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I hope that no one else will accomplish this piecing out; certainly, if I live, I shall never knowingly supply a link in so hideous a chain. I think that the professor, too, intended to keep silent regarding the part he knew, and that he would have destroyed his notes had not sudden death seized him.
Early in Section I, Thurston offers this clear statement of regret regarding his role in “this piecing out” of information. The reader may not know exactly what he is referring to at this point in the story, but the fact that he is so forward with his lament emphasizes the horror he feels about his actions. He has a strong conscious and does not want to bring suffering to others. At the same time, Thurston’s forgiveness of Professor Angell for leading him to “so hideous a chain” reflects his compassion.
What I now heard so graphically at first-hand, though it was really no more than a detailed confirmation of what my uncle had written, excited me afresh; for I felt sure that I was on the track of a very real, very secret, and very ancient religion whose discovery would make me an anthropologist of note.
This quotation comes from the end of Section II after Thurston travels to New Orleans to visit Inspector Legrasse and conduct more interviews about the Cthulhu cult. At this point in his quest for knowledge, he has yet to uncover the horrifying truth about Cthulhu, so he continues to eagerly push forward. This attitude highlights Thurston’s initial, more limited perspective about the world around him. He believes that everything can be explained through logic and, as a result, is blissfully unaware of the supernatural dangers that await him.
