Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 3
Whateverthethingswere,theycouldnotliedownintheircrampedspaces;butmusthavecrouchedandwhinedandwaitedandfeeblyleapedallthosehideousweekssincetheirmasterhadabandonedthemunheeded.
ButMarinusBicknellWillettwassorrythathelookedagain;forsurgeonandveteranofthedissecting-roomthoughhewas,hehasnotbeenthesamesince.Itishardtoexplainjusthowasinglesightofatangibleobjectwithmeasurabledimensionscouldsoshakeandchangeaman;andwemayonlysaythatthereisaboutcertainoutlinesandentitiesapowerofsymbolismandsuggestionwhichactsfrightfullyonasensitivethinker’sperspectiveandwhispersterriblehintsofobscurecosmicrelationshipsandunnameablerealitiesbehindtheprotectiveillusionsofcommonvision.InthatsecondlookWillettsawsuchanoutlineorentity,forduringthenextfewinstantshewasundoubtedlyasstarkravingmadasanyinmateofDr.Waite’sprivatehospital.Hedroppedtheelectrictorchfromahanddrainedofmuscularpowerornervousco-ordination,norheededthesoundofcrunchingteethwhichtoldofitsfateatthebottomofthepit.Hescreamedandscreamedandscreamedinavoicewhosefalsettopanicnoacquaintanceofhiswouldeverhaverecognized;andthoughhecouldnotrisetohisfeethecrawledandrolleddesperatelyawayfromthedamppavementwheredozensofTartareanwellspouredforththeirexhaustedwhiningandyelpingtoanswerhisowninsanecries.
