Iblis
"Behold! We said to the angels, "Bow down to Adam": They bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord". —The Quran
There is an eldritch legend amongst the devout Muslims, about the evil nature of the fallen angel that was cast from the Earth. He is mentioned in the Quran and in the Christian scriptures, as the genuine embodiment of the Shaitan or the Devil.
According to this unique legend, he once had lived before the creation of humans was established. A human-like body with blazing eyes, a long tail, sharp claws, four wings and large horns that protrude over his towering head. His terror is indescribable and sinister in nature, as is his lethiferous guise. No man has ever lived to tell, about the horrendous origin of his sudden exile, for they fear his indomitable wrath and inauspicious fate. Those who dare to awaken his terror, shall do at their imminent peril and risk. He is the worst of all demons conjured, and he is called the Iblis.
It was near the evening in the year 1920, when I had arrived at the village of Shinjar, in the region of Nineveh. It was the home of the Yazidis, an ancestral race of Kurdish people in northern Iraq. The amber rays of the twilight had reflected upon my face, as I had arrived in camel. I had been on a wearisome trip that had lasted almost a day, from the country of Syria that bordered Iraq. The distance was not the issue, instead, it was the unbearable heat of that season. It was summer, when I had reached the village.
The Yazidis were monotheistic in their religious beliefs, but some were close to the Zoroastrian faith of Iran. They were considered heretics by Muslims, and persecuted by Arabs and Turks. Their rural settlements of villages were along, a vast mountain range called the Singhal Mountains.
The mountain range ran east to west, rising above the encompassing alluvial steppe plains in northwestern Iraq. The mountain of Shingal was regarded as sacred. It was once the place for a pyramidal ziggurat, and had seen the former occupiers of Assyrian, Hittite, Roman and Arab empires ruling this terrain. It was a patch of mountains in the middle of nowhere.
It was there in a lone cavern situated between the mountains, where the discovery of a stone figured statue would be found along, with ancient artifacts that would be retrieved that had belonged to the Mesopotamian period of Iraq and other periods. I would never imagine in my immarcescible dreams that what we would uncover would be a demonic force that was buried for centuries and once was worshiped by pagan rituals.
My name is Graham Hargrove, and I was an archaeologist from the University of London in England. I had come to the area to excavate the sight, where the supposed ancient artifacts would be found and taken back to the university. I had been occupied with the tedious bureaucracy of the Turks, who would not permit me to travel to the region, due to the conflict of the war.
With the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the end of the war, I had been granted permission to travel from the border of Syria into Iraq and access to Shinjal. I had been to Kurdistan once and had ventured there before the war had commenced and restricted the entrance of foreigners, mostly Europeans whose countries were allied against the Ottomans.
I was met there at the village by a certain archaeologist, who was from Mosul and Kurdish himself. His name was Haval Barzani. He had been working in the area with another English archaeologist, on a prior expedition before the war. My expectations were high, and I was certain that we would ultimately discover some significant artifacts that were valuable.
During the Great War, I had spent my time in Africa, delving into ancient fossils of mammoths. The war had denied me access into certain areas of the world and had limited my propensity for discoveries. There was so much about the ancient world that was left still undiscovered. I had brought a journal with me, to record the events of the excavation. Due to the fact that I had arrived before the night, it did not give us sufficient time to begin our task. Thus, we would have to wait until the morning.
In the morning, with the sun at our backs, we headed towards the Singhal Mountains. The temperature was 32 Celsius (90) Fahrenheit. There was low humidity and little rainfall. Iraq in the summer in other regions was generally dry and hot. We had paid the Yazidi men that accompanied us a considerable amount. They would assist in excavating the area, with the equipment we had provided for them. There were enough shovels and pickaxes that was necessary for them to achieve the task at hand.
There was enough daylight afforded to the excavation that would allow us to excavate as much as we could, under the bitter rays of the sun. For hours we had searched for traces of remnants of artifacts, nearby a solitary cavern. I had not suspected that inside the cavern would be the one true thing of antiquity that would haunt us, with an evil of ancestral ire.
We were fortunate to uncover a few relics from the Mesopotamian and Persian epochs. This was an encouraging thing. It did inspire us to excavate more and ponder what else was there to be discovered? I was determined to leave Iraq with precious artifacts. At the time, I was eager to explore more into the depth of the mountain valley. Professor Barzani had advised me that during the reign of the Ottomans, there were many artifacts that were illegally uncovered and taken back to Turkey that were from Iraq originally.
