And another...

[Daniel Harms <dmharms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

	I just remembered this, which might be of interest to the list re.
invented scripts:

	One of the first Necronomicon hoaxes on the market was the
_Al Azif_, published by Owlswick Press and with a foreward by L. Sprague
de Camp.  This was purportedly written in a language called "Duriac" (a
relative of Arabic), though in fact the script was created by a calligrapher 
who repeated it every sixteen pages, with a few extras at the beginning and 
the end.  The publishers slapped on a piece stating that several scholars from
Iraq had been killed when attempting to translate it, and sold it.

	The odd thing is, I met someone who worked for Owlswick Press
a few months ago.  He stated that the script probably did have some sort
meaning.  Not being any sort of cryptographer, or even knowing where to 
begin, I never looked into this.

	The book can sometimes be found in some of the larger libraries
across the United States, if anyone's interested in taking a look for
themselves.

Yrs.,


Daniel Harms     dmharms@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The Internet:  Learn what you know.  Share what you don't.