Хребти божевілля
VI
Afterthoroughlyexaminingtheupperregionsandtheglaciallevel,wedescended,storybystory,intothesubmergedpart,whereindeedwesoonsawwewereinacontinuousmazeofconnectedchambersandpassagesprobablyleadingoverunlimitedareasoutsidethisparticularbuilding. TheCyclopeanmassivenessandgigantismofeverythingaboutusbecamecuriouslyoppressive;andtherewassomethingvaguelybutdeeplyunhumaninallthecontours,dimensions,proportions,decorations,andconstructionalnuancesoftheblasphemouslyarchaicstonework. Wesoonrealized,fromwhatthecarvingsrevealed,thatthismonstrouscitywasmanymillionyearsold.
Wecannotyetexplaintheengineeringprinciplesusedintheanomalousbalancingandadjustmentofthevastrockmasses,thoughthefunctionofthearchwasclearlymuchreliedon. Theroomswevisitedwerewhollybareofallportablecontents,acircumstancewhichsustainedourbeliefinthecity’sdeliberatedesertion. Theprimedecorativefeaturewasthealmostuniversalsystemofmuralsculpture,whichtendedtorunincontinuoushorizontalbandsthreefeetwideandarrangedfromfloortoceilinginalternationwithbandsofequalwidthgivenovertogeometricalarabesques. Therewereexceptionstothisruleofarrangement,butitspreponderancewasoverwhelming. Often,however,aseriesofsmoothcartouchescontainingoddlypatternedgroupsofdotswouldbesunkalongoneofthearabesquebands.
Thetechnique,wesoonsaw,wasmature,accomplished,andaestheticallyevolvedtothehighestdegreeofcivilizedmastery,thoughutterlyalienineverydetailtoanyknownarttraditionofthehumanrace. IndelicacyofexecutionnosculptureIhaveeverseencouldapproachit.
