Крижаний сфінкс
Chapter V. Edgar Poe’s Romance
Themasterandthedogweredesperatelythirsty,andwhenArthurstretchedouthishand,hefoundTigerlyingonhisback,withhispawsupandhishaironend.HethenfeltTigerallover,andhishandencounteredastringpassedroundthedog’sbody.Astripofpaperwasfastenedtothestringunderhisleftshoulder.
ArthurPymhadreachedthelaststageofweakness.Intelligencewasalmostextinct.However,afterseveralfruitlessattemptstoprocurealight,hesucceededinrubbingthepaperwithalittlephosphorus—(thedetailsgiveninEdgarPoe’snarrativearecuriouslyminuteatthispoint)—andthenbytheglimmerthatlastedlessthanasecondhediscernedjustsevenwordsattheendofasentence.Terrifyingwordsthesewere:blood—remainhidden—lifedependsonit.
Whatdidthesewordsmean?LetusconsiderthesituationofArthurPym,atthebottomoftheship’shold,betweentheboardsofachest,withoutlight,withoutwater,withonlyardentliquortoquenchhisthirst!Andthiswarningtoremainhidden,precededbytheword“blood“—thatsupremeword,kingofwords,sofullofmystery,ofsuffering,ofterror!HadtherebeenstrifeonboardtheGrampus?Hadthebrigbeenattackedbypirates?Hadthecrewmutinied?Howlonghadthisstateofthingslasted?
Itmightbethoughtthatthemarvellouspoethadexhaustedtheresourcesofhisimaginationintheterrorofsuchasituation;butitwasnotso.
