Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда

           Aneyeforaneye—magicformagic—lettheoutcomeskepticalhowwellthelessonoftheabysshadbeenlearned!SoinaclearvoiceMarinusBicknellWillettbeganthesecondofthatpairofformulaewhosefirsthadraisedthewriterofthoseminuscules—thecrypticinvocationwhoseheadingwastheDragon’sTail,signofthedescendingnode—

           OgthrodAi’f

           Geb’l-Ee’h

           Yog-Sothoth

           ’Ngah’ngAi’y

           Zhro

           AttheveryfirstwordfromWillett’smouththepreviouslycommencedformulaofthepatientstoppedshort.Unabletospeak,themonstermadewildmotionswithhisarmsuntiltheytoowerearrested.WhentheawfulnameofYog-Sothothwasuttered,thehideouschangebegan.Itwasnotmerelyadissolution,butratheratransformationorrecapitulation;andWillettshuthiseyeslesthefaintbeforetherestoftheincantationcouldbepronounced.

           Buthedidnotfaint,andthatmanofunholycenturiesandforbiddensecretsnevertroubledtheworldagain.Themadnessoutoftimehadsubsided,andthecaseofCharlesDexterWardwasclosed.Openinghiseyesbeforestaggeringoutofthatroomofhorror,Dr.Willettsawthatwhathehadkeptinmemoryhadnotbeenkeptamiss.Therehad,ashehadpredicted,beennoneedforacids.Forlikehisaccursedpictureayearbefore,JosephCurwennowlayscatteredonthefloorasathincoatingoffinebluish-greydust.