Тень над Иннсмутом

           Therewereperhapstenpeoplevisible,andfourorfiveautomobilesandmotortrucksstoodscatteredabout.IdidnotneedtobetoldthatthiswastheciviccentreofInnsmouth.EastwardIcouldcatchblueglimpsesoftheharbour,againstwhichrosethedecayingremainsofthreeoncebeautifulGeorgiansteeples.AndtowardtheshoreontheoppositebankoftheriverIsawthewhitebelfrysurmountingwhatItooktobetheMarshrefinery.

           ForsomereasonorotherIchosetomakemyfirstinquiriesatthechaingrocery,whosepersonnelwasnotlikelytobenativetoInnsmouth.Ifoundasolitaryboyofaboutseventeenincharge,andwaspleasedtonotethebrightnessandaffabilitywhichpromisedcheerfulinformation.Heseemedexceptionallyeagertotalk,andIsoongatheredthathedidnotliketheplace,itsfishysmell,oritsfurtivepeople.Awordwithanyoutsiderwasarelieftohim.HehailedfromArkham,boardedwithafamilywhocamefromIpswich,andwentbackwheneverhegotamomentoff.HisfamilydidnotlikehimtoworkinInnsmouth,butthechainhadtransferredhimthereandhedidnotwishtogiveuphisjob.

           Therewas,hesaid,nopubliclibraryorchamberofcommerceinInnsmouth,butIcouldprobablyfindmywayabout.ThestreetIhadcomedownwasFederal.Westofthatwerethefineoldresidencestreets—Broad,Washington,Lafayette,andAdams—andeastofitweretheshorewardslums.Itwasintheseslums—alongMainStreet—thatIwouldfindtheoldGeorgianchurches,buttheywerealllongabandoned.Itwouldbewellnottomakeoneselftooconspicuousinsuchneighbourhoods—especiallynorthoftheriversincethepeopleweresullenandhostile.Somestrangershadevendisappeared.