Хребти божевілля
XII
Yetlongbeforewehadpassedthegreatstar-shapedruinandreachedourplane,ourfearshadbecometransferredtothelesserbutvast-enoughrangewhoserecrossinglayaheadofus. Fromthesefoothillstheblack,ruin-crustedslopesrearedupstarklyandhideouslyagainsttheeast,againremindingusofthosestrangeAsianpaintingsofNicholasRoerich; andwhenwethoughtofthefrightfulamorphousentitiesthatmighthavepushedtheirfetidlysquirmingwayeventothetopmosthollowpinnacles,wecouldnotfacewithoutpanictheprospectofagainsailingbythosesuggestiveskywardcavemouthswherethewindmadesoundslikeanevilmusicalpipingoverawiderange. Tomakemattersworse,wesawdistincttracesoflocalmistaroundseveralofthesummits—aspoorLakemusthavedonewhenhemadethatearlymistakeaboutvolcanism—andthoughtshiveringlyofthatkindredmistfromwhichwehadjustescaped;ofthat,andoftheblasphemous,horror-fosteringabysswhenceallsuchvaporscame.
Allwaswellwiththeplane,andweclumsilyhauledonourheavyflyingfurs. Danforthgottheenginestartedwithouttrouble,andwemadeaverysmoothtake-offoverthenightmarecity. BelowustheprimalCyclopeanmasonryspreadoutasithaddonewhenfirstwesawit,andwebeganrisingandturningtotestthewindforourcrossingthroughthepass. Ataveryhighleveltheremusthavebeengreatdisturbance,sincetheice-dustcloudsofthezenithweredoingallsortsoffantasticthings;butattwenty-fourthousandfeet,theheightweneededforthepass,wefoundnavigationquitepracticable. Aswedrewclosetothejuttingpeaksthewind’sstrangepipingagainbecamemanifest,andIcouldseeDanforth’shandstremblingatthecontrols.
