenin' li!e diamonds. 8evana is emptyin' them into a lar'e can ,ith a ti'htly meshed topA and = thin! ,e cau'ht them in the nic! of time. We can 'et them to 8<'on'a ,ithout trou3le. Ta!in' plenty of crocodile meat for their food. (ndou3tedly all or most of it is infected. April "*11Bac! at 8<'on'a and 3usy in the la3oratory. 2ave sent to $octor 6oost in >retoria for some tsetse flies for hy3ridization e%periments. Such a crossin'A if it ,ill ,or! at allA ou'ht to produce somethin' pretty hard to reco'nize yet at the same time Cust as deadly as the palpalis. =f this doesn<t ,or!A = shall try certain other diptera from the interiorA and = have sent to $octor ?andervelde at ;yan',e for some of the Con'o types. = shan<t have to send 8evana for more tainted meat after allB for = find = can !eep cultures of the 'erm trypanosoma gambienseA ta!en from the meat ,e 'ot last monthA almost indefinitely in tu3es. When the times comesA =<ll taint some fresh meat and feed my ,in'ed envoys a 'ood dose11then bon !oyage to themF 6une 18118y tsetse flies from 6oost came today. Ca'es for 3reedin' ,ere all ready lon' a'oA and = am no, ma!in' selections. =ntend to use ultra1violet rays to speed up the life1 cycle. 4ortunately = have the needed apparatus in my re'ular eDuipment. ;aturally = tell no one ,hat =<m doin'. The i'norance of the fe, men here ma!es it easy for me to conceal my aims and pretend to 3e merely studyin' e%istin' species for medical reasons. 6une ")11The crossin' is fertileF 7ood deposists of e''s last WednesdayA and no, = have some e%cellent larvae. =f the mature insects loo! as stran'e as these doA = need do nothin' more. Am preparin' separate num3ered ca'es for the different specimens. 6uly 711;e, hy3rids are outF $is'uise is e%cellent as to shapeA 3ut sheen of ,in's still su''ests palpalis. Thora% has faint su''estions of the stripes of the tsetse. Sli'ht variation in individuals. Am feedin' them all on tained crocodile meatA and after infectivity develops ,ill try them on some of the 3lac!s11apparentlyA of courseA 3y accident. There are so many mildly venemous flies around here that it can easily 3e done ,ithout e%citin' suspicion. = shall loose an insect in my ti'htly screened dinin'1room ,hen BattaA my house13oyA 3rin's in 3rea!fast11!eepin' ,ell on 'uard myself. When it has done its ,or! =<ll capture or s,at it11an easy thin' 3ecause of its stupidity11or asphy%iate it 3y fillin' the room ,ith chlorine 'as. =f it doesn<t ,or! the first timeA =<ll try a'ain until it does. +f

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courseA =<ll have the tryparsamide handy in case = 'et 3itten myself113ut = shall 3e careful to avoid 3itin'A for no antidote is really certain. Au'. 1*11=nfectivity matureA and mana'ed to 'et Batta stun' in fine shape. Cau'ht the fly on himA returnin' it to its ca'e. Eased up the pain ,ith iodineA and the poor devil is Duite 'rateful for the service. Shall try a variant specimen on 7am3aA the factor<s messen'er tomorro,. That ,ill 3e all the tests = shall dare to ma!e hereA 3ut if = need more = shall ta!e some specimens to (!ala and 'et additional data. Au'. 11114ailed to 'et 7am3aA 3ut recaptured the fly alive. Batta still seems ,ell as usualA and has no pain in the 3ac! ,here he ,as stun'. Shall ,ait 3efore tryin' to 'et 7am3a a'ain. Au'. 1#11Shipment of insects from ?andervelde at last. 4ully seven distinct speciesA some more or less poisonous. Am !eepin' them ,ell fed in case the tsetse crossin' doesn<t ,or!. Some of these fello,s loo! very unli!e the palpalisA 3ut the trou3le is that they may not ma!e a fertile cross ,ith it. Au'. 17117ot 7am3a this afternoonA 3ut had to !ill the fly on him. =t nipped him in the left shoulder. = dressed the 3iteA and 7am3a is as 'rateful as Batta ,as. ;o chan'e in Batta. Au'. "*117am3a unchan'ed so far11Batta too. Am e%perimentin' ,ith a ne, form of dis'uise to supplement the hy3rization11some sort of dye to chan'e the telltale 'litter of the palpalis< ,in's. A 3lueish tint ,ould 3e 3est11somethin' = could spray on a ,hole 3atch of insects. Shall 3e'in 3y investi'atin' thin's li!e >russian and Turn3ull<s 3lue11iron and cyano'en salts. Au'. " 11Batta complained of a pain in his 3ac! today11thin's may 3e developin'. Sept. &112ave made fair pro'ress in my e%periments. Batta sho,s si'ns of lethar'yA and says his 3ac! aches all the time. 7am3a 3e'innin' to feel uneasy in his 3itten shoulder. Sept. "#11Batta ,orse and ,orseA and 3e'innin' to 'et fri'htened a3out his 3it. Thin!s it must 3e a devil1flyA and entreated me to !ill it11for he sa, me ca'e it11until = pretended that it had died lon' a'o. Said he didn<t ,ant his soul to pass into it upon his death. = 'ive him shots of plain ,ater ,ith a hypodermic to !eep his morale up. Evidently the fly retains all the properties of the palpalis. 7am3a do,nA tooA and repeatin' all of Batta<s symptoms. = may decide to 'ive him a chance ,ith tryparsamideA for the effect of the fly is proved ,ell enou'h. = shall let Batta 'o onA ho,everA for = ,ant a rou'h idea of ho, lon' it ta!es to finish a case. $ye e%periments comin' alon' nicely. An isomeric form of ferrous ferro1cyanideA can 3e dissolved in alcohol and sprayed on the insects ,ith splendid effect. =t stains the ,in's 3lue ,ithout affectin' the dar! thora% muchA and doesn<t ,ear off ,hen = sprin!le the specimens ,ith ,ater. With this dis'uiseA = thin! = can use the present tsetse hy3rids and avoid 3otherin' ,ith any more e%periments. Sharp as he isA 8oore couldn<t reco'nize a 3lue1,in'ed fly ,ith a half1tsetse thora%. +f course = !eep all this dye 3usiness strictly under cover. ;othin' must ever connect me ,ith the 3lue flies later on.

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+ct. )11Batta is lethar'ic and has ta!en to his 3ed. 2ave 3een 'ivin' 7am3a tryparsamide for t,o ,ee!sA and fancy he<ll recover. +ct. " 11Batta very lo,A 3ut 7am3a nearly ,ell. ;ov. 1811Batta died yesterdayA and a curious thin' happened ,hich 'ave me a real shiver in vie, of the native le'ends and Batta<s o,n fears. When = returned to the la3oratory after the death = heard the most sin'ular 3uzzin' and thrashin' in ca'e 1"A ,hich contained the fly that 3it Batta. The creature seemed franticA 3ut stopped still ,hen = appeared11li'htin' on the ,ire nettin' and loo!in' at me in the oddest ,ay. =t reached its le's throu'h the eyes as if it ,ere 3e,ildered. When = came 3ac! from dinin' ,ith AllenA the thin' ,as dead. Evidently it had 'one ,ild and 3eaten its life out on the sides of the ca'e. =t certainly is peculiar that this should happen Cust as Batta died. =f any 3lac! had seen itA he<d have laid it at once to the a3sorption of the poor devil<s soul. = shall start my 3lue1 stained hy3rids on their ,ay 3efore lon' no,. The hy3rid<s rate of !illin' seems a little ahead of the pure palpalis< rateA if anythin'. Batta died three months and ei'ht days after infection113ut of course there is al,ays a ,ide mar'in of uncertainty. = almost ,ish = had let 7am3a<s case run on. $ec. 11Busy plannin' ho, to 'et my envoys to 8oore. = must have them appear to come from some disinterested entomolo'ist ,ho has read his #iptera of Central and Sout"ern Africa and 3elieves he ,ould li!e to study this Lne, and unidentifia3le species.L There must also 3e ample assurances that the 3lue1,in'ed fly is harmlessA as proved 3y the natives< lon' e%perience. 8oore ,ill 3e off his 'uardA and one of the flies ,ill surely 'et him sooner or later11thou'h one can<t tell Cust ,hen. =<ll have to rely on the letters of ;e, .or! friends11they still spea! of 8oore from time to time11to !eep me informed of early resultsA thou'h = dare say the papers ,ill announce his death. A3ove allA = must sho, no, interest in his case. = shall mail the flies ,hile on a tripA 3ut must not 3e reco'nized ,hen = do it. The 3est plan ,ill 3e to ta!e a lon' vacation in the interiorA 'ro, a 3eardA mail the pac!a'e at (!ala ,hile passin' as a visitin' entomolo'istA and return here after shavin' off the 3eard. April 1"A 1)&*11Bac! in 8<'on'a after my lon' trip. Everythin' has come off finely11,ith cloc!,or! precision. 2ave sent the flies to 8oore ,ithout leavin' a trace. 7ot a Christmas vacation $ec. 1 thA and set out at once ,ith the proper stuff. 8ade a very 'ood mailin' container ,ith room to include some 'erm1tainted crocodile meat as food for the envoys. By the end of 4e3ruary = had 3eard enou'h to shape into a close ?andy!e. Sho,ed up at (!ala 8arch )th and typed a letter to 8oore on the tradin'1post machine. Si'ned it L;evil Wayland12allL11supposed to 3e an entomolo'yist from 5ondon. Thin! = too! the ri'ht tone11interest of a 3rother1scientistA and all that. Was artistically casual in emphasizin' the Lcomplete harmlessnessL of the specimens. ;o3ody suspected anythin'. Shaved the 3eard as soon as = hit the 3ushA so there ,ouldn<t 3e any uneven tannin' 3y the time = 'ot 3ac! here. $ispensed ,ith native 3earers e%cept for one small stretch of s,amp11= can do ,onders ,ith one !napsac!A and my sense of direction is 'ood. 5uc!ily =<m used to such travellin'. E%plained my protracted a3sence 3y pleadin' a touch of fever and some mista!es in direction ,hen 'oin' throu'h the 3ush.

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But no, comes the hardest part psycholo'ically11,aitin' for ne,s of 8oore ,ithout sho,in' the strain. +f courseA he may possi3ly escape a 3ite until the venom is played out113ut ,ith his rec!lessness the chances are one hundred to one a'ainst him. = have no re'retsB after ,hat he did to meA he deserves this and more. 6une &*A 1)&*112urrahF The first step ,or!edF 6ust heard casually from $yson of Colum3ia that 8oore had received some ne, 3lue1,in'ed flies from AfricaA and that he is 3adly puzzled over themF ;o ,ord of any 3ite113ut if = !no, 8oore<s slipshod ,ays as = thin! = doA there<ll 3e one 3efore lon'. Au'ust "7A 1)&*115etter from 8orton in Cam3rid'e. 2e says 8oore ,rites of feelin' very run1do,nA and tells of an insect 3ite on the 3ac! of his nec!11from a curious ne, specimen that he received a3out the middle of 6une. 2ave = succeededG Apparently 8oore doesn<t connect the 3ite ,ith his ,ea!ness. =f this is the real stuffA then 8oore ,as 3itten ,ell ,ithin the insect<s period of infectivity. Sept. 1"A 1)&*11?ictoryF Another line from $yson says that 8oore is really in an alarmin' shape. 2e no, traces his illness to the 3iteA ,hich he received around noon on 6une 1)A and is Duite 3e,ildered a3out the identity of the insect. =s tryin' to 'et in touch ,ith the L;evil Wayland12allL ,ho sent him the shipment. +f the hundred1odd that = sentA a3out t,enty1five seem to have reached him alive. Some escaped at the time fo the 3iteA 3ut several larvae have appeared from e''s laid since the time of mailin'. 2e isA $yson saysA carefully incu3atin' these larvae. When they mature = suppose he<ll identify the tsetse1 palpalis hy3ridization113ut that ,on<t do him much 'ood no,. 2e<ll ,onderA thou'hA ,hy the 3lue ,in's aren<t transmitted 3y heredityF ;ov. 8A 1)&*115etters from half a dozen friends tell of 8oore<s serious illness. $yson<s came today. 2e says 8oore is utterly at sea a3out the hy3rids that came from the larvae and is 3e'innin' to thin! that the parents 'ot their 3lue ,in's in some artificial ,ay. 2as to stay in 3ed most of the time no,. ;o mention of usin' tryparsamide. 4e3. 1&A 1)&111;ot so 'oodF 8oore is sin!in'A and seems to !no, no remedyA 3ut = thin! he suspects one. 2ad a very chilly letter from 8orton last monthA ,hich told nothin' of 8ooreB and no, $yson ,rites11also rather constrainedly11that 8oore is formin' theories a3out the ,hole matter. 2e<s 3een ma!in' a search for LWayland12allL 3y tele'raph11at 5ondonA (!alaA ;airo3iA 8om3asaA and other places11and of course finds nothin'. = Cud'e that he<s told $yson ,hom he suspectsA 3ut that $yson doesn<t 3elieve it yet. 4ear 8orton does 3elieve it. = see that =<d 3etter lay plans for 'ettin' out of here and effacin' my identity for 'ood. What an end to a career that started out so ,ellF 8ore of 8oore<s ,or!113ut this time he<s payin' for it in advanceF Believe =<ll 'o 3ac! to South Africa11and mean,hile ,ill Duietly deposit funds there to the credit of my ne, self11L4rederic! ;asmyth 8ason of TorontoA CanadaA 3ro!er in minin' properties.L Will esta3lish a ne, si'nature for identification. =f = never have to ta!e the stepA = can easily re1transfer the funds to my present self. Au'. 1 A 1)&1112alf a year 'oneA and still suspense. $yson and 8orton11as ,ell as several other friends11seem to have stopped ,ritin' me. $octor 6ames of San 4rancisco hears from 8oore<s friends no, and thenA and says 8oore is in an almost continuous coma. 2e hasn<t 3een a3le to ,al! since 8ay. As lon' as he could tal! he complained of 3ein' cold.

