Moderately wealthy house. - I receive documents.
Walk through dishevelled areas to master bedroom
- bed stand up against a wall - in space is a pentagram and a circle with
a flame coming out of it in the centre - body of dead man hit with bullet.
It is drawn in HP's blood from <hand?head>
(I recognise HP as the "brush salesman" from Jennings, VT)
Last night while housekeeper away.
HP worked for Danning...
Burn marks on wall between living room and here,
and upstairs along hall and into room.
Father O'Reilly arrives - has heard of Dr. Petersdorf.
Offer housekeeper to stay with us.
Leave - back to house.
Betty to contact Martha Collins (and her associates), and the hypnotist from long ago, and Samuel Hargett (lawyer). Ms. Collins' associates are Dr. McGuinness, occult professor at NYC Univ., and Karen Clements from Radcliffe.
Dinner.
Introduce over sherry.
Read letter.
| Dearest Friends,
Matters here have gotten worse since my last note. The problem still lives, and I will have to deal with it directly. I may be uncontactable for some time. I consulted an associate of mine, who has a knack for these things, regarding your interests in the near future. She was unable to determine specifics, but was able to produce the enclosed list. My guess is that they are (or may soon become) investors in interests similar to our own. They may also be competitors in the coldest sense of the word. Remember the total failure of my last major investment. In closing I wish to introduce you formally (I believe you have already met) to Howard Phillips. He will be of as much help to you as he has been to me. -- Michael Danning |
Attached is the following list:
*** Click, one found, 8 to go. Looks like he was on our side. Hopefully he knew where he was going. - H.P. |
Mrs. Sarah Winchester (widowed) is of Winchester Rifles.
Sarah Winchester - husband + daughter died in hunting accident, developed interest in spiritualism.
Samuel will make excuse to see Dr. Petersdorf's property before the auction.
Dr. McGuinness arrives - he will make list of Ancient Egyptian manuscripts, artifacts, etc. that Samuel will present as possibly stolen to look at (or hold from) auction.
(HP - Paper report - howling from house in early
morning.)
Hypnotist looks up al-Qusi - sure finds nothing.
Afternoon - more library use
nothing on Yurek Chodek.
Dr. Alfredo Monteverdi has written several papers
McGuiness makes the list - they say they will call
back in an hour - apparently they do have one manuscript.
Appt to look at item - tomorrow at 9:00
Evening - viewing of "New York at Dusk"
Guard (name)
doesn't want to let us in! Mr. P'dorf lawyer has vanished.
We bribe him $100 (apparently we're not the first).
Room - 20 items.
Painting, scrolls, manuscripts, artwork.
Take notes
Father O'Reilly finds book by Monteverdi in library - theories are fairly conventional + scientific - about Egyptian Rites - talks about physical - what, how, where they got stuff, scientifically why, no religion stuff.
Algie tries another club (another drink, $20) - Sarah Winchester believes husband and daughter dies as result of other hunting accidents w/Winchester rifles, + into spiritual stuff to try to make amends.
McGuinness - al Qusi ? the <Qusi>
Karen - al Qusi means "the silent"
McG "The silent One" - Egyptian - Darlak - associated
with dove (for head).
Father O'Reilly looks up the circle-and-flame symbol in centre of pentagram, but finds nothing.
Samuel Hargett calls Edward Grayson + says bring money to auction, then look in library + call Egypt, Cairo police, but no-one speaks English. Will visit an egyptology professor and ask about items in morning at 8 am.
To Dr. Petersdorf's house - Samuel, Karen, Edward, + Algie.
30 people, inc. Prof. Fluff
Algie walks in, complains about the sherry (none)
+
Talk to Brutus (has heard of Phillips - lying?)
- invites dinner at 6 (algie) at expensive restaurant. + a (lawyer?) (the
one who (neutral?) HP as well)
Dinner w/Brutus Al Qusi - then to meet Charlie at mention of Michael Danning.
Dagger - should be kept in v. safe keeping - for
everyone's protection.
- family artifact - family not quite as old as the
dagger, but the family has had it as long as the family.
There are people who could use it to do about anything.
