Тінь над Іннсмутом

           Certainspotswerealmostforbiddenterritory,ashehadlearnedatconsiderablecost.Onemustnot,forexample,lingermucharoundtheMarshrefinery,oraroundanyofthestillusedchurches,oraroundthepillaredOrderofDagonHallatNewChurchGreen.Thosechurcheswereveryodd—allviolentlydisavowedbytheirrespectivedenominationselsewhere,andapparentlyusingthequeerestkindofceremonialsandclericalvestments.Theircreedswereheterodoxandmysterious,involvinghintsofcertainmarveloustransformationsleadingtobodilyimmorality—ofasort—onthisearth.Theyouth’sownpastor—Dr.WallaceofAsburyM.E.ChurchinArkham—hadgravelyurgedhimnottojoinanychurchinInnsmouth.

           AsfortheInnsmouthpeople—theyouthhardlyknewwhattomakeofthem.Theywereasfurtiveandseldomseenasanimalsthatliveinburrows,andonecouldhardlyimaginehowtheypassedthetimeapartfromtheirdesultoryfishing.Perhaps—judgingfromthequantitiesofbootlegliquortheyconsumed—theylayformostofthedaylighthoursinanalcoholicstupor.Theyseemedsullenlybandedtogetherinsomesortoffellowshipandunderstanding—despisingtheworldasiftheyhadaccesstootherandpreferablespheresofentity.Theirappearance—especiallythosestaring,unwinkingeyeswhichoneneversawshut—wascertainlyshockingenough;andtheirvoicesweredisgusting.Itwasawfultohearthemchantingintheirchurchesatnight,andespeciallyduringtheirmainfestivalsorrevivals,whichfelltwiceayearonApril30thandOctober31st.

           Theywereveryfondofthewater,andswamagreatdealinbothriverandharbour.SwimmingracesouttoDevilReefwereverycommon,andeveryoneinsightseemedwellabletoshareinthisarduoussport.