Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 3
Hetorehishandsontherough,loosestones,andmanytimesbruisedhisheadagainstthefrequentpillars,butstillhekepton.Thenatlastheslowlycametohimselfintheutterblacknessandstench,andstoppedhisearsagainstthedroningwailintowhichtheburstofyelpinghadsubsided.Hewasdrenchedwithperspirationandwithoutmeansofproducingalight;strickenandunnervedintheabysmalblacknessandhorror,andcrushedwithamemoryhenevercouldefface.Beneathhimdozensofthosethingsstilllived,andfromoneofthoseshaftsthecoverwasremoved.Heknewthatwhathehadseencouldneverclimbuptheslipperywalls,yetshudderedatthethoughtthatsomeobscurefoot-holdmightexist.
Whatthethingwas,hewouldnevertell.Itwaslikesomeofthecarvingsonthehellishaltar,butitwasalive.Naturehadnevermadeitinthisform,foritwastoopalpablyunfinished.Thedeficiencieswereofthemostsurprisingsort,andtheabnormalitiesofproportioncouldnotbedescribed.WillettconsentsonlytosaythatthistypeofthingmusthaverepresentedentitieswhichWardcalledupfromimperfectsalts,andwhichhekeptforservileorritualisticpurposes.Ifithadnothadacertainsignificance,itsimagewouldnothavebeencarvedonthatdamnablestone.Itwasnottheworstthingdepictedonthatstone—butWillettneveropenedtheotherpits.
