| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Dunwich Horror by H. P. Lovecraft: groups came and went where the fiendish thing had occurred. Two
titan swaths of destruction stretched from the glen to the Frye
farmyard, monstrous prints covered the bare patches of ground,
and one side of the old red barn had completely caved in. Of the
cattle, only a quarter could be found and identified. Some of
these were in curious fragments, and all that survived had to
be shot. Earl Sawyer suggested that help be asked from Aylesbury
or Arkham, but others maintained it would be of no use. Old Zebulon
Whateley, of a branch that hovered about halfway between soundness
and decadence, made darkly wild suggestions about rites that ought
to be practiced on the hill-tops. He came of a line where tradition
The Dunwich Horror |
The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Merry Men by Robert Louis Stevenson: shall send for some to-day. My Pharaoh will be gratified to drink
a decent glass; aha! and I shall see if he possesses that acme of
organisation - a palate. If he has a palate, he is perfect.'
'Henri,' she said, shaking her head, 'you are a man; you cannot
understand my feelings; no woman could shake off the memory of so
public a humiliation.' The Doctor could not restrain a titter.
'Pardon me, darling,' he said; 'but really, to the philosophical
intelligence, the incident appears so small a trifle. You looked
extremely well - '
'Henri!' she cried.
'Well, well, I will say no more,' he replied. 'Though, to be sure,
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| The third excerpt represents the element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Finished by H. Rider Haggard: Allan, I thought she must drown in that river, and if I had lost
her, I think I should have gone mad. Indeed, at the moment I
felt myself going mad while I dragged and flogged at those
horses."
"Well, you didn't lose her, and if she had drowned, you would
have drowned also. So don't talk any more about it. She is
safe, and now we have got to keep her so, for you are not married
yet, my boy, and there are generally more trees in a wood than
one can see. Still we are alive and well, which is more than we
had any right to expect, and, as you say, let us thank God for
that."
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The fourth excerpt represents the element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Call of the Canyon by Zane Grey: down each side, a stove at each end, and a few chairs. Each bed appeared to
have an occupant and those nearest Carley lay singularly quiet. At the far
end of the room were soldiers on crutches, wearing bandages on their beads,
carrying their arms in slings. Their merry voices contrasted discordantly
with their sad appearance.
Presently Carley stood beside a bed and looked down upon a gaunt, haggard
young man who lay propped up on pillows.
"Rust--a lady to see you," announced the nurse.
Carley had difficulty in introducing herself. Had Glenn ever looked like
this? What a face! It's healed scar only emphasized the pallor and furrows
of pain that assuredly came from present wounds. He had unnaturally bright
The Call of the Canyon |
