Several months after the aborted attempt to fell the tree a decision was made to leave it in situ. Some of the more loquacious gossips had said it was cursed, or that the Dupree family had pulled some strings, either way the tree still stands to this day.

The hand was duly identified as human and an investigation was undertaken around the cemetery to see if any of the graves had been disturbed. Several had subsided, including some new ones, a fairly common occurrence as the coffin collapses, however none had been ‘dug up’.

The dark liquid recovered from the base of the tree, was identified as blood. Human and animal blood mixed together, a glycoprotein was found in small quantities too, the saliva of vampire bats, called Draculin. There was no official comment on this, how could there be?

By this time, the Book of the Stilled Tongue had been cataloged and filed away in the local museums vaults.

Martin recalled, during our conversation, he had by that time moved away and was working at Southampton docks. However the memory of that January day hadn’t left him. He read the local papers, looking for any updates or news. There was none. One of his co workers at the docks, told him that he was seeing a woman who was working as an assistant at the Portsmouth Museum. Martin asked if she had access to any of the Dupree family documents, to which the reply came ‘I’ll ask’

Coincidence or serendipity, what ever it was, Martin found out about the book via his coworker, although he was vague as to how he obtained knowledge or indeed the hastily written summary.

Martin passed me his own summary notes, and clarified them a little.

 

Liber iIn Lingua Cessavit

Small leather? bound book.

Printers mark missing.

Handwritten date, smudged illegibly.

Several pages torn from the front of the book, front piece?

Most of the book is written in an unknown language, possible a constructed nonsensical language, however smattering of Greek and Latin may be picked out. The title roughly translated means the Book of the Stilled Tongue.

Presumed to be a modern forgery, relating to necromancy, specifically the art of raising and talking to the dead.

The original notes, from which Martin had drawn these observations were kept as part of some papers relating to the cemetery. Filed away with some of the original Dupree family documents, a plan of the cemetery and a few other assorted bits of ephemera.

Martin decided to investigate a little further.