Хребти божевілля
IV
Thewholegeneralformation,itmustbemadeclear,seemedabominablysuggestiveofthestarfishheadoftheArchaeanentities;andweagreedthatthesuggestionmusthaveworkedpotentlyuponthesensitizedmindsofLake’soverwroughtparty.
Formadness—centeringinGedneyastheonlypossiblesurvivingagent—wastheexplanationspontaneouslyadoptedbyeverybodysofarasspokenutterancewasconcerned; thoughIwillnotbesonaiveastodenythateachofusmayhaveharboredwildguesseswhichsanityforbadehimtoformulatecompletely. Sherman,Pabodie,andMcTighemadeanexhaustiveaeroplanecruiseoverallthesurroundingterritoryintheafternoon,sweepingthehorizonwithfieldglassesinquestofGedneyandofthevariousmissingthings;butnothingcametolight. Thepartyreportedthatthetitanbarrierrangeextendedendlesslytorightandleftalike,withoutanydiminutioninheightoressentialstructure. Onsomeofthepeaks,though,theregularcubeandrampartformationswerebolderandplainer,havingdoublyfantasticsimilitudestoRoerich-paintedAsianhillruins. Thedistributionofcrypticalcavemouthsontheblacksnow-denudedsummitsseemedroughlyevenasfarastherangecouldbetraced.
Inspiteofalltheprevailinghorrors,wewereleftwithenoughsheerscientificzealandadventurousnesstowonderabouttheunknownrealmbeyondthosemysteriousmountains. Asourguardedmessagesstated,werestedatmidnightafterourdayofterrorandbafflement—butnotwithoutatentativeplanforoneormorerange-crossingaltitudeflightsinalightenedplanewithaerialcameraandgeologist’soutfit,beginningthefollowingmorning.
