“Yes,” he said into the receiver.
“Professor Grayson?”
“Speaking,” said Oliver.
“I have a Morley Dean on the line for you.”
The line crackled as plugs were slotted home and the connection was established.
“Oliver?” said a voice on the end of the line. “Are you there?”
“Morley? Is that you?”
“Yes, but I won’t be on for long.”
“Heavens, man,” said Oliver, ignoring the tremor of warning in his former colleague’s voice. “It’s good to hear from you, Morley.”
“Whatever you are doing Oliver, stop it now,” stated Morley. Ever since the Alaskan expedition, Morley had been afflicted with an intensity that many found disturbing. Even over the telephone, that intensity was ever so slightly off-putting.
“You got my letter then?” asked Oliver.
“I did,” confirmed Morley. “I thought I had made it clear that I was breaking off contact for your own safety. There are things that no man should willingly know, and I had hoped to spare you from them. It seems I have failed.”
“Morley, listen to me…”
“No, Oliver,” said Morley. “You listen to me. I read the transcriptions you sent me. And though every fiber of my being resists the idea of being drawn once again into such terrors, I can remain idle no longer. I have sought the writings of Nereus-Kai, and you must come to New York immediately.”
“New York? Why?” asked Oliver.
“Something terrible has begun in your little town,” said Morley.
“No, it’s all right,” replied Oliver, letting out a breath of relief. “We prevailed.”
Morley laughed, the sound a bitter bark of frustration, sorrow, and regret.
“You’re wrong, Oliver,” said Morley. “I fear the horror has just begun.”
End of Book One
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hailing from Scotland, Graham was first exposed to the horrors of the uncaring cosmos when he came across the works of H.P. Lovecraft in the sci-fi section of his local library. Haunted by the experience, he narrowly avoided the sanity drain of a career in surveying to join Games Workshop’s Games Development team, which, frankly, was a lucky escape. He worked there for six and a half years before taking the plunge to becoming a full-time author. With a New York Times bestseller under his belt (and a replica of Snaga, the axe of Druss the Legend, which he received after his novel, Empire, won the 2010 David Gemmell Legend Award) and twenty novels in his back catalog, he reckons he chose the right path.
Graham lives and works in Nottingham. You can keep up with what he’s up to by visiting his website at www.graham-mcneill.com.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Part One: Strange Tides, 1926
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Part Two: Ripples on the Surface, 1926
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Part Three: Waves on the Shore, 1926
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Epilogue
About the Author
Ghouls of the Miskatonic (The Dark Waters Trilogy) Page 34