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;o, he can<t tal!A thou'h it is thou'ht he still has 'limmers of consciousness. 2is 3reathin' is short and Duic!A and can 3e heard some distance a,ay. ;o, Duestion 3ut the trypanosoma gambiense is feedin' on him113ut he holds out 3etter than the ni''ers around here. Three months and ei'ht days finished Batta and here 8oore is alive over a year after his 3itin'. 2eard rumors last month of an intensive search around (!ala for LWayland1 2all.L $on<t thin! = need to ,orry yetA thou'hA for there<s a3solutely nothin' in e%istence to lin! me ,ith this 3usiness. +ct. 7A 1)&111=t<s over at lastF ;e,s in the Mombasa Ga2ette. 8oore died Septem3er "* after a series of trem3lin' fits and ,ith a temperature vastly 3elo, normal. So much for thatF = said =<d 'et himA and = didF The paper has a three1column report of his lon' illness and deathA and of the futile search for LWayland12all.L +3viouslyA 8oore ,as a 3i''er character in Africa than = had realized. The insect that 3it him has no, 3een fully identified from the survivin' specimens and developed larvaeA and the ,in'1stainin' is also detected. =t is universally realized that the flies ,ere prepared and shipped ,ith intent to !ill. 8ooreA it appearsA communicated certain suspicions to $ysonA 3ut the latter11and the police11are maintainin' secrecy 3ecause of a3sence of proof. All of 8oore<s enemies are 3ein' loo!ed upA and the Associated >ress hints that Lan investi'ationA possi3ly involvin' an eminent physician no, a3roadA ,ill follo,.L +ne thin' at the very end of the report11undou3tedly the cheap romancin' of a yello, Cournalist11'ives me a curious shudder in vie, of the le'ends of the 3lac!s and the ,ay the fly happened to 'o ,ild ,hen Batta died. =t seems that an odd incident occurred on the ni'ht of 8oore<s deathB $yson havin' 3een aroused 3y the 3uzzin' of a 3lue1,in'ed fly11 ,hich immediately fle, out the ,indo,11Cust 3efore the nurse telephoned the death ne,s from 8oore<s homeA miles a,ay in Broo!lyn. But ,hat concerns me most is the African end of the matter. >eople at (!ala remem3er the 3earded stran'er ,ho typed the letter and sent the pac!a'eA and the consta3ulary are com3in' the country for any 3lac!s ,ho may have carried him. = didn<t use manyA 3ut if officers Duestion the (3andes ,ho too! me throu'h ;<0ini Cun'le 3elt =<ll have to e%plain more than = li!e. =t loo!s as if the time has come for me to vanishB so tomorro, = 3elieve =<ll resi'n and prepare to start for parts un!no,n. ;ov. )A 1)&1112ard ,or! 'ettin' my resi'nation acted onA 3ut release came today. = didn<t ,ant to a''ravate suspicion 3y decampin' outri'ht. 5ast ,ee! = heard from 6ames a3out 8oore<s death113ut nothin' more than is in the papers. Those around him in ;e, .or! seem rather reticent a3out detailsA thou'h they all tal! a3out a searchin' investi'ation. ;o ,ord from any of my friends in the East. 8oore must have spread some dan'erous suspicions around 3efore he lost consciousness113ut there isn<t an iota of proof he could have adduced. StillA = am ta!in' no chances. +n Thursday = shall start for 8om3asaA and ,hen there ,ill ta!e a steamer do,n the coast to $ur3an. After that = shall drop from si'ht113ut soon after,ard the minin' properties 3ro!er 4rederic! ;asmyth 8asonA from TorontoA ,ill turn up in 6ohannes3ur'. 5et this 3e the end of my Cournal. =f in the end = am not suspectedA it ,ill serve its ori'inal purpose after my death and reveal ,hat ,ould not other,ise 3e !no,n. =fA on the other handA these suspicions do materialize and persistA it ,ill confirm and clarify the

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va'ue char'esA and fill in many important and puzzlin' 'aps. +f courseA if dan'er comes my ,ay = shall have to destroy it. WellA 8oore is dead11as he amply deserves to 3e. ;o, $octor Thomas Slauen,ite is deadA too. And ,hen the 3ody formerly 3elon'in' to Thomas Slauen,ite is deadA the pu3lic may have this record.

,,,.
6an. 1 A 1)&"11A ne, year11and a reluctant reopenin' of this Cournal. This time = am ,ritin' solely to relieve my mindA for it ,ould 3e a3surd to fancy that the case is not definitely closed. = am settled in the ?aal 2otelA 6ohannes3ur'A under my ne, nameA and no one has so far challen'ed my identity. 2ave had some inconclusive 3usiness tal!s to !eep up my part as a mine 3ro!erA and 3elieve = may actually ,or! myself into that 3usiness. 5ater = shall 'o to Toronto and plant a fe, evidences for my fictitious past. But ,hat is 3otherin' me is an insect that invaded my room around noon today. +f course = have had all sorts of ni'htmares a3out 3lue flies of lateA 3ut those ,ere only to 3e e%pected in vie, of my prevailin' nervous strain. This thin'A ho,everA ,as a ,a!in' actualityA and = am utterly at a loss to account for it. =t 3uzzed around my 3oo!shelf for fully a Duarter of an hourA and eluded every attempt to catch or !ill it. The Dueerest thin' ,as its color and aspect11for it had 3lue ,in's and ,as in every ,ay a duplicate of my hy3rid envoys of death. 2o, it could possi3ly 3e one of these in factA = certainly don<t !no,. = disposed of all the hy3rids11stained and unstained11that = didn<t send to 8ooreA and can<t recall any instance of escape. Can this 3e ,holly an hallucinationG +r could any of the specimens that escaped in Broo!lyn ,hen 8oore ,as 3itten have found their ,ay 3ac! to AfricaG There ,as that a3surd story of the fly that ,a!ed $yson ,hen 8oore died113ut after allA the survival and return of some of the thin's is not impossi3le. =t is perfectly plausi3le that the 3lue should stic! to their ,in'sA for the pi'ment = devised ,as almost as 'ood as tattooin' for permanence. By eliminationA that ,ould seem to 3e the only rational e%planation for this thin'B thou'h it is very curious that the fello, has come as far south as this. >ossi3ly its some hereditary homin' instinct inherent in the tsetse strain. After allA that side of him 3elon's to South Africa. = must 3e on my 'uard a'ainst a 3ite. +f course the ori'inal venom11if this is actually one of the flies that escaped from 8oore11,as ,orn out a'es a'oB 3ut the fello, must have fed as he fle, 3ac! from AmericaA and he may ,ell have come throu'h Central Africa and pic!ed up a fresh infectivity. =ndeedA that<s more pro3a3le than notB for the palpalis half of his heredity ,ould naturally ta!e him 3ac! to ('andaA and all the trypanosomiasis 'erms. = still have some of the tryparsamide left11= couldn<t 3ear to destroy my medicine caseA incriminatin' thou'h it may 3e113ut since readin' up on the su3Cect = am not so sure a3out the dru'<s action as = ,as. =t 'ives one a fi'htin' chance11certainly it saved 7am3a113ut there<s al,ays a lar'e pro3a3ility of failure. =t<s devilish Dueer that this fly should have happened to come into my room11of all places in the ,ide e%panse of AfricaF Seems to strain coincidence to 3rea!in' point. = suppose that if it comes a'ainA = shall certainly !ill it. =<m surprised that it escaped me

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todayA for ordinarily these fello,s are e%tremely stupid and easy to catch. Can it 3e a pure illusion after allG Certainly the heat is 'ettin' me of late as it never did 3efore11even up around ('anda. 6an. 1-11Am = 'oin' insaneG The fly came up a'ain this noonA and acted so anomalously that = can<t ma!e head or tail of it. +nly delusion on my part could account for ,hat that 3uzzin' pest seemed to do. =t appeared from no,hereA and ,ent strai'ht to my 3oo!shelf11 circlin' a'ain and a'ain to front a copy of 8oore<s #iptera of Central and Sout"ern Africa. ;o, and then it ,ould li'ht on top or 3ac! of the volumeA and occasionally it ,ould dart for,ard to,ard me and retreat 3efore = could stri!e at it ,ith a folded paper. Such cunnin' is unheard of amon' the notoriously stupid African diptera. 4or nearly half an hour = tried to 'et the cursed thin'A 3ut at last it darted out the ,indo, throu'h a hole in the screen that = hadn<t noticed. At times = fancied it deli3erately moc!ed me 3y comin' ,ithin reach of my ,eapon and then s!ilfully sidesteppin' as = struc! out. = must !eep a ti'ht hold of my consciousness. 6an. 1711Either = am mad or the ,orld is in the 'rip of some sudden suspension of the la,s of pro3a3ility as ,e !no, them. That damna3le fly came in from some,here Cust 3efore noon and commenced 3uzzin' around the copy of 8oore<s #iptera on my shelf. A'ain = tried to catch itA and a'ain yesterday<s e%perience ,as repeated. 4inally the pest made for the open in!,ell on my ta3le and dipped itself in11Cust the le's and thora%A !eepin' its ,in's clear. Then it sailed up to the ceilin' and lit113e'innin' to cra,l around in a curved patch and leavin' a trail of in!. After a time it hopped a 3it and made a sin'le in! spot unconnected ,ith the trail11until it dropped sDuarely in front of my faceA and 3uzzed out of si'ht 3efore = could 'et it. Somethin' a3out this ,hole 3usiness struc! me as monstrously sinister and a3normal11 more so than = could e%plain to myself. When = loo!ed at the in!1trail on the ceilin' from different an'lesA it seemed more and more familiar to meA and it da,ned on me suddenly that it formed an a3solutely perfect Duestionmar!. What device could 3e more mali'nly appropriateG =t is a ,onder that = did not faint. So far the hotel attendants have not noticed it. 2ave not seen the fly this afternoon and evenin'A 3ut am !eepin' my in!,ell securely closed. = thin! my e%termination of 8oore must 3e preyin' on meA and 'ivin' me mor3id hallucinations. >erhaps there is no fly at all. 6an. 1811=nto ,hat stran'e hell of livin' ni'htmare am = plun'edG What occurred today is somethin' ,hich could not normally happen11and yet an "otel attendant "as seen t"e marks on t"e ceiling and concedes t"eir reality. A3out 11 o<cloc! this mornin'A as = ,as ,ritin' on a manuscriptA somethin' darted do,n to the in!,ell for a second and flashed aloft a'ain 3efore = could see ,hat it ,as. 5oo!in' upA = sa, that hellish fly on the ceilin' as it had 3een 3efore11cra,lin' alon' and tracin' another trail of curves and turns. There ,as nothin' = could doA 3ut = folded a ne,spaper in readiness to 'et the creature if it should fly near enou'h. When it had made several turns on the ceilin' it fle, into a dar! corner and disappearedA and as = loo!ed up,ard at the dou3ly defaced plasterin' = sa, that the ne, in!1trail ,as that of a hu'e and unmista!a3le fi'ure F 4or a time = ,as almost unconscious from a ,ave of nameless menace for ,hich = could not fully account. Then = summoned up my resolution and too! an active step. 7oin' out to a chemist<s shop = purchased some 'um and other thin's necessary for preparin' a stic!y trap11also a duplicate in!,ell. :eturnin' to my roomA = filled the ne, in!,ell ,ith the

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stic!y mi%ture and set it ,here the old one had 3eenA leavin' it open. Then = tried to concentrate my mind on some readin'. A3out & o<cloc! = heard the accursed insect a'ainA and sa, it circlin' around the ne, in!,ell. =t descended to the stic!y surface 3ut did not touch itA and after,ard sailed strai'ht to,ard me11retreatin' 3efore = could hit it. Then it ,ent to the 3oo!shelf and circled around 8oore<s treatise. There is somethin' profound and dia3olic a3out the ,ay the intruder hovers near that 3oo!. The ,orst part ,as the last. 5eavin' 8oore<s 3oo!A the insect fle, over to the open ,indo, and 3e'an 3eatin' itself rhythmically a'ainst the ,ire screen. There ,ould 3e a series of 3eats and then a series of eDual len'th and another pauseA and so on. Somethin' a3out this performance held me motionless for a couple of momentsA 3ut after that = ,ent over to the ,indo, and tried to !ill the no%ious thin'. As usualA no use. =t merely fle, across the room to a lamp and 3e'an 3eatin' the same tattoo on the stiff card3oard shade. = felt a va'ue desperation and proceeded to shut all the doors as ,ell as the ,indo, ,hose screen had the impercepti3le hole. =t seemed very necessary to !ill this persistent 3ein'A ,hose houndin' ,as rapidly unseatin' my mind. ThenA unconsciously countin'A = 3e'an to notice that each of its series of 3eatin's contained Cus fi!e stro!es. 4ive11the same num3er that the thin' had traced in in! on the ceilin' in the mornin'F Could there 3e any conceiva3le connectionG The notion ,as maniacalA for that ,ould ar'ue a human intellect and a !no,led'e of ,ritten fi'ures in the hy3rid fly. A human intellect11did that not ta!e one 3ac! to the most primitive le'ends of the ('anda 3lac!sG And yet there ,as that infernal cleverness in eludin' me as contrasted ,ith the normal stupidity of the 3reed. As = laid aside my folded paper and sat do,n in 'ro,in' horrorA the insect 3uzzed aloft and disappeared throu'h a hole in the ceilin' ,here the radiator pipe ,ent to the room a3ove. The departure did not soothe meA for my mind had started on a train of ,ild and terri3le reflections. =f this fly had a human intelli'enceA ,here did that intelli'ence come fromG Was there any truth in the native notion that these creatures acDuire the personality of their victims after the latters< deathG =f soA ,hose personality did this fly 3earG = had reasoned out that it must 3e one of those ,hich escaped from 8oore at the time he ,as 3itten. Was t"is t"e en!oy of deat" $"ic" "ad bitten Moore/ If so& $"at did it $ant $it" me/ What did it ,ant ,ith me any,ayG =n a cold perspiration = remem3ered the actions of the fly that had 3itten Batta ,hen Batta died. 2ad its o,n personality 3een displaced 3y that of its dead victimG Then there ,as that sensational ne,s account of the fly that ,a!ed $yson ,hen 8oore died. As for that fly that ,as houndin' me11could it 3e that a vindictive human personality drove it onG 2o, it hovered around 8oore<s 3oo!F11= refused to thin! any farther than that. All at once = 3e'an to feel sure that the creature ,as indeed infectedA and in the most virulent ,ay. With a mali'n deli3eration so evident in every actA it must surely have char'ed itself on purpose ,ith the deadliest 3acilli in all Africa. 8y mindA thorou'hly sha!enA ,as no, ta!in' the thin'<s human Dualities for 'ranted. = no, telephoned the cler! and as!ed for a man to stop up the radiator pipehole and other possi3le chin!s in my room. = spo!e of 3ein' tormented 3y fliesA and he seemed to 3e Duite sympathetic. When the man cameA = sho,ed him the in!mar!s on the ceilin'A ,hich he reco'nized ,ithout difficulty. So they are realF The resem3lance to a Duestionmar! and a fi'ure five puzzled and fascinated him. =n the end he stopped up all the holes he could findA and mended the ,indo,1screenA so that = can no, !eep 3oth ,indo,s open. 2e evidently thou'ht me a 3it eccentricA especially since no insects ,ere in

