THE TESTIMONY OF THE MAD ARAB (The Second Part)

I have traveled on the Spheres, and the Spheres do not protect me. I have descended into the Abyss, and the Abyss does not protect me. I have walked to the tops of mountains, and the mountains do not protect me. I have walked the Seas, and the Seas do not protect me.

The Lords of the Wind rush about me and are angered. The Lords of the Earth crawl about my feet and are angered. The Spirits have forgotten me.

My time is shortened, and I must complete as much as I can before I am taken away by the Voice that ever calls. The Moon's days are numbered upon the earth, and the Sun's and I know not the meaning of these omens, but that they are. And the oracles are dried up, and the stars spin in their places. And the heavens look to be uncontrolled, with no order, and the spheres are crooked and wandering.

And the Sign of Zdaq is floating above my writing table, but I cannot read the runes any longer, for that Sight is failing me. Is it always in this fashion? And the Sign is failing me. Is it always in this fashion? And the Sign of Xastur rises up behind me, and of that I know the meaning, but may not write, for I received the message Elsewhere.

I can hardly speak to recognise my own voice.

The Abyss yawns wide before me! A gate has been broken!

Know that the Seven Spheres must be entered in their times and in their seasons, one at a time, and never the one before the other. Know that the Four beasts of the Spaces claim the blood of the initiate, each in their own time and season. Know that TIAMAT seeks ever to rise to the stars, and when the Upper is united to the Lower, then a new Age will come of Earth, and the Serpent shall be made whole, and the Waters will be as One, when on high the heavens had not been named.

Remember to protect the livestock of the village and thy family. The Elder Sign and the Sign of the Race. But the Watcher, too, if They be slow. And no sacrifices are to be made in that time, for the blood will be split for them that have come in, and will call them.

Remember to keep to the low ground, and not the high, for the Ancient Ones swing easily to the tops of the temples and the mountains, whereby they may survey what they had lost the last time. And sacrifices made on the tops of those temples are lost to Them.

Remember thy life is in running water, and not in still water, for the latter is the breeding place of the LILITU, and her creatures are the offspring of Them, and do worship at Their shrines, the places of which are unknown to thee. But where thou seest a standing stone, there they will be, for such is their altar.

Remember to carve the signs exactly as I have told thee, changing not one mark lest the amulet prove a curse against thee that wear it. Know that salt absorbs the evil effluvia of the larvae, and is useful to cleanse the tools with. Do not speak first to the demon, but let him speak first to thee. And is he speak, charge him to speak clearly, in a soft and pleasing voice, and in thy tongue, for it will otherwise surely confuse thee and deafen thee with its roar. And charge it to keep its stench that it may not make thee faint.

Remember not to make the sacrifice either too large or too small, for if it is too small, the demon will not come or, if coming, will be angered with thee so that it will not speak, even when charged, for that is the Covenant. And if it be too large, it will grow too large and too fast and will become difficult to control. And one such demon was raised by that Priest of Jerusalem, ABDUL BEN-MARTU, and was fed extensively on the sheep of the flocks of Palestine, whereupon it grew to frightening proportion and eventually devoured him. But that was madness, for Ben-Martu worshipped the Old Ones, which is unlawful, as it is written.

Remember that the Essences of the Ancient Ones are in all things, but that the Essences of the Elder Gods are in all things that live, and this will prove of value to thee when the time comes.

Remember the ARRA, especially when dealing with Them of Fire, for They respect it, and no other.

Remember to keep the Moon pure.

Beware of the Cults of Death, and these are the Cult of the Dog, the Cult of the Dragon, and the Cult of the Goat; for they are worshippers of the Ancient Ones, and forever try to let Them in, for they have a formulae of which it is unlawful to speak. And these cults are not strong, save at their seasons, when the heavens open up to them and unto their race. And there shall forever be War between us and the Race of Draconis, for the Race of Draconis was ever powerful in ancient times, when the first temples were built in MAGAN, and they drew down much strength from the stars, but now they are as Wanderers of the Wastelands, and dwell in caves and in deserts, and in all lonely places where they have set up stones. And these I have seen, in my journeys through those areas where the ancient cults once flourished, and where now there is only sadness and desolation.

And I have seen them in their Rites, and the awful Things they call forth from the Lands beyond Time. I have seen the Signs carved upon their stones, their altars. I have seen the Sign of PAZUZU, and ZALED, and those of XASTUR and AZAG-THOTH, and similarly those of ISHNIGARRAB and the awful Offspring of the Goat, and the terrible musicks of their Race.

I have seen the Blood split upon the Stone. I have seen that Stone struck with a Sword, and have seen the Stone raise up and the Serpent crawl forth. And this power is surely damned; but where does MARDUK tarry? And what of SHAMMASH? The Sleeping Gods truly Sleep.

And what crime have I committed? What Unknown God have I transgressed? What forbidden thing have I eaten? What forbidden thing have I drunk? My suffering! It is Seven! It is Seven times Seven! O Gods! Do not cast thy servant down!

