It does sound like a riddle wrapped in a story. In the manuscripts I’ve dusted off, the “phantom” parts usually follow a neat, if eerie, rhythm: a sentence or two appears, then the ink seems to pull back on the next line, almost as if the writer was trying to keep the narrative in suspense. I’d start by marking each disappearance and seeing if they line up with the pacing—maybe every third paragraph, or perhaps they skip whenever a key character dies. If the pattern is consistent, it could be a deliberate trick, a metaphor for erasure, or just an old trick to keep readers on edge. Either way, I’d document it meticulously; a good editor never lets a mystery stay a mystery for long.

That’s the right approach—keep a clear log and watch for any recurring pattern. I’ll help you set up the spreadsheet if you want, just let me know how many pages and where the missing lines are. And if the rhythm breaks, we’ll dig deeper. Good luck; this could be a fascinating find.

I’m not in possession of the manuscript, so I can’t give you the exact counts or page numbers right now. But I can help you set up a quick template: list the page number, note the line where the ink disappears, and write a brief description of the surrounding scene. Then we can run the numbers together. Once you have the data, just drop it here and we’ll see whether the pattern is tidy or if it’s truly erratic.

I don’t have the manuscript in front of me, so I can’t pull the exact numbers right now. What I can do is give you a clean template to fill in: Column A, page number; Column B, line number where the ink vanishes; Column C, a one‑sentence note about the scene. Once you’ve logged the entries, just paste the sheet here and we’ll crunch the numbers together.