V

           Ithinkthatbothofussimultaneouslycriedoutinmixedawe,wonder,terror,anddisbeliefinourownsensesaswefinallyclearedthepassandsawwhatlaybeyond. Ofcourse,wemusthavehadsomenaturaltheoryinthebackofourheadstosteadyourfacultiesforthemoment. ProbablywethoughtofsuchthingsasthegrotesquelyweatheredstonesoftheGardenoftheGodsinColorado,orthefantasticallysymmetricalwind-carvedrocksoftheArizonadesert. Perhapsweevenhalfthoughtthesightamiragelikethatwehadseenthemorningbeforeonfirstapproachingthosemountainsofmadness. Wemusthavehadsomesuchnormalnotionstofallbackuponasoureyessweptthatlimitless,tempest-scarredplateauandgraspedthealmostendlesslabyrinthofcolossal,regular,andgeometricallyeurythmicstonemasseswhichrearedtheircrumbledandpittedcrestsaboveaglacialsheetnotmorethanfortyorfiftyfeetdeepatitsthickest,andinplacesobviouslythinner. 

           Theeffectofthemonstroussightwasindescribable,forsomefiendishviolationofknownnaturallawseemedcertainattheoutset. Here,onahellishlyancienttable-landfullytwentythousandfeethigh,andinaclimatedeadlytohabitationsinceaprehumanagenotlessthanfivehundredthousandyearsago,therestretchednearlytothevision’slimitatangleoforderlystonewhichonlythedesperationofmentalself-defensecouldpossiblyattributetoanybutconsciousandartificialcause. Wehadpreviouslydismissed,sofarasseriousthoughtwasconcerned,anytheorythatthecubesandrampartsofthemountainsideswereotherthannaturalinorigin. Howcouldtheybeotherwise,whenmanhimselfcouldscarcelyhavebeendifferentiatedfromthegreatapesatthetimewhenthisregionsuccumbedtothepresentunbrokenreignofglacialdeath?