▁wrote ▁an ▁ess ay ▁on ▁the ▁subject . ▁Ar riv ing ▁at ▁Al vare z ' s ▁ten ement , ▁the ▁door ▁is ▁answered ▁by ▁the ▁man ' s ▁land l ady ▁and ▁lo ver , ▁Mrs ▁Or te ga , ▁who ▁shows ▁him ▁up st airs . ▁In ▁Al vare z ' s ▁heavily ▁air - condition ed ▁a partment , ▁Robert ▁lear ns ▁that ▁the ▁book ▁mentions ▁' an ▁early ▁Arab ▁al chem ical ▁text ' ▁known ▁as ▁Kit ab ▁Al - H ik ma h ▁Al - N aj mi y ya ▁(" The ▁Book ▁of ▁Star ry ▁Wis dom "), ▁which ▁describes ▁methods ▁of ▁prolong ing ▁life . ▁He ▁also ▁lear ns ▁that ▁Al var az ▁was ▁provided ▁with ▁a ▁trans cript ▁by ▁a ▁man ▁called ▁Su yd am . ▁Fe eling ▁inspired ▁and ▁intr igu ed ▁by ▁this ▁story , ▁Robert ▁returns ▁to ▁his ▁office ▁where ▁he ▁lear ns ▁that ▁his ▁j ilt ed ▁lo ver , ▁Jonathan , ▁has ▁committed ▁suic ide ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁New ▁York ' s ▁L eth al ▁Ch amb ers . ▁ ▁II : ▁The ▁Hook ▁In sp ired ▁to ▁write ▁his ▁novel , ▁Robert ▁goes ▁on ▁s abb at ical ▁from ▁the ▁Her ald ▁and ▁heads ▁to ▁Fl at b ush ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁Su yd am . ▁Mr ▁P ose y ▁puts ▁him ▁in ▁touch ▁with ▁Det ect ive ▁Tom ▁Mal one , ▁who ▁shows ▁him ▁the ▁church ▁where ▁Su yd am ▁lect ures ▁on ▁occ ult ▁philosophy . ▁They