Хребти божевілля
XI
AttheriskofseemingpuerileIwilladdanotherthing,too,ifonlybecauseofthesurprisingwayDanforth’simpressionschimedwithmine. Ofcoursecommonreadingiswhatpreparedusbothtomaketheinterpretation,thoughDanforthhashintedatqueernotionsaboutunsuspectedandforbiddensourcestowhichPoemayhavehadaccesswhenwritinghisArthurGordonPymacenturyago. Itwillberememberedthatinthatfantastictalethereisawordofunknownbutterribleandprodigioussignificanceconnectedwiththeantarcticandscreamedeternallybythegiganticspectrallysnowybirdsofthatmalignregion’score. "Tekeli-li!Tekeli-li!" That,Imayadmit,isexactlywhatwethoughtweheardconveyedbythatsuddensoundbehindtheadvancingwhitemist—thatinsidiousmusicalpipingoverasingularlywiderange.
Wewereinfullflightbeforethreenotesorsyllableshadbeenuttered,thoughweknewthattheswiftnessoftheOldOneswouldenableanyscream-rousedandpursuingsurvivoroftheslaughtertoovertakeusinamomentifitreallywishedtodoso. Wehadavaguehope,however,thatnonaggressiveconductandadisplayofkindredreasonmightcausesuchabeingtospareusincaseofcapture,ifonlyfromscientificcuriosity. Afterall,ifsuchanonehadnothingtofearforitself,itwouldhavenomotiveinharmingus. Concealmentbeingfutileatthisjuncture,weusedourtorchforarunningglancebehind,andperceivedthatthemistwasthinning. Wouldwesee,atlast,acompleteandlivingspecimenofthoseothers? Againcamethatinsidiousmusicalpiping—"Tekeli-li!Tekeli-li!" Then,notingthatwewereactuallygainingonourpursuer,itoccurredtousthattheentitymightbewounded. Wecouldtakenochances,however,sinceitwasveryobviouslyapproachinginanswertoDanforth’sscream,ratherthaninflightfromanyotherentity.
