"The Ghoul" is a Short Story by Clark Ashton Smith finalized on November 11, 1930. The genre is Oriental Gothic and it was first published in the January 1934 issue of The Fantasy Fan. In April of 1970, its first print in book form occurred when it was selected for inclusion in Other Dimensions collection. Of the stories about ghouls that Smith wrote, "The Ghoul" shares with "The Nameless Offspring" that they are both part of the Cthulhu Mythos, though in case of the "The Ghoul" it cannot be inferred from the bare text. Rather, in a letter exchange between Smith and H. P. Lovecraft about "The Ghoul", it was mutually decided that the tale was written down in the Necronomicon.
Noureddin Hassan, a well-respected man from Bussorah, is summoned before Cadi Ahmed ben Becar on accusation of seven murders. He readily confesses and begins the tale of how it came to this when pressed for a motive. Just over a week ago, Noureddin went from having not a care in the world to being consumed by grief when his beloved wife Amina died during childbirth, leaving no child either. After the burial, Noureddin kept mourning at the grave until night fell. A ghoul showed up at the site and ordered the man aside so he could consume the new corpse. Horrified, Noureddin vowed to meet whatever demand the ghoul had if he left Amina alone. The ghoul accepted the offer and instructed Noureddin that starting the next night, he was to deliver the corpse of one he personally had slain to the cemetery for a total of eight corpses over eight successive nights. Desperate but also bound by his rash oath, Noureddin murdered seven random and innocent people before his activities were discovered. The Cadi and all those present are shocked by Noureddin's story, but not unsympathetic to his plight. When Noureddin himself recommends the death penalty, the Cadi knows to set the man free. The court is baffled by the mercy shown, but the next day Noureddin's remains are discovered at the cemetery, where he, as promised, delivered the eighth corpse by committing suicide.
Smith sent Lovecraft a transcript of "The Ghoul" along with a letter asking if Lovecraft could verify if there is "some mention of [the tale] in the Necronomicon." On November 18, 1930, Lovecraft obliged by adding extratextual material to "The Ghoul". As per the request, he confirmed the tale and more adventures involving the ghoul were to be found in the book's pages. Additionally, Lovecraft wrote that the pages regarding the climax to one such adventure, "Episode of the Vault under the Mosque", were missing in the copies he had access to. Curious, he contacted the University of Paris and was promised photostatic copies of the missing pages by the sub-librarian Leon de Verchéres. De Verchéres went insane shortly thereafter and burnt the university's copy of the Necronomicon before being incarcerated.
"The Ghoul" is modelled loosely after "The Story of Sidi Nouman". Just like Sidi Nouman tells the story behind his troublesome behavior to Harun al-Rashid, Noureddin Hassan has to explain himself to Ahmed ben Becar. Another influence is Vathek, as the time period of "The Ghoul" is given to be "during the reign of the Caliph Vathek". Smith was a fan of the novel and also wrote The Third Episode of Vathek in 1937.
"The Ghoul" provides examples of the following tropes:
- Affably Evil: The ghoul civilly but firmly tells Noureddin to mourn somewhere else than on top of his wife's grave because there's a corpse in the ground there and the ghoul is hungry. He does get angry when Noureddin calls him unclean, but still hears the man out on an offer to do whatever in return for the ghoul to leave Amina's grave alone. The ghoul instructs him to feed him eight corpses Noureddin himself has slain in return and politely thanks him each time another corpse is brought to him.
- Deal with the Devil: The ghoul is willing to leave Amina's remains untouched and find himself another corpse for the night if Noureddin Hassan, Amina's husband, for the next eight nights delivers him one corpse each night. On top of that, Noureddin has to kill himself for each corpse, because anyone who dies anyway without intervention is someone whom the ghoul already will be getting to eat. For Amina and his honor, Noureddin goes through with it, but lessens the crimes asked of him by making himself the eighth corpse.
- Death by Childbirth: Amina dies during the delivery of her and Noureddin's child. No mention is made of the child beyond that, so it may be assumed it died too.
- Desecrating the Dead: Ghouls eat human corpses and the ghoul living in Bussorah is no exception. When he visits the cemetery to eat the newly buried corpse of Amina, her husband Noureddin stops him, offering the ghoul anything in return for leaving his wife's grave intact. The ghoul takes him up on it, robbing another fresh grave for the night and expecting to be fed a corpse each of the eight next nights. Noureddin does this for seven nights and each following morning the citizens find another mangled body at the cemetery. For the eighth night, Noureddin kills himself and his half-devoured corpse is found the next morning atop Amina's grave.
- Excessive Mourning: Noureddin kills eight people, the last of whom he himself, and has their corpses devoured all to ensure his wife's corpse will not be devoured. Seven people who had nothing to do with his family drama, and who probably leave their own families behind, would be alive if he hadn't put a corpse before all else.
- Leonine Contract: The ghoul wants to eat Amina's corpse and has the strength to get his way. Noureddin wants Amina's corpse to be left intact and can't stop the ghoul by force. Therefore, Noureddin promises with weighty oaths whatever the ghouls wants if he leaves Amina's grave untouched, at which point the ghoul has even more of a hold on any potential deal.
- Love Makes You Evil: Noureddin murders seven random and completely innocent people all so that the ghoul will not eat the corpse of Amina. No one likes their loved ones' remains to be desecrated, but it takes an extreme kind of devotion to believe that the lives of seven innocent people is a fair price to pay.
- The Oath-Breaker: Noureddin swore to the ghoul that he would hand him eight homemade corpses, one per night, in return for him leaving Amina's grave alone. He is at risk of failing to procure the eighth corpse when he is arrested after the first seven murders, but the Cadi takes mercy on him after hearing his story and lets him go. It confuses the court, with some believing the murderer should be punished while others believe that the oath means that Noureddin is not responsible for the ghoul's demand. That night, Noureddin takes his responsibility and kills himself as the last corpse the ghoul ordered.
- Our Ghouls Are Creepier: The ghoul is a huge and hideous demon with burning red eyes, eyebrows as coarse as tangled rootlets, and black fangs longer than even its monstrous mouth. His teeth are comparable to those of a hyena or a jackal and his voice is threatening by nature. He exclusively feeds on human corpses, but as long as a human is alive, the ghoul makes for decent company.
- The Punishment Is the Crime: The Cadi shocks his court by setting Noureddin free after his confession, saying only that he will atone as best he can. True enough, Noureddin offers himself up that same night as the final sacrifice to complete his bargain with the ghoul.
- Rash Promise: Noureddin twice makes weighty promises that he'll do anything the ghoul asks of him if he does not desecrate the remains of Amina, whom Noureddin calls dearer to him than any living mortal. The ghoul accepts the offer and tells him to procure a human corpse slain by his own hand for each of eight consecutive nights. Already bound by his promise, Noureddin does try to get out of murdering people, but the ghoul explains that any other death would be a meal for him anyway. Noureddin ultimately lessens the impact of his promise by killing himself on the eighth night.