That evening and night were spent examining with studious eyes, the artifacts that we had uncovered. It was difficult to be specific in predating the artifacts, nevertheless, we had persisted in our endeavour to register them. I had established through Professor Barzani a good rapport with the Yazidis. I knew they were people who very loyal to their culture and traditions. I also knew that I could not offend them, if I had wanted their cooperation and assistance.
I had depended on them. After all, they were indigenous to the area and knew where to search. This was extremely vital to my aspirations. I had dealt with the recalcitrance of the Turks along the way, and I did not want to repeat this with the Yazidis. My conversations with Professor Barzani were very informative and fascinating. His knowledge of ancient cultures and civilisations of Iraq was admirable and important. His knowledge had extended beyond my own recollection of the history of the country.
The Middle East was a vast region of historical relevancy and adventure. Under the Ottoman rule it was stable, but with the cessation of the war, there were signs of instability to some regard. The Arabs and the Kurds, in particular, would be seeking their independence. They had been under the control of endless empires throughout the centuries. I could not blame them for their need and desire to be independent. As an Englishman, I was stuck in the middle of their patriotic fervour.
There was a moonlight grow of effervescence that night. It was a beautiful sight to descry, and there was a cool wind that had blown from the east of our vicinity. I had been somewhat ruminative during the night, as I stared at the towering mountains of Sinjal. It was difficult to see what was behind those mountains at night.
The women and children were asleep, whilst the men of the village would gather around the fire to speak to each other. It was not uncommon to see such occurrences, amongst men from these parts of the world. I did not speak the Kurdish language, but I knew some Arabic and Professor Barzani's English was truly impeccable. He had taken time away from his studies back in Bagdad to assist me, with this vital expedition.
In the morning, we had returned to the site, where the excavation had led us to the ancient artifacts they we had located. I had mentioned to Professor Barzani that I had wanted to excavate beyond the mountain range. As we were discussing this, a shepherd had passed us and had warned us to not enter the cavern that was nigh.
When asked the reason for not entering, he had merely offered us a strong warning. It was not an admonition nor threat, instead, it had seemed to me that he was attempting to warn us. I had the notion that the Yazidis were superstitious people. What I did not know was the full extent of their superstitions. The shepherd was from another nearby village. Was it mere coincidence that he was passing by our location, or did he not want us to be excavating places that were sacred to the Yazidis?
What was in that singular cavern that was so significant in the eyes of the shepherd? I had the curiosity to know, but at the time, I was still occupied with excavating, where we had been the day before. There were countless caverns, all around the area of the towering mountains. They were primarily uninhabited and used mostly for refuge. It was not difficult to imagine, how these mountains and caverns could have sheltered the Yazidis from their enemies.
The mountains were also a groundwater recharge area and their quality of water was good. For a race that had been conquered and persecuted, the Yazidis were resilient and valiant people. I had seen mountains before in different parts of the world, yet these mountains were hauntingly mysterious. We had proceeded with the excavation, and upon this day, we were able to discover, some broken fragments of ancient ceramic bowls and cups.
It was something that could be categorised, but it was not the one thing that was beyond, any extraordinary discovery that had not been made before. I had the keen impression that the more time we had spent excavating, the more intriguing objects we would discover.
This consideration of mine had allowed me to plan a future excavation. I had calculated that there was enough interest to gain attention from the university. It was not monetary profit that I was seeking, but more of the inclination to succeed at my endeavour. Like any archaeologist, I was passionate about my work and diligence.
The days would transpire and it would be a week before we had discovered something of a considerable value. It was close to the cavern, and it was an idol of Saggar, a primitive god that was once worshipped by the Sumerians, an ancient race of people that had lived in these parts of the mountains centuries ago.
This discovery would intrigue me to proceed to enter the cavern and find what was waiting to be uncovered. Once inside, we had found underneath the surface of the rocks and soil, other bizarre idols that were carved by ancient people. From amongst these idols or statues, there was one that was precisely demonstrative of sudden fear and respect. It was one that the Yazidis knew and were acquainted with its name. It was the Iblis.
