Тень над Иннсмутом

           Ittooknoexcessivesensitivenesstobeautytomakemeliterallygaspatthestrange,unearthlysplendourofthealien,opulentphantasythatrestedthereonapurplevelvetcushion.EvennowIcanhardlydescribewhatIsaw,thoughitwasclearlyenoughasortoftiara,asthedescriptionhadsaid.Itwastallinfront,andwithaverylargeandcuriouslyirregularperiphery,asifdesignedforaheadofalmostfreakishlyellipticaloutline.Thematerialseemedtobepredominantlygold,thoughaweirdlighterlustrousnesshintedatsomestrangealloywithanequallybeautifulandscarcelyidentifiablemetal.Itsconditionwasalmostperfect,andonecouldhavespenthoursinstudyingthestrikingandpuzzlinglyuntraditionaldesigns—somesimplygeometrical,andsomeplainlymarine—chasedormouldedinhighreliefonitssurfacewithacraftsmanshipofincredibleskillandgrace.

           ThelongerIlooked,themorethethingfascinatedme;andinthisfascinationtherewasacuriouslydisturbingelementhardlytobeclassifiedoraccountedfor.AtfirstIdecidedthatitwasthequeerother-worldlyqualityoftheartwhichmademeuneasy.AllotherartobjectsIhadeverseeneitherbelongedtosomeknownracialornationalstream,orelsewereconsciouslymodernisticdefiancesofeveryrecognizedstream.Thistiarawasneither.Itclearlybelongedtosomesettledtechniqueofinfinitematurityandperfection,yetthattechniquewasutterlyremotefromany—EasternorWestern,ancientormodern—whichIhadeverheardoforseenexemplified.Itwasasiftheworkmanshipwerethatofanotherplanet.

           However,Isoonsawthatmyuneasinesshadasecondandperhapsequallypotentsourceresidinginthepictorialandmathematicalsuggestionofthestrangedesigns.