Phillip Haughtree discovers his brother, Julian, is slowly going nuts - immersing himself in the usual Cthuloid literature, sleepwalking and babbling about Things of the Elder Deep. For a time, Julian is committed to Oakdeene Sanitarium. He returns, generally cured, but suffering a few oddments - even more obsessed with occult and Cthulhu thangs, secretive, and he never takes off his dark glasses.
Eventually, Phil has his diary, which is written in ancient heiroglyphs(!) translated. He realizes Julian has either gone nuts, or something's up. Julian finds that Phil's been snooping and confronts him. Without his shades, his eyes are bulging and red. He reveals himself to be Neptha, the servant of Cthulhu and Othuum. He summons his true form, which is currently inhabited by Julian's mind. Julian, trapped in the body of waving tentacles, begs for help. A fight ensues. Neptha/Julian is accidentally impaled on a fireplace poker. The police haul Phil off to Oakdeene, not believing his claims of possession and the supernatural.
What we have here, my friends, is a minor, though decent, Lumley pulper. I can't think of a whole lot to say about it, since it's one of those stories that's neither bad enough nor good enough to inspire much comment. Suffice it to say, it's an early Lumley work and not among his best.
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