I had previously heard the utterance of the legendary name of the Iblis, from the narratives of the Quran and the Arabs. He is personified in one account, as a fallen angel that became a demon or the Devil himself. These idols were indeed valuable and the indication that we had found something that was pertinent in nature. Immediately, I had the statues wrapped and to be taken back with me, but the Yazidis who were assisting in the excavation were reluctant to have the statue of the Iblis brought back to their village.
Professor Barzani had understood the superstitious fears of the Yazidis. I had pleaded with him to convince the Yazidis that no harm would come to them. He was able to convince them, but with one request and that the statue be brought back to its original cavern the next day, once we had examined it. I could take back the other statues to the village, but not the one of the Iblis.
At first, I was not in agreement with that candid request. After further deliberation, I had acquiesced. I wanted to take the statue with me back to London, but I could not get into a contentious argument with the Yazidis. I did not want to offend them, knowing that I had depended on them, for the purpose and function of the excavation. I could not dismiss their antiquated superstitions, although I did not share them.
I had to apply my wit and common sense. I could not afford to lose their participation and jeopardise the status of the excavation. In the end, I did what I had thought was wise. I had no real inkling that what would befall afterwards would be a horror that I had never experienced before.
When we had returned to the village the madness of the riveting imprecation of the Iblis would be unleashed against us with sheer terror. It was during that evening as the sun had set that the first of the terrifying events would take place. A sudden dust storm had approached to blind us from the horizon.
It would bring howling and violent winds to the village. It was a raging storm that had sounded, like a blustering cyclone. No one in the village was prepared for the dust storm. The people immediately had taken shelter in their homes and had closed their windows. The dust had changed its colour, from brown to a madder red colour that had pierced the roofs of the homes. We had managed to bear the dust storm that had lasted throughout the night.
When I awoke in the morning, there were visible traces of evidence of the passing storm. The colourful particles of red dust had remained, on the battered roofs and other parts of the exterior of the homes. Fortunately, there were no deaths to be reported, only damaged homes. It was the first time that I had ever seen or experimented, such a ferocious dust storm in my life. It had also left behind several inches of dust scattered all around the village.
It was a harrowing episode. It would take the whole day for the men of the village to remove the dust, from the main areas of the homes. Thus, we did not proceed to excavate. I was confident that we would be able to continue the following day, without any delay.
Professor Barzani had related to me in words, the opinions and thoughts of the Yazidis. They were not fully convinced that it was a mere storm of coincidence that had occurred. They had believed that it was the abominable curse of the Iblis. This notion would be reinforced, when we had reached the excavation point and the cavern the next day.
We would discover that the dust had covered the entire area that we had excavated before. This was not what I had expected. It meant that we would have to dig out the dust afterwards. That would take time and effort. There was another thing that would be disturbing and revealing. The old statue of the Iblis was gone. Someone had taken it, or it had disappeared.
I was concerned with the dust at the excavation site, but I was more preoccupied, with the whereabouts of the statue. Did one of the villagers destroy it? Did the dust storm hide it under the red particles of dust? It was an enigma that would haunt me, for the remainder of that day. I had discussed with Professor Barzani the matter of the statue, and he was as puzzled as I was in his conclusion.
Not one of us had seen anyone remove the statue from the village, or take it from the village. Despite the dust blinding us, it was not out of the realm of actual possibilities that one of the Yazidis had taken the statue, due to apprehension or defiance. Whatever was the reason, I was curious to know about it. We had checked the cavern and it was not inside there. We had returned to the village, where I had pondered the occurrence with the missing statue.
Once the dust had been removed, there was no sign of it within the village. This meant that someone had taken it unbeknownst to the professor or me. The question was where was it taken? Professor Barzani did not think it was purposely destroyed. The Yazidis were too superstitious to destroy the statue. Who would dare from amongst them? Even though I could not make the accusation against the Yazidis that one of the villagers had taken the statue, I did not lose hope that it would be eventually found. What was odd was the fact the other statues were not taken. That was still baffling for me to accept.
A calamity worse than the dust storm would befall upon the village. They came like an ingent mass from over the Singhal mountains, anaeretic locusts on a rapid rampage. An innocent child that was retrieving water outside had seen the locust, from the distance approaching. He had warned the people in the village. There was only sufficient time to run and seek shelter. I had been in the presence of Professor Barzani, when the locusts had appeared with a wild fury unmatched.
