Хребти божевілля
XI
Amidstthechurning,spiralingfog,thelitteredandunglisteningfloorofthemaintunnelbeyondthispoint,asdifferingfromtheothermorbidlypolishedburrows,couldhardlyformahighlydistinguishingfeature;even,sofaraswecouldconjecture,forthoseindicatedspecialsenseswhichmadetheOldOnespartly,thoughimperfectly,independentoflightinemergencies. Infact,weweresomewhatapprehensivelestwegoastrayourselvesinourhaste. Forwehad,ofcourse,decidedtokeepstraightontowardthedeadcity;sincetheconsequencesoflossinthoseunknownfoothillhoneycombingswouldbeunthinkable.
Thefactthatwesurvivedandemergedissufficientproofthatthethingdidtakeawronggallerywhilstweprovidentiallyhitontherightone. Thepenguinsalonecouldnothavesavedus,butinconjunctionwiththemisttheyseemtohavedoneso. Onlyabenignfatekeptthecurlingvaporsthickenoughattherightmoment,fortheywereconstantlyshiftingandthreateningtovanish. Indeed,theydidliftforasecondjustbeforeweemergedfromthenauseouslyresculpturedtunnelintothecave;sothatweactuallycaughtonefirstandonlyhalfglimpseoftheoncomingentityaswecastafinal,desperatelyfearfulglancebackwardbeforedimmingthetorchandmixingwiththepenguinsinthehopeofdodgingpursuit. Ifthefatewhichscreeneduswasbenign,thatwhichgaveusthehalfglimpsewasinfinitelytheopposite;fortothatflashofsemivisioncanbetracedafullhalfofthehorrorwhichhaseversincehauntedus.
Ourexactmotiveinlookingbackagainwasperhapsnomorethantheimmemorialinstinctofthepursuedtogaugethenatureandcourseofitspursuer;orperhapsitwasanautomaticattempttoanswerasubconsciousquestionraisedbyoneofoursenses.
