Жах Данвіча
Chapter 2
Itwassomewhatafterthistime—onHallowe’en—thatagreatblazewasseenatmidnightonthetopofSentinelHillwheretheoldtable-likestonestandsamidstitstumulusofancientbones. ConsiderabletalkwasstartedwhenSilasBishop—oftheundecayedBishops—mentionedhavingseentheboyrunningsturdilyupthathillaheadofhismotheraboutanhourbeforetheblazewasremarked. Silaswasroundingupastrayheifer,buthenearlyforgothismissionwhenhefleetinglyspiedthetwofiguresinthedimlightofhislantern. Theydartedalmostnoiselesslythroughtheunderbrush,andtheastonishedwatcherseemedtothinktheywereentirelyunclothed. Afterwardshecouldnotbesureabouttheboy,whomayhavehadsomekindofafringedbeltandapairofdarktrunksortrouserson. Wilburwasneversubsequentlyseenaliveandconsciouswithoutcompleteandtightlybuttonedattire,thedisarrangementorthreateneddisarrangementofwhichalwaysseemedtofillhimwithangerandalarm. Hiscontrastwithhissqualidmotherandgrandfatherinthisrespectwasthoughtverynotableuntilthehorrorof1928suggestedthemostvalidofreasons.
ThenextJanuarygossipsweremildlyinterestedinthefactthat‘Lavinny’sblackbrat’hadcommencedtotalk,andattheageofonlyelevenmonths. Hisspeechwassomewhatremarkablebothbecauseofitsdifferencefromtheordinaryaccentsoftheregion,andbecauseitdisplayedafreedomfrominfantilelispingofwhichmanychildrenofthreeorfourmightwellbeproud. Theboywasnottalkative,yetwhenhespokeheseemedtoreflectsomeelusiveelementwhollyunpossessedbyDunwichanditsdenizens. Thestrangenessdidnotresideinwhathesaid,oreveninthesimpleidiomsheused; butseemedvaguelylinkedwithhisintonationorwiththeinternalorgansthatproducedthespokensounds.
