Remember, my friend, that knowledge is stronger than memory, and we should not trust the weaker.`
Van Helsing pits verified knowledge against fragile recall to push the team toward method. The contrast turns panic into process: write, compare, act. It also honors the novel’s epistolary engine—journals, clippings, typed notes—where memory is upgraded into shared evidence. The counsel invites humility: even experts must check themselves. Emotionally, the firmness steadies friends who fear they’re losing their grip on reality. The line becomes a north star for decisions when the facts are strange. It’s how the book marries science and folklore without sneering at either.