Зов Ктулху
The Tale of Inspector Legrasse
Theysaidithadbeentherebefored’Iberville,beforeLaSalle,beforetheIndians,andbeforeeventhewholesomebeastsandbirdsofthewoods. Itwasnightmareitself,andtoseeitwastodie. Butitmademendream,andsotheyknewenoughtokeepaway. Thepresentvoodooorgywas,indeed,onthemerestfringeofthisabhorredarea,butthatlocationwasbadenough;henceperhapstheveryplaceoftheworshiphadterrifiedthesquattersmorethantheshockingsoundsandincidents.
OnlypoetryormadnesscoulddojusticetothenoisesheardbyLegrasse’smenastheyploughedonthroughtheblackmorasstowardtheredglareandmuffledtom-toms. Therearevocalqualitiespeculiartomen,andvocalqualitiespeculiartobeasts;anditisterribletoheartheonewhenthesourceshouldyieldtheother. Animalfuryandorgiasticlicenseherewhippedthemselvestodaemoniacheightsbyhowlsandsquawkingecstaciesthattoreandreverberatedthroughthosenightedwoodslikepestilentialtempestsfromthegulfsofhell. Nowandthenthelessorganizedululationwouldcease,andfromwhatseemedawell-drilledchorusofhoarsevoiceswouldriseinsing-songchantthathideousphraseorritual: "Ph’ngluimglw’nafhCthulhuR’lyehwgah’naglfhtagn."
Thenthemen,havingreachedaspotwherethetreeswerethinner,camesuddenlyinsightofthespectacleitself. Fourofthemreeled,onefainted,andtwowereshakenintoafranticcrywhichthemadcacophonyoftheorgyfortunatelydeadened. Legrassedashedswampwateronthefaceofthefaintingman,andallstoodtremblingandnearlyhypnotisedwithhorror.
Inanaturalgladeoftheswampstoodagrassyislandofperhapsanacre’sextent,clearoftreesandtolerablydry.
