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Waite on
Conanicut Island in the bay, and subjected to the closest scrutiny and
questioning by all the physicians connected with the case. It was then that
the physical oddities were noticed; the slackened metabolism, the altered
skin, and the disproportionate neural reactions. Dr. Willett was the most
perturbed of the various examiners, for he had attended Ward all his life and
could appreciate with terrible keenness the extent of his physical
disorganisation. Even the familiar olive mark on his hip was gone, while on
his chest was a great black mole or cicatrice which had never been there
before, and which made Willett wonder whether the youth had ever submitted to
any of the witch markings reputed to be inflicted at certain unwholesome
nocturnal meetings in wild and lonely places. The doctor could not keep his
mind off a certain transcribed witch-trial record from Salem which Charles had
shewn him in the old non-secretive days, and which read: 'Mr. G. B. on that
Nighte putt ye Divell his Marke upon Bridget S., Jonathan A., Simon O.,
Deliverance W., Joseph C., Susan P., Mehitable C., and
Deborah B.' Ward's face, too, troubled him horribly, till at length he
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suddenly discovered why he was horrified. For above the young man's right eye
was something which he had never previously noticed - a small scar or pit
precisely like that in the crumbled painting of old Joseph Curwen, and perhaps
attesting some hideous ritualistic inoculation to which both had submitted at
a certain stage of their occult careers.
While Ward himself was puzzling all the doctors at the hospital a very strict
watch was kept on all mail addressed either to him or to Dr. Allen, which Mr.
Ward had ordered delivered at the family home. Willett had predicted that very
little would be found, since any communications of a vital nature would
probably have been exchanged by messenger; but in the latter part of March
there did come a letter from Prague for Dr. Allen which gave both the doctor
and the father deep thought. It was in a very crabbed and archaic hand; and
though clearly not the effort of a foreigner, shewed almost as singular a
departure from modern
English as the speech of young Ward himself. It read:
Kleinstrasse 11, Altstadt, Prague, 11th Feby. 1928.
Brother in Almonsin-Metraton:-
I this day receiv'd yr mention of what came up from the Saltes I sent you. It
was wrong, and meanes clearly that ye Headstones had been chang'd when
Barnabas gott me the Specimen. It is often so, as you must be sensible of from
the Thing you gott from ye Kings Chapell ground in 1769 and what H. gott from
Olde Bury'g Point in 1690, that was like to ende him. I gott such a Thing in
Aegypt 75 yeares gone, from the which came that Scar ye Boy saw on me here in
1924. As I told you longe ago, do not calle up That which you can not put
downe; either from dead Saltes or out of ye Spheres beyond. Have ye Wordes for
laying at all times readie, and stopp not to be sure when there is any Doubte
of Whom you have. Stones are all chang'd now in Nine groundes out of 10. You
are never sure till you question. I this day heard from H., who has had
Trouble with the Soldiers. He is like to be sorry Transylvania is pass't from
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Hungary to Roumania, and wou'd change his Seat if the Castel weren't so fulle
of What we Knowe. But of this he hath doubtless writ you. In my next Send'g
there will be Somewhat from a Hill tomb from ye East that will delight you
greatly. Meanwhile forget not I am desirous of B. F. if you can possibly get
him for me. You know G. in Philada. better than I. Have him upp firste if you
will, but doe not use him soe hard he will be Difficult, for I must speake to
him in ye End.
Yogg-Sothoth Neblod Zin
Simon O.
To Mr. J. C. in
Providence.
Mr. Ward and Dr. Willett paused in utter chaos before this apparent bit of
unrelieved insanity. Only by degrees did they absorb what it seemed to imply.
So the absent Dr. Allen, and not Charles Ward, had come to be the leading
spirit at
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