Mafia hired to obtain it?
AQ approached von Petersdorf to buy + take back -
amenable.
which side? Monteverdi not a player yet.
Book of Dead dangerous, but not usable.
George DeVita in phone book.
AQ leaves, will contact in morning.
Charlie looks at Egyptian Book of the Dead -- will study it (months?) (loses 6 SAN).
AQ calls - he's at police station but won't give
him dagger, so want someone there.
Algie + lawyer (Edward Gregson) drive down there.
meet AQ. Sgt Bailey - hands over dagger.
(Kennedy?) and Bailey rushed over to DV's house
- stank - body crisped (burnt) window open - two guys diving down fire
escape (???) - head to docks - Kennedy shoots tyre on car - crashes - driver
vanishes into docks - passenger dead. Kennedy died of heart attack
while searching docks - DV lying - face up - front half burnt
Back to Charlie's. Lunch. Clifton Jordan turned up (was watching over Karen). Brutus wants to buy it to take it back.
Lawyer has a fit and is out for about 1 minute.
Wakes up. "Was flying over jungle down a river"
Hypnotist (Louis Vendredi) hypnotises Edward - recalls
"dream" in excessive detail.
Brutus says he can explain. - he is a Coptic Monk.
- fighting (spound?) of satanic cult (and worship unspeakable demon) -
dagger is important in their rituals - here to get dagger - dagger has
cursed Edward - brother - Egypt can remove curse - should leave right away.
- go to Ashmunayn, via Alexandria and Cairo.
Boat leaves tomorrow. (will be met at Alexandria by a Fokker (and a pilor/mechanic) for rent for a while) Will take shotgun, tropical gear, one of the two Mi-Go sticks.
(Mid-afternoon Edward has exactly same vision)
Edward takes dagger. (tries to melt it - flashes violently into vision - can see further - into desert). Repeat expt. - jungle shifts to desert (view) city of mud brick - some white w/symbols of man + animals. Don't wake yet. (loses 8 SAN)
3-weekd trip to Alexandria.
Algie, Edward, Louis, O'Reilly, Duvalier, Brutus.
Algie leaves Egyptian
Days go by. Vision every afternoon.
[5th day, vision longer - j - d - city - people - column of men walking through town (brick building) in finely embroidered robes]
Duvalier will investigate - ritual - Edward is cursed (not possessed) spirit does run off to other world - happens while in ritual - processional - heading to building - 2 15' stone statues - squatting animals of some type (monkey?) - now about 15 mins in visions.
Dinner - Brutus gets up - a few minutes after he
leaves - horrible scream!
An animal - a huge snake with wings - it scream,
takes Brutus (dead), and flies off.
Duvalier throws darts - hits but doesn't hurt.
Edward attacks it with the dagger - misses - it knocks him down
with tail.
Algie shoots it with MiGo stick - it screams, drops
Brutus, and flaps off.
find another Egyptian to (come?)
The inscription on the knife is translated: "not dwell in Osiris's heaven in peace"?
few uneventful days, then vision progresses. About 1 1/2 weeks into - up to about an hour.
Vision - takes ankh + knife into vision - in for
an hour. - now in tempte - demons and creatures (statues)
j - d - city - temple (long hall, tall white columns,
statues of gods + demons, priests with symbols on clothing).
Knife "disappeared" during vision (i.e. Duvalier
+ O'Reilly took it away from physical body).
few days later
Dinner - one of sailors reaches and grabs dagger
and runs
Duvalier shoots w/dart - Algie chases and catches - thje man cuts his
own throat. Blood everywhere. Algie takes dagger, gives to
Edward.
Edward questions the Captain - gets name of sailor.
Fly to Cairo - Vendredi hypnotises Mohammed on the way - "Ibis is peace, monkey is war. Knows no active sults of ancient religions."
Verdict is that the guy is OK.
Land at Cairo.
Perfect landing in Cairo.
Hotel - fairly posh
Mikhay'el translate inscription? Although possibilities - "There is no peace at the place of judgement" - v. evil dagger.
