Зов Ктулху
The Madness from the Sea
Itwas,Johansensaid,likeagreatbarn-door; andtheyallfeltthatitwasadoorbecauseoftheornatelintel,threshold,andjambsaroundit,thoughtheycouldnotdecidewhetheritlayflatlikeatrap-doororslantwiselikeanoutsidecellar-door. AsWilcoxwouldhavesaid,thegeometryoftheplacewasallwrong. Onecouldnotbesurethattheseaandthegroundwerehorizontal,hencetherelativepositionofeverythingelseseemedphantasmallyvariable.
Bridenpushedatthestoneinseveralplaceswithoutresult. ThenDonovanfeltoveritdelicatelyaroundtheedge,pressingeachpointseparatelyashewent. Heclimbedinterminablyalongthegrotesquestonemoulding—thatis,onewouldcallitclimbingifthethingwasnotafterallhorizontal—andthemenwonderedhowanydoorintheuniversecouldbesovast. Then,verysoftlyandslowly,theacre-greatpanelbegantogiveinwardatthetop;andtheysawthatitwasbalanced. Donovanslidorsomehowpropelledhimselfdownoralongthejambandrejoinedhisfellows,andeveryonewatchedthequeerrecessionofthemonstrouslycarvenportal. Inthisphantasyofprismaticdistortionitmovedanomalouslyinadiagonalway,sothatalltherulesofmatterandperspectiveseemedupset.
Theaperturewasblackwithadarknessalmostmaterial. Thattenebrousnesswasindeedapositivequality;foritobscuredsuchpartsoftheinnerwallsasoughttohavebeenrevealed,andactuallyburstforthlikesmokefromitsaeon-longimprisonment,visiblydarkeningthesunasitslunkawayintotheshrunkenandgibbousskyonflappingmembraneouswings. Theodourrisingfromthenewlyopeneddepthswasintolerable,andatlengththequick-earedHawkinsthoughtheheardanasty,sloppingsounddownthere.
