Погребённый с фараонами
Chapter 2
Thebottomofthestaircasewas,asIhavesaid,farawayinshadow, asithadtobetorisewithoutabendtothedizzyparapetedlandingabovethetitanicaperture. Thisplacedthelaststagesofmycrawlatsomedistancefromthenoisomeherd, thoughthespectaclechilledmeevenwhenquiteremoteatmyright.
AtlengthIsucceededinreachingthestepsandbegantoclimb;keepingclosetothewall,onwhichIobserveddecorationsofthemosthideoussort, andrelyingforsafetyontheabsorbed,ecstaticinterestwithwhichthemonstrositieswatchedthefoul-breezedapertureandtheimpiousobjectsofnourishmenttheyhadflungonthepavementbeforeit. Thoughthestaircasewashugeandsteep,fashionedofvastporphyryblocksasifforthefeetofagiant,theascentseemedvirtuallyinterminable. Dreadofdiscoveryandthepainwhichrenewedexercisehadbroughttomywoundscombinedtomakethatupwardcrawlathingofagonizingmemory. Ihadintended,onreachingthelanding,toclimbimmediatelyonwardalongwhateverupperstaircasemightmountfromthere; stoppingfornolastlookatthecarrionabominationsthatpawedandgenuflectedsomeseventyoreightyfeetbelow —yetasuddenrepetitionofthatthunderouscorpse-gurgleanddeath-rattlechorus,comingasIhadnearlygainedthetopoftheflight andshowingbyitsceremonialrhythmthatitwasnotanalarmofmydiscovery,causedmetopauseandpeercautiouslyovertheparapet.
