Тень над Иннсмутом

           Whenonecametothinkofit,itwasgenerallyonlyratheryoungpeoplewhowereseenaboutinpublic,andofthesetheoldestwereapttobethemosttainted-looking.Whenexceptionsdidoccur,theyweremostlypersonswithnotraceofaberrancy,liketheoldclerkatthehotel.Onewonderedwhatbecameofthebulkoftheolderfolk,andwhetherthe"Innsmouthlook"werenotastrangeandinsidiousdisease-phenomenonwhichincreaseditsholdasyearsadvanced.

           Onlyaveryrareaffliction,ofcourse,couldbringaboutsuchvastandradicalanatomicalchangesinasingleindividualaftermaturity—changesinvokingosseousfactorsasbasicastheshapeoftheskull—butthen,eventhisaspectwasnomorebafflingandunheard-ofthanthevisiblefeaturesofthemaladyasawhole.Itwouldbehard,theyouthimplied,toformanyrealconclusionsregardingsuchamatter;sinceonenevercametoknowthenativespersonallynomatterhowlongonemightliveinInnsmouth.

           Theyouthwascertainthatmanyspecimensevenworsethantheworstvisibleoneswerekeptlockedindoorsinsomeplaces.Peoplesometimesheardthequeerestkindofsounds.Thetotteringwaterfronthovelsnorthoftheriverwerereputedlyconnectedbyhiddentunnels,beingthusaveritablewarrenofunseenabnormalities.Whatkindofforeignblood—ifany—thesebeingshad,itwasimpossibletotell.Theysometimeskeptcertainespeciallyrepulsivecharactersoutofsightwhengovernmentandothersfromtheoutsideworldcametotown.

           Itwouldbeofnouse,myinformantsaid,toaskthenativesanythingabouttheplace.Theonlyonewhowouldtalkwasaveryagedbutnormallookingmanwholivedatthepoorhouseonthenorthrimofthetownandspenthistimewalkingaboutorloungingaroundthefirestation.