Хребти божевілля

           Thefactthattheycoveredtheirverticallyinhumeddeadwithfive-pointedinscribedmoundssetupthoughtsinDanforthandmewhichmadeafreshpauseandrecuperationnecessaryafterthesculpturesrevealedit. Thebeingsmultipliedbymeansofspores—likevegetablepteridophytes,asLakehadsuspected—but,owingtotheirprodigioustoughnessandlongevity,andconsequentlackofreplacementneeds,theydidnotencouragethelarge-scaledevelopmentofnewprothalliaexceptwhentheyhadnewregionstocolonize. Theyoungmaturedswiftly,andreceivedaneducationevidentlybeyondanystandardwecanimagine. Theprevailingintellectualandaestheticlifewashighlyevolved,andproducedatenaciouslyenduringsetofcustomsandinstitutionswhichIshalldescribemorefullyinmycomingmonograph. Thesevariedslightlyaccordingtoseaorlandresidence,buthadthesamefoundationsandessentials. 

           Thoughable,likevegetables,toderivenourishmentfrominorganicsubstances,theyvastlypreferredorganicandespeciallyanimalfood. Theyateuncookedmarinelifeunderthesea,butcookedtheirviandsonland. Theyhuntedgameandraisedmeatherds—slaughteringwithsharpweaponswhoseoddmarksoncertainfossilbonesourexpeditionhadnoted. Theyresistedallordinarytemperaturesmarvelously,andintheirnaturalstatecouldliveinwaterdowntofreezing. WhenthegreatchillofthePleistocenedrewon,however—nearlyamillionyearsago—thelanddwellershadtoresorttospecialmeasures,includingartificialheating—untilatlastthedeadlycoldappearstohavedriventhembackintothesea. Fortheirprehistoricflightsthroughcosmicspace,legendsaid,theyabsorbedcertainchemicalsandbecamealmostindependentofeating,breathing,orheatconditions—butbythetimeofthegreatcoldtheyhadlosttrackofthemethod.