IV
Reading Black Book became fatally ideal preparation for what began to happen later in the spring of 1932. Can not remember when they started to call attention to the increasingly frequent news about police intervention in the repression of certain oriental cults. The truth is that, by May or June, I realized that worldwide there was an unusual upsurge in the activities of associations mystical and secretive clandestine nature, which usually had a quiet life. I probably would never have come to associate the news with the text of von Junzt, or the frantic enthusiasm of the public by the mummy and cylinder of the museum, but for certain expressions and analogies, the media was responsible for consistently emphasized, with the rites and the statements of its leaders. So to speak, could not fail to note with concern the frequency. that was repeated a name, in various forms of corruption, which seemed to constitute the core of the myth and it was invariably pronounced with a mixture of respect and terror. Some formulas textually cited as G'tanta, Tanotah, Than-Tha, Gatan and Ktan-Tan ... The suggestions of the many fans of the occult that I wrote were unnecessary for me to see in these variants a tremendous kinship with the monster name recorded by von Junzt: Ghatanothoa.
There were other troubling aspects as well. Again and again the newspapers were vague allusions to a "true roll" around which seemed to turn dire consequences. It was said that was guarded by a certain 'Nagob. " Also had an insistent repetition of a name that sounded something like Tog, Tioka, Yog, Zob or Yob, I, increasingly excited, related involuntarily with the name of heretic T'yog unfortunate, as it was called in the Book Black. This name usually associated with enigmatic phrases like "can not be more than him," 'He looked at his face "," knows everything, and can not see or touch. " "He extended memory through the aeons", "The real parchment will free", "He can tell where you are." Something very strange was, undoubtedly, in the environment, and I wondered why I wrote the occult and the Sunday tabloids began to connect new and surprising religious riots with the legends of Mu, on the one hand, and the recent journalistic exploitation of the mummy, on the other. The extensive articles from the beginning, his insistent comments about the mummy, the cylinder and roll, his relationship with the Black Book and fantastic speculation about the whole thing, very well could have awakened the latent fanaticism of those hundreds of clandestine groups, which abound in our complex world. The press, meanwhile, never stopped to add fuel to the fire .. The accounts of the riots were even more egregious than the stories I had read on the subject.
When summer approaches the museum guards observed a curious change in public-after quiet that succeeded the first impact of advertising, began again to attend the museum, in a second wave of enthusiasm. More and more people had exotic-looking Asian with brown skin, long hair indescribable kinds, Black-bearded individual who seemed to be accustomed to the European dress, which invariably asked the room of mummies and then were seen watching the Pacific with a true copy of the rapture. There was something sinister and latent in the flood of bizarre aliens, who had impressed the guards. I myself was feeling far from peaceful. I kept thinking that the religious riots were due precisely to the likes of those ... and perhaps there was a relationship between these agitations and those stories about the mummy and the manuscript.
Sometimes I almost felt tempted to remove the mummy room especially when a guard told me that at a time when groups of visitors were less numerous, several foreigners had been doing odd bow to her and whispering a chant that seemed something like a ritual chant. One of the guards began to imagine strange things about that horror petrified and alone in his cabinet. He claimed that had been observed, from day to day, changes subtle, almost imperceptible, in the frantic hands bending stiff and terrified facial expression tough. He could not himself the shocking idea that those bulging eyes were to suddenly open.
A first September decreased the mass of strangers, and the mummies room it was found empty a few times. Then there was an attempt to seize the mummy cutting the glass of the showcase. The offender, a swarthy Polynesian, was caught in time by a guardian, and arrested before he could cause any damage. Relevant research conducted, the individual turned out to be a Hawaiian, known for his participation in certain secret cults, and which the police had abundant information related to inhuman rites and sacrifices. Some of the papers found in his room were the most confusing, especially a lot of pages with hieroglyphics strikingly similar to the roll of the museum and reproductions of the Black Book of von Junzt. But he was not able to speak on this matter.
Scarcely a week after the incident there was another attempt to get to the mummy, followed by a second arrest. This time the offender had attempted to force the lock of the cabinet. It was a Sinhalese who had a history as long as the Hawaiian and who, like him, refused to make statements to the police. The curious thing about this case was that just before a guard had caught our man leading the mummy a very unique song, which clearly repeated the word "T'yog." In view of these unpleasant incidents redoubled vigilance in the room of mummies, and ordered that henceforth, would not lose sight of the famous copy a single moment.
