"The Summons of Nuguth-Yug"

by Gary Myers

originally published Weird Tales #3, Zebra Books, 1981

Snith, "student of the elder mysteries, practitioner of magic white and grey" scribbles out his tale, in his own blood, on the pages of one of the Seven Cryptical Books of Hsan (Number Four to be exact!); being as he has no other ink or paper - heck he has to use "captured glowworms" for lighting!  And you thought you had it bad!

It seems Snith was just minding his own magical business (white or grey - not stated), when someone stats banging on his front door.  When he goes to answer, no one is there.  But a bat-winged, manlike figure is wheeling around in the sky above his place.  So Snith throws a candlestick at it, causing it to drop something and fly off.  Said something is a tube containing a letter, written in a language and hand familiar to Snith, and a particular blue ink used only in the Great Abyss, "that hidden country where the sun is unheard of and the moon and stars are considered mythical."  

Serious attention to detail, that Snith.

Said letter is from Nuguth-Yug, and old schoolmate from Hezethub U, pre-Hogwarts school of magic. Nuggy-poo got sent on an assignment long ago to enter the Great Abyss, and was never heard from again!  Now he's asking Snith to come to him in the Great Abyss and join forces in keeping back the Gugs, who have learned how to "violate the Sign of Koth" (exactly how they violate it is thankfully not described).  He's sent a nightgaunt - i.e. the batwinged postman encountered earlier, to help Snith get to the Great Abyss.  

So, since Snith has unfortunately chased off his ride, he makes his way towards the Great Abyss, via a tunnel conveniently located under his own house.  Lantern full of glowworms in hand, he makes his way down the tunnels past skeletions, creepy sculptures, more bones, disembodied voices that whisper and laugh, till he finally reaches Nuguth-Yug's pad, a "windowless black facade" with double doors of green bronze.  Inside is a pallet of straw, presumably Nuguth-Yug's bed, and a big statue Nodens (who is described as looking a lot like Cthulhu).  As he checks out the room, the doors close, trapping him inside.

An amusing Smith pastiche, but Myers has a better way with words than, for example, Carter or Lumley, giving this slight tale a fair share of charm.