Remember the Scorpion Man who dwells in the Mountains. He was of old created by TIAMAT to fight the Elder Gods, but was permitted to stay below the Mountains by Them. But He has deceived us once, and may do so again. But call upon him if there be something concerning the Outside that you would know, that I have not told thee. And his sign is simple, and it is thus:

And merely, face the place where he is, and he will come and speak, but do not do this at Dawn, for then the Sun rises and the Scorpion has no power, not from the Dawn till the Dusk, during which time he is forced back beneath the Earth, for that is the letter of the Covenant concerning him, for it is written: He shall not raise his head above the Sun.

And again: His is the dark times.

And again: He knows of the Gate, but not the Gate.

And the Scorpion Man has another of his Race, female, that dwells with him there, but of her it is not lawful to speak, and she must be banished with the exorcisms should she appear to thee, for her touch is Death.

And of the Cult of the Dragon, what more can I say to thee? They worship when that Star is highest in the heavens, and is of the Sphere of the IGIGI, as are the Stars of the Dog and the Goat. And their worshippers have always been with us, though they are not of our same Race, but of the Race of their Stars, of the Ancient Ones. And they keep not to our laws, but murder quickly, and without thought. And their blood covers them.

They have summoned the Spirits of War and Plague openly upon our Race, and have caused great numbers of our people and our animals die, after a most unnatural fashion. And they are unfeeling towards pain, and fear not the Sword or the Flame, for they are the authors of all Pain! They are the very creatures of Darkness and Sorrow, yet they Sorrow not! Remember the smell! They can be told by their smell! And their many unnatural sciences and arts, which cause wonderous things to happen, but which are unlawful to our people.

And who is their Master? Of this I do not know, but I have heard them calling ENKI which is surely a blasphemy, for ENKI is of our Race as it is writ in the Text of MAGAN. But, perhaps, they called Another, whose Name I do not know. But surely it was not ENKI.

And I have heard them calling all the Names of the Ancient Ones, proudly, at their Rites. And I have seen the blood split upon the ground and the mad dancing and the terrible cries as they yelled upon their Gods to appear and aid them in their mysteries.

And I have seen them turn the very Moon's rays into liquid, the which they poured upon their stones for a purpose I could not divine.

And I have seen them turn into many strange kinds of beast as they gathered in their appointed places, the Temples of Offal, whereupon horns grew from heads that had not horns, and teeth from mouths that had not such teeth, and hands become as the talons of eagles or the claws of dogs that roam the desert areas, mad and howling, like unto those who even now call my name outside this room!

I cry laments, but no one hears me! I am overwhelmed with horror! I cannot see! Gods, do not cast thy servant down!

Remember the Sword of the Watcher. Do not touch It until you want It to depart, for It will depart at a touch and leave thee unprotected for the remainder of the Rite, and although a Circle is a boundary which none can cross, thou wilt find thyself unprepared to meet the incredible sights that will greet thee outside. Remember also the sacrifices to the Watcher. They must be regular, for the Watcher is of a different Race and cares not for thy life, save that he obey thy commands when the sacrifices have been met.

And forgetting the Elder Sign will surely cause thee much grief.

And I have seen a Race of Man that worships a Giant Cow. And they come from somewhere East, beyond the Mountains. And they are surely worshippers of an Ancient One, but of its Name I am not certain, and do not write it down, for it is useless to thee anyway. And in their Rites, they become as cows, and it is disgusting to see. But they are Evil, and so I warn thee.

And I have seen Rites that can kill a man at a great distance. And Rites that can cause sickness to a man, wherever he lives, by the use of a simple charm, which must be spoken in its tongue and in no other, or so it is said. And this charm is as follows:

And this they would chant over a doll of wax as it was burning in their wicked cauldrons. And in these things they took great delight, and still do where they are to be found at their shrines of loathsomeness.

And I have seen the lands of farmers ravaged by their evil spells, scorched black by flame and burning embers that descend from the sky. And that is the Sign that they have been there, where the earth is black and charred, and where nothing grows.

And when fire comes from the heavens, there wilt surely be panic among the people, and the Priest must calm them an take this book, of which he must make a copy in his own, and read the exorcisms therein that his people may not be harmed. For a sword will appear in the sky at those times, a signal to the Ancient Ones that One of Theirs has escaped and entered into this World. And it shall be an omen to thee that such a Spirit is abroad in the land, and must be found. And thou mayest send thy Watcher to the search, and it will be great destruction of cities, and fire will rain from the spheres, until the Elder Gods see your plight and will quell the uprising of the Ancient Ones with powerful Charms. But many will be lost to the Outside at that time.

Watch well the Stars. For when comets are to be seen in the neighbourhood of CAPRICORNUS, His cults will rejoice and the spells will increase from their quarter. And when comets are to be seen in DRACONIS, there is a great danger, for the Cults of the Dragon do rise up at that time, and make many sacrifices, not only of animals, but of men.

And when comets are to be seen in the neighborhood of the Star SIRIUS, then there will be great difficulty in the house of kings, and brother will rise up against brother, and there shall be war and famine. And in these things the worshippers of the Dog will rejoice, and reap the spoils of these conflicts, and will grow fat.

