The Whisperer in Darkness Page #4

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Wild country, eh, Mr. Wilmarth?

Indeed.

Not like the big cities on the coast,

or your academic towns.

Our storied hills and legend-haunted

mountains of any professional interest for you?

Oh, I don't know.

It's altogether older and more primitive here.

Unspoiled.

Ancestral, really.

You can almost feel that continuous

native life that keeps alive ancient memories, and

shadowy, strange beliefs.

I'd have thought Henry would

have told you plenty about that.

He hasn't said too much.

Good. We wouldn't want

him scaring you off now, eh?

Now what's this?

What's the trouble, Walter?

Flood's damaged the bridge.

You'll have to turn round.

I'm trying to take Mr.

Wilmarth here up to Akeley's place.

You can't take a car across, she may not hold.

Can you still walk across?

Aye-yep. Laid down planks.

Ye can cross a-foot. For the present.

It's quite a frightful detour if we go around.

Could take us four or five hours in this weather.

On foot you'll be there in less than an hour.

I see.

Probably best if you cross a-foot.

Walter, do you think this rain is going to let up?

I don't reckon. Looks like a bad night.

Might want to get a move on, get up to Akeley's.

Don't want to dilly-dally. A man could get...

Now then, Walter, we don't want to scare the man.

I'm the last thing he should be afraid of.

Of course I don't mind taking you on the detour.

No, no, I'll manage.

Here, take my umbrella. I insist.

Thank you. I'll leave it with Akeley.

Now Henry might be resting when you get there,

and with this weather he mightn't hear you knock.

But he's expecting you,

so you can just let yourself in.

Are you sure?

Oh sure, he won't mind.

Well, thank you.

Not at all.

I'll be seeing you, Mr. Wilmarth.

Excuse me, hello? Hello?

Sorry to trouble you, can you tell me the way to...

The Akeley place?

Yes. How did you...

We don't get many visitors around here.

What's your business?

My business?

Henry invited me.

As his guest.

Invited, eh?

Yes, that's right.

You come alone?

I did. A Mr. Noyes brought me in

from Brattleboro, but the bridge is...

Noyes? You know him too?

No. Honestly I was surprised

Henry didn't pick me up himself.

Mr. Noyes said he'd been unwell.

Rain's going to keep coming

down all night. Best stay indoors.

You'll find the Akeley's place

back up on the road, overthe rise.

You can cut through the field, past the barn.

Thank you, mister...

Masterson. Will Masterson.

Hannah! Get back! Hannah!

Not much of a day for hunting, is it?

'Pends on what you're hunting for.

Mr. Akeley? It's Albert Wilmarth. I'm here.

Mr. Wilmarth, at last.

Pardon my not rising, but I've been taken ill,

as I'm sure Mr. Noyes must have told you,

but I could not resist

having you come just the same.

Yes. How are you feeling?

Can I get you anything?

No, no. I know these old spells.

I just need some rest.

Here, let me open up the curtains...

Just a little, if you please.

When I'm ill like this my eyes

are quite sensitive to the light.

Oh, of course. I'm sorry.

I'm so pleased you're here in person.

There's so much to discuss.

You have the Kodak prints and

the phonograph record? The letters?

Sure I do. And a manuscript of old

folklore which I'm sure you'll find of interest.

Unexpected. And wonderful.

Set them on the table there

and we'll discuss them tonight.

Will you be up to it?

Oh, yes. I'm just a little

weak right now but I'll be fine.

Your room is upstairs, above this one.

And there's a meal laid out for you in

the dining room, through that door there.

I'll be a better host tomorrow;

these spells leave me spent.

It's quite alright.

I'm tired myself. The bridge was out.

I had to walk up here.

How unfortunate.

Please, dry off and make yourself at home.

I'll rest until after dusk

and then we will talk some more.

We have so very much to discuss!

Henry, I don't suppose you've had

any further word from George, have you?

Yes, your...

Ah yes, George.

Yes, he sent a telegram from

California. He was delayed.

That's wonderful news! What a relief.

Yes.

And the black stone? Does he still have it?

That's of no importance now.

Do you realise the stupendous

nature of what lies before us?

Henry, you...

Forgive me.

My enthusiasm runs ahead of me,

and I should rest.

We will talk later.

Set out the items from your bag, take a bite,

make yourself comfortable and we

shall have our chat.

I'll stay here.

Rest.

I thought you might like some Ovaltine.

Did you find the meal laid out for you?

Yes, thank you. Very kind of you.

I'lljust set this right here.

So, Henry, are you feeling up to our conversation?

Wilmarth. Yes. Conversation.

Do we have all your evidence at hand?

It's all right here on the table.

Good.

I never should have sent you

any of those things, you know.

Such a lot of bother, and all for nothing.

What do you mean?

There was never any reason to fear them.

It was foolish to interfere with their doings.

Men simply can't understand their great purpose.

Hold on, Henry.

I came here prepared to accept there were

undiscovered creatures living in these hills, but

a "purpose"? Really now...

I've spoken to them, Wilmarth.

You've what?

Oh, yes. They've told me things that

neither you nor I had ever begun to guess.

We misjudged the purpose of

their secret colony on this planet.

You saw and spoke to them?

They are not unwilling to share

their great secrets with mankind.

Secrets of the universe itself.

OK, Henry, so they choose humans to talk to,

just like in the folklore.

The folklore... All your legends

about what they've offered to men,

and what they wish in connection with the earth,

are based on man's misconceptions

of allegorical speech.

Your most educated experts understand them no

betterthan illiterate farmers or savage natives.

Alright Henry,

what is it they want?

Shall I tell you?

Are you ready?

Come closer.

Let me whisper it to you.

Even now I could not repeat

the terrible things I heard whispered

that evening in the

darkened room among the lonely hills.

What he had learned from the Outside

Things was almost too much for sanity to bear.

It was shocking to have the foulest nightmares

of secret myth revealed in concrete terms,

and yet

Akeley now seemed reconciled to the

whole fiendish system he had stumbled upon.

I'm going with them, Wilmarth.

Going with them?

Where?

Their main immediate abode

is a still undiscovered, almost

lightless planet at the

very edge of our solar system.

It is referred to as "Yuggoth"

in some of your precious folklore.

When the time is right, they'll

permit human observers to detect it.

But Yuggoth is just a stepping stone.

Later, I'll cross incalculable gulfs of space,

bending time to allow for temporal journeys.

The things can carry you through space?

Human bodies are not suited

forthe journey like theirs are.

But they've solved the

challenge with their surgical,

mechanical, and chemical skills.

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