Хребты безумия
VI
Beneaththeirstrictconventionalizationonecouldgrasptheminuteandaccurateobservationandgraphicskilloftheartists;andindeed,theveryconventionsthemselvesservedtosymbolizeandaccentuatetherealessenceorvitaldifferentiationofeveryobjectdelineated. Wefelt,too,thatbesidestheserecognizableexcellencestherewereotherslurkingbeyondthereachofourperceptions. Certaintoucheshereandtheregavevaguehintsoflatentsymbolsandstimuliwhichanothermentalandemotionalbackground,andafullerordifferentsensoryequipment,mighthavemadeofprofoundandpoignantsignificancetous.
Thesubjectmatterofthesculpturesobviouslycamefromthelifeofthevanishedepochoftheircreation,andcontainedalargeproportionofevidenthistory. Itisthisabnormalhistoric-mindednessoftheprimalrace—achancecircumstanceoperating,throughcoincidence,miraculouslyinourfavor—whichmadethecarvingssoawesomelyinformativetous,andwhichcausedustoplacetheirphotographyandtranscriptionaboveallotherconsiderations. Incertainroomsthedominantarrangementwasvariedbythepresenceofmaps,astronomicalcharts,andotherscientificdesignsofanenlargedscale—thesethingsgivinganaiveandterriblecorroborationtowhatwegatheredfromthepictorialfriezesanddadoes. Inhintingatwhatthewholerevealed,Icanonlyhopethatmyaccountwillnotarouseacuriositygreaterthansanecautiononthepartofthosewhobelievemeatall. Itwouldbetragicifanyweretobealluredtothatrealmofdeathandhorrorbytheverywarningmeanttodiscouragethem.
