Зов Ктулху
The Tale of Inspector Legrasse
Thetimewouldbeeasytoknow,forthenmankindwouldhavebecomeastheGreatOldOnes;freeandwildandbeyondgoodandevil,withlawsandmoralsthrownasideandallmenshoutingandkillingandrevellinginjoy. ThentheliberatedOldOneswouldteachthemnewwaystoshoutandkillandrevelandenjoythemselves,andalltheearthwouldflamewithaholocaustofecstasyandfreedom. Meanwhilethecult,byappropriaterites,mustkeepalivethememoryofthoseancientwaysandshadowforththeprophecyoftheirreturn.
IntheeldertimechosenmenhadtalkedwiththeentombedOldOnesindreams,butthensomethinghappened. ThegreatstonecityR’lyeh,withitsmonolithsandsepulchres,hadsunkbeneaththewaves;andthedeepwaters,fulloftheoneprimalmysterythroughwhichnoteventhoughtcanpass,hadcutoffthespectralintercourse. Butmemoryneverdied,andthehigh-priestssaidthatthecitywouldriseagainwhenthestarswereright. Thencameoutoftheearththeblackspiritsofearth,mouldyandshadowy,andfullofdimrumourspickedupincavernsbeneathforgottensea-bottoms. ButofthemoldCastrodarednotspeakmuch. Hecuthimselfoffhurriedly,andnoamountofpersuasionorsubtletycouldelicitmoreinthisdirection. ThesizeoftheOldOnes,too,hecuriouslydeclinedtomention. Ofthecult,hesaidthathethoughtthecentrelayamidthepathlessdesertofArabia,whereIrem,theCityofPillars,dreamshiddenanduntouched. ItwasnotalliedtotheEuropeanwitch-cult,andwasvirtuallyunknownbeyonditsmembers. Nobookhadeverreallyhintedofit,thoughthedeathlessChinamensaidthatthereweredoublemeaningsintheNecronomiconofthemadArabAbdulAlhazredwhichtheinitiatedmightreadastheychose,especiallythemuch-discussedcouplet:
