Жах Данвіча
Chapter 6
Itwasnotquitedead,buttwitchedsilentlyandspasmodicallywhileitschestheavedinmonstrousunisonwiththemadpipingoftheexpectantwhippoorwillsoutside. Bitsofshoe-leatherandfragmentsofapparelwerescatteredabouttheroom,andjustinsidethewindowanemptycanvassacklaywhereithadevidentlybeenthrown. Nearthecentraldeskarevolverhadfallen,adentedbutundischargedcartridgelaterexplainingwhyithadnotbeenfired. Thethingitself,however,crowdedoutallotherimagesatthetime. Itwouldbetriteandnotwhollyaccuratetosaythatnohumanpencoulddescribeit,butonemayproperlysaythatitcouldnotbevividlyvisualizedbyanyonewhoseideasofaspectandcontouraretoocloselyboundupwiththecommonlife-formsofthisplanetandofthethreeknowndimensions. Itwaspartlyhuman,beyondadoubt,withverymanlikehandsandhead,andthegoatish,chinlessfacehadthestampoftheWhateley’suponit. Butthetorsoandlowerpartsofthebodywereteratologicallyfabulous,sothatonlygenerousclothingcouldeverhaveenabledittowalkonearthunchallengedoruneradicated.
Abovethewaistitwassemi-anthropomorphic; thoughitschest,wherethedog’srendingpawsstillrestedwatchfully,hadtheleathery,reticulatedhideofacrocodileoralligator. Thebackwaspiebaldwithyellowandblack,anddimlysuggestedthesquamouscoveringofcertainsnakes. Belowthewaist,though,itwastheworst; forhereallhumanresemblanceleftoffandsheerphantasybegan.
