The Lurker at the Threshold : A Horror Mystery by Brandon Berntson (books under 200 pages .txt) 📗

“What is that?” Millie asked.

“It’s the Amulet of Leng,” Armitage said.  “It is tied to Nyarlathotep.  And it allows whoever is in possession of it to control a certain hound with wings.  If the right invocation is invoked.  I spent the night trying to find it in this book.  Which I finally did.  It’s Nyarlathotep’s nemesis.  In some aspects.  It’s also his companion.  In some aspects. I was lucky to find it and was fortunate to remember it before Capshaw and Macky came to visit earlier tonight.  I brought it all the way from Arkham, Millie.  What do you think of that?”

Millie clapped her hands together and jumped up and down.  “Yippee!  Henry, I could kiss you!”

“I’ll take you up on that,” Armitage said.

“I will bring them back, if you give me the amulet,” Nyarlathotep said.

“Bring them back first, or I’ll sick the hound on you,” Armitage said.

Nyarlathotep flared with fire again.  “Mortals!” he said.  “Very well, but you will have to deal with Brown Jenkin.”

“Who?” Armitage asked.

—

A door opened inside the witch-house.  As it widened, Duke, Newt, Amelia, Capshaw, and Mr. Kalabraise came bolting through.  Just as they did, Brown Jenkin appeared from the shadows.  Milly and Armitage weren’t sure what it was.  It was the size of a large rat with brown fur. It had a flat face with seared eyes and large, bucked teeth.  It was ugly and monstrous, and it looked partially blind.

Brown Jenkin, the haunter of the witch-house, snorted, growled, opened its small mouth, revealed two long teeth in front, and ran toward Millie’s ankles.  Millie screamed and kicked at the monster.  Mr. Kalabraise, like Wilbur Whateley, ran, jumped, and latched onto Brown Jenkin’s throat.

Nyarlathotep let out a howl.

The sound of nails on pavement was close by.

Armitage smiled, holding the Amulet of Leng, and the hound bayed.

—

Nodens and the Elder Gods arrived in Innsport at 5 am.  Towering flames of fire, faces and eyes intent on their purpose, they wasted no time disposing of the Outer Gods.  They assembled before Yog-Sothoth, Cthulhu, and Azathoth.  The portals and gates had worked against the trio from the Outer Darkness.  Their primordial states had weakened with the transition to Earth’s dimension.  They were too massive to maintain their power, expending too much energy in the Third Dimension.  They had weakened.

Nodens and the Elder Gods acted quickly, banishing Cthulhu, Yog-Sothoth, and Azathoth back to the Outer Darkness.  Their cries echoed over Innsport and back again, vanishing in the cold darkness of space as the portals closed.

The bats, rats, mi-gos, kangaroo monsters, spiders, glowing mists, and fog disappeared one by one, leaving the Mad Arab to fend for himself alone.

Abdul Alhazred had used a spell to transfer himself from one dimension to another. He was back in Innsport atop of one of the many buildings of the city, reciting incantations from The Necronomicon, and using all his power and knowledge to gather the forces of darkness.

Nodens approached the lone building and considered the small man for some time.  The Elder God looked amused.

The wind stopped blowing. The clouds were still.  The Mad Arab was desperate to make one last stand and make the gods he worshipped proud.  The cloud around him swirled but looked very small in comparison to the Elder God.

Nodens studied the man for a while, his head cocked.  He nodded a single time, and the Mad Arab exploded in a million pieces.

—

Macky entered through another door in the witch-house.  Nyarlathotep had retreated with the sight of the hound, and Armitage, surprising everyone, stood petting a giant dog with wings beside him.  Macky was talking to someone no one else could see, waving his hand and smiling.

“No, I’ll see you guys on Christmas.  No, thank you!  It was fun.  Of course!  Of course!”

He was smiling wide, nodding, closed the door, and turned.  He wavered a bit and balanced himself against the door.

Millie, Armitage, Capshaw, Newt, Duke, Amelia, and Mr. Kalabraise stared at him.  A dead, brown-skinned, large rodent was on the ground with its throat open.  Macky looked at it and frowned.  Mr. Kalabraise stood with blood on her face.

“Dev, are you drunk?” Millie said.

“Boy, am I?  That’s the best wine I’ve ever had!  I should’ve asked Ubba-Sam-buthla for a bottle.  How did it go, everybody?  Is the city safe?  Did we win?”

Capshaw shook his head, but he was smiling.

“After all we’ve been trying to do all night,” Millie said.  “You go out and start drinking?”

“Didn’t we just go over this?” Macky said.  “I’m actually not that drunk—hiccup!—it’s just a matter of being polite, really.  You don’t deny hospitality when it’s shown you.  Holy jeez, there’s like more than two of each of you.  Which one is real?  Stop!  You’re making me dizzy!  What did I miss?  Your favorite private eye saves the day again! No need to thank me. You guys mind if I lie down here and go to sleep?  This whole room seems to be spinning!  Hiccup!”

—

They stood outside the witch-house on the outer perimeter of the city.  The lights had darkened, the current of lightning fading to a few zips and zaps.  There was no sign of Nyarlathotep.  Millie was trying her best to keep Macky upright, but he kept buckling at the knees.

The three Elder Gods stood before them like blazing pillars of light.  They were colossal.  Their voices boomed when they spoke.

“Your city is safe,” Nodens said.

Macky gave a wavering, drunken salute, and said, “We so what we owe for your trouble for?”

“You’re embarrassing,” Millie said.

“There is no need,” Nodens said.  “The Outer Gods were created to be our servants.  It was an honest mistake—when gods still longed to be worshipped.  We are not so anymore.  All things evolve over time, or so we hope.  Some things stay the