Хребты безумия
V
Ifsuchshoulddevelop,orifourpapersupplyshouldgiveout,wecouldofcoursefallbackonthemoresecurethoughmoretediousandretardingmethodofrockchipping.
Justhowextensiveaterritorywehadopenedup,itwasimpossibletoguesswithoutatrial. Thecloseandfrequentconnectionofthedifferentbuildingsmadeitlikelythatwemightcrossfromonetoanotheronbridgesunderneaththeice,exceptwhereimpededbylocalcollapsesandgeologicrifts,forverylittleglaciationseemedtohaveenteredthemassiveconstructions. Almostalltheareasoftransparenticehadrevealedthesubmergedwindowsastightlyshuttered,asifthetownhadbeenleftinthatuniformstateuntiltheglacialsheetcametocrystallizethelowerpartforallsucceedingtime. Indeed,onegainedacuriousimpressionthatthisplacehadbeendeliberatelyclosedanddesertedinsomedim,bygoneaeon,ratherthanoverwhelmedbyanysuddencalamityorevengradualdecay. Hadthecomingoftheicebeenforeseen,andhadanamelesspopulationleftenmassetoseekalessdoomedabode? Theprecisephysiographicconditionsattendingtheformationoftheicesheetatthispointwouldhavetowaitforlatersolution. Ithadnot,veryplainly,beenagrindingdrive. Perhapsthepressureofaccumulatedsnowshadbeenresponsible,andperhapssomefloodfromtheriver,orfromtheburstingofsomeancientglacialdaminthegreatrange,hadhelpedtocreatethespecialstatenowobservable. Imaginationcouldconceivealmostanythinginconnectionwiththisplace.
