Тень над Иннсмутом

           Hissonhadformerlyconductedtheofficeinthesquare,butlatterlytheyhadbeenkeepingoutofsightagooddealandleavingthebruntofaffairstotheyoungergeneration.Thesonsandtheirsistershadcometolookveryqueer,especiallytheelderones;anditwassaidthattheirhealthwasfailing.

           OneoftheMarshdaughterswasarepellent,reptilian-lookingwomanwhoworeanexcessofweirdjewelleryclearlyofthesameexotictraditionasthattowhichthestrangetiarabelonged.Myinformanthadnoticeditmanytimes,andhadhearditspokenofascomingfromsomesecrethoard,eitherofpiratesorofdemons.Theclergymen—orpriests,orwhatevertheywerecallednowadays—alsoworethiskindofornamentasaheaddress;butoneseldomcaughtglimpsesofthem.Otherspecimenstheyouthhadnotseen,thoughmanywererumouredtoexistaroundInnsmouth.

           TheMarshes,togetherwiththeotherthreegentlybredfamiliesofthetown—theWaites,theGilmans,andtheEliots—wereallveryretiring.TheylivedinimmensehousesalongWashingtonStreet,andseveralwerereputedtoharbourinconcealmentcertainlivingkinsfolkwhosepersonalaspectforbadepublicview,andwhosedeathshadbeenreportedandrecorded.

           Warningmethatmanyofthestreetsignsweredown,theyouthdrewformybenefitaroughbutampleandpainstakingsketchmapofthetown’ssalientfeatures.Afteramoment’sstudyIfeltsurethatitwouldbeofgreathelp,andpocketeditwithprofusethanks.DislikingthedinginessofthesinglerestaurantIhadseen,Iboughtafairsupplyofcheesecrackersandgingerwaferstoserveasalunchlateron.Myprogram,Idecided,wouldbetothreadtheprincipalstreets,talkwithanynon-nativesImightencounter,andcatchtheeighto’clockcoachforArkham.