Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Horror of the Heights
Somewerequitesmall,butthemajorityaboutasbigasanaverageballoon,andwithmuchthesamecurvatureatthetop.TherewasinthemadelicacyoftextureandcolouringwhichremindedmeofthefinestVenetianglass.Paleshadesofpinkandgreenweretheprevailingtints,butallhadalovelyiridescencewherethesunshimmeredthroughtheirdaintyforms.Somehundredsofthemdriftedpastme,awonderfulfairysquadronofstrangeunknownargosiesofthesky—creatureswhoseformsandsubstanceweresoattunedtothesepureheightsthatonecouldnotconceiveanythingsodelicatewithinactualsightorsoundofearth.
"Butsoonmyattentionwasdrawntoanewphenomenon—theserpentsoftheouterair.Thesewerelong,thin,fantasticcoilsofvapour-likematerial,whichturnedandtwistedwithgreatspeed,flyingroundandroundatsuchapacethattheeyescouldhardlyfollowthem.Someoftheseghost-likecreaturesweretwentyorthirtyfeetlong,butitwasdifficulttotelltheirgirth,fortheiroutlinewassohazythatitseemedtofadeawayintotheairaroundthem.Theseair-snakeswereofaverylightgreyorsmokecolour,withsomedarkerlineswithin,whichgavetheimpressionofadefiniteorganism.Oneofthemwhiskedpastmyveryface,andIwasconsciousofacold,clammycontact,buttheircompositionwassounsubstantialthatIcouldnotconnectthemwithanythoughtofphysicaldanger,anymorethanthebeautifulbell-likecreatureswhichhadprecededthem.Therewasnomoresolidityintheirframesthaninthefloatingspumefromabrokenwave.