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si'ht ,hile he ,as here. But = am past mindin' that. So far the fly has not appeared this evenin'. 7od !no,s ,hat it isA ,hat it ,antsA or ,hat ,ill 3ecome of meF 6an. 1)11= am utterly en'ulfed in horror. T"e t"ing "as touc"ed me. Somethin' monstrous and demoniac is at ,or! around meA and = am a helpless victim. =n the mornin'A ,hen = returned from 3rea!fastA that ,in'ed fiend from hell 3rushed into the room over my headA and 3e'an 3eatin' itself a'ainst the ,indo,1screen as it did yesterday. This timeA thou'hA each series of 3eats contained only four stro!es. = rushed to the ,indo, and tried to catch itA 3ut it escaped as usual and fle, over to 8oore<s treatiseA ,here it 3uzzed around moc!in'ly. =ts vocal eDuipment is limitedA 3ut = noticed that its spells of 3uzzin' came in 'roups of four. By this time = ,as certainly madA for = called out to it )Moore& Moore& for God+s sake& $"at do you $ant/) When = did soA the creature suddenly ceased its circlin'A fle, to,ard meA and made a lo,A 'raceful dip in the airA someho, su''estive of a 3o,. Then it fle, 3ac! to the 3oo!. At leastA = seemed to see it do this11thou'h = am trustin' my senses no lon'er. And then the ,orst thin' happened. = had left my door openA hopin' the monster ,ould leave if = could not catch itB 3ut a3out 119&* = shut the doorA concludin' it had 'one. Then = settled do,n to read. 6ust at noon = felt a tic!lin' on the 3ac! of my nec!A 3ut ,hen = put my hand up nothin' ,as there. =n a moment = felt the tic!lin' a'ain11and 3efore = could moveA that nameless spa,n of hell sailed into vie, from 3ehindA did another of those moc!in'A 'raceful dips in the airA and fle, out throu'h the !ey1hole11,hich = never dreamed ,as lar'e enou'h to allo, its passa'e. That the thin' had touched meA = could not dou3t. =t had touched me ,ithout inCurin' me11and then = remem3ered in a sudden cold fri'ht that 8oore had 3een 3itten on t"e back of t"e neck at noon. ;o invasion since then113ut = have stuffed all the !eyholes ,ith paper and shall have a folded paper ready for use ,henever = open the door to leave or enter. 6an. "*11= can not yet 3elieve fully in the supernaturalA yet = fear none the less that = am lost. The 3usiness is too much for me. 6ust 3efore noon today that devil appeared outside the ,indo, and repeated its 3eatin' operationsB 3ut this time in series of t"ree. When = ,ent to the ,indo, it fle, out of si'ht. = still have resolution enou'h to ta!e one more defensive step. :emovin' 3oth ,indo,1screensA = coated them ,ith my stic! preparation11 the one = used in the in!1,ell11outside and insideA and set them 3ac! in place. =f that creature attempts another tattooA it ,ill 3e its lastF :est of the day in peace. Can = ,eather this e%perience ,ithout 3ecomin' a maniacG 6an. "111+n 3oard train for Bloemfontein. = am routed. The thin' is ,innin'. =t has a dia3olic intelli'ence a'ainst ,hich all my devices are po,erless. =t appeared outside the ,indo, this mornin'A but did not touc" t"e sticky screen. =nstead it sheared off ,ithout li'htin' and 3e'an 3uzzin' around in circles11 t$o at a timeA follo,ed 3y a pause in the air. After several of these performances it fle, off out of si'ht over the roofs of the city. 8y nerves are Cust at the 3rea!in'1pointA for these suggestions of numbers are capa3le of a hideous interpretation. 8onday the thin' d,elt on the fi'ure fi!e1 Tuesday it ,as four1 Wednesday it ,as t"ree1 and no, today it is

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t$o. 7i!e& four& t"ree& t$o11,hat can this 3e save come monstrous and unthin!a3le counting-off of days/ 4or ,hat purposeA only the evil po,ers of the universe can !no,. = spent all the afternoon pac!in' and arran'in' my trun!sA and no, = have ta!en the ni'ht e%press for Bloemfontein. 4li'ht may 3e uselessA 3ut ,hat else can one doG 6an. ""11Settled at the +ran'e 2otelA Bloemfontein11a comforta3le and e%cellent place113ut the horror follo,ed me. = had shut all the doors and ,indo,sA stopped all the !eyholesA loo!ed for any possi3le chin!sA and pulled do,n all the shades113ut Cust 3efore noon = heard a dull tap on one of the ,indo,1screens. = ,aited11and after a lon' pause another tap came. A second pauseA and still another sin'le tap. :aisin' the shadeA = sa, that accursed flyA as = had e%pected. =t descri3ed one lar'eA slo, circle in the airA and then fle, out of si'ht. = ,as left as ,ea! as a ra'A and had to rest on the couch. 'neC This ,as clearly the 3urden of the monster<s present messa'e. 'ne tapA one circle. $id this mean one more day for me 3efore some unthin!a3le doomG +u'ht = to flee a'ainA or entrench myself here 3y sealin' up the roomG After an hour<s rest = felt a3le to actA and ordered a lar'e reserve supply of canned and pac!a'ed food11also linen and to,els11sent in. Tomorro, = shall not under any circumstances open any crevice of door or ,indo,. When the food and linen came the 3lac! loo!ed at me DueerlyA 3ut = no lon'er care ho, eccentric11or insane11= may appear. = am hounded 3y po,ers ,orse than the ridicule of man!ind. 2avin' received my suppliesA = ,ent over every sDuare millimeter of the ,allsA and stopped up every microscopic openin' = could find. At last = feel a3le to 'et some sleep. J9and$riting "ere becomes irregular& ner!ous& and !ery difficult to decip"er.K 6an. "&11=t is Cust 3efore noonA and = feel that somethin' very terri3le is a3out to happen. $idn<t sleep as late as = e%pectedA even thou'h = 'ot almost no sleep on the train the ni'ht 3efore. (p earlyA and have had trou3le 'ettin' concentrated on anythin'11readin' or ,ritin'. That slo,A deli3erate countin'1off of days is too much for me. = don<t !no, ,hich has 'one ,ild11nature or my head. (ntil a3out eleven = did very little e%cept ,al! up and do,n the room. Then = heard a rustle amon' the food pac!a'es 3rou'ht in yesterdayA and that demoniac fly cra,led out 3efore my eyes. = 'ra33ed somethin' flat and made passes at the thin' despite my panic fearA 3ut ,ith no more effect than usual. As = advanceA that 3lue1,in'ed horror retreated as usual to the ta3le ,here = had piled my 3oo!sA and lit for a second on 8oore<s #iptera of Central and Sout"ern Africa. Then as = follo,edA it fle, over to the mantel cloc! and lit on the dial near the fi'ure 1". Before = could thin! up another move it had 3e'un to cra,l around the dial very slo,ly and deli3erately11in the direction of the hands. =t passed under the minute handA curved do,n and upA passed under the hour handA and finally came to a stop e%actly at the fi'ure 1". As it hovered there it fluttered its ,in's ,ith a 3uzzin' noise. =s this a portent of some sortG = am 'ettin' as superstitious as the 3lac!s. The hour is no, a little after eleven. =s t,elve the endG = have Cust one last resortA 3rou'ht to my mind throu'h utter desperation. :ecallin' that my medicine case contains 3oth of the su3stances necessary to 'enerate chlorine 'asA = have resolved to fill the room ,ith that lethal vapor11 asphy%iatin' the fly ,hile protectin' myself ,ith an ammonia1sealed hand!erchief tied over my face. 4ortunately = have a 'ood supply of ammonia. This crude mas! ,ill

H.P.Lovecr !t

Win'ed $eath

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pro3a3ly neutralize the acrid chlorine fumes till the insect is dead11or at least helpless enou'h to crush. But = must 3e Duic!. 2o, can = 3e sure that the thin' ,ill not suddenly dart for me 3efore my preparations are completeG = ou'ht not to 3e stoppin' to ,rite in this Cournal. (ater11Both chemicals11hydrochloric acid and man'anese dio%ide11on the ta3le ready to mi%. =<ve tied the hand!erchief over my nose and mouthA and have a 3ottle of ammonia ready to !eep it soa!ed until the chlorine is 'one. 2ave 3attened do,n 3oth ,indo,s. But = don<t li!e the actions of that hy3rid demon. =t stays on the cloc!A 3ut is very slo,ly cra,lin' around 3ac!,ard from the 1" mar! to meet the 'radually advancin' minute hand. =s this to 3e my last entry in this CournalG =t ,ould 3e useless to try to deny ,hat = suspect. Too often a 'rain of incredi3le truth lur!s 3ehind the ,ildest and most fantastic of le'ends. =s the personality of 2enry 8oore tryin' to 'et at me throu'h this 3lue1,in'ed devilG =s this the fly that 3it himA and that in conseDuence a3sor3ed his personality ,hen he diedG =f soA and if it 3ites meA ,ill my o,n personality displace 8oore<s and enter that 3uzzin' 3ody ,hen = die of the 3ite later onG >erhapsA thou'hA = need not die even if it 'ets me. There is al,ays a chance ,ith tryparsamide. And = re'ret nothin'. 8oore had to dieA 3e the outcome ,hat it ,ill. Slig"tly later. The fly has paused on the cloc!1dial near the # 1minute mar!. =t is no, 119&*. = am saturatin' the hand!erchief over my face ,ith ammoniaA and !eepin' the 3ottle handy for further applications. This ,ill 3e the final entry 3efore = mi% the acid and man'anese and li3erate the chlorine. = ou'ht not to 3e losin' timeA 3ut it steadies me to 'et thin's do,n on paper. But for this recordA =<d have lost all my reason lon' a'o. The fly seems to 3e 'ettin' restlessA and the minute1hand is approachin' it. ;o, for the cholrine. . . . A nd of t"e FournalB +n SundayA 6an. "#A 1)&"A after repeated !noc!in' had failed to 'ain any response from the eccentric man in :oom &*& of the +ran'e 2otelA a 3lac! attendant entered ,ith a pass !ey and at once fled shrie!in' do,nstairs to tell the cler! ,hat he had found. The cler!A after notifyin' the policeA summoned the mana'erB and the latter accompanied Consta3le $e WittA Coroner Bo'aertA and $octor ?an 0eulen to the fatal room. The occupant lay dead on the floor11his face up,ardA and 3ound ,ith a hand!erchief ,hich smelled stron'ly of ammonia. (nder this coverin' the features sho,ed an e%pression of star!A utter fear ,hich transmitted itself to the o3servers. +n the 3ac! of the nec! $octor ?an 0eulen found a virulent insect 3ite11dar! redA ,ith a purple rin' around it11,hich su''ested a tsetse fly or somethin' less innocuous. An e%amination indicated that death must 3e due to heart1failure induced 3y sheer fri'ht rather than to the 3ite11 thou'h a su3seDuent autopsy indicated that the 'erm of trypanosomiasis had 3een introduced into the system. +n the ta3le ,ere several o3Cects11a ,orn leather 3lan!3oo! containin' the Cournal Cust descri3edA a penA ,ritin'1padA and open in!,ellA a doctor<s medicine case ,ith the initials LT. S.L mar!ed in 'oldA 3ottles of ammonia and hydrochloric acidA and a tum3ler a3out a Duarter full of 3lac! man'anese dio%ide. The ammonia 3ottle demanded a second loo!

H.P.Lovecr !t

Win'ed $eath

11"7

3ecause somethin' 3esides the fluid seemed to 3e in it. 5oo!in' closerA Coroner Bo'aert sa, that the alien occupant ,as a fly. =t seemed to 3e some sort of hy3rid ,ith va'ue tsetse affiliationsA 3ut its ,in's11 sho,in' faintly 3lue despite the action of the stron' ammonia11,ere a complete puzzle. Somethin' a3out it ,a!ed a faint memory of a ne,spaper readin' in $octor ?an 0eulen11a memory ,hich the Cournal ,as soon to confirm. =ts lo,er parts seemed to have 3een stained ,ith in!A so thorou'hly that even the ammonia had not 3leached them. >ossi3ly it had fallen at one time into the in!,ellA thou'h the ,in's ,ere untouched. But ho, had it mana'ed to fall into the narro,1nec!ed ammonia 3ottleG =t ,as as if the creature had deli3erately cra,led in and committed suicideF But the stran'est thin' of all ,as ,hat Consta3le $e Witt noticed on the smooth ,hite ceilin' overhead as his eyes roved a3out curiously. At his cry the other three follo,ed his 'aze11even $octor ?an 0eulenA ,ho had for some time 3een thum3in' throu'h the ,orn leather 3oo! ,ith an e%pression of mi%ed horrorA fascinationA and incredulity. The thin' on the ceilin' ,as a series of sha!yA stra''lin' in!1trac!sA such as mi'ht have 3een made 3y the cra,lin' of some in!1drenched insect. At once every one thou'ht of the stains on the fly so oddly found in the ammonia13ottle. But these ,ere no ordinary in!1trac!s. Even a first 'lance revealed somethin' hauntin'ly familiar a3out themA and closer inspection 3rou'ht 'asps of startled ,onder from all four o3servers. Coroner Bo'aert instinctively loo!ed around the room to see if there ,ere any conceiva3le instrument or arran'ement of piled1up furniture ,hich could ma!e it possi3le for those stra''lin' mar!s to have 3een dra,n 3y human a'ency. 4indin' nothin' of the sortA he resumed his curious and a,esome up,ard 'lance. 4or 3eyond a dou3t these in!y smud'es formed definite letters of the alpha3et11letters coherently arran'ed in En'lish ,ords. The doctor ,as the first to ma!e them out clearlyA and the others listened 3reathlessly as he recited the insane1soundin' messa'e so incredi3ly scra,led in a place no human hand could reach9 LSEE 8. 6+(:;A511IT 7+T 8E 4=:ST11= $=E$11T2E; = SAW = WAS =; IT11T2E B5AC0S A:E :=72T11ST:A;7E >+WE:S =; ;AT(:E11;+W = W=55 $:+W; W2AT =S 5E4T11L >resentlyA amid the puzzled hush that follo,edA $octor ?an 0eulen commenced readin' aloud from the ,orn leather Cournal.