If thou happenest upon such a Cult in the midst of their Rituals, do but hide well so that they do not see thee, else they will surely kill thee and make of thee a sacrifice to their Gods, and thy spirit will be in grave danger, and the howling of the wolves will be for thee and the spirit which escapes from thee. This, if thou be lucky to die quickly, for these Cults rejoice in the slow spilling of blood, whereby they derive much power and strength in their Ceremonies.

Watch well, however, all that they do and all that they say, and write it down in a book that no one will see, as I have done, for it will serve thee well at some future time when thou wilt recognize them by their words or by their actions. And thou mayest procure amulets against them, by which their spells are rendered useless and dull, by burning the Name of their Gods upon parchment or silk in a cauldron of thine own devising. And thy Watcher will carry the burnt spell to their altar and deposit it thereupon, and they will be much afraid and cease their workings for awhile, and their stones will crack and their Gods be sorely angry with their servants.

Write the book thou keepest well, and clearly, and when it is time for thee to go out, as it is my time now, it will pass into the hands of those who may have the best use of it, and who are faithful servants of the Elder Gods, and wilt swear eternal Warfare against the rebellious demons who would destroy the civilisations of man.

And if thou knowest the names of they who would harm thee, write them upon figures of wax, made in their image, upon which you will make the Curse and melt them in the cauldron you have set up within the MANDAL of protection. And the Watcher will carry the Curse to them for whom it was uttered. And they will die.

And if thou does not know of their names, nor of their persons, save that they seek to harm thee, make a doll of wax like a man, with his limbs, but with no face. And upon the face of the doll write the word KASHSHAPTI. Hold the doll over the flaming cauldron while saying fiercely over it:

ATTI MANNU KASHSHAPTU SHA TUYUB TA ENNI!

Or thou mayest call upon ISHTAR to protect thee from the spells of sorcery. And for this, the MANDAL must be prepared as always, and a figure of ISHTAR be upon the altar, and incantations made to summon Her assistance, like the following incantation that is ancient, from the Priests of UR:

And if these worshippers and sorcerers still come at thee, as it is possible, for their power comes from the Stars, and who knows the ways of the Stars?, thou must call upon the Queen of Mysteries, NINDINUGGA, who wilt surely save thee. And thou must make incantations with her Title, which is NINDINUGGA NIMSHIMSHARGAL ENLILLARA. And it is enough merely to shout that Name aloud, Seven times, and she will come to thine aid.

And remember that thou purify thy temple with the branches of cypress and of pine, and no evil spirit which haunteth buildings will cause habitation to be set up therein, and no larvae will breed, as they do in many unclean places. The larvae are enormous, twice as large as a man, but do breed on his excretions, and even, it s said, upon his breath, and grow to terrible height, and do not leave him until the Priest or some magician cut him off with the copper dagger, saying the name of ISHTAR seven times seven times, aloud, in a sharp voice.

The night has now grown silent. The howling of the wolves has grown quiet, and can scarce be heard. Perhaps it was some other that they sought? Yet, can I tell in my bones that this is not so? For the XASTUR sign has not left its station behind me, and has grown larger, casting a shadow over these pages as I write. I have summoned my Watcher, but It is troubled by some Things and does not respond to me well, as though afflicted with some disease, and dazed.

My books have lost light, and settle upon their shelves like animals fallen asleep, or dead. I am sickened by what voices I hear now, as though the voices of my family, left behind me so many years ago, that is impossible to conceive that they are about. Did I not understand of their untimely, unnatural death? Can the demons who wait Without take on so viciously the human voices of my parents? My brother? My sister?

That this Book were an amulet, a Seal of Protection! That my ink were the ink of Gods and not of Men! But I must write hastily, and if thou cannot read nor understand this writing, perhaps it is sign enough for thee of the strength and power of the demons that be, in these times and in these places, and is surely a warning to thee to have a care and not to invoke carelessly, but cautiously, and not, under any circumstances, seek carelessly to open that Gate to the Outside, for thou can never know the Seasons of Times of the Ancient Ones, even though thou can tell their Seasons upon the Earth by the rules I have already instructed thee to compute; for their Times and Seasons Outside run uneven and strange to our minds, for are they not the Computors of All Time? Did they not set Time in its Place? It were not enough that the Elder Gods (have mercy on Thy servant!) set the Wanderers to mark their spaces, for such spaces as existed were the work of the Ancient Ones. Were no Sun to shine, were SHAMMASH never born, would not the years pass by, as quickly?

Seek ever to keep the Outside Gate closed and sealed, by the instructions I have given thee, by the Seals and the Names herein.

Seek ever to hold back the Powers of the Cults of the ancient Worship, that they might not grow strong on their blood, and on their sacrifice. By their wounds shall ye know them, and by their smell, for they are not born as men, but in some other fashion; by some corruption of seed or spirit that has given them other properties than those we are familiar with. And they like the Dark Places best; for their God is a Worm.

The Stars grow dim in their places, and the Moon pales before me, as though a Veil were blown across its flame. Dog-faces demons approach the circumference of my sanctuary. Strange lines appear carved on my door and walls, and the light from the Windows grows increasing dim.

A wind has risen. The Dark Waters stir. This is the Book of the Servant of the Gods . . .