AmericanpsychologistJohnHoldenarrivesinLondontoparticipateinasymposiumaimingtoexposewitchcraftanddevil-worshipasafraud,withattentioncenteredonacultrunbyaJulianKarswell.Debarkinghisplane,Holdenlearnsthatthesymposiumleader,HenryHarrington,hassuddenlydiedandheisnowincharge.WhatonlytheaudienceknowsisthatHarringtonwasclearlykilledbyademon,apparentlysummonedbyKarswelltoavengehispersecution.DespiteboththreateningandcajolingbehaviorbyKarswell,Holdendeterminestoproceed,thoughtheonlycultmemberwillingtotalkabouthisexperiencesisinaprisonpsychiatricward,catatonicafterallegedlykillingyetanothercultmember.However,Harrington'sniece,Joanna,believes,basedonheruncle'snotes,thatKarswellmayindeedhavesomesatanicpowersderivedfromanancienttomeinanobscurelanguagewhichhehasbeenabletotranslate,andattemptstowarntheskepticHolden.Karswell'smotheralsoattemptstowarnHoldenoff.However,thethingwhichbeginstomostgettoHoldenaretheoccasional,butmounting,sensoryandmentaldisturbanceshebeginsexperiencingafteranencounterwithKarswell,andthediscoverythat,duringthisencounter,KarswellsecretlyslippedaslipofparchmentwithacurseinrunicsymbolsonitintoHolden'sbelongings,aparchmentidenticaltooneHarringtonrecordedhavinghadpassedtohiminasimilarmannershortlybeforehisdeath...[N.B.HoldenatnopointstaysattheKarswellestate]aaa

　　二次世界大战期间，美国政府密令军方潜入一中立港口，摧毁德国军舰。既然是中立港口，英国军官路易斯庞和葛文瓦特决定，任何任务失败的人都需三缄其口，他们故意派出酒醉的老人假扮村民，这些老兵真能立大功顺利摧毁敌舰吗eee