Demons of Cthulhu

"Demons of Cthulhu" is a short story by Robert Silverberg (using the pen name Charles D. Hammer) set in the Cthulhu Mythos. It was first published in the magazine Monster Parade #4 in March 1959.
==Synopsis==
Two men who work in the library at Miskatonic University plot to steal the rare and priceless book known as the Necronomicon. The older of the two, Theophilius Vorys, has a strong interest in the occult. His young colleague, Marty, knows nothing about such things, and only agrees to participate in the scheme for 10 dollars, as Vorys needs his help to accomplish the theft unnoticed. However, after getting hold of the book, Marty double-crosses Vorys and takes the grimoire home, reasoning that he can sell it himself and keep all the money, as Vorys won't be able to accuse him without implicating himself as well.
With the book on hand, Marty starts reading, finding that most of the text is concerned with witchcraft and ancient gods. His curiosity is piqued when he learns about an entity named Narrathoth, who will do one's bidding when summoned. The ritual to summon Narrathoth is comparatively easy, requiring only a few ingredients, a pentagram drawn with chalk, and the chanting of certain words in a mysterious language.
Vorys arrives at Marty's house and confronts him, insisting that Marty has no clue of what he's doing, and that messing with the Necronomicon is dangerous, but Marty dismisses his concerns and kicks him out. Alone again, he performs the ritual and summons Narrathoth, taking care to enunciate the sentence that would force the entity to obey him. He asks Narrathoth for a banquet and dancing girls, which the creature duly conjures out of thin air. After he eats and watches the girls dancing, Marty asks questions about Narrathoth's masters and kin, and learns about the likes of Cthulhu, Yig, Azathoth, and more, which makes him shudder with fear. At last, he tries to cast the spell that would send Narrathoth back to its own dimension. But instead of vanishing, the entity starts to grow and laugh, as Marty watches in awe and terror.
Vorys returns and informs Marty that the sky above the house is dark, and a gateway is opening up. Whether by an unfortunate accident or Narrathoth's subtle trickery, it turns out that Marty had looked at the wrong page and didn't pronounce the spell to send Narrathoth back, but rather one to summon Yog-Sothoth. A gigantic tentacle breaks through the window and erases the chalk pentagram, freeing Narrathoth. Vorys recites some chants, but is unable to send back Yog-Sothoth before it grabs Marty with one of its tentacles and devours him.
==Publication History==
*Monster Parade #4 (1959)
*Crypt of Cthulhu Michaelmas 1988 (1988)
*The Necronomicon: Selected Stories and Essays Concerning the Blasphemous Tome of the Mad Arab (1996)
Category:Expanded Mythos Works
Category:Robert Silverberg works