VII

           Thefullstory,sofarasdeciphered,willeventuallyappearinanofficialbulletinofMiskatonicUniversity. HereIshallsketchonlythesalienthighlightsinaformless,ramblingway. Mythorotherwise,thesculpturestoldofthecomingofthosestar-headedthingstothenascent,lifelessearthoutofcosmicspace—theircoming,andthecomingofmanyotheralienentitiessuchasatcertaintimesembarkuponspatialpioneering. Theyseemedabletotraversetheinterstellaretherontheirvastmembranouswings—thusoddlyconfirmingsomecurioushillfolklorelongagotoldmebyanantiquariancolleague. Theyhadlivedundertheseaagooddeal,buildingfantasticcitiesandfightingterrificbattleswithnamelessadversariesbymeansofintricatedevicesemployingunknownprinciplesofenergy. Evidentlytheirscientificandmechanicalknowledgefarsurpassedman’stoday,thoughtheymadeuseofitsmorewidespreadandelaborateformsonlywhenobligedto. Someofthesculpturessuggestedthattheyhadpassedthroughastageofmechanizedlifeonotherplanets,buthadrecededuponfindingitseffectsemotionallyunsatisfying. Theirpreternaturaltoughnessoforganizationandsimplicityofnaturalwantsmadethempeculiarlyabletoliveonahighplanewithoutthemorespecializedfruitsofartificialmanufacture,andevenwithoutgarments,exceptforoccasionalprotectionagainsttheelements. 

           Itwasunderthesea,atfirstforfoodandlaterforotherpurposes,thattheyfirstcreatedearthlife—usingavailablesubstancesaccordingtolong-knownmethods. Themoreelaborateexperimentscameaftertheannihilationofvariouscosmicenemies. Theyhaddonethesamethingonotherplanets,havingmanufacturednotonlynecessaryfoods,butcertainmulticellularprotoplasmicmassescapableofmoldingtheirtissuesintoallsortsoftemporaryorgansunderhypnoticinfluenceandtherebyformingidealslavestoperformtheheavyworkofthecommunity.