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“At first, I kept my eyes tightly shut, but then I dared. I dared to look.
Merciful God in heaven, grant that I am mistaken, that what I thought I saw was but the product of my shattered nerves. I would like to think it was a threatening cloud, a wisp of smoke or fog, or a vestige of darkness.
In the distance, close to a horizon which it obliterated in its entirety, a formidable mask leered. Its eyes were skimming the countryside, just as a nightmarish prowler would peer over the ridge of a wall. No, no, they must have been two aquamarine holes cut through the disappearing gloom in the east, and nothing more. What else could it have been? You know how clouds assume the most fantastic shapes... I shall always repeat that it cannot have been anything else. Indeed, I am certain a being of such magnitude would not allow itself to be glimpsed by terrestrial creature... Else it would continue to spy on us in the small hours, continue to peer at the insignificant insects we are, and its heavy tread would make the bottom of the ocean tremble.”
― My Own Private Spectres
Merciful God in heaven, grant that I am mistaken, that what I thought I saw was but the product of my shattered nerves. I would like to think it was a threatening cloud, a wisp of smoke or fog, or a vestige of darkness.
In the distance, close to a horizon which it obliterated in its entirety, a formidable mask leered. Its eyes were skimming the countryside, just as a nightmarish prowler would peer over the ridge of a wall. No, no, they must have been two aquamarine holes cut through the disappearing gloom in the east, and nothing more. What else could it have been? You know how clouds assume the most fantastic shapes... I shall always repeat that it cannot have been anything else. Indeed, I am certain a being of such magnitude would not allow itself to be glimpsed by terrestrial creature... Else it would continue to spy on us in the small hours, continue to peer at the insignificant insects we are, and its heavy tread would make the bottom of the ocean tremble.”
― My Own Private Spectres
“A Voltairian of good stock,” he murmured.
“What is that supposed to mean?” I growled.
“To believe a little in God and much in the devil!”
“Well, yes, Mister Hilmacher, and if the devil is not a part in this business, let him take me to Hell!”
“Mister Burgomaster, you insult the devil. He who undervalues the devil belittles God. I fail to see why the Almighty would occupy Himself with our most insignificant actions and thoughts, like a good old woman during the endless tea hours, and I would find the role of Old Nick singularly petty indeed should he amuse himself with a giant pleasantry that sends a herd and its guardians into the mortal mud of the swamp.”
― The Horrifying Presence and Other Tales
“What is that supposed to mean?” I growled.
“To believe a little in God and much in the devil!”
“Well, yes, Mister Hilmacher, and if the devil is not a part in this business, let him take me to Hell!”
“Mister Burgomaster, you insult the devil. He who undervalues the devil belittles God. I fail to see why the Almighty would occupy Himself with our most insignificant actions and thoughts, like a good old woman during the endless tea hours, and I would find the role of Old Nick singularly petty indeed should he amuse himself with a giant pleasantry that sends a herd and its guardians into the mortal mud of the swamp.”
― The Horrifying Presence and Other Tales
“The bottom of the sea was aflame with a vast bloody glow that spread beneath the schooner; the light slid under the keel and illuminated the sails and rigging from below. It was as though we were on a boat in the Drury Lane Theatre, lighted by an invisible row of flares.
‘Phosphorescence?’ I ventured.
‘Look,’ whispered Jellewyn.
The water had become as transparent as glass. At an enormous depth, we saw great dark masses with unreal shapes: there were manors with immense towers, gigantic domes, horribly straight streets lined with frenzied houses. We appeared to be flying over a furiously busy city at an incredible height.
‘There seems to be movement,’ I said.
‘Yes.’
We could see a swarming crowd of amorphous beings engaged in some sort of feverish and infernal activity.
‘Get back!’ Jellewyn shouted, pulling me violently by the belt.
One of those beings was rising toward us with astounding speed. In less than a second its immense bulk had hidden the undersea city from us; it was as though a flood of ink had instantaneously spread around us.
The keel received a tremendous blow. In the crimson light, we saw three enormous tentacles, three times as high as the mainmast, hideously writhing in the air. A formidable face composed of black shadows and two eyes of liquid amber rose above the port side of the ship and gave us a terrifying look.”
― Ghouls in My Grave
‘Phosphorescence?’ I ventured.
‘Look,’ whispered Jellewyn.
The water had become as transparent as glass. At an enormous depth, we saw great dark masses with unreal shapes: there were manors with immense towers, gigantic domes, horribly straight streets lined with frenzied houses. We appeared to be flying over a furiously busy city at an incredible height.
