Тінь над Іннсмутом
Chapter 1
Referencestodeclinewerefew,thoughthesignificanceofthelaterrecordwasunmistakable.AftertheCivilWarallindustriallifewasconfinedtotheMarshRefiningCompany,andthemarketingofgoldingotsformedtheonlyremainingbitofmajorcommerceasidefromtheeternalfishing.Thatfishingpaidlessandlessasthepriceofthecommodityfellandlarge-scalecorporationsofferedcompetition,buttherewasneveradearthoffisharoundInnsmouthHarbour.Foreignersseldomsettledthere,andtherewassomediscreetlyveiledevidencethatanumberofPolesandPortuguesewhohadtriedithadbeenscatteredinapeculiarlydrasticfashion.
MostinterestingofallwasaglancingreferencetothestrangejewelryvaguelyassociatedwithInnsmouth.Ithadevidentlyimpressedthewholecountrysidemorethanalittle,formentionwasmadeofspecimensinthemuseumofMiskatonicUniversityatArkham,andinthedisplayroomoftheNewburyportHistoricalSociety.Thefragmentarydescriptionsofthesethingswerebaldandprosaic,buttheyhintedtomeanundercurrentofpersistentstrangeness.SomethingaboutthemseemedsooddandprovocativethatIcouldnotputthemoutofmymind,anddespitetherelativelatenessofthehourIresolvedtoseethelocalsample—saidtobealarge,queerly-proportionedthingevidentlymeantforatiara—ifitcouldpossiblybearranged.
ThelibrariangavemeanoteofintroductiontothecuratoroftheSociety,aMissAnnaTilton,wholivednearby,andafterabriefexplanationthatancientgentlewomanwaskindenoughtopilotmeintotheclosedbuilding,sincethehourwasnotoutrageouslylate.Thecollectionwasanotableoneindeed,butinmypresentmoodIhadeyesfornothingbutthebizarreobjectwhichglistenedinacornercupboardundertheelectriclights.
