Chapter 6
TheDunwichhorroritselfcamebetweenLammasandtheequinoxin1928,andDrArmitagewasamongthosewhowitnesseditsmonstrousprologue. Hehadheard,meanwhile,ofWhateley’sgrotesquetriptoCambridge,andofhisfranticeffortstoborroworcopyfromtheNecronomiconattheWidenerLibrary. Thoseeffortshadbeeninvain,sinceArmitagehadissuedwarningsofthekeenestintensitytoalllibrarianshavingchargeofthedreadedvolume. WilburhadbeenshockinglynervousatCambridge; anxiousforthebook,yetalmostequallyanxioustogethomeagain,asifhefearedtheresultsofbeingawaylong.
EarlyinAugustthehalf-expectedoutcomedeveloped,andinthesmallhoursofthethirdDrArmitagewasawakenedsuddenlybythewild,fiercecriesofthesavagewatchdogonthecollegecampus. Deepandterrible,thesnarling,half-madgrowlsandbarkscontinued; alwaysinmountingvolume,butwithhideouslysignificantpauses. Thenthererangoutascreamfromawhollydifferentthroat—suchascreamasrousedhalfthesleepersofArkhamandhauntedtheirdreamseverafterwards—suchascreamascouldcomefromnobeingbornofearth,orwhollyofearth.
Armitage,hasteningintosomeclothingandrushingacrossthestreetandlawntothecollegebuildings,sawthatotherswereaheadofhim; andheardtheechoesofaburglar-alarmstillshrillingfromthelibrary. Anopenwindowshowedblackandgapinginthemoonlight.