‘There seems to be movement,’ I said.
‘Yes.’
We could see a swarming crowd of amorphous beings engaged in some sort of feverish and infernal activity.
‘Get back!’ Jellewyn shouted, pulling me violently by the belt.
One of those beings was rising toward us with astounding speed. In less than a second its immense bulk had hidden the undersea city from us; it was as though a flood of ink had instantaneously spread around us.
The keel received a tremendous blow. In the crimson light, we saw three enormous tentacles, three times as high as the mainmast, hideously writhing in the air. A formidable face composed of black shadows and two eyes of liquid amber rose above the port side of the ship and gave us a terrifying look.”
― Ghouls in My Grave
“Tradition is a detestable peddler of errors, to which, alas, the Devil lends a long and tenacious life.”
― Malpertuis: The Classic Modern Gothic Novel
― Malpertuis: The Classic Modern Gothic Novel
“L'affaire du couvent des Pères Blancs ne fut pas mauvaise.
J'aurais pu faire main basse sur bien des choses précieuses mais, pour être un indévot, je ne suis pas un incroyant et l'idée seule de m'emparer d'objets du culte, même s'ils sont d'or et d'argent massifs, m'emplit d'horreur.
Les bons moins pleureront leurs palimpsestes, incunables et antiphonaires disparus, mais ils loueront le Seigneur d'avoir détourné une main impie de leurs ciboires et de leurs ostensoirs.
[...]
La vente du buste du dieu Terme m'a rapporté une fortune...oui, une fortune.
Le quart m'a suffit pour racheter les parchemins, incunables et antiphonaires dérobés aux bons Pères Blancs.
Demain, je leur enverrai leur bien en leur demandant des prières...et non pour moi seul.
Mais j'ai gardé le mémoire.
Ils me doivent bien cela.”
― Malpertuis: The Classic Modern Gothic Novel
J'aurais pu faire main basse sur bien des choses précieuses mais, pour être un indévot, je ne suis pas un incroyant et l'idée seule de m'emparer d'objets du culte, même s'ils sont d'or et d'argent massifs, m'emplit d'horreur.
Les bons moins pleureront leurs palimpsestes, incunables et antiphonaires disparus, mais ils loueront le Seigneur d'avoir détourné une main impie de leurs ciboires et de leurs ostensoirs.
[...]
La vente du buste du dieu Terme m'a rapporté une fortune...oui, une fortune.
Le quart m'a suffit pour racheter les parchemins, incunables et antiphonaires dérobés aux bons Pères Blancs.
Demain, je leur enverrai leur bien en leur demandant des prières...et non pour moi seul.
Mais j'ai gardé le mémoire.
Ils me doivent bien cela.”
― Malpertuis: The Classic Modern Gothic Novel
“Indeed, men who manage to defeat time by anxiously safeguarding their tomorrow, by not allowing it to stray anywhere from the past, have in effect conquered death itself.”
― My Own Private Spectres
― My Own Private Spectres
“These old eyes of mine barely see your hands on the table. Illuminated by this candlelight, they look like yellow spiders. Still, they’re finely wrought Jewish hands. Whatever they hold, shall not easily be relinquished.”
― My Own Private Spectres
― My Own Private Spectres
“Gracias a él hice conocimiento con el Bonhomme Pluie, o paraguas errante, un enorme paraverse de algodón verde, que se paseaba completamente solo, sin que nadie lo sostuviese, por los terrenos áridos de Putney Commons.
—Si por distracción o audacia se refugiase alguien debajo de él, desaparecería para siempre—afirmaba Peaffy.”
― Obras escogidas: los veinticinco mejores relatos negros y fantásticos - los ultimos cuentos de canterbury
—Si por distracción o audacia se refugiase alguien debajo de él, desaparecería para siempre—afirmaba Peaffy.”
― Obras escogidas: los veinticinco mejores relatos negros y fantásticos - los ultimos cuentos de canterbury
“The true fear is the fear of being afraid.”
― The Horrifying Presence and Other Tales
― The Horrifying Presence and Other Tales
“The jazz band stopped dead. The clock’s chimes launched into the lament of the Westminster bells. A terrible silence hovered. “Ha!” said Hildesheim. “Ha!” said Bobby Moos. Right then the band sensed death.”
― Whiskey Tales
― Whiskey Tales
“The only thing I’m sure of is that one can’t be a complete unbeliever. That would be to admit to nothingness. Absolute zero doesn’t exist.”
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