Хребты безумия
II
Thisisthepaddle,fin,orpseudofootwhichhasmadeprintsinrocksfromathousandmilliontofiftyorsixtymillionyearsold.
"Frominneranglesofstarfisharrangementprojecttwo-footreddishtubestaperingfromthreeinchesdiameteratbasetooneattip. Orificesattips. Allthesepartsinfinitelytoughandleathery,butextremelyflexible. Four-footarmswithpaddlesundoubtedlyusedforlocomotionofsomesort,marineorotherwise. Whenmoved,displaysuggestionsofexaggeratedmuscularity. Asfound,alltheseprojectionstightlyfoldedoverpseudoneckandendoftorso,correspondingtoprojectionsatotherend.
"Cannotyetassignpositivelytoanimalorvegetablekingdom,butoddsnowfavoranimal. Probablyrepresentsincrediblyadvancedevolutionofradiatawithoutlossofcertainprimitivefeatures. Echinodermresemblancesunmistakabledespitelocalcontradictoryevidences.
"Wingstructurepuzzlesinviewofprobablemarinehabitat,butmayhaveuseinwaternavigation. Symmetryiscuriouslyvegetablelike,suggestingvegetable’sessentialup-and-downstructureratherthananimal’sfore-and-aftstructure. Fabulouslyearlydateofevolution,precedingevensimplestArchaeanprotozoahithertoknown,bafflesallconjectureastoorigin.
"Completespecimenshavesuchuncannyresemblancetocertaincreaturesofprimalmyththatsuggestionofancientexistenceoutsideantarcticbecomesinevitable. DyerandPabodiehavereadNecronomiconandseenClarkAshtonSmith’snightmarepaintingsbasedontext,andwillunderstandwhenIspeakofElderThingssupposedtohavecreatedallearthlifeasjestormistake. Studentshavealwaysthoughtconceptionformedfrommorbidimaginativetreatmentofveryancienttropicalradiata.
