The Statement of Randolph Carter

[Tinsel]

Warren wanted to know something related to why "certain corpses never decay". He entered the sepulchral site with the intention to do some kind of difficult fiendish work. Than the deep voice at the conclusion sounded disembodied.

Anyway what was Harley Warren trying to accomplish? They were following old books (the one being from India) and there was mentioned "that hoary and deserted city of the dead" as things were coming to life during that point of silence with the narrator waiting, yet their apparent location was not some foreign land, but rather, Big Cypress Swamp.

It was a well written story for that fact that there was no sex? I remember watching a video about Ancient Egypt, in which they claimed that the ancient people of those times believed in a reality that was determined by mythology. It was a mixed reality.

 

[Tinsel]

Another point here. The "thing" that Warren encountered was something that he was preparing to encounter prior to entering the underground chamber, but he was not able to overcome it, and it killed him. It never mentions just what work that he was conducting. It does indicate that he was planning to make his way back to the surface. He believed that it was a matter of constitution that he should return, and that he knew something, knew some secret as a means of dealing with the "thing".

The story is a mystery. I do remember reading a small piece of information about how in one mythology the soul had to travel through the underworld and it needed to know secrets in order to turn away demons who intended to devour the soul. I can't relate this plot to anything more familiar than that myth and it is not from India, which is where the book came from.

Just the theory that Warren came up with based on why he believed that some corpses stay preserved for thousands of years while others do not, than that must be somehow part of his so called difficult fiendish work. Yet there is no information about what he found, other than in his surprise is underestimated legions that might or might not be the same "thing" that answers a distraught Carter.

Well, there just is not much information in this story, whereas a story like "The Festival" is much better developed. This is perhaps a draft of the same idea or conceptual story was later realized. There were some nice descriptions that brought about the scene of the grave yard near or at the swamp. I'm not sure why Carter would try that hard to stay in contact other than that since he did not know what Warren knew, he did not believe in the danger, or else that he needed to verify the loss of communication, and yet he simply wakes up in the hospital.

No wonder I extrapolated this short as an outdoor house scary story. I'm forced to believe it again, but this time since I have read "The Festival" than this here serves to hi light just how much detail that "The Festival" actually contains, and I do not understand portions of the festival, but the story is based on the witch cult book that I had difficulty with since it is simply an evil book beyond my ability to read. At least I discovered that witches do ride mounts.

 

[J Riff]

Dang, I don't seem to have the Carter story here, but am re-reading the Festival so may opine about that shortly. Quiet in here without JD, isn't it?

 

[Tinsel]

I didn't think very much of "The Festival" the first time I read it, but than I didn't notice that there were wizards/witches in it, as well as the concept of reanimation. It probably is a good story because it has plenty of things happening if you know what to look for. Now just what was the purpose of the colored flame, or where was the mount going to take them? That is a mystery. Here in this Randolf Carter story, it is just too vague, whereas it has potential be be a better story. You could fill in anything in the huge gaps. I suppose that Harley Warren meant for what he saw to remain a secret. In fact it was his fault, at least he knew.