The House of Cthulhu

"The House of Cthulhu" is a Cthulhu Mythos short story by Brian Lumley, first published in the magazine Whispers, in July 1973.
==Synopsis==
In ancient Theem'hdra, the dreaded Zar-thule the Conqueror and his fleet of dragonships set sail towards the island of Arlyeh to loot its treasures. They have heard about the island from a priest named Voth Vehm, who revealed the information under torture, claiming that his brother, Hath Vehm, was the guardian of the city in which a god named Cthulhu lied sleeping.
Upon their arrival, the raiders see that Arlyeh is indeed home to a great city, with towers of black stone and peculiar angles, built by prehistoric alien creatures. Despite the crew's superstition and reluctance to go any further, Zar-thule orders then to land ashore and head straight towards the citadel known as the House of Cthulhu. They are surprised to find that there are no guards or even a human population, except for Hath Vehm: an old man whose skin is covered by some sort of grey fungus, and who warns them not to touch him.
Believing that the god Cthulhu is just something Voth Vehm created to try to keep the raiders away, Zar-thule demands entrance, but Hath Vehm informs him that the gigantic door can only be opened by certain magic words, which the priest refuses to enunciate.
One of the pirates, who had touched Hath Vehm, finds that his own skin is now infected by the fungus. In his panic he kills himself, making the other pirates even more nervous. Under Zar-thule's orders, the men torture Hath Vehm with burning swords for several hours.
Sensing his approaching death, Hath Vehm manages to spit on Zar-thule, but also proceeds to pronounce the incantation, which cause the gigantic door to open. While some of Zar-thule's men rush inside in search of treasure, Hath Vehm reveals that there is also a second set of magic words, created by the Elder Gods to be used in case the door was opened. These words would make the entire island sink back to the bottom of the sea, as it was once before emerging. Sure enough, as soon as Hath Vehm says the new words, the ground begins to shake. Zar-thule promptly decapitates Hath Vehm.
At this point, Cthulhu emerges from the citadel and devours Zar-thule's crew with his tentacles. Zar-thule alone manages to escape to his ship, while the island sinks behind him. He is found adrift off the coast of Theem'hdra, in a state of complete insanity, and is brought to the capital of Klühn, where a doctor named Teh Atht (revealed to be the story's narrator) sees to Zar-thule's recovery and hears his story. Teh Atht is familiar with the legend of Cthulhu and believes that Arlyeh shall rise again at some point in the future. At the end, he reveals that Zar-thule was also infected by grey fungus, and his body has now degenerated to the point that any physical movement is now controlled by the parasite.
==Behind the Mythos==
The parasitic grey fungus might be an homage to "The Voice in the Night", by William Hope Hodgson, a story that Lumley has named as one of his favourites.
Category:Expanded Mythos Works
Category:Brian Lumley works