Жах Данвіча
Chapter 7
Nothing,however,occurredexceptsomehillnoises; andwhenthedaycamethereweremanywhohopedthatthenewhorrorhadgoneasswiftlyasithadcome. Therewereevenboldsoulswhoproposedanoffensiveexpeditiondownintheglen,thoughtheydidnotventuretosetanactualexampletothestillreluctantmajority.
Whennightcameagainthebarricadingwasrepeated,thoughtherewaslesshuddlingtogetheroffamilies. InthemorningboththeFryeandtheSethBishophouseholdsreportedexcitementamongthedogsandvaguesoundsandstenchesfromafar,whileearlyexplorersnotedwithhorrorafreshsetofthemonstroustracksintheroadskirtingSentinelHill. Asbefore,thesidesoftheroadshowedabruisingindicativeoftheblasphemouslystupendousbulkofthehorror; whilsttheconformationofthetracksseemedtoargueapassageintwodirections,asifthemovingmountainhadcomefromColdSpringGlenandreturnedtoitalongthesamepath. Atthebaseofthehillathirty-footswathofcrushedshrubberysaplingsledsteeplyupwards,andtheseekersgaspedwhentheysawthateventhemostperpendicularplacesdidnotdeflecttheinexorabletrail. Whateverthehorrorwas,itcouldscaleasheerstonycliffofalmostcompleteverticality; andastheinvestigatorsclimbedroundtothehill’ssummitbysaferroutestheysawthatthetrailended—orrather,reversed—there.
ItwasherethattheWhateleysusedtobuildtheirhellishfiresandchanttheirhellishritualsbythetable-likestoneonMayEveandHallowmass.
