Тень над Иннсмутом

           Thishoarycharacter,ZadokAllen,was96yearsoldandsomewhattouchedinthehead,besidesbeingthetowndrunkard.Hewasastrange,furtivecreaturewhoconstantlylookedoverhisshoulderasifafraidofsomething,andwhensobercouldnotbepersuadedtotalkatallwithstrangers.Hewas,however,unabletoresistanyofferofhisfavoritepoison;andoncedrunkwouldfurnishthemostastonishingfragmentsofwhisperedreminiscence.

           Afterall,though,littleusefuldatacouldbegainedfromhim;sincehisstorieswereallinsane,incompletehintsofimpossiblemarvelsandhorrorswhichcouldhavenosourcesaveinhisowndisorderedfancy.Nobodyeverbelievedhim,butthenativesdidnotlikehimtodrinkandtalkwithstrangers;anditwasnotalwayssafetobeseenquestioninghim.Itwasprobablyfromhimthatsomeofthewildestpopularwhispersanddelusionswerederived.

           Severalnon-nativeresidentshadreportedmonstrousglimpsesfromtimetotime,butbetweenoldZadok’stalesandthemalformedinhabitantsitwasnowondersuchillusionswerecurrent.Noneofthenon-nativeseverstayedoutlateatnight,therebeingawidespreadimpressionthatitwasnotwisetodoso.Besides,thestreetswereloathsomelydark.

           Asforbusiness—theabundanceoffishwascertainlyalmostuncanny,butthenativesweretakinglessandlessadvantageofit.Moreover,priceswerefallingandcompetitionwasgrowing.Ofcoursethetown’srealbusinesswastherefinery,whosecommercialofficewasonthesquareonlyafewdoorseastofwherewestood.OldManMarshwasneverseen,butsometimeswenttotheworksinaclosed,curtainedcar.

           TherewereallsortsofrumorsabouthowMarshhadcometolook.Hehadoncebeenagreatdandy;andpeoplesaidhestillworethefrock-coatedfineryoftheEdwardianagecuriouslyadaptedtocertaindeformities.