Зов Ктулху
The Madness from the Sea
TwoLascarsailorsatoncehelpedhimtohisfeet,butbeforetheambulancecouldreachhimhewasdead. Physiciansfoundnoadequatecausefortheend,andlaidittohearttroubleandaweakenedconstitution.
InowfeltgnawingatmyvitalsthatdarkterrorwhichwillneverleavemetillI,too,amatrest;"accidentally"orotherwise. Persuadingthewidowthatmyconnexionwithherhusband’s"technicalmatters"wassufficienttoentitlemetohismanuscript,IborethedocumentawayandbegantoreaditontheLondonboat. Itwasasimple,ramblingthing—anaivesailor’seffortatapost-factodiary—andstrovetorecalldaybydaythatlastawfulvoyage. Icannotattempttotranscribeitverbatiminallitscloudinessandredundance,butIwilltellitsgistenoughtoshewwhythesoundofthewateragainstthevessel’ssidesbecamesounendurabletomethatIstoppedmyearswithcotton.
Johansen,thankGod,didnotknowquiteall,eventhoughhesawthecityandtheThing,butIshallneversleepcalmlyagain whenIthinkofthehorrorsthatlurkceaselesslybehindlifeintimeandinspace,andofthoseunhallowedblasphemiesfromelderstarswhichdreambeneaththesea,knownandfavouredbyanightmarecultreadyandeagertoloosethemontheworldwheneveranotherearthquakeshallheavetheirmonstrousstonecityagaintothesunandair. Johansen’svoyagehadbegunjustashetoldittothevice-admiralty. TheEmma,inballast,hadclearedAucklandonFebruary20th,andhadfeltthefullforceofthatearthquake-borntempestwhichmusthaveheavedupfromthesea-bottomthehorrorsthatfilledmen’sdreams. Oncemoreundercontrol,theshipwasmakinggoodprogresswhenheldupbytheAlertonMarch22nd,andIcouldfeelthemate’sregretashewroteofherbombardmentandsinking.
