Хребты безумия
X
Suddenlyabulkywhiteshapeloomedupaheadofus,andweflashedonthesecondtorch. Itisoddhowwhollythisnewquesthadturnedourmindsfromearlierfearsofwhatmightlurknear. Thoseotherones,havinglefttheirsuppliesinthegreatcircularplace,musthaveplannedtoreturnaftertheirscoutingtriptowardorintotheabyss;yetwehadnowdiscardedallcautionconcerningthemascompletelyasiftheyhadneverexisted. Thiswhite,waddlingthingwasfullysixfeethigh,yetweseemedtorealizeatoncethatitwasnotoneofthoseothers. Theywerelargeranddark,and,accordingtothesculptures,theirmotionoverlandsurfaceswasaswift,assuredmatterdespitethequeernessoftheirsea-borntentacleequipment. Buttosaythatthewhitethingdidnotprofoundlyfrightenuswouldbevain. Wewereindeedclutchedforaninstantbyprimitivedreadalmostsharperthantheworstofourreasonedfearsregardingthoseothers. Thencameaflashofanticlimaxasthewhiteshapesidledintoalateralarchwaytoourlefttojointwoothersofitskindwhichhadsummoneditinraucoustones. Foritwasonlyapenguin—albeitofahuge,unknownspecieslargerthanthegreatestoftheknownkingpenguins,andmonstrousinitscombinedalbinismandvirtualeyelessness.
Whenwehadfollowedthethingintothearchwayandturnedbothourtorchesontheindifferentandunheedinggroupofthree,wesawthattheywerealleyelessalbinosofthesameunknownandgiganticspecies. TheirsizeremindedusofsomeofthearchaicpenguinsdepictedintheOldOnes’sculptures,anditdidnottakeuslongtoconcludethattheyweredescendedfromthesamestock—undoubtedlysurvivingthrougharetreattosomewarmerinnerregionwhoseperpetualblacknesshaddestroyedtheirpigmentationandatrophiedtheireyestomereuselessslits.
