Number 13 E-Book

M.R. James

• Herausgeber: SAMPI Books
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 30

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Mr. Anderson, researching church history in Viborg, stays at the Golden Lion inn. He notices the absence of a room numbered 13 on the hotel register, yet repeatedly sees and even approaches a door marked "13." Disturbances grow—shadows, voices, a ghastly singing, and a clawed arm reaching from the doorway. At dawn, the room vanishes, leaving only a copper box with a cryptic document, hinting at dark sorcery tied to Bishop Friis's infamous tenant, Nicolas Francken.

Leseprobe

Number 13

M. R. James

SYNOPSIS

Mr. Anderson, researching church history in Viborg, stays at the Golden Lion inn. He notices the absence of a room numbered 13 on the hotel register, yet repeatedly sees and even approaches a door marked “13.” Disturbances grow—shadows, voices, a ghastly singing, and a clawed arm reaching from the doorway. At dawn, the room vanishes, leaving only a copper box with a cryptic document, hinting at dark sorcery tied to Bishop Friis’s infamous tenant, Nicolas Francken.

Keywords

Hotel, Phantom, Sorcery

NOTICE

This text is a work in the public domain and reflects the norms, values and perspectives of its time. Some readers may find parts of this content offensive or disturbing, given the evolution in social norms and in our collective understanding of issues of equality, human rights and mutual respect. We ask readers to approach this material with an understanding of the historical era in which it was written, recognizing that it may contain language, ideas or descriptions that are incompatible with today's ethical and moral standards.

Names from foreign languages will be preserved in their original form, with no translation.

NUMBER 13

Among the towns of Jutland, Viborg justly holds a high place. It is the seat of a bishopric; it has a handsome but almost entirely new cathedral, a charming garden, a lake of great beauty, and many storks. Near it is Hald, accounted one of the prettiest things in Denmark; and hard by is Finderup, where Marsk Stig murdered King Erik Glipping on St Cecilia’s Day, in the year 1286. Fifty-six blows of square-headed iron maces were traced on Erik’s skull when his tomb was opened in the seventeenth century. But I am not writing a guide-book.

There are good hotels in Viborg—Preisler’s and the Phœnix are all that can be desired. But my cousin, whose experiences I have to tell you now, went to the Golden Lion the first time that he visited Viborg. He has not been there since, and the following pages will, perhaps, explain the reason of his abstention.

The Golden Lion is one of the very few houses in the town that were not destroyed in the great fire of 1726, which practically demolished the cathedral, the Sognekirke, the Raadhuus, and so much else that was old and interesting. It is a great red-brick house—that is, the front is of brick, with corbie steps on the gables and a text over the door; but the courtyard into which the omnibus drives is of black and white wood and plaster.

The sun was declining in the heavens when my cousin walked up to the door, and the light smote full upon the imposing façade of the house. He was delighted with the old-fashioned aspect of the place, and promised himself a thoroughly satisfactory and amusing stay in an inn so typical of old Jutland.