Хребти божевілля
IV
ItwasdecidedthatDanforthandItryitfirst,andweawakedat7A.M.intendinganearlyflight;however,heavywinds—mentionedinourbriefbulletintotheoutsideworld—delayedourstarttillnearlynineo’clock.
Ihavealreadyrepeatedthenoncommittalstorywetoldthemenatcamp—andrelayedoutside—afterourreturnsixteenhourslater. Itisnowmyterribledutytoamplifythisaccountbyfillinginthemercifulblankswithhintsofwhatwereallysawinthehiddentransmontaneworld—hintsoftherevelationswhichhavefinallydrivenDanforthtoanervouscollapse. Iwishhewouldaddareallyfrankwordaboutthethingwhichhethinkshealonesaw—eventhoughitwasprobablyanervousdelusion—andwhichwasperhapsthelaststrawthatputhimwhereheis;butheisfirmagainstthat. AllIcandoistorepeathislaterdisjointedwhispersaboutwhatsethimshriekingastheplanesoaredbackthroughthewind-torturedmountainpassafterthatrealandtangibleshockwhichIshared. Thiswillformmylastword. IftheplainsignsofsurvivingelderhorrorsinwhatIdisclosebenotenoughtokeepothersfrommeddlingwiththeinnerantarctic—oratleastfrompryingtoodeeplybeneaththesurfaceofthatultimatewasteofforbiddensecretsandinhuman,aeon-curseddesolation—theresponsibilityforunnamableandperhapsimmeasurableevilswillnotbemine.
DanforthandI,studyingthenotesmadebyPabodieinhisafternoonflightandcheckingupwithasextant,hadcalculatedthatthelowestavailablepassintherangelaysomewhattotherightofus,withinsightofcamp,andabouttwenty-threethousandortwenty-fourthousandfeetabovesealevel. Forthispoint,then,wefirstheadedinthelightenedplaneasweembarkedonourflightofdiscovery.