We had both scurried outside to see them approaching, then sought shelter inside the home we were staying at. I could hear the horrendous, buzzing sound of the locusts, as they swarmed the village entirely. It was utter trepidation that was felt by the villagers. For a whole hour, they had consumed the villagers in absolute terror. The horrific sound of their flapping wings was the sound of a roaring turbulence that had caused panic. It was truly unbelievable and indescribable.
When they had finally passed the village and were gone, they had left behind the total destruction of crops that the Yazidis had planted in their patchy lands. The image of the wheat fields destroyed was an image that was ineffaceable, and the faces of the villagers were of utter disbelief.
Two calamites had befallen upon the village that were of a sequence of horror. The villagers had claimed that once more, it was the ominous presage of the demonic Iblis. It was uncommon to see such calamites unfold in a brief period of time, but it was not unnatural to surmise them within their possibilities.
I had this foreboding thought lingering in my mind that all this had occurred, after the statue of the Iblis was removed from its cavern in the mountains. It could have been a mere coincidence, but if it was not? Was there some credence to be added to the intrinsic fears of the Yazidis and their superstitious claims?
That day, I had pondered at length that uncertain contingency. It was absurd to believe that some preternatural demon of an unholy nature was behind the unusual phenomena that had taken place at the village and in the area. I did not want to preclude that it was beyond any realm of reality, still I was incredulous. I knew that the more these incidents had manifested, the more it would be unsettling and consternate the villagers. I had worried that it would ultimately impede the excavation.
When we had returned to the excavation site, we had continued, but few men of the Yazidis had assisted this time. The majority of them were reluctant to persist with the excavation, due to the haunting circumstances of the calamities to their village. I had come so far to do so much, yet the fact that the men were hesitant to continue had obstructed in the manner which I would proceed. It was not what I had predicted would occur, before the excavation. I had high expectations, especially, after retrieving the previous artifacts.
I had to rely on Professor Barzani's advice and assistance, in convincing the Yazidis of the value of the excavation. To start over with men that were not from the region and were foreigners, including the Arabs, would be seen, as an encroachment on to their village and unacceptable. I wanted to excavate inside the cavern, where the statues were found, but no Yazidi would dare to enter the cavern. Their fear and beliefs would prevent them. It would be inconsiderate of me to not take into consideration these things.
I was confronting a dilemma. On one hand I wanted to enter the cavern, but I could not offend nor isolate the Yazidis. I needed them at whatever cost. To have predicted what had transpired afterwards, would have been disingenuous of me. I would have to settle with them on their terms and conditions.
I had decided to enter the cavern, with Professor Barzani. Although he fully understood these ancestral beliefs, he was an archaeologist. Subsequentially, we entered. Once inside the cavern, we were able to locate again, the statue of the Iblis. Someone had put it back into the cavern. The question was who? We were both stunned by the sight of the statue.
When I had asked the professor, he looked puzzled and could not answer my question. He then intimated that it was more likely placed there by someone of the village. When the villagers were questioned, none dared to reveal who the person was. It was not damaged and was preserved in his natural form. There was no point in pursuing the enquiry of the statue. What was more important was deciding, what to do with it next.
A discovery of this historical relevance would be extremely vital to the university. How would I be able to take it back with me to exhibit it? For the moment, I had held firm to the belief that there was more to be discovered inside the cavern and in the Singhal Mountains.
The mystery was revealing itself to me and waiting for me to solve its ancient secrets. There were intricate details that I had amassed. How could I attempt to rationalise everything that had dealt, with the statue of the Iblis? In the shadows of time, I would discover the answer to that question.
I would need more time to decide that eventuality, nonetheless, I was in concurrence with Professor Barzani and that it was not wise to provoke the Yazidis. Thus, we did not remove the idol that day and had excavated only outside the cavern, where the excavation site was originally at.
We were able to find more artifacts that were more Assyrians, in particular, fragments of ancient weapons such as daggers and stone axes. It was a pity that we could not find them intact, after being worn down by centuries. I had collected the artifacts and had taken them back to the village to be meticulously examined. There was something else that was found afterwards by me, before we had left the excavation site.
The fragments of what had appeared to be horns of some nature. I was not certain if they had belonged to an animal. I did not want to alarm the Yazidis with this discovery. I had only shown them in privacy to Professor Barzani. He could not tell me, whether or not it was from a native animal from the area. His opinion was inconclusive, as was mine.
That evening, I had spent examining more in detail the horns. There was something in me that was drawn to their strange shape. There were two horns; one was intact, but the other was not. The more that I had examined them, I began to see that the horns were ivory and solid, but there was something peculiar about them. I was uncertain of what it was.
