After an appropriate donation to the trustees, Roderick spends many long hours in the closed stacks of the Miskatonic University Library, growing ever so slightly more wild-eyed and cackly. He isn't saying what he's looking for, but in late September he appears to find it.

Sheila shows no signs of ceasing to be Dr. Schreber's intern, and is as bright-eyed and perky as ever during any visits to Dr. Schreber's offices.

Charlie starts going to church on a regular basis, and stops doing much night work at all. It's still not entirely clear to anyone else what he does for a living, as it seems to involve a lot of standing around in assigned places.

Eddie's wound appears to have caused some permanent nerve damage that kicks in during times of stress; this proved especially inconvenient during a stakeout that turned into a foot chase over some fences and through traffic, when Eddie collapsed in front of oncoming traffic and has to be pulled to the curb by Tommy.

Junior's new goal in life appears to be to get himself a gun. Luckily, Gerti is, as always, fairly serene, but Eddie is getting a little jumpy. The guns in the office are always locked up, but Junior has figured out where they live and is clearly convinced that one of these days someone will leave the cabinet unlocked, if he just tries enough times. Eddie nearly had a heart attack when the key to the gun cabinet was once left on a table that Junior could reach, and Junior took the key over to the cabinet. Luckily, he doesn't have the dexterity necessary for put-the-key-in-the-lock yet.

Towards the end of September, Roderick writes letters to everyone asking them if they would accompany him in carrying out a ritual on the night of September 27 (a new moon). He's rented a cottage in Hull for this purpose. There is much further correspondence about exactly what this ritual will do and why he thinks it's a good idea. He appears to have gotten it from one of the Seven Mysterious Books of Hsan, in the English translation in the margin notes.

Eddie thinks this is a terrible idea. Gerti thinks it's fine, she trusts Roderick. Eventually, everyone but Dr. Schreber arrives for the ritual (Charlie brings Junior, which Eddie also thinks is a terrible idea; in the end, Charlie and Junior stay in the cottage to watch the ritual).

Roderick cuts his hands and flings some blood into the ocean, and begins to chant. It sounds like gibberish to everyone, but as he continues to chant, he realizes that he's invoking his lord and master, that he beeseches a boon of him. There's thunder, which sounds to most people like it might have a vast booming voice in it, but to Roderick asks what he offers. Um, thinks Roderick, the ritual wasn't clear on this part. Clearly the other ritual celebrants are appropriate to offer as payment, but he's not yet willing to do that. Instead, he offers a finger. (At this point, he's also speaking in gibberish). The voice repeats "*What* do you offer?". Roderick attempts to cut his finger off, but botches the attempt and slits a wrist. Eddie continues to declare that this is a terrible idea, and attempts to bandage him sufficient to keep from bleeding to death. He makes a second attempt on his finger and throws it into the ocean.

A huge wave crashes over the beach and the ritual celebrants; both Tommy and Gerti are dragged by the undertow back down the beach into the water. Tommy mostly manages to keep from drowning, but Gerti inhales a bunch of water and starts sinking. Charlie dashes out of the cottage, foisting Junior on Eddie, and dives in. This exciting scene is what Dr. Schreber sees when he and Sheila turn up (having finally decided to go see the ritual).

Sheila throws a rope at the swimming people as they struggle towards shore, though she isn't very helpful in actually tugging them out. Dr. Schreber revives Gerti, and chews Roderick out about cutting off fingers being a terrible idea (where have we heard this before?) Roderick is still speaking gibberish, though, which he continues to do until Sheila shouts something at him in gibberish and then says "English!" "What?" says Roderick, in English.

Roderick is feeling great, though, despite some loss of sanity, and has a new spell. Later, he practices it on a dog, and determines that yes, it does hold someone immobile ("in the grasp of Cthulhu's tentacles"). Sheila remarks to Dr. Schreber that perhaps he should ask why he had the other people there. "Well, I think it was supposed to eat them," Roderick explains. Dr. Schreber is a bit taken aback. Dr. Schreber inflicts a physical on Roderick (he appears a little feverish), and mentions that Roderick was speaking in tongues during the ritual, which he had not previously realized, and that Sheila apparently does it too. "Well, she *is* psychic...", Roderick says doubtfully, and then remembers that after Dr. Schreber pestered him about Sheila maybe being evil, he kept looking at her aura and might once have thought it was really really large.