Withi# the W lls o! Er&1

Before = try to rest = ,ill set do,n these notes in preparation for the report = must ma!e. What = have found is so sin'ularA and so contrary to all past e%perience and e%pectationsA that it deserves a very careful description. = reached the main landin' on ?enusA 8arch 18A terrestrial timeB ?=A ) of the planet<s calendar. Bein' put in the main 'roup under 8illerA = received my eDuipment 1 ,atch tuned to ?enus<s sli'htly Duic!er rotation 1 and ,ent throu'h the usual mas! drill. After t,o days = ,as pronounced fit for duty. 5eavin' the Crystal Company<s post at Terra ;ova around da,nA ?=A 1"A = follo,ed the southerly route ,hich Anderson had mapped out from the air. The 'oin' ,as 3adA for these Cun'les are al,ays half impassa3le after a rain. =t must 3e the moisture that 'ives the tan'led vines and creepers that leathery tou'hnessB a tou'hness so 'reat that a !nife has to ,or! ten minutes on some of them. By noon it ,as dryer 1 the ve'etation 'ettin' soft and ru33ery so that my !nife ,ent throu'h it easily 1 3ut even then = could not ma!e much speed. These Carter o%y'en mas!s are too heavy 1 Cust carryin' one half ,ears an ordinary man out. A $u3ois mas! ,ith spon'e1reservoir instead of tu3es ,ould 'ive Cust as 'ood air at half the ,ei'ht. The crystal1detector seemed to function ,ellA pointin' steadily in a direction verifyin' Anderson<s report. =t is curious ho, that principle of affinity ,or!s 1 ,ithout any of the fa!ery of the old <divinin' rods< 3ac! home. There must 3e a 'reat deposit of crystals ,ithin a thousand milesA thou'h = suppose those damna3le man1lizards al,ays ,atch and 'uard it. >ossi3ly they thin! ,e are Cust as foolish for comin' to ?enus to hunt the stuff as ,e thin! they are for 'rovellin' in the mud ,henever they see a piece of itA or for !eepin' that 'reat mass on a pedestal in their temple. = ,ish they<d 'et a ne, reli'ionA for they have no use for the crystals e%cept to pray to. Barrin' theolo'yA they ,ould let us ta!e all ,e ,ant 1 and even if they learned to tap them for po,er there<d 3e more than enou'h for their planet and the earth 3esides. = for one am tired of passin' up the main deposits and merely see!in' separate crystals out of Cun'le river13eds. Sometime =<ll ur'e the ,ipin' out of these scaly 3e''ars 3y a 'ood stiff army from home. A3out t,enty ships could 3rin' enou'h troops across to turn the tric!. +ne can<t call the damned thin's men for all their <cities< and to,ers. They haven<t any s!ill e%cept 3uildin' 1 and usin' s,ords and poison darts 1 and = don<t 3elieve their so1called <cities< mean much more than ant1hills or 3eaver1 dams. = dou3t if they even have a real lan'ua'e 1 all the tal! a3out psycholo'ical communication throu'h those tentacles do,n their chests stri!es me as 3un!. What misleads people is their upri'ht postureB Cust an accidental physical resem3lance to terrestrial man. =<d li!e to 'o throu'h a ?enus Cun'le for once ,ithout havin' to ,atch out for s!ul!in' 'roups of them or dod'e their cursed darts. They may have 3een all ri'ht 3efore ,e 3e'an to ta!e the crystalsA 3ut they<re certainly a 3ad enou'h nuisance no, 1 ,ith their dart1 shootin' and their cuttin' of our ,ater pipes. 8ore and more = come to 3elieve that they have a special sense li!e our crystal1detectors. ;o one ever !ne, them to 3other a man 1 apart from lon'1distance snipin' 1 ,ho didn<t have crystals on him.

H.P.Lovecr !t

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Around 1 >.8. a dart nearly too! my helmet offA and = thou'ht for a second one of my o%y'en tu3es ,as punctured. The sly devils hadn<t made a soundA 3ut three of them ,ere closin' in on me. = 'ot them all 3y s,eepin' in a circle ,ith my flame pistolA for even thou'h their colour 3lended ,ith the Cun'leA = could spot the movin' creepers. +ne of them ,as fully ei'ht feet tallA ,ith a snout li!e a tapir<s. The other t,o ,ere avera'e seven1 footers. All that ma!es them hold their o,n is sheer num3ers 1 even a sin'le re'iment of flame thro,ers could raise hell ,ith them. =t is curiousA thou'hA ho, they<ve come to 3e dominant on the planet. ;ot another livin' thin' hi'her than the ,ri''lin' a!mans and s!orahsA or the flyin' tu!ahs of the other continent 1 unless of course those holes in the $ionaean >lateau hide somethin'. A3out t,o o<cloc! my detector veered ,est,ardA indicatin' isolated crystals ahead on the ri'ht. This chec!ed up ,ith AndersonA and = turned my course accordin'ly. =t ,as harder 'oin' 1 not only 3ecause the 'round ,as risin'A 3ut 3ecause the animal life and carnivorous plants ,ere thic!er. = ,as al,ays slashin' u'rats and steppin' on s!orahsA and my leather suit ,as all spec!led from the 3urstin' darohs ,hich struc! it from all sides. The sunli'ht ,as all the ,orse 3ecause of the mistA and did not seem to dry up the mud in the least. Every time = stepped my feet san! do,n five or si% inchesA and there ,as a suc!in' sort of blup every time = pulled them out. = ,ish some3ody ,ould invent a safe !ind of suitin' other than leather for this climate. Cloth of course ,ould rotB 3ut some thin metallic tissue that couldn<t tear 1 li!e the surface of this revolvin' decay1proof record scroll 1 ou'ht to 3e feasi3le sometime. = ate a3out &9&* 1 if slippin' these ,retched food ta3lets throu'h my mas! can 3e called eatin'. Soon after that = noticed a decided chan'e in the landscape 1 the 3ri'htA poisonous1 loo!in' flo,ers shiftin' in colour and 'ettin' ,raith1li!e. The outlines of everythin' shimmered rhythmicallyA and 3ri'ht points of li'ht appeared and danced in the same slo,A steady tempo. After that the temperature seemed to fluctuate in unison ,ith a peculiar rhythmic drummin'. The ,hole universe seemed to 3e thro33in' in deepA re'ular pulsations that filled every corner of space and flo,ed throu'h my 3ody and mind ali!e. = lost all sense of eDuili3rium and sta''ered dizzilyA nor did it chan'e thin's in the least ,hen = shut my eyes and covered my ears ,ith my hands. 2o,everA my mind ,as still clearA and in a very fe, minutes = realized ,hat had happened. = had encountered at last one of those curious mira'e1plants a3out ,hich so many of our men told stories. Anderson had ,arned me of themA and descri3ed their appearance very closely 1 the sha''y stal!A the spi!y leavesA and the mottled 3lossoms ,hose 'aseousA dream13reedin' e%halations penetrate every e%istin' ma!e of mas!. :ecallin' ,hat happened to Bailey three years a'oA = fell into a momentary panicA and 3e'an to dash and sta''er a3out in the crazyA chaotic ,orld ,hich the plant<s e%halations had ,oven around me. Then 'ood sense came 3ac!A and = realized all = need do ,as retreat from the dan'erous 3lossoms 1 headin' a,ay from the source of the pulsationsA and cuttin' a path 3lindly 1 re'ardless of ,hat mi'ht seem to s,irl around me 1 until safely out of the plant<s effective radius. Althou'h everythin' ,as spinnin' perilouslyA = tried to start in the ri'ht direction and hac! my ,ay ahead. 8y route must have 3een far from strai'htA for it seemed hours 3efore

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Within the Walls of Ery%

11&*

= ,as free of the mira'e1plant<s pervasive influence. 7radually the dancin' li'hts 3e'an to disappearA and the shimmerin' spectral scenery 3e'an to assume the aspect of solidity. When = did 'et ,holly clear = loo!ed at my ,atch and ,as astonished to find that the time ,as only #9"*. Thou'h eternities had seemed to passA the ,hole e%perience could have consumed little more than a half1hour. Every delayA ho,everA ,as ir!someA and = had lost 'round in my retreat from the plant. = no, pushed ahead in the uphill direction indicated 3y the crystal1detectorA 3endin' every ener'y to,ard ma!in' 3etter time. The Cun'le ,as still thic!A thou'h there ,as less animal life. +nce a carnivorous 3lossom en'ulfed my ri'ht foot and held it so ti'htly that = had to hac! it free ,ith my !nifeB reducin' the flo,er to strips 3efore it let 'o. =n less than an hour = sa, that the Cun'le 'ro,ths ,ere thinnin' outA and 3y five o<cloc! 1 after passin' throu'h a 3elt of tree1ferns ,ith very little under3rush 1 = emer'ed on a 3road mossy plateau. 8y pro'ress no, 3ecame rapidA and = sa, 3y the ,averin' of my detector1needle that = ,as 'ettin' relatively close to the crystal = sou'ht. This ,as oddA for most of the scatteredA e''1li!e spheroids occurred in Cun'le streams of a sort not li!ely to 3e found on this treeless upland. The terrain sloped up,ardA endin' in a definite crest. = reached the top a3out 9&* and sa, ahead of me a very e%tensive plain ,ith forests in the distance. ThisA ,ithout DuestionA ,as the plateau mapped 3y 8atsu'a,a from the air fifty years a'oA and called on our maps <Ery%< or the <Erycinian 2i'hland.< But ,hat made my heart leap ,as a smaller detailA ,hose position could not have 3een far from the plain<s e%act centre. =t ,as a sin'le point of li'htA 3lazin' throu'h the mist and seemin' to dra, a piercin'A concentrated luminescence from the yello,ishA vapour1dulled sun3eams. ThisA ,ithout dou3tA ,as the crystal = sou'ht 1 a thin' possi3ly no lar'er than a hen<s e''A yet containin' enou'h po,er to !eep a city ,arm for a year. = could hardly ,onderA as = 'limpsed the distant 'lo,A that those misera3le man1lizards ,orship such crystals. And yet they have not the least notion of the po,ers they contain. Brea!in' into a rapid runA = tried to reach the une%pected prize as soon as possi3leB and ,as annoyed ,hen the firm moss 'ave place to a thinA sin'ularly detesta3le mud studded ,ith occasional patches of ,eeds and creepers. But = splashed on heedlessly 1 scarcely thin!in' to loo! around for any of the s!ul!in' man1lizards. =n this open space = ,as not very li!ely to 3e ,aylaid. As = advancedA the li'ht ahead seemed to 'ro, in size and 3rilliancyA and = 3e'an to notice some peculiarity in its situation. ClearlyA this ,as a crystal of the very finest DualityA and my elation 're, ,ith every spatterin' step. =t is no, that = must 3e'in to 3e careful in ma!in' my reportA since ,hat = shall hencefor,ard have to say involves unprecedented 1 thou'h fortunately verifia3le 1 matters. = ,as racin' ahead ,ith mountin' ea'ernessA and had come ,ithin a hundred yards or so of the crystal 1 ,hose position on a sort of raised place in the omnipresent slime seemed very odd 1 ,hen a suddenA overpo,erin' force struc! my chest and the !nuc!les of my clenched fists and !noc!ed me over 3ac!,ard into the mud. The splash of my fall ,as terrificA nor did the softness of the 'round and the presence of some slimy ,eeds and creepers save my head from a 3e,ilderin' Carrin'. 4or a moment = lay supineA too utterly startled to thin!. Then = half mechanically stum3led to my feet and 3e'an to scrape the ,orst of the mud and scum from my leather suit.

H.P.Lovecr !t

Within the Walls of Ery%

11&1

+f ,hat = had encountered = could not form the faintest idea. = had seen nothin' ,hich could have caused the shoc!A and = sa, nothin' no,. 2ad =A after allA merely slipped in the mudG 8y sore !nuc!les and achin' chest for3ade me to thin! so. +r ,as this ,hole incident an illusion 3rou'ht on 3y some hidden mira'e1plantG =t hardly seemed pro3a3leA since = had none of the usual symptomsA and since there ,as no place near 3y ,here so vivid and typical a 'ro,th could lur! unseen. 2ad = 3een on the earthA = ,ould have suspected a 3arrier of ;1force laid do,n 3y some 'overnment to mar! a for3idden zoneA 3ut in this humanless re'ion such a notion ,ould have 3een a3surd. 4inally pullin' myself to'etherA = decided to investi'ate in a cautious ,ay. 2oldin' my !nife as far as possi3le ahead of meA so that it mi'ht 3e first to feel the stran'e forceA = started once more for the shinin' crystal 1 preparin' to advance step 3y step ,ith the 'reatest deli3eration. At the third step = ,as 3rou'ht up short 3y the impact of the !nife 1 point on an apparently solid surface 1 a solid surface ,here my eyes sa, nothin'. After a moment<s recoil = 'ained 3oldness. E%tendin' my 'loved left hands = verified the presence of invisi3le solid matter 1 or a tactile illusion of solid matter 1 ahead of me. (pon movin' my hand = found that the 3arrier ,as of su3stantial e%tentA and of an almost 'lassy smoothnessA ,ith no evidence of the Coinin' of separate 3loc!s. ;ervin' myself for further e%perimentsA = removed a 'love and tested the thin' ,ith my 3are hand. =t ,as indeed hard and 'lassyA and of a curious coldness as contrasted ,ith the air around. = strained my eyesi'ht to the utmost in an effort to 'limpse some trace of the o3structin' su3stanceA 3ut could discern nothin' ,hatsoever. There ,as not even any evidence of refractive po,er as Cud'ed 3y the aspect of the landscape ahead. A3sence of reflective po,er ,as proved 3y the lac! of a 'lo,in' ima'e of the sun at any point. Burnin' curiosity 3e'an to displace all other feelin'sA and = enlar'ed my investi'ations as 3est = could. E%plorin' ,ith my handsA = found that the 3arrier e%tended from the 'round to some level hi'her than = could reachA and that it stretched off indefinitely on 3oth sides. =t ,asA thenA a ,all of some !ind 1 thou'h all 'uesses as to its materials and its purpose ,ere 3eyond me. A'ain = thou'ht of the mira'e1plant and the dreams it inducedA 3ut a moment<s reasonin' put this out of my head. 0noc!in' sharply on the 3arrier ,ith the hilt of my !nifeA and !ic!in' at it ,ith my heavy 3ootsA = tried to interpret the sounds thus made. There ,as somethin' su''estive of cement or concrete in these rever3erationsA thou'h my hands had found the surface more 'lassy or metallic in feel. CertainlyA = ,as confrontin' somethin' stran'e 3eyond all previous e%perience. The ne%t lo'ical move ,as to 'et some idea of the ,all<s dimensions. The hei'ht pro3lem ,ould 3e hardA if not insolu3leA 3ut the len'th and shape pro3lem could perhaps 3e sooner dealt ,ith. Stretchin' out my arms and pressin' close to the 3arrierA = 3e'an to ed'e 'radually to the left 1 !eepin' very careful trac! of the ,ay = faced. After several steps = concluded that the ,all ,as not strai'htA 3ut that = ,as follo,in' part of some vast circle or ellipse. And then my attention ,as distracted 3y somethin' ,holly different 1 somethin' connected ,ith the still1distant crystal ,hich had formed the o3Cect of my Duest. = have said that even from a 'reat distance the shinin' o3Cect<s position seemed indefina3ly Dueer 1 on a sli'ht mound risin' from the slime. ;o, 1 at a3out a hundred yards 1 = could see plainly despite the en'ulfin' mist Cust ,hat that mound ,as. =t ,as the

