Delphi Complete Works of H. P. Lovecraft(582)

“Dec. 25 — Christmas. Peace on earth, and so forth! These two swine are goggling at each other as if I didn’t exist. They must think I’m deaf, dumb, and blind! Well, the barium sulphate and calcium chloride came from Albany last Thursday, and the acids, catalytics, and instruments are due from Montreal any day now. The mills of the gods — and all that! I’ll do the work in Allen’s Cave near the lower wood lot, and at the same time will be openly making some wine in the cellar here. There ought to be some excuse for offering a new drink — though it won’t take much planning to fool those moonstruck nincompoops. The trouble will be to make Rose take wine, for she pretends not to like it. Any experiments that I make on animals will be down at the cave, and nobody ever thinks of going there in winter. I’ll do some wood-cutting to account for my time away. A small load or two brought in will keep him off the track.

“Jan. 20 — It’s harder work than I thought. A lot depends on the exact proportions. The stuff came from Montreal, but I had to send again for some better scales and an acetylene lamp. They’re getting curious down at the village. Wish the express office weren’t in Steenwyck’s store. Am trying various mixtures on the sparrows that drink and bathe in the pool in front of the cave — when it’s melted. Sometimes it kills them, but sometimes they fly away. Clearly, I’ve missed some important reaction. I suppose Rose and that upstart are making the most of my absence — but I can afford to let them. There can be no doubt of my success in the end.

“Feb. 11 — Have got it at last! Put a fresh lot in the little pool — which is well melted today — and the first bird that drank toppled over as if he were shot. I picked him up a second later, and he was a perfect piece of stone, down to the smallest claws and feather. Not a muscle changed since he was poised for drinking, so he must have died the instant any of the stuff got to his stomach. I didn’t expect the petrification to come so soon. But a sparrow isn’t a fair test of the way the thing would act with a large animal. I must get something bigger to try it on, for it must be the right strength when I give it to those swine. I guess Rose’s dog Rex will do. I’ll take him along the next time and say a timber wolf got him. She thinks a lot of him, and I shan’t be sorry to give her something to sniffle over before the big reckoning. I must be careful where I keep this book. Rose sometimes pries around in the queerest places.

“Feb. 15 — Getting warm! Tried it on Rex and it worked like a charm with only double the strength. I fixed the rock pool and got him to drink. He seemed to know something queer had hit him, for he bristled and growled, but he was a piece of stone before he could turn his head. The solution ought to have been stronger, and for a human being ought to be very much stronger. I think I’m getting the hang of it now, and am about ready for that cur Wheeler. The stuff seems to be tasteless, but to make sure I’ll flavour it with the new wine I’m making up at the house. Wish I were surer about the tastelessness, so I could give it to Rose in water without trying to urge wine on her. I’ll get the two separately — Wheeler out here and Rose at home. Have just fixed a strong solution and cleared away all strange objects in front of the cave. Rose whimpered like a puppy when I told her a wolf had got Rex, and Wheeler gurgled a lot of sympathy.

“March 1 — Iä R’lyeh! Praise the Lord Tsathoggua! I’ve got the son of hell at last! Told him I’d found a new ledge of friable limestone down this way, and he trotted after me like the yellow cur he is! I had the wine-flavoured stuff in a bottle on my hip, and he was glad of a swig when we got here. Gulped it down without a wink — and dropped in his tracks before you could count three. But he knows I’ve had my vengeance, for I made a face at him that he couldn’t miss. I saw the look of understanding come into his face as he keeled over. In two minutes he was solid stone.

“I dragged him into the cave and put Rex’s figure outside again. That bristling dog shape will help to scare people off. It’s getting time for the spring hunters, and besides, there’s a damned ‘lunger’ named Jackson in a cabin over the hill who does a lot of snooping around in the snow. I wouldn’t want my laboratory and storeroom to be found just yet! When I got home I told Rose that Wheeler had found a telegram at the village summoning him suddenly home. I don’t know whether she believed me or not but it doesn’t matter. For form’s sake, I packed Wheeler’s things and took them down the hill, telling her I was going to ship them after him. I put them in the dry well at the abandoned Rapelye place. Now for Rose!