Хребти божевілля
IX
Ofcoursetherevelationwasnotasclearlycutatthetimeasitsoundsnow. Therewereseveralconceivableexplanations,andwedidagooddealofindecisivewhispering. Mostimportantofall,wedidnotretreatwithoutfurtherinvestigation;forhavingcomethisfar,wewereloathtobebalkedbyanythingshortofcertaindisaster. Anyway,whatwemusthavesuspectedwasaltogethertoowildtobelieve. Suchthingsdidnothappeninanynormalworld. Itwasprobablysheerirrationalinstinctwhichmadeusdimoursingletorch—temptednolongerbythedecadentandsinistersculpturesthatleeredmenacinglyfromtheoppressivewalls—andwhichsoftenedourprogresstoacautioustiptoeingandcrawlingovertheincreasinglylitteredfloorandheapsofdebris.
Danforth’seyesaswellasnoseprovedbetterthanmine,foritwaslikewisehewhofirstnoticedthequeeraspectofthedebrisafterwehadpassedmanyhalf-chokedarchesleadingtochambersandcorridorsonthegroundlevel. Itdidnotlookquiteasitoughtaftercountlessthousandsofyearsofdesertion,andwhenwecautiouslyturnedonmorelightwesawthatakindofswathseemedtohavebeenlatelytrackedthroughit. Theirregularnatureofthelitterprecludedanydefinitemarks,butinthesmootherplacesthereweresuggestionsofthedraggingofheavyobjects. Oncewethoughttherewasahintofparalleltracksasifofrunners. Thiswaswhatmadeuspauseagain.
Itwasduringthatpausethatwecaught—simultaneouslythistime—theotherodorahead. Paradoxically,itwasbothalessfrightfulandmorefrightfulodor—lessfrightfulintrinsically,butinfinitelyappallinginthisplaceundertheknowncircumstances—unless,ofcourse,Gedney—fortheodorwastheplainandfamiliaroneofcommonpetrol—every-daygasoline.
