Зов Ктулху
The Tale of Inspector Legrasse
Somedayhewouldcall,whenthestarswereready,andthesecretcultwouldalwaysbewaitingtoliberatehim.
Meanwhilenomoremustbetold. Therewasasecretwhicheventorturecouldnotextract. Mankindwasnotabsolutelyaloneamongtheconsciousthingsofearth,forshapescameoutofthedarktovisitthefaithfulfew. ButthesewerenottheGreatOldOnes. NomanhadeverseentheOldOnes. ThecarvenidolwasgreatCthulhu,butnonemightsaywhetherornottheotherswerepreciselylikehim. Noonecouldreadtheoldwritingnow,butthingsweretoldbywordofmouth. Thechantedritualwasnotthesecret—thatwasneverspokenaloud,onlywhispered. Thechantmeantonlythis: "InhishouseatR’lyehdeadCthulhuwaitsdreaming."
Onlytwooftheprisonerswerefoundsaneenoughtobehanged,andtherestwerecommittedtovariousinstitutions.Alldeniedapartintheritualmurders,andaverredthatthekillinghadbeendonebyBlackWingedOneswhichhadcometothemfromtheirimmemorialmeeting-placeinthehauntedwood. Butofthosemysteriousalliesnocoherentaccountcouldeverbegained. Whatthepolicedidextract,camemainlyfromtheimmenselyagedmestizonamedCastro,whoclaimedtohavesailedtostrangeportsandtalkedwithundyingleadersofthecultinthemountainsofChina.
OldCastrorememberedbitsofhideouslegendthatpaledthespeculationsoftheosophistsandmademanandtheworldseemrecentandtransientindeed. TherehadbeenaeonswhenotherThingsruledontheearth,andTheyhadhadgreatcities. RemainsofThem,hesaidthedeathlessChinamenhadtoldhim,werestilltobefoundasCyclopeanstonesonislandsinthePacific.