Understandably the media took advantage of it. He repeated his earlier comments on the fabled land of Mu, and boldly proclaimed that the mummy was only the reckless heretic T'yog, petrified by the sight he had suffered in the ancient citadel, remaining in this state for 175,000 years of the turbulent history of our planet. And he emphasized and repeated ad nauseam that the strange visitors practiced rites Mu, and who came to worship the mummy ... or perhaps trying to return to life by spells and incantations.
journalists constantly referring the old legend that the brains of victims remained conscious and intact Ghatanothoa. This topic was the basis for a series of improbable and absurd speculation. The issue of "true roll" also received due attention. According to general opinion, the formula that was stolen was T'yog somewhere, and members of the sect that the Conservatives were trying to get in contact with the T'yog, although it was not known for what purpose. With this approach the problem was the third wave of visitors who again began to invade the museum to admire the hellish mummy axis served to all this strange and disturbing case.
Among those who came to the museum, many of them made repeated visits, it was said increasingly slightest change he had experienced the mummy. I suppose, despite some reassuring observation that our nervous caretaker had made some months earlier that the museum staff was too used to seeing strange shapes, to pay close attention to detail. In any case, the excited comments from visitors that the guards did eventually notice the change, apparently, is going to produce. About the same time the press picked up the theme ... with shocking results that were expected.
course I paid more attention to the case, and by mid October, I realized that the mummy had begun a process of disintegration. Due to a chemical or physical factors of the environment, fibers, leather half and half stone, seemed to relax gradually, causing a change in the posture of the limbs and the facial expression of terror. After fifty years of perfect conservation this process was extremely confusing, and several times I asked Dr. Moore, taxidermist of the museum, who passed to see the copy that. Moore found that he suffered a relaxation and a general softening, and gave him a bath by spraying astringent, not daring to attempt anything more for fear that came a precipitous decay.
The effect was all in the crowd was amazing. Until then, each news item published by the press had attracted a trademark of visitors who came to watch and whisper softly. Now, however, although the newspapers talked incessantly changes suffered by the mummy, the audience accused a sense of fear that restrained his morbid curiosity. People seemed to feel the aura that hung over the museum. In short, the number of visitors decreased significantly, which showed that the influx of foreign quirky remained the same.
The November 18, a Peruvian of India suffered a rare blood hysterics in front of the mummy. Later in the hospital shouted: "You tried to open my eyes! ... T'yog has tried to open his eyes at me! "By that time I was determined to withdraw from the order that the incident room copy but wanted to wait until the next meeting of our directors. I realized the museum began to enjoy an unfortunate reputation in the quiet neighborhood. After this latest incident gave instructions that no one be allowed to stop more than a few minutes before the monstrous relic of the Pacific.
The November 24, after closing the museum, one of the guards was a very small open slot in the eyes of the mummy. The phenomenon was very light. Had been only a very thin line visible in each eye cornea. However, the phenomenon was of great importance. The Dr. Moore, immediately sent for, was about to consider the visible part of the eyeball with a magnifying glass when touching the mummy's eyelids closed tightly again. All attempts to open them, without forcing too, were in vain. The taxidermist did not dare to apply other procedures. I phoned immediately. When I told him I felt a terror invaded me hard to define. For a moment I could share the popular impression that something evil, formless, sprang from unfathomable depths of time and space and hovered over the museum as a threat.
Two nights later a tried to hide poor filipino addressed in the museum at closing time. Arrested and taken to the police station refused to give his name, being arrested as a suspect. Meanwhile, the close surveillance to which the mummy was found under these unique deter foreigners to pursue their continued stalking. At least diminished the number of those people, when put into effect the order not to stop at it.
During the first hours of the morning of Thursday, December 1, came the denouement. At one o'clock we heard a horrible scream of terror and agony that came out of the museum. The frantic phone calls neighbors were to be submitted promptly by a police patrol in the area, while several museum officials, including myself. Some agents surrounded the building, while others, along with the museum staff, we cautiously. In the main hall the night watchman found strangled, was still knotted hemp rope in his throat and found that, despite all precautions, some of those criminals had managed to enter the building. A silence enveloped all. Most were afraid to go up to the fatal room, where we knew we were going to find the explanation of the tragedy. Lights on the building from main keys of the corridor and we are more relaxed. Finally we came up with caution due to the circular staircase and cross the threshold sumptuous room of mummies.
0 comments:
Post a Comment