The novella “A Descent into the Maelstrom” is an incredible story about a man who found himself in the embrace of death—in the whirlpool of the Maelstrom. “… Almost three years ago, something happened to me that has never happened to a mortal before, and, at least, I think there is no person on Earth who, having gone through such an ordeal, would have stayed alive and could tell of it. Six hours of the deadly terror I experienced broke my spirit and my strength. You think I am an old man—but you’re mistaken. In less than a single day my hair, black as pitch, turned entirely gray; my body weakened, and my nerves were so shattered that I tremble at the slightest effort and I’m afraid of shadows.”