Випадок Чарльза Декстера Варда
Chapter 5
Noonebutthechildcantestifytothis,butLukeadmitsthesignificantcoincidenceimpliedbythepanicofalmostconvulsivefrightwhichatthesamemomentarchedthebacksandstiffenedthefurofthethreecatsthenwithintheroom.
Fiveminuteslaterachillwindblewup,andtheairbecamesuffusedwithanintolerablestenchthatonlythestrongfreshnessoftheseacouldhavepreventeditsbeingnoticebytheshorepartyorbyanywakefulsoulsinthePawtuxetvillage.ThisstenchwasnothingwhichanyoftheFennershadeverencounteredbefore,andproducedakindofclutching,amorphousfearbeyondthatofthetomborthecharnel-house.Closeuponitcametheawfulvoicewhichnohaplesshearerwilleverbeabletoforget.Itthunderedoutoftheskylikeadoom,andwindowsrattledasitsechoesdiedaway.Itwasdeepandmusical;powerfulasabassorgan,butevilastheforbiddenbooksoftheArabs.Whatitsaidnomancantell,foritspokeinanunknowntongue,butthisisthewritingLukeFennersetdowntoportraythedaemoniacintonations:
’DEESMEESJESHETBONEDOSEFEDUVEMAENITEMOSS.’
Nottilltheyear1919didanysoullinkthiscrudetranscriptwithanythingelseinmortalknowledge,butCharlesWardpaledasherecognizedwhatMirandolahaddenouncedinshuddersastheultimatehorroramongblackmagic’sincantations.
AnunmistakablehumanshoutordeepchorusedscreamseemedtoanswerthismalignwonderfromtheCurwenfarm,afterwhichtheunknownstenchgrewcomplexwithanaddedodorequallyintolerable.
