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           Forthisfarvioletlinecouldbenothingelsethantheterriblemountainsoftheforbiddenland—highestofearth’speaksandfocusofearth’sevil;harborersofnamelesshorrorsandArchaeansecrets; shunnedandprayedtobythosewhofearedtocarvetheirmeaning; untroddenbyanylivingthingonearth,butvisitedbythesinisterlightningsandsendingstrangebeamsacrosstheplainsinthepolarnight —beyonddoubttheunknownarchetypeofthatdreadedKadathintheColdWastebeyondabhorrentLeng,whereofprimallegendshintevasively. 

           Ifthesculpturedmapsandpicturesinthatprehumancityhadtoldtruly,thesecrypticvioletmountainscouldnotbemuchlessthanthreehundredmilesaway;yetnonethelesssharplydidtheirdimelfinessenceappearabovethatremoteandsnowyrim,liketheserratededgeofamonstrousalienplanetabouttoriseintounaccustomedheavens. Theirheight,then,musthavebeentremendousbeyondallcomparison—carryingthemupintotenuousatmosphericstratapeopledonlybysuchgaseouswraithsasrashflyershavebarelylivedtowhisperofafterunexplainablefalls. Lookingatthem,Ithoughtnervouslyofcertainsculpturedhintsofwhatthegreatbygoneriverhadwasheddownintothecityfromtheiraccursedslopes—andwonderedhowmuchsenseandhowmuchfollyhadlaininthefearsofthoseOldOneswhocarvedthemsoreticently. IrecalledhowtheirnortherlyendmustcomenearthecoastatQueenMaryLand,whereevenatthatmomentSirDouglasMawson’sexpeditionwasdoubtlessworkinglessthanathousandmilesaway;andhopedthatnoevilfatewouldgiveSirDouglasandhismenaglimpseofwhatmightliebeyondtheprotectingcoastalrange. Suchthoughtsformedameasureofmyoverwroughtconditionatthetime—andDanforthseemedtobeevenworse.