H.P.Lovecr !t

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3ody of a man in one of the Crystal Company<s leather suitsA lyin' on his 3ac!A and ,ith his o%y'en mas! half 3uried in the mud a fe, inches a,ay. =n his ri'ht handA crushed convulsively a'ainst his chestA ,as the crystal ,hich had led me here 1 a spheroid of incredi3le sizeA so lar'e that the dead fin'ers could scarcely close over it. Even at the 'iven distance = could see that the 3ody ,as a recent one. There ,as little visi3le decayA and = reflected that in this climate such a thin' meant death not more than a day 3efore. Soon the hateful farnoth1flies ,ould 3e'in to cluster a3out the corpse. = ,ondered ,ho the man ,as. Surely no one = had seen on this trip. =t must have 3een one of the old1timers a3sent on a lon' rovin' commissionA ,ho had come to this especial re'ion independently of Anderson<s survey. There he layA past all trou3leA and ,ith the rays of the 'reat crystal streamin' out from 3et,een his stiffened fin'ers. 4or fully five minutes = stood there starin' in 3e,ilderment and apprehension. A curious dread assailed meA and = had an unreasona3le impulse to run a,ay. =t could not have 3een done 3y those slin!in' man1lizardsA for he still held the crystal he had found. Was there any conne%ion ,ith the invisi3le ,allG Where had he found the crystalG Anderson<s instrument had indicated one in this Duarter ,ell 3efore this man could have perished. = no, 3e'an to re'ard the unseen 3arrier as somethin' sinisterA and recoiled from it ,ith a shudder. .et = !ne, = must pro3e the mystery all the more Duic!ly and thorou'hly 3ecause of this recent tra'edy. Suddenly 1 ,renchin' my mind 3ac! to the pro3lem = faced 1 = thou'ht of a possi3le means of testin' the ,all<s hei'htA or at least of findin' ,hether or not it e%tended indefinitely up,ard. Seizin' a handful of mudA = let it drain until it 'ained some coherence and then flun' it hi'h in the air to,ard the utterly transparent 3arrier. At a hei'ht of perhaps fourteen feet it struc! the invisi3le surface ,ith a resoundin' splashA disinte'ratin' at once and oozin' do,n,ard in disappearin' streams ,ith surprisin' rapidity. >lainlyA the ,all ,as a lofty one. A second handfulA hurled at an even sharper an'leA hit the surface a3out ei'hteen feet from the 'round and disappeared as Duic!ly as the first. = no, summoned up all my stren'th and prepared to thro, a third handful as hi'h as = possi3ly could. 5ettin' the mud drainA and sDueezin' it to ma%imum drynessA = flun' it up so steeply that = feared it mi'ht not reach the o3structin' surface at all. =t didA ho,everA and this time it crossed the 3arrier and fell in the mud 3eyond ,ith a violent spatterin'. At last = had a rou'h idea of the hei'ht of the ,allA for the crossin' had evidently occurred some t,enty or t,enty1one feet aloft. With a nineteen 1 or t,enty1foot vertical ,all of 'lassy flatnessA ascent ,as clearly impossi3le. = mustA thenA continue to circle the 3arrier in the hope of findin' a 'ateA an endin'A or some sort of interruption. $id the o3stacle form a complete round or other closed fi'ureA or ,as it merely an arc or semi1circleG Actin' on my decisionA = resumed my slo, left,ard circlin'A movin' my hands up and do,n over the unseen surface on the chance of findin' some ,indo, or other small aperture. Before startin'A = tried to mar! my position 3y !ic!in' a hole in the mudA 3ut found the slime too thin to hold any impression. = didA thou'hA 'au'e the place appro%imately 3y notin' a tall cycad in the distant forest ,hich seemed Cust on a line ,ith the 'leamin' crystal a hundred yards a,ay. =f no 'ate or 3rea! e%isted = could no, tell ,hen = had completely circumnavi'ated the ,all. = had not pro'ressed far 3efore = decided that the curvature indicated a circular enclosure of a3out a hundred yards< diameter 1 provided the outline ,as re'ular. This

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,ould mean that the dead man lay near the ,all at a point almost opposite the re'ion ,here = had started. Was he Cust inside or Cust outside the enclosureG This = ,ould soon ascertain. As = slo,ly rounded the 3arrier ,ithout findin' any 'ateA ,indo,A or other 3rea!A = decided that the 3ody ,as lyin' ,ithin. +n closer vie, the features of the dead man seemed va'uely distur3in'. = found somethin' alarmin' in his e%pressionA and in the ,ay the 'lassy eyes stared. By the time = ,as very near = 3elieved = reco'nized him as $,i'htA a veteran ,hom = had never !no,nA 3ut ,ho ,as pointed out to me at the post last year. The crystal he clutched ,as certainly a prize 1 the lar'est sin'le specimen = had ever seen. = ,as so near the 3ody that = could 1 3ut for the 3arrier 1 have touched itA ,hen my e%plorin' left hand encountered a corner in the unseen surface. =n a second = had learned that there ,as an openin' a3out three feet ,ideA e%tendin' from the 'round to a hei'ht 'reater than = could reach. There ,as no doorA nor any evidence of hin'emar!s 3espea!in' a former door. Without a moment<s hesitation = stepped throu'h and advanced t,o paces to the prostrate 3ody 1 ,hich lay at ri'ht an'les to the hall,ay = had enteredA in ,hat seemed to 3e an intersectin' doorless corridor. =t 'ave me a fresh curiosity to find that the interior of this vast enclosure ,as divided 3y partitions. Bendin' to e%amine the corpseA = discovered that it 3ore no ,ounds. This scarcely surprised meA since the continued presence of the crystal ar'ued a'ainst the pseudo1 reptilian natives. 5oo!in' a3out for some possi3le cause of deathA my eyes lit upon the o%y'en mas! lyin' close to the 3ody<s feet. 2ereA indeedA ,as somethin' si'nificant. Without this device no human 3ein' could 3reathe the air of ?enus for more than thirty secondsA and $,i'ht 1 if it ,ere he 1 had o3viously lost his. >ro3a3ly it had 3een carelessly 3uc!ledA so that the ,ei'ht of the tu3es ,or!ed the straps loose 1 a thin' ,hich could not happen ,ith a $u3ois spon'e1reservoir mas!. The half1minute of 'race had 3een too short to allo, the man to stoop and recover his protection 1 or else the cyano'en content of the atmosphere ,as a3normally hi'h at the time. >ro3a3ly he had 3een 3usy admirin' the crystal 1 ,herever he may have found it. 2e hadA apparentlyA Cust ta!en it from the pouch in his suitA for the flap ,as un3uttoned. = no, proceeded to e%tricate the hu'e crystal from the dead prospector<s fin'ers 1 a tas! ,hich the 3ody<s stiffness made very difficult. The spheroid ,as lar'er than a man<s fistA and 'lo,ed as if alive in the reddish rays of the ,elterin' sun. As = touched the 'leamin' surface = shuddered involuntarily 1 as if 3y ta!in' this precious o3Cect = had transferred to myself the doom ,hich had overta!en its earlier 3earer. 2o,everA my Dualms soon passedA and = carefully 3uttoned the crystal into the pouch of my leather suit. Superstition has never 3een one of my failin's. >lacin' the man<s helmet over his deadA starin' faceA = strai'htened up and stepped 3ac! throu'h the unseen door,ay to the entrance hall of the 'reat enclosure. All my curiosity a3out the stran'e edifice no, returnedA and = rac!ed my 3rains ,ith speculations re'ardin' its materialA ori'inA and purpose. That the hands of men had reared it = could not for a moment 3elieve. +ur ships first reached ?enus only seventy1t,o years a'oA and the only human 3ein's on the planet have 3een those at Terra ;ova. ;or does human !no,led'e include any perfectly transparentA non1refractive solid such as the su3stance of this 3uildin'. >rehistoric human invasions of ?enus can 3e pretty ,ell ruled outA so that one must turn to the idea of native construction. $id a for'otten race of hi'hly1evolved 3ein's

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precede the man1lizards as masters of ?enusG $espite their ela3orately13uilt citiesA it seemed hard to credit the pseudo1reptiles ,ith anythin' of this !ind. There must have 3een another race aeons a'oA of ,hich this is perhaps the last reliDue. +r ,ill other ruins of !indred ori'in 3e found 3y future e%peditionsG The purpose of such a structure passes all conCecture 1 3ut its stran'e and seemin'ly non1practical material su''ests a reli'ious use. :ealizin' my ina3ility to solve these pro3lemsA = decided that all = could do ,as to e%plore the invisi3le structure itself. That various rooms and corridors e%tended over the seemin'ly un3ro!en plain of mud = felt convincedB and = 3elieved that a !no,led'e of their plan mi'ht lead to somethin' si'nificant. SoA feelin' my ,ay 3ac! throu'h the door,ay and ed'in' past the 3odyA = 3e'an to advance alon' the corridor to,ard those interior re'ions ,hence the dead man had presuma3ly come. 5ater on = ,ould investi'ate the hall,ay = had left. 7ropin' li!e a 3lind man despite the misty sunli'htA = moved slo,ly on,ard. Soon the corridor turned sharply and 3e'an to spiral in to,ard the centre in ever1diminishin' curves. ;o, and then my touch ,ould reveal a doorless intersectin' passa'eA and = several times encountered Cunctions ,ith t,oA threeA and four diver'in' avenues. =n these latter cases = al,ays follo,ed the inmost routeA ,hich seemed to form a continuation of the one = had 3een traversin'. There ,ould 3e plenty of time to e%amine the 3ranches after = had reached and returned from the main re'ions. = can scarcely descri3e the stran'eness of the e%perience 1 threadin' the unseen ,ays of an invisi3le structure reared 3y for'otten hands on an alien planetF At lastA still stum3lin' and 'ropin'A = felt the corridor end in a sizea3le open space. 4um3lin' a3outA = found = ,as in a circular cham3er a3out ten feet acrossB and from the position of the dead man a'ainst certain distant forest landmar!s = Cud'ed that this cham3er lay at or near the centre of the edifice. +ut of it opened five corridors 3esides the one throu'h ,hich = had enteredA 3ut = !ept the latter in mind 3y si'htin' very carefully past the 3ody to a particular tree on the horizon as = stood Cust ,ithin the entrance. There ,as nothin' in this room to distin'uish it 1 merely the floor of thin mud ,hich ,as every,here present. Wonderin' ,hether this part of the 3uildin' had any roofA = repeated my e%periment ,ith an up,ard1flun' handful of mudA and found at once that no coverin' e%isted. =f there had ever 3een oneA it must have fallen lon' a'oA for not a trace of de3ris or scattered 3loc!s ever halted my feet. As = reflectedA it struc! me as distinctly odd that this apparently primordial structure should 3e so devoid of tum3lin' masonryA 'aps in the ,allsA and other common attri3utes of dilapidation. What ,as itG What had it ever 3eenG +f ,hat ,as it madeG Why ,as there no evidence of separate 3loc!s in the 'lassyA 3afflin'ly homo'enous ,allsG Why ,ere there no traces of doorsA either interior or e%teriorG = !ne, only that = ,as in a roundA rooflessA doorless edifice of some hardA smoothA perfectly transparentA non1refractive and non1reflective materialA a hundred yards in diameterA ,ith many corridorsA and ,ith a small circular room at the centre. 8ore than this = could never learn from a direct investi'ation. = no, o3served that the sun ,as sin!in' very lo, in the ,est 1 a 'olden1ruddy disc floatin' in a pool of scarlet and oran'e a3ove the mist1clouded trees of the horizon. >lainlyA = ,ould have to hurry if = e%pected to choose a sleepin'1spot on dry 'round 3efore dar!. = had lon' 3efore decided to camp for the ni'ht on the firmA mossy rim of the plateau near

