Жах у музеї
Chapter 2
Hehadoftenwonderedaboutthosestrangeraysfromtheunplumbedabysswhichscintillatebeforeusintheabsenceofallearthlyillumination,buthehadneverknownanythatbehavedjustasthesewerebehaving. Theylackedtherestfulaimlessnessofordinarylight-specks—suggestingsomewillandpurposeremotefromanyterrestrialconception.
Thentherewasthatsuggestionofoddstirrings. Nothingwasopen,yetinspiteofthegeneraldraughtlessnessJonesfeltthattheairwasnotuniformlyquiet. Therewereintangiblevariationsinpressure—notquitedecidedenoughtosuggesttheloathsomepawingsofunseenelementals. Itwasabnormallychilly,too. Hedidnotlikeanyofthis. Theairtastedsalty,asifitweremixedwiththebrineofdarksubterrenewaters,andtherewasabarehintofsomeodourofineffablemustiness. Inthedaytimehehadnevernoticedthatthewaxenfigureshadanodour. Evennowthathalf-receivedhintwasnotthewaywaxfiguresoughttosmell.Itwasmorelikethefaintsmellofspecimensinanatural-historymuseum. Curious,inviewofRogers’claimsthathisfigureswerenotallartificial—indeed,itwasprobablythatclaimwhichmadeone’simaginationconjureuptheolfactorysuspicion. Onemustguardagainstexcessesoftheimagination—hadnotsuchthingsdrivenpoorRogersmad?
Buttheutterlonelinessofthisplacewasfrightful. Eventhedistantchimesseemedtocomefromacrosscosmicgulfs.
