Ужас в музее
Chapter 2
FromtheseveredthroatofMadameDemersahideousbubblingsoundseemedtoemanate,whiletheheadless,leglessvictimofatrunkmurdertriedtoedgecloserandcloseronitsgorystumps. Jonesbeganshuttinghiseyestoseeifthatwoulddimtheimages,butfounditwasuseless. Besides,whenheshuthiseyesthestrange,purposefulpatternsoflight-specksbecamemoredisturbinglypronounced.
Thensuddenlyhebegantryingtokeepthehideousimageshehadformerlybeentryingtobanish. Hetriedtokeepthembecausetheyweregivingplacetostillmorehideousones. Inspiteofhimselfhismemorybeganreconstructingtheutterlynon-humanblasphemiesthatlurkedintheobscurercorners,andtheselumpishhybridgrowthsoozedandwriggledtowardhimasthoughhuntinghimdowninacircle. BlackTsathogguamouldeditselffromatoad-likegargoyletoalong,sinuouslinewithhundredsofrudimentaryfeet,andalean,rubberynight-gauntspreaditswingsasiftoadvanceandsmotherthewatcher. Jonesbracedhimselftokeepfromscreaming. Heknewhewasrevertingtothetraditionalterrorsofhischildhood,andresolvedtousehisadultreasontokeepthephantomsatbay. Ithelpedabit,hefound,toflashthelightagain. Frightfulasweretheimagesitshewed,thesewerenotasbadaswhathisfancycalledoutoftheutterblackness.
Butthereweredrawbacks.Eveninthelightofhistorchhecouldnothelpsuspectingaslight,furtivetremblingonthepartofthecanvaspartitionscreeningofftheterrible“Adultsonly”alcove.