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the crest ,hence = had first spied the shinin' crystalA trustin' to my usual luc! to save me from an attac! 3y the man1lizards. =t has al,ays 3een my contention that ,e ou'ht to travel in parties of t,o or moreA so that someone can 3e on 'uard durin' sleepin' hoursA 3ut the really small num3er of ni'ht attac!s ma!es the Company careless a3out such thin's. Those scaly ,retches seem to have difficulty in seein' at ni'htA even ,ith curious 'lo, torches. 2avin' pic!ed out a'ain the hall,ay throu'h ,hich = had comeA = started to return to the structure<s entrance. Additional e%ploration could ,ait for another day. 7ropin' a course as 3est = could throu'h the spiral corridors 1 ,ith only 'eneral senseA memoryA and a va'ue reco'nition of some of the ill1defined ,eed patches on the plain as 'uides 1 = soon found myself once more in close pro%imity to the corpse. There ,ere no, one or t,o farnoth flies s,oopin' over the helmet1covered faceA and = !ne, that decay ,as settin' in. With a futile instinctive loathin' = raised my hand to 3rush a,ay his van'uard of the scaven'ers 1 ,hen a stran'e and astonishin' thin' 3ecame manifest. An invisi3le ,allA chec!in' the s,eep of my armA told me that 1 not,ithstandin' my careful retracin' of the ,ay 1 = had not indeed returned to the corridor in ,hich the 3ody lay. =nsteadA = ,as in a parallel hall,ayA havin' no dou3t ta!en some ,ron' turn or for! amon' the intricate passa'es 3ehind. 2opin' to find a door,ay to the e%it hall aheadA = continued my advanceA 3ut presently came to a 3lan! ,all. = ,ouldA thenA have to return to the central cham3er and steer my course ane,. E%actly ,here = had made my mista!e = could not tell. = 'lanced at the 'round to see if 3y any miracle 'uidin' footprints had remainedA 3ut at once realized that the thin mud held impressions only for a very fe, moments. There ,as little difficulty in findin' my ,ay to the centre a'ainA and once there = carefully reflected on the proper out,ard course. = had !ept too far to the ri'ht 3efore. This time = must ta!e a more left,ard for! some,here 1 Cust ,hereA = could decide as = ,ent. As = 'roped ahead a second time = felt Duite confident of my correctnessA and diver'ed to the left at a Cunction = ,as sure = remem3ered. The spirallin' continuedA and = ,as careful not to stray into any intersectin' passa'es. SoonA ho,everA = sa, to my dis'ust that = ,as passin' the 3ody at a considera3le distanceB this passa'e evidently reached the outer ,all at a point much 3eyond it. =n the hope that another e%it mi'ht e%ist in the half of the ,all = had not yet e%ploredA = pressed for,ard for several pacesA 3ut eventually came once more to a solid 3arrier. ClearlyA the plan of the 3uildin' ,as even more complicated than = had thou'ht. = no, de3ated ,hether to return to the centre a'ain or ,hether to try some of the lateral corridors e%tendin' to,ard the 3ody. =f = chose this second alternativeA = ,ould run the ris! of 3rea!in' my mental pattern of ,here = ,asB hence = had 3etter not attempt it unless = could thin! of some ,ay of leavin' a visi3le trail 3ehind me. 6ust ho, to leave a trail ,ould 3e Duite a pro3lemA and = ransac!ed my mind for a solution. There seemed to 3e nothin' a3out my person ,hich could leave a mar! on anythin'A nor any material ,hich = could scatter 1 or minutely su3divide and scatter. 8y pen had no effect on the invisi3le ,allA and = could not lay a trail of my precious food ta3lets. Even had = 3een ,illin' to spare the latterA there ,ould not have 3een even nearly enou'h 1 3esides ,hich the small pellets ,ould have instantly sun! from si'ht in the thin mud. = searched my poc!ets for an old1fashioned note13oo! 1 often used unofficially on ?enus despite the Duic! rottin'1rate of paper in the planet<s atmosphere 1 ,hose pa'es =

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could tear up and scatterA 3ut could find none. =t ,as o3viously impossi3le to tear the tou'hA thin metal of this revolvin' decay1proof record scrollA nor did my clothin' offer any possi3ilities. =n ?enus<s peculiar atmosphere = could not safely spare my stout leather suitA and under,ear had 3een eliminated 3ecause of the climate. = tried to smear mud on the smoothA invisi3le ,alls after sDueezin' it as dry as possi3leA 3ut found that it slipped from si'ht as Duic!ly as did the hei'ht1testin' handfuls = had previously thro,n. 4inally = dre, out my !nife and attempted to scratch a line on the 'lassyA phantom surface 1 somethin' = could reco'nize ,ith my handA even thou'h = ,ould not have the advanta'e of seein' it from afar. =t ,as uselessA ho,everA for the 3lade made not the sli'htest impression on the 3afflin'A un!no,n material. 4rustrated in all attempts to 3laze a trailA = a'ain sou'ht the round central cham3er throu'h memory. =t seemed easier to act 3ac! to this room than to steer a definiteA predetermined course a,ay from itA and = had little difficulty in findin' it ane,. This time = listed on my record scroll every turn = made 1 dra,in' a crude hypothetical dia'ram of my routeA and mar!in' all diver'in' corridors. =t ,asA of courseA maddenin'ly slo, ,or! ,hen everythin' had to 3e determined 3y touchA and the possi3ilities of error ,ere infiniteB 3ut = 3elieved it ,ould pay in the lon' run. The lon' t,ili'ht of ?enus ,as thic! ,hen = reached the central roomA 3ut = still had hopes of 'ainin' the outside 3efore dar!. Comparin' my fresh dia'ram ,ith previous recollectionsA = 3elieved = had located my ori'inal mista!eA so once more set out confidently alon' the invisi3le hall1,ays. = veered further to the left than durin' my previous attemptsA and tried to !eep trac! of my turnin's on the records scroll in case = ,as still mista!en. =n the 'atherin' dus! = could see the dim line of the corpseA no, the centre of a loathsome cloud of farnoth1flies. Before lon'A no dou3tA the mud1d,ellin' sificli'hs ,ould 3e oozin' in from the plain to complete the 'hastly ,or!. Approachin' the 3ody ,ith some reluctance = ,as preparin' to step past it ,hen a sudden collision ,ith a ,all told me = ,as a'ain astray. = no, realized plainly that = ,as lost. The complications of this 3uildin' ,ere too much for offhand solutionA and = ,ould pro3a3ly have to do some careful chec!in' 3efore = could hope to emer'e. StillA = ,as ea'er to 'et to dry 'round 3efore total dar!ness set inB hence = returned once more to the centre and 3e'an a rather aimless series of trials and errors 1 ma!in' notes 3y the li'ht of my electric lamp. When = used this device = noticed ,ith interest that it produced no reflection 1 not even the faintest 'listenin' 1 in the transparent ,alls around me. = ,asA ho,everA prepared for thisB since the sun had at no time formed a 'leamin' ima'e in the stran'e material. = ,as still 'ropin' a3out ,hen the dus! 3ecame total. A heavy mist o3scured most of the stars and planetsA 3ut the earth ,as plainly visi3le as a 'lo,in'A 3luish1'reen point in the southeast. =t ,as Cust past oppositionA and ,ould have 3een a 'lorious si'ht in a telescope. = could even ma!e out the moon 3eside it ,henever the vapours momentarily thinned. =t ,as no, impossi3le to see the corpse 1 my only landmar! 1 so = 3lundered 3ac! to the central cham3er after a fe, false turns. After allA = ,ould have to 'ive up hope of sleepin' on dry 'round. ;othin' could 3e done till dayli'htA and = mi'ht as ,ell ma!e the 3est of it here. 5yin' do,n in the mud ,ould not 3e pleasantA 3ut in my leather suit it could 3e done. +n former e%peditions = had slept under even ,orse conditionsA and no, sheer e%haustion ,ould help to conDuer repu'nance.

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So here = amA sDuattin' in the slime of the central room and ma!in' these notes on my record scroll 3y the li'ht of the electric lamp. There is somethin' almost humorous in my stran'eA unprecedented pli'ht. 5ost in a 3uildin' ,ithout doors 1 a 3uildin' ,hich = cannot seeF = shall dou3tless 'et out early in the mornin'A and ou'ht to 3e 3ac! at Terra ;ova ,ith the crystal 3y late afternoon. =t certainly is a 3eauty 1 ,ith surprisin' lustre even in the fee3le li'ht of this lamp. = have Cust had it out e%aminin' it. $espite my fati'ueA sleep is slo, in comin'A so = find myself ,ritin' at 'reat len'th. = must stop no,. ;ot much dan'er of 3ein' 3othered 3y those cursed natives in this place. The thin' = li!e least is the corpse 1 3ut fortunately my o%y'en mas! saves me from the ,orst effects. = am usin' the chlorate cu3es very sparin'ly. Will ta!e a couple of food ta3lets no, and turn in. 8ore later. 5ATE: 1 A4TE:;++;A ?=A 1& There has 3een more trou3le than = e%pected. = am still in the 3uildin'A and ,ill have to ,or! Duic!ly and ,isely if = e%pect to rest on dry 'round toni'ht. =t too! me a lon' time to 'et to sleepA and = did not ,a!e till almost noon today. As it ,asA = ,ould have slept lon'er 3ut for the 'lare of the sun throu'h the haze. The corpse ,as a rather 3ad si'ht 1 ,ri''lin' ,ith sificli'hsA and ,ith a cloud of farnoth1flies around it. Somethin' had pushed the helmet a,ay from the faceA and it ,as 3etter not to loo! at it. = ,as dou3ly 'lad of my o%y'en mas! ,hen = thou'ht of the situation. At len'th = shoo! and 3rushed myself dryA too! a couple of food ta3letsA and put a ne, potassium chlorate cu3e in the electrolyser of the mas!. = am usin' these cu3es slo,lyA 3ut ,ish = had a lar'er supply. = felt much 3etter after my sleepA and e%pected to 'et out of the 3uildin' very shortly. Consultin' the notes and s!etches = had Cotted do,nA = ,as impressed 3y the comple%ity of the hall,aysA and 3y the possi3ility that = had made a fundamental error. +f the si% openin's leadin' out of the central spaceA = had chosen a certain one as that 3y ,hich = had entered 1 usin' a si'htin'1arran'ement as a 'uide. When = stood Cust ,ithin the openin'A the corpse fifty yards a,ay ,as e%actly in line ,ith a particular lepidodendron in the far1 off forest. ;o, it occurred to me that this si'htin' mi'ht not have 3een of sufficient accuracy 1 the distance of the corpse ma!in' its difference of direction in relation to the horizon comparatively sli'ht ,hen vie,ed from the openin's ne%t to that of my first in'ress. 8oreoverA the tree did not differ as distinctly as it mi'ht from other lepidodendra on the horizon. >uttin' the matter to a testA = found to my cha'rin that = could not 3e sure ,hich of three openin's ,as the ri'ht one. 2ad = traversed a different set of ,indin's at each attempted e%itG This time = ,ould 3e sure. =t struc! me that despite the impossi3ility of trail13lazin' there ,as one mar!er = could leave. Thou'h = could not spare my suitA = could 1 3ecause of my thic! head of hair 1 spare my helmetB and this ,as lar'e and li'ht enou'h to remain visi3le a3ove the thin mud. Accordin'ly = removed the rou'hly hemi1spherical device and laid it at the entrance of one of the corridors 1 the ri'ht1hand one of the three = must try. = ,ould follo, this corridor on the assumption that it ,as correctB repeatin' ,hat = seemed to recall as the proper turnsA and constantly consultin' and ma!in' notes. =f = did not 'et outA = ,ould systematically e%haust all possi3le variationsB and if these failedA = ,ould proceed to cover the avenues e%tendin' from the ne%t openin' in the same ,ay 1 continuin' to the third openin' if necessary. Sooner or later = could not avoid hittin' the

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ri'ht path to the e%itA 3ut = must use patience. Even at ,orstA = could scarcely fail to reach the open plain in time for a dry ni'ht<s sleep. =mmediate results ,ere rather discoura'in'A thou'h they helped me eliminate the ri'ht1 hand openin' in little more than an hour. +nly a succession of 3lind alleysA each endin' at a 'reat distance from the corpseA seemed to 3ranch from this hall,ayB and = sa, very soon that it had not fi'ured at all in the previous afternoon<s ,anderin's. As 3eforeA ho,everA = al,ays found it relatively easy to 'rope 3ac! to the central cham3er. A3out 1 >.8. = shifted my helmet mar!er to the ne%t openin' and 3e'an to e%plore the hall,ays 3eyond it. At first = thou'ht = reco'nized the turnin'sA 3ut soon found myself in a ,holly unfamiliar set of corridors. = could not 'et near the corpseA and this time seemed cut off from the central cham3er as ,ellA even thou'h = thou'ht = had recorded every move = made. There seemed to 3e tric!y t,ists and crossin's too su3tle for me to capture in my crude dia'ramsA and = 3e'an to develop a !ind of mi%ed an'er and discoura'ement. While patience ,ould of course ,in in the endA = sa, that my searchin' ,ould have to 3e minuteA tireless and lon'1continued. T,o o<cloc! found me still ,anderin' vainly throu'h stran'e corridors 1 constantly feelin' my ,ayA loo!in' alternately at my helmet and at the corpseA and Cottin' data on my scroll ,ith decreasin' confidence. = cursed the stupidity and idle curiosity ,hich had dra,n me into this tan'le of unseen ,alls 1 reflectin' that if = had let the thin' alone and headed 3ac! as soon as = had ta!en the crystal from the 3odyA = ,ould even no, 3e safe at Terra ;ova. Suddenly it occurred to me that = mi'ht 3e a3le to tunnel under the invisi3le ,alls ,ith my !nifeA and thus effect a short cut to the outside 1 or to some out,ard1leadin' corridor. = had no means of !no,in' ho, deep the 3uildin'<s foundations ,ereA 3ut the omnipresent mud ar'ued the a3sence of any floor save the earth. 4acin' the distant and increasin'ly horri3le corpseA = 3e'an a course of feverish di''in' ,ith the 3roadA sharp 3lade. There ,as a3out si% inches of semi1liDuid mudA 3elo, ,hich the density of the soil increased sharply. This lo,er soil seemed to 3e of a different colour 1 a 'reyish clay rather li!e the formations near ?enus<s north pole. As = continued do,n,ard close to the unseen 3arrier = sa, that the 'round ,as 'ettin' harder and harder. Watery mud rushed into the e%cavation as fast as = removed the clayA 3ut = reached throu'h it and !ept on ,or!in'. =f = could 3ore any !ind of a passa'e 3eneath the ,allA the mud ,ould not stop my ,ri''lin' out. A3out three feet do,nA ho,everA the hardness of the soil halted my di''in' seriously. =ts tenacity ,as 3eyond anythin' = had encountered 3eforeA even on this planetA and ,as lin!ed ,ith an anomalous heaviness. 8y !nife had to split and chip the ti'htly pac!ed clayA and the fra'ments = 3rou'ht up ,ere li!e solid stones or 3its of metal. 4inally even this splittin' and chippin' 3ecame impossi3leA and = had to cease my ,or! ,ith no lo,er ed'e of ,all in reach. The hour1lon' attempt ,as a ,asteful as ,ell as futile oneA for it used up 'reat stores of my ener'y and forced me 3oth to ta!e an e%tra food ta3letA and to put an additional chlorate cu3e in the o%y'en mas!. =t has also 3rou'ht a pause in the day<s 'ropin'sA for = am still much too e%hausted to ,al!. After cleanin' my hands and arms of the ,orst of the mud =

