Зов Ктулху
The Madness from the Sea
Oftheswarthycult-fiendsontheAlerthespeakswithsignificanthorror. Therewassomepeculiarlyabominablequalityaboutthemwhichmadetheirdestructionseemalmostaduty,andJohansenshewsingenuouswonderatthechargeofruthlessnessbroughtagainsthispartyduringtheproceedingsofthecourtofinquiry. Then,drivenaheadbycuriosityintheircapturedyachtunderJohansen’scommand,themensightagreatstonepillarstickingoutofthesea,andinS.Latitude47◦90,W.Longitude126◦430comeuponacoast-lineofmingledmud,ooze,andweedyCyclopeanmasonry whichcanbenothinglessthanthetangiblesubstanceofearth’ssupremeterror—thenightmarecorpse-cityofR’lyeh,thatwasbuiltinmeasurelessaeonsbehindhistorybythevast,loathsomeshapesthatseepeddownfromthedarkstars. TherelaygreatCthulhuandhishordes,hiddeningreenslimyvaultsandsendingoutatlast,aftercyclesincalculable,thethoughtsthatspreadfeartothedreamsofthesensitiveandcalledimperiouslytothefaithfultocomeonapilgrimageofliberationandrestoration. AllthisJohansendidnotsuspect,butGodknowshesoonsawenough!
Isupposethatonlyasinglemountain-top,thehideousmonolith-crownedcitadelwhereongreatCthulhuwasburied,actuallyemergedfromthewaters. WhenIthinkoftheextentofallthatmaybebroodingdownthereIalmostwishtokillmyselfforthwith. JohansenandhismenwereawedbythecosmicmajestyofthisdrippingBabylonofelderdaemons,andmusthaveguessedwithoutguidancethatitwasnothingofthisorofanysaneplanet. Aweattheunbelievablesizeofthegreenishstoneblocks,atthedizzyingheightofthegreatcarvenmonolith,andatthestupefyingidentityofthecolossalstatuesandbas-reliefswiththequeerimagefoundintheshrineontheAlert, ispoignantlyvisibleineverylineofthemate’sfrighteneddescription.
