Хребты безумия
IV
Eventhewind’sburdenheldapeculiarstrainofconsciousmalignity;andforaseconditseemedthatthecompositesoundincludedabizarremusicalwhistlingorpipingoverawiderangeastheblastsweptinandoutoftheomnipresentandresonantcavemouths. Therewasacloudynoteofreminiscentrepulsioninthissound,ascomplexandunplaceableasanyoftheotherdarkimpressions.
Wewerenow,afteraslowascent,ataheightoftwenty-threethousand,fivehundredandseventyfeetaccordingtotheaneroid;andhadlefttheregionofclingingsnowdefinitelybelowus. Upherewereonlydark,barerockslopesandthestartofrough-ribbedglaciers—butwiththoseprovocativecubes,ramparts,andechoingcavemouthstoaddaportentoftheunnatural,thefantastic,andthedreamlike. Lookingalongthelineofhighpeaks,IthoughtIcouldseetheonementionedbypoorLake,witharampartexactlyontop. Itseemedtobehalflostinaqueerantarctichaze—suchahaze,perhaps,ashadbeenresponsibleforLake’searlynotionofvolcanism. Thepassloomeddirectlybeforeus,smoothandwindsweptbetweenitsjaggedandmalignlyfrowningpylons. Beyonditwasaskyfrettedwithswirlingvaporsandlightedbythelowpolarsun—theskyofthatmysteriousfartherrealmuponwhichwefeltnohumaneyehadevergazed.
Afewmorefeetofaltitudeandwewouldbeholdthatrealm. DanforthandI,unabletospeakexceptinshoutsamidstthehowling,pipingwindthatracedthroughthepassandaddedtothenoiseoftheunmuffledengines,exchangedeloquentglances. Andthen,havinggainedthoselastfewfeet,wedidindeedstareacrossthemomentousdivideandovertheunsampledsecretsofanelderandutterlyalienearth.