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sat do,n to ,rite these notes 1 leanin' a'ainst an invisi3le ,all and facin' a,ay from the corpse. That 3ody is simply a ,rithin' mass of vermin no, 1 the odour has 3e'un to dra, some of the slimy a!mans from the far1off Cun'le. = notice that many of the efCeh1,eeds on the plain are reachin' out necropha'ous feelers to,ard the thin'B 3ut = dou3t if any are lon' enou'h to reach it. = ,ish some really carnivorous or'anisms li!e the s!orahs ,ould appearA for then they mi'ht scent me and ,ri''le a course throu'h the 3uildin' to,ard me. Thin's li!e that have an odd sense of direction. = could ,atch them as they cameA and Cot do,n their appro%imate route if they failed to form a continuous line. Even that ,ould 3e a 'reat help. When = met any the pistol ,ould ma!e short ,or! of them. But = can hardly hope for as much as that. ;o, that these notes are made = shall rest a ,hile lon'erA and later ,ill do some more 'ropin'. As soon as = 'et 3ac! to the central cham3er 1 ,hich ou'ht to 3e fairly easy 1 = shall try the e%treme left1hand openin'. >erhaps = can 'et outside 3y dus! after all. ;=72T 1 ?=A 1& ;e, trou3le. 8y escape ,ill 3e tremendously difficultA for there are elements = had not suspected. Another ni'ht here in the mudA and a fi'ht on my hands tomorro,. = cut my rest short and ,as up and 'ropin' a'ain 3y four o<cloc!. After a3out fifteen minutes = reached the central cham3er and moved my helmet to mar! the last of the three possi3le door,ays. Startin' throu'h this openin'A = seemed to find the 'oin' more familiarA 3ut ,as 3rou'ht up short less than five minutes 3y a si'ht that Colted me more than = can descri3e. =t ,as a 'roup of four or five of those detesta3le man1lizards emer'in' from the forest far off across the plain. = could not see them distinctly at that distanceA 3ut thou'ht they paused and turned to,ard the trees to 'esticulateA after ,hich they ,ere Coined 3y fully a dozen more. The au'mented party no, 3e'an to advance directly to,ard the invisi3le 3uildin'A and as they approached = studied them carefully. = had never 3efore had a close vie, of the thin's outside the steamy shado,s of the Cun'le. The resem3lance to reptiles ,as percepti3leA thou'h = !ne, it ,as only an apparent oneA since these 3ein's have no point of contact ,ith terrestrial life. When they dre, nearer they seemed less truly reptilian 1 only the flat head and the 'reenA slimyA fro'1li!e s!in carryin' out the idea. They ,al!ed erect on their oddA thic! stumpsA and their suction1discs made curious noises in the mud. These ,ere avera'e specimensA a3out seven feet in hei'htA and ,ith four lon'A ropy pectoral tentacles. The motions of those tentacles 1 if the theories of 4o''A E!3er'A and 6anat are ri'htA ,hich = formerly dou3ted 3ut am no, more ready to 3elieve 1 indicate that the thin's ,ere in animated conversation. = dre, my flame pistol and ,as ready for a hard fi'ht. The odds ,ere 3adA 3ut the ,eapon 'ave me a certain advanta'e. =f the thin's !ne, this 3uildin' they ,ould come throu'h it after meA and in this ,ay ,ould form a !ey to 'ettin' outB Cust as carnivorous s!orahs mi'ht have done. That they ,ould attac! me seemed certainB for even thou'h they could not see the crystal in my pouchA they could divine its presence throu'h that special sense of theirs.

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.etA surprisin'ly enou'hA they did not attac! me. =nstead they scattered and formed a vast circle around me 1 at a distance ,hich indicated that they ,ere pressin' close to the unseen ,all. Standin' there in a rin'A the 3ein's stared silently and inDuisitively at meA ,avin' their tentacles and sometimes noddin' their heads and 'esturin' ,ith their upper lim3s. After a ,hile = sa, others issue from the forestA and these advanced and Coined the curious cro,d. Those near the corpse loo!ed 3riefly at it 3ut made no move to distur3 it. =t ,as a horri3le si'htA yet the man1lizards seemed Duite unconcerned. ;o, and then one of them ,ould 3rush a,ay the farnoth1flies ,ith its lim3s or tentaclesA or crush a ,ri''lin' sificli'h or a!manA or an out1reachin' efCeh1,eedA ,ith the suction discs on its stumps. Starin' 3ac! at these 'rotesDue and une%pected intrudersA and ,onderin' uneasily ,hy they did not attac! me at onceA = lost for the time 3ein' the ,ill1po,er and nervous ener'y to continue my search for a ,ay out. =nstead = leaned limply a'ainst the invisi3le ,all of the passa'e ,here = stoodA lettin' my ,onder mer'e 'radually into a chain of the ,ildest speculations. A hundred mysteries ,hich had previously 3affled me seemed all at once to ta!e on a ne, and sinister si'nificanceA and = trem3led ,ith an acute fear unli!e anythin' = had e%perienced 3efore. = 3elieved = !ne, ,hy these repulsive 3ein's ,ere hoverin' e%pectantly around me. = 3elievedA tooA that = had the secret of the transparent structure at last. The allurin' crystal ,hich = had seizedA the 3ody of the man ,ho had seized it 3efore me 1 all these thin's 3e'an to acDuire a dar! and threatenin' meanin'. =t ,as no common series of mischances ,hich had made me lose my ,ay in this rooflessA unseen tan'le of corridors. 4ar from it. Beyond dou3tA the place ,as a 'enuine maze 1 a la3yrinth deli3erately 3uilt 3y these hellish thin's ,hose craft and mentality = had so 3adly underestimated. 8i'ht = not have suspected this 3eforeA !no,in' of their uncanny architectural s!illG The purpose ,as all too plain. =t ,as a trap 1 a trap set to catch human 3ein'sA and ,ith the crystal spheroid as 3ait. These reptilian thin'sA in their ,ar on the ta!ers of crystalsA had turned to strate'y and ,ere usin' our o,n cupidity a'ainst us. $,i'ht 1 if this rottin' corpse ,ere indeed he 1 ,as a victim. 2e must have 3een trapped some time a'oA and had failed to find his ,ay out. 5ac! of ,ater had dou3tless maddened himA and perhaps he had run out of chlorate cu3es as ,ell. >ro3a3ly his mas! had not slipped accidentally after all. Suicide ,as a li!elier thin'. :ather than face a lin'erin' death he had solved the issue 3y removin' the mas! deli3erately and lettin' the lethal atmosphere do its ,or! at once. The horri3le irony of his fate lay in his position 1 only a fe, feet from the savin' e%it he had failed to find. +ne minute more of searchin' and he ,ould have 3een safe. And no, = ,as trapped as he had 3een. TrappedA and ,ith this circlin' herd of curious starers to moc! at my predicament. The thou'ht ,as maddenin'A and as it san! in = ,as seized ,ith a sudden flash of panic ,hich set me runnin' aimlessly throu'h the unseen hall,ays. 4or several moments = ,as essentially a maniac 1 stum3lin'A trippin'A 3ruisin' myself on the invisi3le ,allsA and finally collapsin' in the mud as a pantin'A lacerated heap of mindlessA 3leedin' flesh. The fall so3ered me a 3itA so that ,hen = slo,ly stru''led to my feet = could notice thin's and e%ercise my reason. The circlin' ,atchers ,ere s,ayin' their tentacles in an oddA irre'ular ,ay su''estive of slyA alien lau'hterA and = shoo! my fist sava'ely at them as

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= rose. 8y 'esture seemed to increase their hideous mirth 1 a fe, of them clumsily imitatin' it ,ith their 'reenish upper lim3s. Shamed into senseA = tried to collect my faculties and ta!e stoc! of the situation. After allA = ,as not as 3adly off as $,i'ht has 3een. (nli!e himA = !ne, ,hat the situation ,as 1 and fore,arned is forearmed. = had proof that the e%it ,as attaina3le in the endA and ,ould not repeat his tra'ic act of impatient despair. The 3ody 1 or s!eletonA as it ,ould soon 3e 1 ,as constantly 3efore me as a 'uide to the sou'ht 1 for apertureA and do''ed patience ,ould certainly ta!e me to it if = ,or!ed lon' and intelli'ently enou'h. = hadA ho,everA the disadvanta'e of 3ein' surrounded 3y these reptilian devils. ;o, that = realized the nature of the trap 1 ,hose invisi3le material ar'ued a science and technolo'y 3eyond anythin' on earth 1 = could no lon'er discount the mentality and resources of my enemies. Even ,ith my flame1pistol = ,ould have a 3ad time 'ettin' a,ay 1 thou'h 3oldness and Duic!ness ,ould dou3tless see me throu'h in the lon' run. But first = must reach the e%terior 1 unless = could lure or provo!e some of the creatures to advance to,ard me. As = prepared my pistol for action and counted over my 'enerous supply of ammunition it occurred to me to try the effect of its 3lasts on the invisi3le ,alls. 2ad = overloo!ed a feasi3le means of escapeG There ,as no clue to the chemical composition of the transparent 3arrierA and conceiva3ly it mi'ht 3e somethin' ,hich a ton'ue of fire could cut li!e cheese. Choosin' a section facin' the corpseA = carefully dischar'ed the pistol at close ran'e and felt ,ith my !nife ,here the 3last had 3een aimed. ;othin' ,as chan'ed. = had seen the flame spread ,hen it struc! the surfaceA and no, = realized that my hope had 3een vain. +nly a lon'A tedious search for the e%it ,ould ever 3rin' me to the outside. SoA s,allo,in' another food ta3let and puttin' another cu3e in the elecrolyser of my mas!A = recommenced the lon' DuestB retracin' my steps to the central cham3er and startin' out ane,. = constantly consulted my notes and s!etchesA and made fresh ones 1 ta!in' one false turn after anotherA 3ut sta''erin' on in desperation till the afternoon li'ht 're, very dim. As = persisted in my Duest = loo!ed from time to time at the silent circle of moc!in' staresA and noticed a 'radual replacement in their ran!s. Every no, and then a fe, ,ould return to the forestA ,hile others ,ould arrive to ta!e their places. The more = thou'ht of their tactics the less = li!ed themA for they 'ave me a hint of the creatures< possi3le motives. At any time these devils could have advanced and fou'ht meA 3ut they seemed to prefer ,atchin' my stru''les to escape. = could not 3ut infer that they enCoyed the spectacle 1 and this made me shrin! ,ith dou3le force from the prospect of fallin' into their hands. With the dar! = ceased my searchin'A and sat do,n in the mud to rest. ;o, = am ,ritin' in the li'ht of my lampA and ,ill soon try to 'et some sleep. = hope tomorro, ,ill see me outB for my canteen is lo,A and lacol ta3lets are a poor su3stitute for ,ater. = ,ould hardly dare to try the moisture in this slimeA for none of the ,ater in the mud1re'ions is pota3le e%cept ,hen distilled. That is ,hy ,e run such lon' pipe lines to the yello, clay re'ions 1 or depend on rain1,ater ,hen those devils find and cut our pipes. = have none too many chlorate cu3es eitherA and must try to cut do,n my o%y'en consumption as much as = can. 8y tunnellin' attempt of the early afternoonA and my later panic fli'htA 3urned up a perilous amount of air. Tomorro, = ,ill reduce physical e%ertion to the 3arest minimum until = meet the reptiles and have to deal ,ith them. = must have a 'ood cu3e supply for the

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Courney 3ac! to Terra ;ova. 8y enemies are still on handB = can see a circle of their fee3le 'lo,1torches around me. There is a horror a3out those li'hts ,hich ,ill !eep me a,a!e. ;=72T 1 ?=A 1# Another full day of searchin' and still no ,ay outF = am 3e'innin' to 3e ,orried a3out the ,ater pro3lemA for my canteen ,ent dry at noon. =n the afternoon there ,as a 3urst of rainA and = ,ent 3ac! to the central cham3er for the helmet ,hich = had left as a mar!er 1 usin' this as a 3o,l and 'ettin' a3out t,o cupfuls of ,ater. = dran! most of itA 3ut have put the sli'ht remainder in my canteen. 5acol ta3lets ma!e little head,ay a'ainst real thirstA and = hope there ,ill 3e more rain in the ni'ht. = am leavin' my helmet 3ottom up to catch any that falls. 4ood ta3lets are none too plentifulA 3ut not dan'erously lo,. = shall halve my rations from no, on. The chlorate cu3es are my real ,orryA for even ,ithout violent e%ercise the day<s endless trampin' 3urned a dan'erous num3er. = feel ,ea! from my forced economies in o%y'enA and from my constantly mountin' thirst. When = reduce my food = suppose = shall feel still ,ea!er. There is somethin' damna3le 1 somethin' uncanny 1 a3out this la3yrinth. = could s,ear that = had eliminated certain turns throu'h chartin'A and yet each ne, trial 3elies some assumption = had thou'ht esta3lished. ;ever 3efore did = realize ho, lost ,e are ,ithout visual landmar!s. A 3lind man mi'ht do 3etter 1 3ut for most of us si'ht is the !in' of the senses. The effect of all these fruitless ,anderin's is one of profound discoura'ement. = can understand ho, poor $,i'ht must have felt. 2is corpse is no, Cust a s!eletonA and the sificli'hs and a!mans and farnoth1flies are 'one. The efCen1,eeds are nippin' the leather clothin' to piecesA for they ,ere lon'er and faster1'ro,in' than = had e%pected. And all the ,hile those relays of tentacled starers stand 'loatin'ly around the 3arrier lau'hin' at me and enCoyin' my misery. Another day and = shall 'o mad if = do not drop dead from e%haustion. 2o,everA there is nothin' to do 3ut persevere. $,i'ht ,ould have 'ot out if he had !ept on a minute lon'er. =t is Cust possi3le that some3ody from Terra ;ova ,ill come loo!in' for me 3efore lon'A althou'h this is only my third day out. 8y muscles ache horri3lyA and = can<t seem to rest at all lyin' do,n in this loathesome mud. 5ast ni'htA despite my terrific fati'ueA = slept only fitfullyA and toni'ht = fear ,ill 3e no 3etter. = live in an endless ni'htmare 1 poised 3et,een ,a!in' and sleepin'A yet neither truly a,a!e nor truly asleep. 8y hand sha!esA = can ,rite no more for the time 3ein'. That circle of fee3le 'lo,1torches is hideous. 5ATE A4TE:;++; 1 ?=A 1 Su3stantial pro'ressF 5oo!s 'ood. ?ery ,ea!A and did not sleep much till dayli'ht. Then = dozed till noonA thou'h ,ithout 3ein' at all rested. ;o rainA and thirst leaves me very ,ea!. Ate an e%tra food ta3let to !eep me 'oin'A 3ut ,ithout ,ater it didn<t help much. = dared to try a little of the slime ,ater Cust onceA 3ut it made me violently sic! and left me even thirstier than 3efore. 8ust save chlorate cu3esA so am nearly suffocatin' for lac! of o%y'en. Can<t ,al! much of the timeA 3ut mana'e to cra,l in the mud. A3out " >.8. = thou'ht = reco'nized some passa'esA and 'ot su3stantially nearer to the corpse 1 or s!eleton 1 than = had 3een since the first day<s trials. = ,as sidetrac!ed once in a 3lind alleyA 3ut recovered the main trail ,ith the aid of my chart and notes. The trou3le ,ith these Cottin's

