VI

           Itwouldbecumbroustogiveadetailed,consecutiveaccountofourwanderingsinsidethatcavernous,aeon-deadhoneycombofprimalmasonry—thatmonstrouslairofeldersecretswhichnowechoedforthefirsttime,afteruncountedepochs,tothetreadofhumanfeet. Thisisespeciallytruebecausesomuchofthehorribledramaandrevelationcamefromamerestudyoftheomnipresentmuralcarvings. Ourflashlightphotographsofthosecarvingswilldomuchtowardprovingthetruthofwhatwearenowdisclosing,anditislamentablethatwehadnotalargerfilmsupplywithus. Asitwas,wemadecrudenotebooksketchesofcertainsalientfeaturesafterallourfilmswereusedup. 

           Thebuildingwhichwehadenteredwasoneofgreatsizeandelaborateness,andgaveusanimpressivenotionofthearchitectureofthatnamelessgeologicpast. Theinnerpartitionswerelessmassivethantheouterwalls,butonthelowerlevelswereexcellentlypreserved. Labyrinthinecomplexity,involvingcuriouslyirregulardifferenceinfloorlevels,characterizedtheentirearrangement;andweshouldcertainlyhavebeenlostattheveryoutsetbutforthetrailoftornpaperleftbehindus. Wedecidedtoexplorethemoredecrepitupperpartsfirstofall,henceclimbedaloftinthemazeforadistanceofsomeonehundredfeet,towherethetopmosttierofchambersyawnedsnowilyandruinouslyopentothepolarsky. Ascentwaseffectedoverthesteep,transverselyribbedstonerampsorinclinedplaneswhicheverywhereservedinlieuofstairs. Theroomsweencounteredwereofallimaginableshapesandproportions,rangingfromfive-pointedstarstotrianglesandperfectcubes. Itmightbesafetosaythattheirgeneralaveragewasabout30x30feetinfloorarea,and20feetinheight,thoughmanylargerapartmentsexisted.