Поклик Ктулху
The Tale of Inspector Legrasse
Theyalldiedvastepochsoftimebeforemencame,buttherewereartswhichcouldreviveThemwhenthestarshadcomeroundagaintotherightpositionsinthecycleofeternity. Theyhad,indeed,comethemselvesfromthestars,andbroughtTheirimageswithThem.
TheseGreatOldOnes,Castrocontinued,werenotcomposedaltogetheroffleshandblood.Theyhadshape—fordidnotthisstar-fashionedimageproveit?—butthatshapewasnotmadeofmatter. Whenthestarswereright,Theycouldplungefromworldtoworldthroughthesky;butwhenthestarswerewrong,Theycouldnotlive. ButalthoughTheynolongerlived,Theywouldneverreallydie. TheyalllayinstonehousesinTheirgreatcityofR’lyeh,preservedbythespellsofmightyCthulhuforagloriousresurrectionwhenthestarsandtheearthmightoncemorebereadyforThem. ButatthattimesomeforcefromoutsidemustservetoliberateTheirbodies. ThespellsthatpreservedThemintactlikewisepreventedThemfrommakinganinitialmove,andTheycouldonlylieawakeinthedarkandthinkwhilstuncountedmillionsofyearsrolledby. Theyknewallthatwasoccurringintheuniverse,forTheirmodeofspeechwastransmittedthought. EvennowTheytalkedinTheirtombs. When,afterinfinitiesofchaos,thefirstmencame,theGreatOldOnesspoketothesensitiveamongthembymouldingtheirdreams;foronlythuscouldTheirlanguagereachthefleshlymindsofmammals.
Then,whisperedCastro,thosefirstmenformedthecultaroundsmallidolswhichtheGreatOnesshewedthem;idolsbroughtindimerasfromdarkstars. Thatcultwouldneverdietillthestarscamerightagain,andthesecretpriestswouldtakegreatCthulhufromHistombtoreviveHissubjectsandresumeHisruleofearth.