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is that there are so many of them. They must cover three feet of the record scrollA and = have to stop for lon' periods to untan'le them. 8y head is ,ea! from thirstA suffocationA and e%haustionA and = cannot understand all = have set do,n. Those damna3le 'reen thin's !eep starin' and lau'hin' ,ith their tentaclesA and sometimes they 'esticulate in a ,ay that ma!es me thin! they share some terri3le Co!e Cust 3eyond my perception. =t ,as three o<cloc! ,hen = really struc! my stride. There ,as a door,ay ,hichA accordin' to my notesA = had not traversed 3eforeB and ,hen = tried it = found = could cra,l circuitously to,ard the ,eed1t,ined s!eleton. The route ,as a sort of spiralA much li!e that 3y ,hich = had first reached the central cham3er. Whenever = came to a lateral door,ay or Cunction = ,ould !eep to the course ,hich seemed 3est to repeat that ori'inal Courney. As = circled nearer and nearer to my 'ruesome landmar!A the ,atchers outside intensified their cryptic 'esticulations and sardonic silent lau'hter. Evidently they sa, somethin' 'rimly amusin' in my pro'ress 1 perceivin' no dou3t ho, helpless = ,ould 3e in any encounter ,ith them. = ,as content to leave them to their mirthB for althou'h = realized my e%treme ,ea!nessA = counted on the flame pistol and its numerous e%tra ma'azines to 'et me throu'h the vile reptilian phalan%. 2ope no, soared hi'hA 3ut = did not attempt to rise to my feet. Better cra,l no,A and save my stren'th for the comin' encounter ,ith the man1lizards. 8y advance ,as very slo,A and the dan'er of strayin' into some 3lind alley very 'reatA 3ut nonetheless = seemed to curve steadily to,ard my osseous 'oal. The prospect 'ave me ne, stren'thA and for the nonce = ceased to ,orry a3out my painA my thirstA and my scant supply of cu3es. The creatures ,ere no, all massin' around the entrance 1 'esturin'A leapin'A and lau'hin' ,ith their tentacles. SoonA = reflectedA = ,ould have to face the entire horde 1 and perhaps such reinforcements as they ,ould receive from the forest. = am no, only a fe, yards from the s!eletonA and am pausin' to ma!e this entry 3efore emer'in' and 3rea!in' throu'h the no%ious 3and of entities. = feel confident that ,ith my last ounce of stren'th = can put them to fli'ht despite their num3ersA for the ran'e of this pistol is tremendous. Then a camp on the dry moss at the plateau<s ed'eA and in the mornin' a ,eary trip throu'h the Cun'le to Terra ;ova. = shall 3e 'lad to see livin' men and the 3uildin's of human 3ein's a'ain. The teeth of that s!ull 'leam and 'rin horri3ly. T+WA:$ ;=72T 1 ?=A = 2orror and despair. Baffled a'ainF After ma!in' the previous entry = approached still closer to the s!eletonA 3ut suddenly encountered an intervenin' ,all. = had 3een deceived once moreA and ,as apparently 3ac! ,here = had 3een three days 3eforeA on my first futile attempt to leave the la3yrinth. Whether = screamed aloud = do not !no, 1 perhaps = ,as too ,ea! to utter a sound. = merely lay dazed in the mud for a lon' periodA ,hile the 'reenish thin's outside leaped and lau'hed and 'estured. After a time = 3ecame more fully conscious. 8y thirst and ,ea!ness and suffocation ,ere fast 'ainin' on meA and ,ith my last 3it of stren'th = put a ne, cu3e in the electrolyser 1 rec!lesslyA and ,ithout re'ard for the needs of my Courney to Terra ;ova. The fresh o%y'en revived me sli'htlyA and ena3led me to loo! a3out more alertly.

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=t seemed as if = ,ere sli'htly more distant from poor $,i'ht than = had 3een at that first disappointmentA and = dully ,ondered if = could 3e in some other corridor a trifle more remote. With this faint shado, of hope = la3oriously dra''ed myself for,ard 1 3ut after a fe, feet encountered a dead end as = had on the former occasion. ThisA thenA ,as the end. Three days had ta!en me no,hereA and my stren'th ,as 'one. = ,ould soon 'o mad from thirstA and = could no lon'er count on cu3es enou'h to 'et me 3ac!. = fee3ly ,ondered ,hy the ni'htmare thin's had 'athered so thic!ly around the entrance as they moc!ed me. >ro3a3ly this ,as part of the moc!ery 1 to ma!e me thin! = ,as approachin' an e'ress ,hich they !ne, did not e%ist. = shall not last lon'A thou'h = am resolved not to hasten matters as $,i'ht did. 2is 'rinnin' s!ull has Cust turned to,ard meA shifted 3y the 'ropin' of one of the efCeh1,eeds that are devourin' his leather suit. The 'houlish stare of those empty eye1soc!ets is ,orse than the starin' of those lizard horrors. =t lends a hideous meanin' to that deadA ,hite1 toothed 'rin. = shall lie very still in the mud and save all the stren'th = can. This record 1 ,hich = hope may reach and ,arn those ,ho come after me 1 ,ill soon 3e done. After = stop ,ritin' = shall rest a lon' ,hile. ThenA ,hen it is too dar! for those fri'htful creatures to seeA = shall muster up my last reserves of stren'th and try to toss the record scroll over the ,all and the intervenin' corridor to the plain outside. = shall ta!e care to send it to,ard the leftA ,here it ,ill not hit the leapin' 3and of moc!in' 3elea'uers. >erhaps it ,ill 3e lost forever in the thin mud 1 3ut perhaps it ,ill land in some ,idespread clump of ,eeds and ultimately reach the hands of men. =f it does survive to 3e readA = hope it may do more than merely ,arn men of this trap. = hope it may teach our race to let those shinin' crystals stay ,here they are. They 3elon' to ?enus alone. +ur planet does not truly need themA and = 3elieve ,e have violated some o3scure and mysterious la, 1 some la, 3uried deep in the arcane of the cosmos 1 in our attempts to ta!e them. Who can tell ,hat dar!A potentA and ,idespread forces spur on these reptilian thin's ,ho 'uard their treasure so stran'elyG $,i'ht and = have paidA as others have paid and ,ill pay. But it may 3e that these scattered deaths are only the prelude of 'reater horrors to come. 5et us leave to ?enus that ,hich 3elon's only to ?enus. = am very near death no,A and fear = may not 3e a3le to thro, the scroll ,hen dus! comes. =f = cannotA = suppose the man1lizards ,ill seize itA for they ,ill pro3a3ly realize ,hat it is. They ,ill not ,ish anyone to 3e ,arned of the la3yrinth 1 and they ,ill not !no, that my messa'e holds a plea in their o,n 3ehalf. As the end approaches = feel more !indly to,ards the thin's. =n the scale of cosmic entity ,ho can say ,hich species stands hi'herA or more nearly ap1proaches a space1,ide or'anic norm 1 theirs or mineG = have Cust ta!en the 'reat crystal out of my pouch to loo! at in my last moments. =t shines fiercely and menacin'ly in the red rays of the dyin' day. The leapin' horde have noticed itA and their 'estures have chan'ed in a ,ay = cannot understand. = ,onder ,hy they !eep clustered around the entrance instead of concentratin' at a still closer point in the transparent ,all.

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= am 'ro,in' num3 and cannot ,rite much more. Thin's ,hirl around meA yet = do not lose consciousness. Can = thro, this over the ,allG That crystal 'lo,s soA yet the t,ili'ht is deepenin'. $ar!. ?ery ,ea!. They are still lau'hin' and leapin' around the door,ayA and have started those hellish 'lo,1torches. Are they 'oin' a,ayG = dreamed = heard a sound... li'ht in the s!y. :E>+:T +4 WES5E. >. 8=55E:A S(>T. 7:+(> AA ?E;(S C:.STA5 C+. JTE::A ;+?A +; ?E;(S 1 ?lA 1-K +ur +perative A1#)A 0enton 6. Stanfield of &17 8arshall StreetA :ichmondA ?a.A left Terra ;ova early on ?=A 1"A for a short1term trip indicated 3y detector. $ue 3ac! 1&th or 1#th. $id not appear 3y evenin' of 1 thA so Scoutin' >lane 4:1 8 ,ith five men under my command set out at 8 >.8. to follo, route ,ith detector. ;eedle sho,ed no chan'e from earlier readin's. 4ollo,ed needle to Erycinian 2i'hlandA played stron' searchli'hts all the ,ay. Triple1 ran'e flame1'uns and $1radiation cylinders could have dispersed any ordinary hostile force of nativesA or any dan'erous a''re'ation of carnivorous s!orahs. When over the open plain on Ery% ,e sa, a 'roup of movin' li'hts ,hich ,e !ne, ,ere native 'lo,1torches. As ,e approachedA they scattered into the forest. >ro3a3ly seventy1five to a hundred in all. $etector indicated crystal on spot ,here they had 3een. Sailin' lo, over this spotA our li'hts pic!ed out o3Cects on the 'round. S!eleton tan'led in efCeh1,eedsA and complete 3ody ten feet from it. Brou'ht plane do,n near 3odiesA and corner of ,in' crashed on unseen o3struction. Approachin' 3odies on footA ,e came up short a'ainst a smoothA invisi3le 3arrier ,hich puzzled us enormously. 4eelin' alon' it near the s!eletonA ,e struc! an openin'A 3eyond ,hich ,as a space ,ith another openin' leadin' to the s!eleton. The latterA thou'h ro33ed of clothin' 3y ,eedsA had one of the company<s num3ered metal helmets 3eside it. =t ,as +perative B1)A 4rederic! ;. $,i'ht of 0oeni'<s divisionA ,ho had 3een out of Terra ;ova for t,o months on a lon' commission. Bet,een this s!eleton and the complete 3ody there seemed to 3e another ,allA 3ut ,e could easily identify the second man as Stanfield. 2e had a record scroll in his left hand and a pen in his ri'htA and seemed to have 3een ,ritin' ,hen he died. ;o crystal ,as visi3leA 3ut the detector indicated a hu'e specimen near Stanfield<s 3ody. We had 'reat difficulty in 'ettin' at StanfieldA 3ut finally succeeded. The 3ody ,as still ,armA and a 'reat crystal lay 3eside itA covered 3y the shallo, mud. We at once studied the record scroll in the left handA and prepared to ta!e certain steps 3ased on its data. The contents of the scroll forms the lon' narrative prefi%ed to this reportB a narrative ,hose main descriptions ,e have verifiedA and ,hich ,e append as an e%planation of ,hat ,as found. The later parts of this account sho, mental decayA 3ut there is no reason to dou3t the 3ul! of it. Stanfield o3viously died of a com3ination of thirstA suffocationA cardiac

H.P.Lovecr !t

Within the Walls of Ery%

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strainA and psycholo'ical depression. 2is mas! ,as in placeA and freely 'eneratin' o%y'en despite an alarmin'ly lo, cu3e supply. +ur plane 3ein' dama'edA ,e sent a ,ireless and called out Anderson ,ith :epair >lane >717A a cre, of ,rec!ersA and a set of 3lastin' materials. By mornin' 421 8 ,as fi%edA and ,ent 3ac! under Anderson carryin' the t,o 3odies and the crystal. We shall 3ury $,i'ht and Stanfield in the company 'raveyardA and ship the crystal to Chica'o on the ne%t earth13ound liner. 5aterA ,e shall adopt Stanfield<s su''estion 1 the sound one in the sanerA earlier part of his report 1 and 3rin' across enou'h troops to ,ipe out the natives alto'ether. With a clear fieldA there can 3e scarcely any limit to the amount of crystal ,e can secure. =n the afternoon ,e studied the invisi3le 3uildin' or trap ,ith 'reat careA e%plorin' it ,ith the aid of lon' 'uidin' cordsA and preparin' a complete chart for our archives. We ,ere much impressed 3y the desi'nA and shall !eep specimens of the su3stance for chemical analysis. All such !no,led'e ,ill 3e useful ,hen ,e ta!e over the various cities of the natives. +ur type C diamond drills ,ere a3le to 3ite into the unseen materialA and ,rec!ers are no, plantin' dynamite preparatory to a thorou'h 3lastin'. ;othin' ,ill 3e left ,hen ,e are done. The edifice forms a distinct menace to aerial and otter possi3le traffic. =n considerin' the plan of the la3yrinth one is impressed not only ,ith the irony of $,i'ht<s fateA 3ut ,ith that of Stanfield as ,ell. When tryin' to reach the second 3ody from the s!eletonA ,e could find no access on the ri'htA 3ut 8ar!heim found a door,ay from the first inner space some fifteen feet past $,i'ht and four or five past Stanfield. Beyond this ,as a lon' hall ,hich ,e did not e%plore till laterA 3ut on the ri'ht1hand side of that hall ,as another door,ay leadin' directly to the 3ody. Stanfield could have reached the outside entrance 3y ,al!in' t,enty1t,o or t,enty1three feet if he had found the openin' ,hich lay directly 3ehind him 1 an openin' ,hich he overloo!ed in his e%haustion and despair.