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THE SHADOW OF YONDO (1960)

SOURCE: "The Abonimations of Yondo" by Clark Ashton Smith (1960) Arkham House, though probably written earlier.

DESCRIPTION: "I fled as a man flies from dream to baleful dream of some cacodemoniacal night. At whiles there was a cold whisper in my ear, which did not come from the wind of my flight; and looking back as I reached one of the upper terraces, I perceived a singular shadow that ran pace by pace with my own. This shadow was not the shadow of man nor ape nor any known beast; the head was too grotesquely elongated, the squat body too gibbous ; and I was unable to determine whether the shadow possessed five legs, or whether what appeared to be the fifth was merely a tail..."

NOTES: The Shadow can not be harmed or out-raced in any way. Only by entering holy ground can it be driven off.

HISTORY: Clark Ashton Smith created several bizarre creatures for this story which is little more than an exercise in monster-making. Also see: The Chuckler, The Soldier, The Mummy-King and the Venus of Yondo.