Dead Souls Volume One (Parts 1 to 13) Read online

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  Addendum – It is now midday and I am taking a break from my work to eat a sandwich and record a few of my thoughts. The day's work has, so far, been something of an anticlimax, but I feel certain that I can achieve a great deal more if I attack the afternoon with renewed vigor.

  Upon making my way along the subterranean tunnel, lighting my way with a small oil lamp, I eventually came to a wooden door. I must confess that this is not what I was expecting, and when I tried the handle, I found that it was locked. I am not the strongest man in the world, nor the youngest, and although I tried to break the door down, I had no luck. Eventually I realized that I must take a different approach, so I tried to detach the handle and the lock, with no success. I must admit that the lock itself seemed to be rather newer than the rest of the door, as if someone had quite recently chosen to improve the security of the place.

  Eventually, I realized that I would have to come up with another solution.

  For the rest of the morning, I worked on recording the strange notations that are carved into the door, its frame, and the struts that support the tunnel itself. The language is quite unlike anything I have encountered before, being a mix of Latin-style letters and pictographs. I must confess that this is not my area of expertise, so I focused on getting the drawings down in my diary with as much accuracy as possible, so that I will be able to show the results to a friend back at the Royal Academy in London. I am quite sure that he will be able to deduce the meaning.

  And now I sit here in the shade, contemplating my next move. I am determined to get that door open, and I will let nothing stop me, even if I have to take the cursed thing apart piece by piece. I cannot explain it fully, but I feel as if my curiosity is overflowing and I am becoming profoundly agitated by the fact that I have so far not been able to get through that door. Whatever is on the other side, someone clearly wants to keep it hidden, which only confirms my opinion that there is something of profound interest beneath the stone circle.