Why does Lovecraft use the verb 'lay' only in present? Even if one expects 'laid', it's 'lay'... Here are the 2 examples from his stories. I'd love to understand why not 'laid', why 'lay', like in the present. 1. Alos, my friend, was commander of all the forces on the plateau, and in him lay the last hope of our country. 2. Wonderful likewise were the gardens made by Zokkar the olden king. In the center of Sarnath they lay, covering a great space and encircled by a high wall.