Тень над Иннсмутом

           Therewasasuggestionofsound,too,thoughthewindwasblowingtheotherway—asuggestionofbestialscrapingandbellowingevenworsethanthemutteringofthepartiesIhadlatelyoverheard.

           Allsortsofunpleasantconjecturescrossedmymind.IthoughtofthoseveryextremeInnsmouthtypessaidtobehiddenincrumbling,centuriedwarrensnearthewaterfront;Ithought,too,ofthosenamelessswimmersIhadseen.Countingthepartiessofarglimpsed,aswellasthosepresumablycoveringotherroads,thenumberofmypursuersmustbestrangelylargeforatownasdepopulatedasInnsmouth.

           WhencecouldcomethedensepersonnelofsuchacolumnasInowbeheld?Didthoseancient,unplumbedwarrensteemwithatwisted,uncatalogued,andunsuspectedlife?Orhadsomeunseenshipindeedlandedalegionofunknownoutsidersonthathellishreef?Whowerethey?Whyweretheyhere?AndifsuchacolumnofthemwasscouringtheIpswichroad,wouldthepatrolsontheotherroadsbelikewiseaugmented?

           Ihadenteredthebrush-growncutandwasstrugglingalongataveryslowpacewhenthatdamnablefishyodouragainwaxeddominant.Hadthewindsuddenlychangedeastward,sothatitblewinfromtheseaandoverthetown?Itmusthave,Iconcluded,sinceInowbegantohearshockinggutturalmurmursfromthathithertosilentdirection.Therewasanothersound,too—akindofwholesale,colossalfloppingorpatteringwhichsomehowcalledupimagesofthemostdetestablesort.Itmademethinkillogicallyofthatunpleasantlyundulatingcolumnonthefar-offIpswichroad.