Тень над Иннсмутом

           Referencestodeclinewerefew,thoughthesignificanceofthelaterrecordwasunmistakable.AftertheCivilWarallindustriallifewasconfinedtotheMarshRefiningCompany,andthemarketingofgoldingotsformedtheonlyremainingbitofmajorcommerceasidefromtheeternalfishing.Thatfishingpaidlessandlessasthepriceofthecommodityfellandlarge-scalecorporationsofferedcompetition,buttherewasneveradearthoffisharoundInnsmouthHarbour.Foreignersseldomsettledthere,andtherewassomediscreetlyveiledevidencethatanumberofPolesandPortuguesewhohadtriedithadbeenscatteredinapeculiarlydrasticfashion.

           MostinterestingofallwasaglancingreferencetothestrangejewelryvaguelyassociatedwithInnsmouth.Ithadevidentlyimpressedthewholecountrysidemorethanalittle,formentionwasmadeofspecimensinthemuseumofMiskatonicUniversityatArkham,andinthedisplayroomoftheNewburyportHistoricalSociety.Thefragmentarydescriptionsofthesethingswerebaldandprosaic,buttheyhintedtomeanundercurrentofpersistentstrangeness.SomethingaboutthemseemedsooddandprovocativethatIcouldnotputthemoutofmymind,anddespitetherelativelatenessofthehourIresolvedtoseethelocalsample—saidtobealarge,queerly-proportionedthingevidentlymeantforatiara—ifitcouldpossiblybearranged.

           ThelibrariangavemeanoteofintroductiontothecuratoroftheSociety,aMissAnnaTilton,wholivednearby,andafterabriefexplanationthatancientgentlewomanwaskindenoughtopilotmeintotheclosedbuilding,sincethehourwasnotoutrageouslylate.Thecollectionwasanotableoneindeed,butinmypresentmoodIhadeyesfornothingbutthebizarreobjectwhichglistenedinacornercupboardundertheelectriclights.