Two Copies of the Necronomicon

The entrance to the Phillips Library has never been this bustling in a long time.

The guard dog bared its huge white teeth and barked incessantly. Professor Armitage had never seen this docile dog so angry; if it weren't for the chained collar, it might have charged out and hurt someone.

Mr. John, unusually, stepped out of his room, stood beside the watchdog, arms crossed, saying nothing, but firmly confronting the man.

Several librarians stood some distance behind him, busy with their own work, but all of them spared a glance in his direction. They were all acquainted with Mr. John, and although they may not have known what had happened, they were ready to help.

Standing in front of Mr. John were two guards, the same guards Nancy had mentioned who wanted to drive Wilbur away.

Nancy stood between the two guards and Wilbur. The two guards had clearly calmed down; besides Professor Armitage's name, Wilbur's height also made them feel somewhat intimidated.

Wilbur was the one being kept outside by these people.

He wrapped himself up tightly in his clothes, revealing only his hairy hands and goat-like face.

But what he used to cover his body was not formal attire, but rather a long-sleeved cotton shirt and jeans commonly worn by farmers, paired with the cheap travel bag he carried. His rude demeanor was completely out of place in the library.

Professor Armitage always knew that Wilbur was a proud young man.

Now, Wilbur also displayed his arrogance—relying on his height, he looked down on everyone who blocked his way.

The watchdog's enormous teeth were only twenty or thirty centimeters away from him, but he acted as if he didn't see them.

Professor Armitage observed all of this, then adjusted his glasses.

He walked up to Mr. John and patted him on the shoulder.

A few minutes later, he and Wilbur returned to the office together.

Professor Armitage had only brewed one pot of tea, which he had already finished, so he couldn't offer Wilbur any drinks.

Fortunately, Wilbur didn't care.

Wilbur made his request directly to Professor Armitage: he hoped to borrow the Latin version of the Necronomicon from the Phillips Library.

But Professor Armitage thought there was no rush; they could talk things over first.

Wilbur was weary from his journey, having ridden his horse from Dunwich to Arkham.

The police in Arkham wouldn't allow him to ride a horse in the city, so he walked to Miskatonic University with his bag on his back.

He put down his travel bag.

Nancy Wagner followed them into the office, where she offered to help Wilbur carry the enormous travel bag, but Wilbur refused.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she asked Professor Armitage where all the people who had gathered there had gone.

"They all had their own things to do, and knowing I had guests, they all left on their own," Professor Armitage replied.

"Really? But that person—"

Professor Armitage knew she wanted to ask about Love, and remembering his promise to Love, he answered before Nancy could say Love's name, "He should have left the school by now."

Worried that Nancy would press him further, he changed the subject to what Wilbur was about to produce. "Is this Dr. Dee's Royal Language translation?"

Nancy indeed shifted her attention to this area.

It was a huge book with a black leather cover, its name written in the New Federation: The Necronomicon.

Wilbur nodded. "Dr. Dee completed this translation during his travels in Europe in 1586, but no one knows where he obtained the original manuscript."

"Incredible! This version of the Necronomicon has never been published," Professor Armitage said. "To my knowledge, there are definitely no more than ten manuscript copies in existence."

"Only three books," Wilbur replied. "There are only three books in total."

"So that means—" Nancy looked at the real book, "It's priceless?"

Professor Armitage nodded. "Priceless."

Wilbur turned to a later page. "But much of the content is missing. Perhaps Dr. Dee deliberately deleted it, or perhaps even his original version wasn't complete."

"So you want to refer to the version from the Phillips Library?" Professor Armitage asked.

Wilbur nodded.

"I want to know the more specific reasons." Professor Armitage did not immediately agree.

This was his second meeting with Wilbur, and their conversations had primarily taken place through letters.

In the letters, Wilbur is portrayed as a learned young man, which makes Professor Armitage somewhat fond of him.

Professor Armitage sensed something was amiss when they first met.

He sensed something inhuman about Wilbur —even though he always tried to forget it, he still instinctively became more wary of Wilbur.

He said to Wilbur, "Could you tell me which page is missing? I might be able to help."

Wilbur didn't hide anything; he pointed to sentences in the book and showed them to Professor Armitage and Nancy.

Yog-Sothoth knows where the door is. Yog-Sothoth is the door, Yog-Sothoth is the key to the door, and Yog-Sothoth is also the Gatekeeper.

"Yog Sothoth—" Nancy murmured the name.

"I don't understand it," she said, "But I really like this sentence."

Professor Armitage was somewhat alarmed by the name; he vaguely remembered knowing it, and he racked his brains to recall it—

He couldn't remember anything.

Not only that----

Professor Armitage, this elderly scholar, was once considered a "dangerous" figure—

He quickly lost his unease and vigilance, and his mood returned to cheerfulness.

Urged on by Nancy, Professor Armitage led Wilbur to the Phillips Library's collection of the Necronomicon.

forward.

This book was much larger than the one Wilbur brought, bound in fine leather and metal, but the paper inside was of very poor quality, and the print was crooked and uneven.

"A Latin edition by the monk Olos Wormius, dated 1228," Professor Armitage said. "But this book was actually printed in the seventeenth century and is not as valuable as your Dr. Dee's manuscript."

He joked, "Strictly speaking, this is a pirated book; the woodblocks and movable type used are of very poor quality."

"What about the original?" Nancy asked.

"They were all destroyed," Professor Armitage replied.

Wilbur did not participate in their conversation; after arriving, he laid out the two versions of the Necronomicon on the table and began to read them side by side.

Professor Armitage gave him ample time, and the professor soon left to attend to his own business.

Nancy would occasionally visit Wilbur, who was reading, but Wilbur ignored her, and she was quite content with that.

At exactly seven o'clock, Professor Armitage approached Wilbur again.

He told Wilbur that everyone outside of Miskatonic University had to leave.

Professor Armitage realized his tone had been somewhat rude as soon as he finished speaking—for whatever reason, he was eager to get Wilbur out of the library.