Зов Ктулху
The Madness from the Sea
andIstudieditlongandwell,findingitathingofbalefullyexquisiteworkmanship,andwiththesameuttermystery,terribleantiquity,andunearthlystrangenessofmaterialwhichIhadnotedinLegrasse’ssmallerspecimen. Geologists,thecuratortoldme,hadfounditamonstrouspuzzle; fortheyvowedthattheworldheldnorocklikeit.
ThenIthoughtwithashudderofwhatOldCastrohadtoldLegrasseabouttheGreatOnes; "Theyhadcomefromthestars,andhadbroughtTheirimageswithThem."
ShakenwithsuchamentalrevolutionasIhadneverbeforeknown,InowresolvedtovisitMateJohanseninOslo. SailingforLondon,IreembarkedatoncefortheNorwegiancapital;andoneautumndaylandedatthetrimwharvesintheshadowoftheEgeberg. Johansen’saddress,Idiscovered,layintheOldTownofKingHaroldHaardrada,whichkeptalivethenameofOsloduringallthecenturiesthatthegreatercitymasqueradedas"Christiana". Imadethebrieftripbytaxicab,andknockedwithpalpitantheartatthedoorofaneatandancientbuildingwithplasteredfront. Asad-facedwomaninblackansweredmysummons,andIwasstungwithdisappointmentwhenshetoldmeinhaltingEnglishthatGustafJohansenwasnomore.
Hehadnotlongsurvivedhisreturn,saidhiswife,forthedoingsatseain1925hadbrokenhim. Hehadtoldhernomorethanhehadtoldthepublic,buthadleftalongmanuscript—of"technicalmatters"ashesaid—writteninEnglish,evidentlyinordertosafeguardherfromtheperilofcasualperusal. DuringawalkthroughanarrowlaneneartheGothenburgdock,abundleofpapersfallingfromanatticwindowhadknockedhimdown.
