The Descendant

'The Descendant' is a story fragment by H.P. Lovecraft, believed to have been written in 1927. It was first published in the journal Leaves in 1938, after Lovecraft's death. The story begins with a narrator explaining that he is on his deathbed and feels the need to share a particular story before he dies. He tells of a quiet and slightly mad older man who lives in the Gray's Inn with his pet cat. The man is haggard and haunted, looking older than his years and terrified of church bells. A young man named Williams (the narrator) moves into the Inn and tries to befriend the old man and get him to share his knowledge. It is revealed that the man is Lord Northam of England. Williams' attempts are largely rebuked until one day, Williams acquires a copy of the Necronomicon, the book of the dead that captures the minds of so many intrigued by the dark arts...