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Itwastheentrancetothegreatabyss.
Inthisvasthemisphere,whoseconcaveroofwasimpressivelythoughdecadentlycarvedtoalikenessoftheprimordialcelestialdome,afewalbinopenguinswaddled—aliensthere,butindifferentandunseeing. Theblacktunnelyawnedindefinitelyoffatasteep,descendinggrade,itsapertureadornedwithgrotesquelychiseledjambsandlintel. Fromthatcrypticalmouthwefanciedacurrentofslightlywarmerair,andperhapsevenasuspicionofvaporproceeded;andwewonderedwhatlivingentitiesotherthanpenguinsthelimitlessvoidbelow,andthecontiguoushoneycombingsofthelandandthetitanmountains,mightconceal. Wewondered,too,whetherthetraceofmountaintopsmokeatfirstsuspectedbypoorLake,aswellastheoddhazewehadourselvesperceivedaroundtherampart-crownedpeak,mightnotbecausedbythetortuous-channeledrisingofsomesuchvaporfromtheunfathomedregionsofearth’score.
Enteringthetunnel,wesawthatitsoutlinewas—atleastatthestart—aboutfifteenfeeteachway—sides,floor,andarchedroofcomposedoftheusualmegalithicmasonry. Thesidesweresparselydecoratedwithcartouchesofconventionaldesignsinalate,decadentstyle;andalltheconstructionandcarvingweremarvelouslywell-preserved. Thefloorwasquiteclear,exceptforaslightdetritusbearingoutgoingpenguintracksandtheinwardtracksoftheseothers. Thefartheroneadvanced,thewarmeritbecame;sothatweweresoonunbuttoningourheavygarments. Wewonderedwhethertherewereanyactuallyigneousmanifestationsbelow,andwhetherthewatersofthatsunlessseawerehot. Afterashortdistancethemasonrygaveplacetosolidrock,thoughthetunnelkeptthesameproportionsandpresentedthesameaspectofcarvedregularity.
