Хребты безумия

           Anothermapshowsavastbulkofdrylandaroundthesouthpole,whereitisevidentthatsomeofthebeingsmadeexperimentalsettlements,thoughtheirmaincentersweretransferredtothenearestseabottom. Latermaps,whichdisplaythelandmassascrackinganddrifting,andsendingcertaindetachedpartsnorthward,upholdinastrikingwaythetheoriesofcontinentaldriftlatelyadvancedbyTaylor,Wegener,andJoly. 

           WiththeupheavalofnewlandintheSouthPacifictremendouseventsbegan. Someofthemarinecitieswerehopelesslyshattered,yetthatwasnottheworstmisfortune. Anotherrace—alandraceofbeingsshapedlikeoctopiandprobablycorrespondingtofabulousprehumanspawnofCthulhu—soonbeganfilteringdownfromcosmicinfinityandprecipitateda—monstrouswarwhichforatimedrovetheOldOneswhollybacktothesea—acolossalblowinviewoftheincreasinglandsettlements. Laterpeacewasmade,andthenewlandsweregiventotheCthulhuspawnwhilsttheOldOnesheldtheseaandtheolderlands. Newlandcitieswerefounded—thegreatestofthemintheantarctic,forthisregionoffirstarrivalwassacred. Fromthenon,asbefore,theantarcticremainedthecenteroftheOldOnes’civilization,andallthecitiesbuilttherebytheCthulhuspawnwereblottedout. ThensuddenlythelandsofthePacificsankagain,takingwiththemthefrightfulstonecityofR’lyehandallthecosmicoctopi,sothattheOldOneswereagainsupremeontheplanetexceptforoneshadowyfearaboutwhichtheydidnotliketospeak. Ataratherlateragetheircitiesdottedallthelandandwaterareasoftheglobe—hencetherecommendationinmycomingmonographthatsomearchaeologistmakesystematicboringswithPabodie’stypeofapparatusincertainwidelyseparatedregions.