Textual identity is not textual authority. “Catalogue primary/default” selects the default catalogue representation; it does not mean that this wording is automatically Howard’s most authoritative text.
Characters in this exact text
Absolom TannernoeAbsolom Tannernoe — owner of Tannernoe Lodge who draws Steve Harrison into a trapOn Pagefirst: Referenced before he is heard outside Harrison's door.AhmedAhmed — Maronite accomplice left on the stairs in The Mystery of Tannernoe LodgeMentionedfirst: Akbar recounts how the group entered the Lodge.AkbarAkbar — leader of the Maronite men confronting Absolom TannernoeOn Pagefirst: Tannernoe's study.AliAli — Maronite member guarding Absolom Tannernoe in The Mystery of Tannernoe LodgeOn Pagefirst: Tannernoe's study.Gutchluk KhanGutchluk Khan — Chakhar valet and general serving-man of Absolom TannernoeOn Pagefirst: Opening bedroom scene.Josef La TourJosef La Tour — deceased brother of Joan La Tour whose death motivates her revenge in Lord of the DeadMentionedfirst: Harrison considers why Tannernoe wants his notebook.Steve HarrisonSteve Harrison — private detective and central protagonist of Lord of the DeadOn Pagefirst: Opening paragraph.
Surviving manuscript evidence
The records below describe surviving physical typescripts, carbons, manuscript material and documentary catalogue evidence for this exact textual state. TSS numbers identify physical catalogue units; they are not story or draft IDs.
Draft 1 — surviving incomplete Howard typescriptHoward typescript
Extent8 pagesCompletenessIncomplete
Physical extent: Incomplete eight-page untitled typescript; breaks off before resolution
TSS: 11899–11906
Single known surviving Howard typescript for The Mystery of Tannernoe Lodge. It is untitled and incomplete.
Additional documentary notes
- Untitled Witness: The surviving typescript bears no Howard title. (witness level)
- Incomplete Ending: The surviving draft breaks off with Harrison baffled after Absolom Tannernoe disappears through a secret wall panel. (end of surviving page 8)
- Word Replacement: The source records that the word 'strength' was replaced by 'strong'. (early surviving text)
- Between Lines Insertion: The phrase 'he fought a man in the dark.' was inserted between two lines. The editor notes that it does not fit the current text and may have been a note Howard intended to use in a later draft. (before Harrison looks into Tannernoe's study)
Source: Hardboiled Manuscripts, Volume 1 v0.75, Editorial Notes p. 99; Draft 1 pp. 101–108; corrected TSS range verified 2026-08-13