As I had begun to brush the specks of dirt from them, I had accidentally broken a small piece from the fragmented half horn. What had occurred next, would be utterly implausible but real. The horn that was broken had regrown back, into its full size somehow on its own. How could this be even feasible? Had I seen what I had believed to have seen or were my eyes merely deceiving me?
I had informed the professor and had shown him the horn that was broken then regrown. I dared not display this to the Yazidis, out of concern that it would confirm their inner suspicions, about the curse of the Iblis. Professor Barzani would be astonished to see the horn grown back. This was proof without a doubt that something unnatural was happening that we could not explain in the simplicity of words. Despite this bizarre and inexplicable occurrence, I was still expecting to take the horns back to the university.
That night, I had not slept well. I would be persecuted by the hellish thoughts, about the horns and the statue of the notorious Iblis. It was the beginning of my restless episodes of nocturnal dreams. I would be awakened in the morning to the shocking image of the infernal fires, across the burnt fields of the Yazidis. It was another calamity. First the dust storm, the locusts, then the fires. The Yazidis had attempted the best they could to extinguish the fires. They were able to abate the fires, but at the cost of the fields whose crops were destroyed by the locusts before. The grass was totally burnt.
This was devastation to the Yazidis. They had borne the dust storm, the locusts. The fires would only reinforce their belief that they were being punished for awakening the Iblis. The sight of the burnt fields of grass was startling and difficult to fathom, such destruction. The fear in the Yazidis had turned into sudden anger.
They were some from amongst several members of their village that had wanted to rebury the statue and thought that by doing this, it would end the curse. Others that were in the minority, wanted me to take the idol and leave the village at once. Professor Barzani had thought it was prudent that we leave with or without the statue. There was no manner in which I could assuage the fears and concerns of the Yazidis, or convince them otherwise of their old superstitions.
What did we really uncover back at the cavern that could be seen and interpreted, as demonic in nature and in its essence? If it was truly evil that we had awakened, then how could we destroy it? Could it even be destroyed or reburied? The contemplation had not facilitated my options. There was a reason, a cause that had brought me here to the village in the first place. I could not ignore the events that had happened, but I was an archaeologist.
I could not forget, why I had come to this area. I had realised the difficulty that this would imply. To compound this with the fact that Professor Barzani would tell me that the Yazidis were not going to assist us any longer with our excavation. I had managed to convince the Yazidis that I would leave the following day. I was determined to return to the lone cavern and bring back the statue of the Iblis with me.
This I had informed the professor and he had warned me about the possible consequences. I had not seen any indication of his superstitious apprehensions before, although I did not perceive that it was due to his fear of the statue, but more of the reaction of the Yazidis. It was decided that I would indeed leave the village, but I would not leave the area. I would instead, camp out at the excavation site with Professor Barzani, who had agreed to remain with me.
In the morning we had made camp with our tents. We would stay, until we could excavate more inside the cavern. None one of the Yazidis would assist us. We had contracted a few Arabs from across the border in Syria. It was determined that we would stay for only a week longer. That was the main condition that the professor had stipulated.
The Arabs were not informed about the direful calamites that had occurred in the village, or about the statue of the Iblis. It would only spark their fear and angst and cause them to abandon the excavation. I took that into consideration, when they were hired.
Around the campfire that night, the men were beginning to get restless in their behaviour, as if they had perceived something that was latent and near. I knew that it was probably the doing of the influence of the Iblis. I could see the noticeable anxiety in their eyes, as they were gathered conversing.
I had been discussing with the professor, the manner in which we could disguise the statue and be able to pass it from Iraq to the seacoast of Syria, whereupon it would be taken back to England by ship. I could not expose the statue to it being stolen from me, or taken away by either of the authorities of these Arab countries. Even though the border with Syria was not far from the Singhal mountains, we would need to cross the land to reach the sea afterwards. The fragmented horns that I had brought with me to the campsite were in my possession.
After we had finished the discussion with the statue, we began to discuss the horns. It was the topic that had intrigued me at that moment. I had wanted to see, if I broke another piece from the horns, would they grow back. I made certain that the Arabs did not see us experimenting. I then broke a small fragment of the right horn and lo in behold, it would regrow, as it had done previously. We were both amazed by the occurrence and sat there perplexed as well.
