New Lovecraft Circle

The Plain of Sound Ramsey Campbell Verily do we know little of the other universes beyond the gate which YOG-SOTHOTH guards. Of those which come through the gate and make their habitation in this world none can tell; although Ibn Schacabao tells of the beings which crawl from the Gulf of S'glhuo that they may be known by their sound. In that Gulf the very worlds are of sound, and matter is known but as an odor; and the notes of our pipes in this world may create beauty or bring forth abominations in S'glhuo. For the barrier between haply grows thin, and when sourceless sounds occur we may justly look to the denizens of S'glhuo. They can do little harm to those of Earth, and fear only that shape which a certain sound may form in their universe. Abdul Alhazred: Necronomicon When Frank Nuttall, Tony Roles, and I reached the Inn at Severnford, we found that it was closed. It was summer of 1958, and as we had nothing particular to do at Brichester University that day we had decided to go out walking. I had suggested a trip to Goatswoodthe legends there interested mebut Tony had heard things which made him dislike that town. Then Frank had told us about an advertisement in the Brichester Weekly News about a year back which had referred to an inn at the center of Severnford as "one of the oldest in England." We could walk there in the morning and quench the thirst caused by the journey; afterward we could take the bus back to Brichester if we did not feel like walking. Tony was not enthusiastic. "Why go all that way to get drunk," he inquired, "even if it is so old? Besides, that ad in the paper's old tooby now the place has probably fallen down . . ." However, Frank and I wanted to try it, and finally we overruled his protests. We would have done better to agree with him, for we found the inn's doors and windows boarded up and a nearby sign saying: "Temporarily closed to the public." The only course was to visit the modern public house up the street. We looked round the town a little; this did not occupy us long, for Severnford has few places of interest, most of it being dockland. Before two o'clock we were searching for a bus-stop; when it eluded us, we entered a newsagent's for directions. "Bus t' Brichester? No, only in the mornin's," the proprietor told us. "Up from the University, are you?" "Then how do we get back?" Tony asked. "Walk, I s'pose," suggested the newsagent. "Why'd you come up anywayoh, t'look at the Inn? No, you won't get in there nowso many o' them bloody teenagers've been breakin' the winders an' such that Council says it'll only open t' people with special permission. Good job, toothough I'm not sayin' as it's kids like you as does it. Still, you'll be wantin' t' get back t' Brichester, an' I know the short- est way." He began to give us complicated directions, which he repeated in detail. When we still looked uncertain he waited while Frank got out notebook and pencil and took down the route. At the end of this I was not yet sure which way to go, but, as I remarked: "If we get lost, we can always ask." "Oh, no," protested our informant. "You won't go wrong if you follow that." "Right, thanks," Frank said. "And I suppose there will be passers-by to ask if we do go wrong?" "I wouldnPrice, Robert M. is the author of 'New Lovecraft Circle' with ISBN 9780345444066 and ISBN 034544406X.