Погребённый с фараонами

           Fromsomestilllowerchasminearth’sbowelswereproceedingcertainsounds,measuredanddefinite,andlikenothingIhadeverheardbefore. ThattheywereveryancientanddistinctlyceremonialIfeltalmostintuitively;andmuchreadinginEgyptologyledmetoassociatethemwiththeflute,thesambuke,thesistrum,andthetympanum. Intheirrhythmicpiping,droning,rattlingandbeatingIfeltanelementofterrorbeyondalltheknownterrorsofearth—aterrorpeculiarlydissociatedfrompersonalfear, andtakingtheformofasortofobjectivepityforourplanet,thatitshouldholdwithinitsdepthssuchhorrorsasmustliebeyondtheseaegipaniccacophonies. Thesoundsincreasedinvolume,andIfeltthattheywereapproaching. Then—andmayallthegodsofallpantheonsunitetokeepthelikefrommyearsagain —Ibegantohear,faintlyandafaroff,themorbidandmillennialtrampingofthemarchingthings. 

           Itwashideousthatfootfallssodissimilarshouldmoveinsuchperfectrhythm. Thetrainingofunhallowedthousandsofyearsmustliebehindthatmarchofearth’sinmostmonstrosities... padding,clicking,walking,stalking,rumbling,lumbering,crawling... andalltotheabhorrentdiscordsofthosemockinginstruments. Andthen—GodkeepthememoryofthoseArablegendsoutofmyhead!—themummieswithoutsouls... themeeting-placeofthewanderingkas...thehordesofthedevil-cursedpharaonicdeadoffortycenturies... thecompositemummiesledthroughtheuttermostonyxvoidsbyKingKhephrenandhisghoul-queenNitocris..