Will try to find person on list here. (Mohammed looking into it)
Algie spends evening in bar
Algie stays in bar
Mikhay'el is also a Coptic monk - + hooks on with
us after Brutus died - + now has decided to trust him - Brutus had told
him a lot - Algie tells him a lot
The Haitian mystic, Duvalier, looks to find out about Egyptian mysticism - goes to Museum with O'R and Louis Vendredi.
Leave.
mid-morning - early lunch at hotel, to airport, and leave.
During flight - Vendredi hypnotises Edward for his afternoon vision.
Land in Ashmanag(i?)n.
Algie, Mikhay'el, Vendredi, O'Reilly, Duvalier go
to bar. Evening passes. - Bartender is good sleight of hand, + tricks
+ stuff around bar.
Night.
Algie dragged out to meeting - Duvalier + O'Reilly + Mohammed - Duvalier communed w/spirits - Mohammed is good guy and actually Coptic monk, Mikhay'el is bad guy + not human possibly, maybe wants to sacrifice us.
O'Reilly gets dagger (only thing that will hurt Mickey).
Jump him, gag him + bind him (so he can't summon snakes) + Duvalier stabs him w/dart + passes out.
Duvalier's ritual - where should be getting some inkling of spirits - getting nothing - protected? Isn't human?
Mohammed stands at foot of bed - "If you fear the
evil, I would look away" he says. He holds the dagger up ceremoniously
- speaks some words - horrifying sight - as huge thing w/lots of
teeth + long fingers + claws materializes next to bed + looks at Mohammed
("Father Shayeda") + Mohammed says something in Arabic + the thing scoops
up body and walks into nothingness. He says "It's all over".
Algie takes knife - must go to temple to remove
the curse.
Return knife to lawyer. Go back to bed.
Mohammed now is "Father Shanuda" openly.
Off to ruins.
Led into the desert a short way, come to lots of
"ruins" - sand-covered - to one + into + underground - + he casts a spell
- summoning a guide to lead us to temple - a ghoul.
After some chanting - a ghoul arrives. - leads through
catacombs. It's dark - lights candles and torches.
Catacombs dark musty damp - wall niches with moulding corpses. Being live here - rats snakes, scorpions, etc. - unnaturally large - Occasionally attacked - deal w/using the Bang-Stick. Bloated enormous deformed rats. Crocodiles. Ghouls.
Coming down hall towards is something v. large.
Black - lots of gross noises. Ghoul stops.
"Friend or foe" Algie calls. Stick has no
effect. Fire again - it goes away round a corner.
in front of temple - Shanuda says something to ghoul - ghoul demands payment. Shanuda says wave dagger quickly at ghoul - lawyer does - ghoul leaves.
Into temple - lawyer remembers secret door behind
altar + opens it (no monkey guard!) + Shanuda heads down into tunnel.
2 stone (baboon?) statues inside - huge temple -
the "real" one - as going down tunnel, lawyer passes out (has never been
here in vision.) O'Reilly drags the lawyer along (he sort of walks)
O'Reilly has the dagger now.
Temple is simple - far end is altar, + statue of Crawling Chaos as a black sphinx with smooth oval instead of face - unspeakable carvings - blank face "watches" us.
Walking out from behind altar is a man - Shanuda
recognizes him + cringes in fear.
Man says "hello, + welcome to my temple."
Thanks for dagger.
Algie asks him to explain. He is Thoth -
O'Reilly rushes him w/dagger and tries to stab him (crit's! 01!!!) Nyarlathotep begins to steam, shrink, and wither until nothing left. O'Reilly has blown away a god!
Algie + O'reilly pas out from the smell.
Shanuda says should do ceremony to awaken cursed
one. (he didn't realise that the god woul be here) + destroy dagger.
He takes dagger to altar - he explains to them that they have potential
for "(gratus?)" and this ritual will remove some of that - the alternative
is that the lawyer will go away w/god that has been driven away.
The agree (Duvalier reluctantly).
Takes some of their blood from finger, chants, and
carves and elder sign (pentagram thing) + fills line w/blood - shoves knife
into
altar - fuses in - + lawyer wakes up.
Out.