Хребти божевілля
XI
Thetimingwastooclosetoadmitofdoubt. Ofthewhereaboutsofthatlessconceivableandlessmentionablenightmare—thatfetid,unglimpsedmountainofslime-spewingprotoplasmwhoseracehadconqueredtheabyssandsentlandpioneerstorecarveandsquirmthroughtheburrowsofthehills—wecouldformnoguess; anditcostusagenuinepangtoleavethisprobablycrippledOldOne—perhapsalonesurvivor—totheperilofrecaptureandanamelessfate.
ThankHeavenwedidnotslackenourrun. Thecurlingmisthadthickenedagain,andwasdrivingaheadwithincreasedspeed;whilstthestrayingpenguinsinourrearweresquawkingandscreaminganddisplayingsignsofapanicreallysurprisinginviewoftheirrelativelyminorconfusionwhenwehadpassedthem. Oncemorecamethatsinister,wide-rangedpiping—"Tekeli-li!Tekeli-li!" Wehadbeenwrong. Thethingwasnotwounded,buthadmerelypausedonencounteringthebodiesofitsfallenkindredandthehellishslimeinscriptionabovethem. Wecouldneverknowwhatthatdemonmessagewas—butthoseburialsatLake’scamphadshownhowmuchimportancethebeingsattachedtotheirdead. Ourrecklesslyusedtorchnowrevealedaheadofusthelargeopencavernwherevariouswaysconverged,andweweregladtobeleavingthosemorbidpalimpsestsculptures—almostfeltevenwhenscarcelyseen—behind. Anotherthoughtwhichtheadventofthecaveinspiredwasthepossibilityoflosingourpursueratthisbewilderingfocusoflargegalleries. Therewereseveraloftheblindalbinopenguinsintheopenspace,anditseemedclearthattheirfearoftheoncomingentitywasextremetothepointofunaccountability. Ifatthatpointwedimmedourtorchtotheverylowestlimitoftravelingneed,keepingitstrictlyinfrontofus,thefrightenedsquawkingmotionsofthehugebirdsinthemistmightmuffleourfootfalls,screenourtruecourse,andsomehowsetupafalselead.
