Тінь над Іннсмутом

           Thetown,Icouldsee,formedasignificantandexaggeratedexampleofcommunaldecay;butbeingnosociologistIwouldlimitmyseriousobservationstothefieldofarchitecture.

           ThusIbeganmysystematicthoughhalf-bewilderedtourofInnsmouth’snarrow,shadow-blightedways.Crossingthebridgeandturningtowardtheroarofthelowerfalls,IpassedclosetotheMarshrefinery,whichseemedtobeoddlyfreefromthenoiseofindustry.ThebuildingstoodonthesteepriverbluffnearabridgeandanopenconfluenceofstreetswhichItooktobetheearliestciviccenter,displacedaftertheRevolutionbythepresentTownSquare.

           Re-crossingthegorgeontheMainStreetbridge,Istruckaregionofutterdesertionwhichsomehowmademeshudder.Collapsinghuddlesofgambrelroofsformedajaggedandfantasticskyline,abovewhichrosetheghoulish,decapitatedsteepleofanancientchurch.SomehousesalongMainStreetweretenanted,butmostweretightlyboardedup.DownunpavedsidestreetsIsawtheblack,gapingwindowsofdesertedhovels,manyofwhichleanedatperilousandincredibleanglesthroughthesinkingofpartofthefoundations.Thosewindowsstaredsospectrallythatittookcouragetoturneastwardtowardthewaterfront.Certainly,theterrorofadesertedhouseswellsingeometricalratherthanarithmeticalprogressionashousesmultiplytoformacityofstarkdesolation.Thesightofsuchendlessavenuesoffishy-eyedvacancyanddeath,andthethoughtofsuchlinkedinfinitiesofblack,broodingcompartmentsgivenovertocob-websandmemoriesandtheconquerorworm,startupvestigialfearsandaversionsthatnoteventhestoutestphilosophycandisperse.