Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 4
Inoneofthesefourcircles,nearwhereayellowishrobehadbeenflungcarelesslydown,therestoodashallowkylixofthesortfoundontheshelvesabovethewhip-rack;andjustoutsidetheperipherywasoneofthePhaleronjugsfromtheshelvesintheotherroom,itstagnumbered118.Thiswasunstoppered,andproveduponinspectiontobeempty;buttheexplorersawwithashiverthatthekylixwasnot.Withinitsshallowarea,andsavedfromscatteringonlybytheabsenceofwindinthissequesteredcavern,layasmallamountofadry,dull-greenishefflorescentpowderwhichmusthavebelongedinthejug;andWillettalmostreeledattheimplicationsthatcamesweepingoverhimashecorrelatedlittlebylittletheseveralelementsandantecedentsofthescene.Thewhipsandtheinstrumentsoftorture,thedustorsaltsfromthejugof"Materia",thetwolekythoifromthe"Custodes"shelf,therobes,theformulaeonthewalls,thenotesonthepad,thehintsfromlettersandlegends,andthethousandglimpses,doubts,andsuppositionswhichhadcometotormentthefriendsandparentsofCharlesWard—alltheseengulfedthedoctorinatidalwaveofhorrorashelookedatthatdrygreenishpowderoutspreadinthepedestaledleadenkylixonthefloor.
Withaneffort,however,Willettpulledhimselftogetherandbeganstudyingtheformulaechiseledonthewalls.
