I gave MS Copilot the following prompt, which is not complex and you can see where problems arose..
Please write a ghost story in the style of M.R. James set in Edwardian England at Cambridge University. It should be 3,000 words long and feature a mysterious book with a Latin title, a professor in his mid-forties who wears glasses, and a young woman reporter. The book tells how to contact spirits of the dead. The professor wants to use it to discover buried treasure somewhere in the grounds of the university.
The Book of Shadows
Professor Arthur Langdon was a respected scholar of ancient languages and literature at Cambridge University. He had a passion for collecting rare and obscure books, especially those related to the occult and the supernatural. He had amassed a large library of such volumes in his office at the university, where he spent most of his time studying and translating them.
One day, he received a letter from a colleague in Italy, who claimed to have found a remarkable book in an old monastery. The book was written in Latin, but with a strange and unfamiliar script. The title was "Liber Umbrarum", or "The Book of Shadows". The colleague said that the book contained secrets of contacting the spirits of the dead, and that he had managed to decipher some of the rituals and spells. He also said that the book hinted at a hidden treasure buried somewhere in the grounds of Cambridge University, and that he was willing to share the information with Langdon, if he agreed to help him with the translation and the exploration.
Langdon was intrigued by the offer, and agreed to meet his colleague in Cambridge as soon as possible. He was eager to see the book for himself, and to uncover the mystery of the treasure. He had always dreamed of finding something that would make him rich and famous, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
He arranged for his colleague to stay at a nearby hotel, and invited him to his office the next day. He was surprised to see that his colleague had brought a young woman with him, who introduced herself as Alice Carter, a reporter for the London Times. She said that she was interested in writing a story about the book and the treasure, and that she had accompanied the colleague from Italy. Langdon was not pleased by this, as he did not want to share his discovery with the public, or with anyone else for that matter. He was also suspicious of the woman's motives, and wondered if she had ulterior plans.
However, he decided to be polite and hospitable, and welcomed them to his office. He asked to see the book, and his colleague handed him a leather-bound tome, wrapped in a cloth. Langdon unwrapped it carefully, and opened it with reverence. He felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at the pages, covered with strange symbols and diagrams. He recognized some of the words as Latin, but others were unfamiliar to him. He felt a strange attraction to the book, as if it was calling to him.
He asked his colleague how he had found the book, and what he had learned from it. His colleague told him that he had discovered the book in a hidden chamber of the monastery, where it had been locked away for centuries. He said that he had spent months studying and deciphering the book, and that he had learned many things from it. He said that the book was written by a monk named Brother Ambrose, who had been a member of a secret order of occultists, known as the Order of the Shadow. He said that the order had been founded by a mysterious figure, known only as the Master of Shadows, who had taught them the secrets of contacting the spirits of the dead, and of using them for various purposes. He said that the order had been persecuted and hunted down by the Church, and that Brother Ambrose had been one of the last survivors. He said that Brother Ambrose had hidden the book in the monastery, along with a map and a clue to the location of the treasure. He said that the treasure was a collection of ancient relics and artifacts, that had been gathered by the order, and that had great power and value. He said that the clue was a riddle, written in Latin, that read:
"Sub arbore magna, quae in horto est, thesaurus est. Sed non est facile invenire. Quaerite signum, quod in libro est, et sequimini umbras."
Langdon translated the riddle as:
"Under the great tree, that is in the garden, the treasure is. But it is not easy to find. Seek the sign, that is in the book, and follow the shadows."
He asked his colleague what the sign was, and his colleague showed him a page in the book, where there was a drawing of a pentagram, surrounded by five candles. He said that this was the sign, and that it was a symbol of the order, and of their connection to the spirit world. He said that the sign had to be drawn on the ground, under the great tree, and that the candles had to be lit. He said that this would open a portal to the realm of the dead, and that the shadows of the spirits would guide them to the treasure. He said that he had brought the candles with him, and that they were ready to perform the ritual.
Langdon was fascinated by the story, and by the book. He felt a strong curiosity and a greed for the treasure. He agreed to help his colleague with the ritual, and to split the treasure with him. He did not care about the woman, and thought that she would not be a problem. He suggested that they go to the garden that night, when it was dark and quiet, and that they bring the book and the candles with them. He said that he knew where the great tree was, and that it was not far from his office. He said that they should meet at his office at midnight, and that they should not tell anyone about their plan.
The colleague and the woman agreed, and left Langdon's office. Langdon locked the book in his desk drawer, and waited for the night to come. He was excited and impatient, and could not think of anything else. He did not notice the strange noises and shadows that began to appear in his office, as the book exerted its influence on him. He did not notice the dark and sinister aura that surrounded him, as he became obsessed with the book and the treasure. He did not notice the danger that he was in, as he prepared to unleash the forces of the dead. He did not notice anything, except the book and the treasure. He did not notice anything, until it was too late.
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