Once more, there was no rational explication, for what we had witnessed with our own eyes. Did the supernatural exist after all? Had we risen from the ashes of hell, the Devil himself? It was whilst we were seated that a glow coming directly from the interior of the cavern was seen. We had risen to our feet to investigate. The Arabs had seen it also but were unaware of what was inside the cavern.
When we had approached it, a stranger was standing behind us wearing a long white cloth that had covered his body, and he had a particular hood that covered his face. He lowered his hood, and it was a man with grisly red skin, white eyes and a flickering tongue. The professor told me to not look at the demon, but I could not help myself.
Within a minute, the stranger would disappear into the shade of the night. We had returned to the campsite to find it infested with large, venomous scorpions. We could hear the audible screams of the Arabs. We had managed to kill, as many as we could of the arachnids. Eight men had been bitten and had died instantly. The others were rattled but remained. It was too dark and dangerous to head out from the mountains. There were known thieves that were roving the nights. Another calamity, another incident that was beyond a mere coincidence then. When would this cease to happen?
I could not wait any longer, for the imminent moment of my death or the professor. I could not definitely say that the stranger was indeed a demon, but whoever he was, I had felt that he had come to warn us. Warn us about what? Professor Barzani knew, who he was talking about. He was implying the name of the Iblis, the ineffable one.
It was a full moon, when I still could see the glow coming from the cavern. For one brief moment, I had thought I had spotted an inusitate image of someone or something reflecting, from the plenilunary glow of the cavern's entrance. It was impossible to know with a certainty, but I had the eerie feeling that something of the supernatural realm was inside that cavern. It was chilling to contemplate that notion and to accept such an incredible occurrence. The more that I had wondered, the more I became interested, about the Iblis.
I would ask the professor to tell me more things that he knew about him. The Iblis was no ordinary demon or foe. He was an immemorial legend that according to narrators was vile and feared by many. I was overtly not a religious man, but I had begun to comprehend the nature of the Iblis, the fallen angel. How would I be able to explain everything that had taken place, since we had found the statue? There was one thing that was in common and that was that it did follow a sequence.
There was so much that I could never answer or know about the Iblis. If for centuries, no one could accurately define what and who he really was beyond the holy books, then how would I, even begin to fully grasp his identity and immeasurable terror? I did wonder with the pagan gods that pre-existed the Muslim and Christian God, would such a being as the Iblis be worshiped as a god? If that was the case, then who were these people that worshiped him surreptitiously?
It was in that final morning, when I would come face to face with the demonic Iblis. I had decided that I had enough and had ordered the remaining men to grab the equipment and dismantle the tents in the camps. Before we departed, I was determined to enter the cavern again. I was going to take the Iblis with me, along with the other artifacts retrieved back to the university in London.
Professor Barzani had accompanied me. We discussed this issue last night, after the horrible incident with the old man and the poisonous scorpions. There was no point in remaining any longer in the area. I had thought about a future excavation and returning, but I was extremely fatigued with the experiences that I was confronting and their operose moments. Thus, I had expedited the excavation.
With the background of the rays of the sun, we had entered the cavern anxiously. The Arabs were waiting outside, unaware of what was waiting to greet us. Once inside, we had walked towards the area, where the statue of the Iblis was located. We found an ancient grimoire that was a book of spells.
There standing erect before us was an intimidating, human-like body with blazing eyes, a long tail, sharp claws, four wings and large horns that protruded over his towering head. It was the Iblis. He had stretched his wings and began to flap them. We were horrified and discomposed. He had pierced into our eyes, as we stood watching. Then it flew passed us, and into the clouds of the Singhal Mountains to not be seen again by us. The Arabs had seen the Iblis fly passed them, and they were in awe.
Within two weeks I was back at the university in London, with the artifacts that I had brought with me. I was never able to find the statue of the Iblis. I had only the horns that were most likely his or of his kind, but I had managed to bring the items from Iraq to England, with the cooperation of the Arabs. I kept in correspondence with Professor Barzani, who was then back in Baghdad.
I gave him some of the artifacts so that he could display them. We were unable to decipher the ancient language of the grimoire. The Yazidis had continued to fight for their independence with a doughty resilience, and I had continued with my endeavours in archaeology. I often believe that during the moonlight glow at night that the sable shadow of the Iblis is lurking nigh. If so, then has he come to take me to the chasm of hell?
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