Тінь над Іннсмутом
Chapter 4
Andthenbothstenchandsoundsgrewstronger,sothatIpausedshiveringandgratefulforthecut’sprotection.Itwashere,Irecalled,thattheRowleyroaddrewsoclosetotheoldrailwaybeforecrossingwestwardanddiverging.Somethingwascomingalongthatroad,andImustlielowtillitspassageandvanishmentinthedistance.Thankheaventhesecreaturesemployednodogsfortracking—thoughperhapsthatwouldhavebeenimpossibleamidsttheomnipresentregionalodour.CrouchedinthebushesofthatsandycleftIfeltreasonablysafe,eventhoughIknewthesearcherswouldhavetocrossthetrackinfrontofmenotmuchmorethanahundredyardsaway.Iwouldbeabletoseethem,buttheycouldnot,exceptbyamalignmiracle,seeme.
AllatonceIbegandreadingtolookatthemastheypassed.Isawtheclosemoonlitspacewheretheywouldsurgeby,andhadcuriousthoughtsabouttheirredeemablepollutionofthatspace.TheywouldperhapsbetheworstofallInnsmouthtypes—somethingonewouldnotcaretoremember.
Thestenchwaxedoverpowering,andthenoisesswelledtoabestialbabelofcroaking,bayingandbarkingwithouttheleastsuggestionofhumanspeech.Weretheseindeedthevoicesofmypursuers?Didtheyhavedogsafterall?SofarIhadseennoneoftheloweranimalsinInnsmouth.Thatfloppingorpatteringwasmonstrous—Icouldnotlookuponthedegeneratecreaturesresponsibleforit.Iwouldkeepmyeyesshuttillthesoundrecededtowardthewest.
