Ужас в музее
Chapter 1
Whenyouseethesnapshotsyou’llknowthegeographycouldn’thavebeenfaked,andIfancyIhaveanotherwayofprovingthatItisn’tanywaxedconcoctionofmine. You’veneverseenit,fortheexperimentswouldn’tletmekeepItonexhibition.”
Theshowmanglancedqueerlyatthepadlockeddoor.“
ItallcomesfromthatlongritualintheeighthPnakoticfragment. WhenIgotitfiguredoutIsawitcouldhaveonlyonemeaning. TherewerethingsinthenorthbeforethelandofLomar—beforemankindexisted—andthiswasoneofthem. IttookusallthewaytoAlaska,anduptheNoatakfromFortMorton,butthethingwasthereasweknewitwouldbe. GreatCyclopeanruins,acresofthem. Therewaslessleftthanwehadhopedfor,butafterthreemillionyearswhatcouldoneexpect? Andweren’ttheEsquimaulegendsallintherightdirection? Wecouldn’tgetoneofthebeggarstogowithus,andhadtosledgeallthewaybacktoNomeforAmericans. Orabonawasnogoodupinthatclimate—itmadehimsullenandhateful.“
I’lltellyoulaterhowwefoundIt. Whenwegottheiceblastedoutofthepylonsofthecentralruinthestairwaywasjustasweknewitwouldbe. Somecarvingsstillthere,anditwasnotroublekeepingtheYankeesfromfollowingusin. Orabonashiveredlikealeaf—you’dneverthinkitfromthedamnedinsolentwayhestrutsaroundhere. HeknewenoughoftheElderLoretobeproperlyafraid. Theeternallightwasgone,butourtorchesshewedenough.
