"The Horror at Oakdeene"

by Brian Lumely

originally published in the short story collection The Horror At Oakdeene, Arkham House, 1977

1935.  Martin Spellman has taken a job as a nurse at Oakdeene Sanitarium. Spellman hopes to become an author and plans to use the cases as inspiration for a book.  

Spellman becomes interested in a patient named Wilfred Larner, who cracked up over his occult studies, especially involving something called "The Black Book", which is actually Larner's own translation of the Cthäat Aquadingen.  Spellman begins to explore this translation.  

Larner asks Spellman to bring him a portion of the book called "the Sixth Sathlatta", calling it "a matter of justice".  Spellman tries out this ritual, and dreams of the being Yibb-Tstll, a cloaked, winged figure.  Larner begins to arrange a ritual with the help of several other inmates, while Spellman continues to dream of Yibb-Tstll.    

The ritual goes off, with Spellman cooperating under the control of Yibb-Tstll.  A sadistic ex-nurse named Barstowe is found dead on the grounds, mutilated.  Five of the thirteen participating patients are suddenly cured, though five others, including Larner, are found dead.  Spell has lost it completely and becomes a patient.

This is definitely one of Lumley's stronger stories, and shows his maturation as an author.  It is written in voice distinctly his own, and not particularly Lovecraftian, though the nature and structure of the story is clearly, heavily HPL-influenced.  Even though I find the "anus-headed" Yibb-Tstill both unpronounceable and frankly gross, Lumley's does manage to give his creation a certain vague air of menace.  All in all this is good Lumley.