Потерянный континент: история Атлантиды
10. A Wooing
Byourwitswecanliftblocksweighingsixhundredmen,andsetthemasthecapstonesofourpyramids.Buttouprearthestonesofthatgreatcirclewouldbebeyondallourart,andmuchmorewoulditbeimpossibleto-day,totransportthemfromtheirdistantquarriesacrosstheruggedmountains.
Therewerenine-and-fortyofthestones,alternatingwithspaces,andsetinanaccuratecircle,andacrossthetopsofthemotherstoneswereset,equallyhuge.Thestoneswereundressedandrugged;butthehugemassivenessofthemimpressedtheeyemorethanallthetemplesanddaintilytooledpyramidsofourwondrouscity.Andinthecentreofthecirclewasthatstillgreaterstonewhichformedthealtar,androundwhichwascarved,intherudechisellingoftheancients,thesnakeandtheoutstretchedhand.
Thecrowdwhichboremeoncametoastandstillbeforethecircleofstones.Totrespassbeyondthisisdeathforthecommonpeople;andformyself,althoughIhadtherightofentrance,IchosetostaywhereIwasforthepresent,unnoticedamongstthemob,andwaituponevents.
Forlongenoughwestoodthere,ourLordtheSunburninghighandfiercelyfromtheclearblueskyaboveourheads.Thedinoftherebels’attackuponthewallscametousclearly,evenabovethegabbleofthemultitude,butnoonegaveattentiontoit.Excitementaboutwhatwastobefallinthecirclemasteredeveryotheremotion.
