Погребённый с фараонами
Chapter 2
Thetrampingdrewnearer—Heavensavemefromthesoundofthosefeetandpawsandhoovesandpadsandtalonsasitcommencedtoacquiredetail! DownlimitlessreachesofsunlesspavementasparkoflightflickeredinthemalodorouswindandIdrewbehindtheenormouscircumferenceofaCyclopiccolumnthatImightescapeforawhilethehorrorthatwasstalkingmillion-footedtowardmethroughgigantichypostylesofinhumandreadandphobicantiquity. Theflickersincreased, andthetrampinganddissonantrhythmgrewsickeninglyloud. InthequiveringorangelighttherestoodfaintlyforthasceneofsuchstonyawethatIgaspedfromsheerwonderthatconqueredevenfearandrepulsion. Basesofcolumnswhosemiddleswerehigherthanhumansight,merebasesofthingsthatmusteachdwarftheEiffelTowertoinsignificance... hieroglyphicscarvedbyunthinkablehandsincavernswheredaylightcanbeonlyaremotelegend...
Iwouldnotlookatthemarchingthings.ThatIdesperatelyresolvedasIheardtheircreakingjointsandnitrouswheezingabovethedeadmusic andthedeadtramping. Itwasmercifulthattheydidnotspeak...butGod! theircrazytorchesbegantocastshadowsonthesurfaceofthosestupendouscolumns. Hippopotamishouldnothavehumanhandsandcarrytorches...menshouldnothavetheheadsofcrocodiles...
Itriedtoturnaway,buttheshadowsandthesoundsandthestenchwereeverywhere.
